Shakesville

I Haven't Mentioned in at Least Three Seconds...

...that Chris Matthews is a huge jerk. But he is. In case anyone had forgotten. Exhibit ZZ9:

Matthews: I think that [President Obama] has a unique hold on the Democratic Party, to start with, and you can argue all this stuff about the center—I'm interested in the independents who are worried about the economy. But I'm tellin' ya, he is very popular among Democrats—

John Heilemann, New York magazine writer: Chris, have the, have the last two days made you think that? When you hear, when you hear the Democratic Left trashing the healthcare bill and attacking the president?

Matthews: Well, I don't consider them Democrats; I consider them netroots, and they're different.

Heilemann [chuckling]: Ahh.

Matthews: And if I see, if I see that they vote in every election, or most elections, I'll be worried. But I'm not sure they're regular, grown-up Democrats. I think a lot of those people are troublemakers who love to sit in the back seat and complain. They're not interested in governing this country. They never ran for office, they're not interested in working for somebody in public office. They get their giggles out of sitting in the back seat and bitching. Excuse me. That's a verb.

Yeah, a misogynist verb. Bitching is something unserious people do, something bitches do. Bitches bitch, but men—"regular, grown-up" men—do punditry.

As is noted at Media Matters, Howard Dean, one of the foremost opponents of the legislation, "ran for president in the 2004 Democratic primary after having served for more than 11 years as governor of Vermont." He also, hello, served as chair of the Democratic National Committee for four years. That ain't the "back seat" of public policy, brother.

And, not for nothing, but many of the prominent bloggers in the "netroots" have worked for political campaigns or "somebody in public office." I can think of more than a dozen bloggers off the top of my head (from Daily Kos, MyDD, Open Left, Pandagon, AmericaBlog, Crooks and Liars, Shakesville, etc.) who have worked for campaigns or politicians.

I don't point that out from spite (though I'm none too thrilled that the sneering elitism of the traditional media persists); I point it out because Matthews is a political analyst who doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about. He doesn't know basic facts about the political blogosphere.

And yet he's worried about us polluting the national discourse. Uh-huh.

[Related Reading: Call Me Citizen Asshole.]

Open Thread

Hosted by thread.

Two-Minute Nostalgia Sublime

Wiseguy

1,000 points to the first person to identify what this week's theme has been.

Question of the Day

What is the worst band name of all time?

I cast my vote for Enuff Z'nuff.

Although, maybe I should reconsider, given that every song they ever released back in the '80s and '90s is utterly forgettable, and yet I still remember their shitty name.

Maybe it's secretly the best band name of all time!

Chuck Norris Asks the Important Questions

Like: What if Mother Mary Had Obamacare?

Daily Kitteh

Tils, in shadow.

Livs, in sunlight.

Sophs, incognito.

This is what a feminist looks like...?

A few days ago, I noticed that part of the marketing for Avatar seemed to be trying to cast its director James Cameron as some kind of feminist. (Yes, the same James Cameron who said, "With Avatar, I thought: Forget all these chick flicks and do a classic guys' adventure movie.")

Irin over at Jezebel noticed the same thing, and takes a look at the evidence.

Suffice it to say that when one of the compelling pieces of evidence, offered by Cameron's biographer, is his having one of the female characters in his new film deliver the line, "You're not the only one with a gun, bitch!", I remain unconvinced.

If putting misogynist epithets into the mouths of female characters makes someone a feminist, we have set a very low bar indeed.

Today's Edition of "Conniving and Sinister"

[Trigger warning. Also: I want to make clear that I am okay; this is a lolsob, not a cry for help or sympathy. It's just a realistic, and darkly humorous, glimpse into what it means to do what I do as a survivor and person with PTSD.]

Strips One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88. In which Liss reimagines the long-running comic "Frank & Ernest," about two old straight white guys "telling it like it is," as a fat feminist white woman and a biracial queerbait telling it like it actually is from their perspectives. Hilarity ensues.

Survivors

[Trigger warning.]

I've previously noted that Precious is, despite its flaws, one of the best, most realistic films about surviving sexual assault that I have ever seen.

Possibly that has something to do with the number of survivors who were involved with the project.

