Bruce Jenner is a courageous idiot

By Michael J.W. Stickings

There isn't much about the Kardashians and their bubble of cultural degradation and egomaniacal excess that I respect, but I do respect Bruce Jenner's decision, if one can even call it that, to come out as a woman (he is still a "he" for now, but he says that he is a woman, and the "he" may soon become "she"), that is, his courageous coming to terms with, and acceptance of, his sexual identity. Even now, in 2015, it is not an easy thing to do, in private let alone in public, where you subject yourself to speculation and ridicule, if not worse, as much as to admiration and respect.

Now, I don't know Bruce Jenner. I watched part of his interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC as it's been a story on CNN this afternoon and I caught it flipping through the channels, and I can only take him at his word, and I can only give him the benefit of the doubt. That is, I can only assume that he is being sincere, that he has spent the better part of his life struggling with his sexual identity, and that his coming out as a woman -- cosmetic surgery and hormone treatment but not yet, and perhaps not, full conversion -- isn't yet another publicity stunt on the part of the Kardashian Klan, of which is, of course, a central member. Needless to say, the Kardashians, Jenner included, are long-time publicity whores, and it wouldn't be a stretch for Jenner to use his transgendered status to get some attention, not least with another reality show coming up.

But again, let's give him the benefit of the doubt. I do not know what it's like to be transgendered, nor to struggle with one's sexual identity, and he does seem genuine.

But if I credit him with courage, I must also debit him for his idiocy. Because there is so much of it:

After months of speculation that he was transitioning into a woman, Bruce Jenner confirmed the news in an interview with Diane Sawyer that aired on ABC Friday night, clarifying that he is also a Republican and a Christian.

When asked about Barack Obama addressing LGBT rights in his State of the Union, the 65-year-old former Olympic athlete said that didn't affect him much.

"I've always been more on the conservative side," Jenner said.

*****

Jenner said he is a Christian as well.

"I would sit in church and always wonder, 'In God's eyes, how does he see me?'"

But now, he said, he's realized that maybe this is part of his purpose.

"Maybe this is my cause in life."

"This is why God put me on this earth... to deal with this issue."

That's from The Daily Caller, Tucker Carlson's right-wing toilet paper, and the tone of the piece suggests that it is rather gleeful that this famous transgendered person is Republican and Christian, as if that somehow sticks it to the left. In any event, let's address the idiocy here:

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Matt Damon does the stupid ALS ice bucket challenge, but in a good way

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Basically, I think the ALS ice bucket challenge is fucking stupid. I'm all for fighting this awful disease, but surely there are better ways to raise awareness, and, what's more, it pretty clear that many, and probably at this point most, of the people doing it are only doing it because it's gone viral and trendy, not because they have any idea about, let alone actually care about, what it's actually all about. And then there is, to me, the problem that lies at the heart of the matter: this whole challenge involves wasting clean water at a time when clean water is in short supply and drought is wreaking havoc. Not those dumping cold water over themselves seem to give a shit, but I think it's important that we do.

And so it was refreshing to see Matt Damon, whom I generally admire a lot for his activism, find a suitable alternative (see video below):

"It posed kind of a problem for me, not only because there's a drought here in California," Damon explained in the video, uploaded to the organization's YouTube channel. "But because I co-founded Water.org, and we envision the day when everybody has access to a clean drink of water -- and there are about 800 million people in the world who don't -- and so dumping a clean bucket of water on my head seemed a little crazy."

The actor -- who nominated George Clooney, Bono and NFL quarterback Tom Brady to do the challenge next -- said swapping clean H2O from the faucet for toilet water seemed fitting for the causes near and dear to his heart, as about 2.4 billion people across the globe still lack access to clean sanitation systems. Toilet water in westernized nations, Damon added, is still cleaner than the drinking water in many underserved communities in developing countries. 

Does this mean I'll now do this myself? No, it just means I'll applaud those celebrities who do. Even if I continue to think this whole thing is ridiculous, at least in its viral, trendy form.

