brainstorming

Men: The Only PC Target Left

Mitch posted on the sorry depiction of men in advertising these days, using the Progressive ad where the wife sends the hubby back to get more information answered as an example.  He then opines:

But what does this tell boys in our society? "This is what you have to look forward to; a life of working away like a good little boy, but having your intelligence and dignity denigrated because of your gender". Combine that with the message boys get in schools - "Boyhood's natural exhuberance and competitiveness and energy are things that, with enough time and medication, we can overcome" - what do you think you'll get?

To me there's one compelling reason for the way men are disparaged in advertising these days.  They're the only group left that it's politically correct to denigrate.  US humor oftens depends on having a fall guy, someone we can all be happy snickering at.  You know if an ad did that to a woman or a minority the special interest groups would be up in arms.  Which leaves us with white males.  The last group we can all make fun of without incurring the wrath of the PC crowd.

Add that to the movement to emasculate males and medicate away their male traits, and we have a recipe for trouble.  As much as some people would like to forget it, men bring valuable qualities to our society.  For example, men generally encourage their children to take risks more than women do.

At the risk of incurring the wrath of the 'oh so enlightened' 21st century readers out there, I have a confession to make.  In our home, my children have been informed that Dad is the head of the household.  This means if he and I hold differing opinions on a situation and we can't come to an agreement, his view wins the day.

I know some of you are shuddering in shock, imagining that I have succumbed to doormat status.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  You have probably not often met a woman as strong as I am.  I am opinionated from the word go.  I can play with the big boys in the boardroom.  Passive has never been used to describe me.

See I married an adult, whose opinion I trust and value.  I recognize that he has a role to protect his family among other things.  There are times we will disagree.  If that happens when we need to make a decision that affects the family and we can't resolve it, I am willing to allow him to make the final decision.  That doesn't make me a doormat.  It makes me the wife who loves and respects him as the head of our home.

FOX 411 on Franken and Air America

From columnist Roger Friedman:

Air America Prepares to Bait Our Bill

Al Franken's Air America liberal talk radio launched last night with a big party, lots of proclamations, and two celebrities: Tim Robbins and Yoko Ono. It was a little odd, to say the least.

Wow! They drew two celebrities! (and one of them was Yoko?)

Franken is calling his show "The O'Franken Factor" just to bait Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly. At least that's what Franken keeps saying to anyone who will listen. It's a funny idea but it's a little worn out already and the network hasn't even flipped the on switch yet.

If Roger was worn out on it in one night, it doesn't bode well for listeners.

Left-wing liberal radio may turn out to be just as annoying as right wing conservative radio, something that no one has quite thought out. Franken does a good Rush Limbaugh imitation, and did one last night calling his show "the first drug free radio show. I don't know if it's done before." I'm no Rush fan, but Franken had better have more up his sleeve than non-stop Rush bashing. He's not worth it.

Let's see. Would I gloat if Franken fell flat on his face. Ummm. Yep!

No one I met last night could explain how this network took the name, "Air America," a title better known as a so-so Mel Gibson movie. Gibson is probably the last person Franken and friends would want on as a guest, which adds to the irony. As for our Bill, I'm sure he can take the joke. After all, he has the No. 1 news and talk show on cable in this country.

Hey! According to Air America's site, they are on AM 1330 in Minneapolis. They also have a button to listen live on their site. Hmmm. I've had it on for less than 30 seconds and they're hyping the missed Al Gore Utopia, and complaining about the horribly biased conservative media. I don't think I can stomach this for long.

The Fox Report with Shepard Smith

From the New York Times, News Reports for Ultra-Short Attentions:

Mr. Smith is all about speed. He typically blasts through 80 or so items of news during his hourlong broadcast, which, with its zooming cameras, swooshing sound effects and Mr. Smith's jokey, frat-boy delivery, acquired while he was a student at Ole Miss, resembles a broadcast of ESPN's "SportsCenter" more closely than it does "NBC Nightly News." He seldom does interviews on his program, fearful that slow-talking guests might gum up the works, and dispatches from correspondents are always ad-libbed, for freshness. During commercials, Mr. Smith obsessively scours news sites on his laptop, looking for any breaking nugget. Jay Wallace, Mr. Smith's producer, said he wants the program to seem perpetually as if it might veer out of control. "I want it to be like a train that's about to come off the tracks," he likes to say.

