Ben Stein

Last updated

Ben Stein
Ben Stein 2011.jpg
Stein at Murray State University in 2011
Born
Benjamin Jeremy Stein

(1944-11-25) November 25, 1944 (age 80)
Education Columbia University (BA)
Yale University (JD)
Occupations
  • Writer
  • lawyer
  • economist
  • actor
  • comedian
  • commentator
Years active1970–present (writer and lawyer)
1986–present (actor and comedian)
Television Win Ben Stein's Money
Political party Republican
Spouses
Alexandra Denman
(m. 1968;div. 1974)
(m. 1977)
Father Herbert Stein
Website benstein.com

Benjamin Jeremy Stein (born November 25, 1944) is an American writer, lawyer, actor, comedian, and commentator on political and economic issues. He began his career as a speechwriter for U.S. presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford before entering the entertainment field as an actor, comedian, and game show host. He is best known on screen as the economics teacher in Ferris Bueller's Day Off , as the host of Win Ben Stein's Money , and as Dr. Arthur Neuman in The Mask and Son of the Mask . Stein also co-wrote and starred in the controversial 2008 film Expelled which was widely criticized for promoting pseudoscientific intelligent design creationist claims of persecution. [1] [2] Stein is the son of economist and writer Herbert Stein, who worked at the White House under President Nixon. As a character actor he is well known for his droning, monotonous delivery. In comedy, he is known for his deadpan delivery. [3]

Contents

Early life and education

Stein was born on November 25, 1944 in Washington, D.C., the son of Jewish parents Mildred ( née Fishman), a homemaker, and Herbert Stein, a writer, economist, and presidential adviser. [4] He grew up in the Woodside Forest neighborhood of Silver Spring, Maryland. Stein graduated from Montgomery Blair High School in 1962 along with classmate journalist Carl Bernstein (class of 1960); actress Goldie Hawn (class of 1963) was one year behind. [5] He went on to major in economics at Columbia University's Columbia College, where he was a member of Alpha Delta Phi and the Philolexian Society. After graduating with honors from Columbia in 1966, Stein went to Yale Law School, graduating as valedictorian in June 1970.

Career

Stein speaking at Miami University in 2003 Ben Stein.jpg
Stein speaking at Miami University in 2003

He was first a poverty lawyer in New Haven, Connecticut, and Washington, D.C., before becoming a trial lawyer for the Federal Trade Commission.

Stein's first teaching stint was as an adjunct professor, teaching about the political and social content of mass culture at American University in Washington, D.C. He subsequently taught classes at the University of California, Santa Cruz on political and civil rights under the United States Constitution. At Pepperdine University Stein taught libel law and United States securities law and its ethical aspects. He was a professor of law and economics at Pepperdine University Law School from about 1990 to 1997. [6]

Writing career

Stein writes a regular column in the conservative media outlets The American Spectator and Newsmax . He has also written for numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal , The New York Times , New York Magazine , Penthouse , Los Angeles Magazine, and Barron's Magazine .[ citation needed ] He wrote a regular biweekly column for Yahoo! Finance online, with his last article dated August 7, 2009. [7] His bestselling books (with investment advisor Phil DeMuth) include Yes, You Can Retire Comfortably; Can America Survive?; and Yes, You Can Time the Market. In 2009, he published a collection of essays, The Real Stars.

Stein was fired from his position as a Sunday Business columnist at The New York Times in August 2009 owing to a policy prohibiting writers from making product endorsements or advertising. Stein had recently become an advertising spokesman for credit information company Freescore.com and, according to a Times statement, had assumed there would be no conflict provided that he did not discuss credit scoring in general or FreeScore.com itself in his column. However, the publication felt that it would be inappropriate for him to write for them while he was involved in advertising and terminated his contract. [8] Writing in The Spectator, Stein states his belief that the real reasons for his firing were budget cuts at the Times, his criticism of Obama, and pressure from those critical of Expelled, who "bamboozled some of the high pooh-bahs at the Times into thinking there was a conflict of interest". [9]

Political career

Stein with United States Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon R. England in 2008 Defense.gov News Photo 080415-D-9880W-074.jpg
Stein with United States Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon R. England in 2008