Private eyes are watching you

By Carl 

In all the uproar over government surveillance and the NSA wiretaps and what not, we seem to be ignoring a far greater invasion of our collective privacies:

Celebrities can take back exits and limos with tinted windows to dodge the paparazzi -- but a leaked video that purportedly shows Beyoncé's sister beating up on Jay Z in the elevator of a swanky New York hotel is a reminder that there are still plenty of ways to be caught on candid camera.

The grainy footage obtained by entertainment website TMZ allegedly shows Solange Knowles roughing up the rapper, and was reportedly recorded by a surveillance camera on May 5 at The Standard hotel. While it's unclear how the footage was leaked, multiple people could have accessed the archives, a security expert told NBC News.

"We are shocked and disappointed that there was a clear breach of our security system and the confidentiality that we count on providing our guests," The Standard told The Grio in an email. The company added it is "investigating with the utmost urgency."

To me, this is merely an extension of the paparazzi phenomenon of the 1970s and '80s: people in public places (and yes, a hotel elevator would be deemed a public place) caught on camera in what one might say are states of public solitude – underdressed, no makeup, engaged in private conversations, being naughty in some respect or other.

Lately, it seems these incidents have become far more commonplace: the rash seems to have started with Congressman Vance McAllister and run through Donald Sterling to Jay-Z and his family. Security footage or other supposedly "private" recordings leaked to the press and published.

I don't have a lot of sympathy for those caught (indeed, in Sterling's case, it was his taping system that was used against him, much like Watergate and President Nixon). If you're not at home, you should assume you're on camera, particularly if you have any kind of public profile.

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Obama decides America should keep Justin Bieber, Canadians breathe huge sigh of relief

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Looks like the U.S. will still have Justin Bieber to terrorize its popular culture, not to mention anywhere he happens to be at any given time, for a whole lot longer:

The White House has declined to comment on a "Deport Justin Bieber and revoke his green card" petition, saying the "We the People" Whitehouse.gov petition system allows the Executive Office to dodge comments "to avoid the appearance of improper influence."

*****

More than 273,000 people signed the petition, which calls for Canadian pop star to be deported because of his representation in the world of pop culture.

"We would like to see the dangerous, reckless, destructive, and drug abusing Justin Bieber removed from society and his green card revoked," the petition says. "He is not only threatening the safety of our people but he is also a terrible influence on our nation's youth."

The original petition, filed January 23 through the "We the People" petition system, merited a response from the White House after receiving more than 100,000 signatures within 30 days, per the system's terms of participation.

Clearly the petition was silly and full of hyperbole, perhaps ironically so, but this really lowers my opinion of the president. Here he had a chance to rid the country of a nuisance, a pest, a spoiled brat, a blight on the cultural landscape, and he refused? Come on. Do Americans really want Bieber in their midst? I mean, they probably prefer Celine Dion, on the whole.

But... wait! Bieber is Canadian. I'm Canadian. Worse, he's from Ontario. I live in Ontario. If he were to be deported, there's a good chance he'd spend more of his time here. And, honestly, we already have Rob Ford. Isn't that enough?

So, yes, well done, Mr. President. You gone done the right thing. And Americans, keep enjoying all that Bieber brings to your glorious country. You can keep him.

Sorry America, you keep Justin Bieber

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Canada 1, United States 0.

But, really, it should have been 3-0 or 4-1. At least. It was a dominant performance by Crosby & Co. for the Canadians.

By the way, this is a real billboard in Skokie, Illinois. Be careful what you ask for, dear Americans. Because we don't want him back.

Of rats and men

Or, in vino veritas

By Capt. Fogg

When I watched Dennis Rodman's drunken rant the other day, I was astonished, dumfounded and amazed that none of the commentary included the compelling, obvious, unavoidable observation that the man was dead drunk: smashed, stewed, tanked, wasted, three sheets to the wind and shitfaced. It was probably more obvious to the sheepish players sitting next to him who were, I'm sure, worried about any open flame in such hazardous atmosphere. If we needed any further reminder of the somewhat erratic journalistic and public tendency to forgive athletes for their often disgusting outbursts, perhaps here we have it.

