It is time to give another Joel Award.
Joel Award: when a journalist, blogger or public figure makes a dishonest flip-flopping statement. The award was named after a blogger who lied about defending a fellow Sticks of Fire blogger for planning to beat homeless people on video. Joel did defend the blogger. The award is meant to hold people accountable for their blatant and morally bankrupt dishonesty.
Laura Bush has this exchange on The Today Show about Iraq.
MS. CURRY: I also asked Mrs. Bush about other challenges her husband is facing.
(To Mrs. Bush.) You know the American people are suffering watching --
MRS. BUSH: Oh, I know that very much. And believe me, no one suffers more than their president and I do when we watch this, and certainly the commander in chief, who has asked our military to go into harm's way.
George and Laura sat down for an interview with People late last year. The President did not sound like a man suffering.
People's interviewer also mentioned that readers had asked if he takes sleep aids. Bush said generally not, but he does occasionally when he travels.
“I must tell you, I'm sleeping a lot better than people would assume,” he said.
Bush added, "I've got so much on my mind, and this job is so exciting that it's really hard to settle down and plan the next 10 years of our life."
Laura Bush said her husband was bothered by Iraq. The People interview showed a man enjoying his job and bragging about how well he is sleeping. Laura Bush sat next to him when her husband said these things. Hardly the words of a man tortured about Iraq. For this Laura Bush wins the Joel Award.
Americablog has video of Mrs. Bush on The Today Show.
It was extremely frightening to have that pop up when I opened your page. Now I am awake again.
ReplyDeleteNot that I think it's worth saying anything further to someone who has demonstrated himself to be utterly obstinate and self-serving, but I thought I'd catch everyone up on "my" award.
ReplyDeleteHere's the comment for which I was condemned:
Dawn grabbed the hammer and brought it firmly on the nail’s head. If Sticks jumping the shark means people start talking, I’ll bring the chum.
*end of bad metaphors*
I’m in no way defending the possibility of filming battery on the homeless, but damn how cool is it to see people getting worked up? I’m not even sure that this was Rachel*’s intention with this post, but it’s been a rather circuitous path to a positive thing.
I do hope that anyone offended cuts both Rachel* and Sticks some slack. Make your displeasure known please, but please don’t let this drive you away.
Maybe we can all choose our methods a little better, but I’d say starting the conversation is precisely what any of us here or any other blog can hope to do with our words.
Things I admit to: 1) Overstating the importance of the post stirring up a conversation; 2)Forgetting I made the comment at all - I admitted as much on a comment thread on this site I'm frankly too tired to find; and 3) Knowing the difference between "defending" and "cutting slack."
If this one comment makes me as dangerous a flip-flopper as the First Lady or the Senator from Arizona, so be it. I personally find it a wonderful lack of perspective, but what do I know - I'm just a flip-flopper that "no one cares about" (Hussey's quote).
You and the other Ropeheads (fair enough, right?) can go ahead and gang up on me now.
Actually, we are Ropers.
ReplyDelete