(via Amanda Marcotte)
Boys are sent out into the world to buffet with its temptations, to mingle with bad and good, to govern and direct- girls are to dwell in quiet homes among few friends, to exercise a noiseless influence.
- Elizabeth Missing Sewell
Arrogance diminishes wisdom.
- Arab proverb
Take a look at the graphic above. Read it closely. Yes, it’s arrogant and hateful and as ignorant as the day is long. Consider, though, that these are the people who want to take over our government. If that realization doesn’t stop you in your tracks, I don’t know what will. If the realization that knuckledraggers would not only create a graphic like that but would think it humorous doesn’t anger you, I’m not sure what would.
Whether this rises to the level of a “rape joke” is a matter for debate, and I’ll level that to people who actually care about such distinctions. In my mind, sexism is offensive under any circumstances…and if you think the graphic is in any way humorous, you really should be reading Red State, because you’ve clearly found the wrong blog. You also really should be checking your knuckles for carpet burn, knowhutimean??
Wingnuts are not known for backing down when they’re wrong, of course, but instead turning to absurd and increasingly incoherent defenses. Instead of continuing to argue with morons, I decided to join in with Atrios. The best response to this is redouble our support for Warren. They’re only responding to her with vicious sexism because she kicks ass.
So donate to her campaign today! Do it because she kicks ass, but also do it because I’m under a sea of tweets from conservatives who insist that rape jokes aren’t rape jokes plus they’re hilarious, dontchaknow?
If you think that demeaning Elizabeth Warren in just about the worst, most sexist manner imaginable is funny, then you’re something akin to Glenn Reynolds, who really ought to know better. If one of the “saner” voices on the Right can find humor in sexism and character assassination, then I think we really have crossed the Rubicon when it comes to simple human decency and civility. If this is humor, it’s not exactly a stretch to consider the Right beyond hope and beyond help.
When one has no cogent argument of one’s own, nor any effective and compelling means to defeat an argument one disagrees with, this is about all we can expect.
If you find yourself on the Right side of the political spectrum and you can defeat Warren on the ideas, odds are good that you’re likely going to resort to insults, smug arrogance, sexism, propaganda, some of the above, or all of the above. This is really too bad, because it renders you completely incapable of being taken seriously. If you have to resort to this sort of “humor” in order to feel relevant and superior to your ideological adversaries, you really should just give up and go home to your crayons and coloring books, because you’re clearly too juvenile to have an adult discussion. It’s difficult to have a debate with an adversary clearly ill-equipped for battle.
Marcotte does make a couple of very good points that I think bear some reflection:
1) This was inevitable. Elizabeth Warren is an outspoken woman who doesn’t pull her punches….
2) If you think that any taxes at all are like rape, then you are saying all taxes are wrong. All. Is Glenn Reynolds actually arguing for zero taxation for all people forever? If so, instead of sniggering like a moron, he should make a thorough argument for how a tax-free society would work…. [H]e—-like most wingnuts—-has no sense of humor whatsoever, and doesn’t even really understand how a joke is constructed.
There are large swaths of the Right-wing male population that are seriously threatened by a strong, capable, and LIBERAL female who presents as a formidable candidate and adversary. If you live in a world where strong men are “go-getters” and strong women are “bitches”, Elizabeth Warren probably feels like a threat to your manhood. The fact that she’s willing to forcefully and clear speak truth to power is probably even more threatening.
Deal with it like an adult. Or go home. Get over it already.
Conservatives have demonstrated, almost since the dawn of recorded history, that they simply aren’t funny. Can you remember when Dennis Miller was funny? I do; it was before he decided to air out his Right-wing politics and incorporate them into his act. Here’s a news flash: Smug arrogance isn’t funny. Period. End of story. And yet how often do Conservatives resort to their tried and (not so very) true formula: rape jokes, sexism, and misogyny. Try that at your local open-mike night and see how far it gets you.
The good news, I suppose, is that the reason Warren is being targeted is precisely because she’s a Liberal, honest, and strong personality who just happens to be female…and that combination really pisses off significant numbers of knuckle-dragging Conservative males.
You go girl; I’m looking forward to watching those trying to compensate for their shortcomings trying to pump themselves up at your expense (Paging Erick Erickson….)
Memo to Conservatives, whether male or female: if you want to be funny, you could do worse than taking lessons from Bill Maher:
