GenderGappers 2006 – 052
LAURA’S WAR
What a delightful interview Katie had with Laura. One cannot help but listen intently when the first lady of TV news speaks with the first lady of the country.
When asked about the conditions in Iraq, Laura, ever so sweetly proclaimed that it was just that the photographers were only taking pictures of the horrible stuff. Really most everything was just peachy- keen there.
The country was being rebuilt under her husband’s direction. Schools and streets and homes were filled with happy, smiling Iraqi grateful to Bush for saving them from the terrible dictator.
We wondered about the women of Iraq. Did Laura have any idea of what her dear hubby had done to them? Before Saddam had been overthrown, women were encouraged to study, have a profession and work outside of the home. They could drive; they could choose whether or not to cover their body with a black abaya and their head with a black scarf.
Iraq was one of the most progressive Middle East countries in its treatment of women. Saddam advocated women’s full participation in the culture. Now Iraqi women say life has become unbearable. It is “just like being in jail, I can’t go anywhere”.
They believed Bush when he declared that increasing women’s rights was part of the democracy being created in Iraq. It made them hopeful of greater equality with men.
But have we been misled by the reports from Iraq? Are the many stories about women’s loss of equality and personal peril just figments of some scribe’s imagination?
If things are truly so fine in Iraq as Laura believes, wouldn’t it be just ducky if she and her two daughters would go there to lead the women of Iraq into the light that has been denied them?
Laura could open or supervise schools for women all over the country. The Bush daughters would roam the countryside as examples of the equality of women in a democracy, thus giving hope to the entire nation.
Of course those nasty photographers would have to be banished so there would not be any more killings or beatings or bombings, but that could be managed by presidential edict or a signing statement.
And wouldn’t that be a super Winter Solstice present for every living thing on our planet?
#
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Friday, December 22, 2006
Sunday, December 10, 2006
LEXIS CRAPSIS
For days the media has buzzed with the aftermath of a popular comedian losing it; his shouting and cursing at members of his audience was too common to be noticed, but he was lambasted because he used the n-word.
Ever hear any rap? The n-word that is prohibited from being said in public runs rampant in this music. African American comics belt it out constantly. It seems it’s not wrong to say the word; the wrongness comes from who says it.
This is nuts! If the word is so hurtful and harmful to a minority group then why do many Blacks use it among themselves, seemingly without censure? If the word wasn’t heard so often perhaps then it would not come so readily to those who should not say it.
Likewise we agree that complaining about the use of the word bitch and all the other words used to denigrate women has done little good. In fact, many times the worst offenders are women themselves. BUT, there is no derogatory word used against women, needing a letter to be expressed, that is not acceptable in this male controlled society.
When have you heard someone say “s-word”, the “b-word” etc? No, and you won’t. Sitcom characters routinely refer to women using these offensive words. Racism = NO NO; sexism = OK. We hear them on TV talk shows where Tucker Carlson actually encourages his guests to use them. We almost expect it on the Radio Shock talk programs. Blogs reek of repulsive terms for women.
If not the disgusting words, there is always the nastiness such as these comments by Rush Limbaugh and Joe Scarborough.
My "cat's taught me more about women, than anything my whole life” …she "comes to me when she wants to be fed," and "she's smart enough to know she can't feed herself. She's actually [a] very smart cat. She gets loved. She gets adoration. She gets petted. She gets fed. And she doesn't have to do anything for it." - Rush Limbaugh
Joe Scarborough said, "[W]e're getting so much politics on The View. Shouldn't this be a program at this time of the year about how to make Christmas balls out ofpopcorn and pine cones?" Media editor Rachel Sklar replied to Scarborough's statement by saying, "I'm just going to forget you said that," Scarborough added, "[I]t is a dayside show for women ... come on."
This selective word-crap presents an interesting problem in the coming presidential elections as a white female and a black male are expected to run for that office along with a multitude of white males. We can be sure that neither Senator Clinton nor Senator Obama will use such words or letters against each other but the media, led by Huffington and Tucker will excoriate Senator Clinton.
