Is This Helping Anything?

This ad has been up at LGM since before the election. It bothers me. A lot. The ad bothers me, but it also bothers me that the LGM guys and gals have let it be up, but I haven't said anything about it, so I'll let them slide for the moment.

What is the purpose of this ad? Well to get me to click on the link, of course, but what is the fucking connection between scantily clad women who would be slightly more likely to sleep with me because I am a Democrat and the progressive agenda? The only connection I can figure out is that they are the exact fucking opposite of each other.

We have a lot of work to do in this country. We have a fucked up health care system. We have a fucked up education system. We have a fucked up tax system. We are currently engaged in more military conflicts than the government sees fit to tell us about. What we don't need to have to do is remind our ostensible allies that treating women as sex objects to sell products is bad for everyone. You can't sell progress with retrograde means. You cannot uplift while you degrade.

In short, we are not the party of sexism. Our tent cannot be big enough for this. Sexists find comfort in the Republican party. If this is how you reach out to people, we don't want you.

Now, to write to the LGMers.

Surprised Not to See My Name

Digby has a post up about a flowchart (of questionable origin) describing the possibles at various cabinet levels.

She seems to think that the Powell listing as a possible at Defense and State is a joke, I, again, fall back on the political favors argument. Powell endorsed Obama at a time when the race seemed to be tightening, his name on the list might be payback enough. Or Obama could be signaling to moderate GOP members that if they play ball with him, he'll play it back.

On a related note, I was telling Ging about my post defending Obama's consideration of Summers and other neoliberal, corporatist swine and the trouble, if only imaginary, it caused me. I, of course, had to explain who Summers is. She immediately became outraged that Obama would consider appointing a sexist to anything and said that she wanted to retract her vote. My explanation that no one was particularly upset about Summers "sexism" did not help. My explanation that the reaction the "science and math" speech was less about sexism as it was that Summers relied on a biological determinist argument in a socially constructed world did not help.

I now join you all in fervently hoping that Summers ain't appointed to shit.

Hopefully seeing RFK, Jr.'s name at EPA and Al Gore as Climate Czar might cool her fire. And that's politics!

I Felt the Same Way About Wham!

In an otherwise banal editorial decrying sexism and fantasy in rap lyrics, Daily Emerald author Natasha Martin concludes with this mind-blowing sentence:

If people continue to listen to and use this music carelessly, I'm frightened that future generations will entirely wipe out real meaning in music.

PRM - Glove Smelling Edition

I don't think of Spinal Tap as a "1984" movie because I didn't see it until much later. It wasn't foundational to my youth in the same ways as Red Dawn, Karate Kid, Police Academy, Romancing the Stone, Revenge the Nerds, well you get the idea, were. Each one of these movies shaped and formed who I am today. The Tap is a great movie. Invented a whole genre. But, for me, it is just for giggles.

That said, the OG family is a younger crowd and I recognize that. For many of you Tap was a foundational experience and the movie is an all-time classic. All hail Spinal Tap!

This poll also reveled that while we love Prince's music, we'd rather not have to watch him act. Or "act," if you will. Purple Rain the movie did give us one important thing, however, Morris Day and the Time. Some say that Day's unceasing support of Walter Mondale was the only thing that kept Reagan from capturing all 50 states. For that we owe Purple Rain a heartfelt thanks.

Alright, what you all came for: