Go and watch this video immediately. The important part starts about 3 minutes in.
What Maddow hits on here is one of the biggest media fallacies of our time: that fair reporting means reporting equal blame and legitimacy. That our media, rather than serving truth, serves balance. That a holocaust denier can sit onstage with a credentialed historian and be given equal footing not only by the visual, but by every framing device of the journalist, even though one account is demonstrably wrong. The way it's been leaping out at me recently is this weird assertion by journalists that identifying / decrying racist rhetoric is a sin (!) on the same order as employing racist tactics. As if "crying racism" or "playing the gender card" was a valid accusation in the first place... but in cases where racism or sexism is clearly present in an objective evaluation, that demanding that someone answer for that racism / sexism is a smear and a piece of nasty politics. Absolutely ridiculous.
Maddow hits on a hundred more fallacies of current Republican rhetoric -- that rabble rousing is the same as civil discussion, that coded racism is not racism, that caution and thought are cowardice. In passionate advocacy of an ideology close to my heart, she defends the playful and sarcastic handling of sensitive issues as legitimate, and rejects categorizing it as negative or divisive. She's basically the shit. Thank you, thank you, thank you Rachel.
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Monday, October 13, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Nothing worse than an "I told you so"
Except maybe an "I told you so" that can now be recorded, free of consequence, by the government and used against me in some sort of criminal proceedings as a result of any one of several loopholes in the new FISA bill, which passed this afternoon.
Three guesses on which way the Senators from Illinois and New York voted, respectively. I'll give you a hint: if Obama ran towards the center any faster, he'd be legally required to proclaim a hardy "meep meep." If she even thinks about taking an offer for the VP slot I will pull my hair out, we cannot afford to lose her in the Senate if she is one of only 27 to vote nay on that steaming pile of legislation. Protection from illegal search and seizure isn't even one of those debatable privacy rights, it is right there in the Constitution, but who asked me. Between this and Obama's late term abortion horseshit of late, I am all geared up to vote Green and not lose a wink of sleep.
To try and temper bad news with good, or at least with amusing, I enjoyed the federal appeals court that cited Lewis Carroll in their decision in favor of the rights of Gitmo detainees. I haven't read the poem, although with a title like "The Hunting of the Snark" you know it's on my list. The citation, "I have said it thrice: What I tell you three times is true," is a pretty accurate description of the current media climate, wouldn't you say? I employ this logic regularly in repeatedly telling my roommates I will do the dishes, and I will say that it appeases in the short term. There's something satisfying to the implied admission that the current state of our civil liberties can only be conceptualized by a NONSENSE POEM. But when a major governing body quotes your work, that's when you know you've made it as a writer, for sure... I'd give my left arm to be referenced in anything written by Ruth Bater Ginsberg (swoon).
Three guesses on which way the Senators from Illinois and New York voted, respectively. I'll give you a hint: if Obama ran towards the center any faster, he'd be legally required to proclaim a hardy "meep meep." If she even thinks about taking an offer for the VP slot I will pull my hair out, we cannot afford to lose her in the Senate if she is one of only 27 to vote nay on that steaming pile of legislation. Protection from illegal search and seizure isn't even one of those debatable privacy rights, it is right there in the Constitution, but who asked me. Between this and Obama's late term abortion horseshit of late, I am all geared up to vote Green and not lose a wink of sleep.
To try and temper bad news with good, or at least with amusing, I enjoyed the federal appeals court that cited Lewis Carroll in their decision in favor of the rights of Gitmo detainees. I haven't read the poem, although with a title like "The Hunting of the Snark" you know it's on my list. The citation, "I have said it thrice: What I tell you three times is true," is a pretty accurate description of the current media climate, wouldn't you say? I employ this logic regularly in repeatedly telling my roommates I will do the dishes, and I will say that it appeases in the short term. There's something satisfying to the implied admission that the current state of our civil liberties can only be conceptualized by a NONSENSE POEM. But when a major governing body quotes your work, that's when you know you've made it as a writer, for sure... I'd give my left arm to be referenced in anything written by Ruth Bater Ginsberg (swoon).
