Yeah, You Right!!

Posted: February 9, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: House of Representatives, just because, Women's Rights | Tags: , , | 14 Comments

Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee gave it to Pepsi on the House floor on Tuesday.  Her focus was a disturbing commercial run during Sunday’s Superbowl.  The commercial basically lit up the scoreboard for gender and race stereotypes.

“In this month of African-American history where we’re trying to celebrate what is good and great, it certainly seems ridiculous that Pepsi would utilize this kind of humor,” she said. “It was not humorous. It was demeaning — an African-American woman throwing something at an African-American male and winding up hitting a Caucasian woman.”

Jackson Lee said she has a sense of humor and believes in the First Amendment. She also said the Super Bowl is a great time for “fellowship” with family members.

“That is why I’m so disappointed with the Pepsi advertisement that showed a demeaning role for African American women, in an ad that showed a can being thrown and being utilized to wound someone else or hit someone else,” she said.

“I think that we can come together in a much better way, sell Pepsi, and as well talk about good nutrition,” she said. “But, frankly, I consider this insulting, and so did many other women of all colors.”

There were a ton of ads on display that were an insult to women including at least one  Go Daddy ad.   You all know I’m the ultimate football grinch.   I think it’s the modern day American Empire equivalent to panem et circenses. One important item mentioned by the Congresswoman was the number of views of the thing by families.    Couldn’t advertisers give the traditional bimbo and beer sports ads a rest for a change? This has been a staple of sporting event advertising for years. It still shows no sign of going away. Here’s a sexist blast from the past of 10 years ago.  Remember this one?

“It just doesn’t get any better than this,” boasts Old Milwaukee beer’s TV campaign, which features a gyrating “Swedish Bikini Team” descending upon male campers. But Stroh Brewery, the beer’s maker, is discovering that things $ just might get worse. Five women employees have sued the company, charging that the ads foster a work environment that encourages sexual harassment. “These ads tell Stroh’s male employees that women are stupid, panting playthings,” says attorney Lori Peterson. Her clients have been confronted with pornography, taunted with lewd remarks and slapped on the rear, she contends. The company describes the allegation as “a preposterous link” and says Stroh has a strong policy against sexual harassment.

This particular ad just couldn’t resist the entire racial tie-ins either.  Since I don’t drink Pepsi or watch football, I’m in no position to boycott either.  I’m just glad to see the Congresswoman do what she could do to condemn the ads.  Hopefully, we never have to view the silly thing again.

But, wait!  There’s more!  Here’s another one for you from the same corporate idjits that we will see on a TV near us per CNN and via elephant.

Can a soda can be sassy? Pepsi thinks so.

Diet Pepsi will soon be available in a “taller, sassier new Skinny Can” that the company says is a “celebration of beautiful, confident women.”

Right.  Taller, sassier, anorexic-looking cans define beautiful and confident women.   Can the Congresswoman please go back to the House Floor and make a statement about this too?

New Chairman of House Oversight Committee Lacks Moral Gravitas (To Put It Mildly)

Posted: January 8, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Barack Obama, Crime, House of Representatives, Psychopaths in charge, U.S. Politics | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 35 Comments

New House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA)

Now that the Republicans control the House of Representatives, the new Chairman of the House Committee for Oversight and Reform will be five-term California Representative Darrell Issa.

According to Wikipedia, Issa is the wealthiest member of Congress with a net worth of $250 million. Before running for office Issa was CEO of Directed Electronics, which makes car alarms and other security devices for autos.

In a recent appearance on the In an October 2010 appearance on the Rush Limbaugh radio show, Issa told the right wing host that Obama is “one of the most corrupt presidents in modern times.”

Issa later tried to backtrack on this statement, saying he was referring to the Obama administration, not the President personally. On Wednesday, he defended his remarks by telling John King that he and CNN did not understand the meaning of the word “corrupt.”

Speaking to CNN’s Chief National Correspondent John King Wednesday, Issa offered his definition of the word “corrupt”:

“I think people misunderstand the meaning of the word corrupt, and obviously, CNN does. ‘Corrupt’, or ‘corrupted’ or ‘failure’, it’s no different than a disc drive that’s given you some bits that are wrong,” Issa said on CNN.

Issa continued, “I have never said it’s illegal.

Issa then explained that the “corruption” he is most concerned about is government regulation of corporations. In fact, Issa recently sent letters to business leaders, asking them to say which regulations they would like to get rid of.

Recipients of the letters include the American Petroleum Institute, The Association of American Railroads, and Toyota. Politico reports that the invitation has garnered complaints against a wide-range of regulations. Environmental protections have drawn lots of criticism. Everything from limiting waste-water flows from construction sites, to greenhouse gas and hazardous air pollutant controls, have been attacked. in the name of economic growth industries are also requesting repeals or blocks on everything from labor safety regulations, financial reforms, and consumer safety.

At Huffington Post, Ryan Grim reported yesterday that Issa plans to investigate the foreclosure crisis by focusing primarily on Fannie and Freddie instead of corporate giants like Bank of America.

This is the man who will be “investigating” the Obama administration and “the operations of Government activities at all levels with a view to determining their economy and efficiency.” Incidentally, one of Issa’s sidekicks on the committee is Dan Burton of Indiana, the guy who “investigated” death of Vince Foster by shooting a watermelon in his backyard in front of reporters.

According to Donald Cohen and Peter Dreier at Alternet,

Issa plans to hold hearings of his Oversight and Government Reform Committee to explore how he can help corporate America rid itself of “burdensome government regulations.” According to Politico, Issa asked businesses, including Duke Energy, FMC Corp., Toyota and Bayer, to supply him with their wish lists. He also sent letters to industry lobby groups including the American Petroleum Institute, National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the Association of American Railroads, the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association (NPRA) and entities representing health care and telecommunication providers.

It isn’t hard to imagine what that their wish list will look like. Indeed, it hasn’t changed much in the past century. The specific bills and issues ebb and flow, but the business mantra is always the same. Get government off our backs. Let the “free” market determine what we make and how we make it. We can police ourselves. Too many government rules kills jobs.

This would almost be fun to watch if there weren’t so much at stake.

So Who is Darrell Issa? Read the rest of this entry »

Newer Entries →