Stein began his political career as a speechwriter and lawyer for President Richard Nixon, and later for President Gerald Ford. On May 3, 1976, Time magazine speculated on the possibility of Stein having actually been Deep Throat. Stein responded over the years not only by denying he was Deep Throat but by going further and accusing journalist Bob Woodward of falsifying the famous secret source. In the May 14–21, 1998, edition of the Philadelphia City Paper , Stein is quoted as saying, "Oh, I don't think there was a Deep Throat. That was a fake. I think there were several different sources and some they just made up." [10] After Mark Felt's identity as Deep Throat was revealed, Stein stated that Nixon would have prevented the rise to power of the Khmer Rouge if he had not been forced to resign. For his actions leading to that resignation, Stein said:

If there is such a thing as karma, if there is such a thing as justice in this life or the next, Mark Felt has bought himself the worst future of any man on this earth. And Bob Woodward is right behind him, with Ben Bradlee bringing up the rear. Out of their smug arrogance and contempt, they hatched the worst nightmare imaginable: genocide. [11]

In 2005, Stein said in the American Spectator :

Can anyone even remember now what Nixon did that was so terrible? He ended the war in Vietnam, brought home the POWs, ended the war in the Mideast, opened relations with China, started the first nuclear weapons reduction treaty, saved Eretz Israel's life, started the Environmental Protection Agency. Does anyone remember what he did that was bad?

Oh, now I remember. He lied. He was a politician who lied. How remarkable. He lied to protect his subordinates who were covering up a ridiculous burglary that no one to this date has any clue about its purpose. He lied so he could stay in office and keep his agenda of peace going. That was his crime. He was a peacemaker and he wanted to make a world where there was a generation of peace. And he succeeded.

That is his legacy. He was a peacemaker. He was a lying, conniving, covering up peacemaker. He was not a lying, conniving drug addict like JFK, a lying, conniving war starter like LBJ, a lying, conniving seducer like Clinton—a lying, conniving peacemaker. [11]

Career in the media

Stein speaks at a gala in honor of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors in 2008 Actor Ben Stein.jpg
Stein speaks at a gala in honor of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors in 2008

Stein acted as the monotonous economics teacher in the 1986 movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off . In one scene, he lectures on the Smoot-Hawley Tariff of 1930 and the then-current debate over supply-side economics.

Stein played similarly bland and unemotional characters. He had a recurring role in the TV series The Wonder Years as science teacher Mr. Cantwell, who would narrate 16 mm films in monotone. Stein also played himself in Dave .

He appeared in several television advertisements, such as for Clear Eyes eye drops throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Godfather's Pizza in 1987, a bland science teacher in 1990 for Sprinkled Chips Ahoy! cookies, and in 2013 for small business accounting service firm 1-800Accountant.

From 1997 to 2003, Stein hosted the Comedy Central game show Win Ben Stein's Money along with co-host Jimmy Kimmel (replaced by Nancy Pimental and later by Sal Iacono). True to its name, the money that contestants won on the show was subtracted from the $5,000 pay that Stein earned per episode (in addition to his salary). The show won five Daytime Emmy Awards before ending its run in 2003.

In 1999, Stein also hosted the Comedy Central talk show Turn Ben Stein On . One of the mainstays of the show was Stein's dog, Puppy Wuppy, who had free run of the set. In 2001, Stein appeared on a celebrity episode of The Weakest Link entitled "TV Hosts Edition" alongside other television hosts and was voted off in round 6 despite being that round's Strongest Link. Anne Robinson's quip was that while he "might win Ben's money; you're NOT taking ours!".