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
OBESITY CRISIS: more interesting than talking about poverty
Sorry, I am on a serious anti-media jag today. And Keyser is still out of the country, so the internet is my only available repository.
The headline: Shrinking Snacks Concern Consumers.
The story: food prices are climbing in sort of a scary way. Rather than raising the cost of individual items, producers are often decreasing the package sizes, e.g. selling a 45 oz tub of butter with the same design as the old 48 oz tub for the same price. The article claims that most consumers don't notice the small decrease in the amount of product they receive, but would notice a price hike for a package of the same size.
It's an interesting and important story, frankly. Unfortunately the reporter chose to frame the story with a four paragraph introduction about ice cream, and a title that resonates with the weight / diet / obesity crisis meme rather than the actual issues at stake. The cost of eggs and milk are sky rocketing. These are staples. Expensive ice cream is a little sad, but won't negatively impact the lives of millions of Americans. And this has nothing to do with "snacking," a term only used to sell you things or lambaste you on "The Biggest Loser."
Dear media: I promise to read you even if you report things the boring old accurate way. Leave the spin to O'Reilly and the bloggers. I want the news. And that means reporting difficult and scary stuff too, like how hard it is for real people to make ends meet.
The headline: Shrinking Snacks Concern Consumers.
The story: food prices are climbing in sort of a scary way. Rather than raising the cost of individual items, producers are often decreasing the package sizes, e.g. selling a 45 oz tub of butter with the same design as the old 48 oz tub for the same price. The article claims that most consumers don't notice the small decrease in the amount of product they receive, but would notice a price hike for a package of the same size.
It's an interesting and important story, frankly. Unfortunately the reporter chose to frame the story with a four paragraph introduction about ice cream, and a title that resonates with the weight / diet / obesity crisis meme rather than the actual issues at stake. The cost of eggs and milk are sky rocketing. These are staples. Expensive ice cream is a little sad, but won't negatively impact the lives of millions of Americans. And this has nothing to do with "snacking," a term only used to sell you things or lambaste you on "The Biggest Loser."
Dear media: I promise to read you even if you report things the boring old accurate way. Leave the spin to O'Reilly and the bloggers. I want the news. And that means reporting difficult and scary stuff too, like how hard it is for real people to make ends meet.
Sex and the City: you can't come unless you like the penis
Boy, I am getting mighty tired of this kind of article. Did you know: Sex and the City is for WOMEN? And HOMOS? And if you have a penis but don't like to interact with other penises, there's no excuse for you to be at this movie.
Listen, I know SatC is far from perfect as a woman-oriented film. But how long is the media going to keep feeding us this bullshit line about men's stories being universal, while women's are a special interest draw? More than half the population is women! That is not a niche, that is your audience! Cut it out with the hemming and hawing over whether you can "afford" to put your massive resources behind protagonists who look like the majority of your audience. It's just embarrassing.
And furthermore, you'd think it's plain old bad marketing to so blatantly push men away from the theaters. Why yes, we are still invested in a notion of masculinity that is directionally proportional to Things Blown Up in the movies we enjoy. If a dude wants to watch vapid characters make fools of themselves onscreen, by all means he should be encouraged to do so.
Listen, I know SatC is far from perfect as a woman-oriented film. But how long is the media going to keep feeding us this bullshit line about men's stories being universal, while women's are a special interest draw? More than half the population is women! That is not a niche, that is your audience! Cut it out with the hemming and hawing over whether you can "afford" to put your massive resources behind protagonists who look like the majority of your audience. It's just embarrassing.
And furthermore, you'd think it's plain old bad marketing to so blatantly push men away from the theaters. Why yes, we are still invested in a notion of masculinity that is directionally proportional to Things Blown Up in the movies we enjoy. If a dude wants to watch vapid characters make fools of themselves onscreen, by all means he should be encouraged to do so.
