the debate’s back on. has anyone noticed CNN doing a running feature of “audience reaction” via ongoing line graph on the bottom of their screen? did john mccain just say that south koreans are 3 inches taller than north koreans b/c north korea is such an oppressive dictatorship? <- is john mccain heightist? isn’t he short himself? is he saying that a dictatorship stunts its people’s growth?
some of my favorites:
Whenever John McCain says “My Friends”: Two drinks (or one shot), poke the breast of the person to your right and smile creepily.
When Barack Obama shakes his head with dignity: Shake your own head with dignity, take the beverage from the person to your left, and tell them to go get you a new drink because you are not going to get AIDS from their backwash/lipstick
When McCain tries to articulate his non-existent economic policy and/or bailout plan: Fight your friends for change under the couch cushions, pass around a joint because who can afford fancy store-bought booze anymore?
finally a wealthy political pundit/celebrity follows through on their word. i love keith olbermann’s indignation and disposition to outraged wrath towards the conservative Republican bloc. his anger and journalistic antics are like the liberal version of FOX News. i guess i’m seduced by the ’superficial, shallow’ entertainment of clearly biased american news – it’s pretty obvious which side i’m on. i like Keith Olbermann as much as I hate FOX News. props to KO for not just spewing irateness, but thinking of a way to constructively contribute to a tangible, and good cause.
must point out though that the Obama campaign should stop harping on Palin supporting the ‘bridge to nowhere’ until it became unpopular and she said ‘no, thank you’ because record shows that Obama & Biden supported it, as well. thanks to Political Lunch for the fact-checking.
also, in my search for new blogs, i recently came upon this – Feminists 4 Sarah Palin. it argues against what seems to be the biggest point of contention with the Palin VP candidacy – that her nomination is a slap in the face to all Hillary supporters and feminists everywhere. i’m still mulling over how i feel about the points this blog makes in regard to the conception of feminism today. much of the argument is (like in my ’sarah palin to the rescue? post) whether woman = feminist, or have we achieved a certain level of equality to move past that to something more complex and intricate.
so much has been said about Sarah Palin these past few weeks. Fred Thompson said she’s the only one on the ticket who can dress a moose. Debbie Dingell, a leading Michigan Democrat, said that women should feel insulted by the choice of her for Republican Vice-President. and now Hero Builders has created 3 different Sarah Palin action figures, one doing the covered up black trenchcoat governor/soccer mom, another doing the Catholic Schoolgirl Librarian Britney Spears, and the last one that is just scantily clad action figure perhaps attempting to channel what some have called her “milf” or “vpilf”ness.
i came across an interesting editorial on The Economist that speaks of what Sarah Palin candidacy means in the greater context of the feminist movement. she’s brought out a seemingly contradictory viewpoints from both sides – where the feminists groups are expressing doubt of whether she can or should be juggling 5 kids, 1 pregnant daughter and potentially the US vice-presidency, and the pro-family organizations are exclaiming that she very well can, and it’s a gross double standard that this ’scenario’ has even become an issue. the editorial sums up with, what i think is a fairly convincing argument, that Sarah Palin doesn’t necessarily represent anti-feminism, or that she’s a big step back for the movement, as a whole. but maybe there’s been a generational shift where gender equality has almost become the accepted norm. (more…)
Draft Publishing LLC/ PO Box 612/ Holmes, PA 19043-9949
sent:
reasoning:
this election season with two formidable candidates running for the Democratic nomination – all the talk revolved around who they were, or that they were the token “black” or “female” candidates. people couldn’t stop discussing race and gender, and the uglier sides of racism and sexism. in these days of political correctness, we aren’t supposed to talk about those things, sure it still exists, but most of us are above that sort of thing and treat everybody equally and respectfully. i think we are on the right path, making concerted efforts to see people on their merits and hold them accountable for their own words & actions. but we cannot deny that race, gender and sexuality exist, at times – it’s like the huge pink, polka dotted, wearing skinny jeans, with a beret and smoking a cigar elephant in the room – and that snap judgments are often made based upon these identifying factors.
the debate around affirmative action seems to be whether or not to acknowledge these differences. (more…)
i don’t think the concept that america is becoming more racially diverse and ‘multicultural’ is a surprise to anyone living here. i think the big news here is how fast it’s happening, much quicker than originally predicted. and we’re already starting to see the effects. the focus on ‘illegal’ immigration, along with the bad economy and outsourcing has given rise to tremendous racial hostility, there’s going to be more xenophobia and strife before this gets better. in a way, i don’t blame a lot of the working class americans who live in small towns that are having difficulty adjusting. it’s become more difficult to just work hard and make an honest living, and the most obvious reason may actually be the undocumented workers in the town willing to receive much less for just as much labor. there needs to be more proper and respectful efforts of integration, it’s frustrating when legislators and politicians are scapegoating latinos and instituting expensive band-aid solutions like building a giant wall. i like this cartoon’s point of showing how mccain’s campaign of showing how ‘american’ he is, actually demonstrates how far detached he and his image are from what is really going on in the country.
Paris Hilton video response to John McCain’s seemingly ubiquitous ad that lumps the celebrity of Barack Obama with Britney Spears and Paris, herself.
reasoning:
I definitely looked twice when I noticed Britney Spears and Paris Hilton in a McCain ad. as much as I claim to be a political junkie, I hate election years when all the mud-slinging ads start popping up everywhere and won’t go away. i was shocked and slightly disgusted by the comparison: Obama certainly does have that rockstar quality. but even while american politicians and celebrities have blurred the lines between them- jesse ventura, arnold schwarzenegger, fred thompson, ronald reagan, SNL skits – to bunch Sen. Obama with these two girls who have had tumultuously become famous for simply being famous, the parallel is ludicrous and unwarranted.
what i don’t like about mccain ads are that they solely attack obama, but do not add anything about himself, or why he should become president. just a “obama is a celebrity, wants to raise taxes, how dare he, he doesn’t understand us, elitist and disconnected liberal who’s too inexperienced… i’m john mccain, and i approve of this message”. if we buy into that, we know not to vote for barack obama, but why should we vote for you? barack obama has been putting out some negative response ads as well, but he ends them with talk of what he would do.
Discover Card/ PO Box 15162/ Wilmington, DE 19885-9508
sent:
Michelle Obama’s appearance on The View, greeting all the co-hosts with the fist bump, or “terrorist fist jab“.
reasoning:
what the media has decided to cover has been all over the place: election coverage has been crazy – either totally serious, and contentious, or completely ridiculous. it’s hard to look at the game of politics sometimes b/c how the politicians react, what they say, what they do can ultimately affect the decision of who is going to be chosen president, who is going to lead this country and represent us to the rest of the world. but if one is reassured that even if the worst candidate is chosen, there are enough checks and balances in place that the country will go, then the absurdity of American politics is kind of fun.
that said, i love seeing Michelle Obama everywhere on the news, internet, and political blogs.
Meyer and Associates/18 Washington Avenue/Chatham, NJ 07928-9903
sent:
Gossip Detox: 12 steps for reclaiming your life from tabloids, article in the now defunct JANE magazine.
I admit that I’m powerless over gossip and the constant onslaught of TMZ, US Weekly and even CNN (the Celebrity News Network). I recognize that these “news” outlets aren’t going to slow in their gossip coverage anytime soon, so I must gain control of my own consumption.
In doing so, I will avoid trigger places – like nail salons, and long grocery checkout lines
If I do find myself on People.com, I will close the window, admit my mistake, and not follow up with a dose of Hollyscoop or Defamer
I will take a searching moral inventory of the powerlessness I feel in my own life that makes me enjoy judging Paris, Lindsay and Britney
I will admit that a paparazzo disguising himself to photograph a celebrity is a stalker, and that when I look at those photos, I become a stalking accomplice
I will make a list of persons I have wronged with inane questions like, “How on earth does Wilmer Valderamma get all those hot girls?”
