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Friday Reads: Mansplaining and other Nightmares of the American Culture Wars

Posted: February 28, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: morning reads |42 Comments

behond a man!!!

Sometimes I just really want to reach through the TV or computer screen and slap the shit out of people. Bill O’Reilly is always high on my list. The last time he interviewed our country’s president he interrupted so many times that you had to wonder why he just didn’t lecture a chair like grizzly old Clint Eastwood did at the Republican National Convention. O’Reilly is at the top of my list for men I’d like to slap the crap out of for mansplaining why Madam President might have a downside to a pair of political consultants that are women..

Fox News host Bill O’Reilly invited two women onto his show  to discuss whether a woman could be the leader of the free world, expressing his concern about her “gender deficiency.”

Neither guest was having it.

Following up on a previous interview with Michele Bachman (R-MN), who stated that she did not feel that America was ready for a woman president, O’Reilly invited Republican strategist Kate Obenshain and Fox contributor Kirsten Powers on to discuss the issue.

O’Reilly started with Powers asking if there was “some downside to having a woman president, something that may not fit with that office, correct?”

“Hmmm, I’m gonna say say, no, Bill,” Powers replied, while Obenshain laughed.

“Just because you’re female that it would… something … ummmm,” Powers said, running out of words before asking O’Reilly, “Let me ask you this, whats the downside of a man being president?”

O’Reilly replied that it would take “three years” to discuss, stating, “look at some of the guys we’ve had in there since 1864.”

Turning to Obenshain, O’Reilly admitted that  men “may not be as open to sensitive discussion as women” and asked, “There’s gotta be a downside for a woman, do you know one?”

“Uh, you know , I’m having a tough time with this one too, Bill. It depends on the certain individual,” she replied before Powers interjected and Obenshain laughed and added, “Oh, good.”

Yes, folks!  There has to be a downside to stuff that makes you feel threatened and icky.  Ever notice how many straight men obsess on icky girl parts and icky gay sex?   I thought penis cakes were for Bachelorette parties, but there’s a Republican Man that thinks they’re an essential part of a gay wedding.  “Judson Phillips, president of Tea Party Nation, is a little upset about Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer’s decision last night to veto a bill that would have expanded the ability of business owners to discriminate against LGBT people and others.”  Methinks the dude doth protest a little too much.  He seems to have an unhealthy interest in other people’s sex lives.

Should a devote baker be required to create a cake for a homosexual wedding that has a giant phallic symbol on it or should a baker be required to create pastries for a homosexual wedding in the shape of genitallia [sic]?  Or should a photographer be required to photograph a homosexual wedding where the participants decide they want to be nude or engage in sexual behavior?  Would they force a Jewish photographer to work a Klan or Nazi event? How about forcing a Muslim caterer to work a pork barbeque dinner?

Perhaps he’s went to see “Hot Jesus” at the movie theatre and became bicurious?

Clearly Jesus was sexy.

After all, He is the Son of God.

I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but as I watched the trailer for the new movie, “Son of God,” I found myself gawking at the actor portraying Jesus.

For a group of people obsessed with immaculate conception and virgins, we sure seem to have a close up view of a few secret gardens, don’timages (13) we?  Yes, no one excels at mansplaining more than Catholic League President Bill Donohue who thinks that no one ever, EVER discriminates against the GLBT community and wants some one to come up with an example.

“Where are the examples of gays being discriminated against?” Donohue asked. “If they’re being discriminated against, how come they make more money than straight people on average?”

“Is somebody being denied at Applebee’s getting a hamburger? Where are these examples?” he followed up.

“Under the law in Arizona, there is no special protection of the LGBT community, so a business member, if he or she wanted to or she wanted to, could discriminate without violation,” Como said. “That’s why the law was unnecessary. Do you get that?”

“Can you enumerate for me examples of gay people in Arizona who are having their right violated by people of faith?” Donohue asked.

Yes. Nothing to see here.  Just move on with those penis cakes to some other place.

Turning oppressors into victims seems to be the new tactic in the Culture War.  White men with guns are scared of you black unarmed im-a-feminist-mansplaining-comic-meme1teenage boys going about your business.  Guess who has the right to use deadly force?  Then, there’s the continual series of jaw dropping court findings that continue to represent the worst of rape apologia.  Let’s just let the mansplaining begin.

