I removed the reference to Maher, since it attributes a belief to a living person without supporting sources. I am aware of a comedy routine where he commented a women should "cover up," but I haven't seen a source indicating his stance about public feeding. Xenophrenic (talk) 02:16, 29 January 2009 (UTC)
- He went on for four or five minutes during one of his "New Rules" segments ridiculing a mother who was forced to leave an Applebees for discreetly breastfeeding in public, comparing it to public masturbation.[1] Others disagreed with the relevancy of the paragraph[2], describing it as a "joke," and removed it. -- btphelps (talk) (contribs) 03:18, 29 January 2009 (UTC)
- That is exactly the comedy routine to which I referred. I am also familiar with the incident at Applebees, and I think we have some difference in our interpretation of events. Maher ridiculed, most of all, "how petty and parochial our causes have become, and how activism has become narcissism," and he used the Applebee's incident to humorously make his point. He also ridiculed Applebees, "lactivists," China and lead poisoning, the war, etc. He did not compare discreetly breastfeeding in public with masturbation. He described breastfeeding, masturbation and even child birth as intimate acts, and indicated he did not want to watch strangers performing intimate acts. Specifically, he said:
- "I'm not trying to be insensitive, here. I know your baby needs to eat, but so do I and this is Applebee's, so I'm already nauseous. Breastfeeding a baby is an intimate act, and I don't want to watch strangers performing intimate acts. At least not for free. It cheapens it.
- But breastfeeding activists — yes, breastfeeding activists, called Lactivists — say this is a human right and appropriate everywhere, because it's natural. Well, so is masturbating, but I generally don't do that at Applebee's. Not in the main dining area, anyway. I mean next thing, women will be wanting to give birth in the waterfall at the mall!"
- The template you created implied that Maher did not support a mother's right to breastfeed in public, with nothing in the video clip supporting that assertion. On the contrary, he states in the clip, "But this isn't really about women taking their breasts out in public..." and he even points out, the woman was "asked by an Applebee's manager not to leave but just to cover up a little bit." There is a difference between being against breastfeeding and not wanting to watch it. All that aside, a comedian ridiculing activists (which you must admit can be extremists at times), or ethnicities, or religions, or political affiliations, or any of the other usual fodder, cannot be said to hold personal beliefs on those topics based on a single mention in a comedy monologue.
- As an aside, you are aware that Brooke Ryan (the breastfeeder in Applebee's) chose to sit at a table at one end of the eating area, facing all the rest of the patrons. Without a nursing blanket, and conveniently armed with a copy of the Kentucky State Laws regarding breastfeeding in public, she began feeding her baby and was never "forced" out. She then organized public demonstrations and had lawyers contacting Applebee's. Maybe this had something to do with Maher mentioning in your video clip that some people aren't fighting for a right, but for a spotlight. Xenophrenic (talk) 06:24, 29 January 2009 (UTC)