Even the most sedate newscasts will resort to innuendo and frat boy jokes about Senator Clinton and women in general. Then they will eagerly watch for some really gross stuff from other sources to quote in their programs. A favorite game – “we didn’t say it, they did”.
But rest assured there will be no use of either the f-word or black culture innuendo used against Senator Obama. And there shouldn’t be. There shouldn’t be similar word-crap used against women either. #
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change address or comment: gapperserve@peoplepc.com or in GenderGappers Blog - NEW! http://www.gendergappers.blogspot.com/Visit the GenderGappers link page: http://www.gendergappers.org/links.htm GenderGappers articles may be forwarded if you wish, and translated into other languages, but please keep them intact. All issues are archived at the following site: http://www.gendergappers.org
Ever hear any rap? The n-word that is prohibited from being said in public runs rampant in this music. African American comics belt it out constantly. It seems it’s not wrong to say the word; the wrongness comes from who says it.
This is nuts! If the word is so hurtful and harmful to a minority group then why do many Blacks use it among themselves, seemingly without censure? If the word wasn’t heard so often perhaps then it would not come so readily to those who should not say it.
Likewise we agree that complaining about the use of the word bitch and all the other words used to denigrate women has done little good. In fact, many times the worst offenders are women themselves. BUT, there is no derogatory word used against women, needing a letter to be expressed, that is not acceptable in this male controlled society.
When have you heard someone say “s-word”, the “b-word” etc? No, and you won’t. Sitcom characters routinely refer to women using these offensive words. Racism = NO NO; sexism = OK. We hear them on TV talk shows where Tucker Carlson actually encourages his guests to use them. We almost expect it on the Radio Shock talk programs. Blogs reek of repulsive terms for women.
If not the disgusting words, there is always the nastiness such as these comments by Rush Limbaugh and Joe Scarborough.
My "cat's taught me more about women, than anything my whole life” …she "comes to me when she wants to be fed," and "she's smart enough to know she can't feed herself. She's actually [a] very smart cat. She gets loved. She gets adoration. She gets petted. She gets fed. And she doesn't have to do anything for it." - Rush Limbaugh
Joe Scarborough said, "[W]e're getting so much politics on The View. Shouldn't this be a program at this time of the year about how to make Christmas balls out ofpopcorn and pine cones?" Media editor Rachel Sklar replied to Scarborough's statement by saying, "I'm just going to forget you said that," Scarborough added, "[I]t is a dayside show for women ... come on."
This selective word-crap presents an interesting problem in the coming presidential elections as a white female and a black male are expected to run for that office along with a multitude of white males. We can be sure that neither Senator Clinton nor Senator Obama will use such words or letters against each other but the media, led by Huffington and Tucker will excoriate Senator Clinton.
Even the most sedate newscasts will resort to innuendo and frat boy jokes about Senator Clinton and women in general. Then they will eagerly watch for some really gross stuff from other sources to quote in their programs. A favorite game – “we didn’t say it, they did”.
But rest assured there will be no use of either the f-word or black culture innuendo used against Senator Obama. And there shouldn’t be. There shouldn’t be similar word-crap used against women either. #
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change address or comment: gapperserve@peoplepc.com or in GenderGappers Blog - NEW! http://www.gendergappers.blogspot.com/Visit the GenderGappers link page: http://www.gendergappers.org/links.htm GenderGappers articles may be forwarded if you wish, and translated into other languages, but please keep them intact. All issues are archived at the following site: http://www.gendergappers.org
Friday, December 01, 2006
GAMING THE NAMING
Step right up everybody. Anyone can play. The Game’s afoot! Just be sure you don’t disqualify yourself by repeating any of Bush’s names over the years.
That’s right, freedom lovers, there has been something happening in Iraq for several years. For a long time, the situation was named by the Bushies with the media parroting his every permutation.
Of course you remember the early ones. It was the War to capture Saddam’s Weapons of Mass Destruction. It was the War to liberate the oppressed Iraqi from their evil dictator.
It was the War that would be paid for by Iraqi oil. It was the War to win over there so we didn’t have to fight over here. It was the War to punish Saddam because he was friends with Al Quaeda.
