On Fri, Mar 2, 2012 at 6:53 PM, Joe Hass <[email protected]> wrote:
> I will freely admit I have not followed the goings on today, but my > very-quick glance at the Twitter feed implies an agreement with you: that > this is sticking far more than I would've assumed last night. I like the > Richards analogy. But if (and of course this is a big if) this actually > makes a significant impact on the Limbaugh universe, my reaction would be: > *this* is what did damage? Of all the insane, inappropriate crap to come > out of Limbaugh's mouth, it's gonna be calling a woman (albeit someone not > in the public sphere) a slut? > It is not that he called a woman a slut - no doubt he has said as bad or worse in the past. But the context - turning a legitimate policy debate into a vicious, sexualized attack on a young woman, not otherwise in the public eye, or convicted of any wrong doing, who was doing nothing but expressing her views, makes this particularly despicable. All the more so because in making the attack, he was actually personifying the worst stereotype of the so-called "patriarchy" - using sexual bullying to punish women for disagreeing with traditional authority. This personification makes the point for even right-of-center observers so vividly that it can not really be ignored. As the Washington Post editorial put it today (and for those who have not bee keeping score at home, the WaPo editorial page stopped being left of center some time ago): http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-gop-can-no-longer-avoid-its-rush-limbaugh-problem/2012/03/02/gIQA1xvVnR_story.html?wprss=rss_homepage "Like other “shock jocks,” Mr. Limbaugh has committed verbal excesses in the past. But in its wanton vulgarity and cruelty, this episode stands out. Mr. Limbaugh’s audience, and those in politics who seek his favor as a means of reaching that audience, need to take special note... Mr. Limbaugh has abused his unique position within the conservative media to smear and vilify a citizen engaged in the exercise of her First Amendment rights, and in the process he debased a national political discourse that needs no further debasing. This is not the way a decent citizen behaves, much less a citizen who wields significant de facto power in a major political party. While Republican leaders owe no apology for Mr. Limbaugh’s comments, they do have a responsibility to repudiate them — and him." -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en
