Tweet Madness

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I actually have a Twitter page, but I pay no attention to it. My blog posts automatically get fed through it. I get a notification now and then that somebody is following me (which sounds a bit sinister). Otherwise I really don’t “get” Twitter culture.

Anyway, today William Jacobson, the hyper-partisan gadfly who writes the blog Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, has found proof of sexism among progressives in their tweets. Referring to what even I think is a stupid non-story that Sarah Palin was caught with speech “crib notes” written in her hand, some persons identified as “progressives” had fun tweeting about Palin’s “hand job.”

Some blog posts are linked also, although I never noticed that TMZ was “progressive.” I thought it was just a celebrity news site. And the Daily Kos entry linked was written by a woman. Further, I question whether a comment is necessarily “sexist” just because it links sex to a woman. Sometimes such comments are just cheap and juvenile.

I mean, there’s a whole website dedicated to Tiger Woods jokes; is that sexist? Or racist (and, if so, which race)?

Even Little Lulu has a post up about the crib notes titled “Hand Jive,” which I understand to be a euphemism for “hand job.” So while I’d say the comment is a bit sexist, it’s a borderline case of sexism.

However, if you want to see real sexism in tweet form, check out Erick Erickson’s “ugly feminists return to their kitchens” remark. Now, that’s sexist.

14 thoughts on “Tweet Madness”

  1. Her hand-crib notes said: “Taxes / Budget (cuts?) / Energy / Lift American Spirits”. This American’s spirits are _not_ lifted by such a spectacle. Would you hire for Burger King cashier anyone with that much flop-sweat?

    Imagine, if you please, President Palin meeting Putin, or the Chinese Communist Party, or a Saudi prince… with crib-notes scrawled on her hand.

    As darkly comic as that image is, it really would not be fun to live through, except for someone who wants the USA to fail, big-time. Someone like bin Laden, or Limbaugh.

  3. Why is this a non-issue? After all the right wing cries of “Obama uses a teleprompter!” they were just asking for it.

    And should get it.

    • good for the goose, good for the gander, or something like that.

      It’s a childish indulgence that means absolutely nothing to the righties. Save it for something that will actually lay a glove on them.

  5. I believe that Jacobson is trying to say is that the left is being hypocritical in that they supposedly stand up for women’s rights, yet, are making sexist remarks about Palin using a sexual type action.

    Eh. I’m not caught up in that. We are all adults. Quite frankly, I think politics could use less of the fake civility and outrage, though not to the point like you have in some countries, like Japan, where they actually fight on their House floor. A few well placed (blank) you’s and other curses would make for some interesting CSPAN.

  6. I admit that I have a head cold, but I can’t even figure out a way for that sophomoric joke to actually be sexist. Sexual, sure, tasteless, yes, but sexist? Wouldn’t it imply that a)we wouldn’t call it that if a man had done it, which I think is far from proven, OR that only women give hand jobs, which is simply clueless? It’s far more sexist to imply that we were picking on Palin because she’s a girl, and that’s somehow wrong. I really don’t get how those people think, if “think” is the right verb.

    Personally, I think there is a little bit of something to the story, because the things she wrote on her hand were, essentially, her basic message. It’s pretty pathetic that she needed help remembering it – I mean, if I’d been asked to name three Palin themes off the top of my head, I could have gotten pretty close to what she wrote. It’s a bit like Santa Claus writing “Reindeer, ChimneyPresents, Ho-ho-ho” or something. If, after all this time, she can’t even remember the basics of her own message, she’s even more pathetic than she’s been taken for.

  7. All of this will only endear her to her crowd.
    Which one of these knuckledraggers that worship her were never caught cribbing for a test? The fact that anyone dares to critisize any aspect of Sarah’s existence makes them a “blue-meanie” who is an elitist.
    In my wildest imagination, I could never have accused her of doing this. I never though something like this was even remotely possible. It’s almost like she did it on purpose., just to seem more sympathetic to her freak-show followers by getting a rise out of her opponents.
    That said, it should concern at least some people when a former candidate for the 2nd highest office in the land, and a probable one for the highest office, comes off like a middle-school (Juniour High School for easterners) stoner. No one’s going to accuse you of anything just becuase you have some 3×5 index cards of a handful of sticky notes for reference. I was a Trainer for years, and I used notes ALL of of the time.
    And how ironic was it that, just moments after she makes some stupid remark about the President and a telepromtor, she gets caught with the equivalent of “Inhale, “Wipe yout butt,” and “Exhale” written on her hand.
    I don’t want to make too much of this. But, I just don’t know what to even make of this…

  9. Pingback: Sarah Palin Caught On Video Reading Talking Points Written On Palm Of Her Hand During Interview | THE GUN TOTING LIBERALâ„¢

  10. People have been attacking Palin non-stop for 1 1/2 years and she’s been gaining in popularity.

    “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

    • People have been attacking Palin non-stop for 1 1/2 years and she’s been gaining in popularity.

      Yes, pointing out the many ways she’s not a serious states-person but a demagogue cuts no cheese, as it were, with her devotees. To them she’s something like the Hindu goddess Kali, a projection of all their fears and resentments embodied in female form to become their avenger and protector. Pointing out her human frailties enrages her followers because it is blasphemous.

  11. Teach, prudishness about women and sex is the opposite of feminism. See biggerbox’s comment for more info; it explains quite clearly. “Crass” and “sexist” aren’t even close to being the same thing.

    And as for Crawdad’s remark about Palin “gaining in popularity”… really? According to polls, the same tiny base continues to support her, but everyone else knows better. She’s wildly unpopular with sane people.

  12. joanr16, I don’t think I’m 100% on board with your definition of feminism. But I think context is important and I’ve been extremely uncomfortable with the way that Palin has been sexualized by people who call themselves progressive (if you’re sexist, racist, homophobic, classist, … you’re not “progressive”). Clearly there are enough substantive problems with Palin that it shouldn’t be necessary to make lewd jokes about her.

    Also, Palin has *not* been gaining in popularity. She’s losing popularity, as reported in various newspapers this morning.

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