In 2006, Kelly Vosgien pled guilty to three counts of rape, three counts of sodomy, one count of sexual abuse and three counts of compelling prostitution. The Oregon state court gave him a sentence of 55 years. These charges were brought against Vosgien after he traded cigarettes and money to his daughter and her friend in return for sex. Both girls were minors at the time.

The case had seemingly been put to rest until 2013, when Vosgien applied for habeas relief, claiming “actual innocence” with regard to his previous convictions, paying special attention to the charges of compelling prostitution. Vosgien missed the one-year filing deadline for habeas, but as is common and often imperative with retrials, the appeal was allowed to proceed.

The Oregon district court that handled this initial appeal used Bousley v. United States to throw out the innocence claim, citing precedent: “In cases where the Government has forgone more serious charges in the course of plea bargaining, petitioner’s showing of actual innocence must also extend to those charges.”

The second part of the court’s argument, less lawyerly and therefore more straightforward, claimed that bribing one’s daughter, or any child, in exchange for sex must constitute some sort of crime under Oregon state law.

In the end, the judge refused to alter any charges on the 2006 conviction, so Vosgien applied for a second appeal, which went to the 9th Circuit court.

This move, amazingly, worked—sort of. The court’s decision, filed February 13, reversed the ruling of the district court in part by throwing out the three counts of compelling prostitution. The argument that got Vosgien off the hook was based on a 2010 case, State v. Vargas-Torres, which narrowed the legal definition of “compelling prostitution” in Oregon. The court determined such a charge now requires that goods be traded for sex through a third party. Since Kelly Vosgien procured the sexual favors only for himself, these three counts will be stricken from his sentence.

“Goods be traded for sex through a third party”.  WTF?

Yes, everything up is down.  

Paula Deen’s $100 million empire crumbled last year after she admitted to using the N-word in her life, and as she continues campaigning to repair her public image with a $75 million investment deal on her side, the celebrity chef has compared her struggles to those of the NFL’s first openly gay prospect, Michael Sam.

“I feel like ‘embattled’ or ‘disgraced’ will always follow my name. It’s like that black football player who recently came out,” Deen said in a People Magazine cover story, which hits newsstands on Friday. “He said, ‘I just want to be known as a football player. I don’t want to be known as a gay football player.’ I know exactly what he’s saying.”

Yes, a white southern woman using a racist slur and giving plantation themed parties is just like the struggle of a black gay man trying to live authentically in the the NFL.

Is it too early for a whiskey neat?

What’s on your reading and blogging list today?

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42 Comments on “Friday Reads: Mansplaining and other Nightmares of the American Culture Wars”

  1. bostonboomer says:
    February 28, 2014 at 9:33 am

    Wow. If these people represent “American culture,” we are in serious, serious trouble.

    • RalphB says:
      February 28, 2014 at 10:43 am

      We are in serious, serious trouble. I’d like to think that the latest craziness from the right wing are death throes, as they obviously go too far, but we can’t count on it.

    • Fannie says:
      February 28, 2014 at 5:54 pm

      They actually represent a bunch of cockroaches that need to be stomped out. Take that big right foot, and stomp them out, smash them, crush them. God damn them roaches.

      • dakinikat says:
        February 28, 2014 at 6:37 pm

        At least they’re beginning to be shown the light of day. I’m not sure most folks realized the republican party was so completely infested with crazy people.

        • NW Luna says:
          February 28, 2014 at 8:09 pm

          Still lots of people who can say with a straight face that they really don’t hate those nasty disease-ridden youth-defiling [fill in favorite target here].

          Can’t be convicted of forcing prostitution if it wasn’t thru a 3rd party? The logic contortion trick, it hurts!

  2. RalphB says:
    February 28, 2014 at 10:52 am

    tpm: Biggest Press Fail in History?