Other movies and television shows in which Stein has appeared include Charles in Charge ; Seinfeld ; Full House ; Casper ; Casper: A Spirited Beginning ; Casper Meets Wendy ; The Mask and its sequel, Son of the Mask as well as the television show, The Mask: Animated Series ; Earthworm Jim ; Star Search ; MacGyver ; Tales from the Crypt ; Richie Rich ; Game Show Moments Gone Bananas; Cavuto on Business; The O'Reilly Factor ; CBS News Sunday Morning ; Planes, Trains and Automobiles ; Family Guy ; the 1998–2004 version of Hollywood Squares ; the Michael Berger-hosted version of Match Game ; The Fairly OddParents ; Duckman ; Married... with Children ; The Emperor's New School ; My Girl 2 ; Ghostbusters II ; and the intelligent design documentary Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed . [12]

Stein (right) with Carl and Rachel Lender of Lender's Bagels in 2019 Carl Lender, Rachel Lender, Ben Stein.jpg
Stein (right) with Carl and Rachel Lender of Lender's Bagels in 2019

In addition, Stein's voice roles include The Pixies, magical creatures on the animated series The Fairly OddParents ; Mr. Purutu on the animated series The Emperor's New School ; Professor Wisenstein in Bruno the Kid ; the birthday party clown, Mr. Giggles, on The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius ; a bingo caller on Rugrats ; Francis "Pip" Pumphandle in Animaniacs ; and H.A. Futterman in Freakazoid! . Stein also voiced a psychiatrist, again named after himself, in the USA TV series Duckman ; he once appeared in the sitcom Married... with Children as a receptionist in the animal afterlife. He also made a cameo appearance in the comic book Young Justice , as Ali Ben Styn. Another cameo appearance was as Rabbi Goldberg in the Family Guy episodes "When You Wish Upon a Weinstein" and "Family Goy". Stein also voiced the character Sam Schmaltz in the 1996 computer adventure game Toonstruck .

Stein has written for the television industry, including outlines for the TV movie Murder in Mississippi and for the lengthy ABC miniseries Amerika . He has also contributed to the creation of the talk show parody series Fernwood 2 Night .

Stein hosted a show on VH1 called America's Most Smartest Model . The show aimed to find the smartest among 14 models through a series of challenges. [13]

On May 14, 2006, during an appearance on the Fox News program Your World with Neil Cavuto , Stein called for a tax increase of 3.5% for wealthy Americans, to be earmarked for soldiers and military initiatives. Stein wrote an editorial for The New York Times critical of those who would rather make money in the world of finance than fight terrorism. [14]

On December 28, 2009, Stein appeared on CNN's Larry King Live with Ron Paul to discuss the attempted bombing of an American plane on Christmas Day 2009. Stein said that Paul's stance that the United States were "occupiers" in Iraq and Afghanistan was antisemitic. The comment started a shouting match between the two men. [15] Two days later, Stein clarified that "if Rep. Paul says he is... not an anti-Semite, I believe him". [16]

Stein's political and economics commentary has appeared on CNBC's The Kudlow Report and CNN. [17]

Commentary in the lead-up to and during the Great Recession

In the months before the late-2000s recession, Stein made frequent and vehement claims about the economy's good health and the relative unimportance of the mortgage-derivative market; these would shortly be proven dead wrong.

Examples include:

In January 2008, business commentator Henry Blodget wrote a piece for Business Insider entitled, "Ben Stein is an Idiot", which stated that Stein's criticism of those with bearish views and positions on the market was either "delusional" or a deliberate and "shrewd" attempt to create false controversy and increase web traffic. [21]

In a Yahoo! Finance article published on October 17, 2008, Stein said his wildly incorrect claims were due to his expectations that the real-estate market would roughly resemble the collapse of junk bonds in the early 1990s. He said he failed to understand that debt obligations based on real estate loans were less than the "staggeringly large" amount of obligations that were created through trading in derivatives of those: "Where I missed the boat was not realizing how large were the CDS [ credit default swaps] based on the junk mortgage bonds." [22]

Personal life

Stein is married to entertainment lawyer Alexandra Denman. [23] [24] They were married in 1968 and divorced in 1974. They reconciled and in 1977 they were married again.[ citation needed ] Stein lives[ when? ] with Denman in Beverly Hills and Malibu, California. [25] [26] He also has a summer home in Sandpoint, Idaho, [27] and an apartment in the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C., which he inherited from his parents. [28]

In 2014, performance artist Tanya Ma claimed that a financial arrangement between her and Stein had turned inappropriate. Stein said of the incident that he only expected "hugging and kissing" and that he often gets "mad crushes" on women that "last about ten minutes." [29]

Views and advocacy

Abortion

Stein is a supporter of the criminalization of abortion and was given an anti-abortion award in 2003 by the National Right to Life Educational Trust Fund. [30]

