Michelle Wolf and the Guardian vs. the clueless press

[icehorse]

Michelle Wolf just spoke at the white house correspondent's dinner and she gave everybody a hard time, including trump and Sarah Sanders. Most of the clueless, lazy, soundbite-driven, inattentive, overly-PC press, is calling Wolf out - for criticizing Sander's looks. Wolf did not do this. The Guardian did a great piece on this situation:

Michelle Wolf has nothing to apologise for. Her critics do, though

Hooray to Michelle Wolf and hooray to the Guardian (at least in this case).

MSNBC failed, the NYT failed, NBC failed, faux-feminists failed. We have to hold the press accountable.

 

[YmirGF]

Michelle Wolf just spoke at the white house correspondent's dinner and she gave everybody a hard time, including trump and Sarah Sanders. Most of the clueless, lazy, soundbite-driven, inattentive, overly-PC press, is calling Wolf out - for criticizing Sander's looks. Wolf did not do this. The Guardian did a great piece on this situation:

Michelle Wolf has nothing to apologise for. Her critics do, though

Hooray to Michelle Wolf and hooray to the Guardian (at least in this case).

MSNBC failed, the NYT failed, NBC failed, faux-feminists failed. We have to hold the press accountable.

I was describing this to a friend yesterday. I never perceived the slurs against Sanders but do question her comedic value. Her shtick is pretty low hanging fruit, if not the fruit already on the ground under the tree. More a sign of the times, really. But, yes, is it any wonder we hear the phrase "fake news" so much these days. This is a great example if there ever was one.

 

[Stevicus]

I got a kick out of one of the reader comments below the article:

Who is Michelle Wolf?

Exactly. I had never even heard of this person before all this hullabaloo started. Who is she, and why should anyone care what she has to say about anything?

I would agree with the general principle that, if one is going to criticize someone based on their political positions or views, making fun of their looks or taking other cheap shots like that is rather juvenile. It makes me think that political discourse has degenerated to the level of junior high school.

 

[icehorse]

I got a kick out of one of the reader comments below the article:

Exactly. I had never even heard of this person before all this hullabaloo started. Who is she, and why should anyone care what she has to say about anything?

I would agree with the general principle that, if one is going to criticize someone based on their political positions or views, making fun of their looks or taking other cheap shots like that is rather juvenile. It makes me think that political discourse has degenerated to the level of junior high school.

Wolf did not criticize her looks. In the past others have, but Wolf did not.

 

[icehorse]

I was describing this to a friend yesterday. I never perceived the slurs against Sanders but do question her comedic value. Her shtick is pretty low hanging fruit, if not the fruit already on the ground under the tree. More a sign of the times, really. But, yes, is it any wonder we hear the phrase "fake news" so much these days. This is a great example if there ever was one.

Did you skim through the Guardian article? I thought it was spot on.

 

[Mock Turtle]

You mean this Guardian (the first link sent me to Yahoo)?

Michelle Wolf: the unstoppable rise of America's provocative political comic

Then there’s the fact that Wolf is a comedian – who, far more so than a president, is licensed (expected, even) to provoke and transgress.

Where do I sign to get my certificate?

 

[Quetzal]

Who?

 

[YmirGF]

Did you skim through the Guardian article? I thought it was spot on.

I can't say I'm terribly impressed with the writers point of view. Your mileage may vary.

 

[Altfish]

It might stop the GOP of accusing the Dems of being SJWs; it seems like they have got a dose of it.

 

[icehorse]

You mean this Guardian (the first link sent me to Yahoo)?

Michelle Wolf: the unstoppable rise of America's provocative political comic

Then there’s the fact that Wolf is a comedian – who, far more so than a president, is licensed (expected, even) to provoke and transgress.

Where do I sign to get my certificate?

The yahoo page should be a reprint of a different - but related - guardian article.

 

[Stevicus]

Wolf did not criticize her looks. In the past others have, but Wolf did not.

Okay, then it does seem strange that they would castigate her over something she didn't do. It seems like a pretty minor thing either way.

 

[icehorse]

Okay, then it does seem strange that they would castigate her over something she didn't do. It seems like a pretty minor thing either way.

Exactly my point. Lazy, inaccurate, PC "journalism".

 

[YmirGF]

Exactly my point. Lazy, inaccurate, PC "journalism".

What? You mean there is still journalism these days? Wow.

 

[icehorse]

What? You mean there is still journalism these days? Wow.

hence my "air quotes"

Which reminds me of this fantastic blog: The “Blog” of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks

 

[ADigitalArtist]

I liked the CBS article response to the criticisms. What did Michelle Wolf actually say about Sarah Sanders at the WHCD?

I'm generally not a fan of the term 'PC' because more often than not I see it being used as license to be ********. As in people who use terms like 'get over it snowflake' 'stop being so PC' while defending a man who mocks everything from women and veterans to the disabled to poor people to Muslims to people of various races or ethnicities... and expecting no criticism.

But this is not one of those occasions. Wolf focused on problematic behaviors in the media and with certain politicians and figured in the media. Frankly I thought it was the most PC thing in the world. And I mean that as a compliment.

 

[Sunstone]

I think Wolf was right when she said of the press in the room, “You pretend like you hate him, but I think you love him. I think what no one in this room wants to admit is that Trump has helped all of you. He’s helped you sell your papers and your books and your TV. You helped create this monster, and now you’re profiting off of him.”

 

[ADigitalArtist]

I think Wolf was right when she said of the press in the room, “You pretend like you hate him, but I think you love him. I think what no one in this room wants to admit is that Trump has helped all of you. He’s helped you sell your papers and your books and your TV. You helped create this monster, and now you’re profiting off of him.”

I've heard this in relation to comedians too. Like 'x comedian will have loads of material if y person gets elected to office.' If the same applies as media creators with some influence, do you suppose they might have also helped create the monster, and what could they do to stop it?

 

[icehorse]

I liked the CBS article response to the criticisms. What did Michelle Wolf actually say about Sarah Sanders at the WHCD?

I'm generally not a fan of the term 'PC' because more often than not I see it being used as license to be ********. As in people who use terms like 'get over it snowflake' 'stop being so PC' while defending a man who mocks everything from women and veterans to the disabled to poor people to Muslims to people of various races or ethnicities... and expecting no criticism.

But this is not one of those occasions. Wolf focused on problematic behaviors in the media and with certain politicians and figured in the media. Frankly I thought it was the most PC thing in the world. And I mean that as a compliment.

I'm kind of "meh" on the article you linked to. The author didn't really take a stand.

 

[Thermos aquaticus]

Just so we are all on the same page, this is the allegedly horrible joke that Michelle Wolf told:

“I think [Sanders is] very resourceful,” Wolf said about the White House press secretary. “Like, she burns facts, and then she uses the ash to create a perfect smoky eye.”

That seems absolutely innocuous to me. It isn't that funny, but it certainly doesn't veer into the land of deplorable.