Comment Archives: stories: Arts and Culture: Culture
Re: “Andrew Jackson surges to glory as the Tennessee State Museum surveys the War of 1812”
Mr. Lind, your description of the men who fought under Andrew Jackson as "hardscrabble farmers and men with no pasts scratching out an existence"; an "army of Tennessee bumpkins"; and "a group of ragtag men” is questionable journalism.
As a descendant of Tennessee settlers who fought in the War of 1812, as well as the Revolutionary War, and as a student of Tennessee history, I am outraged with your pejorative descriptions of those brave, self-sacrificing men who fought for freedom from tyranny and the rights of the individual to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Some of these men were from educated, wealthy families; others were not so fortunate, but most of them had moral standards and ethics based on the Golden Rule.
Your stereotype of the Southern settler as a ‘Deliverance’ character is so bigoted, prejudiced and elitist that it makes me wonder what your purpose is by denigrating these men in this way. I highly advise a visit to the Tennessee State Library and a perusal of the Tennessee Historical Society journals to enlighten your ignorance.
Regards, Joan Copeland French
Re: “Bill Maher comes to unbuckle the Bible Belt and pull Nashville's pants down”
"as I understand it, his use of those words happened during a live performance stand-up routine. Not broadcast nationally over the airwaves. Furthermore, though it may go against conventional wisdom, I'd say "slut" is much worse than "c*nt" or "tw*t." "
First off, no, Maher said these things on his show. Secondly, seriously? That is the best you can do to defend this fucking douche bag?
Re: “Bill Maher comes to unbuckle the Bible Belt and pull Nashville's pants down”
As the above commenter noted, Fluke is 30 years old, according to most available information. I had her age wrong in the story originally. I have updated the story to correct the error.
Re: “Comedian Steven Wright talks funny about being funny”
I spoke to Steven after the show. Very cool. Here's a clip. Cody Marley
http://www.facebook.com/photo.phpv=3028612…
Re: “Bill Maher comes to unbuckle the Bible Belt and pull Nashville's pants down”
Liberal hypocrisy on display in the comments.
Just another example of their true respect for women. It's how they roll though. Luckily for them, the average liberal is dumb as a rock.
The argument that Fluke is a private figure are also liberal media spin for the gullible. She is 30 years old and has a long term history as an activist who continually thrust herself into the limelight, not some nameless coed.
Re: “Bill Maher comes to unbuckle the Bible Belt and pull Nashville's pants down”
Lets be real: Sarah Palin and other political figures are PUBLIC FIGURES! Fluke is a private citizen who testified before congress. Are you trying to say that, as a citizen, if you make your voice heard ONE TIME you then become a public figure, exposed to everything that entails? Baloney- that would have the most chilling effect on citizen speech imaginable. Just because a private citizen testifies once, or because a private citizen gives an opinion to a reporter who asks, does NOT make then a PUBLIC FIGURE like Palin, and others who enter a national campaign. Please. Cut the baloney.
Re: “Bill Maher comes to unbuckle the Bible Belt and pull Nashville's pants down”
People actually care what Rush Limbaugh says? Him calling some girl a slut isn't even news. Worry about the policy decisions these two screwed up parties are implementing instead. You have a Congress forcing all kinds of laws down people's throats and two parties more concerned with the financial interests of their most powerful corporate backers while happily trampling on all kinds of civil liberties, and they're laughing all the way to the bank while people debate whether Limbaugh or Maher is a bigger asshole.
Re: “Bill Maher comes to unbuckle the Bible Belt and pull Nashville's pants down”
I am looking foward to the day the O'reillys, the Limbaughs, and the rest of the angry, racist, sexist generation all have massive strokes and their campaigns of misinformation and driving the national IQ down is over. Maher rules, more integrity than all those ignorant bafoons.
http://whatevasclever99.blogspot.com/
Re: “Bill Maher comes to unbuckle the Bible Belt and pull Nashville's pants down”
When I was 20 years old we females had to fight for our rights. Even to the point of losing our jobs because we refuse to let our supervisors slobber all over us and think it was their right to do so. If you were single or a divorcee, men thought you were easy prey.
Now here we are 40 years later and the same things are happening. What happened??
Why are men so afraid of women? All we want is to be respected and to be treated equals.
What business is it of anyone if I want to use birth control?
I SAY, WOMEN OF AMERICA, CLOSE YOUR LEGS AND LET YOUR HUSBANDS AND BOYFRIENDS KNOW THAT IF THEY DO NOT STAND WITH YOU, THERE WILL BE NO NOGGY!!!!