    In terms of consequences and impact, it may not rate too high. But in terms of sheer, concentrated derp, this tale from the the Daily Mining Gazette out of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, may be one of the biggest journalistic goofs in maybe forever. We covered the initial round of the story a few weeks ago. But here’s TPM Reader JL’s update from this morning …

    This is strange…my local paper did an interview with MI-1st congressional district democrat challenger (to republican incumbent Dan Benishek) Jerry Cannon in which the reporter, evidently, interviewed someone over the phone who represented himself as Mr. Cannon, but wasn’t Mr. Cannon.

    The interviewee indicated his opposition to and willingness to repeal the Affordable Care Act. And the paper printed that. This caught the attention of the Cannon campaign who called the paper saying this interview never happened. Mr. Cannon, in fact, is a big supporter of the ACA. And the paper is chalking it all up to the reporter just dialing the wrong number.

    The needs some Pressplaining 🙂

  3. RalphB says:
    February 28, 2014 at 11:09 am

    Today in responsible gun policy.

    Professor Asks Idaho Lawmakers For The Green Light To Shoot A Student

    A professor at Boise State University was concerned about the legal ramifications of a proposed bill that would permit concealed-carried guns on Idaho’s college and university campuses, so he posed this question to state lawmakers: When may I shoot a student?

    Biology and criminal justice professor Greg Hampikian used that hypothetical in a New York Times op-ed published Thursday to explore what sticky situations could arise if the bill were to pass and concealed-carried weapons were allowed on campus. From the op-ed:

    I assume that if a student shoots first, I am allowed to empty my clip; but given the velocity of firearms, and my aging reflexes, I’d like to be proactive. For example, if I am working out a long equation on the board and several students try to correct me using their laser sights, am I allowed to fire a warning shot?
    …
    If two armed students are arguing over who should be served next at the coffee bar and I sense escalating hostility, should I aim for the legs and remind them of the campus Shared-Values Statement (which reads, in part, “Boise State strives to provide a culture of civility and success where all feel safe and free from discrimination, harassment, threats or intimidation”)?

    Hampikian later pointed out that the campus murder rate is “zero at present” before invoking a central tenet of the defense of gun rights: “I think that we can all agree that guns don’t kill people, people with guns do. Which is why encouraging guns on campus makes so much sense.”

  4. RalphB says:
    February 28, 2014 at 12:25 pm

    WaPo: America plays its role in a changing world right

    Fareed Zakaria with a great op-ed. I am grateful that President Obama is taking the Eisenhower route in handling international crises.

  5. bostonboomer says:
    February 28, 2014 at 1:59 pm

    Via Salon, this Maine Republican might be the worst we’ve heard of yet.

    Maine Rep. Lawrence Lockman’s decades-long history of extremism

    In the early 1990s, Lockman was active on the issue of abortion. He became a director of the Pro Life Education Association and in 1990 was quoted as saying “If a woman has (the right to abortion), why shouldn’t a man be free to use his superior strength to force himself on a woman? At least the rapist’s pursuit of sexual freedom doesn’t (in most cases) result in anyone’s death.”

    • bostonboomer says:
      February 28, 2014 at 2:02 pm

      In the late 90s and early 2000s, Lockman spoke out against anti-bullying and diversity initiatives in Maine schools, calling them “politically-correct liberal fascism,” and warning that “The thought police have arrived. Their mission is to serve as the eyes and ears of Big Sister.”

      The “homosexual rights movement” is engaged in “a covert scheme to use federal crime-control funds to transform Maine’s public schools into gay-activist indoctrination centers,” claimed Lockman.

    • dakinikat says:
      February 28, 2014 at 2:05 pm

      He was my republican asshat of the day on Facebook a few days ago …

    • NW Luna says:
      February 28, 2014 at 8:12 pm

      The man is totally free to force himself — on himself. That rarely results in death, either.

      I suppose he also thought it was OK to use his superior [sic] strength to force himself on children.

    • JJ Lopez Minkoff says:
      February 28, 2014 at 10:53 pm

      How the fuck do these people get elected?

  6. dakinikat says:
    February 28, 2014 at 2:22 pm

    I read this and completely related to it on most accounts, however, my dad is 90 not 67.

