Comments on: Teenager hurts nasty pol’s fee-fees!

By: Historiann

Historiann — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 19:21:11 +0000

Douchebag conversation here. I guess I've come around to the usage of the term that OlderThanDirt describes.

By: OlderThanDirt

OlderThanDirt — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 19:00:45 +0000

Several feminist blogs have had extensive discussions on the word douche. Since douching itself is a part of the slandering of the vulva and the vagina as “unclean,” douche was generally found to be a perfect term to describe someone harmful, unnecessary, and misinformed.

I think that the suggestion of using ball sackery as a substitute term would indicate the douche was actually a part of a woman’s anatomy. No, a douche is just a bad, bad idea.

/derail

By: Millerz

Millerz — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 17:37:24 +0000

Historiann, especially as a leader in observing gender in history, could you please refrain from using any permutation of the term “douche” in a derogatory manner? I was thrilled to see you post this story and the one on the occupiers, but it’s jarring to see women obediently participate in the “hip” usage of anything relating to vaginas (including the clinical word “vagina”) as slurs.

May I suggest instead of douchebaggery, try “ball sackery” or any reference to scrotums?

Thank you.

By: Susan

Susan — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:59:28 +0000

Yes, I thought that Ruth Marcus exacerbated, or perhaps mirrored, Brownback’s office’s response. I mean, a teenager wrote something rude and silly and not entirely true? STOP THE PRESSES!

By: koshembos

koshembos — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:43:51 +0000

Why is everyone so picky about the kid? As a kid she is entitled to lapses. H said everything that is to say about Madam Marcus. She is in a large majority in our news media. It almost seems that one has to thinking defective to rise to some prominence in the media.

Many blogger on the left, although widely quoted, are not much better. (on the other hand part)

The only winner in the skirmish is Brownback who displayed good judgement.

By: Historiann

Historiann — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 02:07:44 +0000

Janice: I’m completely with you on the mother-shaming and blaming, with a bonus of further infantilizing the girl as a political subject. Ugh.

By: Janice

Janice — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:11:28 +0000

This is why I’m not up in arms about the death of the media. Because the free media that I respected, that put ethics and public interest above their own status-building, pretty well disappeared in the 90s.

Currying favour with Governor Brownback, Ms. Marcus? I hope that works out well for you because it’s not winning you many admirers among your fellow citizens.

Did you also notice that Marcus managed to bring up mothers in this? Obviously, our tweeting teen had a BAD MOTHER because if Ruth Marcus had been her mother, she’d have raised her right and have punished the SHIT out of her.

By: Indyanna

Indyanna — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:17:51 +0000

These guys would never be able to handle it if there was something like “Rate-My-Pols,” although I suppose they would say that’s what elections are about. Fabricating *part* of a tweet and still having room within the character limit to get in a vulgarity says something about expressive dexterity and rhetorical stick-handling, if nothing else. Brownbag should have tweeted back with a job offer. Talent is talent in this market.

By: Notorious Ph.D.

Notorious Ph.D. — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:36:36 +0000

Historiann, your opinion mirrors mine, and that of another friend of mine who is a political commentator from the Great State of Kansas:

1. Ms. Sullivan expressed her political opinion, which she had a right — one might even say a civic obligation — to do. One could only wish that other 18 year-olds cared as much about what their elected officials were doing.

2. She undermined her position by fabricating a bit of her tweet and using inflammatory language. This is unfortunate.

So: so far, #1 minus #2 = a wash. BUT…

3. Brownback’s office tried to quash any sort of dissent by bullying an 18 year-old girl whose claims would have otherwise likely vanished… thus proving her point.

Conclusion: Brownback (or his office; whatever) has shown himself to be a fool with a capital “T”. This is something that Kansans have known for a while; now the whole country knows it.

By: That's Grantastic!

That's Grantastic! — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:48:00 +0000

Running out and registering would be just great. Still marveling over how utterly thoroughly her first eligibility to vote was shat upon by the Governor (who fucking sucks), her school, the media, and on and on and on.