Re: “Bill Maher comes to unbuckle the Bible Belt and pull Nashville's pants down”
She should have expected an intelligent argument over what she was standing for, not a pathetic attack by a public figure who attacked her personally. Rush is a piece of garbage and I'm glad advertisers are pulling away from him.
Re: “Bill Maher comes to unbuckle the Bible Belt and pull Nashville's pants down”
It is my decision and right to adorn myself with the underwear of my choice and fit it to my body as I so desire.
Re: “Bill Maher comes to unbuckle the Bible Belt and pull Nashville's pants down”
Christy, I do agree with you that Fluke isn't some shrinking violet that needs us to rush to her defense. I even said in my original comment, that I'm not clamoring for advertisers to pull their ads from Limbaugh. But a vice-presidential candidate is far more ripe for public ridicule. Ultimately, my point is that I don't think the super-PAC should return the money, anymore than advertisers should pull their ads.
And Hairy Harvey, coming from you, I consider "dickhead" a compliment!
Re: “Bill Maher comes to unbuckle the Bible Belt and pull Nashville's pants down”
I must admit, at first I thought many of you might be minimizing Maher’s behavior. But now I know that was not the case – because you would surely have corrected yourselves after being confronted with the facts. I know now I was simply ignorant of the many rules of decorum around calling a woman a cunt or a twat, which you have now cleared up for me. I feel much surer about just how to insult women after reading this thread. Thanks, d**heads (hey, chill, it’s just an assessment of your intelligence, not your behavior)!
Re: “Bill Maher comes to unbuckle the Bible Belt and pull Nashville's pants down”
I just can't imagine that she harbored any illusions about what she was getting into, with her level of education and exposure to politics, and knowing full well the madness that has been the debate over contraception (she fought hard to even be allowed to testify). I feel like she had to know she was going to be a target and was prepared for that. I think what she did was very brave and I find something condescending in the attitude that we need to defend her from the likes of Rush Limbaugh. If a grown man had testified and then been insulted by that idiot, would people really be so outraged, or would they just be like "wow, Rush Limbaugh's an idiot". So, it smacks of sexism, really (not to get all shrill feminist on ya...)
Re: “Bill Maher comes to unbuckle the Bible Belt and pull Nashville's pants down”
With all due respect Christy, do you really think she was opening herself up for that nonsense, and vulgar attack? Maybe a political debate, but certainly not a personal attack the likes of what Rush perpertrated.
Re: “Bill Maher comes to unbuckle the Bible Belt and pull Nashville's pants down”
Christy, that's a really interesting point, about the private vs. public citizen thing. I hadn't really thought of it like that, but I think what you say makes a whole lot of sense. And you're absolutely right about him insulting ALL women who use contraception.
Re: “Bill Maher comes to unbuckle the Bible Belt and pull Nashville's pants down”
Not to be argumentative, but I see this comparison a lot (Limbaugh vs. Maher / private citizen vs. public citizen) and I personally think that argument is demeaning to Fluke. She knew when she chose to testify what she was opening herself up to. She's a smart, savvy law student who chose to make herself a public figure, with all that that entails, because she felt that the issue was important and that she wanted to help the cause. In other words, she is a grown woman of conscience, and to act like Rush is picking on a poor, widdle college student is insulting. And, besides that, is missing the point: what Rush said about Fluke (she uses contraception, so she is a slut) is insulting to *all women who use contraception*. He was not just attacking one person. Maher has attacked Palin as a person and as a candidate, but his insults are specific to her and cannot be generalized to any larger group. You can legitimately argue whether Maher crossed a line in his personal attacks on Palin, but in no way is it in the same league as the generally-offensive garbage spewed by Limbaugh.
Re: “Bill Maher comes to unbuckle the Bible Belt and pull Nashville's pants down”
It's like comparing Apples to Oranges;
Maher never said that Palin (or any woman) should "video tape their (sexual) behavior for all of us to see" as Limbaugh said.
Limbaugh's been called the spokesman for the Republican party by many members of congress, Maher has never been labeled as any spokesman or leader of any party.
Limbaugh calls himself a news and reality broadcaster. Maher calls himself a comedian.
Here's an idea...why doesn't Limbaugh donate a million dollars to his candidate of choice? (I can see them all lining up for the donation now...).
Re: “Bill Maher comes to unbuckle the Bible Belt and pull Nashville's pants down”
bottom line... public figure who thrust herself into the limelight vs. private citizen
Re: “Bill Maher comes to unbuckle the Bible Belt and pull Nashville's pants down”
Kevin, we are each half right. He called her a tw*t on the show. The c*nt was not on TV.