Hodge Podge Post

First issue: I love the woman in this video. I want to meet her and hug her.

Second Issue: Jerry Falwell died today. I immediately felt gleeful and then REALLY bad. I mean, that's awful. I admit it. But a commenter on Feministe said it best:

"There are lots of people whose deaths I gladly celebrate. It’s always a little bit like Top Trumps to pull the Hitler card at this point, but what the hell: Hitler’s dead! Isn’t that super? I only wish it had happened sooner.

I’m not saying Falwell = Hitler; clearly not. But equally I don’t see for a moment why anyone should be obliged to come over all sanctimonious piety when a repulsive hatemonger, deep into his dotage, finally buys the farm.

I wouldn’t wish burning in hell on anyone, but I don’t believe in all that jazz anyway, so I might as well wish Teletubbyland on him - which, come to think of it, I shall. Eh-oh, Jerry! Time for Tubby Custard. Furthermore, I wouldn’t wish death on anyone, but we do all get it in the end. Had he been murdered, died in an accident, or perished before his time of some unpleasant disease, I would politely refrain from crowing. But, as it is, natural causes & 70-plus, all that’s happened is that the world suddenly has one fewer oxygen-sucking, hate-breathing asshole.

Any “compassionate liberal” worth his/her sandals would have to have a heart of stone not to fancy a margarita and a foxtrot right now."

Glad to know I'm not alone in the "not-being-sad" department.

Third issue: Also THIS RADIO CLIP REALLY PISSED ME OFF

Rape jokes are not funny. Rape threats are definitely not funny. And in the wake of the Imus debacle this just further proves my point that slanders against women are simply seen as no big deal within this society. When Mel Gibson flipped his lid everyone was shocked about his anti-Semitic slurs but no one batted an eye that he called a female officer "sugar tits." The Imus scandal mostly fixated on the racial aspect but less on a group of women who had been degraded to "hos."

Now we have radio "personalities" (I use that term loosely) joking about raping Condoleeza Rice, Laura Bush and Queen Elizabeth. So hilarious I forgot to laugh. I read today that the "shock jocks" (read: assholes) have been suspended for 30 days. So even XM disc jockeys are not immune. But surprise, surprise the comment field on the story is full of people threatening to cancel their satellite radio. Talk of "what about free speech?" abounds.

What the hell?

This isn't like someone was criticizing President Bush and he got yanked from the airwaves. This was a joke about sexual violence! And it isn't like they are being whipped, flogged and thrown in jail (that'd be nice) they are getting a slap on the wrist for their bad judgment call.

I'm so sick of jerkwads (like John Petroski) and so many others hiding behind the "free speech" argument. You can say what you want and write what you want. In this country Fred Phelps can protest at military funerals. It's deplorable but our country has protected free speech, no matter how vile.

But see... the difference is that when you work in media and you make a bad call, judgment wise, and it affects your boss's ratings, you can be fired. It has nothing to do with free speech and everything to do with consequences of bad behavior. Ask the Dixie Chicks-- while I found NOTHING wrong with their behavior and to compare their SLIGHT criticism of Bush (when he so rightly deserved it) to two disc jockeys who joke about rape is insane at best, it just goes to show, that when people don't like what you say there can be fallout.

Those guys should be happy they kept their job and people should quit misusing the phrase "free speech." It irks me to no end.