    I lost my dad to Fox News: How a generation was captured by thrashing hysteria
    Old white people are drowning in despair and rage. Here’s how my father lost his mind — thanks to his cable diet

    http://www.salon.com/2014/02/27/i_lost_my_dad_to_fox_news_how_a_generation_was_captured_by_thrashing_hysteria/

  7. dakinikat says:
    February 28, 2014 at 2:27 pm

    Derbyshire: ‘Future Of The Conservative Movement Is As A Home For White Ethnocentrism’

    http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/derbyshire-future-conservative-movement-home-white-ethnocentrism

    • dakinikat says:
      February 28, 2014 at 2:28 pm

      ” In a separate article, Cotto reports that Derbyshire is equally pessimistic about bringing more women into the Republican fold: “Women are just like that. One thing we might try would be putting some alpha males up front, instead of mealy-mouthed cringing betas.” He then recommends that conservative strategists “study” an obscure, obsessively misogynistic blog. “

      • NW Luna says:
        February 28, 2014 at 8:14 pm

        recommends that conservative strategists “study” an obscure, obsessively misogynistic blog.

        I know just the one! The Republican Women’s Blog.

    • RalphB says:
      February 28, 2014 at 2:33 pm

      Fuck. It’s already primarily a home for white ethnocentrism and grifter douchebaggery. Maybe he just wants more of that and literally everyone else out of the pool.

    • RalphB says:
      February 28, 2014 at 2:53 pm

      It’s already primarily a home for white ethnocentrism and grifter douchebaggery. Maybe he just wants more of that and literally everyone else out of the pool.

  8. RalphB says:
    February 28, 2014 at 2:29 pm

    Complete empathy fail in Arkansas. These people are sociopaths.

    tpm: Paralyzed GOP Lawmaker On Medicaid Opposes Medicaid Expansion

    • RalphB says:
      February 28, 2014 at 3:07 pm

      From the Arkansas Times article TPM linked to:

      Months of hospitalization and rehabilitation followed, including a long stretch in intensive care at St. Vincent Infirmary. There was a $1 million bill. Medicaid paid most of it. Miller was placed on disability and checks began. In time, between Medicaid and Medicare, all his health costs were covered by the federal government. For that reason, he need not be among the 82 Arkansas legislators (61 percent of the body) who enjoy heavily subsidized and comprehensive state employee health insurance.

      Health insurance isn’t Miller’s only government benefit. Another federal Medicaid program for which he qualifies provides daily personal care assistance.

      Between the government-paid trauma care, ongoing Medicare and Medicaid coverage, government-provided personal assistant and his own grit, Miller has made a full life. He manages a rental property business (some government-subsidized renters are among his tenants) and serves as a legislator.

      My question: How could someone who’s received — and continues to receive — significant public assistance oppose health insurance for the working poor? Isn’t Miller himself a shining example of how government help can encourage productive citizens?
      …
      A coldly rational person might say a cook in a fast-food restaurant, working long hours at low pay to feed a family, looks more deserving than an uninsured person injured on a drunken joy ride.

      • bostonboomer says:
        February 28, 2014 at 4:49 pm

        The difference, he said, is that some of the 100,000 people who have gained coverage through Arkansas’s Medicaid expansion don’t work hard enough or just want access to the program so they can purchase and abuse prescription drugs.

        “My problem is two things,” Miller said. “One, we are giving it to able-bodied folks who can work … and two, how do we pay for it?”

        The accident that paralyzed Miller occurred about 11 years ago, the Times reported. He was driving with a friend, alcohol was involved, but Miller said he couldn’t remember who was driving. When he arrived at the hospital with his life-changing injuries, he was uninsured.

        Wow.

  9. RalphB says:
    February 28, 2014 at 4:57 pm

    Obama: ‘There Will Be Costs’ For Military Intervention In Ukraine

    President Barack Obama warned Russia that there would be consequences of Russian intervention in Ukrainian Crimea.

    “There will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine,” Obama said at a press conference Friday afternoon as news continue to develop the events.

    Obama’s comments at the quickly organized press conference came after news broke that Russia had invaded parts of Ukraine. Obama said information was very fluid and that the United States was monitoring the situation along with America’s European allies. …

    Meanwhile McCain is running around saying “We’re all Ukrainians” but when last heard from “We were all Georgians”. I prefer being American myself.

