Shit that Pissed me Off – 10/13/17
Judge Gives Rapist Joint Custody of His Child
With all the news of Harvey Weinstein and Ben Affleck and the fact we elected a known sexual predator President of the United States (fucking fuck), we should remember that this is all part of a culture that actually rewards rapists and sexual predators.
In this case, a 12-year-old girl was raped by a much older man and she chose to bear the child that was conceived as a result. Her body, her choice.
But when she applied for Government aid, she was forced to reveal the name of the biological father. And then that biological father took her to court for custodial rights. The prosecutor claimed the young woman had approved of allowing her rapist to spend time with his now eight year old son.
Thing is, she didn’t. And the judge didn’t fucking check.
Maybe they used some sort of alien mind control.
The whole story is out now and the judge has suspended the order pending another hearing but that likely means the young woman has to sit in court with her rapist just to explain why that fucker shouldn’t get parental rights to a kid who isn’t that much younger than his mother was when she was raped by his father.
All I’m saying is that women shouldn’t have to fight these fights, should they? Read More…
Shit that Pissed me Off – 10/6/2017
Sorry I’ve been gone for almost a month. Over the last three weeks, I’ve been out of town for my 50th Birthday (yay me) and playing at a funeral for someone who died much too young (boo the inevitability of death). Thanks for waiting patiently and not filling my e-mail with angry messages.
So anyway – here goes!
It Took Less Than Two Days for Conspiracy Theories To Pop Up About the Las Vegas Shooter
Here’s the dirty little secret about this kind of conspiracy theory: It never seems to happen when the shooter is a person of color. At least nobody seems to spend a lot of time talking about them.
I know someone is going to point out that there are conspiracy theories around 9/11 and the attackers there were (allegedly) people of color. Yeah, but I’m talking about mass shootings.
And the thing that seems to come into play here is that people don’t believe white guys would do this sort of thing. Not unless those white guys are members of the CIA or the FBI or Interpol or whatever the fuck these people think.
When a person of color shot up an Orlando nightclub, nobody started saying that it was a cover up. It was terrorism.
But white guys don’t commit terrorism. They are lone wolves.
Which is bullshit because wolves don’t even have opposable thumbs
So the alternative is to look at an act of senseless violence and think “I understand Islamic extremists. I don’t understand some 64 year old dude shooting up a concert so it must not be that.”
By the way – they don’t understand Islamic extremists either. But that’s for another day.
It is kind of remarkable to me that some of us can’t wrap our heads around a guy shooting up an elementary school but we can totally wrap our heads around the idea that some shadow agency decided to stage the event so they could get gun control legislation passed.
Which they can’t so what the hell is that about anyway?
Thing is, at least some of this is racism. Some of it is our inherent response that we’ve been taught the more pigmentation you have in your skin, the more violent you are.
Conspiracy theories are dumb. One guy shot all those people in Las Vegas and we will probably never know why. But it was one guy. And he was white. Deal with it.
Shit that Pissed me Off – 9/8/17
Sorbo is a Conservative Christian and while I don’t agree with him on…well…most anything in the political arena, that’s his right. So it doesn’t piss me off that he is speaking at a big old anti GLBTQ “values voters” conference more that it pisses me off that the conference exists.
I will note that twice divorced Donald Trump is also speaking at the “values voters” conference so I begin to wonder exactly which “values” are important to these folks. Apparently dumping your wife for a younger model is a completely acceptable value.
But Sorbo, star of the immensely popular (in Conservative Christian circles) but objectively horrible God is Not Dead, is outspoken about one thing that really bothers me – how persecuted he is for being a Christian.
In the article linked above, he talks about how he had trouble getting jobs after he “came out” as a Conservative Christian. I mean, his acting in “Hercules” was amazing so he should have been working all the time. I don’t know when he “came out” but I see he was in an obscure series called “Andromeda” for five years.
He was also in Kull the Conqueror. If you’ve seen it, I’m very sorry.
I mean, did David Schwimmer “come out” as a Conservative Christian? Because he hasn’t had a ton of work since “Friends” went off the air.
How about every actress in Hollywood who is over forty? Did all of them “come out” as Conservative Christians?
Sorbo’s bullshit idea that he had trouble getting work because of his Christianity doesn’t hold up to the number of credits on his resume. On the other hand, given how many of those credits are shitty Christian apologist films, his narrative is probably very useful in getting him roles in those kinds of films.
And I’ll bet those roles pay.
Poor Kevin Sorbo.
Shit that Pissed me Off – 9/1/2017
CA Restaurant Owner Blames “War on Whites” for Loss of Business
In case you missed it, a whole bunch of business owners were outed for their contributions to David Dukes failed Senate campaign, including here in my home state of Minnesota.
In California, a restaurateur has elected to close shop because he’s faced some flack over the fact he donated to one of the most prominent racists in the country who isn’t currently inhabiting the White House.
His response has been to complain about how all of this is a war on whites, which kind of explains why he chose to give money to David Duke’s campaign. He even said David Duke supports “European American Civil Rights.” In other words, the asshole is a white supremacist and screw him if he has to shut down his restaurant.
