Last Call
By dcmediagirl on September 3, 2008 at 2:56 PM in Current Affairs
It saddens me immensely to have to post this entry. I’ve been let down by one of my role models, and I don’t like it.
I have two idols in the print world, two men whose command of the English language is elegant, witty and forceful. One is Christopher Hitchens, whose Clinton hatred and Iraq war boosterism left me by the wayside a while ago, but he won me back with the fabulously acidic and excellently written God Is Not Great.
Now Vanity Fair’s James Wolcott has joined the frat boy club. God I hate this.
Headline:
Soulmate…?
….or fuck buddy?
Oofah. It continues:
John McCain, using the touchy-feely language usually associated with Match.com ads, described his vice presidential pick Sarah Palin as “a partner and soul mate,” though to his credit he neglected to call her the wind beneath his sails and sigh, “She completes me.” But it doesn’t take a Sherlock to deduce from this video (courtesy of The Jed Report), which shows McCain Freudian-fiddling with his wedding ring as he glances sidelong at his running (soul_mate, that his unconscious longs to sack the Republican Party’s earthmother savior in the end zone, if I may borrow a football metaphor in honor of the upcoming NFL season.
This vignette, where the subtext reveals itself through obsessive reviewing as in a De Palma film (with Julie Andrews’ cool trill deployed as ironic counterpoint), is worryingly reminiscent of AMC’s Mad Men, where alpha male Don Draper, though married to a cool picture-perfect blonde desirous to please him, loosens his tie and undoes his shoe laces for one saucy brunette after another, risking everything for a randy bite of the forbidden apple.
Given Sarah Palin’s handiness with a hunting rifle, it would be tragic indeed for her to “mistake” Cindy McCain for a rampaging caribou on the campaign trail–it would give rise to all kinds of suspicions, perhaps plunging even Peggy Noonan into a crisis of faith.
I want to cry.
I guess he could have written the same article in regards to the Obama selection of Biden.
hahahahahahaha!
Obama just loves O’Biden
Yeah he does! Did you see their 60 minutes interview? Touchy feely love fest. I fully expected Joe to say, “I can’t quit you Barack.” Made my skin crawl.
Don’t these guys have SO’s?
First Bob Herbert with the imaginary Leaning Towers and Washington Monuments as big weiners, and now this guy is fantasizing about Sarah Palin shooting Cindy McCain?
They’re going from projecting their pent up “desires” to engaging in soap opera storyline writing…methinks some release is in order.
Somebody either needs to get drunk or get laid.
Denise….Well maybe Mr. Soetoro was having a difficult time controlling his down-low tendencies!!!
I used to enjoy vanity fair back when Tina Brown
was editor but since Greydon Carter(?) took over
it has become just another tabloid rag.
In fact after they had Kate Moss and Paris Hilton
on consecutive covers I suggested they should
change their name to: Cupcakes and Crackwhores!
I feel like I’m living in Bizarro World or something. According to this line of thinking, women should just stay home and not bother working at all. Meg Whitman and Carly probably slept their way to the top or at least flirted to get where they are.
How is it that us Republicans, long demonized by some on the left to be male chauvinists, are the ones who don’t see gender, but rather are energized by her stands on issues like reform and abortion.
I mean, honestly, she’s pro-life and pro-guns, aren’t those enough issues for the left crazies to talk about? Now we’re insinuating that she got chosen by McCain simply because he wants to do her?
I’ve never seen anything this vicious except for perhaps the media onslaught on Hillary with the cries to get out when she was racking up important swing states.
Even IF the Republican party were the “Stepford Wife” party that the Dems had me believing all of these years, how does “bros b4 hos” show me any more love?
I’m gone. And. I’m never going back. Not me. Not my money. Not.My.36 years.Never.Missing.A vote.
Canceling my subscription today. This is nauseating and I won’t pay for it or participate. Thanks for the heads up.
I feel another boycott coming on….I will let Vanity Fair know today! Sexist pigs.
Yup, cancel it and don’t forget US magazine too!
THIS HAS GOT TO STOP! MISOGYNY IS WRONG!
