This is too funny, mostly because, as is de rigueur for Fox News, the “analyst” Monica Crowley doesn’t even have her facts straight. Watch as she bemoans the Obama administration’s announcement that they will no longer defend DOMA in court by claiming that they also will not enforce it. Uh, no, Monica. I know reading comprehension is not part of the application process at Fox, but come on.
Note also that she refers to the president as “Mubarak Obama,” and see it in context with what I said about Mike Huckabee earlier. Wingnuts do not follow normal lines of analytical thought, instead choosing to throw out dogwhistle words, even if they’re not related to each other, in order to scare their couch-bound followers.
Watch Megyn Kelly and Maggie Gallagher erupt in an explosion of wingnut pout-rage over the Obama administration’s decision to stop defending Section 3 of DOMA on constitutional grounds. Megyn Kelly starts out breathlessly, like she’s reporting a terrorist attack, and then Maggie starts yakking her mouth:
To perhaps nobody’s surprise, a study released this week finds that Fox News viewers are the most misinformed of any news consumers.
The University of Maryland study, called “Misinformation and the 2010 Election,” looked at “variations in misinformation by exposure to news sources,” among other things, and specifically newspapers and news magazines (in print and online), network TV news broadcasts, NPR and PBS, Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN.
These are some things Fox viewers believe, all of which are patently not true:
Most economists estimate the stimulus caused job losses (12 points more likely)
Most economists have estimated the health care law will worsen the deficit (31 points)
The economy is getting worse (26 points)
Most scientists do not agree that climate change is occurring (30 points)
The stimulus legislation did not include any tax cuts (14 points)
Their own income taxes have gone up (14 points)
The auto bailout only occurred under Obama (13 points)
When TARP came up for a vote most Republicans opposed it (12 points)
And that it is not clear that Obama was born in the United States (31 points)
To us over here in Reality Land, to hold even one of these beliefs is beyond stupid. But Fox’s genius has been to feed easily led people complete bullshit in service of the Almighty Dollar while simultaneously convincing them that allegiance to their network is part of a larger tribal war for “Real Murrika.” The fact that so many people have, like peasants, pledged their heartfelt fealty to this paradigm is a sad statement about our country, but that’s just how it is.
Generals from around the world, from our NATO allies, talking about how gays openly serving in the military is really, seriously, no biggie. What does Fox News have against our NATO allies?
Fox offered an “explanation,” of sorts, but it’s not very convincing.
Here is a disturbing excerpt from Nicki Gostin’s Pop Eater interview with Geraldo Rivera:
I’m sorry, but I still find it fascinating that you are at FOX. Do you get along with Mike Huckabee?
He’s a great guy. Obviously I don’t agree with him on a lot of issues — abortion and immigration foremost — but he’s a wonderful guy. I would vote for him.
How could you vote for him if you disagree on key issues?
Because sometimes honor is more important and he is a very honorable guy. I consider myself an Obama Republican. I’m liberal to moderate on most issues.
What do you think of the Tea Party movement?
I think they are the most potent political force in the country today. It’s totally sapped the energy of the political dialogue in that the liberals have nothing to say except whine and complain and I think it bodes very ill for the mid-term elections for the democrats. I think they’re going to get routed. If the other side, the so called left doesn’t have a more articulate message then people are going to walk.
And on a lighter note: you were quite the ladies man back in the day. Want to give me a ball park figure?
No I can’t! The worst mistake I made when I wrote my book was naming names and it continues to haunt me but I’ve been married five times and you’ve never heard a bad word about me from any of my ex-wives.
Maybe working at FOX News is slowly brainwashing Rivera and he needs to hurry up and lock himself in Al Capone’s vault until he is deprogrammed.
I’d love to know what would preacher Mike Huckabee really believes about Rivera’s five wives?
Time for the weekly wrap-up and then some music, so let’s go.