  10. RalphB says:
    February 28, 2014 at 6:02 pm

    a href=”http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2014/02/27/bill_o_reilly_asks_what_are_the_downsides_of_a_woman_president_we_have_answers.html”>The Downsides of Having a Female President

    … But seriously, America: Here’s a list of the real problems we’ll bring upon ourselves once we elect a female president:

    Glass ceiling shatters and now there’s glass everywhere
    A lot of pressure on the first gentleman to tone down his arms
    SOTU speech gets lost in depths of president’s enormous purse
    Interminable line for Oval Office bathroom
    The matriarchy
    Rather than pardoning the turkey, president executes it, Game of Thrones–style, to show strength
    Hair in the presidential shower drain
    Basketball court replaced with Zumba room
    President will try to negotiate a raise after a year
    All-juice state dinners
    Everyone in the White House will roast because the president is always cold
    President can’t decide what text from Putin really means

  11. NW Luna says:
    February 28, 2014 at 8:37 pm

    This is promising. That mine would loose some nasty toxins into the watershed.

    Washington’s U.S. senators are praising a decision by the Environmental Protection Agency for starting a process that could potentially restrict the development of proposed gold-and-copper mine in southwest Alaska. The EPA on Friday asked Alaska and those behind the proposed Pebble Mine to make their case for the project.

    An EPA report in January that found large-scale mining in the Bristol Bay watershed posed significant risk to salmon.

    The Democratic senators, Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, say the proposed mine could have devastating impacts on the Pacific Northwest fishing industry. Thousands of Washington state jobs are tied to Bristol Bay salmon fishing.

  12. bostonboomer says:
    February 28, 2014 at 9:24 pm

    Crazy stuff happening. Mark Ames has learned that Pierre Omidyar helped fund the Ukrainian resistance groups along with US government through CIA front USAID.

    Pierre Omidyar co-funded Ukraine revolution groups with US government, documents show

    He got the idea from a twitter discussion Marcy Wheeler was having, then did some research. Now Marcy is flipping out because she now works for Pierre/Greenwald.

    • bostonboomer says:
      February 28, 2014 at 9:33 pm

      Not sure how this fits with Greenwald/Snowden/Assange pro-Russia agenda. Maybe Omidyar doesn’t really know where his money goes.

      • RalphB says:
        February 28, 2014 at 9:53 pm

        They even have one of Soros’ foundations in there. Seems like a potentially good cause to me.

        • bostonboomer says:
          February 28, 2014 at 10:58 pm

          It may be, but that’s not really the point. The problem is that Omidyar controls the entire cache of NSA materials stolen by Snowden and he has co-oped a large number of writers who now will be afraid to question anything he does. It’s an ethical problem, IMHO.

  13. RalphB says:
    February 28, 2014 at 9:27 pm

    Slate: More Phony Gaffe Coverage Than You’ll Ever Need

    … fake narrative flogged to gullible reporters. The Hill has discovered the “immigration gaffe” story and written a classic of he-said-she-said-who-knows stenography. In it we learn that “Democrat Alex Sink gave an inelegant rationale for the need for immigration reform.” How do we know?

    Because, per the Hill, “the conservative site Newsmax” posted a clip of Sink saying “Immigration reform is important in our country … because we have a lot of employers over on the beaches that rely upon workers, and especially in this high-growth environment, where are you going to get people to work to clean out hotel rooms or do our landscaping?”
    …
    Waders on, and let us march through this bog of bullshit. …

    Dave Weigel eviscerates a phony Sink scandal pushed by Beltway media.

  14. RalphB says:
    February 28, 2014 at 9:59 pm

    Giant crocodile takes to surf, prompting beach closure in Australia

    It’s hard to imagine a creature more menacing than a great white shark swimming in the surf, but a giant crocodile comes close.

    An estimated 12-foot crocodile was spotted cruising in the swells this past week at Cable Beach in Broome, Western Australia, prompting officials to close the beach to swimmers and surfers for a day.

    Good pictures of crocodile surfing. 😉

  15. adrastos says:
    March 4, 2014 at 12:06 am

    Actually penis cakes are for Krewe du Vieux parties, not that I’ve ever seen one mind you. We are the krewe that gave the world this year’s skating dick, after all.

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