Nonetheless, we now have the inevitable apology from the man who might not give a rat's ass about being a rat and an ass himself but just might respond to worries about the financial consequences on those too rare occasions of sobriety. I'm not expecting any such retraction from the Reverend Jesse "Hymietown" Jackson, who not only couldn't find the strength to criticize the friend and defender of a grizzly mass murderer and psychotic tyrant, but still defends him. "I had been drinking," says Rodman through a face full of hardware. No shit! reverberates throughout the cosmos.

Is it time at long last for America to examine the way it selects people for elevation to the status of hero, prophet, and role model for our children -- examine the reasons we give to explain our support or condemnation? 

Shhhh -- what's that sound? No shit! says the universe.

(Cross-posted from Human Voices.)

Behind the Ad: Will Ferrell endorses Eric Garcetti for Los Angeles Mayor

By Richard K. Barry 

(Another installment in our extensive "Behind the Ad" series.) 

Eric Garcetti

Who: The Eric Garcetti mayoral campaign

Where: Los Angeles. 

What's going on: Haven't done one of these since November, but that doesn't mean that elections of one sort or another aren't always going on somewhere. In this case, actor and comedian Will Ferrell does a hilarious spot for Eric Garcetti, who is running for mayor of Los Angeles.

I don't know much about Garcetti other than that he's a member of Los Angeles City Council; he's a Democrat and he has a lot of friends in show business. He was an early Obama supporter and he declared his intention to run for mayor of L.A. on Sept. 8, 2011.



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Great GOP Moments: Craig T. Nelson sums up today's Republican mindset in one sentence

By Marc McDonald


A few years ago, actor Craig T. Nelson was being interviewed by creepy GOP nutcase Glenn Beck and made a comment that was widely ridiculed (see video above).

"I've been on food stamps and welfare, did anyone help me out? No," Nelson said.

Nelson was praising the virtues of America's "capitalistic" society. Many commentators pointed out the contradiction of Nelson's praise of a dog-eat-dog capitalist system and his admission of collecting welfare while bizarrely claiming that nobody had ever helped him out.

What many of these commentators missed though was that there really wasn't any contradiction in Nelson's comments -- at least in the minds of today's Republicans.

I've talked to many Republicans over the years. The vast majority of them claim to be hard-core capitalists, who support a vicious dog-eat-dog, survival-of-the-fittest, Ayn Rand/wet dream-type society. In a nutshell, they all are strongly in favor of shutting down all government programs with the exception of the Pentagon.

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Why does PSY hate us?

By Frank Moraes

I don't read Glenn Greenwald every day, I quote Glenn Greenwald every day. He is a great writer who really gets to the core of political issues in a way that is rare indeed. Yesterday, he asked a question, "Which of these two stories is causing more controversy and outrage in the US?" And then he offered two quotes. The first was from the New York Daily News about anti-American lyrics written by Korean rapper PSY. The second was from The Guardian about American troops in Afghanistan targeting children with "hostile intent." His point that there is an uproar about the lyrics and silence about killing children in a foreign land.

His broader point is that Americans accept this myth that our government just goes around minding its own business and then people attack us for no reason at all! Now, Greenwald is not making the case that America is evil and we deserve to be attacked. Rather it is that these attacks don't come out of a vacuum. And until we grow up as a people and understand that, there will be ever more people angry at our policies of, for example, targeting Islamic children with our military.

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Laughing and crying with Victoria Jackson

By Frank Moraes

(Ed. note: I would note that Victoria Jackson seems to use Twitter as an Tourette-style outlet for her right-wing diarrhea. Among other things, she has been calling for secession: "Better to SECEDE than have a Civil War." Yes, the conservative mind in action. -- MJWS)

There is something in the water over at SNL and it ain't LSD. Or maybe it is. That would kind of explain the likes of Dennis Miller, Jon Lovitz, and especially Victoria Jackson. On election night, she had a bigger meltdown than most conservatives, claiming that she couldn't stop crying. And for good reason: "America died." On the badness scale, that is one notch below, "Music died." What especially sucks is there is no cool song to go along with it.