Larry Craig scandal

In 2007, Stein chastised the police and the GOP leadership for their response to the Larry Craig scandal. Stein said that Craig's sexuality should not be an issue: "A party that believes in individual rights should be rallying to his defense, not making him walk the plank." [31]

Tax code

Stein has criticized the United States Internal Revenue Code for being too lenient on the wealthy. He has repeated the observation made by Warren Buffett, one of the richest individuals in the world (who pays mostly capital gains tax), that Buffett pays a lower overall tax rate than his secretaries (who pay income taxes and payroll taxes). Stein has advocated increasing taxation on the wealthy. [32] Stein objected to Obama's proposal in 2010 not to extend tax cuts for the highest earning taxpayers in the midst of the recession, saying that:

There is no known economic theory under which raising my taxes in the midst of a severe recession will help the economy recover. It isn't part of any well known monetarist or Keynesian theory. So if it does no good to raise our taxes, I assume we are being punished. But for what? I don't own slaves. I employ a lot of people full- and part-time and they are all happy with their pay. When charity calls, I almost always write out a check...Maybe when the economy recovers, raising my taxes makes sense, but for now, it's just punishment. [33]

In 2012, Stein stated that due to the tremendous amount of national debt, he agreed with Obama's proposal to increase taxes on the wealthy and that ultimately everyone's taxes should be raised to avoid defaulting on the debt. [34]

Dominique Strauss-Kahn

When the head of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, was arrested for sexual assault and attempted rape in 2011, Stein published an editorial [35] in The American Spectator in which he closely scrutinized Strauss-Kahn's accuser and cited Strauss-Kahn's education, wealth, and position as reasons to believe he was unlikely to have committed the crime:

In life, events tend to follow patterns. People who commit crimes tend to be criminals, for example. Can anyone tell me any economists who have been convicted of violent sex crimes? [36]

Stein's editorial was criticized by a number of media outlets. [37] [38] [39] [40] Jon Stewart dedicated an entire segment on The Daily Show to his response. [41] All charges against Dominique Strauss-Kahn were formally dismissed by a judge on 23 August 2011.

Ferguson shooting

In response to the death of Michael Brown, Stein made the following comment:

The idea of calling this poor young man unarmed when he was 6'4", 300 pounds, full of muscles, apparently, according to what I read in The New York Times, on marijuana. To call him unarmed is like calling Sonny Liston unarmed or Cassius Clay unarmed. He wasn't unarmed. He was armed with his incredibly strong, scary self. [42]

Evolution

Stein has denounced the scientific theory of evolution, which he and other intelligent design advocates call "Darwinism", declaring it to be "a painful, bloody chapter in the history of ideologies", "the most compelling argument yet for Imperialism", and the inspiration for the Holocaust. [43] [44] Stein does not say belief in evolution alone leads to genocide, but that scientific materialism is a necessary component. [45] He co-wrote and stars in Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed , a film that aims to persuade viewers that evolution was instrumental to the rise of the eugenics movement, Nazi Germany, and the Holocaust, and portrays advocates of intelligent design as victims of intellectual discrimination by the scientific community, which has rejected intelligent design as creationist pseudoscience. [1] [46] [2] In the trailer for the film, Stein said that his aim was to expose "people out there who want to keep science in a little box where it can't possibly touch God." [47]

Many critics point out that Stein selectively used and edited quotes by Charles Darwin to make his case in Expelled, also noting that scenes shot at Pepperdine University, in which Stein gives a speech to an auditorium full of students, in fact used a large number of extras, hired to respond favorably to Stein's speech, to fill the room. [48] The media response to the film has been largely unfavorable. It received an 11% meta-score from Rotten Tomatoes. Multiple reviews, including those of USA Today and Scientific American , have described the film as propaganda. [1] [46] [2]

In a Trinity Broadcasting Network interview with Paul Crouch Jr. regarding the movie, Stein claimed that "[religion] leads you to a very glorious place, and science leads you to killing people". [49]

The Anti-Defamation League issued a statement condemning the film's misuse of the Holocaust and its imagery, "Using the Holocaust in order to tarnish those who promote the theory of evolution is outrageous and trivializes the complex factors that led to the mass extermination of European Jewry". [50]

