Politics of Hypocrisy Isn't Pretty in Pink

Jon Stewart scores a perfect 300. Pinheads of politics didn't even see it coming.

Doubting Sarah Barracuda will bowl 'em over come November.

Dissecting Angelina Jolie Politics Won't Secure Seat at the Lunch Table

Oh those MSNBC celebrity puff pieces. Wherever would The Spewker be without them?

It's a news broadcast. It's a gossip tabloid. No silly, it's two, two, two "this-country-is-going-to-hell-in-a-handbag" moments in one.

Yes, I feel like a "celebretard" following the political nuances of actress and UN Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie. Doesn't everybody?

So, she's an independent who hasn't endorsed a presidential candidate. So what? Will it matter to the middle class when she decides whose political platform best serves starving children in Africa? Do working poor care about the world refugee crisis when they can't pay their own heating bills?

Could Bob Costas be any more of an insensitive neanderthal peppering President Bush with questions while possible Olympic swimming history unfolds?

I love how Keith Olberman uses VH-1's Paul Tompkins as political sounding board. Like the Hannity & Colmes of Politicelebritopia, this spot plays like a mathlete dissecting the cool clique's perceived shortcomings, jealous of all the fawning attention paid Jolie, emasculating her baby daddy as "press agent," and whining about her making him feel bad.

A pathetic longing for a seat at the Jolie-Pitt-Clooney lunch table disguised as investigative reporting. As if.

Celebrity Censorship Establishes Dangerous Precedent

While we were sunning and funning in L.A., the world definitely took leave of its senses, at least that's my sorry conclusion after viewing this segment of Howard Kurtz's Reliable Sources.

Talk about a mixture of celebrities, politics, and media, here are nine plus minutes of informative topical banter leaving me convinced more than ever of too much media power in the wrong hands leading to unhealthy consequences, specifically self-censorship, something freedom lovers everywhere should recognize as a treacherous slide down a slippery slope. Change effected today is free expression squelched tomorrow, meaning we can't have our cake and eat it too. The opinion you suppress today may one day be your own.

Remarks of columnists Ray Richmond and Sharon Waxman are illustrative. Richmond pretty much bashes Oprah Winfrey, blaming her recent dip in ratings on media overexposure rather than her endorsement of presidential candidate Barack Obama. Inexplicably, he also takes credit for making Oprah politically active. Waxman and Kurtz go in a different direction, pointing to the endorsement as a key factor in the alienation of Oprah fans, but citing other unrelated factors as the possible cause for her rating woes.

But the most disturbing part of the segment was the Rachel Ray ad campaign for Dunkin Donuts. Corporate pulled print ads of Ray wrapped in what appeared to be a kaffiyeh scarf, a symbol of Palestinian terrorism in parts of the free world. I am by no means a terrorist sympathizer, nor do I support Islamic fascism. But honestly, a scarf as political statement in print ads for doughnuts? Get real. Ray has horrible taste, yes, but to label her a terrorist sympathizer through a media blitz which eventually forced the company to censor its own ad campaign establishes a very dangerous precedent.

What's next? Shows like The Sopranos are never produced because they offend the sensibilities of Italian-Americans? Ads with actors draped in orange and black can't be shown in New York because they're too reminiscent of The Baltimore Orioles? Where do you draw the line?

And then there are unintended consequences. We'll never know whether Oprah's early endorsement of Obama was instrumental in gathering necessary support from the African-American community or in gaining enough superdelegate support to cinch the nomination. What we can probably expect in the next election are endorsements from only the most devil-may-care celebrities willing to put their ratings or popularity on the line for a particular candidate. This kind of self-censorship is not necessarily a positive development.

Isn't it better to know the political viewpoints of a celebrity before becoming their biggest most devoted fan? I, for one, would rather know which way a celebrity leans, expressing support or displeasure with my pocketbook and letting the chips fall where they may.

Hillary Clinton Ignores Voice of the People

The whole country is buzzing about the Potomac primaries, but I've been too busy to tune in. Working on some other matters as well as a new blog development.