That evening Jackson also tweeted the now infamous, "Thanks a lot Christians for not showing up. You disgust me." Can't you just feel that Born Again love? You know what Jesus said, "Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who votes Democratic to enter the kingdom of God." So suck it all you America-hating commie bastards!

And in this vein, Jackson tweeted yesterday morning, "Obama's policies (communism) PUNISH the Responsible and REWARD the Irresponsible." This was following from a tweet last night in which she spread her Christian love:

Obama's policies (communism) PUNISH the Responsible and REWARD the Irresponsible.
— Victoria Jackson (@vicjackshow) November 13, 2012

Don't get the wrong idea here: Victoria Jackson is not racist. You know this because of that caveat. It's not that white people are better, it's just that they tend that way—statistically! It's just science. Like The Bell Curve. It's not like she wants to kill non-whites; they're just like Christians; you know: disgusting.

But perhaps we are too harsh on the once talented Ms. Jackson. She has known tragedy. Her first husband -- fire-eater Nisan Mark Eventoff -- left her, because it is apparently easier to swallow fire than Victoria's bullshit. And her two daughters are rumored to have died recently of extreme cases of shame and embarrassment. Jackson is apparently immune.

On her Twitter desciption, Victoria Jackson lists simply, John 16:33. For those of you not up on your Bible, John is the anti-Semitic Gospel. Not that I'm saying Jackson is anti-Semitic. Like most loon Christians, she probably loves the Jews because they are necessary to the Second Coming. After that they can burn in hell, of course. Anyway, here's the verse:

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

I'm fond of this verse, because it calls on Christians to chill the fuck out. And they used to! It is only recently that the Religious Right rose up and decided they should work to make their perfect biblical government here on earth. This is why they get so angry at the radical Islamists: they're competition.

I find it a little sad that Victoria Jackson could be doing all of this as an art form: political satire. It disturbs me that she is clearly not. She is all too typical of her species of born-again Christianity that seems to think Jesus was Joseph McCarthy plus magic tricks. Reading Jackson's comments is one of those rare activities where you truly don't know whether to laugh or cry.

(Cross-posted at Frankly Curious.)

Will Ferrell wants you to vote

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Just saw this over at Frank's place:


I'm sure Republicans will blast this one as well -- just like they did Lena Dunham's -- saying Obama is desperate and will do anything for votes.

Actually, it's just a funny ad with an important message: vote.

(And it's especially important to get out and vote given the Republicans' voter suppression efforts.)

Endorsements

By Mustang Bobby

Does it really matter to you if someone else endorses a candidate?

I suppose it's interesting that Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the plutocrat's version of a maverick (he was once a Democrat, once a Republican, now an independent) endorsed President Obama the other day, but after the last week, it would be churlish of him not to at least thank him for helping out after the deluge. But I don't think he did it just for that reason alone; he's seeing which way the wind is blowing, so to speak, and the wind today seems to be coming from Chicago, not Boston.

But in truth I don't think endorsements should matter all that much to the average voter any more than a celebrity endorsement sells more coffee or boner pills. Most voters go into the polling station with one thing on their mind: What's in it for me? Forget the big issues like climate change or trade with China; will voting for Barack Obama or Mitt Romney make my life better here in my little world?

But there's one reason a lot of the campaigns make a big deal out of celebrity endorsements. They appeal to part of our brain that makes us read People magazine or Liz Smith's gossip column: it's the brush with fame that turns us on. Hey, I'm just like Brad Pitt because I like Barack Obama too!

It also cues up the lizard brain: make it about the primal fears of the voter and you can talk them into anything. A candidate will scare the crap out of you with threats of gays getting married and slutty college girls getting abortions even if you live in a town where the gay population is more likely to show up at Rotary on Tuesday than at the courthouse demanding a marriage license, and it's the housewife in need of a mammogram who loses when Planned Parenthood is run out of town.

