Ann Coulter, our TV's guilty addiction, back again -- and again

Watching Ann Coulter surgically skewer serious liberals on television, you can't help thinking: If that long, blond hair keeps falling over her face so much she has to flip it back constantly, why doesn't she just cut the stuff short?

Coulter's one of those creatures made for modern TV culture, like Billy Mays with better legs.

And a Barack Obama Democratic inauguration and minimum four-year term is the conservative pundit's fondest dream come true. As we'll likely hear on the "Today" show today.

Coulter scores some valid political points in the jousting that passes for decibeled democratic discourse nowadays. She launches some rapier repartee with clearly practiced comebacks.

She says some stupid things. Some outrageous things. Snotty zingers. Some people cheer. Others get furious. And TV keeps having her back to hawk her latest book, which will be another big bestseller guaranteed.

Not that any of us ever read them, of course. But a friend told us about her writings.

And Ann inevitably harvests even more money to buy skirts containing even less material.

Forget her politics a minute. O.K., you can't. But try. She can be very clever with words sometimes. Like that annoying aunt who knows she knows everything. And we think of the perfect putdown after she's gone home.

We can make fun of Ann and Billy. But OxiClean or OxiConservative, they play us all like a concert piano.

And they know it. And so do those in TV. And they can't help themselves, having her back again and again. And for free too!

There was Coulter again Tuesday on CBS, arguing with Harry Smith after some meaningless flap with NBC described on Fox that got her back on NBC Wednesday morning for twice as long as she would have been on Monday if NBC hadn't bumped her and Drudge reported that the network banned her for life. (See how this works?)

Like banning Coulter would ever happen. She's a booker's dream. The switchboards light up. Pro. Con. Who cares? They're watching.

You can not read Ann Coulter. You can't not watch Ann Coulter. In his newsly-anchory way, Harry was trying to make a point that if she wasn't so "sophomoric" and "goofy," Coulter would be taken more seriously. Which presumes that serious is the goal.

Affable Harry, of course, completely misses the point, as we yelled at our dumb TV screen just yesterday. It's all about arguing, you ignorant knothole! If Coulter took his advice, she would never be invited on his program, these programs, all over talk-radio, with wide Web traffic. Would never sell anywhere near so many books. Wouldn't pop up in politics blogs like this.

And The Times' poor Matea Gold over on the Show Tracker blog would be forced to write about the dronings of E.J. Dionne or Paul Krugman on PBS when Charlie Rose wasn't interrupting, while the rest of us slept. Matea's got the Harry-Ann video right here. Bet you can't resist.

--Andrew Malcolm

No argument to register here for cellphone alerts on each new Ticket item. RSS feeds are also available here. And we're on Amazon's Kindle as well.

Photo credit: Townhall.com (Place cursor on photo for caption).

Watch CBS Videos Online

Comments

[K McD]

Ann Coulter is every liberal's worst nightmare; articulate, quick witted, acid tongued, pretty, and conservative. Keep it up Ann!

[Sandy]

The great wisdom of the american people? lol

btw, I don't think anyone really wants to kill Obama...he doesn't have enough power.

[Geezer Don Surber]

Her writing is terrific. She dishes back what libs dish out. It is an irony that when we last saw Coulter in 2008, Elizabeth Edwards gave her such a hard time and defended Johnny while Johnny was out making a baby with another woman. Coulter is never in remission.

[bubba gump]

Andrew,
Stupid is as stupid does. My momma told me, if they paid you to write that article, you should give their money back.

[Don L]

I believe that what infuriates liberals more than anything is that she's better than they are in their field of deception - clever language - using words as swords to dissect their lies. They in fact, are expose by her as being guilty of their own morally felonious crime -that of being deathly afraid of an intellegent woman.
Come to think of it -they fear beautiful women also (no not Ann (she's to ghostlike) but Sarah Palin.

[Terry Saulsbury]

Liberals don't like her because - like Sarah Palin - she is more intelligent than they are. She kicks their butt every time.

[Rivington]

"""If that long blond hair keeps falling over her face so much she has to flip it back constantly, why doesn't she just cut the stuff short?"""

