Friday Reads: Mansplaining and other Nightmares of the American Culture Wars
Posted: February 28, 2014 Filed under: morning reads 42 CommentsSometimes 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’t 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 teenage 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?
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?
Wow. If these people represent “American culture,” we are in serious, serious trouble.
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.
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.
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.
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!
tpm: Biggest Press Fail in History?
The needs some Pressplaining 🙂
Today in responsible gun policy.
Professor Asks Idaho Lawmakers For The Green Light To Shoot A Student
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.”
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.
Via Salon, this Maine Republican might be the worst we’ve heard of yet.
Maine Rep. Lawrence Lockman’s decades-long history of extremism
Those quotes are just the tip of the iceberg!
He was my republican asshat of the day on Facebook a few days ago …
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.
How the fuck do these people get elected?
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/
Similar one written by Wil Wheaton talking about how Bill O’Reilly ruined his hippy parents and his christmas.
The real war on Christmas
It’s actually being waged by Bill O’Reilly and other right-wingers. I should know: It almost ruined my family’s holiday dinner.
http://www.salon.com/2005/12/22/wheaton_2/
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
” 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. “
I know just the one! The Republican Women’s Blog.
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.
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.
moderation?
Took it out …. some word must’ve triggered it… or it was hungry
Thank you!
Complete empathy fail in Arkansas. These people are sociopaths.
tpm: Paralyzed GOP Lawmaker On Medicaid Opposes Medicaid Expansion
From the Arkansas Times article TPM linked to:
Wow.
Worst Person in the World, maybe,
TBogg is on the case:
One hand takes while the other gives the finger
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/02/28/one-hand-takes-while-the-other-gives-the-finger/#.UxEw2s5mEE8.twitter
Even TBogg can’t do that poor excuse for a human justice, though it was funny 😉
Cut that lazy effin’ Repug off the welfare rolls. Everyone knows that Republican congressgrifters don’t do a lick of work. They just whine about why they don’t like other people.
Obama: ‘There Will Be Costs’ For Military Intervention In Ukraine
Meanwhile McCain is running around saying “We’re all Ukrainians” but when last heard from “We were all Georgians”. I prefer being American myself.
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
hosed that good…
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
This is promising. That mine would loose some nasty toxins into the watershed.
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.
Not sure how this fits with Greenwald/Snowden/Assange pro-Russia agenda. Maybe Omidyar doesn’t really know where his money goes.
They even have one of Soros’ foundations in there. Seems like a potentially good cause to me.
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.
Slate: More Phony Gaffe Coverage Than You’ll Ever Need
Dave Weigel eviscerates a phony Sink scandal pushed by Beltway media.
Giant crocodile takes to surf, prompting beach closure in Australia
Good pictures of crocodile surfing. 😉
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.