So if you'll fall for that, perhaps you'll be impressed if Meat Loaf endorses Mitt Romney and Bruce Springsteen endorses Barack Obama. But neither of them are going to matter a whole lot when your local school district can't afford to fix up the classroom or the free clinic shuts down when some Jesus-shouting snake-handler warns of Hell on the sidewalk because they handed out condoms.

I endorse Barack Obama for president. So what?

(Cross-posted at Bark Bark Woof Woof.)

Frasier endorses Mitt Romney. Huzzah!!!

By Richard K. Barry

I fully understand that actors are not the characters they play. I also take no strong position about celebrity endorsements. They can say whatever they want on any side of the aisle -- free speech and all that. I'm always amazed at people who get worked up over big names who say stuff. They're allowed like everyone else, and if we don't want to pay attention, I don't think we have to. I'm pretty sure I'm right about that.

I will admit that a slight smile came to my face when I read that actor Kelsey Grammer, a.k.a. Dr. Frasier Crane, endorsed Mitt Romney in a recent interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, saying that he'd "make a terrific president."

I was just thinking how much fun it would be for Mr. Grammer to show up in character as Frasier, the goofy artistocrat, at one of Romney's rallies. Maybe that's just my idea of fun.

On a more serious note, Grammer commented on The Tonight Show recently that he thought it possible his GOP ties might cost him an Emmy nod for Boss this year, adding, "I mean, I am a declared, out-of-the-closet Republican in Hollywood."

I don't mean to be naive, but it would be a shame if that sort of thing actually happened. Though it would certainly be a dramatically gentler form of blacklisting than progressives endured in the '50s, it would still be wrong, obviously.

I've always enjoyed Grammer's work.

(Cross-posted at Lippmann's Ghost.)

Is it true that Mitt Romney was John Travolta's masseur?

By Michael J.W. Stickings 

Via twitter: 

Breaking: Mitt Romney announces he has never massaged John Travolta, contrary to his NYT piece "I Massaged the Hell Out of John Travolta" 

-- William K. Wolfrum (@Wolfrum)

My favorite tweet of the day, from the always hilarious Wolfrum, one of my fellow MBRUers at Crooks and Liars.

Because, you know, if Romney thought there were votes in saying he was Travolta's masseur, he'd be on that as fast and as shamelessly as some idiot taking credit for the hugely successful auto bailout despite a long history of opposing it.

Whitney Houston and our fucked up priorities

By Michael J.W. Stickings

UPDATE: And, seriously, lowering the flags in New Jersey? Ridiculous. You have fucked up priorities as well, Chris Christie, and not just with your anti-gay bigotry.

**********

As you may have heard, Whitney Houston's funeral on Saturday will be broadcast on TV and the Web. No doubt it will be on CNN. (Could Anderson Cooper and Piers Morgan be milking her death any more shamelessly, particularly the latter? Cooper, at least, seems to be a genuinely sincere guy, while Morgan is a smug, smarmy, dim-witted hack.)

In not unrelated news, a new study shows that five children die every minute as a result of malnutrition. (via)

This is exactly what I was getting at the other night in writing about Whitney's death and its coverage in the media.

And it's captured in this image someone sent me the other day -- share it, and do let me know if you know where it came from:

Yes, we do have our priorities all fucked up. And fucked up beyond any hope of fixing the problem -- and of dealing with the world's real problems.

(I would just note that the image significantly understates the problem. How many millions are crying over Whitney? And how many millions of children, how many millions of people generally, are dying?)

Matt Damon's leftier-than-thou rant against Obama

By Richard K. Barry and Michael J.W. Stickings

RKB:

Yeah, well, I like Matt Damon. I think he's a smart guy. I usually like his movies. I generally like his politics. But I don't think much of his "leftier-than-thou" rant about Obama's performance in the White House.

In an interview with Elle magazine, Damon had this to say:

"I've talked to a lot of people who worked for Obama at the grassroots level. One of them said to me, 'Never again. I will never be fooled again by a politician.'" He then added, "You know, a one-term president with some balls who actually got stuff done would have been, in the long run of the country, much better."

