January 11, 2011

"She was wrapped in her fuzzy blanket, ready to listen to Taylor Swift or play Fruit Ninja on her iPod."

From an op-ed the NYT chose to publish in the wake of the Gabriel Giffords shooting. Please add this to the pile of evidence that the NYT aspires to be the newspaper for soft-hearted, soft-headed women.

IN THE COMMENTS: Mary Beth wins the thread:
I had a discussion with my daughter Amy the other day before I came here to ask her what the most important issue was....
(Link added.)

46 comments:

rhhardin said...

Some of them male.

David said...

Aurelie Sheehan was born in Verdun, France, and grew up in Connecticut. She received a B.A. from Hampshire College in 1984 and an M.A. from The City College of CUNY in New York in 1990.

Since 2000, she has been on the faculty at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, where she currently serves as Director of the Creative Writing Program. Previous teaching positions were held in the Part-time Graduate Program at Johns Hopkins University, Sheridan College, and The City College. She also ran the Poetry Series at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC for three years, coordinated the residency program at the Ucross Foundation in Wyoming, and worked as an assistant editor at Child Magazine.

Her collection of short stories, Jack Kerouac Is Pregnant, was published in 1994, with a paperback reissue in 2001, both with Dalkey Archive Press. She is the author of two novels, The Anxiety of Everyday Objects, published by Penguin in 2004, and History Lesson for Girls, published by Viking in 2006, with a Penguin paperback released in 2007.


In other words, she would be living in New York if she could find work there.

Is this the most authentic voice of Arizona the NYT can find?

Joe said...

(The Crypto Jew)


“Fruit Ninja” that sounds like a VIOLENT VIDEO GAME, I DEMAND the maker pull the product and tone it down, AND apologize for the violence the game has caused! And IF the makers of Fruit Ninja demur/protest/defend themselves:
1) They should turn the other cheek and STFU; and
2) It’s merely proof that, even in their minds, they are guilty as charged!

Mary Beth said...

I had a discussion with my daughter Amy the other day before I came here to ask her what the most important issue was....

Anonymous said...

When an opportunity like this comes up, it's natural to try to squeeze every bit of political advantage you can out of it.

It's especially easy when a terrible loss of life is involved. Then nobody is going to call you on it; it would, after all, be in bad taste to do so. Instead, everyone just nods their heads as you shape emotional reactions into political support, afraid of the negative peer reaction if they were to speak up and say it is inappropriate.

Bush & Co did it right after 9/11! He turned the nation's emotional reaction into support for his political agenda. He did it in that conniving sneaky way of his, too.

Now the Democrats are doing it, and the NYT is helping. But it's nothing that W hadn't done before. Team W had the Weekly Standard and National Review and all that, and Team O has got the NYT.

It's all part of the political game now...

Joe said...

(The Crypto Jew)


Good job Julius, bring out the “The Republicans do it to meme…” Tell me when did Dubya blame 9/11 on the Democrats, or AlGore or John Kerry?

PaulV said...

Julius, Julius, Julius,
W change his entire foreign policy agenda after 911 attack. That you misunderstood this is becuase you misunderestimate the power of the left wing controlled media. You think the trillion dollar hit to the economy, exposure of the corporate corruption that developed in 1990s and the dotcom bust did not require a tax cut similiar to JFK's?

Anonymous said...

@Joe-

Tell me when did Dubya blame 9/11 on the Democrats, or AlGore or John Kerry?

Dubya didn't because he couldn't.

If he could have, he would.

In fact, his friend and supporter Jerry Falwell tried, right? He blamed 9/11 on the gays and other liberal people here in America. But it didn't stick and people were repulsed. If it did stick, then surely our super-duper conservative leaders would have gotten behind that meme.

Now people will believe that conservatives, and Tea Partiers and Palin-supporters in particular, are responsible for this political violence breaking out. The truth doesn't matter. It never has.

Unknown said...

Well, people have been killed, so it's time to go all gauzy and creative non-fiction-y about it and Republicans. I guess she will tie them in to the shootings in the next installment.

Sprezzatura said...

What would this blog be w/o the NYT?

Althouse should go a year w/o ever reading the NYT. That will leave her more time to listen to Rush podcasts. And, she'll probably have time to branch out to Beck and Savage and Hannity.

If she needs a print fix she can read the Washington Times.

Refudiate the lamestream media.

Anonymous said...

Here is the video from September 13, 2001. Super-duper conservative Jerry Falwell speaking with Pat Robertson and using the 9/11 tragedy for his political advantage... attacking the ACLU especially... and the "pagans, the abortionists, the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians..."

