So there's an opinion columnist for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's website who's facing some harsh criticism over a piece she wrote recently comparing Sarah Palin to a porn star and implying that Republican men are sexually inadequate.
The backlash, as it turns out, didn't start until the professional patriots over at Fox News did a predictably indignant story on the column -- basically drawing the attention of every redneck in the contiguous 48 to something he otherwise never would've seen, since the American readership of the CBC's site is basically nil.
And how is the writer in question, Heather Mallick, responding to NASCAR America's sudden contrived outrage?
Brilliantly.
“My problem is that I have to write with a certain kind of reader in mind, and that person is always going to be my vision of an intelligent Canadian. I don’t write for Fox viewers,” she said in an interview.
In other words, it was a joke that wasn't meant for you -- so piss off.
And before the Fox Fans dare to argue that the audience a comment is aimed at doesn't matter -- that offensive is offensive -- somebody needs to remind them of that idiot John Gibson's crack about Heath Ledger's death back in January.
Monday, October 06, 2008
Hate White North
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7 comments:
I haven't seen the video, but I read that Van Susteren was referring to the column as "vicious" while simultaneously calling Mallick a "pig".
The inability of conservative pundits to hold themselves accountable to the same standards by which they judge others never ceases to amaze me. They must be the least self-aware people on the planet.
Well, if you could only do your girlfriend up the butt until you were married you might be inadequate too!
Personally, I believe that a significant number of the complaints probably came from Canadians. Ian Austen's New York Times piece which you quoted mentioned that a Canadian journalist (National Post columnist Jonathan Kay, whom the Austen neglected to identify) criticized the editorial as well--indicating that at least one reasonably educated Canadian shared Ms. Van Susteren's opinion. Austen also failed to mention that Kay encouraged his readers to complain to the CBC. Doing so would not have served Austen's purpose, apparently.
Also, the CBC ombudsman's report said that "Many of the complaints were thoughtful attempts to refute Ms. Mallick’s points, often saying that they defended her right to have an opinion," (decidedly incongruous with your take on Fox News viewers), "but most took exception to her opinions being published on CBCNews.ca, funded by taxpayers." I would be surprised if most Fox News viewers (or CNN viewers for that matter) are aware that the CBC is tax-supported.
I should mention that the ombudsman's report is a wonderfully thoughtful and unbiased analysis of the editiorial, the resulting situation, and the responsibilities of a journalist and their news organization. It deserves to be read at least as widely as the column which precipitated it.
Lastly, I hope you aren't seriously suggesting that "that idiot John Gibson's crack about Heath Ledger's death back in January" wasn't offensive. It certainly was, as was Mallick's piece--as both surely were intended to be.
this might be the first time in history that an american has accused a canadian of being too mean.
i love it.
Expecting an intelligent response from the "Belch and Fart" channel is like expecting Palin to talk like a well educated, well raised lady instead of the dressed up Joe Sixpack cum sponge that she is.
Heather Malick's response is purely spot on.
Don't call me guy, buddy.
Wow Tony, that's mighty thorough of you.
Look, as much as I appreciate your comments -- and I do, particularly when you take upon yourself the role of managing editor for this site -- please understand that this isn't the New York Times, nor have I ever claimed that it would be.
Yes, I have a journalism background, but what you find here is still mostly opinion (and the aim of quite a bit of that is to entertain more than anything else). Not everything I post -- certainly not something like this, a "quickie" that's typed with one hand while the other one rocks a two-month old -- is meant to be deep or analytical. I trust that you understand this; you seem too smart not to.
Now if you take issue with the opinions expressed here -- think they're off base or otherwise unsubstantiated -- then go right ahead researching and linking them into submission.
And by the way, "offensive" is something that's inferred rather than implied. I actually thought that Gibson's joke wasn't all that offensive -- just stupid.
I'd imagine you think differently, and that's the nature of offense.
Thanks for reading and commenting, incidentally.
: )
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