Referencing the Occupy protests, Damon said the Democrats have received a mandate from people who are "just wandering out into the streets to yell right now because they are so pissed off." He wondered aloud, "Imagine if they had a leader."

Here's a little piece of important information for you, Mr. Damon. Social movements are not the same thing as electoral politics. They can work well together to achieve spectacular results, but they are not the same thing. Movements can often send a clear and important message about what needs to happen. Politics is the art of compromise that sometimes gets some of that done. 

I understand that a lot of people don't like politics because you are always in the process of finding the votes to make good on your promises. It requires compromise and it's easy to get shut down when your opponents are able to use or even abuse the rules of the game to make your life difficult.

So, you say that Democrats have received their marching orders from Occupy protesters and all they need to do now is do it, whatever the "it" is.

Mr. Damon, you have no idea what political leadership is, how hard it is. I'll bet making movies is a lot easier. You get to write down how things come out and that's exactly what happens. Not so much in real life. But thanks for coming out.

I liked what Obama had to say about an earlier instance in which Damon criticized the president:

"I've even let down my key core constituency: Movie stars," he said. "Just the other day, Matt Damon — I love Matt Damon, love the guy — Matt Damon said he was disappointed in my performance."

Obama then threw in a zinger of his own, saying "Well, Matt, I just saw 'The Adjustment Bureau,' so... right back atcha, buddy." 

(Cross-posted at Lippmann's Ghost.)

**********

MJWS:

I like Damon a lot as well, including, for the most part, his politics. And I understand progressive frustration with President Obama as well. But come on. If you paid any attention at all during the 2008 campaign, you knew that he was something of a non-ideological centrist. Yes, there was all that talk about change, but the demands of a campaign call for exaggeration.

Now, has there been change? Well, first, he himself is change. Think about what he means, what it means to have him as president. There's a reason so many Republicans have been so virulent in their attacks on him. You think it all has to do with his policies? Not, it has more to do with him, with what he represents, namely, something other than a privileged white man occupying the highest office in the land.

And, second, what about health-care reform? Even if it wasn't as much as many of us wanted, it was a hell of a lot. Democrats had been trying for decades to reform a corrupt, unjust, and simply cruel system. Obama actually did it. Or how about the stimulus package? Is there more he could have done? Maybe. But it's hard to do a lot when you've got a Republican opposition that absolutely refuses to work with you, a conservative movement that has taken it upon itself to try to destroy you.

If you want to criticize him, go after his continuation of some of the worst elements of the Bush-Cheney national security state. Fine. I'm right with you. But to abandon him because he hasn't lived up to your inanely high and totally unreasonable expectations? That's just ridiculous.

Could he have been more ballsy? Sure. Am I disappointed with him so far? Yes, of course. But not to the point where I'll refuse to support him ever again, and not to the point where I'll never trust any politician ever again. If that's what you think, or if that's what your gut tells you, you really don't understand politics at all.

And Matt Damon, a really smart guy, should know better.

It makes me think he should stick to making generally entertaining movies (i.e., not The Adjustment Bureau) and doing his fantastic impersonation of Matthew McConaughey on Letterman.

Ex-porn star Sasha Grey reads to children. And?

By Michael J.W. Stickings

And, predictably, some parents are freaking out:

Porn legend Sasha Grey -- winner of the 2010 AVN award for best anal sex scene -- was invited to read books to 1st graders at an L.A.-area elementary school last week ... but the school tried to cover it all up ... after parents pitched a fit.

TMZ has obtained photos of Sasha reading children's books at Emerson Elementary School in Compton on November 2nd ... participating in the Read Across America program. Grey, who hasn't done porn in 2 years, may have been invited because she's mainstream now, with credits which include "Entourage."

Sasha tweeted about the experience -- calling the students the "sweetest" ever. However, not everyone saw it that way ... some angry parents complained to the PTA -- who then contacted the school's principal ... but there's one problem.

