The Howard Beale Award

Howard Beale, the creation of the brilliant Paddy Chayefsky, was the protagonist of the film Network. In the film, a delusional and paranoid Mr. Beale proclaims "I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!" While clearly insane, Beale’s producers stoke the fire rather than getting him the psychiatric help that he needs because the remarkably unbalanced Beale is good for ratings.

Thus, from time to time, we recognize the dubious achievements of someone from the lunatic fringe who has become so unhinged, so spectacularly deranged, that they deserve our (albeit meager) recognition. "The award check is in the mail."

Peter ("Little Peter") LaBarbera

President, Americans for Truth About Homosexuality

In response to the California Supreme Court decision in favor of gay marriage, Little Peter provided this gem: " One of the factors that makes the homosexual activist agenda so peculiarly evil is its habit of glomming on to humanity’s most noble institutions and truths — parenting, marriage, love, honesty, justice and “equality” — and putting them in the service of its starkly ignoble cause of winning acceptance for immoral and unhealthy homosexual behavior."

Congratulations Peter. We hope that you are as proud to accept this award as we are to convey it. We hope that you will stick it some place where it might do some good.