Palin's Motherhood in the media

[Makalakumu]

(And, frankly Irene, most Americans don't watch the BBC, don't read your papers, and don't care what you're laughing at, most of the time....sorry.)

I think this is sad, actually. I wish more Americans paid more attention to what people in other countries are saying about us. I think it would give us a more worldly view of ourselves. It's also very practical. Imagine if more people had paid more attention to what people in the Middle East thought about 8 years ago?

 

[Mark L]

Tez,
A lot of us here take the election of our leaders seriously. Your remark on the name of a candidates daughter wasn't obviously, to me, satirical. There are mechanism here by which you can convey your intent to those of us not so attuned to your style.

That being said, perhaps we can stick to the issue raised by the OP (me). Us yanks have a vested interest in how this turns out, so pardon our indignation at your attempt at humour. I know you folks across the pond are interested too, since you tend to line up right behind us on the worldwide stage ;-)

 

[elder999]

Very true. To make fun of someone's child is low.

How true.

John McCain at a 1998 Republican Fundraiser:
iWhy is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno.

 

[Mark L]

I think this is sad, actually. I wish more Americans paid more attention to what people in other countries are saying about us. I think it would give us a more worldly view of ourselves. It's also very practical. Imagine if more people had paid more attention to what people in the Middle East thought about 8 years ago?

I'll bet this topic would make for a quite lively, separate thread. I, for one, couldn't care less what other nations think. When was the last time Russia, China, Iran, N. Korea, Afghanistan, Israel, S. Africa, Congo, Italy, Greece, Chad, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Chile, Mexico, Canada, France, Germany, etc. worried about what Americans were saying about them?

"Dad, all the other kids do 'insert behavior here', why can't I?"

 

[elder999]

Abbot and Costello? Really?
.

Oh yeah-Abbot&Costello, Hekyll&Jekyll, Jekyll&Hyde, Bonnie&Clyde, Bert&Ernie, Ben&Jerry, the Doublemint Twins, the Twins, Bob&Weave, Bob&Bob, Bob&Bobble, Bobble&Bobble, Anne&Francis, Jane&Mansfield, Tweedledum&Tweedledelightful,.......once upon a time, crap like that cracked girls up-especially when it came out of my mouth, it seems.....:lol:

Oh, it cracked me up, anyway-I reckon the gals were humoring me.....:lol:

 

[Makalakumu]

I'll bet this topic would make for a quite lively, separate thread. I, for one, couldn't care less what other nations think. When was the last time Russia, China, Iran, N. Korea, Afghanistan, Israel, S. Africa, Congo, Italy, Greece, Chad, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Chile, Mexico, Canada, France, Germany, etc. worried about what Americans were saying about them?

"Dad, all the other kids do 'insert behavior here', why can't I?"

They do care, because most of those countries have a lot more vested interest to care. Just check out some of the newspapers to see what I mean. It's way different then reading an American Newspaper.

 

[Mark L]

They do care, because most of those countries have a lot more vested interest to care. Just check out some of the newspapers to see what I mean. It's way different then reading an American Newspaper.

Post links, and I will.

 

[Makalakumu]

I merely pointed out that I wonder if she had realised she had called her daughter after a slaving port something which has actually caused concern in this country when added to the fact she's white and her prospective son in law has designated himself a redneck which we have been lead to believe for a long time is a racist. The black press here is picking up on it and a great deal of satire has been brought out on that.

Someone accused me of trolling, which I refute saying it was satire. My other comments were not about serious journalists but myself. I also asked whether all people making jokes about the names were haters, a sensible question.

However it seems my son was right, when it comes to politics Americans have no sense of humour. I'll leave you to it.

We have a great sense of humor about politics. Check out some of SNL skits. That's some great satire.

OTOH, it'd be a mistake to underestimate the amount of vitriol partisens on both "sides" hold for each other. The loons on the "left" and on the "right" scream all sorts of crazy things about each other and the press reports it as if that's what everyone actually thinks!

I can't even imagine what a circus this looks like from the outside looking in. As a matter of fact, I'm kind of embarrassed by it when I travel abroad. People in the pubs laugh and say things like, "you Americans are crazy," and they they laugh nervously because they know we have the biggest stockpile of nuclear weapons in the world.