A rep for the school district is flatly denying Sasha was ever inside one of its classrooms -- telling TMZ, "We have several celebrities who read to our students each year. The actress you have indicated [Sasha] was not present."

Clearly, the photos we obtained show otherwise.

That's right -- assuming TMV is right about this -- parents complained and school is trying to cover it all up. Fantastic.

Look, there's nothing wrong with Grey reading to schoolchildren. She doesn't do porn anymore (although I'm not sure that should be an automatic disqualification), she's a mainstream actress now (The Girlfriend Experience, Entourage), she seems to be a smart, socially and politically engaged woman (including her work with PETA), and, besides, how would first-graders have any idea about her pornographic past? The fact that she takes the time to participate in a program encouraging reading, Read Across America, is to her credit. I applaud her.

As far as I'm concerned, the moralizing parents (and all it takes is one or two) should just shut the fuck up and appreciate her efforts. (We could use a lot more people trying to get children to read.) And as for the school, well, there's no excuse for what it's doing. Cowardice, dishonesty, and caving in to moralizers are hardly the sorts of things educational should be about.

Thankfully, Grey isn't backing down. You can read her statement here:

I am proud to have participated in the "Read Across America" program at Emerson Elementary School in Compton, CA. I read "Dog Breath" by Dav Pilkey to the sweetest 1st and 3rd grade children.

"Read Across America" is a program that was designed to promote literacy and instill a lifelong love of reading in elementary school students. Promoting education is an effort that is close to my heart. Illiteracy contributes to poverty; encouraging children to pick up a book is fundamental.

I believe education is a universal right. I committed to this program with the understanding that people would have their own opinions about what I have done, who I am and what I represent.

I am an actor. I am an artist. I am a daughter. I am a sister. I am a partner. I have a past that some people may not agree with, but it does not define who I am.

I will not live in fear of it. To challenge non-profit education programs is an exercise in futility, counter-productive and anti-educational.

I cannot thank my fans and "Read Across America" enough for supporting my decision. Your support and kind words continue to inspire me. I believe in the future of our children, and I will remain an active supporter and participant in education-focused initiatives.

Very well put.

(h/t: Drudge Retort)

A post on the Kardashian-Humphries divorce, the saddest event in American history

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Looking for something really good to read this afternoon? I highly recommend Molly Lambert's "The Kardashian Divorce Fiasco: Blame Mom" at Grantland's Hollywood Prospectus blog.

No, I don't care about the Kardashian-Humphries split, seemingly part of a grotesque money grab on the part of the Kardashian Klan, but I do care about what it says about American culture. Not good things -- not good at all. And Lambert provides some astute observations:

People will get sick of Kim Kardashian eventually, because her career is predicated on novelty and her primary talent (being hot, which she is) is transitory. After one possibly staged marriage fails, she becomes the Kim who cried wolf. E! is not exactly in the business of building lasting careers. Rumors that Kris H. was "cast" in order to ensure Kim underwent her first marriage before the dreaded age of 30 have yet to prove true or false, but faked relationships are as old as Hollywood itself (they are as old as 1853). The endless Kardashian family spectacle serves to take focus off the real issues by distracting us with shiny ass-shaped lures. And as long as we continue to pay attention, we lose. Because we all tuned in to her stupid wedding special and allowed her to be a star, Kim Kardashian is the 1 percent and we are all bottom-feeders.

The problem is, there are many, many Kim Kardashians -- with lesser asses, perhaps, but with the same "talent" for achieving and maintaining superficial celebrity status, making shitloads of money, and, if only for a brief time, dominating popular culture.

Which means that the bottom-feeding will continue, and worsen, without an end in sight short of cultural and perhaps civilizational apocalypse.

In case you were wondering, yes, Hank Williams Jr. is a right-wing moron

By Michael J.W. Stickings

You remember that whole Obama-Hitler brouhaha last week?