Two of the executive producers, Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, have publicly spoken about being survivors of sexual abuse. (My post about Tyler Perry, who only recently came out as a survivor, is here.) And now Mo'Nique, just nominated for Golden Globe and Screen Actors' Guild awards for her portrayal of Precious' abusive mother Mary, is speaking once again about being a survivor, too:

"I know Mary Jones. I know that monster. … That character for me, in my life, was my older brother."

The actress, 42, revealed in 2008 to Essence that she was sexually molested at 7 years old by her teenage brother. "I didn't tell my parents until I was 15-years-old. [Unlike Precious] I had my family, but when you go through that as a child, you really don't know which way to turn," she said.

Although she opened up to her parents as a teen, Mo'Nique, who has not spoken to her brother in years, said she didn't really confront her past until she was an adult. "I'm angry. I'm mad. I'm hurt. I'm crying, but doing this movie made me say, 'You know what? I forgive.' I forgive and I wish he would get the help that he needs, so no one else will go through it," she said.

What breaks my heart into a thousand pieces is the thought that all of these amazingly fearless and strong people who came together to get this film made will be honored with nominations, and maybe even awards, by a Hollywood establishment that will go right back to making films that glorify and promote sexual assault.

Still. I will remain grateful that all of these amazingly fearless and strong people helped put Precious into the world.

Blogginz Semi-Daily Dumpus

Check it out, Shakers: I just took the greatest internet-ready photo of all time.

I call it "Sup?"

I'm totally uploading it to Facebook right now.

Today in Rape Culture

[Trigger warning.]

In case you can't tell what that is, it's a talking Jesus action figure from The Big Lebowski. You know Jesus, right? "Nobody fucks with The Jesus." He's the guy played by John Turturro, and the character is decribed as a "pederast." A convicted sex offender, who "served 6 months in Chino for exposing himself to an eight year old." The perfect inspiration for a toy, I guess.

Charmingly, the toy says eight lines from the film, including "Let me tell you something, pendejo. You pull any of your crazy shit with us, you flash a piece out on the lanes, I'll take it away from you, stick it up your ass, and pull the fucking trigger 'til it goes 'click'." Just what I want: An action figure that threatens to rape me with a gun!

Quote of the Day

Rush Limbaugh, outraged about the possibility that insurance companies would be required to cover mammograms and injuries resulting from domestic violence:

About the premiums going up, and my brilliant, uh, dissertation on why prices'll go up in the private sector, even if the, uh, uh, public option's not there, and even if the Medicare buy-in is not there: It's not just preconditions that are mandated to be covered in the healthcare bills in either the House or the Senate. There was, uh, a recent amendment that added, uh, mandating private insurers to provide mammogram and other women's issues coverage, including spousal abuse! Insurance for spousal abuse! And mammograms, even though the ammogram—mammogram age to be raised to the age of 50. You, you think of all the mandates that'll be added on to private insurance—and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

I See a Trend

[Trigger warning.]

In my earlier post about Danny Foley, the man whom dozens of people lined up to comfort after he was convicted of sexually assaulting a women he'd drugged and dragged to a secluded area, there's a reference to a character statement offered to the court by Foley's parish priest, who insisted that Foley was always "respectful of women." (Father Seán Sheehy went on to say on television that he has no regrets for the statement and believes the seven-year sentence, only five of which will be served in prison, is "extremely harsh.")

Also found in my inbox today, care of Shaker Rachel, is this story about a man who fatally stabbed a coworker after the coworker tried to stop him from driving drunk. The judge in the case noted it was an unplanned killing (fair enough), but curiously claimed that the killer's "prior criminal convictions for sex offences…did not indicate a propensity for violence." Um, okay.

And a third story, sent to me by both Shaker Azzy and Deeky, about Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry, who died today "after falling out of the back of a pickup truck during what police said was a domestic dispute with his fiancée. … Police said the dispute began at a home about a half-mile away, and Henry jumped into the bed of the pickup truck as his fiancée was driving away from the residence." Henry had a history of "his temper and poor decisions [getting] him in trouble" on the football field and off. Nonetheless:

"We knew him in a different way than his public persona," Bengals owner Mike Brown said of the player who was suspended five times during his career. "He had worked through the troubles in his life and had finally seemingly reached the point where everything was going to blossom."