This marks a new low in the campaign coverage. I can’t believe James Wolcott would utter this vile thought in public never mind Vanity Fair allowing it to be published on their site. It’s appalling.
This is CRAZY!
I hate to even respond to this trash (but I have seen McCain fiddle around with his wedding ring in most townhall appearance videos.) What is wrong with these people?
The part about mistaking the petite blonde Cindy McCain for a “rampaging moose” was over-the-top weird.
then the gratuitous shot at Peggy Noonan for being Catholic.
That was totally necessary.
Not.
I expect fiddling with the ring is nothing more that the fidgets, just like someone fiddling with their hair, earrings, whatever.
Misogyny is not just a word it exists. ‘Elegant, witty, and forceful’ does not mean anything if the underlying message is hatred. From the movie ‘The Hustler’ with Paul Newman, “talent is not enough, you’ve got to have character” and from what I’ve read and seen from these two they may have talent but they have no character. BO has brought out the worst in everybody, hasn’t he?
Love that movie! I watched it several times recently. Piper Laurie was great in it.
only if you don’t like him.
Yah, BO is the great uniter, isn’t he.
He’s inspired the worst misogyny we’ve experienced since the 60’s. And if he loses the general, he’ll be directly responsible for the worst race riots since Watts.
Thanks for the inspired leadership of change, Barack. Change right back to the bad old days.
And NO ONE SAID anything to him about it except “12 Pumas” and HRC. So. That must make it okay. If he’s elected, we are saying IT’S OPEN SEASON on talented, intelligent, thinking American women. Every where and on every level. Call them on it. VOTE THEM OUT.
kick these slimeballs to the curb!
This kind of trash may be humorous and reassuring to the Dear Leader’s cult following but it is not going to fly, I hope, with the general public. As some point they must become ashamed of or be shamed by their words. Else, is this the best they can do when faced with a woman who clearly bests Obama with measurable experience as governor when all he can offer in return is some years of community service. Besides, it seems to have missed everyone that Palin is the VP choice and NOT the presidential candidate. Or, did I miss something and did Biden and Obama swap?
Vanity Fair also put out a horrible article that Bill Clinton was out doing things during primary.
Cancel Vanity Fair.
They also called Hillary Clinton supporters “dry pussy turkey necks.” Vanity Fair has long lost the wit of the old Algonquin days and has an obvious agenda now.
dry what??????
match that up with Taiibi of Rolling Stone calling Hillary
Nixon with a rusted old vagina way back in 2006 only
to repeat it on tv on, of course, Maher’s HBO show.
how do editors let their writers get away with such sexist
sludge?
would racism be allowed in print in a similar fashion?
if sexism is just an opinion, is racism just an opinion?
how vulgar but not suprised….
DC, my heart goes out to you. I have been let down by so many people I used to admire. I have been disapointed, hurt, angry, and felt totally betrayed by people I thought I knew.
It’s going to be worse this time because some progressive women are piling on and feeling good about being part of the group.
At least it’s great to see the republicans, men and women, rally behind Palin.
This has got to be an all time low for Wilcot. He voted for Hill in the primaries.
Is that a rabbit in your pants, or are you just happy to use a Fatal Attraction visual in attacking Palin?
Please, the ring signature is for those who must not be named. What a faux pas by Wolcott.
James Wolcott. Lordie, I thought I knew him. Why is he writing in the style of a smug Kos diarist? This tacky little oh-so-clever screed from a man who used to think as lucidly as he wrote. Another casualty of this surreal zoo of a political year.
Whoa… I am speechless at James Wolcott’s piece…
It’s so bizarre so loony that I feel as if this is some surrealist dream and I should wake up any moment now.
But it goes on and on and on and on…. Despicable is too mild of a word to describe Wolcott’s piece…
You are here…..edge ——> The Far Left
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……………. SPLAT!
The New Lemmingcrat Party.
dcmediagirl:
I think Hitchens is an elegant writer, and his book on religion was top notch. I have lots of trouble with his foreign policy writing, and anything he writes about females.
I try not to make anyone a hero to me. They almost always disappoint.
