Roasts always have an underlying sense of affection for the person being roasted. The personal abuse of Sarah Sanders (including some cruel jokes, by a stranger, about her weight and appearance) were nothing like what you’d see in a traditional roast. Saying that the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night was a typical roast is simply nonsense.
Last edited by LA Ute; 05-02-2018 at 05:38 PM.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
What jokes about her weight and appearance? Are people offended by jokes that weren't even made?
The comment most related to her outward appearance came next. "“I actually really like Sarah," Wolf began. "I think she’s very resourceful. She burns facts and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smoky eye. Like maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s lies. It’s probably lies.”
I watched and agree that there were no comments about weight, but commentary on "smokey eye" is talking about appearance. There is no ambiguity there. But again, as I have said, Wolf's biggest crime is she was simply not funny. Shouldn't a comedy routine by a supposed comedian at least be funny. Watch the commentary again. For more than half of it few people in the audience were laughing. It was pathetic.
It’s like Hillary and pantsuits. It’s a style preference not an attack on someone’s innate physical qualities. Wearing pantsuits ALL the time, even in settings where some wouldn’t wear pantsuits is a weird fashion choice. Going full Smokey-eye for work (as opposed to a date) is also a weird fashion choice. Even I noticed the eye makeup stuff previously and I’m pretty oblivious to that kind of thing.
Cohen's phones were tapped before the raid.
The (remotely) offensive part regarding Sanders wasn't about the perfect smokey eye made from the ashes of burned facts. But she compared her to 'Aunt Lydia' from Handmaids Tales and called her an Uncle Tom for white women. I haven't seen Handmaids tales, but the internets tells me that Aunt Lydia's job in the show is sympathetic to the patriarchy and she is the one who enslaves and oppress women and brainwash them into thinking they are merely birthing vessels.
This sort of stuff bothers me when it happens in politics. I don't get why we can't just disagree about things without having to portray the other side as patently evil.
But as tooblue said, most of it just wasn't that funny (she did have her moments), some of it was personal and a lot of it was pretty vulgar, which was odd for such an event.
I think a lot of the discomfort is centered on SHS because of her appearance.
We more easily laugh off insults to rich attractive celebrities, but it’s uncomfortable when someone teases somebody who is frankly quite ugly- doubly so when it’s a woman.
And it’s both fair and unfair. Is Sean Spicer seen as an adorable goof because of Melissa McCarthy’s portrayal or was he intrinsically less likely to be vilified than SHS simply because he’s better looking?
Should being ugly immunize someone from criticism in the same way that being really attractive buys people the benefit of the doubt in most circumstances? I don’t know, but I think there’d Be a lot less fuss if SHS were not sort of conspicuously non-photogenic in a role typically reserved for the camera friendly.
Maybe sancho and I are on the same beauty awareness scale, but I don't think that SHS is ugly, it had never crossed my mind to be honest. But it does underscore the double standard applied to men and women particularly in positions of power. Or maybe it is the pettiness of politics today?
I don't recall jokes about Dee Dee Myers appearance and if we're ranking SHS and her on homeliness scales I don't think she comes out on top, but again, her relative beauty never occurred to me at the time.
If I go and look at the list of past press secretaries I'm not see a long line of 'beautiful people':
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_...ss_secretaries
You guys have convinced me. This is not noteworthy. After all, remember that time when, at the White House Correspondents Dinner, a hard-core conservative comedian made fun of a Democrat president's female press secretary's appearance, and liberals just shrugged it off?
Yeah, neither do I.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
Last edited by jrj84105; 05-03-2018 at 06:09 PM.
Wait, what are you arguing now? You were the one who implied that looks was a prerequisite for the job, which clearly isn't the case for both the left and right.
Yet it is the left who is supposed to be enlightened about this sort of stuff who is being as petty as Trump when it comes to Sarah Sanders looks.
Tribalism, you are guilty of it.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
So you’re saying that the appropriateness of a joke is based on the size and composition of the audience? So an eyeshadow joke on national TV is worse than a fat joke at a fundraiser is worse than a n***er joke at the dinner table?
The eyeshadow joke with SHS would be benign if she weren’t ugly. The tan suit jokes criticism about Obama (also on national tv by an elected representative) would be benign if he weren’t black. Gouliani’s conment is bad without condition.
Nope.
What??So an eyeshadow joke on national TV is worse than a fat joke at a fundraiser is worse than a n***er joke at the dinner table?
Stay classy, jrj.The eyeshadow joke with SHS would be benign if she weren’t ugly.
I think so, too.The tan suit jokes criticism about Obama (also on national tv by an elected representative) would be benign if he weren’t black.
I agree. And Michele Wolfe's were worse, across the board. Trump is a boor and an indecent man. Those who sink to his level give him a win, IMHO.Gouliani’s conment is bad without condition.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
The danger of "whataboutism" is typically your own hypocrisy is revealed. So which is it, is what Giuliani said about HRC offensive and shouldn't have happened without the right being disgusted? Then does that make Michelle Wolf's comments also inappropriate and offensive? Or is what Giuliani said okay like some on the left are now defending with Wolf?
It's pretty easy, personal attacks about someone's appearance shouldn't be accepted. I also don't think SHS is 'ugly' and find that assertion irrelevant to anything. 99.999% of us aren't moving product in an ad... with the exception of LA Ute (if he were to grow back his mustache) and possibly Scratch.
Now, like Spicer before her, she plays the role of Baghdad Bob for Mr Trump's ongoing insanity. I can't imagine what that must be like and why anyone would stay onboard to do that for someone. She is obviously pretty good at what she does and is not stupid. She obviously knows she is peddling his lies. That to me is pretty disgusting.
And I think that is fair game and a valid criticism.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
The Media Is Killing the Democratic Party
http://freebeacon.com/columns/media-...ocratic-party/
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
And people claimed Obama was divisive.
On occasion our firm has what I will call some informal get togethers. We discuss all sorts topics, but these two Trump issues always come up with the more liberal faction of the group. They talk as if everybody is watching MSNBC/NBC and Rachel Maddow. It's almost like talking to my parents who watch Fox News.
Half of the stuff they talk about, they assume I have heard about, and I haven't (For instance there is apparently all sorts of stuff about Cohen and where he was raised in Brighton Beach and that he has huge Russian ties or something and Trump properties have been taking laundered money from the Russians for years, etc.) It's bizarre to me. This article is dead on. Most of America just doesn't give a shit about these two issues, yet the press (read NBC, CNN etc.) is getting big ratings from its core audience.
Last edited by Two Utes; 05-04-2018 at 11:34 AM.
It’s hard to imagine a story this positive if the parties were reversed.
Kerry is quietly seeking to salvage Iran deal he helped craft
https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nat...CUL/story.html
I do not think Kerry is the brightest bulb among former secretaries of state.
Last edited by LA Ute; 05-05-2018 at 10:46 AM.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
i don’t know how I feel about this. The article is correct about at least one thing - If approached directly Trump, like the 12 year old he is, would do the opposite. I expect Trump will scuttle the deal and will use NK as his justification and his proof that he will get a better deal. To me the NK deal is like a verbal commitment from a 9th grader. A lot of water will flow under the bridge before anything substantive happens.