In the meantime, take a look at this missive from Howard Kurtz of The Washington Post. Nice links, good analysis, fair and balanced reporting. A lot of work went into this piece. When unable to create, the next best thing is linking, I always say.

BTW, despite the spin, I bet Bubba is kicking himself right now. Obama and his "once in a lifetime" political movement is just the kind of wave Bill would love to ride, wishes he could ride, if not for the ball and chain.

It's all over, Bill, she just doesn't know how to gracefully dance off the stage.


Barack Obama Hillary Clinton

Ann Coulter Savaged for Bashing Jews and Judaism

The Britney Spears of the conservative movement, a blemish on the face of “kinder, gentler, compassionate conservatism.” A Connecticut anorexic in King Arthur’s Court. A transvestite refugee from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. So refers Michael Savage from his beleaguered talk show fest, The Savage Nation, to none other than Ms. Ann Coulter.

Wow. The shark turning against one of its own, such a rarity in politics (wink). Then again, I can always count on Savage to speak his mind, not his party line. Problem is, sometimes he goes a tad too far. Last night’s rebroadcast was no exception.

It all started on Monday when Coulter appeared on Donny Deutsch's CNBC show, The Big Idea. Seemingly out of nowhere, Coulter began a spew against Jews. Her anti-Semitic vitriol rankled Savage so badly, he devoted more than half of yesterday’s broadcast lambasting and pummeling Coulter into dog meat. To add insult to injury, all but one of his callers received a tongue-lashing for failing to echo his outrage. One allegedly Orthodox Jew said he didn’t see Coulter’s comments as anti-Semitic because she only parroted the fundamental Christian doctrines she was raised to believe. Savage ordered him to “grow some balls,” warning he would be one of the first people tortured in a Polish pogrom. Yes, old Mike was in rare form.

So, what exactly did Coulter say? Mmmm, basically that Jews are imperfect beings because they don’t believe Jesus was/is the messiah, and that America would be a better place if all Americans were Christians. But don’t rely on a paraphrase. Read for yourself Coulter’s final attempt to worm her way out of the point of no return:


I have to say, I was slightly offended when Coulter insinuated women should lose the right to vote because they elect Democratic presidents. But this latest bit of Jew baiting is downright unseemly. Not selling enough books, so let’s whip up a media frenzy by picking on the "purple state" Jewish host of a niche cable program. Yeah, that’s the ticket.

Bad publicity is better than no publicity, or so they say. Too bad Coulter didn’t get the memo about the bigot exception. Her obvious bias against Jews is too palpable to ignore. The inevitable reaction of a closet Klanner desperate to plug a book destined for the dusty dollar bin.

Ann, darling, your 15 minutes is up. Make sure not to trip as you step off the stage. Ooops, too late.

Savage was right to be outraged. Ann should get the hook, the quicker the better. My problem with Savage arose later in the program. After advocating for harmonious understanding and peaceful co-existence between Jews and Christians, Savage blasted some priest for ministering to homosexuals. Taking up the cause of one vulnerable population only to beat down another struck me as hypocritical and self-serving. A real turn off that dulled his message about Coulter, to say the least.

If Savage intends to use his talk show to make the world a better place, as he claims, then he should try harder to fake a social conscious. Or at least save the gay bashing for a different broadcast.

Ratings Spike for Larry King Live

I have nothing against Larry King Live. On second thought, the image of Larry liplocked with the late great Marlon Brando vaguely reminds me of naked Borat and the fat man. Ech. Yech. Ptoo.

Number one cable ratings. Not too shabby, Paris. Perhaps Barbara Walters was wrong to pass on your jailhouse release ramble. On second thought...

Kudos to Bill McCuddy, Fox News entertainment reporter, for giving me my LMAOMoment of the day. He succinctly dubbed the interview "Punxatawney Paris." The news gophers flash their cameras and everyone goes home. Kinda like this who cares event .

Then again, I would have hung around to dance the Pennsylvania Polka .