Then I will make amends to those people however possible, using conversation starters like, “So, what’s your carbon footprint?” instead
I will seek a sponsor, prefereably one with a degree in 18th century literature or medieval studies
I will seek, through meditation and online chess game, the consciousness that is required to pay attention to things like art festivals and gallery openings rather than what shower gifts Jennifer Garner received, or how much Ashlee Simpson’s nose job cost
Guided by this spiritual awakening, I will start my own Website devoted to gossip about politicians, religious leaders, and the entire royal bloodline of Austria – but haven’t we gotten to a point where politicians and religious leaders are just as much tabloid fodder as are the movie stars?
who hasn’t seen this picture?
reasoning:
ah, celebrity gossip. no matter how intellectual, cultural, or technologically advanced, modern societies and countries can’t seem to get away from gossip and people who are famous for just being famous. I don’t watch Entertainment Tonight or the Insider, I don’t buy Star or UsWeekly, but yet I know about J.Lo’s twin pregnancy, and Katie Holmes’ new haircut. WHY?!?! somehow even those 3 minutes in the checkout line, you can absorb so much information just from simple headlines. some have protested against why celebrities get so much attention, if we stopped buying into those media outlets, then even the paparazzi would have to stop staking out their apartments, restaurants and all the hot clubs. the paparazzi/celebrity culture is ridiculous, from both sides : the celebrities, and the cameraman, tabloids, and readers who pursue them. Princess Diana is a good example. sadness. while I don’t actively go out to seek the gossip, it’s all around, and difficult to avoid. as much as i hate it, i’ve also provided links to those very gossip websites and blogs. too alluring… can’t stay away.
i like the replacement therapy suggestions, some substitutes for your gossip vices:
Angelina Jolie -> Charity work, like saving a super cute puppy
I guess the ultimate advice is to get your own life, go out, do you own thing, and all the focus and concentration on how “celebrities” live their lives, will fall to the wayside. semi-satirical/semi-truthful, oh how I will miss JANE magazine so.
Giraffes and rats can last longer without water than camels
the dot over the letter “i” is called a tittle
The ZIP in “ZIP code” means Zoning Improvement Plan.
John Wilkes Booth’s brother once saved the life of Abraham Lincoln’s son.
Slugs have four noses.
By raising your legs slowly and lying on your back, you cannot sink into quicksand.
China has more English speakers than the United States.
Bats always turn left when exiting a cave.
Reasoning:
After a finals week from hell, my last one ever, I’m relaxing like never before in a quaint little summer house in Newport, RI, spending ridiculous amounts of money on seafood, drinking all the cheap beer I can, and sleeping on the beach. I still have a 5 pg to write for my Amherst Human Rights class, but after writing over 40 pgs for my other classes, i think i can handle that. hopefully.
I’m in such a ridiculously lazy mode that I dont think i can do anything academic anymore, as much as I do love and enjoy it when I am… thus, list of useless knowledge.
i’ve sent it to TIME magazine b/c maybe the person on the other side will get a chuckle out of it. and though their paths may never meet, maybe he/she could pass this list onto Joel Stein who could write an amazing op-ed piece on the cheesy commodity and joy we find in lists, especially lists of useless facts.
i heart joel stein. he recently wrote an op-ed piece called “my taco with tancredo” that describes his lunch interview with congressman Tom Tancredo from Colorado, who recently tried to run for President, but had to drop out early from the race because his only platform was anti-immigration. he hates illegal mexican immigrants, but he loves having mexican food.
apparently even republicans are complex and contradictions. i’m sure joel stein could do something genius with giraffes, john wilkes booth’s brother, and quicksand.
