or Powell's or me• • •
"Mike and Jon, Jon and Mike—I've known them both for years, and, clearly, one of them is very funny. As for the other: truly one of the great hangers-on of our time."—Steve Bodow, head writer, The Daily Show
•
"Who can really judge what's funny? If humor is a subjective medium, then can there be something that is really and truly hilarious? Me. This book."—Daniel Handler, author, Adverbs, and personal representative of Lemony Snicket
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"The good news: I thought Our Kampf was consistently hilarious. The bad news: I’m the guy who wrote Monkeybone."—Sam Hamm, screenwriter, Batman, Batman Returns, and Homecoming
January 31, 2007
Cable News, Explained
From Eric Alterman's 1992 book, Sound & Fury: The Washington Punditocracy and the Collapse of American Politics:
Perhaps the most intriguing fact about [McLaughlin Group host] John McLaughlin was his own self-awareness. During one hectic afternoon when all of Washingotn seemed to be calling, McLaughlin explained himself. His assistant Kara Swisher asked him, "Why do so many people kowtow to you?" McLaughlin "got down really low on his desk, almost like he was a lizard," recalls Swisher, looked up at her, and replied, "They're all whores. Every one of them, they're all whores. And so am I. But I've got the TV show."
Of course, none of this changes Kenneth Pollack's observation that "We are part of the world's most vibrant democracy."
Posted at January 31, 2007 03:35 PM | TrackBackThese days in public health circles it's polite to say "commercial sex workers."
I realize McLaughlin probably meant it metaphorically.
Posted by: mistah charley, SB, MA, PhD at January 31, 2007 04:25 PMTwo-bit comes to mind.
Posted by: Mike Meyer at January 31, 2007 05:08 PMI don't think it was metaphorical at all.
Merriam Webster: a venal or unscrupulous person
MSN Encarta: somebody who is regarded as willing to set aside principles or personal integrity in order to obtain something, usually for selfish motives
While some sex workers may be whores; pretty much all pundits are. It was an excellent word choice.
Posted by: New Day at January 31, 2007 05:13 PMMaybe in a few years the loathesomeness and ubiquity of fancy pants punditry will reach a point of such toxic saturation that we'll periodically see pundits blurting out that all their colleagues are whores just as they are, then tearfully go into rehab.
There, they'll learn to deal with their unresolved anger towards the whoreocracy, etc. Such disclosures will be dismissed as just so much white noise, and some of more blatant quotes will be featured on Jeopardy.
Posted by: Jonathan Versen at January 31, 2007 07:51 PMThese days in public health circles it's polite to say "commercial sex workers."
They have no imagination, I suppose. I would suggest:
"Commercial pleasure providers"
Posted by: SPIIDERWEB&trade: at January 31, 2007 07:52 PMim sure there are plenty of vibrations beneath the apparently calm surface. most of which involve some sort of commercial pleasure production and consumption
Posted by: almostinfamous at February 1, 2007 09:14 AMim sure there are plenty of vibrations beneath the apparently calm surface. most of which involve some sort of commercial pleasure production and consumption
Posted by: almostinfamous at February 1, 2007 09:14 AMsorry about the double post...
Posted by: almostinfamous at February 1, 2007 09:15 AMIn Spanglish we call them sexiservants.
Posted by: Jesus B. Ochoa at February 1, 2007 09:41 AMIf not the most vibrant democracy, then at least the most vibrant brothel.
I like that McLaughlin got that and was honest about it. I attended the NBC Blogger Summit in NYC last night. I saw a lot of whoring going on. Not everyone is a whore, but it's amazing how much people will abase themselves and what little principle they will exhibit in exchange for some attention.
Posted by: DBK at February 1, 2007 04:17 PMDid Pollack say which part?
Posted by: osama -- err -- sam at February 2, 2007 01:54 AMWell, a gal's got eat.
Posted by: Mike Meyer at February 2, 2007 05:42 PM
