Posted on 05/04/2005 5:59:04 AM PDT by OESY
I'll get to First Lady Laura Bush's bawdy stand-up routine in a minute. But I want to highlight a related new book out about how young conservatives are shaking up the dominant liberal media culture. It's called "South Park Conservatives." My name is listed on the cover along with many other (mostly) right-leaning pundits, websites, and bloggers, but I must confess to having mixed feelings about the honor.
The best-selling book's author, Brian C. Anderson of the Manhattan Institute, writes a fun, breezy survey documenting the rise of talk radio, FOX News, the Internet, conservative publishing, and college Republican activism. Anderson's chapter on the success of conservative talk radio and the abysmal failure of liberal Air America to replicate it is incisive. Another chapter on the blogosphere (alone worth the price of the book) gives readers a useful history of the explosion of news, opinion, and political websites that have smashed the left-wing media monopoly.
But how did such a wide-ranging list of individuals and organizations -- Anderson's book cover includes the names of conservative-leaning Internet pioneer Matt Drudge and center-left journalist Mickey Kaus, the libertarian Tech Central Station, the culturally conservative WorldNetDaily, political upstart Arnold Schwarzenegger and political chameleon Andrew Sullivan, plus Ann Coulter, Laura Ingraham, and myself, along with a feature blurb from Jonah Goldberg -- all get lumped under the umbrella term "South Park Conservatives"?
Anderson argues that Comedy Central's cartoon series "South Park" embodies the "fiercely anti-liberal comedic spirit" of the "new media" from Kaus to Coulter. The cartoon, he writes, reflects a "post-liberal counterculture" that is "particularly appealing to the young, however much it might offend older conservatives."
Well, I'm 34 and no fan of "South Park." I have many good friends who are indeed huge boosters of the show, but I find that the characters' foul language overwhelms any entertainment I might otherwise derive from the show's occasional, right-leaning iconoclastic themes.
"South Park" may be "politically incorrect." But "politically incorrect" is not always a synonym for "conservative."
My discomfort with "South Park's" increasingly mainstream vulgarity is not a matter of nitpicking. We're not just talking about a stray curse word here or there. As liberal New York Times columnist Frank Rich points out, "South Park" "holds the record for the largest number of bleeped-out repetitions (162) of a single four-letter expletive in a single television half-hour." That's probably about the same number of profanities uttered at John Kerry's infamous New York City celebrity fundraiser last summer, which Republicans rightly condemned for its excessive obscenities.
Rich is wrong about most things, but he's painfully on target in noting the incongruous pandering now taking place by some in the cool-kids clique on the Right. Conservatives criticize Hollywood relentlessly, but as Rich notes, "the embarrassing reality is that they want to be hip, too."
Which brings me to Mrs. Bush. She demonstrated at the celebrity-studded White House Correspondents' Dinner this weekend that you can entertain without being profane. Most of her humor was just right: Edgy but not over the edge. But her off-color stripper and horse jokes crossed the line. Can you blame Howard Stern for feeling peeved and perplexed? And let's face it: If Teresa ("I'm cheeky!") Heinz Kerry had delivered Mrs. Bush's First Lady Gone Mildly Wild routine, social conservative pundits would be up in arms over her bad taste and lack of dignity.
The First Lady resorting to horse masturbation jokes is not much better than Whoopi Goldberg trafficking in dumb puns on the Bush family name. It was wholly unnecessary.
Self-censorship is a conservative value. In a brilliant commencement speech at Hillsdale College last year, Heritage Foundation president Ed Feulner called on his audience to resist the coarsened rhetoric of our time: "If we are to prevail as a free, self-governing people, we must first govern our tongues and our pens. Restoring civility to public discourse is not an option. It is a necessity."
Lighten up, you say? No thanks. I'd rather be a G-rated conservative who can only make my kids giggle than a "South Park"/"Desperate Housewives" conservative whose goal is getting Richard Gere and Jane Fonda to snicker. Giving the Hollyweird Left the last laugh is not my idea of success.
We're both lucky enough we don't need to work, I see. My husband planned for an early retirement all his life and I was able to retire at age 42 and count my blessings he lets me do my thing. It's a good thing we aren't married to some of the prigs around here. LOL
How long did it take you to learn Japanese?
Oh, is that right boyo? Who said that Laura Bush is a whore? I happened to have served under Governor Bush and Miss Laura as a state officer, a finer pair hasn't come down the trail, I just might take offense to that my friend. That doesn't mean however, that they are beyond criticism once in awhile, that's what keeps this nation strong.
Me thinks she just did. Im sorely disappointed in her.
She's 0 for 2.
I agree, Michelle.
1. Ephesians 5:4
Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking...
>> "walk on the wildside" <<
Wow, you must have a pretty boring life if you consider a few very old jokes a "walk on the wildside".
Spot on. You nailed it.
Not much of a swear word, but coming from Mom it was always a shock.
I had the same reaction when I heard what the First Lady said. I wasn't offended. Just surprised.
To refrain from filthiness and foolish talking and jesting because they “are not convenient” does not make good sense.
Anything “convenient” is “favorable to one’s comfort; easy to do, use or get to; causing little trouble; handy” (Webster).
But in 1611, when the King James Version was written, the word “convenient” meant that which is “fit, suitable, appropriate.”
Now that meaning is “obsolete” (Webster). So Paul was saying that filthiness and foolish talking and jesting are to be condemned because they do not “fit,” are not “suitable,” and are not “appropiate” (aneko).