Friday, May 23, 2008
HOLY SHIT WHY IS THIS NOT ON THE NEWS
A HUGE NUMBER OF WOMAN-HATING DOUCHE BAGS WORK TO INSTITUTE A DOMESTIC GAG RULE
If you aren't familiar with the global gag rule (shame on you), it's a matter of foreign policy instituted under every Republican presidency since Regan which denies any US aid to international organizations who counsel women on issues of sexual health and make any mention of abortion. It applies not only to abortion providers, but educators and doctors whose job is to disclose a full range of options to women in a bind. As a result of this policy, vital services for women run out of funds and become unavailable.
AND NOW THEY ARE TRYING TO APPLY IT HERE. IN AMERICA.
Family planning clinics would be absolutely fucked without the federal and state money that keeps their doors open. I don't understand why I am reading this a week later on a blog when I read the paper every damn day.
If you aren't familiar with the global gag rule (shame on you), it's a matter of foreign policy instituted under every Republican presidency since Regan which denies any US aid to international organizations who counsel women on issues of sexual health and make any mention of abortion. It applies not only to abortion providers, but educators and doctors whose job is to disclose a full range of options to women in a bind. As a result of this policy, vital services for women run out of funds and become unavailable.
AND NOW THEY ARE TRYING TO APPLY IT HERE. IN AMERICA.
Family planning clinics would be absolutely fucked without the federal and state money that keeps their doors open. I don't understand why I am reading this a week later on a blog when I read the paper every damn day.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
April was not the cruelest month, not at all.
Things that are dumb:
1. Reusing Cardboard Postal Boxes Illegal
2. Shell President: Produce More Gas in U.S. to Cut Oil Prices
3. Smith College Students Drown Out Anti-Gay Speaker
I feel compelled to comment only on the last item, which turns my stomach. The lecturer was accomplishing nothing but spewing hate speech, which is obviously despicable, but the day that our side starts suppressing dissident voices is the day I want out. I can even commiserate with the argument that Smith is one of few truly safe spaces for queer youth in this country -- I have been realizing recently how much I have internalized the instinct to censor myself for fear of harm or simple, debilitating disdain from people I respect. But holding rally that did not drive out the speaker could have created the same assurance of safety, of community, of support, without compromising the value of an open society. Let's do better.
Things that are at least kind of awesome:
1. Ecuador to Legislate Good Sex for Women as Inalienable Right
2. This lady's artwork
3. Combing the internet for old, forgotten livejournals of acquaintances. It's priceless, really.
My economic stimulus check should cover the damage I did to my car in a fender bender almost precisely. Too bad my darling Honda is Japanese made. Poor planning, U.S. government, that money is not staying here to stimulate the market even a little bit, but at least it is not going to China? Many factors in my life are conspiring to give me mono. I should just give in to the inevitability of the disease*, as it would give me a convenient excuse to drop a miserable class. So far I have been very good about abstaining from pleasant things like sharing ice cream cones and making out, but neither of those is a sustainable abstention.
I watched a video of a bear cub falling asleep today and got so sad and hopeful all at once, there was nowhere to go but to bed for a nap.
*It is a disease. Not an illness or a bug or whatever. That shit is a strain of herpes and it never leaves your body once it enters, like a bad memory of a stupid thing you once did, it just sits and incubates and flares up at inopportune moments to make you hate living in your own skin.
April was overall not that bad, despite that cryptic and horrible footnote. I only wish that my life was a little busier, and that my friends communicated better, but spring continues and I am open to life being good.
1. Reusing Cardboard Postal Boxes Illegal
2. Shell President: Produce More Gas in U.S. to Cut Oil Prices
3. Smith College Students Drown Out Anti-Gay Speaker
I feel compelled to comment only on the last item, which turns my stomach. The lecturer was accomplishing nothing but spewing hate speech, which is obviously despicable, but the day that our side starts suppressing dissident voices is the day I want out. I can even commiserate with the argument that Smith is one of few truly safe spaces for queer youth in this country -- I have been realizing recently how much I have internalized the instinct to censor myself for fear of harm or simple, debilitating disdain from people I respect. But holding rally that did not drive out the speaker could have created the same assurance of safety, of community, of support, without compromising the value of an open society. Let's do better.
