Feminism
December 20, 2017 — Steven Hayward
I’m starting to think the various entertainment awards shows that I usually avoid like the plague—the Golden Globes, the Emmys, and the Academy Awards—might well be worth watching this coming year, as the usual Hollywood hypocrisy and pretentiousness may well become so incoherent and overwrought that it will defy the best attempts at parody. The imperative is to attack Donald Trump, like last year’s shows, but the Weinstein-inspired Pervnado is
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December 18, 2017 — Steven Hayward
Today’s Pervnado Bingo winners include Ninth Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski, and apparently Dustin Hoffman, several of whose accusers appeared on NBC Nightly News to amplify their case. But did I not warn you that Al Franken wasn’t actually going to go through with his resignation? Joe Manchin: Al Franken should not resign Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., took a shot Monday at his Senate Democratic colleagues for their treatment of outgoing
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December 17, 2017 — Steven Hayward
I’ve had to give up my daily Pervnado Bingo game, because it’s become too easy a game to win, and usually by around 9:30 in the morning it’s all over. And what fun is that? Among today’s roster is the owner of the Carolina Panthers NFL franchise, Jerry Richardson, who announced abruptly today that he will sell the team after credible allegations of Harvey Weinstein-level behavior. More amusing to watch
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December 10, 2017 — Steven Hayward
The great Andrew Klavan has pointed out that some of the best free entertainment on the Internet is found at Everyday Feminism. Right now the site is running a wonderful satire. . . oh wait—this is for real! The item is “Ten Things Every Intersectional Feminist Should Ask on a First Date.” Keep your hot coffee mugs away from your keyboards. As a queer femme of color, I keep close
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December 7, 2017 — Steven Hayward
Okay, Al Franken may be the headliner for the day, but there’s also former Democratic goldenboy Harold Ford of Tennessee, reportedly fired today from Morgan Stanley for “misbehavior,” and also breaking this afternoon, Arizona Republican Congressman Trent Franks, getting out ahead of a rumored Washington Post investigation that may identify 20 – 30 members of Congress with “issues.” When does someone get to yell “Bingo!”
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December 2, 2017 — Steven Hayward
Just what we need to go along with the indispensable Thomas Friedman Op/Ed Generator at this current moment: the Celebrity Perv Apology Generator, which will cough up fake but accurate assortments like this: As the father of daughters, I am deeply ashamed (but not “sorry” because that means I’m guilty of something). I comforted myself by saying that at least I asked before I “honked” her boobs and demanded she watch
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November 29, 2017 — Steven Hayward
Yesterday the angry humorist Garrison Keillor took to the pages of the Washington Post to dismiss the clamor over Al Franken as “absurd.” On the flight home, in a spirit of low comedy, Al ogled Miss Tweeden and pretended to grab her and a picture was taken. Eleven years later, a talk show host in LA, she goes public, and there is talk of resignation. This is pure absurdity, and
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November 29, 2017 — Steven Hayward
The firing this morning of Matt Lauer from NBC prompts me to roll back the tape this this post from last month, in which actress Amber Tamblyn said that “Honestly, I trace everything back to the election of Donald Trump. I think that without him being elected, if it had been Hillary Clinton, this would’ve never happened to Harvey Weinstein.” And if it “didn’t happen” to Weinstein, would it have happened
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November 26, 2017 — Steven Hayward
The elevation of sexual harassment to the pole position of current media-political concern may have actually begun overseas before it snowballed here with l’affaire Weinstein. I didn’t follow the story closely, but I do recall a few years ago that the prominent and beloved television host Jimmy Savile over in the UK was revealed to have been a Weinstein-scale pedophile of long standing—sort of a Brit version of Charlie Rose
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November 26, 2017 — John Hinderaker
Included in Target’s selection of books for young children is one titled Feminist Baby, by Loryn Brantz, a writer on feminism and body image for Buzzfeed. If you have always thought that at bottom, to be feminist is to be obnoxious, this book supports your view. A feminist child apparently is one that would normally be described as ill-behaved. This one, I don’t even understand. How is it feminist to
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November 21, 2017 — John Hinderaker
It is great fun to watch liberals squirm as one after another of their favorite politicians, journalists and cultural figures are swept up in the vortex of sexual assault and harassment. In today’s New York Times, columnist Michelle Goldberg frets–out loud!–about what to do “When Our Allies Are Accused of Harassment.” The ally she has in mind is Al Franken: Last Thursday, after a photograph emerged of Senator Al Franken
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November 21, 2017 — Steven Hayward
I didn’t think the morning news that Melissa Gilbert has accused Oliver Stone of sexual harassment way back in 1991 (I’d kinda forgotten who Melissa Gilbert is, and Oliver Stone is best forgotten on general principle), but then I saw the news that came out later that Pixar’s major creative force, John Lasseter, is “taking a leave” from the animation powerhouse because of the usual problem: John Lasseter, the head
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November 20, 2017 — Steven Hayward
Geez—the updates of the next person to fall under the cloud of suspicion for sexual harassment may need to become an hourly affair instead of a daily affair. The Washington Post is reporting this afternoon that Charlie Rose has been accused of sexual harassment by eight women: Eight women have told The Washington Post that longtime television host Charlie Rose made unwanted sexual advances toward them, including lewd phone calls, walking
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November 20, 2017 — Steven Hayward
While we await the inevitable cascade of additional accusations against Al Franken (because character is destiny, and Franken’s essential jerkiness is well-established by this point), we note today’s newest suspect: New York Times political reporter Glenn Thrush. Here’s part of a first hand account from Laura McGann at Vox: Thrush and the young woman met at her colleague’s going-away party at a bar near the Politico newsroom, she told me, and
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November 18, 2017 — Paul Mirengoff
In January 2016, Amy Chozick of the New York Times wrote an article called “’90s Scandals Threaten to Erode Hillary Clinton’s Strength With Women.” I don’t think, as it turned out, that the scandals had this effect. In light of recent developments, however, it’s worth taking another look at Chozick’s piece. Chozick began by reporting that at an Upper East Side dinner party hosted by the head of HBO, Lena
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November 17, 2017 — Paul Mirengoff
Yesterday, I discussed how feminists betrayed feminism by defending Bill Clinton against credible and, in one notorious case admitted, allegations of serious sexual misconduct. These allegations were made just a few years after the Clarence Thomas-Anita Hill controversy had put the issue of sexual harassment front-and-center in the nation’s consciousness. Feminists (except those who knew Thomas personally) believed Hill’s claims. And they argued (just as they do today) that, ordinarily,
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November 16, 2017 — Paul Mirengoff
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who holds the seat formerly occupied by Hillary Clinton, said today that Bill Clinton should have resigned the presidency after his inappropriate relationship with Monica Lewinsky came to light. That’s mighty enlightened of her. But what took her so long to reach, or articulate, this view? The answer is, it took the fall of Clintons plus a crucial Senate race in which the Republican is being accused
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