Looks very much like the same style of deliberate brain-dead thinking as we have here in the NYT.

Looks like human nature.

Joe said...

(The Crypto Jew)
Now people will believe that conservatives, and Tea Partiers and Palin-supporters in particular, are responsible for this political violence breaking out. The truth doesn't matter. It never has.

So No Dubya DIDN’T blame the Democrats….is that above statement what you wanted to say? Because people DON’T believe that the Tea party or Sarah Palin was responsible…..

LL said...

She's not sure if she can continue her already strained relations with her Republican friends because some nutcase killed a bunch of people.

Good heavens, what is wrong with this woman?

Wince said...

"wrapped in her fuzzy blanket"

Metaphor Alert!

Joe said...

(The Crypto Jew)


The difference being, CONSERVATIVES “refudiated” that statement…yeah that’s right, the RIGHT itself, recoiled and rebuked its members, gee where’s that happening on the Left Julius…

Now you’re just sinking into a nihilist Swamp where “truth” doesn’t matter and we “all do it.” I call that the Drug Dealer Defense, “Ok so I deal heroin, if I didn’t someone else would.” So because everyone else does it, even when obviously they don’t, it’s Ok when you or your side does it. Only it ain’t working here?

PaulV said...

Julius, so you admit that you lied when you said
"Bush & Co did it right after 9/11! He turned the nation's emotional reaction into support for his political agenda. He did it in that conniving sneaky way of his, too." Good, confession is good for your soul.
1pjb, Why should AA give up mocking NYTimes? Just because NYTimes is exposed as stupid and that reflects poorly on you?

Joaquin said...

Eh Julius, bringing up Jerry Falwell to make a point is like bringing up Jeremiah Wright. Try again.

Larry J said...

Tell me when did Dubya blame 9/11 on the Democrats, or AlGore or John Kerry?

Dubya didn't because he couldn't.

If he could have, he would.


Gee, Julius. Project much? Just because that's what you would've done, it doesn't automatically follow that's what Bush would've done.

knox said...

Everything related to this event is nauseating.

Now you not only have to dread the loss of life when one of these things happen, you have to dread the media coverage.

aronamos said...

Did the parole board feel generous at Troll Prison this week? Lord have mercy, there are a lot of mahallisters around here today.

Henry said...

This reminds me of a review of some book of poetry against the Iraq war. The reviewer basically confessed to boredom. Poem after poem was about the poet watching the news and feeling deeply.

God, the reaction to this tragedy is boring. The news expands on its few facts with narrative-driven claptrap that could have, like a celebrity obituary, been written years ago. Even the sensitive reflections read like they've been fished from a jar of formaldehyde.

Amelia said...

What a crappy parent. No kid needs to watch her mother weep when tragedy comes knocking. If you'd lifted that sentence out of the article and printed it alone, it would have been apparent the writer is either a liberal or a member of the perpetually adolescent generation...they're the only ones who use their feelings as a guide for their actions.

Greg Hlatky said...

In the face of heartrending tragedy, public officials dead or crippled and a child murdered, it's all about Aurelie Sheehan.

Phil 314 said...

It’s been a tough couple of years here since the presidential election, and our friendships with some Republicans have grown strained. In the wake of this attack, I don’t know if we will be able to talk to each other more now, if we will reach out across the political divide, or if the sides will become further entrenched, if this is the harbinger of more divisiveness.

But experiencing the steadfast and determined ways so many people of this city are trying to keep it together, trying to reach out and make this a better place — Gabrielle Giffords being one of them — has made me understand how much this flawed, complex desert town means to me, how much it feels like home.


Why were her relationships with her "Republican friends" strained after 2008? And why would this tragedy make it worse? I've heard nothing but outrage regarding the shooting and empathy and support for the victims from Republicans in AZ, from the Governor who knew Gabby Giffords personally on down to state and local officials.

Aren't all big cities "complex" and "flawed"?

Ann Althouse said...

"The difference being, CONSERVATIVES “refudiated” that statement…"

They surcame it.

Phil 314 said...

Julius;
In fact, his friend and supporter Jerry Falwell tried, right? He blamed 9/11 on the gays and other liberal people here in America. But it didn't stick and people were repulsed. If it did stick, then surely our super-duper conservative leaders would have gotten behind that meme.