At least he doesn't put you to sleep. Easy on the eyes too.

Seems his formula is working. According to the article, his show sometimes draws more viewers than all his cable news competitors combined.

Bush/Kerry AP Poll: What Media Bias?

This article on a new Associated Press presidential poll should be fairly straightforward, right? The headline tells us, Poll: Bush Weak on Jobs, Kerry on Security. First the facts:

Overall: Bush 46%, Kerry 43%, Nader 5%

Who do you trust to do a better job of protecting U.S.? Bush 58%, Kerry 35%

Who do you think will be better at creating jobs? Kerry 53%, Bush 37%

Now, let's examine the voters they feature in the article, shall we?

Voter #1: Margaret Topper, a 76-year-old Republican from Media, Pa., is one of those still mulling her choice.

"I voted for Bush last time, but I'm not sure I will this time," she said. "The war is my problem and the debt we're incurring. But Bush stands up for what he believes and is a strong leader."

Voter 1 is a Republican who may not vote for Bush a second time. OK. Let's move on.

Voter #2: Dwight Farrell, of Kannapolis, N.C., leans Republican but isn't happy with either candidate. "I can't think of one man who can bring us out of the turmoil we're in," said the 65-year-old former textile mill worker. "I have no faith in what George Bush is going to do. But I don't think the other one has enough sense to run the country, either."

Voter 2 is another voter who leans Republican but may not vote for Bush. I'm sure this is only a coincidence.

Voter #3: "I want to see which candidate slings the least mud," said Jennifer Verhoss, a 51-year-old Republican from Bradenton, Fla. "Like most of my friends, I would rather hear candidates talk about themselves and their strengths and what they have planned."

Wow! Three Republicans in a row who haven't made up their minds. Imagine that. Did they poll any Democrats?

Wait! They did talk to a Democrat. I'm sure they haven't made up their mind either, right?

Voter #4: "From my point of view, Bush has liabilities in every direction. But Kerry has got to create a perception that he will be better on national defense," said Democrat Peter Kors, a 56-year-old educator and actor from Los Angeles. "He's got to simplify his message."

Well isn't that strange. The Democrat they polled doesn't say he hasn't made up his mind or he might not vote for Kerry at all, does he? Instead, Voter #4, the lone Democrat example in the article has advice for candidate Kerry on what kind of perception he needs to create. It's what his candidate has "got to" do.

Hat tip to reporter Will Lester, Associated Press Writer, for skillfully embedding bias into what should be a straight news article. He even manages to wrap it up nicely, ending the article with advice for candidate Kerry on a winning strategy.

Garofalo to Join Liberal Radio

The Dems have long been in a fit about talk radio being dominated by conservative voices. Really, they must control ALL forms of media in order to implement their plan to reprogram society into their politically correct Anti-American vision. Their new network Air America, is scrambling to get going in time to propagandize for the presidential election, hopefully by later this month or in early April. They've found an affiliate in New York and have leased time on stations in Los Angeles and Chicago, with other big cities being negotiated. Al Franken will host in the same time slot as Rush Limbaugh, and it's been announced that Janeane Garofalo will host 8 PM to 11 PM.

Liberal talk radio has been tried and failed many times over. (Can you say Jim Hightower?) It's interesting that while conservative hosts like Rush, Hannity, and Hugh Hewitt have all made names for themselves from the work they've done on their radio shows, the liberals are going to try to succeed this time around by stacking their shows with Hollywood celebrities. Call in and talk to Saturday Night Live alumni Al Franken! You can talk personally to Janeane and have you caught her latest flick?

They may succeed commercially from this strategy this time around but I predict the new network will not be the force that talk radio has been for conservatives for the following reasons:

- Being centered in major cities, the 2000 election map tells us they're preaching to the choir. Major urban areas are already the liberal strongholds of America. Conservative radio in major urban areas has more of an opportunity to make converts out of their listeners.

- Conservative talk radio has been a grass roots phenomenom. It started small and took hold due to its popularity with the listeners. It's not just comprised of Rush and other big names, many popular local hosts expand the reach with the ability to discuss local issues.

- The past attempts have lost listeners because the democratic agenda is always about what's wrong with America, never what's right. I don't listen when my children whine, why would I want to listen to it from strangers?

- The new Northern Alliance show will blow them out of the water, of course! Remember to tune in if you're in the Mpls./St. Paul area, AM 1280 The Patriot this Saturday from Noon to 3:00!