(in my best NC drawl)
boey ain’t it da truth
(remembering I USED to have a whole LIST)
nope not anymore
Discrimination against women is nothing new. It is just getting much more attention because women like Hillary and Sarah are so successful. There is no higher spot than President or VP and men simply don’t like it. The pscyhe of the majority of males is a plain and simple dose of having feelings of inferiority to women. They would rather be hung upside down by their toenails and have their hair set on fire than admit it but there is no other logical reason why they would feel threatened by an ambitious woman. Any man or woman for that matter worth their salt would be admiring and applauding Sarah Palin.
As for people disappointing us, I don’t much too much faith in any human being anymore, especially on a professional basis.
CRY???
NO WAY! BLAST HIM!!! What an ass! I sent a letter to this address immediately.
http://www.vanityfair.com/contact/emailVfmail
No idea if it’s the right place but I needed to get it out there pronto.
Some piss-ant writer thinks it’s ok to call a female vice-presidential candidate a fuck buddy? Not if she were a male! I don’t give a good g-d damn if this writer makes as much money as JK Rowling or is as famous as Brad Pitt. He’s a pewling worm in my book. What the hell has James Wolcott done lately for his country or any of his neighbors, for that matter? …other than use his writing platform to piss on people.
Everyone of us need to send the link for this vileness to the Drudge Report.
Towards the bottom right there is a space. He may not post the link but he has been drawing down some on Obama the last day or two.
As a blue collar white guy here’s my take:
Wolcott is displaying a nasty mix of sexism and classism that only a over educated, effete, snot job could display.
The thing is the left and the intellectual left in particular despises working class people and Palin falls into that category. She has no Ivy league degree and big city pedigree that people in D.C. are supposed to have. Her husband is a working stiff, not some politically correct big city office worker who gets a monthly manicure and is afraid to break a sweat like Wolly.
So she and her family becomes fair game to for them. She is as much the enemy as Cheney is to them.
This is also why the Democrats have all but lost the white working class vote as well.
Then there is the sexism angle. A lot of those effete men like Wolly are terrified and offendeded by strong women like Palin. She hunts and shoots big guns, competes with the guys in politics and isn’t politically correct(IOW not a Obama supporter). So of its another reason why she gets a ‘tune up’ by Wolly.
It just sounds to me like this guy was seriously projecting his lust for Palin onto McCain. At least be honest about it!
That, in addition that they’re all pissed that the Republican ticket is hotter than the Dems’.
(OK with Johnny Mac you have to kind of visualize him at age 30, but you know what I mean)
Here we go again. I don’t agree with Palins politics, but I will not sit by and allow any woman to deal with this abuse. Enough is enough!! I will no longer support any Party, Magazine, Media outlet etc that allows this to take place. It is time to change this and let’s hit them where it hurts… The wallet. Stop buying, tuning in or responding to this type of hate.
What is it with some men? Oh my goddess — that creature has boobies???? THAT is all they can see??
I must say that Obamabot are trying every single trick in the book — at one time this crap was whispered — now it is in your face (or our faces) — and these egotistical males are looking damned stupid and afraid.
The ONLY positive thing I can say is that McCain’s choice is getting a whole lot of attention and Obama is being ignored. BUT this means that Obama is NOT getting the closer investigation (vetting) that has NOT been done by the media.
The sexism/misogyny TODAY is so much worse than in the 60s & 70s.
The hatred that these fools are directing at Palin are their true feeling for women — especially mature, in control women.
Northwest rain, I don’t know that the sexism is worse than in the 60’s or 70’s. Most of it then was hidden, behind closed doors. It wasn’t in your face and so open. It is amzing to see what sexism really sounds like and looks like today. Now I can hear what people were saying about me and my colleagues behind closed doors. It is so violent. That is what is so scary.
I was listening to the Ed Schultz Show today as he was broadcasting from the RNC. He was bashing Palin when a caller called and told him that he was wrong to be taking this fight to the level he has which consists of name calling and other vile comments. Ed said that he had the right to say what he was saying. The caller asked Ed how he would like it if folks started call his wife (Wendy) a bimbo. Ed did not like that one bit!