Ken Mehlman is gaygaygaygayGAYgaysuper-duper gay. Ann Coulter made fun of Joseph Farah and his WorldNetDaily on Fox News, without shame. Exodus International has no money, and still, no shame. NOM and Ed Whelan figured out why Ted Olson is so gay for marriage equality: his hippie liberal wife made him do it. Gary Bauer came up with a measuring system where each and every 9/11 victim is three feet long, which helps Muslims figure out how far away from “Hallowed Ground” they have to build their mosques. Memphis gay leaders pulled an inclusive nondiscrimination ordinance because the City Council wouldn’t give it a fair hearing, which led one Memphis resident (and a personal friend of mine) to stay until the bitter end to give the Council a bit of what-for. And of course, Peter LaBarbera, Molotov Mitchell and Ugandan MP David Bahati are still insane. Oh, and Wayne put up a music post of his own last night, so if you haven’t been there, go.
Instead of picking one song and hitting the iTunes shuffle from there, this week is going to be a little bit different. As a songwriter and composer, I’ve always paid particular attention to lyrical narratives, and the way that songs can work together to form an arc. The other night, my iTunes did something that I found magical when it played three random songs in order, which I then listened to in that order again, and again, and again, about eleventy times. The three songs are “Transatlanticism” by Death Cab for Cutie, “1000 Oceans” by Tori Amos, and “Run” by Snow Patrol. Aside from being three amazing, heartwrenching songs, when played together, they indeed form an arc. Sometimes there are deep oceans, but there are also lighthouses.
So those three songs, and then we’ll hit shuffle on the last one and see what happens. Ready, set, go. More videos after the jump.
“Transatlanticism”
“1000 Oceans”
“Run”
1. Dar Williams – “In Love But Not At Peace”
2. Janelle Monáe – “Faster”
3. The National – “Racing Like A Pro”
4. Imogen Heap – “Tidal”
5. Damien Rice – “Eskimo”
6. Neil Young – “Harvest”
7. Suzanne Vega – “Blood Sings”
8. Marissa Nadler – “True Love Will Find You In The End” [Daniel Johnston cover]
9. Van Halen – “Dreams”
10. U2 – “Dancing Barefoot” [Patti Smith cover]
No word on where that Van Halen came from, but I’m okay with it if you are.
This is a bizarre bit of TV, sure to make the Religious Right lose its collective mind:
It’s not that they’re actually supportive. It’s full of Glenn Beck’s wingnut stuff about the country “burning down,” and Bill O’Reilly’s moralistic mewling about some bullroar or another, but here’s the key passage in O’Reilly and Beck’s intercourse [grin] on the subject, viaMedia Matters:
O’REILLY: But let’s take the gay marriage deal. Big ruling in California. You really didn’t cover that much, right?
BECK: Nope.
O’REILLY: Why?
BECK: Because honestly I think we have bigger fish to fry. You can argue about abortion or gay marriage or whatever –
O’REILLY: Yeah.
BECK: — all you want.
O’REILLY: Yeah.
BECK: The country is burning down. I personally think these–
O’REILLY: But isn’t that one of the reasons because we are getting away from the traditional way we used to live into this progressive–
BECK: So let’s get back to — instead of arguing about these divisive things, let’s get back into our churches and our synagogues and–
O’REILLY: You’re not going to get people going back unless there is a reason to go back.
BECK: But here is the reason, America. Your country is burning down. I don’t think marriage, that the government actually has anything to do with -
O’REILLY: But they do have.
BECK: –what is a religious right.
O’REILLY: I know, but they do have something to do, because gay marriage is going to be a reality in this country in 10 years.
BECK: Why do they have anything to do with it?
O’REILLY: Because they choose to, and you’re not going to stop ‘em.
BECK: This is where we disagree.
O’REILLY: The Supreme Court may rule against gay marriage, very possible it would be a 5-4.
BECK: You’re willing to continue to go down the road of just accepting well that’s the way it is.
O’REILLY: I’m not accepting anything. I wrote a book about it! Don’t give me this “accepting.” Come on.
BECK: He’s so hostile.
O’REILLY: Yeah
BECK: Need a little Jesus?
O’REILLY: I have to correct you. I do. You are ignoring the profound change in the American family. In the way –
BECK: No, I’m not. No I’m not.
O’REILLY: But you are not covering it?
BECK: Because I think that the thing that needs to be covered — Bill, I believe in a symphony. If we are all playing clarinets we ain’t gonna get very far. A symphony needs to sound. I’m covering what I cover. You cover what you cover. Both of us are saying the same thing. Watch the culture.
O’REILLY: Do you believe — do you believe that gay marriage is a threat to the country in any way?
