Silly Little Country

Ann Althouse on Today's Palin Derangement Syndrome

Thanks to Ann for some very sensible commentary on the two Palin stories that seem to have got the lefties in a state today, and which has caused a lot of putrid drivel to be written by hateful people.
First Willow:

Do decent people read a 16-year-old girl's Facebook page? But we've read it, so let's at least be decent enough to be fair to teenagers. It's common and casual speech to use the words "gay" and "faggot" like that. It upsets upright people, and it would better if the kids didn't do it — or so it seems, as we look down on the young from our lofty adulthood.

Indeed, teenage discourse is not adult discourse and it will take some sort of adjustment when the bluestocking adults now suddenly have a window into that teenage discourse on social media. It seems the current reaction is for the so-called adults to erupt in fainting spells and get on high horses they really should not try to ride. Ann has it spot on here.

There's absolutely zero indication that Willow has any negativity at all toward gay people. She's just pissed at Tre and talking like a teenager (or a "South Park" character). To tar her as homophobic is like saying if you call someone an "idiot," you hate persons with Down Syndrome.

And then to Bristol:

If we should be talking about the Palin kids at all today, we should be talking about Bristol. A complete underdog, Bristol Palin made it to the finals of "Dancing With the Stars." She had no experience as a performer, certainly not as a dancer, and it's incredible that she kept going at all, as the judges and others either tore her down or — when they saw the votes flowing in? — were modestly supportive. Week after week, she landed at the bottom of the judges' scores, but she made it up time and again as regular people called in enough votes to overcome the disadvantage the judges had imposed.
...
Congratulations to the shy, unassuming teenager who didn't particularly ask to be thrust into the spotlight 2 years ago, who went through an accidental pregnancy in front of millions of people (many of whom didn't mind insulting her in any manner they found amusing), who didn't hide herself away in shame, and who tried, again, in front of all of us, to dance. How many of the people who snipe at her, are too big of a pussy to dance anywhere, including on crowded dance floor at a local club?
Yeah, I said "pussy." Does that make me a misogynist?

Thanks, Ann.
The usual media suspects were full of conspiracy theories on how Brandy got eliminated, theories that seem totally unnecessary; the three most likeable celebrities were voted to the final. That this gets turned to something political is a measure of how juvenile our discourse has become! This is a reality TV show and the spoils certainly do not go to the best dancers, and it has NEVER been thus. It's a combination of competence and popularity contest and I have had NO trouble seeing how Bristol could be popular.
And I am now finally getting to see episode 1 of "Sarah Palin's Alaska" and it is pretty clear it will be fun. It's rather like 'The Amazing Race' but with only one team and no eliminations, and no leaving the state of Alaska.

posted by Alan Adamson @ 7:19 PM