WWLD: What Would Lisa Do?

Maybe I’m Just Bitter About Hillary Not Being Our Candidate …

May 16, 2008 · 1 Comment

but I thought the following op-ed from the Washington Post was right on the money re: the blatant misogny that has been tolerated in this campaign.  I know that Hillary seems to be a reviled character but the amount of negativity she has received based overtly on her gender is really unacceptable at this point in time.  There is no way that jokes based on race or religion that are similar would be tolerated, so … it really gets me that we are still allowed to make “PMS” jokes or call any assertive woman a “bitch” during a political campaign.  I’ve been extremely irritated about this for a while now.  And, no, it’s not just because I’m a liberal Smithie … y’all should be just as offended as I am.  Especially valid is Ms. Cocoo’s point about the fact that NO ONE in office on in the Democratic Party uttered one word against this blatant attack.  Unacceptable.  Republicans, I expect this kind of shit from … Dems, you should be ashamed of youselves.

Misogyny I Won’t Miss

By Marie Cocco
Thursday, May 15, 2008; A15

As the Democratic nomination contest slouches toward a close, it’s time to take stock of what I will not miss.

I will not miss seeing advertisements for T-shirts that bear the slogan “Bros before Hos.” The shirts depict Barack Obama (the Bro) and Hillary Clinton (the Ho) and are widely sold on the Internet.

I will not miss walking past airport concessions selling the Hillary Nutcracker, a device in which a pantsuit-clad Clinton doll opens her legs to reveal stainless-steel thighs that, well, bust nuts. I won’t miss television and newspaper stories that make light of the novelty item.

I won’t miss episodes like the one in which liberal radio personality Randi Rhodes called Clinton a “big [expletive] whore” and said the same about former vice presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro. Rhodes was appearing at an event sponsored by a San Francisco radio station, before an audience of appreciative Obama supporters — one of whom had promoted the evening on the presumptive Democratic nominee’s official campaign Web site.

I won’t miss Citizens United Not Timid (no acronym, please), an anti-Clinton group founded by Republican guru Roger Stone.

Political discourse will at last be free of jokes like this one, told last week by magician Penn Jillette on MSNBC: “Obama did great in February, and that’s because that was Black History Month. And now Hillary’s doing much better ’cause it’s White Bitch Month, right?” Co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski rebuked Jillette.

I won’t miss political commentators (including National Public Radio political editor Ken Rudin and Andrew Sullivan, the columnist and blogger) who compare Clinton to the Glenn Close character in the movie “Fatal Attraction.” In the iconic 1987 film, Close played an independent New York woman who has an affair with a married man played by Michael Douglas. When the liaison ends, the jilted woman becomes a deranged, knife-wielding stalker who terrorizes the man’s blissful suburban family. Message: Psychopathic home-wrecker, begone.

The airwaves will at last be free of comments that liken Clinton to a “she-devil” (Chris Matthews on MSNBC, who helpfully supplied an on-screen mock-up of Clinton sprouting horns). Or those who offer that she’s “looking like everyone’s first wife standing outside a probate court” (Mike Barnicle, also on MSNBC).

But perhaps it is not wives who are so very problematic. Maybe it’s mothers. Because, after all, Clinton is more like “a scolding mother, talking down to a child” (Jack Cafferty on CNN).

When all other images fail, there is one other I will not miss. That is, the down-to-the-basics, simplest one: “White women are a problem, that’s — you know, we all live with that” (William Kristol of Fox News).

I won’t miss reading another treatise by a man or woman, of the left or right, who says that sexism has had not even a teeny-weeny bit of influence on the course of the Democratic campaign. To hint that sexism might possibly have had a minimal role is to play that risible “gender card.”

Most of all, I will not miss the silence.

I will not miss the deafening, depressing silence

 

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“Oh when you walk by every night, talking sweet and looking fine …

May 16, 2008 · 2 Comments

I get kind of hectic inside”-that’s right.  Mariah and the dearly departed ODB (that’s Ol’ Dirty Bastard for those of you not down with Wu-tang.)  This is a great song.  Love it.  Love it a million times.  In spite of all Mariah’s insanity, she does kind of rock.  Maybe the craziness adds to the allure.  I mean, is it even possible to be a really creative person without a certain level of insanity?  You never hear about any artist of any type with some totally stable life.  Just looking at my playlist, for example … Kurt Cobain (drug addict with major major depression), Paul Westerberg of the Replacements (alcoholic who had nervous breakdown), Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction (heroin addict), etc., etc.  Hmmmm … does unhappiness lead to creativity?  Can people be creative when they are happy?  Interesting …

Oooh … another good song.  Vonda Shepherd cover of “I Only Want to Be With You” from Ally McBeal soundtrack.  If you’ve ever watched “Arliss”, that’s the theme song. 