At the University of Vermont, Stein was invited to receive an honorary degree and be the commencement speaker for the graduating class of 2009. University President Dan Fogel received complaints about Stein's planned appearance, due to Stein's views on evolution. Stein declined his commencement invitation. [51]

At the private, Christian Liberty University 2009 graduation, Stein was awarded an honorary degree and, according to the university, "spoke extensively about his work on Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed". [52]

Foreign policy

Stein is a staunch supporter of Israel. On Larry King Live in 2009, in a heated exchange with then-Congressman Ron Paul, he referred to Paul as antisemitic for referring to the U.S. as "occupiers" in the Arabian peninsula. [53]

Political endorsements

Stein endorsed John McCain for president in 2008, calling him "an impressive guy". [54] That year, he also stated that he would vote for Ralph Nader. [55] In January 2012, Stein appeared in political advertisements sponsored by Associated Industries of Florida supporting legislation that would create three resort casinos in South Florida. [56] He claimed in late 2014 that President Barack Obama was the most racist president in American history, saying Obama "made everything about race". [57]

In 2016, Stein reprised the famous attendance scene from Ferris Bueller in a campaign ad [58] for Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley. In it, Stein intoned the last name of Grassley's opponent (Patty Judge) to silence, while facts about her missed votes and absences from state board meetings were listed. Stein then calls out "Grassley," which gets a response; Stein mutters, "He's always here." [59]

Stein initially supported Donald Trump in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, but retracted his support in October 2016, writing, "But it's time for Donald Trump to go back to Trump Tower. Time for Mike Pence to move to the top of the ticket." [60] However, Stein went on to vote for Trump. [61]

Aunt Jemima

In February 2023, Stein released a video on Donald Trump's Truth Social stating he missed the Aunt Jemima logo with a "large African American woman chef." He added, "But, I prefer when it was a black person, showing their incredible skill at making pancakes." The video was also shared on Twitter [62] and the story ran on media outlets across the country. [63] [64]

The original Aunt Jemima logo and brand name was retired in 2021 by PepsiCo and its subsidiary, Quaker Oats. This was due to the connection with the "Mammy" stereotype and racial connotations associated with the character. [65] [66]

Bibliography

Stein's book titles to date (7 fiction, 21 nonfiction) include:

YearTitlePublisherISBN
1978
On the Brink: A Novel (coauthor: Herbert Stein) Ballantine Books 0-345-27650-7
1978Dreemz (hardcover: California Dreemz)Ballantine Books 0-345-28156-X
1979The View from Sunset Boulevard: America as Brought to You By the People Who Make Television Basic Books 0-465-09032-X
1981Moneypower: How to Make Inflation Make You Rich (coauthor: Herbert Stein)Avon0-380-54809-7
1982'Ludes St. Martin's Press 0-312-50012-2
1986Her Only Sin St. Martin's Press 0-312-90636-6
1988Hollywood Days, Hollywood Nights: The Diary of a Mad Screenwriter Bantam Books 0-553-34520-6
1992A License to Steal: the Untold Story of Michael Milken and the Conspiracy to Bilk the Nation Simon & Schuster 0-671-74272-8
1998Tommy & Me: The Making of a Dad Free Press 0-68483-896-6
2002How to Ruin Your Life Hay House 1-56170-974-3
2003How to Ruin Your Love LifeHay House 1-4019-0240-5
2004How to Ruin Your Financial LifeHay House 1-4019-0241-3
Can America Survive? The Rage of the Left, the Truth, and What to Do About It New Beginnings Press 1-4019-0333-9
2005Yes, You Can Be a Successful Income Investor: Reaching for Yield in Today's MarketNew Beginnings Press 1-4019-0319-3
Yes, You Can Still Retire Comfortably: The Baby-Boom Retirement Crisis and how to Beat ItNew Beginnings Press 1-4019-0318-5
2006How Successful People Win: Using "Bunkhouse Logic" to Get What You Want in LifeHay House 1-56170-975-1
2007The Real Stars: In Today's America, Who Are the True Heroes?New Beginnings Press 1-40191-144-7
2008How to Ruin the United States of AmericaNew Beginnings Press 1-40191-869-7
2012How to Really Ruin Your Financial Life and PortfolioWiley 1-11833-873-1