Anyway, I wouldn't shy away from tossing in your two bits. This website doesn't only exist in America...and maybe all of this will help use develop some thicker skins.

Cheers!

maunakumu

 

[Makalakumu]

Post links, and I will.

Maybe Tez3 could post some good ones from the UK. Here is one that I follow regularly.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/

This paper is from New Zealand. It's interesting, the country is very isolated, but they still strive to keep that multinational perspective. And when you go to visit, despite how far away it is from everything, you still feel like you are part of a world community.

I didn't feel like that in the US...although that changed when I moved to Hawaii.

 

[Makalakumu]

OTOH, it'd be a mistake to underestimate the amount of vitriol partisens on both "sides" hold for each other. The loons on the "left" and on the "right" scream all sorts of crazy things about each other and the press reports it as if that's what everyone actually thinks!

I hate quoting myself, but this sparked a thought that I just need to put out there.

I don't think that this circus is an accident. If people are screaming at each other over stupid stuff, they are going to miss the really important stuff that is really happening.

Like this.

This bailout has the potential to affect Americans on both sides in a very negative way. We are all being pushed closer to poverty by this and policies like this. Why are we talking about all of this soap opera crap when so many really important things are actually happening out there?

It's not an accident. It's too convenient and from my perspective, I think I can see right through it. It benefits certain people for the proles to be stupid, divided, and distracted. Many of you may think that this kind of talk is loony, but I'm not going to back down. I smell a rat.

And I think a lot of other Americans are starting to see this for what it is.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

American's love political humor.
See - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Russell

I think though that arguing about someone's name is rather pointless, considering that words mean different things even among those who use the same language. I mean, after all the phrase "fancy a fag, mate?" means something quite different depending on which country you're in, right?

 

[Tez3]

What happens in America matters very much to the British and the rest of the world,after all you could destroy us all. I don't think many of you honestly understand what many of us are very anxious about who you elect to be president. We don't care what party they are just that you don't destroy us.
During the Cold War you feared that the USSR would start a world war well we feared both you and the USSR, we feared you would drag us into a nuclear holocaust, that fear has never left.
So we make fun of politicians childrens names, we make fun of celebrities children's names, so what? We wonder what these names tell us about people, why shouldn't we? After all these politicians have the world literally at their fingertips, one bad president and hey bang goes the world, not just America but the world.
This is more than just a vested interest we have in your politics this is our world you have at your mercy.
On MT there is no end of people who find it fitting to criticise British laws and way of life, post after post, yet god forbid that one Brit should have the audacity to laugh at a very stupid name for a girl, dear me.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/minette_marrin/article4692133.ece
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/...ain-president.htmlinion/2008/09/06/do0605.xml
http://dailymailnews.com/200809/07/dmcolumnpage.html#column3
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/the_real_american_idol/article1656939.ece
http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/hitchens/
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/palin-the-real-scandal-920803.html
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Bristols

 

[elder999]

t, yet god forbid that one Brit should have the audacity to laugh at a very stupid name for a girl, dear me.

Laugh away, just don't expect us to-because we just don't get it.

Get it? :lol:

 

[Mark L]

What happens in America matters very much to the British and the rest of the world,after all you could destroy us all. I don't think many of you honestly understand what many of us are very anxious about who you elect to be president. We don't care what party they are just that you don't destroy us.
During the Cold War you feared that the USSR would start a world war well we feared both you and the USSR, we feared you would drag us into a nuclear holocaust, that fear has never left.
So we make fun of politicians childrens names, we make fun of celebrities children's names, so what? We wonder what these names tell us about people, why shouldn't we? After all these politicians have the world literally at their fingertips, one bad president and hey bang goes the world, not just America but the world.
This is more than just a vested interest we have in your politics this is our world you have at your mercy.
On MT there is no end of people who find it fitting to criticise British laws and way of life, post after post, yet god forbid that one Brit should have the audacity to laugh at a very stupid name for a girl, dear me.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/minette_marrin/article4692133.ece
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/...ain-president.htmlinion/2008/09/06/do0605.xml
http://dailymailnews.com/200809/07/dmcolumnpage.html#column3
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/the_real_american_idol/article1656939.ece
http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/hitchens/
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/palin-the-real-scandal-920803.html
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Bristols