Oh no you didn't. Oh. No. You. Didn't. Go. There.

She is no match for you.

[Dan Schwartz in NJ]

"She says some stupid things."

But only when she's quoting liberals.

[MIlle]

I love Ann Coulter. She goes a little overboard sometimes but man, does she ever infuriate liberals. LOL

If Dimocrats weren't such smarmy, hypocritical sacks of excrement, they wouldn't get so upset when she exposes them as such.

And she absolutely does know how to crank up the marketing machine and yes , the Dims do fall for it every time. LMAO

[michael loehrer]

Go Annie go. You destroyed Harry and Malcom, God bless him, can't keep up with you, either.

[Marcos El Malo]

For any intelligent person of the conservative persuasion, Coulter is an embarrassment. K McD, you have very low standards if you think she is articulate, quick witted, pretty, or conservative. She might have had these qualities long ago, but the cocaine has destroyed her. Give me Christopher Hitchens any day. The man can at least hold his liquor.

[afrogirl]

Are you people kidding? You have to be. No one in their right mind would take Coulter seriously. This is all about money.

[Don]

Wow, does she take that guy to the cleaners. He tried so hard to belittle her and just made himself look like a fool. I wish the conservative politicians had here intelligence and wit. Too bad the media types don't need intelligence or wit or we would have a much more accurate portral of the worlds events.

Go Ann

[steve rodriguez]

I love Ann Coulter!!!! She is not politically correct, nor does she try to be! She just tells it like it is!!!!!!!!!!!!

[steve rodriguez]

NBC's Today Show is running scared of Ann Coulter!!!!!
The Liberals are all for tolerance and free speech until you disagree with them!

[Tobie]

Liberals are all about feelings and intentions. They rarely let facts get in the way and examine the unintended consequences of their actions. Yes, sometimes I cringe at Ann's style but she does have substance so it's no wonder she intimidates the left because they are all about style over substance . How else do you explain the cult-like following of Obama? He is a media creation who has no past, no resume, no paper trail, no references.......but he looks cool and gives a great speech.

[steve rodriguez]

Ann Coulter's message is simply, America doesn't need people who are always feeling that they are victims!
America needs people who stand-up, work hard and face their responsibilities!

[Publius]

I prefer Coulter's writing to Coulter's TV appearances. Her brilliance is much clearer when she pens her arguments and laces them with wit.

Sure libs hate her and deny her intelligence. I understand that. She lays the liberal philosophy bare. She makes it so clear how being liberal requires you to be a hypocrite or stupid. She is one of the great political stairists of our time.

[JordanJordanJordan]

Sho'nuff, Ms Coulter is "all about the money" but at the same time she shows how easy it is to punch big holes in any Leftist point-of-view. Dedicated Leftists are straw-people animated by greed and a lust for power that is cleverly disguised as compassion for their fellow man. hahahahahahahaHA!

[Robert]

Like her or not she chews the hosts up and makes them look really lame. She never insults them they do that themselves.
Conclusion is that the hosts are all overpaid and extremely ignorant of the facts. They can handle the hollywood celebreties and that is about it.

[Erick]

You gotta laugh at this, I did. Ann Coulter has maybe 40, 50 IQ points on Andrew Malcolm and he's just flummoxed.

[geo11]

Ann kicked Harry to the curb with her wit and facts. He is presently sucking his thumb and wondering what hit him.

[Karen Otravez]

Oh, Mr. Malcolm. You were one of may favorite politicos during the election cycle, but you really miss the boat on Coulter. She should cut her hair? She wears short skirts? Ouch! Almost as harsh as NBC's Lauer, Kotb & Gifford's charges today that the "Guilty" writer is herself guilty of writing venomous prose. Oh, goodness, how will she ever rebound from such wounding criticism?

(Gee, you're the one calling it criticism. She's very skilled at what she does, which is in there too. Thanks for reading.)

[steve rodriguez]

Be careful what you write Andrew,
the Left may soon disown you!

[Naomi]

Ahh.....I just love Ann smart, beautiful and a liberals worst nightmare!!!! Keep up the Great work Ann!! She speaks 100% Truth my friends and there is no denying that!!!