Filmography and television appearances

YearTitleCreditNotes
ActorScreenwriterRole
1976 All's Fair NoNoConsultant
1977 Fernwood 2 Night NoNoCreative consultant
1984 The Wild Life YesNoSurplus salesman
1986 Ferris Bueller's Day Off YesNoEconomics teacher
1987 Planes, Trains & Automobiles YesNoWichita airport representative
1987–1990 Charles in Charge YesNoStanley Willard4 episodes
1988Frankenstein General HospitalYesNoDr. Who
1988 The Boost NoYes
1989 Ghostbusters II YesNoPublic Works official
1989 Easy Wheels YesNoPreacher
1989–1991 The Wonder Years YesNoMr. Cantwell12 episodes
1991 Soapdish YesNoNitwit executive
1991 MacGyver YesNoMajor SneadEpisode: "Honest Abe"
1992 Honeymoon in Vegas YesNoWalter
1992MastergateYesNoMarvin Rotweiler
1993 Melrose Place YesNoloan officerEpisode: "My New Partner"
1993 Dave YesNoHimself
1993 Dennis the Menace YesNoBoss
1993 Me and the Kid YesNoFred Herbert
1993 Full House YesNoElliott WarnerEpisode: "Another Opening, Another No Show"
1993 Animaniacs YesNoFrancis "Pip" PumphandleVoice, episode: "Chairman of the Bored" [67]
1993The Day My Parents Ran AwayYesNoDr. Lillianfarb
1993–1994 Hearts Afire YesNoMr. Starnes2 episodes
1994 My Girl 2 YesNoStanley Rosenfeld
1994 Love & War YesNoDr. BaxterEpisode: "Are the Stars Out Tonight?"
1994 Mr. Write YesNoEliottuncredited
1994 North YesNoCurator
1994 The Mask YesNoDr. Arthur Neuman
1994 Richie Rich YesNoSchool teacher
1995 Tales from the Crypt YesNoAndrewsEpisode: "Doctor of Horror"
1995 Miami Rhapsody YesNoRabbi
1995 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman YesNoPro lawyerEpisode: "Whine, Whine, Whine"
1995 Casper YesNoMr. Rugg
1995 Married... with Children YesNoThomasEpisode: "Requiem for a Dead Briard"
1995 Freakazoid! YesNoH.A. FuttermanVoice, episode: "Relax-O-Vision" [67]
1995 Live Shot YesNoHal, Herb2 episodes
1995 The Marshal YesNoBenEpisode: "Time Off for Clever Behavior"
1995–1996 The Mask: Animated Series YesNoDr. Arthur NeumanVoice, 3 episodes
1996–1998 The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper YesNoMr. HappVoice, 3 episodes
1996 Bruno the Kid YesNoProfessor WisensteinVoice
1996 Aaahh!!! Real Monsters YesNoGlug, ComputerVoice, episode: "Less Talk, More Monsters" [67]
1996 Earthworm Jim YesNoDr. Houston, RosebudVoice, 2 episodes
1996 House Arrest YesNoRalph Doyle
1996 Toonstruck YesNoSam SchmaltzVideo game
1996–1997 Duckman YesNoDr. Ben Stein, Lionel SteinVoice, 9 episodes
1997 Seinfeld YesNoShellbachEpisode: "The Comeback"
1997 Murphy Brown YesNoWilliamsEpisode: "How to Marry a Billionaire"
1997 A Smile Like Yours YesNoclinic video narratorVoice
1997 101 Dalmatians: The Series YesNowaiterVoice, episode: "Two Faces of Anita"