ABC's The Note - Shocking Honesty on Media Bias

Hugh Hewitt linked to this at The Corner. I'm reprinting it here in case you missed it because it is absolutely refreshing to hear anyone in the media confess to the pervasive political bias in the Washington and political press corps. From the Note:

Like every other institution, the Washington and political press corps operate with a good number of biases and predilections.

They include, but are not limited to, a near-universal shared sense that liberal political positions on social issues like gun control, homosexuality, abortion, and religion are the default, while more conservative positions are "conservative positions."

They include a belief that government is a mechanism to solve the nation's problems; that more taxes on corporations and the wealthy are good ways to cut the deficit and raise money for social spending and don't have a negative affect on economic growth; and that emotional examples of suffering (provided by unions or consumer groups) are good ways to illustrate economic statistic stories.

Rush and the Drugs

I haven't posted anything about Rush 'fessing up to being addicted to painkillers.

Here's the deal.

I'm never surprised when news comes out that some famous person has a previously unknown problem. (Although I did wonder how he could be functional on that many pills.)

It comes down to the nature of mankind. I don't wear any rose colored glasses. All of us are capable of some pretty bad stuff. Even better, because we don't want to face up to our problems, we rationalize the elephant in the room is not really there. Which is why Jesus said, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." We're really, really good at overlooking our own failings.

I think it's even worse for people in the public eye, because we put them up on a pedestal. It makes it all the harder to admit you're human and you've screwed up royally.

As far as Rush goes, I wish him all the best and I hope he gets a grip on this thing and beats it. As far as legality goes, he should be treated the same as you and I would be if we'd done the same thing. No preferential treatment, no extra persecution.

This is key.

I don't look to anyone in the media for my morality, thank you very much.

You don't get your morals from someone on the radio.

Rush is a political pundit and an entertainer. I do think his show has had a great influence on the political climate of the country. Before Rush, there was no conservative entertainment, which is why he's been so successful.

But, Rush perfect? Nope. Just a guy.

Bill Bennet perfect? Nope. Just a guy.

My pastor perfect? Nope. Just a guy.

We all struggle with something people. Hopefully we do our best to see the truth and to deal with those things that are negative and emphasize the postive in our lives.

You may have already seen it, but Ann Coulter's column on Rush was great.

One defense of Rush that really threw me for a loop is from Jimmie Walker, yes the same Jimmie Walker that entertained us on Good Times with Dy-no-mite! I found his column about Rush on the Jewish World Review.

DC

Rush ESPN Challenge

Lane over at Broken Goalie issues a challenge to me in his post here, over the Rush ESPN story because of some comments I left on his site when he was complaining about ESPN hiring Rush Limbaugh for Sunday NFL Countdown.

So were the comments made by Rush racist? Here's what he said:

McNabb, he said, is “overrated ... what we have here is a little social concern in the NFL. The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback can do well-black coaches and black quarterbacks doing well.” “There’s a little hope invested in McNabb, and he got a lot of credit for the performance of his team that he didn’t deserve. The defense carried this team.”

Is this a valid opinion, or should it be attributed to racism?

Stop! Stop! My Stomach Hurts!

USA Today reported that CNN Correspondent, Christiane Amanpour appeared on the CNBC, Topic A With Tina Brown explaining that poor widdle CNN was intimidated by big, bad FOX news. Excerpt.

Said Amanpour: "I think the press was muzzled, and I think the press self-muzzled. I'm sorry to say, but certainly television and, perhaps, to a certain extent, my station was intimidated by the administration and its foot soldiers at Fox News. And it did, in fact, put a climate of fear and self-censorship, in my view, in terms of the kind of broadcast work we did."

Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha

And then, there's FOX's reply:

Fox News spokeswoman Irena Briganti said of Amanpour's comments: "Given the choice, it's better to be viewed as a foot soldier for Bush than a spokeswoman for al-Qaeda."

CNN had no comment.

Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha

Oh, but it gets even better. Blogger Randal Robinson, has written for our pleasure, The Top 10 Ways Fox News Intimidated CNN. Oh, you simply must click the link and read for yourself.

My personal favorite:

2. Painted Fox News helicopters black and had them hover over CNN headquarters.

Excuse me. I simply must...........

Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha

DC

Link Via Instapundit