Just finished a bunch of laundry and watched the Office which is pretty hilarious tonight.  Still not as funny and edgy as when it first came on, but a good episode none the less.  It feels nice to be home and relax tonight, instead of torturing my insides with booze.  As Alicia Silverstone says in Clueless:  “I know it sounds mental, but sometimes I have more fun vegging out than when I go partying. Maybe because my party clothes are so binding.”  Couldn’t agree more.  “Within Your Reach” by the Replacements on now.  Fantastic song from the Say Anything soundtrack.  Such a great movie.  Is there any woman in their 30s/40s who is NOT in love with John Cusak because of that movie?  One of the top 80s romantic movie characters.  I’d put him right underneath Jake Ryan in 16 Candles who HAS to be number one.  O.K., so of course you remember the pivotal scene in Say Anthing with JC and the boombox with “In Your Eyes.”  What’s funny is that, of course, at the time, I, along with every other girl, thought “wow … how romantic.  To have a guy holding up a boombox playing the song you lost your virginity to outside your window in a desperate attempt to get you back!”  Now, though, I have to admit … if I broke up with someone and they showed up outside my door with a boombox, I’d be really creeped out.  Probably call the police.  DEFINITELY get a restraining order. 

I just read this article in the Oprah Magazine that had a great description of this woman profiled … “she is the kind of person who makes her own weather.”  I love that.  I would like to be the sort of person who makes my own weather, also.  I have been called “Hurricane Lisa” from time to time.  I tend to blow in and quickly disrupt everything.  Sometimes, I’d like to be more like a balmy, tropical breeze.  Perhaps if I took more Valium … “Jane Says” … fucking fantastic song.  Did I put this on my list of great songs about heroin use/abuse?  If not, it should def be on there.  “Jane says I’m done with Sergio … he treats me like a rag doll … I’m gonna kick tomorrow.”  

Another great song … thank God for music … I would be so lost without music … the Wreckers, “Crazy People.”  This is absolutely my theme song … “Only crazy people, fall in love with me, they come from all over, just to be with me … bank robbers and killers, drunks and drug dealers, only crazy people fall in love with me.”  Any of you who know me personally know this is indeed true.  I tend to attract a wide variety of convicted felons, people with chemical dependencies, as well as anyone with some sort of severe, untreated mental illness.  It’s those artistic types, I’m telling you.  I know I’ve discussed this before but TRUST ME … deep and profound = unstable and psychotic.  They always LOOK normal in the beginning but … something always snaps.  And then you get ex-boyfriends calling your bff’s husband at 8 a.m., 6 mos. after your break-up to discuss strategies to get back together.  (That’s still a funny story, Kim.  Poor N.)  Perhaps I should stick with athletes.  They tend to be uncomplicated.  What you see is what you get.  Which is really refreshing.  Until … until I get bored. :(   I like edgy and complicated.  But it’s a fine line between “complicated” and fully going off the rails on the crazy train.   

O.K., I have a date with Scott for 6:30 a.m. yoga tomorrow (and no, I don’t mean a real date … Scott is my yoga instructor.  I know the “date” word might be confusing considering the amount of people I’ve dated at my gym recently but this is really just for exercise) and must get some sleepy sleep.  Hope everyone is fantabulous this evening … wait … cannot sign off without telling you that Whitesnake “Here I Go Again” is playing on my Itunes.  “Here I go again on my own … going down the only road I’ve ever known … like a drifter I was born to walk alone…”  Crappiest. Lyrics. Ever.  But a great cheesy hair-band tune.  Love it.

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Thursday Night Social Club

May 16, 2008 · Leave a Comment

is not taking place tonight.  I thought I’d let y’all know so you wouldn’t be terribly disappointed when you arrive at work tomorrow a.m. eager to read about our latest debauchery.  Everyone is a little beat this week.  I am super beat.  Plus, I have a big weekend of working ahead of me … UCLA game and post-game dinner on Saturday, then early morning Sunday to pick up Dad and drive out to Riverside County to see one of my hs players have a work out for a team.  Busybusybusy.  Good, though.  I can actually get things done this weekend as opposed to speeding up the destruction of my liver. 

Randomly, I’m totally bummed because the new “Sex and the City” movie is getting lukewarm reviews.  I cannot WAIT for this movie to come out.  That may be my favorite television show of all time.  It’s a funny show … people either love it with all their heart (single chicks living in big cities, gay men) or totally despise it (straight men, my parents).  I have totally cried during that show because I found it so true to life, at times.  My friends have totally labeled me as “Samantha” which I’m actually o.k. about.  She is the most interesting character on the show.  And super independent and ballsy.  I’m down with Samantha.

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