tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-132520298120231193.post4521834614803110992..comments2023-12-23T02:10:09.875-05:00Comments on howl at pluto: SpectaclesLFChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13551197682770555147noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-132520298120231193.post-90139332060706850832008-08-16T14:33:00.000-04:002008-08-16T14:33:00.000-04:00treehouse,I didn't see the moment you describe, wh...treehouse,<BR/>I didn't see the moment you describe, which does sound egregious -- and yes, NBC was probably just following the BOCOG script. NBC has not covered itself with glory in this whole thing, imho.LFChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13551197682770555147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-132520298120231193.post-59404305828075920612008-08-16T13:41:00.000-04:002008-08-16T13:41:00.000-04:00Although I didn't watch all of the opening ceremon...Although I didn't watch all of the opening ceremony (which, ironically, in view of the fashions on view, is also the name of a hip clothing store in NY), I found the most egregious moment to be NBC's comment on the juxtaposition of children and soldiers (or at least people dressed up as same) in the "modern" section of the display of Chinese history. Someone intoned solemnly that this showed how the Chinese army was the protector of the future of China's children. Indeed! I suspect that in this instance at least NBC carried out no research at all, but was simply following a script helpfully provided by BOCOG, the somewhat sinister acronym for the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee.treehousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06449677428883030618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-132520298120231193.post-40677933303149376102008-08-14T05:09:00.000-04:002008-08-14T05:09:00.000-04:00Passing the test, for me, would have entailed a si...Passing the test, for me, would have entailed a simple and repeated apology for his actions rather than barely veiled attempts to excuse or mitigate them or shift the blame. This would not have made for a very good interview but that's that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-132520298120231193.post-9586066251370195702008-08-13T21:12:00.000-04:002008-08-13T21:12:00.000-04:00The whole business is profoundly distateful. I mea...The whole business is profoundly distateful. I mean, you probably can guess that I am not by any stretch of the imagination an Edwards supporter, but imagine how much better he'd look if he'd told the inquiring minds at the Enquirer to drop dead, or that it was none of their damn business, rather than squirming.El Jefe Maximohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14661511063910659377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-132520298120231193.post-35768640053164731802008-08-12T09:06:00.000-04:002008-08-12T09:06:00.000-04:00Edwards' performance (what I saw of it, I think I ...Edwards' performance (what I saw of it, I think I missed his remark about McCain) was far from great (though confessing an affair on Nightline is not an easy thing to pull off well). What would 'passing' the test here have entailed? Perhaps not going on TV but just issuing a straightforward statement? Deciding to go on TV was maybe a sign that he intends to remain in politics in some fashion.LFChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13551197682770555147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-132520298120231193.post-71087511946482653912008-08-12T03:47:00.000-04:002008-08-12T03:47:00.000-04:00I would only add that Edwards' performance (at lea...I would only add that Edwards' performance (at least as I saw it excerpted on Daily Show tonight) was revolting too, as Stewart made clear. Edwards basically blamed his family for the affair (via the old rhetorical trick of repeatedly assuming responsibility and saying "let me be clear, this was my own bad decision, no one in my family is to blame, not any one of them, blah blah blah," as if anyone were thinking otherwise) and (via the same trick) he compared himself favorably to McCain (saying "there is not comparison with anyone else, this was my own fault, and I chose to come clean, unlike John McCain, with whom there is no comparison, let me be clear, blah blah blah). So while I agree that this kind of thing should ideally not reach the level of publicity it did, I would add that, once it did, it became a character test that Edwards failed almost as badly as Clinton did when it happened to him. I suppose it is just as much a part of our false-Puritanical political culture that men fail these character tests as that these character tests are administered.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com