…When Henry was arrested for a fifth time following that season on an assault charge, the Bengals decided they'd had enough. At his arraignment on April 3, 2008, Municipal Court Judge Bernie Bouchard called Henry "a one-man crime wave." He was released by the Bengals the same day. … Then, Brown — who refers to himself as "a redeemer" — changed his mind and gave him another chance.

"If you only knew him by hearsay, you'd think he's some kind of ogre," Brown said, during the Bengals' appearance on HBO's "Hard Knocks" series this summer. "It's not true. He's a good person."

Here's the thing: Men who seem like "good people" to other men frequently aren't good to women.

Or children, or the weak, or the otherwise marginalized.

And there are too many men (and women) in the world who simply don't understand that. Or do, but simply don't include how a man treats people other than themselves in their calculations when discerning what kind of person he actually is.

Instead, excuses are made and obvious, dangerous flaws and failures overlooked. Until tragedy happens, as it inevitably does.

And then comes the victim-blaming—because anything else might expose the warning signs that were there, that were ignored, that weren't ever deemed relevant to whether Manly T. Manperson was a great bloke with whom to have a drink, a great athlete, a great entertainer, a great coworker or boss or neighbor, a great guy.

Too many people do not understand that your great guy is also my rapist. Or hers. Or hers. Or his. Or hers. Or theirs. Or her domestic abuser. Or his killer.

Umm...

"Obama, who was described as upbeat in what was an otherwise serious meeting, responded: "Why don't we all begin to have some fun? Let's pass this bill."

Obama thanked Lieberman privately for his statement issued earlier Tuesday pledging support for the bill as long as the Medicare expansion and public option were eliminated from the bill, Lieberman said."

Female "Person of the Year"

Kate Harding noticed, upon Time conferring its "Person of the Year" award on male person Ben Bernanke, that "there hasn't been a stand-alone female honoree since Corazon Aquino was 'Man of the Year' in 1986." (Time changed the honorific to "Person of the Year" in 1999, but, as Kate notes, "the linguistic switch had no apparent effect on the magazine's long and rarely interrupted stretch of honoring male persons at year's end.") So she asked some feminist writers for their picks for Female Person of Year.

Four women tied for the most nominations (three each) in a highly scientific poll of noted women writers who responded promptly to my e-mail. "I know it's an obvious answer, but I must vote for Hillary Clinton," said Double X's Jessica Grose. "She's just done a fantastic job as Secretary of State. She hasn't showboated, she's just put her head down and worked--without compromising any of her core beliefs. No wonder her approval rating is soaring. Also, I think Americans don't put enough stock in being able to handle defeat gracefully. It's all about the winners. Clinton lost the election and yet has become the consummate team player." Shakesville's Melissa McEwan added, "she gave us a hell of a gander at what a feminist looks like during her first year in President Obama's cabinet, whether it was delivering some major pwnage on reproductive rights or speaking out against sexual and gender-based violence while doing a little globetrotting awareness-raising. She also showed what it looks like to keep a campaign promise, by making good on her vow to make global gay rights an active 'part of American foreign policy,' in response to proposed legislation in Uganda to make homosexuality a crime punishable by death." "The Curse of the Good Girl" author Rachel Simmons also called Clinton the "duh" answer, but Bitch Ph.D's M. LeBlanc countered, "Duh! It's fucking Sonia Sotomayor. Obviously" -- a sentiment reinforced by Veronica I. Arreola, Director of Women in Science and Engineering at University of Illinois at Chicago (and Viva la Feminista owner) and Pamela Merritt, the Angry Black Bitch.

Sotomayor was my second pick, and it was a close call.

I submitted my choice to Kate with the (rhetorical) question: Is it terrible that I get a perverse thrill from knowing there are people who will read my nominating Hillary Clinton and roll their eyes so hard it's audible to bystanders?

Read the whole thing here.

Vloggin' with Blogginz, Episode 9

[Episodes One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight.]

(I almost need to do a second video of outtakes from this one, because I seriously have like five minutes of takes of me tossing some bullshit out there, KBlogz singing some hilarious shit, and my breaking into the most raucous laughter evah.)

[Also available at Daily Motion. Full transcript below.]

