Sarah Palin’s book “Going Rogue” arrived this week and not surprisingly, most of the mainstream media greeted it with forced snark. The Associated Press assigned 11 reporters to “fact-check” the book. They came up with a few alleged “inconsistencies.” If the AP wants those reporters to really work, there’s President Obama’s previous memoirs and anything Al Gore has written on global warming.
Also, the soft, aging white intellectual male progressives who run the once-thriving Newsweek used a cover picture of Palin in tight shorts that had run in “Runners World” magazine. Why that photo — appropriate for Runners World, sexist for Newsweek — and not one of Palin on the campaign or with her family? The middle-aged liberal men at Newsweek despise Palin. They don’t quite understand why attractive, conservative, smart women upset them, but to deal with it they have to pick a photo that portrays Palin as the Betty Page-type bimbo they want readers to see her as.
But the worst case of Palin hatred is at Current, Al Gore’s pod news network. In a satire cartoon, Palin was referred to as “Gun-ho” and a “TWILF,” which is an extremely vulgar term which reflects deep hatred for women. If Fox News did this to any liberal woman, imagine the news coverage. Of course, there’s nary a media ripple on the Current piece. Story
Catherine Burt
on Nov 19th, 2009
@ 7:23 am:
First off, I don’t think the photo is a “Betty Page” bimbo type photo. Obviously it was a professional and staged picture. She self-describes as a “rogue,” a “maverick,” and a “hockey mom.” I saw nothing wrong with the photo for that description.
Secondly… when are we going to stop feeling sorry for her, for every consequence she faces as a result of her own choices? She can’t just walk around saying and doing whatever she feels like and then climbing on a pity pot when people criticize her for it. It’s noble and gallant of you to come to her rescue but if she’s the roguish maverick that she claims to be, she can take what’s coming to her for her opinions and actions.
Finally – I think the people who have the most disregard for her right now are the AR folks, for her comments about “room for Alaska’s animals next to the potatoes.” We not only recognize that trite phrase from t-shirts that may be found in Redneck Hillbillies R Us, but to my knowledge none of us is interested in coming over to her house for a salad and to be told about her philosophy as a “carnivore.” The sum total of these comments just shows how utterly ignorant and intolerant she really is.
She has earned every bit of animosity she gets, not only from the AR communities, but everyone else. Name me another person who was plucked from hick, alaska, dressed up and given the opportunity to run as GOP VP… who would write a nasty book about the very hands the fed her, less than a year later… and where are they now in their political careers?
flatlander100
on Nov 19th, 2009
@ 9:24 am:
Couple of points:
1. The photo: I agree, it was not a good choice for the Newsweek cover. However, Ms. Burt also has a point. Former Gov. Palin [and now announced creationist] posed for it. It’s a semi-cheesecake publicity shot she agreed to make. I don’t think she’s got much grounds to complain that a publicity shot she agreed to make is now getting more publicity than she expected it to. I’d not have put that picture on the cover if I were editing the mag. But she really has no grounds on which to complain that the mag did.
2. I cannot find on Currents the political cartoon you mention. Got a link?
3. I guess I’ve had too sheltered a life. I have no idea what TWILF stands for. Help?
4. On “gun-ho.” Agreed. No argument. I’d be happy to never see another cutsy reference to “ho” in this sense again. Let’s give it back to Santa for his exclusive use.
5. Doug Gibson, a newspaper man, annoyed because AP fact-checked Palin’s book? A newspaper man annoyed by fact-checking? Don’t you guys have to take a guild oath regarding fact-checking and its importance for people who write the news? If you don’t, you should. And interesting too how, the fact checking having turned up what Mark Twain called “stretchers,” those stretchers become in Doug World “alleged ‘inconsistencies’”.
6. I haven’t read the book. I doubt I will. [I prefer Christopher Buckley for political fiction that makes me laugh.] But I’ve been reading reviews of it, including reviews from conservative sources — like the Wall Street Journal. And a not-inconsiderable number of them seem to be treating the book as one long petulant whine and exercise in score-settling that ill-serves a woman John McCain and the Republican Party wanted to put one heartbeat away from the presidency. I’v e been surprised by those from the right who think the book illustrates how unfit she was for the post McCain chose her for.
Mark Shenefelt
on Nov 19th, 2009
@ 9:33 am:
“Soft, aging white intellectual male progressives” — perhaps as opposed to flabby, old, white, bitter male conservatives? I see plenty of both in the accursed punditocracy.
The Current nicknames for Palin are in bad taste, no argument. The caricatures of Palin and Brian Williams are humorous, though.
I suspect one reason there’s not a wave of outrage about a TV cartoon on Current because it’s not an entrenched “mainstream” outlet and likely 9 of 10 people don’t even know it exists.
Steve Stones
on Nov 19th, 2009
@ 10:57 am:
Doug, could you please explain for me how this situation is any different than the blog you wrote a few weeks ago about a so-called petty war between The White House and Fox News? How come it’s okay if a conservative news network tries to interpret and distort issues concerning Pres. Obama (and he steps in and says something about it), but it’s a big tragedy if the news media critique Palin and her new book? What is the difference here? Enlighten me please.
Nicole
on Nov 19th, 2009
@ 12:17 pm:
The photographer violated his contract. He didn’t have the right to release those photos for a year.