1997 Casper: A Spirited Beginning YesNoGrocer
1997Total SecurityYesNoSam HinkleEpisode: "Citizen Canine"
1997 Rugrats YesNoBingo CallerVoice, episode: "Lady Luck" [67]
1997–2003 Win Ben Stein's Money NoNoHimselfhost
1998 Muppets Tonight YesNoThe Sad And Lonely Man That Science Has Left Dr. HoneydewEpisode: "Andie MacDowell"
1998Breakfast with EinsteinYesNoJack
1998 Men in White YesNoMan in Strangemeister's head
1998 Casper Meets Wendy YesNoLawyeruncredited
1998 Hercules YesNoTriviaVoice, episode: "Hercules and the Pool Party"
1998 The Secret Files of the Spy Dogs YesNoErnst Stavro BlowfishEpisode: "I.H.R.F./Oatz"
1998 Pinky and the Brain YesNoFrancis "Pip" PumphandleVoice, episode: "Star Warners" [67]
1998 The Hughleys YesNoDr. MoppEpisode: "I'm Shrinnnking"
1998TannenbaumYesNoCar lot owner
1999 Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain YesNoRockin' Johnny HotVoice, episode: "At the Hop!" [67]
1999 Wakko's Wish YesNoDesire Fulfillment FacilitatorVoice [67]
1999 Shasta McNasty YesNohimselfEpisode: "Adult Education"
1999Turn Ben Stein OnNoNoHimselfHost, executive producer, theme music composer
2000 The Man Show YesNoJuggy University professorEpisode: "X-Ray Specs"
2001 The Drew Carey Show YesNoHeavenly GuideEpisode: "Drew's in a Coma"
2001 Lloyd in Space YesNoRanger WormyEpisode: "Caution: Wormhole!"
2001 Osmosis Jones YesNoDocuncredited
2002 The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius YesNoGiggles the clownVoice, episode: "Hypno Birthday to You" [67]
2002 Santa vs. the Snowman 3D YesNoSpunky the elfVoice [67]
2002 Most Outrageous Game Show Moments NoNoHimselfCo-host
2002 Do Over YesNoTeacherEpisode: "Joel Larsen's Day Off"
2003–2009 Family Guy YesNoRabbi GoldbergVoice, 2 episodes
2004 King of the Hill YesNoQuizmasterVoice, episode: "Stressed for Success"
2004–2008 The Fairly OddParents YesNoHead Pixie, Sanderson, PixiesVoice, 8 episodes [67]
2004 As Told by Ginger YesNoBuddy BakerVoice, 3 episodes [67]
2005 Son of the Mask YesNoDr. Neuman
2005Game Show Moments Gone BananasNoNoHimself (Presenter)
2006Mayor DogYesNoNarrator
2006 Totally Awesome YesNoNarrator
2006 The Emperor's New School YesNoMr. PurutuVoice, 8 episodes
2007 America's Most Smartest Model NoNoHimself (Host)
2007 Your Mommy Kills Animals NoNoHimself
2008 Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed NoYesHimselfDocumentary
2012–2018Cavuto on BusinessNoNoHimselfPanelist
2016Facetiming With MommyYesNoDaddyTV series
2018 The Last Sharknado: It's About Time YesNo Alexander Hamilton [68]
2019Animal SanctuaryYesNoDonald DonkeyVoice; Short
TBAThe Engagement RingYesNoDr. MillerAnnounced