Filthiness and foolish talking certainly do not “fit,” are not “suitable,” and are not “appropriate,” but what about “jesting”?
Does jesting consist of “idle words”? Jesting is “to be playful in speech and actions; to joke” (Webster).
As the word “convenient” had a different meaning 300 years ago, so did “jesting.”
Paul’s inspired word eutrapelia, translated in the KJV as “jesting,” had two meanings 300 years ago: (1) “pleasantry, humor, facetiousness” and (2) “in a bad sense, scurrility, ribaldry, low jesting” (Thayer). Facetiousness is “lightly joking” (Webster).
Scurrility is “indecent language; vulgar” (Webster). Ribaldry is “coarse joking or mocking; offensive, irreverent, or vulgar in language” (Webster).
Eutrapelia is either “wit, liveliness, politeness” or “coarse jesting, ribaldry” (GREEK DICTIONARY).
Eutrapelia was used “mostly in a good sense: ‘witticisms,’ ‘facetiousness,’ “ but “in our literature only in a bad sense, coarse jesting” (Bauer-Gingrich-Danker).
Certainly Paul used the word “in a bad sense, coarse jesting.” This means that the King James translators made a mistake in saying that Paul condemned “jesting,” a word that now only means “being playful, joking.”
Thus Paul’s use of the word did not condemn “pleasantry, humor” (Thayer), nor “wit, liveliness, politeness” (GREEK DICTIONARY), but his use of the word was to condemn coarse jesting. Words of pleasantry, humor, wit, liveliness, and politeness are not idle, useless, worthless. Solomon wrote:
A joyful heart puts a smile on the face, but pain in the heart crushes the spirit (Proverbs 15:13). A cheerful heart is good medicine, while a crushed spirit dries up the bones (Proverbs 17:22). Clean jesting, causing a laugh, is not idle. Jesting is “to be playful in speech and actions; to joke” (Webster). A joke is 1. anything said or done to arouse laughter; funny anecdote; witty, amusing remark; amusing trick played on someone. 2. something not meant to be taken seriously; thing done or said in fun (Webster). It follows therefore that no word is idle if there is a good, wholesome purpose back of it, whether serious or in fun
http://www.hevanet.com/jamoran/ChristianArticles/Articles/McCord/Idle%20Words.htm
farmer18th referred to her as both a wh@re and a slut.
Some of the other posts were removed by the mods apaprently.....
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1394870/posts?page=133#133
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1394870/posts?page=129#129
To: Gabz
it's attitudes like yours that give conservatives a bad rap as being rightwing religious fanatics who wish to control everyone else's life.
Let's see now: if you think the President's wife shoudln't act like a slut before the national press corp, you are a "rightwing religious fanatic."
On the contrary, it's shallow, moral philistines like yourself who don't understand the connection between a gutter culture at the top and a welfare state at the bottom.
133 posted on 05/02/2005 1:56:21 AM EDT by farmer18th ("The fool says in his heart there is no God.")
To: Cobra64
Methodist Minister
Ah, yes, the true fountain of contemporary wisdom--Methodism, where some of the congregations have even taken to devoting communion to the Roman Goddess of wisdom. You'll have to do better than that.
If Laura dresses like a nun and talks like a slut, then what is she?
129 posted on 05/02/2005 1:26:10 AM EDT by farmer18th ("The fool says in his heart there is no God.")
WOW! You're GOOD.
Just damn. No kidding. You're spot on, in my opinion!
As for me - I thought her roast was hilarious. The cow/horse joke is as OLD AS THE HILLS. She most certainly meant the OLD joke version, where it wasn't necessary to define the sex. Maybe she had a joke writer who screwed up.
Trey and Matt's "Team America" really showed hollyweird liberals for the freaks they are. Sean Penn personally went moonbat on them
SEAN PENN RIPS 'TEAM AMERICA' CREATORS IN ANGRY MEMO **Exclusive** October 6, 2004 To Trey Parker and Matt Stone, I remember a cordial hello when you guys were beginning to be famous guys around Hollywood at some party. I remember several times getting a few giggles out of your humor. I remember not being bothered as you traded on my name among others to appear witty, above it all, and likeable to your crowd. I never mind being of service, in satire and silliness.
I do mind when anybody who doesn't have a child, doesn't have a child at war, or isn't or won't be in harm's way themselves, is encouraging that there's "no shame in not voting" "if you don't know what you're talking about" (Mr. Stone) without mentioning the shame of not knowing what your talking about, and encouraging people to know. You guys are talented young guys but alas, primarily young guys.
It's all well to joke about me or whomever you choose. Not so well, to encourage irresponsibility that will ultimately lead to the disembowelment, mutilation, exploitation, and death of innocent people throughout the world.
The vote matters to them. No one's ignorance, indcluding a couple of hip cross-dressers, is an excuse.
All best, and a sincere fvck you,
Sean Penn
P.S. Take this as a personal invitation from me to you (you can ask Dennis Miller along for the ride as well) to escort you on a trip, which I took last Christmas. We'll fly to Amman, Jordan and I'll ride with you in a (?) 12 hours through the Sunni Triangle into Fallujah and Baghdad and I'll show you around. When we return, make all the fun you want.
The video for Team America comes out soon...... 
Kim Jong in Team Amercia
It's less arogent to say "I realize you understood the intended joke, and found it juvenile, and therefore lacking in humor."
Great job, team. Time to head back to headquarters for cocktails and debriefing. :-)
900-laura-goes-south-park
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.