Newsweek is irrelevant and so they resort to cheap tricks to gain publicity. Al Gore is a snake oil salesman who has made millions off the global warming hoax while recently revealing the imbecilic notion that the center of the earth is hotter than a white dwarf star.
I’ve got a suggestion for people who don’t like Sarah Palin … Stop talking about her, stop clicking on articles about her, stop writing about her, don’t buy her book, and don’t vote for her.
It’s really as easy as that.
Catherine Burt
on Nov 19th, 2009
@ 1:34 pm:
No, Nicole, I’m afraid it’s not that simple. It’s more like watching a train wreck that you know you need to turn away from, but can’t. If she doesn’t like public criticism, she needs to stop writing books that incite said criticism, pack up the vindictive remains of her political career – and go home.
Michael Trujillo
on Nov 19th, 2009
@ 3:37 pm:
Hi, Doug. Long time listener, first time caller.
Point 1: My opinion of Palin has softened a bit, but … Doug, you really go ballistic everytime someone criticizes people you identify with. If she doesn’t like the heat, she should get out of the kitchen. People in the limelight draw a lot of criticism. You should go hang out in the hanger up at Hill A.F.B. The language used in the sheetmetal mechanics’ criticim of co-workers, management, politiicians, and opposing political view goes way beyond using the words ‘ho’, TWILF, and what not. Whether the choice of language is right or wrong, you should be focusing on the nature of the criticism rather than the tone.
Point 2: I fail to see how getting a lot of attention equates with validation of her importance. Kate & Jon get a lot more media attention than Sarah Palin but nobody’s implying that middle-aged white men, or anyone else, is particularly upset or threatened by them. Remember when everyone was going on about the pants Obama wore when he threw out the first pitch? Media attention sometimes merely means people are obsessed with minutiae. So, please, stop saying that the attention payed to Palin means that people must be taking her seriously or are threatened by her.
Point 3: Since you hold them in such disdain, you must not identify with “soft, aging white intellectual male progressives”. Which of those words doesn’t describe you? Likewise, you often lambast the mainstream media, but you’re a member of the 4th estate yourself. When you use the term “mainstream media”, what publications, besides the Standard Examiner, do you exclude from that pejorative?
Thanks. I’ll take my answers off the air. Love your show. It’s much better than Rush’s. (click)
Mary quite contrary
on Nov 19th, 2009
@ 3:38 pm:
I don’t know if anyone noticed, but Sarah dosen’t care if you don’t like her. She is only now able to give her side of a story that plagued the news after the election. As for the media, even Steven Schmidt , a veteran in the political arena, couldn’t believe the behaviour of the media regarding her. Her detractors are discounting her feelings and observations of what happened during the campaign just because they don’t like her. You can’t tell someone how they felt at any given time, just because you don’t see it that way.
sandyshoes
on Nov 20th, 2009
@ 10:06 pm:
I laughed when I saw Newsweek’s picture of Mrs. Palin. On Oprah, she was filmed in shorts driving to, exercising, and leaving the gym. Even acted like she was shivering. If you don’t want to be seen in shorts, then don’t have your picture taken in shorts. It’s just that easy. I have no jealousy for her. She’s not smart enough to know she’s not smart enough. She’s had the nerve to publish a book full of lies…more are coming out everyday. Now we know why she couldn’t think of a legal case she had been involved in when she said she had been actively involved in the settlement with the Exxon Valdez. The company says NO!
Willbike
on Nov 21st, 2009
@ 12:34 am:
She is attractive and conservative but I don’t know how smart got in there.
laytonian
on Nov 21st, 2009
@ 11:46 am:
Sarah Palin is an obvious master of self-publicity.
I will take her seriously, when she can truthfully analyze a situation and come up with a solution — rather than passing the blame for everything that’s gone wrong in her life, on someone else.
Otherwise, a President Palin and “First Dude” will consist of diplomatic issues such as “You hurt me!” and “You said bad things about me!” and “I’m going to take my job and go home!”
BUT….it’s obvious she doesn’t want a political career. That’s such hard work, when she can become the biggest celebrity in the world (sound familiar?) merely by posing for cheesecake and complaining, writing a book about complaining, and then touring while complaining.
As long as she’s being coy about her future plans, the right-wing will salivate at the thought of her.
They might as well pair her with Carrie Prejean, the “opposite marriage”, fake-boobed, porno-sharing “they’re talking bad about me and they have no right to do so” faux-Christian poser.
ctrentelman
on Nov 24th, 2009
@ 7:42 am:
palin’s publisher must be happier than a pig in slop right now — free full-page ad in the S-E and almost every other newspaper in the nation as everyone covers this so-called story which is really just covering the coverage, with palin tossing out a bon mot every now and then to keep it going.
Amazing, and all good for sales. If her publisher had tried to buy the exposure the s-e gave her just on Sunday it would have had to pay a thousand dollars, or more — op-ed, prime space. And she got it free!!!!!
Michael Trujillo
on Nov 24th, 2009
@ 10:52 am:
Hardly any free coverage for her in my newspaper, Charles: The San Francisco Chroinical.
I ran into Target in Emeryville this weekend (no big box stores in San Francisco proper). There were only two copies of Palin’s book in their books and music section. They looked a little lonely sitting there amongst the copies of Agassi’s biography and “Superfreakenomics” by Levitt and Dunbar.