Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Some People Need a Translator

"I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, but it turns out you have to go into rehab if you use the word 'faggot,' so I - so kind of an impasse, can't really talk about Edwards."

-Ann Coulter at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington

A lot of people are upset at Coulter's above remark. I have no problem with that. What I do have a problem with is the way people are grossly misinterpreting her remark. The misinterpretation is, that Coulter called John Edwards a "faggot". It's amazing that so many people didn't get the joke - Democrats and Republicans alike.

For those of you under the misconception that Coulter thinks John Edwards is gay or bisexual, you need a translator. You need someone who knows how to translate political satire into common, straightforward speech. I guess I'll be that person today.

Plain and simply, Ann Coulter did not call John Edwards gay or question his sexuality in any way. She was referring to Isaiah Washington, the star of TV's Grey's Anatomy. He did actually call someone a "faggot". He was subsequently condemned by his Hollywood peers and forced to make a public apology. He was also coerced into seeking counselling for his words.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16791621/

Now see if you can follow this (I know it's hard for some of you): Ann Coulter was referencing Isaiah Washington's words as an example of why she did not want to say what she truly felt about John Edwards. I'm sure Coulter knew that Edwards is married, has children, and is not accustomed to having people question his sexual preferences. In other words, she mockingly pretended to want to say bad things, in her own words, about Edwards, but didn't because she didn't want to receive the same scorn as Washington. Had she spoken her mind, would she have made gay references? It's very doubtful when I'm sure, she would have so many more factually-based choice things to say.

So go ahead and object to her remark for making questionable references. Just don't misinterpret her message.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ann Coulter has been called "the human flamethrower"; I wish I'd thought of that. It is unlikely that she would ever keep an opinion about a public figure to herself in order to avoid the sort of opprobrium that Isaac Washington got; so unlikely and so out-of-character that when she satirically pretends to do so, nobody gets the joke. I'm glad you explained it.

Robert E Wilson said...

Glad to be of service :) but I have a feeling you didn't need my explanation.

"Human Flamethrower" she is. Better duck.

Erik said...

Just wondering if it was a joke when she said we should murder Bill Clinton or murder the liberal wing of the Supreme Court.

Robert E Wilson said...

Yes, it was a joke.

Robert E Wilson said...

Don't forget Alec Baldwin's immortal words:

"If we were living in another country, what we, all of us together, would go down to Washington and stone Henry Hyde to death, stone him to death, stone him to death! Then we would go to their house and we'd kill the family, kill the children."

If you ever heard this outburst on the Conan O'Brien show, you would have heard a very angry Baldwin saying this like he meant it. He must be a better actor than I ever gave him credit for because later on, he called his outburst "a parody".

Erik said...

Last I checked you can't threaten a President even if you don't mean it. And by the way I wasn't exactly thrilled with Baldwin's comments either. I must say you really then have a sick sense of humor.

Erik said...

Seriously if I said the same things about Bush as ALL you righties said about Clinton I would have Secret Service at my door.

Robert E Wilson said...

What is with you and the word "all"? Neither I, nor 99+% of us "righties" ever wished or said anything, publicly or privately, about causing any harm to Bill Clinton.

I've read and heard plenty of vile spewed at Bush. So much that it's become background noise. Never did I hear anywhere near this level of animosity towards Clinton.

Go ahead and speak your mind. Why should the secret service single you out?

Erik said...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/10/13/state/n173002D95.DTL

To prove a point.

Erik said...

I'm sure it was a joke when after the New York Times building was evacuated when an envelope containing some at the time unknown powder she said "good they got the letter I sent". If that's what you think is a joke you are pathetic.

Robert E Wilson said...

As for your link. Let me get this straight. A student posts imagery and text about killing the President of the United States. Some secret service agents question her for 15 minutes about it and you think that is unjustified? The student gripes that they were mean to her? Poor baby! After all, what she did was illegal.

Okay, call me pathetic. I am not as pathetic as you, who constantly fail to directly address my statements, I always address yours.