I think the way to fight back against the people like Ed Schultz, Stephanie Miller, Randi Rhodes, and the other vile people is to attack their families on-line in the blogs and letters to their shows and magazines and newspapers. I think they would see in a short period of time that it is no fun to have your name smeared with half-truths.
I know this is not the right way to do things but something has to be done and this could be a start.
If 25 people called Ed Schulz tomorrow and called his wife a bimbo I think he would get the point.
The number is 1-877-934-6833
So NOT the way to go.
The caller was fine. Your idea is not.
This is the type of thing I am talking about. Ed Schultz has anger management issues. Maybe he’s taking too much Cialis and his little head is getting in his way ….
In 1988, Schultz was involved in what has over time become known as the “Whiskey Bottle Incident” in Fargo. During the North Dakota State University (NDSU) Bison 55-21 season-opening football victory over Northern Michigan University, an empty whiskey bottle thrown from the student section of fans shattered a window near Schultz, who was broadcasting the game on WDAY radio, and struck color analyst Gary Barta in the stomach. Schultz, who was often the target of taunting from the NDSU students, blurted out several audible expletives over the air and left the broadcast booth to find the bottle thrower. He apologized later for his “colorful” language. Later that week, Schultz was asked by WDAY management to take a few days off to clear the air; while he said Schultz was not suspended, the vice president of WDAY indicated people could “draw their own conclusions” about Schultz’s sudden removal from on-air broadcast duties.
wiki
I think the more interesting thing is to find something vile about ED and leave his wife totally OUT OF IT.
Ed’s been in the bag for ‘Bama from almost the beginning.
The entire air-america-ish lineup, thom hartmann, randi rhodes, ad nauseum, have bought into the meme that electing obama proves their superiority.
Never mind that Obama may have the delivery, but he’s never delivered.
The “superiority” meme has worked before. Hell, when hasn’t it?
In the case of Stephanie Miller,
we could go after her father
Congressman and Goldwater running mate Bill Miller.
He was pro-segregation. That is a fact
and fair to point out.
hit *67 before you put in the other numbers. This will keep you phone number hidden, or at least my duaghter (a teen) told me so.
To everyone here, I swear to god on everything I love I cannot believe, I mean believe how far the Democratic party has crossed the line. I have seen some of the most vulgar, demeaning, worst in my opinion than what I saw in the primaries directed at people who do not deserve it.
But even more, what is worse is reading the cruel words directed at Gov Palins son who wears the same damn uniform I wear. Making “jokes” about what happens in Iraq is not fucking funny nor is it something to kid about. Its a reality of life for us.
The Democrats are a dead entity a dead party for me as of this day. The principles and values and the foundation in which it was built no longer exist. They have become a pack of unhinged vile bastards willing to allow there surrogates to do the dirty work to give the perception they are above the fray.
To have someone goddamn tell me they hope I get killed the next time I fucking deploy because of who I wont or will support has crossed the line and I will be damned if I listen to crap like that just to put these assholes in fucking power.
I have never in my life thought I would actually have hate towards anyone. But I will walk the state of North Carolina from county to damn county to hand it to McCain and Palin before one of these bottom feeders say or treat anyone else what I have experienced or treated.
These people are sick fucking sick that everyone is acting like straight lunatics on behalf of one individual. This is NOT about a party this is about the fact that in order to win, people are willing to do any and everything. The comments and remarks they allow are beyond words. To that bitch Taylor Marsh, that asshole at Daily Kos and the Huffington Trash. If they think for a moment that people will not retaliate against allowing people to post any and everything in attempts to be on the winning side.
They have no earthly idea. Zero. None. Nada.They are going to find out the hard way exactly the type of treatment you get when you allow people to get on your blogs and trash, degrade and demean those in the military just because “Obama” does not have any ties to military service.
So for you Obots lurking, please run back and let that bitch ass Taylor and the band of ignorant ass Merry Fools that like to print any and everything and ALLOW any and everything on there blogs, that Karma is a Bitch.
Well said soldier. And thank you for your service. I am one citizen who appreciates your service and dedication. I am sure many others here at NQ feel the same way.
I second that! I didn’t hear what was said about Palin’s son but I think that is a new low and I didn’t think they could get lower. The goose stepping Obama loonies are obviously pyschologically imbalanced. I have a deep respect and admiration for this country and what a privilege it is to live here. I know because of soldiers like you this is possible. God Bless You!