Things that are at least kind of awesome:
1. Ecuador to Legislate Good Sex for Women as Inalienable Right
2. This lady's artwork
3. Combing the internet for old, forgotten livejournals of acquaintances. It's priceless, really.
My economic stimulus check should cover the damage I did to my car in a fender bender almost precisely. Too bad my darling Honda is Japanese made. Poor planning, U.S. government, that money is not staying here to stimulate the market even a little bit, but at least it is not going to China? Many factors in my life are conspiring to give me mono. I should just give in to the inevitability of the disease*, as it would give me a convenient excuse to drop a miserable class. So far I have been very good about abstaining from pleasant things like sharing ice cream cones and making out, but neither of those is a sustainable abstention.
I watched a video of a bear cub falling asleep today and got so sad and hopeful all at once, there was nowhere to go but to bed for a nap.
*It is a disease. Not an illness or a bug or whatever. That shit is a strain of herpes and it never leaves your body once it enters, like a bad memory of a stupid thing you once did, it just sits and incubates and flares up at inopportune moments to make you hate living in your own skin.
April was overall not that bad, despite that cryptic and horrible footnote. I only wish that my life was a little busier, and that my friends communicated better, but spring continues and I am open to life being good.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
no, this campaign is not about gender, not even a little
So, check this shit out:
McCain Opposes Equal Pay for Women
McPain doesn't like the Senate legislation because he thinks it is designed to create all these new law suits to clog up the justice system. Let's follow this logic a moment. Statisticians are in agreement that women still earn circa 77¢ on the male dollar. McSame is not debating this. In fact, the implication is that SO MANY women perceive themselves as being paid unfairly that McNasty fears the courts will buckle under the weight of the caseload. Which obviously means the problem should not be dealt with.
This actually may be the most disjointed logic I've seen in a while. It concedes the problem of pay equity, and explicitly says it is not important enough to grace the dockets of judges who are also not busy hearing cases on domestic spying or denial of habeas corpus rights or whatever. Freedom and justice for... huh? Sorry, we got distracted by John Edwards chasing some ambulance, our country is just so full of frivolous law suits. Dear women, John McCain does not think your work is important enough to be paid for in a fair manner. Unless your work consists of cookin' and not aborting babies, in which case you should be paid the overgenerous privilege of being allowed to suck his cock (alongside the media -- wait your turn).
The text of the bill is also perfectly logical and reasonable, for the record. It's not like it opens up any huge loopholes. It just repeals the 180 day limit on claims, so that if your employer covers up their criminality effectively for a while you can still sue him/her/it. Statutes of limitations don't make a lot of sense to me in general, as I haven't heard a great argument for receiving a get out of jail free card for keeping quiet about your criminal activity for long enough. But in this case it seems pretty unreasonable to assume that employers will make their illegal pay practices obvious enough to be discovered within six months. Fuh fuh fuh, this country is going to the dogs. Well it's throwing its women to them, anyway.
McCain Opposes Equal Pay for Women
McPain doesn't like the Senate legislation because he thinks it is designed to create all these new law suits to clog up the justice system. Let's follow this logic a moment. Statisticians are in agreement that women still earn circa 77¢ on the male dollar. McSame is not debating this. In fact, the implication is that SO MANY women perceive themselves as being paid unfairly that McNasty fears the courts will buckle under the weight of the caseload. Which obviously means the problem should not be dealt with.
