Watch Your Mouth
Professor Eugene Volokh at the Volokh Conspiracy references a piece by Michelle Malkin on Jewish World Review complaining about what she refers to as "South Park conservatives." Those are the types whose dedication to non-PC principles is so great that they welcome any comedy material calculated to offend, or investigate historical or political ideas long derided by liberals which may be true anyway. Ms. Malkin, for instance, is the author of In Defense of Interment: The Case for 'Racial Profiling' in World War II and the War on Terror. I have not read the book, nor do I have an opinion about whether Ms. Malkin's ideas on racial profiling are correct or not, but the title of her book speaks for itself.
In any case, on Jewish World Review, Ms. Malkin takes exception to being included in the roles of "South Park conservatives." She mentions Laura Bush's jokes at a recent dinner, compares them to Whoopi Goldberg's similarly off-color jokes at some Democratic event (was it the convention?), and finding them both equally offensive, points out that similar comments from any Democrat would set off a nuclear war in Congress.
Professor Volokh, on the other hand, insists that the First Lady's remarks are not at all comparable to Whoopi's or to the South Park humor that Ms. Malkin complains of, for three reasons: Mrs. Bush was speaking at a more private affair and not on national television; her remarks were not intended for children and there were no children present; and her audience was likely to be amused rather than offended.
I find it a little ironic that Professor Volokh analyzes this issue so carefully when it concerns a woman whose husband doesn't "do nuance," but leaving that aside for the moment I find his analysis pretty convincing. There does, indeed, need to be some attention paid to public discourse, but that doesn't mean everything goes all the time. However, I think he misses one point, touched on lightly by Ms. Malkin. I don't know exactly what it is that Mrs. Bush or Whoopi or anyone else in this matter said, but I'm convinced that if any Democrat or liberal says anything at all off color, especially in a political context, Washington Republicans and their media dogs would burst a blood vessel (or appear to) about that person's lack of "values". They've been doing it for years and show no signs of slowing down.
Seriously, if Hilary Clinton made some joke about horses masturbating, as Mrs. Bush apparently did, can't you just picture Bill Frist jumping for joy and rolling out the cannons? It would be "Any woman so unfeminine as to make a remark like that is obviously unfit for public office!" And so on.
Yeah, Mrs. Bush doesn't hold a public office and Mrs. Clinton does, but the point remains; she can get away with remarks that would get Howard Stern thrown off the air in minutes because conservatives like her. Not because of her values, mind you, which are probably clean as a whistle; because of the side she's on.
Benshlomo says, It's who you know.
In any case, on Jewish World Review, Ms. Malkin takes exception to being included in the roles of "South Park conservatives." She mentions Laura Bush's jokes at a recent dinner, compares them to Whoopi Goldberg's similarly off-color jokes at some Democratic event (was it the convention?), and finding them both equally offensive, points out that similar comments from any Democrat would set off a nuclear war in Congress.
Professor Volokh, on the other hand, insists that the First Lady's remarks are not at all comparable to Whoopi's or to the South Park humor that Ms. Malkin complains of, for three reasons: Mrs. Bush was speaking at a more private affair and not on national television; her remarks were not intended for children and there were no children present; and her audience was likely to be amused rather than offended.
I find it a little ironic that Professor Volokh analyzes this issue so carefully when it concerns a woman whose husband doesn't "do nuance," but leaving that aside for the moment I find his analysis pretty convincing. There does, indeed, need to be some attention paid to public discourse, but that doesn't mean everything goes all the time. However, I think he misses one point, touched on lightly by Ms. Malkin. I don't know exactly what it is that Mrs. Bush or Whoopi or anyone else in this matter said, but I'm convinced that if any Democrat or liberal says anything at all off color, especially in a political context, Washington Republicans and their media dogs would burst a blood vessel (or appear to) about that person's lack of "values". They've been doing it for years and show no signs of slowing down.
Seriously, if Hilary Clinton made some joke about horses masturbating, as Mrs. Bush apparently did, can't you just picture Bill Frist jumping for joy and rolling out the cannons? It would be "Any woman so unfeminine as to make a remark like that is obviously unfit for public office!" And so on.
Yeah, Mrs. Bush doesn't hold a public office and Mrs. Clinton does, but the point remains; she can get away with remarks that would get Howard Stern thrown off the air in minutes because conservatives like her. Not because of her values, mind you, which are probably clean as a whistle; because of the side she's on.
Benshlomo says, It's who you know.
posted by benshlomo at 11:05 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home