I never thought I’d be working for Republicans but I too will do everything in Indiana to make sure Obama does not win.
The way our military was highlighted last evening versus how they are treated by “democrats” is a real eye opener.
The circle jerkers now at Taylor Marsh are the same people who exposed her sordid past. Imagine how miserable she must be knowing that by abandoning any PRINCIPLES she once held, she is now left with the dregs left out from Daily Kos because they lack the intellectual capacity to keep up and the people who defended her have deserted her, leaving her to her fate.
The concept of putting COUNTRY first … or ANYTHING before self is so alien to them that all they have is mockery. There is special level in hell being carved out for the leftovers of the 0bamacrats. I think it is a circle being totally isolated from the rest.
Patsy don’t forget Buncombe! I can’t do the walking part but I’ll glady take you to lunch!!
or make it easier by driving you? hehe!
you got to know NC is gonna go red for McCain anyway and Palin only makes it more deep red!
I even like her and I’m still blue although unaffiliated blue
hey you & Sugar have a show tonight?
I’ll be listening! (I hope)
or DCMedia girl? someone? I”ve not been on the blog much.
My son’s at Bragg; he may just be walking with you. I couldn’t believe what I saw yesterday at Marsh’s and Wolcott’s. I will not be back to read again. I quit Huffshit months ago. God. These people are disgusting.
Tell Andrea Mitchell as well…. pure trash
Well, if Hillary were the candidate and she picked a young photogenic male running mate, James would do a hit piece like this, right? Damn that BO chose an old unattractive guy. Maybe James can write about Biden being the surrogate father BO never had. BO has endless daddy issues for witty mocking. Hey, why not make them gay lovers. Biden can be the sugar daddy, and BO the lazy ass boy toy. No, too nasty? But didn’t they Dems do that homosexual smear about Bush “kissing” Lieberman in 2006? Looking back, that was a sure sign the Dems were no longer the party with some class.
This makes me so sad and angry.
I have a little story to tell. My husband was hiring for his company and needed three new people. The first most qualified was a young attractive woman. Nobody said anything. The second was a young attractive woman. They made a joke about his taste. He came home and said to me I don’t know what to do, the person most qualified and compatible was again a young attractive woman and he felt the company would think he was hiring these women for reasons other than their qualifications. I said HIRE HER! One of my first jobs out of school, I went to the interviews and at my third interview I was flat out told that the only concern was that I could be a distraction.
This is a way of actually making good people feel like they are doing something wrong, and this sort of shit perpetuates that!
I will also be writing a complaint to VanityFair.
Who the hell do these turds think they are? What is next? Trial by water? If she floats, she is not a WHAT? Sexism is alive and well.
OMG…I just heard on FOX something about Protesters taking HOSTAGE!!!!! waiting to see the rest…WTF!!!!!
I dont know what is going on right now but I dont understand what all this hate suppose to accomplish. Is there another way to win elections other than people voting? There is no way possible anyone can believe that all of this hate will cause people to go out and support the ones doing it. People are getting a picture of what will happen with Democrats in power and the way I feel right now, I am willing register voters at the damn morgue to get a majority of them out of office.
Damn, I got involved because I wanted to know what kind of president we would have in office once I transitioned from the military to the civilian world in regards to health care. Its hard for alot of people like myself who has gotten hurt or injured and end up making that transition. There are so many prior military members who are homeless or cant afford medical care etc etc.
So I ended up becoming pro active. Believe me, when Senator Clinton came down to Fort Bragg she gave alot of people hope that someone would understand that if we take care of you overseas could ya take care of us here. And she delivered. She understood what we faced and had a plan. A detailed plan. By no means did anyone think it would happen overnight. But its the fact that she had a PLAN that would of been implemented. From schools on post for special needs children to our crappy record system to stop loss. Even the barracks situation in which SHE called for an investigation into the living conditions for the armed forces committee. Which resulted in army wide barracks inspections something I have NEVER seen in the ten years I have been in.