This actually may be the most disjointed logic I've seen in a while. It concedes the problem of pay equity, and explicitly says it is not important enough to grace the dockets of judges who are also not busy hearing cases on domestic spying or denial of habeas corpus rights or whatever. Freedom and justice for... huh? Sorry, we got distracted by John Edwards chasing some ambulance, our country is just so full of frivolous law suits. Dear women, John McCain does not think your work is important enough to be paid for in a fair manner. Unless your work consists of cookin' and not aborting babies, in which case you should be paid the overgenerous privilege of being allowed to suck his cock (alongside the media -- wait your turn).
The text of the bill is also perfectly logical and reasonable, for the record. It's not like it opens up any huge loopholes. It just repeals the 180 day limit on claims, so that if your employer covers up their criminality effectively for a while you can still sue him/her/it. Statutes of limitations don't make a lot of sense to me in general, as I haven't heard a great argument for receiving a get out of jail free card for keeping quiet about your criminal activity for long enough. But in this case it seems pretty unreasonable to assume that employers will make their illegal pay practices obvious enough to be discovered within six months. Fuh fuh fuh, this country is going to the dogs. Well it's throwing its women to them, anyway.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Smart People: they are sad and desperate, says major hollywood production
Alright, blaaaaaaahg, the time has come to test the parameters of this relationship. I will try to respect your boundaries of restricted emotional vomitude, and in exchange, you should try and have an increased tolerance for half-baked political anger. Let's give it a whirl.
Recently I have taken up an aggressive Pedestrians' Rights campaign here in Evanston, IL. Mostly this consists of wearing bright colors and refusing to stop before crossing the street in places where I have the clear right of way, ie any intersection without a light. Occasionally I verbally assert my displeasure at the infringement of said rights in the clearest possible terms to drivers with open windows. There have been a couple of instances of hood-and-trunk banging on cars casually drifting through crosswalks, although sadly these are only possible when I have large male escorts because yeah rights are cool but so is not getting my shit jacked up. I am thinking about ways to take this to the next level. It is (wo)man against machine here, and if we refuse to stand up for what is ours we may as well just sell our babies to the robots already. Or something.
What brings you to the internet on a fine spring night such as this? you may be asking yourself. I suppose the answer is that I am still slightly tipsy from a single drink enjoyed hours and hours ago, and thus feeling a little loquacious. Did you see Smart People? I did.* You shouldn't. Why? I can detail the reasons if you really want.
Let's put aside for the time being that it was a shapeless script without a single likable character or memorable scrap of dialogue. Let's ignore the inflammatory pot-shots it took at feminists and gay men -- those jokes are so easy! Feminists are angry and gay men are pathetic homemakers groveling for your acceptance into polite society! Let's even look past the disgusting, lingering shots of Dennis Quaid's paunch as the director's only tool to visually convey how pitiful and sad the main character is, because we all know that fat people are required to be miserable because hello they are fat, and what a sad state that must be, although the lazy fucks probably deserve it for not taking control of their stupid fat lives.
My actual Big Issues with this movie were twain: the random pregnancy-as-fulfillment subplot, and the attempted portrayal of the characters as archetypal "smart people."
1) Correct me if I'm wrong, but there seem to be a lot of pregnant chick movies out recently. And again, correct me if I'm wrong, but abortion never really seems to be a serious option in any of them. Sure, Juno had a mildly funny scene about fingernails, but mostly abortion is just a bad option a minor character has to propose so that it can be shot down and the chick can make with the gestation. All women want babies, most want to be pregnant, and all end up finding some sort of character redemption and massive fulfillment of purpose on the other end of the delivery room. We get it. Movie making has actually regressed at least 30 years in the past 2. I am really, really over it.
2) If you are smart, you are most likely aloof. You certainly lack social skills, and are probably alone. Your interests are banal, and you assume that everyone around you is less than human. Oh, and you are UTTERLY MISERABLE. I know this cultural hatred of intelligence is not new, but it certainly is scary. Why the media and entertainment industry insist on spinning this myth of unlikeable, unpersonable smart people in opposition to the fun-loving, true of heart masses of midling intelligence is beyond me. This is probably not unrelated to our failing educational system and rapidly decreasing role in science and innovation on a global scale. When our culture denigrates the desire to learn, and insists that intelligence must come hand in hand with pretension, it's not surprising that so few of us make it through higher education and that 3/4 of the people around me are assholes. Just saying.