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Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, commonly known as "Joe the Plumber", was an American conservative activist and commentator. He gained national attention during the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign season when, during a videotaped campaign stop in Ohio by Democratic nominee Barack Obama, Wurzelbacher raised concerns that Obama's tax policy would increase taxes on small business owners. Wurzelbacher was a member of the Republican Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Presidency of Barack Obama</span> U.S. presidential administration from 2009 to 2017

Barack Obama's tenure as the 44th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2009, and ended on January 20, 2017. Obama, a Democrat from Illinois, took office following his victory over Republican nominee John McCain in the 2008 presidential election. Four years later, in the 2012 presidential election, he defeated Republican nominee Mitt Romney, to win re-election. Obama is the first African American president, the first multiracial president, the first non-white president, and the first president born in Hawaii. Obama was succeeded by Republican Donald Trump, who won the 2016 presidential election. Historians and political scientists rank him among the upper tier in historical rankings of American presidents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories</span> Debunked conspiracy theories

During Barack Obama's campaign for president in 2008, throughout his presidency and afterwards, there was extensive news coverage of Obama's religious preference, birthplace, and of the individuals questioning his religious belief and citizenship – efforts eventually known as the "birther movement", or birtherism, names by which it is widely referred to across media. The movement falsely asserted Obama was ineligible to be President of the United States because he was not a natural-born citizen of the United States as required by Article Two of the Constitution. Studies have found these birther conspiracy theories to be most firmly held by Republicans strong in both political knowledge and racial resentment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Kudlow</span> American television host and financial analyst (born 1947)

Lawrence Alan Kudlow is an American conservative broadcast news analyst, economist, columnist, journalist, political commentator, and radio personality. He is a financial news commentator for Fox Business and served as the Director of the National Economic Council during the Trump Administration from 2018 to 2021. He assumed that role after his previous employment as a CNBC television financial news host. By 2024 Kudlow was the vice chair of the board of the America First Policy Institute, a nonprofit think tank developing policies for the second Trump presidency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyrus Vance Jr.</span> American attorney and politician (born 1954)

Cyrus Roberts Vance Jr. is an American attorney and politician who served as the District Attorney of New York County, New York. He was previously a principal partner at the law firm of Morvillo, Abramowitz, Grand, Iason, Anello, & Bohrer, P.C. He is the son of Cyrus Vance, former Secretary of State under President Jimmy Carter. Vance did not seek reelection as District Attorney in the 2021 election, and was succeeded by Alvin Bragg. He is currently a partner at Baker McKenzie.

Douglas E. Schoen is an American lawyer, political analyst, author, lobbyist, and conservative commentator. In 1977, he co-founded the political consulting firm Penn, Schoen & Berland, and was hired by President Bill Clinton and Ukrainian steel oligarch Victor Pinchuk. From 2009-2021 he worked for Fox News, and since 2021 for Newsmax TV.

Matthew Maxwell Taylor Kennedy is an American lawyer and author. He is the ninth child of Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Skakel Kennedy.

The economic policy of the Barack Obama administration, or in its colloquial portmanteau form "Obamanomics", was characterized by moderate tax increases on higher income Americans designed to fund health care reform, reduce the federal budget deficit, and decrease income inequality. President Obama's first term (2009–2013) included measures designed to address the Great Recession and subprime mortgage crisis, which began in 2007. These included a major stimulus package, banking regulation, and comprehensive healthcare reform. As the economy improved and job creation continued during his second term (2013–2017), the Bush tax cuts were allowed to expire for the highest income taxpayers and a spending sequester (cap) was implemented, to further reduce the deficit back to typical historical levels. The number of persons without health insurance was reduced by 20 million, reaching a record low level as a percent of the population. By the end of his second term, the number of persons with jobs, real median household income, stock market, and real household net worth were all at record levels, while the unemployment rate was well below historical average.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polling for United States presidential elections</span>

Gallup was the first polling organization to conduct accurate opinion polling for United States presidential elections. Gallup polling has often been accurate in predicting the outcome of presidential elections and the margin of victory for the winner. However, it missed some close elections: 1948, 1976 and 2004, the popular vote in 2000, and the likely-voter numbers in 2012. The month section in the tables represents the month in which the opinion poll was conducted. D represents the Democratic Party, and R represents the Republican Party. Third parties, such as the Dixiecrats and the Reform Party, were included in some polls.

The political positions of Donald Trump, the 45th president and 47th president-elect of the United States, have frequently changed. Trump has been primarily called a protectionist on trade. He has also been called and calls himself a populist, semi-isolationist, nationalist and other political categories.

The economic policy of the first Donald Trump administration was characterized by the individual and corporate tax cuts, attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare"), trade protectionism, deregulation focused on the energy and financial sectors, and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael the Black Man</span> American political figure from Miami, Florida (born 1959)

Michael the Black Man, also known as Michael Symonette and Mikael Israel, is an American political figure from Miami, Florida. An outspoken supporter of US president Donald Trump, he is known for appearances at Trump's rallies before and after the 2016 election, and he often sits behind Trump holding a "Blacks for Trump" sign at these rallies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Sandweg</span>

John R. Sandweg is an American attorney who served as an acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from August 1, 2013 to February 21, 2014. He is a partner of Nixon Peabody leading the Cross-Border Risks team.

References

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Awards and achievements
Preceded by Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host
1999
with Jimmy Kimmel
Succeeded by