The fact remains that the electorate in the United States is solely responsible for whom we elect, you don't have to like it. Talk about childs' names if you must, it matters little to me. As to the fears you've expressed, the destiny of the world is hardly the sole responsibility of the US. Perhaps you're neglecting to note that one bad Russian President, or one bad dictator in China, or one bad dwarf in N. Korea, or one bad whatever his title is in Pakistan, can result in the same end. Our nuclear arsenal, which is also yours (take a look at the nuclear munitions your Royal Navy is fielding), has played a significant role in curbing the ambitions of the aforementioned. Very stupid name for a girl? That's productive ...

 

[Makalakumu]

What happens in America matters very much to the British and the rest of the world,after all you could destroy us all. I don't think many of you honestly understand what many of us are very anxious about who you elect to be president. We don't care what party they are just that you don't destroy us.

During the Cold War you feared that the USSR would start a world war well we feared both you and the USSR, we feared you would drag us into a nuclear holocaust, that fear has never left.

Hey, this inspired me to start a new thread on Nuclear Disarmament!

 

[grydth]

Tez,
A lot of us here take the election of our leaders seriously. Your remark on the name of a candidates daughter wasn't obviously, to me, satirical. There are mechanism here by which you can convey your intent to those of us not so attuned to your style.

That being said, perhaps we can stick to the issue raised by the OP (me). Us yanks have a vested interest in how this turns out, so pardon our indignation at your attempt at humour. I know you folks across the pond are interested too, since you tend to line up right behind us on the worldwide stage ;-)

I must say, now that I have rethought this, I can see that Sarah did make a severe basic error in naming each of her children. What type of a name should she have chosen?

Easy - a 'Palindrome'. :angel:

 

[Big Don]

I must say, now that I have rethought this, I can see that Sarah did make a severe basic error in naming each of her children. What type of a name should she have chosen?

Easy - a 'Palindrome'. :angel:

GROAN!
Punny, very punny!

 

[Tez3]

So it's like this then, Americans on this forum feel free to criticise Britain, British laws and British politicians any time they like, they can say we are brain washed, they can say we have stupid laws, they can basically rip us apart for our culture and the way we live but a Briton isn't allowed to express any sort of though let alone a bit of satire about 'serious' American politics without being attacked? Posts about the 'wussification' of the British Empire then are fine by you ( the title of the thread had to be changed to 'decline' btw,) constant posts about our weapons laws being for morons is also fine by you?
Obviously so and this is democracy right?

 

[Mimir]

It is kind of sad that her daughter had to be brought into all of this. She is by far not the first teenager to get pregnant. Being the father of three daughters, the thought of it frankly keeps me up at night.

None of the attacking of the families (for either side) tells us what the canidates are going to do for our country. Of course, the other side of this coin is that the presidency has only a limited ability to affect any changes without the cooperation of the legislative branch.

The problem with politics in general (speaking in generalizations) is that it is no longer about representing the people, but about the personal power of the office holder.

Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[Makalakumu]

So it's like this then, Americans on this forum feel free to criticise Britain, British laws and British politicians any time they like, they can say we are brain washed, they can say we have stupid laws, they can basically rip us apart for our culture and the way we live but a Briton isn't allowed to express any sort of though let alone a bit of satire about 'serious' American politics without being attacked? Posts about the 'wussification' of the British Empire then are fine by you ( the title of the thread had to be changed to 'decline' btw,) constant posts about our weapons laws being for morons is also fine by you?
Obviously so and this is democracy right?

Settle down. There are a few posters who take things over the top, but it isn't all of us. Not even close.

IMHO, you can criticize American politics all you want all the haters can bugger off.

You are entitled to your opinion and I think that people are entitled to tell you what they think.

Like I said before, this site may have lots of Americans on it, but Bob did not ever tell anyone that this was solely for Americans to post.

And for that, I'm glad. I hope we draw more and more and more people from around the world. I want to learn from all of you. I want to know what you think. I think that it is hilarious that the daughter of a possible future Veep is named after a slang term for boobs in another country.

It's funny and its not that big of a deal. Chill out everyone.

Aloha!

maunakumu