BECK: A threat to the country?
O’REILLY: Yeah, it going to harm the country?
BECK: No, I don’t. Will the gays come and get us?
O’REILLY: OK. Is it going to harm the country in any way?
BECK: I believe — I believe what Thomas Jefferson said. If it neither breaks my leg nor picks my pocket, what difference is it to me?
O’REILLY: OK, so you don’t. That’s interesting. Because I don’t think a lot of people understand that about you.
BECK: As long as we — as long as we are not going down the road of Canada, where it now is a problem for churches to have free speech. If they can still say, hey, we –
O’REILLY: Oppose it –
BECK: — we oppose it –
O’REILLY: Right.
BECK: — but we’re not trying to kill anybody or trying to –
O’REILLY: In Sweden they have that too. OK, so gay marriage to you, not a big a threat to the nation.
Huh. That’s bound to make Maggie Gallagher roar.
Also: tipping point, tipping point, tipping point.
If you’re not familiar with Greg Gutfeld, I don’t blame you. Most of us would rather do anything else in the known universe than watch Fox’s Red Eye at 3:oo AM on weekdays. Gutfeld seems to think he’s the “conservative version” of The Daily Show or something, and as with most attempts at humor from that side of the aisle, it falls flat, because humor should be rooted in reality rather than white male resentment.
Gutfeld’s latest attempt at humor/journalism (posted, of course, at one of Andy Breitbart’s “Big Moron” sites) involves Muslims, the “Ground Zero” mosque (Cordoba House for the literates among you), and homosexuals:
So, the Muslim investors championing the construction of the new mosque near Ground Zero claim it’s all about strengthening the relationship between the Muslim and non-Muslim world.
As an American, I believe they have every right to build the mosque – after all, if they buy the land and they follow the law – who can stop them?
Yes, surely, wingnut Greg Gutfeld thinks the mosque is a great idea. Oh wait…
I’m announcing tonight, that I am planning to build and open the first gay bar that caters not only to the west, but also Islamic gay men. To best express my sincere desire for dialogue, the bar will be situated next to the mosque Park51, in an available commercial space.
This is not a joke. I’ve already spoken to a number of investors, who have pledged their support in this bipartisan bid for understanding and tolerance.
As you know, the Muslim faith doesn’t look kindly upon homosexuality, which is why I’m building this bar. It is an effort to break down barriers and reduce deadly homophobia in the Islamic world.
The goal, however, is not simply to open a typical gay bar, but one friendly to men of Islamic faith. An entire floor, for example, will feature non-alcoholic drinks, since booze is forbidden by the faith. The bar will be open all day and night, to accommodate men who would rather keep their sexuality under wraps – but still want to dance.
Neat. He’s come up with a way to:
A. Be racist against Muslims
B. Feign a liking for The Gays.
C. Engage in a discriminatory game of “Now you gays and you Muslims fight!”
I hate Muslims so much, to get back at them I’ll even pretend to like fags.
Basically.
Of course, Steve M. at No More Mister Nice Blog points out that this is all sort of pointless because
Well, a bit of searching turns up the fact that there’s already a gay club — or a lesbian club, or at least a part-time lesbian club — down the street from the proposed Cordoba House. The address of Cordoba is 51 Park Place; at 27 Park Place, there’s Club Remix, which shows up at OutAdvisor.com’s Gay Travel Reviews because LipStik Productions runs a “Latin dance for women every 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month only.”
Heh. This is funny because there has been a Muslim community in downtown Manhattan for a long time. I guess they’ve been able to coexist with their neighbors, the way that New Yorkers always have.
Steve adds:
So what have I learned from this? Number one, if you build anything culturally conservative in New York, you’re going to be surrounded by stuff that’s not at all culturally conservative. (And you can’t live here for any length of time without knowing that, so I strongly suspect that the Cordoba House people wouldn’t react to a next-door gay bar in a way that would fulfill Greg Gutfeld’s most sophomoric hopes.)
But where would Greg Gutfeld be without sophomoric hopes?
Also, read Tbogg on the subject. His theory, and I think it’s a good one, is that this is a play to move from the 3:00 AM slot to the 2:30 AM slot, replacing the slightly-more-watched Who Wants To Take A Shower With Bill O’Reilly?