Within 72hrs of seeing it in the papers it was executed. So many thought she would be the next CIC. Hell it took me a week to realize that I wasnt getting punked or it was an episode of scare tactics before i realized the best person for the job would not get it because the Dems wanted “historical” more than actual change.
I sent a letter to the editor as follows:
Re: James Wolcott’s blog topic titled: Soulmate … or fuck buddy?
This is a new low even for Vanity Fair.
Has the Obama campaign’s use of sexism freed you to display your sexist bias in all its glory without a hint of shame?
What’s next — a public stoning of all women who dare to aspire to the White House?
Your message is clear — women who aspire to the highest office in the land will be brutalized for their audacity expecting parity in the USA.
The USA may as well hang a sign over the White House: NO GIRLS ALLOWED.
Then you in the “press” can save the bandwidth online.
Please know I have circulated this to all my women friends.
———
You can send a letter to the editor at Vanity Fair via this link:
http://www.vanityfair.com/contact/emailLetters
My letter:
dcmediagirl, thank you for posting this. I too was a huge fan of Wolcott until I noticed that he will use misogyny to put down women he doesn’t like. I saw it many times over the past few years. I wrote to him once and suggested he find some valid criticisms of women he dislikes, rather than haul out misogynist ad hominem slurs.
So the Wolcott piece didn’t surprise me. What did surprise me, is the way he stood up for HRC during the primary. Around two years ago, I took his blog out of my favorites list. During the primary, he was reinstated but last night when I read that garbage, it sickened me.
I think Wolcott isn’t really a misogynist at heart, but will use whatever words he can to demean those with whom he disagrees, cheap as it is to fall back on that kind of language. I could be mistaken. Perhaps he really is a misogynist.
I have to watch myself as I have always had a bad habit of using the word “bitch,” (yes, I do cuss when I get ticked off) applying it to both males and females, never having considered it a sexist word. It’s hard to break old habits.
But I know it is the rhetoric that is damaging, whether or not the speaker or writer is misogynist or not. And perhaps someone close to Mr. Wolcott will clue him in. Or not. He’s off my Christmas card list again, though.
I think this has been the most difficult thing about this whole obama cultism, is seeing friend after friend fall for him, and come back and try to convince me how “eloquent” and “brilliant” and “inspirational” he is. He’s none of those things. And HELL NO, I won’t vote Democratic — even though I have since 1980 — just because they nominate/SELECT someone they think is better than ol’ god.
As an ultra-conservative (and former democrat…lol), I am often mystified as how the dems can see this behavior and be shocked. It’s nothing more than business as usual for the dems. Initially, it’s why I left to become a republican. But, what moved me from being first a moderate, then a conservative to being quite far to the right these days, is the sheer EVIL behind the behavior of the dems.
You guys are just waking up to this because of the congnitive dissonance caused by the infighting between two factions of the party….the neo-communists and the fascists.
What you really should be doing is taking a close look at the whole democratic agenda and asking yourself…is this right? Is this really something I want to promote?
Clinton is the best of a bad lot. But, I think the cat was really let out of the bag when her master’s thesis was made public. Her and her husband are deeply corrupt individuals with real plans to dismantle our democracy as a way of enriching themselves and seizing as much power as possible.
But, at least they won’t burn the entire country to the ground, as someone like Obama plans.
Anonymous said:
But, what moved me from being first a moderate, then a conservative to being quite far to the right these days, is the sheer EVIL behind the behavior of the dems.
Oh please. You’re not fooling anyone but you are making a fool of yourself.
The hatred and misogyny is unreal. Why can’t some men see women as more than just something to screw??
You said it, Gar nose: This Wolcott’s sick fantasies about McCain and Palin are just bizarre. OMFG, he is all hot and bothered about the idea of Palin with a gun, shooting Cindy McCain. It’s unreal.
Wolcott needs to be told what a freak he is. I need to email asking him to refrain from publishing his sick fantasies. He’s obviously been watching too much porn with incredibly stupid far-fetched plots.
Hello
I do not share anyone’s high opinion of Christopher Hitchens, who is a pathetic old hater who dissolved whatever meager brains he once had in ethanol long ago. I am so glad I never acquired a taste for that wretched drug.