C'mon, you can do better. If you reserach this further I think you'll find that:
1) Falwell and Robertson were uniformily condemned by politicians of all stripe
2)Although Falwell endorsed him, I don't believe Bush was particularly enamored with Falwell (let along consulted with him)

And besides, Falwell was a Baptist; George W. Bush is Methodist.

AST said...

The Times has declared vendetta against Arizona. You'd think that NYC was totally without violence. The editorial board essentially blamed the whole state fro Jared Loughner. It's nice to know that New York has no paranoid schizophrenics.

Freeman Hunt said...

It’s been a tough couple of years here since the presidential election, and our friendships with some Republicans have grown strained.

Gee, I wonder who initiated this strained feeling, this woman or the friends? I think I know the answer.

Freeman Hunt said...

This whole thing of painting the Arizona event in politics is crazy. Crazy like an untreated schizophrenic's YouTube channel.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Fuzzy blanket = snuggie which was the bestest Xmas gift I got.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Gawd if only the NYT would film their editorial staff meetings.

I would pay big bucks to watch their point-headed liberals deliberate about who and what they will print.

R.L. Hunter said...

Is this the most authentic voice of Arizona the NYT can find?

No just the one most sympathetic to their point of view

Old RPM Daddy said...

"It’s been a tough couple of years here since the presidential election, and our friendships with some Republicans have grown strained. In the wake of this attack, I don’t know if we will be able to talk to each other more now ..."

See, I'm a nice person! I even have Republican friends! Though maybe not so much after this, since, well, you know...

FormerTucsonan said...

Is this the most authentic voice of Arizona the NYT can find?


I can tell you from experience that it's pretty authentic for Tucson.

Just imagine a town that's a cross between Berkley and Aspen.

Freeman Hunt said...

My three year old son's most important political issue is a territorial dispute between he and his younger brother over areas of the assembled train set.

dbp said...

"It’s been a tough couple of years here since the presidential election, and our friendships with some Republicans have grown strained. In the wake of this attack, I don’t know if we will be able to talk to each other more now, if we will reach out across the political divide, or if the sides will become further entrenched, if this is the harbinger of more divisiveness.

I can think of a couple ways for this event to be divisive: 1. You can blame it on Republicans, in which case they will justifiably hate you for it. 2. They could gloat about the killing, in which case, you will be justified in hating them.

It doesn't have to be divisive though. We can agree that it is sad, tragic and that nobody is happy it happened. This is what people of good will do.

Unknown said...

The up side is that she didn't mention Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, or the Tea Party movement.

Maybe the Gray Lady is starting to get the idea it won't work this time?

Revenant said...

Dubya didn't because he couldn't.

He was physically incapable of blaming Democrats? Is that like a medical thing, or what?

Or do you just mean "couldn't" in the sense of "it wouldn't have worked"? Because by that standard it would appear that the Left "couldn't" blame the Arizona shootings on right-wingers, either -- they've been enthusiastically trying it for days now and haven't even managed to convince *Democrats* to take them seriously. :)

Peter Hoh said...

Larry McMurty does a pretty good job of making sense without getting warm and fuzzy.

WV: warfar

Old RPM Daddy said...

"It doesn't have to be divisive though. We can agree that it is sad, tragic and that nobody is happy it happened. This is what people of good will do."

No, it doesn't have to be divisive. And people who allow something as brain dead as politics to destroy friendships always struck me as a little adolescent. Most of the time, anyway.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

My daughter knew Gabby Giffords as a politician, as someone we’d supported in the last election. We talk a lot about politics at our house, and she’s an attentive listener, fierce about what she thinks is wrong and right...

Aurelie Sheehan is the ... author of “History Lesson for Girls,” a novel.


I can't help but wonder how many sons she had to abort before she got the child she wanted.

Palladian said...

Is Kathie Lee Gifford going to write a song about the shooting and make the victim's families listen to someone sing it?

Jeanne Patterson said...

Why does the link (presumably to the comments in the NYT) lead to a CNN link on the 1980 Presidential debate? Has the NYT removed the comments? Am I insane and should I expect further dog-whistle commands from Sarah Palin shortly?

Anonymous said...

jeannebodine: Why does the link (presumably to the comments in the NYT) lead to a CNN link on the 1980 Presidential debate?

Search the text for "Amy". Then you'll see why Mary Beth won the thead. (Yeah, I was scratching my head there for a minute, too.)

Revenant said...

Am I the only person who thinks "refudiate" is a cool-sounding word?

I know it isn't a real word, but it ought to be. It flows nicely off the tongue.

Freeman Hunt said...

I know it isn't a real word, but it ought to be. It flows nicely off the tongue.

I agree.