Here’s the problem that we face in all of this – I think it is great to out white supremacists. I think it is great to let them know their philosophy is bullshit.
I worry, however, that there is a lot of collateral damage. When the owner of Clubhouse Jager was outed as a Duke contributor, his employees announced they were quitting. At least one of them was later accosted at a different bar* because they worked for racist asshole even though they weren’t aware he was a racist asshole.
Please note: the person who took this picture is not a white supremacist.
I’m fully in support of outing Nazis and white supremacists. I think we should have full knowledge of who they are and then we should make our own informed decisions on whether or not to do business with them.
I just hope we don’t hurt people who aren’t white supremacists because they are unintentionally connected to racist assholes. If they lose their jobs, that sucks. Even if they leave that job voluntarily.
If we are going to cost a Nazi their business, that’s fine. But let’s not turn our backs on the people who are hurt when that business closes, OK?
*This report is from a reputable source but there is no news coverage of the incident.
Shit that Pissed me Off – 7/28/17
North Carolina Church Reportedly Importing Slaves from Brazil
Post racial society, huh?
This report, which the church very pointedly doesn’t deny in it’s vehement tirade against the news organization that broke the story, suggests some troubling things.
Now I know we could all simply dismiss this entire mess because people aren’t that awful but history tells us that, yes, people can really be that awful. There is currently a person that awful working in the white house. And our President regularly listens to what Mr. Bannon has to say.
America is, we are told, the greatest country in the history of countries (sure we are) so we ought to be super upset about this entire problem. However, with the possible exception of Vatican City, we are the most smugly Christian country in the history of countries and that means any report like this must be viewed with suspicion because Christians just don’t do that sort of thing!
And to be fair, most Christians don’t do that sort of thing. We should really get upset, though, when some self professed Christians actually do that sort of thing.
Remember how we all got super upset about this story five years after it broke?
The response so far seems tepid. It isn’t the sort of “what the FUCK” kind of response you like to see when a church is accused of enslaving people. I mean the health care vote is a big deal and it affects all Americans so I understand why we aren’t quite as concerned about a few Brazilians.
Once we get this health care thing sorted out, though, can we spare a few thoughts for people tricked into slavery?
Oh fuck. We’re never going to be done sorting out this health care thing, are we?
Shit that Pissed me off – 7/21/17
Meme that Pissed me Off
I love/hate anti Feminist memes because they are all insufferably stupid. Take this one:
OH SNAP! Clearly the 50’s woman was perfect and the modern woman is completely fucked up! Because that is literally what every modern woman looks like!
Not that it would matter if that was what every modern woman looked like because fuck you and your standard of beauty, oh haters of feminism. Not that the modern woman in this meme has anything to do with feminism.
I mean, I’m pretty sure there are women with shit tons of body piercings who would claim they are not feminists. Also pretty sure there are women who look a lot more like our 1950’s “ideal” who are loud and proud about feminism.
And how do you know the young woman on the right didn’t alter her appearance to please the men in her life just like the woman on the left? Both of them could be sacrificing their own identity. Or, maybe, neither of them are. You don’t know. You just grabbed a couple of pictures off the internet to basically say “damn, I wish women would just shut the fuck up and meet my standards of beauty and decorum because clearly we would all be a lot happier.”
Except maybe women but why the fuck should we care about that?
Shit that Pissed me Off – 7/14/17
Kid Rock Might Be Running for Senate
The article I link to claims it is for certain but it is also on Fox News so who actually knows, right? Still, there is a website and Rock says we should stay tuned for a “major” announcement so, for the sake of this blog post, let’s just assume he’s actually planning on running.
I mean, the Kid (I call him a kid because that is his name) can run. That’s the way of our Democracy. You don’t actually have to be an experienced politician to run for office. You’d think that it might be some sort of problem that someone applying for the job doesn’t have any actual qualifications but in politics, many people consider that a plus.
He would be the first male Senator with long hair so that would be breaking a barrier, right?
That is precisely why many of us are forced to say things like “President Trump.” My fingers hurt just typing that.
So Mr. Rock is going to run for the Senate. Probably. Or he’s using the whole thing to help sell his next album (for which I would have grudging respect).
As a musician, I have to say I would appreciate another Senator who is not a lawyer. I’ve always appreciated that Al Franken is the only comedian in the Senate and I’m pleased that I have someone representing my interests.
I’m not sure about Kid Rock, though, and it isn’t just because he’s a conservative. Rather, it is because I don’t think the gives two fucks about anything but himself. And in that, he and Donald Trump have a lot in common.
Shit that Pissed me Off – 6/30/17
Trump Corner: Trump Admits his Claims of Taping Comey Were Bullshit
Donald Trump made a cryptic tweet that he may have taped conversations with James Comey before Comey testified to Congress. In an interview last week, he admitted there were no tapes.
Which isn’t a shock. Nobody thought there were tapes. The fact he’s been dragging this shit out for weeks is an embarrassment. Especially when you consider how often he uses the term fake news, you would think even his own supporters might cry foul when he creates it.