Title Card: Vloggin' with Blogginz

Liss: Kenny Blogginz, Live! from Uranus. Featuring the new single "Dad's Truck."

KBlogz [singing]: I love to ride in my dad's truck / I love to ride in the back even though it's illegal! [freeze poses]

Liss: [laughs] Also with the chart-topping cover of "Sweet Child of Mine."

KBlogz [singing]: She got a smile and it seems to me / Reminds me of childhood memories / And when I look at those memories / I wanna break down and cry-aye-aye! [freeze poses]

[deliberately shitty edit]

Liss: And "Beer on My Bluejeans and Pot in My Pockets."

KBlogz [singing]: I wanna smoke the pot that's in my pocket, girl / But you know that it's soaked with cheap beer / So it's too wet to light on fire! [freeze poses]

[deliberately shitty edit]

Liss: New tracks like "Above-Ground Pool."

KBlogz [singing]: I love splashing in above-ground pool / I love to splash all around / All over town! [freeze poses]

[deliberately shitty edit]

Liss: As well as the DJ Superscat Mondo remix of the "Two and a Half Men" theme!

KBlogz [singing]: Here comes Charlie Sheen / And Jon Cryer / And Angus T. Jones / And now they're gonna have an adventure! [lowers glasses; lifts hat]

[deliberately shitty edit]

Liss: And the total billboard flop, "There's a Bird in My Bathroom."

KBlogz [singing]: There's a bird in my bathroom / A bird in my bathroom / I could be hallucinating / But I'm pretty sure there's a bird in my bathroom. [freeze poses]

[deliberately shitty edit]

Liss: Not to mention the classic Schwarzenegger hit, "Shut Up."

KBlogz [in a Schwarzenegger voice]: Shut up! [freeze poses]

[deliberately shitty edit]

Liss: Plus the bonus track reissue of iconic Blogginz tune, "I Hate Mushroom Soup!"

KBlogz [singing]: I hate mushroom soup, ya'll / It's a texture thang! [freeze poses]

[deliberately shitty edit]

Liss: And let's not forget the ultimate classic, b-side, "Cardboard Box."

KBlogz [singing]: Cardboard box! / You can make an art project / Out of a cardboard box! / Cardboard box! [lowers glasses; freeze poses]

[deliberately shitty edit]

Liss: And featuring the smash hit, "Crystal Shipz."

KBlogz [singing]: I wanna sail away with your dad / On a Crystal Ship! / Yeah! [grins]

Liss: In stores now.

Title Card: The End!!!

Today in Rape Culture

[Trigger warning.]

Dozens sympathise with sex offender:

Dozens of people queued inside a Co Kerry courthouse yesterday to shake hands and sympathise with a man who was jailed for five years for sexually assaulting a woman in Listowel.

Danny Foley (35), a nightclub bouncer, Meen, Listowel, was sentenced to seven years with the final two suspended by Judge Donagh McDonagh in the Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee. He had been found guilty two weeks ago of sexually assaulting a woman who was discovered by a Garda patrol in a semi-conscious state and naked from the waist down alongside a skip in a car park early on June 15th, 2008.

In her victim impact statement, the woman spoke of being "judged" in north Kerry, but said she was not sorry for telling the truth. Everyone in Listowel knew who she was, despite the press respecting her anonymity, she said.

"Even though my name has never been mentioned in the press, Listowel is not a big town and everyone knows it's me," the woman said. "I feel as if people are judging me the whole time. I've been asked by people I know if I am sorry for bringing Dan Foley to court. I am not sorry for it. All I did was tell the truth."

About 50 people, mostly middle-aged and elderly men, queued yesterday to shake hands with the convicted man and hug him tearfully after he was brought from the cell to the dock, before Judge McDonagh entered the courtroom.

Before passing sentence, the judge criticised a character statement made by Castlegregory parish priest Fr Seán Sheehy. The priest had said Foley was always "respectful of women", but Foley's actions "gave the lie" to Fr Sheehy's statement, the judge said.

Emphasis mine.

All of this despite video evidence of Foley carrying his victim to the area: "It also emerged he had met her earlier in the night club and she had become ill and quickly incapacitated after he bought her a Black Russian to drink. He had insisted on walking her home, against her wishes. Her recollection was hazy and she had blacked out but she remembered trying to prevent him from removing her clothing."