And, we're done. Thanks for listening, old web old pal.
*I will have it noted for the record that drinking jug wine with David and seeing Sarah Jessica Parker movies was not my original plan for the evening, but my hot date bagged on me,** and I do sort of like Ellen Page.
** Columbia College, it would seem that all of your students are sort of cute but extremely flakey. Based on the two I have met. This episode of Sweeping Generalizations brought to you by Carlo Rossi.
Recently I have taken up an aggressive Pedestrians' Rights campaign here in Evanston, IL. Mostly this consists of wearing bright colors and refusing to stop before crossing the street in places where I have the clear right of way, ie any intersection without a light. Occasionally I verbally assert my displeasure at the infringement of said rights in the clearest possible terms to drivers with open windows. There have been a couple of instances of hood-and-trunk banging on cars casually drifting through crosswalks, although sadly these are only possible when I have large male escorts because yeah rights are cool but so is not getting my shit jacked up. I am thinking about ways to take this to the next level. It is (wo)man against machine here, and if we refuse to stand up for what is ours we may as well just sell our babies to the robots already. Or something.
What brings you to the internet on a fine spring night such as this? you may be asking yourself. I suppose the answer is that I am still slightly tipsy from a single drink enjoyed hours and hours ago, and thus feeling a little loquacious. Did you see Smart People? I did.* You shouldn't. Why? I can detail the reasons if you really want.
Let's put aside for the time being that it was a shapeless script without a single likable character or memorable scrap of dialogue. Let's ignore the inflammatory pot-shots it took at feminists and gay men -- those jokes are so easy! Feminists are angry and gay men are pathetic homemakers groveling for your acceptance into polite society! Let's even look past the disgusting, lingering shots of Dennis Quaid's paunch as the director's only tool to visually convey how pitiful and sad the main character is, because we all know that fat people are required to be miserable because hello they are fat, and what a sad state that must be, although the lazy fucks probably deserve it for not taking control of their stupid fat lives.
My actual Big Issues with this movie were twain: the random pregnancy-as-fulfillment subplot, and the attempted portrayal of the characters as archetypal "smart people."
1) Correct me if I'm wrong, but there seem to be a lot of pregnant chick movies out recently. And again, correct me if I'm wrong, but abortion never really seems to be a serious option in any of them. Sure, Juno had a mildly funny scene about fingernails, but mostly abortion is just a bad option a minor character has to propose so that it can be shot down and the chick can make with the gestation. All women want babies, most want to be pregnant, and all end up finding some sort of character redemption and massive fulfillment of purpose on the other end of the delivery room. We get it. Movie making has actually regressed at least 30 years in the past 2. I am really, really over it.
2) If you are smart, you are most likely aloof. You certainly lack social skills, and are probably alone. Your interests are banal, and you assume that everyone around you is less than human. Oh, and you are UTTERLY MISERABLE. I know this cultural hatred of intelligence is not new, but it certainly is scary. Why the media and entertainment industry insist on spinning this myth of unlikeable, unpersonable smart people in opposition to the fun-loving, true of heart masses of midling intelligence is beyond me. This is probably not unrelated to our failing educational system and rapidly decreasing role in science and innovation on a global scale. When our culture denigrates the desire to learn, and insists that intelligence must come hand in hand with pretension, it's not surprising that so few of us make it through higher education and that 3/4 of the people around me are assholes. Just saying.
And, we're done. Thanks for listening, old web old pal.
*I will have it noted for the record that drinking jug wine with David and seeing Sarah Jessica Parker movies was not my original plan for the evening, but my hot date bagged on me,** and I do sort of like Ellen Page.
** Columbia College, it would seem that all of your students are sort of cute but extremely flakey. Based on the two I have met. This episode of Sweeping Generalizations brought to you by Carlo Rossi.
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