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Truer words have never appeared on this blog.

F-in A.

As well as the President-Elect's two daughters. I can see them becoming a media obsession. That's dangerous on many levels. Shame on news (and us).

And shame shame on the ever-hysterical Andy Sullivan, who immediately mocked John Travolta's scientology beliefs by implying he should have been able to save his son. It's ironic and pathetic the self-righteousness from a Republican who proselytizes about a universal spirit that created and guides our destiny but who thinks other beliefs are somehow wackier. What a creep.

I agree. What a horrible circus sideshow this has become.

I refuse to read celebrity tabloids-- it's just trashy and deplorable.

and I have no sympathy for Anna Nicole-- never have, never will. But Jett Travolta was a different story. I hope the Travolta family will find peace and respectfully move on with their tragic loss.

@ Hopstoch:

yeah, I can see that the media is getting obsessed with Malia and Sasha Obama. Poor girls, they should be left alone and be allowed to go to their new school in peace.

Shame on the Huffington Post for becoming so tabloid-ish.

Somebody really needs to call out Arianna on the trash her site has triumphed.

Christian, I agree with you re: Sullivan. He's a smart guy in a lot of ways, but some of his obsessions are creepy and obnoxious.

Not many of you had a problem with all the press focus on Sarah Palin's daughter (including the conspiracy theories surrounding her pregnancy, the motivation behind the marriage, etc).

I don't forsee a media obsession with Obama's daughters. They're at a boring age. And I couldn't care less about Jett's autopsy, but I consider the simple reporting of autopsy results too exploitative. The speculation can get pretty shameful. This should be the end of the matter.

Breathtaking! Mysteryperfecta can spin even the death of a celebrity child into a conservative/liberal agenda story. (And how are you so sure you know Travolta's politics?)

That should be, "I do NOT consider the simple reporting of autopsy results" to be too exploitive.

"Not many of you had a problem with all the press focus on Sarah Palin's daughter"

I don't know if this part is even accurate - I don't recall hardly any discussion of Bristol Palin on this particular blog, anyway.

Nobody here pimped Sully-style Bristol Palin tales here that I can recall - it made no nevermind to me except the typical conservative hypocrisy at work.

Andrew Sullivan is acting in lockstep with the Liberal Media and the Huffington Post.

Besides, when Arianna & Co. are not being tabloid-ish they are carrying water for the IDF.

Bristol Palin was newsworthy because 1) she was trotted out at public appearances, including the GOP convention, and 2) the wingers' looking the other way at a pregnant, unwed teen crystallized the enormous hypocrisy that is "conservatism" today. And outside of Keith and Rachel, did ANY of the major news outlets cover the arrest of Levi's mother on six felony counts of drug dealing?

Jett, on the other hand, was a private citizen--Christ, does anyone even know what he looked like?--who died tragically, and tragically young.

"Mysteryperfecta can spin even the death of a celebrity child into a conservative/liberal agenda story."

I responded to the topic of the appropriateness of media attention directed toward a public figure's kids, prompted by comments here on Obama's kids (by several people). It is a question of consistency.

"I don't know if this part is even accurate - I don't recall hardly any discussion of Bristol Palin on this particular blog, anyway."

I do. That behavior was as appropriate as the behavior that DP et al are now condemning.

"Bristol Palin was newsworthy because 1) she was trotted out at public appearances, including the GOP convention"

And Obama's kids weren't trotted out in the same same manner?

"the wingers' looking the other way at a pregnant, unwed teen crystallized the enormous hypocrisy that is "conservatism" today"

They did? Can you prove it? What conservative condoned Bristol Palin's actions? In what way did conservatives 'look the other way'? Do conservates ostracize people whose unwed daughters get pregnant? Where is the hypocrisy?

"What conservative condoned Bristol Palin's actions?"

Get around talk radio much? It was fobbed off as the ultimate family value for her to have the baby...er uh...and get married of course.

No, Obama's kids weren't trotted out as a model of conservative small town values, mystery. Can you imagine the kind of stuff we would've been hearing from Fox News, sites like townhall.com, and conservative talk radio if Obama had a pregnant teenager daughter? It would've been stuff like "who's her baby daddy?" and a myriad of discussions about dysfunctional black families.

"Get around talk radio much? It was fobbed off as the ultimate family value for her to have the baby...er uh...and get married of course."

If what you claim is accurate, then it is an example of consistency of position. I don't see a rationalization of the out-of-wedlock pregnany. But keeping the baby, and deciding to raise it with the father? Consistent.

"No, Obama's kids weren't trotted out as a model of conservative small town values, mystery."

And Palin's kids were? You're making stuff up. They stood on a stage; just like Obama's kids, in the same fashion that every candidate trots out their family.