Well, Williams is hitting back with a new song, "Keep the Change," targeting both Fox News (where Williams made the comments) and ESPN (which dumped Williams from the intro to Monday Night Football):

In the song, Williams, son of country music icon Hank Williams, says "Fox & Friends" hosts twisted his words: "So Fox 'n Friends wanna put me down/Ask for my opinion/Twist it all around." He finishes the verse: "Well two can play that gotcha game you'll see."

Early in the song, he says the U.S. is "going down the drain" and says it's becoming "The United Socialist States of America." He mentions keeping "Fox & Friends" and ESPN out of your home toward the end of the song.

There's really no need to get into it. Williams knew exactly what he was saying. Or, if he didn't, it came straight from his right-wing gut. Even the bobbleheads on Fox & Friends, always eager to slam Obama, more than willing to play along with Williams and those like him (because they're like him), thought he went too far. (And he went on to attack Obama as the enemy, regurgitating all the right-wing propaganda he's taken to heart and made his own.)

And -- let's not forget this -- he even apologized, sort of, for making the Obama-Hitler analogy:

His statement Tuesday went beyond his Monday statement, in which he said "my analogy was extreme -- but it was to make a point."

On Tuesday, the country singer stated: "I have always been very passionate about politics and sports and this time it got the best or worst of me.

"The thought of the leaders of both parties jukin' [sic] and high fiven' [sic] on a golf course, while so many families are struggling to get by, simply made me boil over and make a dumb statement, and I am very sorry if it offended anyone. I would like to thank all my supporters. This was not written by some publicist," Williams wrote.

So how exactly did Fox & Friends play "gotcha"? How did what he say get twisted around?

How exactly is everyone else in the wrong (other than him and his supporters)?

Musically or otherwise, the guy's an ignorant lout spouting right-wing nonsense -- always has been, always will be. Apparently, he's also a self-contradictory buffoon.

(Of course, ESPN should have dumped him a long time ago. After all, it's not like what he said was in any way surprising, as Jon Stewart pointed out last week. But better late than never, I suppose.)

(photo: AP, from CBS Sports)

Are you ready for some right-wing insanity? (Hank Williams Jr. compares Obama to Hitler.)

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Apparently some things are just too far out there even for Fox News:

Country music singer Hank Williams Jr. compared President Obama to Adolph [sic] Hitler in an awkward interview Monday morning on Fox and Friends. Williams called the golf summit the president had with Speaker of the House John Boehner "one of the biggest political mistakes ever." "It would be like Hitler playing golf with Netanyahu, OK?"

Williams appeared on the program to share his thoughts on politics, but the segment got weird early on as the country music star curiously sulked with his arms crossed.

Anchor Gretchen Carlson asked Williams who he liked in the GOP race, which he replied "Nobody." A shocked Steve Doocy exclaimed, "Nobody!?"

This triggered Williams to bash Obama and Boehner's golf game and compare the president to Hitler. All three Fox and Friends anchors sat nonplussed in utter bewilderment.

"Yeah, I don't understand that analogy, actually," responded a perplexed Brian Kilmeade.

"Well, I'm glad you don't, brother, because a lot of people do," Williams snapped. "You know, they're the enemy. They're the enemy." Kilmeade was thrown for a loop. "Who's the enemy?"

"Obama!" Williams thundered.

Following the bizarre interview, Carlson disavowed the comparison of the president to the Nazi leader. "I just want to say that we disavow any of those comments or analogies that he's made, at least I'm going to say that, disavow the analogy between Hitler and the president."

If you're scoring at home, yes, Williams basically made these three doofuses (doofi?) appear rational and sane. And to their credit, they didn't play along.

Watch it below.

But before that, it must be noted that, as you may know, Hank Williams Jr. is the musical voice of no less an American institution than Monday Night Football: "Are you ready for some football!!!"

Well, ESPN, MNF's current home, pulled Williams from last night's broadcast:

While Hank Williams, Jr. is not an ESPN employee, we recognize that he is closely linked to our company through the open to Monday Night Football. We are extremely disappointed with his comments, and as a result we have decided to pull the open from tonight's telecast.

He should be pulled for good.