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Bill Maher Accuses The Onion Of Plagiarism For Birther ‘Placenta Joke’

by Frances Martel | 7:54 pm, April 28th, 2011

» 20 comments

The rise and fall of the “birthers,” America’s foremost conspiracy theory punchline, has been a veritable goldmine for the nation’s comedy industry. And as with all goldmines, people get possessive about who is encroaching on whose land. Earlier today, Bill Maher objected to The Onion stealing a joke about “afterbirthers” demanding to see the President’s placenta– a joke The Onion printed six months before Maher’s performance.

“I see The Onion stole my placenta joke that I did in Feb 2010 HBO special,” Maher tweeted today, apparently in reference to the publication’s article entitled “Afterbirthers Demand To See Obama’s Placenta.” The article, although nearly two years old, has understandably resurfaced in light of the President’s decision to release his long-form birth certificate and the subsequent denials by “prominent” birthers that the certificate seals the matter completely. The only problem? The publication date on the article is August 2009, six months before the HBO special. No word on whether The Onion has countered Maher’s accusation with a plagiarism claim of their own. Below is Maher’s tweet:

Maher deserves credit here for being one of the first people to predict that the day would arrive when, presented with undeniable proof of his citizenship, the birthers would have to take their conspiracy theory to its logical conclusion– if it is true that he came up with the joke all on his own. But even if true that, somehow, The Onion writers got a hold of the script of his February special in August and filched its contents, the joke appears far too self-evident to call plagiarism on. Just look at the way birthers reacted to the certificate. And then there are the jokes. The Daily Show made this precise joke last night (at minute 7:45), RuPaul tweeted a variation of this joke at Donald Trump‘s expense, or comedian Eddie Rawls, or every other search result when you type “afterbirther” into the Twitter search box. Even if Maher had chronology on his side, this was a rather unwise fight to pick.

Bill Maher, Birthers, Comedy, daily show, Donald Trump, Orly Taitz, placenta, President Obama, RuPaul, The Onion

Upper Plateau

Bill can proudly keep his “intellectual property”. (play Twilight Zone Music here)
Cancon2

I guesss Bill is writing smaller cheques this week?
Thelonious Funk

You say pla-sen-ta, I say pla-sahn-to.
cjd ohio 1

so maher stole it first
ProgLib

But, how did the joke get in to harvard?
Barack Must Go

I hate to tell both of these mouth breeders but that joke was chisled into the wall of the Obama’s cave in Kenya right next to Barck Hussein Obama ll’s actual original birth certificate.

That second fake one yesterday almost had me fooled, especially the fact that his father refused to sign it.
tatboy

Bill Maher is once again a LIAR.
jbeast

It’s likely that The Onion simply came up with a similar joke on their own. For it to truly be plagiarism, someone would’ve actually had to hear Maher’s material in the first place.
CLTstraightguy

Upper Plateau said:
Bill can proudly keep his “intellectual property”. (play Twilight Zone Music here)

Lord knows he could use it since he certainly doesn’t have much to begin with.
felixw

What a surprise, a BIRTHER story on Mediaite.

Just kiddin’…The real surprise is when Mediaite runs a story that ISN’T a birther story.
The Tea Weasel®

Barack Must Go said:
I hate to tell both of these mouth breeders but that joke was chisled into the wall of the Obama’s cave in Kenya right next to Barck Hussein Obama ll’s actual original birth certificate.

That second fake one yesterday almost had me fooled, especially the fact that his father refused to sign it.

BMG, our first Official Mediaite Afterbirther!

LOL what, you grew up next door?

mouth breeder? man, that is one obscure sexual reference. Is that how you were conceived?
Barack Must Go

The Tea Weasel® said:
BMG, our first Official Mediaite Afterbirther!

LOL what, you grew up next door?

mouth breeder? man, that is one obscure sexual reference. Is that how you were conceived?

You are half mouse, half parrot. You run around through the liberal loser maze of life chasing free cheese that doesn’t exist, all the while repeating whatever the liberal late night pundits tell you to….ad nauseum I might add.

The whole time believing you are your own together, happening person…….trust me, you’re not.
CLTstraightguy

Barack Must Go said:
You are half mouse, half parrot. You run around through the liberal loser maze of life chasing free cheese that doesn’t exist, all the while repeating whatever the liberal late night pundits tell you to….ad nauseum I might add.

The whole time believing you are your own together, happening person…….trust me, you’re not.

LOL
http://www.facebook.com/people/Alexander-Bowen/100000575396892 Alexander Bowen

Tatboy and you are an idiot
tatboy

Alexander Bowen said:
Tatboy and you are an idiot

Why… for pointing out the FACT that Maher lied? Maher lied, he made his joke AFTER the onion made it. Maher stole the joke from the onion. So I guess your the idiot for not reading the article.
billwhit1357

I can’t understand how Maher is in the position he is in today. I mean, the man is not funny in any sense and he is horrible to look at, looks like some kid moulded him from play dough, and the idiocy that comes out of his mouth is unbelieveable. I would not go see him if the show was free. Why waste time on a Leftist Mouthpiece? I bet Maher has never came up with his own stuff but stole it from others.

ALLEN WEST 2012! A Proven Leader and Patriot!
Nacho

This is a life lesson that we can all benefit from. We are all (mostly) humans and we often think alike. When people share a common thought with you, it may be they made the same simple connection as you.

Humility is a virtue.
78Thomas

Hey Bill, you have your moments but your no The Onion!!

Long Live The Onion!
Harry Flashman

Come on, folks, give the little fella a break.

The sheer genius and originality of that joke absolutely excludes anyone else from coming up with it. No two people could possibly have thought that thing up, just like the Theory of Relativity.

Yep, genius, sheer genius. There can be only one.

Just ask the little fella.
tiredoftherunaround

Ohhhhh, Billl. My heart bleeds for you……… and your nose.