Foley has not apologized to his victim.

Dozens lined up to comfort him after he was sentenced. Dozens.

Blub.

[H/Ts to Shakers Sarah, Emma, Natalie, and Insomniax.]

RNC Defends Using Its Database to Stalk Women

[Trigger warning.]

I only wish I were kidding:

Something that jumped out at us in that story about Brett Mecum, the Arizona GOP executive director charged with using the party's voter registration database to stalk a woman: the bizarre response from Mecum's boss.

Here's what party chair Randy Pullen, who is also the treasurer of the Republican National Committee, told an Arizona political site about the claim that Mecum had used Voter Vault to find the woman's address:
The Republican National Committee owns Voter Vault ... It's a private list. We own the list. We can do what we want with the list, quite frankly.
It's a felony to use a voter registration database for anything other than official purposes.

And, even if it weren't, it would still be, y'know, totally fucking unethical. I know the GOP waved buh-bye to ethics long ago, but I nonetheless feel obliged to make the point that whether using a database for the purpose of stalking someone is legal is almost beside the point, when it's so evidently wrong in principle.

[H/T to Shaker Kathy.]

Healthcare Open Thread

The Hill—Sanders says 'as of this point' he won't vote for healthcare bill: "Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said late Wednesday that he cannot support the Democrats' healthcare reform legislation in its current form."

Think Progress has video and transcript of Sanders' explanation: "I'm struggling with this. As of this point, I'm not voting for the bill. … I'm going to do my best to make this bill a better bill, a bill that I can vote for, but I've indicated both to the White House and the Democratic leadership that my vote is not secure at this point. And here is the reason. When the public option was withdrawn, because of Lieberman's action, what I worry about is how do you control escalating health care costs?"

The Hill—Union pulls back on supporting bill: "The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) backed out of an event with other organizations promoting the Senate healthcare reform bill Wednesday over concerns about changes made to the legislation to accommodate centrist Democrats. The SEIU had planned to participate in a Capitol Hill press conference along with the AARP, the liberal advocacy group Families USA, Consumers Union and the American Cancer Society Action Network. ... But the move by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to excise provisions of the healthcare reform bill to create a government-run public option health insurance program and to allow people between 55 and 64 years old to buy into Medicare gave the labor union pause, spokeswoman Lori Lodes said."

SEIU Blog—Letter from President Andy Stern to SEIU members: Where do we go from here?

Howard Dean—Health-care bill wouldn't bring real reform: "If I were a senator, I would not vote for the current health-care bill. Any measure that expands private insurers' monopoly over health care and transfers millions of taxpayer dollars to private corporations is not real health-care reform. Real reform would insert competition into insurance markets, force insurers to cut unnecessary administrative expenses and spend health-care dollars caring for people. Real reform would significantly lower costs, improve the delivery of health care and give all Americans a meaningful choice of coverage. The current Senate bill accomplishes none of these."

Sam Stein: White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs Lashes Back At Dean, Suggests He's Irrational

Paul Krugman—Illusions and Bitterness: "There's enormous disappointment among progressives about the emerging health care bill—and rightly so. That said, even as it stands it would take a big step toward greater security for Americans and greater social justice; it would also save many lives over the decade ahead."

John Podesta—The Progressive Case For Passing The Senate Health Bill: "The Senate health care bill is not without its problems. But if enacted, it would represent the most significant public reform of our health care system that Congress has passed in the 40 plus years I have worked in politics. The bill will give health care coverage to a record 31 million Americans who are currently uninsured, lay a foundation that will begin to lower costs for millions of families, and provide all Americans with the access to adequate and dependable coverage when they need it most."

I don't know what to think at this point. I want Americans without health insurance to have access to affordable healthcare now. (For that matter, I want Americans with health insurance to have access to affordable healthcare now.) I also want a healthcare bill that won't be simultaneously only a stop-gap measure to give more people access to our fucked-up system and a major roadblock to the sort of significant reform that will result in a paradigm shift about healthcare in America.

Unfortunately, it looks like we can only get one or the other. And that sucks rocks.

Open Thread

Hosted by a red Swingline stapler.