Glenn Beck prompts the president (29 July 2009)

Our prompts? Our tools?

I think these right-wing flare-ups are ways of communicating to a president that "they" (i.e., the people) want more leadership--of the epic kind. These "agents" test the president's mettle, he meets the test, they fade away. I think we might forget just how fast certain at one point very pressing and visible enraged populist figures all of a sudden so quickly vanish, once their role in the public narrative, their forwarding of the plot, is done with. McCarthy, Gingrich--larger than life, "king of the hills!," then essentially, poof!--gone!--mostly nowhere to be found. The President "gets it right"; qualms disappear and certainty stands and stays: we no longer need these guys. And so to help excuse our quick dumping of them, make it a bit less guilt-arousing, we start hearing/encouraging stories that make these figures seem a bit too embarrassing to justify having in our presence--sordid personal stories, of the dumped his wife while on the deathbed, kind; and they're more-or-less not to be found, forever or for quite the time (until we have the notion their kind of service might again prove useful). They're our tools, prompts--even true for many of us lefties.

Note: Ignore the picture of the guy on the right. Pretend he's (Joseph) McCarthy.

Link: Right-Wing Racism on the Rise (Joan Walsh)

Comments

Discussion over the fate of Jolenta, at the Gene Wolfe facebook appreciation site

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Salon discussion of "Almost Famous" gang-rape scene

Patrick McEvoy-Halston: The "Almost Famous'" gang-rape scene? Isn't this the film that features the deflowering of a virgin -- out of boredom -- by a pack of predator-vixons, who otherwise thought so little of him they were quite willing to pee in his near vicinity? Maybe we'll come to conclude that "[t]he scene only works because people were stupid about [boy by girl] [. . .] rape at the time" (Amy Benfer). Sawmonkey: Lucky boy Pull that stick a few more inches out of your chute, Patrick. This was one of the best flicks of the decade. (sawmonkey, response to post, “Films of the decade: ‘Amost Famous’, R.J. Culter, Salon, 13 Dec. 2009) Patrick McEvoy-Halston: @sawmonkey It made an impression on me too. Great charm. Great friends. But it is one of the things you (or at least I) notice on the review, there is the SUGGESTION, with him being so (rightly) upset with the girls feeling so free to pee right before him, that sex with him is just further presump

When Rose McGowan appears in Asgard: a review of "Thor: Ragnarok"

The best part of this film was when Rose McGowan appeared in Asgard and accosted Odin and his sons for covering up, with a prettified, corporate, outward appearance that's all gay-friendly, feminist, multicultural, absolutely for the rights of the indigenous, etc., centuries of past abuse, where they predated mercilessly upon countless unsuspecting peoples. And the PR department came in and said, okay Weinstein... I mean Odin and Odin' sons, here's what we suggest you do. First, you, Odin, are going to have to die. No extensive therapy; when it comes to predators who are male, especially white and male, this age doesn't believe in therapy. You did what you did because you are, or at least strongly WERE, evil, so that's what we have to work with. Now death doesn't seem like "working with it," I know, but the genius is that we'll do the rehab with your sons, and when they're resurrected as somehow more apart from your regime,

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