It was the War against terrorism; the War against the Threatening Storm; the War that had no parallel with Vietnam; the War we must win at all costs and The Mission.
There have been suggestions and whispers that the situation in Iraq is an all-out Civil War. NBC is actually, finally, openly calling it that despite furious protests from Bush.
He rants that he is never leaving until he wins. He insists that it is not a Civil War at all but a “Foment of Sectarian Violence, fomented by Al Quaeda”.
Our intelligence agencies insisted and still insist that Al Quaeda is responsible for less than 2% of the problems in Iraq. Of course most of the military in Iraq assure us that we are winning.
If your choice of names for the Iraq debacle is “Bush’s Fault War”, has that made any difference in the massacre over there? It surely has here. Our Constitution is being shredded.
A homeowners association in southwestern Colorado threatened to fine a resident $25 a day until she removed a Christmas wreath with a peace sign that some say is an anti-Iraq' name=c1>SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3>Iraq war protest or a symbol of Satan.
A successful protest was mounted by the resident and the association recanted, but that threat is always out there preventing many from truly naming Iraq as a war crime and insisting that Bush stand trial for committing it.
So what is your name for what is happening in Iraq - IN YOUR NAME? Bush is surely responsible for committing war crimes by his invasion of Iraq but what is being done by Americans to stop him?
Nothing! Instead a great big cover up is being perpetrated on the American people. The administration and its poodle press are putting the blame and the name of the slaughter on the Iraqi people while Bush slides out from under his mess unscathed.
#
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change address or comment: gapperserve@peoplepc.com or in GenderGappers Blog - NEW! http://www.gendergappers.blogspot.com/Visit the GenderGappers link page: http://www.gendergappers.org/links.htm GenderGappers articles may be forwarded if you wish, and translated into other languages, but please keep them intact. All issues are archived at the following site: http://www.gendergappers.org
That’s right, freedom lovers, there has been something happening in Iraq for several years. For a long time, the situation was named by the Bushies with the media parroting his every permutation.
Of course you remember the early ones. It was the War to capture Saddam’s Weapons of Mass Destruction. It was the War to liberate the oppressed Iraqi from their evil dictator.
It was the War that would be paid for by Iraqi oil. It was the War to win over there so we didn’t have to fight over here. It was the War to punish Saddam because he was friends with Al Quaeda.
It was the War against terrorism; the War against the Threatening Storm; the War that had no parallel with Vietnam; the War we must win at all costs and The Mission.
There have been suggestions and whispers that the situation in Iraq is an all-out Civil War. NBC is actually, finally, openly calling it that despite furious protests from Bush.
He rants that he is never leaving until he wins. He insists that it is not a Civil War at all but a “Foment of Sectarian Violence, fomented by Al Quaeda”.
Our intelligence agencies insisted and still insist that Al Quaeda is responsible for less than 2% of the problems in Iraq. Of course most of the military in Iraq assure us that we are winning.
If your choice of names for the Iraq debacle is “Bush’s Fault War”, has that made any difference in the massacre over there? It surely has here. Our Constitution is being shredded.
A homeowners association in southwestern Colorado threatened to fine a resident $25 a day until she removed a Christmas wreath with a peace sign that some say is an anti-Iraq' name=c1>SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3>Iraq war protest or a symbol of Satan.
A successful protest was mounted by the resident and the association recanted, but that threat is always out there preventing many from truly naming Iraq as a war crime and insisting that Bush stand trial for committing it.
So what is your name for what is happening in Iraq - IN YOUR NAME? Bush is surely responsible for committing war crimes by his invasion of Iraq but what is being done by Americans to stop him?
Nothing! Instead a great big cover up is being perpetrated on the American people. The administration and its poodle press are putting the blame and the name of the slaughter on the Iraqi people while Bush slides out from under his mess unscathed.
#
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change address or comment: gapperserve@peoplepc.com or in GenderGappers Blog - NEW! http://www.gendergappers.blogspot.com/Visit the GenderGappers link page: http://www.gendergappers.org/links.htm GenderGappers articles may be forwarded if you wish, and translated into other languages, but please keep them intact. All issues are archived at the following site: http://www.gendergappers.org
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