Instead, however, there is laughter from the right as they joke about how Trump was able to make everyone talk about secret white house tapes for a little while and, therefore, ignore the fact that Trump may well have attempted to obstruct justice. Ha ha ha!
The claim of taping Comey was, in itself, an attempt to obstruct justice by drawing focus away from what he was saying and suggesting there might be proof he was lying. By even suggesting such a thing, Trump undermined anything Comey would say.
There’s a bigger problem here as the Trumpbot response to his tweets about Morning Joe co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski exhibits.
Trump supporters respond to all of this by saying “ha ha – he played you!”
In all fairness, if Andy Dwyer was saying this shit, we’d think it was adorable.
Maybe he did. Then again, maybe he’s just a fucking asshole who can’t handle the fact that not everybody loves him because some of us think fucking assholes shouldn’t be fucking President.
But let’s assume he is “just” trolling the left. I don’t understand why that makes people happy. It’s like saying “well as long as he only makes fun of the half of America that isn’t me, I’m cool with it.”
Oh those poor liberal snowflakes can’t take a joke! Unlike those hardy conservatives who are completely capable of taking a joke, right? Give me a fucking break. They have an entire news network devoted to the fact they can’t take a joke.
And Trump isn’t framing this stuff as jokes. He’s framing it as a childish defense of his brand. He’s making personal attacks and he means them.
Decent people don’t treat each other this way. I don’t care if he’s playing the left or if he’s just an asshole incapable of keeping his mouth shut. Either way, he’s just an asshole.
And every person who defends his asshole behavior or claims that his behavior is, somehow, OK because he is just giving liberals their comeuppance for wanting government to help the poor and marginalized communities (fuck us) is just as much of an asshole. Conservatives are not assholes for being conservative.
But Trump is an asshole. And anyone who defends his behavior as “just sticking it to the left” is also an asshole.
Shit that Pissed me Off – 6/23/17
Women Can’t Get Directing Jobs in Hollywood But Men Can
You know what is great about Wonder Woman? It was directed by a woman. Not because women should direct female helmed super hero films but because hardly any women direct feature films. Is it because they don’t want to or because Hollywood is notoriously progressive until it comes to actually giving women jobs?
Before you answer that question, keep in mind that Patty Jenkins directed Monster in 2003. Charlize Theron won Best Actress for the film. The next feature film Jenkins directed?
Wonder Woman in 2017
The article above talks about Colin Trevorrow, who was handed the keys to Jurassic World after having made one mildly successful Independent film. He’s now the announced director for Star Wars Episode IX. He also directed the new, apparently horrible, film Book of Henry.
The problem here is men with no experience are handed the keys to major films all the time. Women with experience are not. Know how many movies Kathryn Bigelow has directed since she won an Oscar for Best Director in 2008? Two.
Maybe someone tried to hand her a Star Wars movie. But I’m betting they didn’t.
I mean it’s not like there’s anything in Star Wars for women to like, right?
The issue here isn’t Colin Trevorrow getting work. It is the fact he is being handed major blockbuster films when more experienced women don’t even get a call. I mean, Michael Bay makes unintelligible crap but at least his films make (for some inexplicable reason) gigantic piles of money. When Trevorrow was given Jurassic World, there was no evidence he could do the same.
Except for the fact he was making a Jurassic Park movie so of course it was going to make gigantic piles of money.
If you handed a Captain America movie to a woman director, it would also make piles of money. So why doesn’t that happen? They only super hero movie handed to a woman so far is the movie about a hero who is a woman.
It can’t be sexism right? It has to be something else.
No. It’s totally sexism.
Shit That Pissed me off – 6/16/17
Conservatives and Liberal Alike Freak Out Because They Have No Idea What Julius Caesar is About
So last week Delta and Bank of America withdrew financial support from the Public Theater because their production of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare drew inspiration from politics of the day. As the article I linked to states, this interpretation isn’t new.
In fact, the Guthrie did an Obama themed version of the play five years ago. Outrage generated: zero.
What pisses me off here is the fact all these pissed off people apparently haven’t actually read the play. Or if they read it, they didn’t understand it.
And I get that. Shakepearean language can be challenging.
“Villain: I have done thy mother.” Titus Andronicus Act IV, Scene II
So here’s the thing: Julius Caesar is not a play about how awesome it is to assassinate political leaders. The assassins in the play all end up dead!
The motivations of one of them, Brutus, are noble. The motivations of the rest are less clear and certainly more selfish. Caesar himself is complicated – neither wholly good or wholly bad.
To pitch a fit because the subject of the assassination is kind of like Donald Trump is missing the point.
But further, what the hell has happened to our country that our President is off limits completely? We can make jokes about him but heaven forfend we depict him as the subject of an assassination attempt. We can only do that with fictional Presidents?
If the concern is that we’ll give people ideas, I’m sorry to say that they already have those ideas.
The events of this week already prove that.
Basically, this should be a non issue. The left shouldn’t care because fuck Trump and his party if they can’t take a joke (which this isn’t even) and the right shouldn’t care because they should fucking read the play.
Grail Diary 