"It would've been stuff like "who's her baby daddy?" and a myriad of discussions about dysfunctional black families."

I'm not convinced that would be the case, even if you are. Would we get an SNL skit about the father?

Geez, you have a short, or very6 selective memory, mystery.

And you're not convinced they'd be asking about a baby daddy? Sure, the party that's embraces the "Magic Negro" song is all about the sensitivity and tact....

And that's racial satire approved by the RNC!

McCain meeting and embracing Levi Johnson on a tarmac was one of the more ridiculous things the campaign did. I also noticed that the young couple haven't, in fact, gotten married.

"And you're not convinced they'd be asking about a baby daddy? Sure, the party that's embraces the "Magic Negro" song is all about the sensitivity and tact...."

I know the context of the "Magic Negro" song. Doesn't sound like you do. And christian got something right-- it IS political satire! Who'd a thunk it?

"I also noticed that the young couple haven't, in fact, gotten married."

I thought conservatives were fond of shotgun weddings! What the hell is happening to this party?

So out-of-wedlock coupling is now cool with the Republicans? My head spins from all this moral clarity!

'Political satire' can also be an excuse for just flat-out racism, Mystery. There are layers. There's a reason why African-Americans are allowed to call each other the N-word and everybody else isn't.

I hope mystery will join us in reality one day. I say that sincerely. I mean, defending the "Magic Negro" song? Even New Gingrich wouldn't go there.

Please to note I wrote "racial satire" not "political satire" -- there is a difference. I would just as well call it "racist satire" -- the kind of hateful whispered joke that my ol' pal Rush Limbaugh loves to spread through the airwaves with a great wink to secret bigots everywhere.

"'Political satire' can also be an excuse for just flat-out racism, Mystery. There are layers. There's a reason why African-Americans are allowed to call each other the N-word and everybody else isn't."

Have you heard the song?

"I hope mystery will join us in reality one day. I say that sincerely. I mean, defending the "Magic Negro" song? Even New Gingrich wouldn't go there."

Have you heard the song?

I just listened to it.

At the very least, it's poor satire because it doesn't pass the most basic hurdle (it's not funny). At most it's fairly offensive.

So what context am I missing?

I'm glad you at least listened to it (which is, with due respect, a step that should have come before commenting). Have you read the original article on which the parody is based?

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-ehrenstein19mar19,0,5335087.story?coll=la-opinion-center

Maybe you should be offended. But since the content of the parody is taken directly from the article, perhaps your ire is misdirected. Limbaugh is certainly no fan of the columnist, and vice versa.

I had read enough about it to understand the gist of it, without needing to listen to it.

I'd say there's a large substantive difference between the article and the song, primarily in intention. The article is intended to diagnose and puncture an alleged myth, the song is intended for pure derision.

Tone matters, and style is substance.

Oh yeah - and Limbaugh and Ehrenstein's mutual dislike is pretty strong evidence for their divergent goals and Limbaugh's appropriation, no?

How come Rush complains all the time that liberals can't stop bringing up race? Ironic, no?

"I'd say there's a large substantive difference between the article and the song, primarily in intention."

Clearly. Its satire.

"Oh yeah - and Limbaugh and Ehrenstein's mutual dislike is pretty strong evidence for their divergent goals and Limbaugh's appropriation, no?"

What's divergent is that Limbaugh and others (like author Shelby Steele, who wrote a book about it) absolutely believe in the existence of "white guilt", while Ehrenstein doesn't.

"How come Rush complains all the time that liberals can't stop bringing up race? Ironic, no?"

Ironic? no. THAT'S THE ENTIRE POINT OF THE SONG. He's highlighting another instance of liberals making race an issue.

"He's highlighting another instance of liberals making race an issue."

Which ones? Who? The writer of the piece?

And when Rush attacked Donovan McNabb for being chosen because of his race, who was the liberal talking about it then? Rush can't NOT talk about race because it obsesses him. He's a bigot. Sorry.

But please, keep trying to insulate reality. It worked wonders for the GOP the past few years.

Hey, let the GOP insist that the song is relevant satire as they warmly embrace becoming a regional party for old Southern white males. 66% of voters under 30 went for Obama. Of voters 18-29 in the 2008 election, 45% identified themselves as Democrat while 26% said they're Republican. That age group was an even split in the 2000 election. I say keep up the great work GOP.

Mystery, (unsurprisingly) we're 180 degrees off on this one. The song may be 'satire' but it's also mean, divisive, and unproductive. If it's satire, it's satire on a sub-Cracked magazine level, not exactly Jonathan Swift or Mark Twain.

And reading that article, it seems pretty obvious that Ehrenstein believes in 'white guilt', that's the entire point of the piece.

And Limbaugh is _not_ highlighting another instance of liberals making race an issue - he's being a racist goon.

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