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February 08, 2007

Who da feminist now?

Of all the endings to the Edwards/Marcotte l'affaire du blogge, this one is the sweetest.

I've talked to Amanda and Melissa; they have both assured me that it was never their intention to malign anyone's faith, and I take them at their word.
Was this, like, the principal's office? Did Big John lean forward, elbows on table and head tilted significantly as he silently regarded the two squirming girls over his steepled fingers? Did he clear his throat a couple of times startling them to squeal their sudden and abject apologies -- "we promise never ever ever to do it again, sir!"

I believe Jeff Goldstein has the correct analysis.

But let’s not confuse the effect with the rationale—which is both risible and insulting. Because were it really never Marcotte’s intent to malign anyone’s faith, she probably wouldn’t have dedicated so many hate-filled blog posts to, you know—maligning anyone’s faith.

Of course it was her intent. Just as it was McEwan’s intent. And worst of all, Edwards knows it. That he has pretended to take the two at their word, in an ostentatious gesture of “trust,” is precisley the kind of staged treacle that makes people doubt the sincerity of politicians; and that both Marcotte and McEwan have assured their own personal Patriarch that they’ll behave, now that he’s promoted them to the grownups’ table, is, to put it bluntly, one of the most pathetic public surrenderings of personal integrity I’ve ever seen.

Of course, Jeff is being generous. One actually has to have personal integrity if one is going to surrender it.

However, in one of those karma-is-a-bitch moments, I recall just about one year ago, in a debate on the merits of the play, The Vagina Monologues where I was arguing (not with Amanda) whether reducing women to a body part was really in our interest. Amanda's patented response

Shorter Darleen: I got other body parts, so why not let men own my vagina?
Tonight we now know who owns Amanda's vagina.

Indeed.

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Posted by Darleen at February 8, 2007 05:48 PM

Comments

Darleen
Thanks for the memory, literally.

Well, she kept her job but I suspect that may be her Pyrrhic victory (with Edwards serving as her soldier....an ironic twist, that, but I'll try to avoid the analogies and obvious puns).

How soon before she and her benefactor are eaten by their own?

Posted by: Hugh at February 8, 2007 06:49 PM

Does this mean the so-called patriarchy wins?

Posted by: ratan at February 8, 2007 07:56 PM

Crash and burn Darleen; crash and burn. Much entertainment on the horizon.

Posted by: Stacy at February 8, 2007 10:05 PM

As I said in another thread, I'll be more shocked if Mandy doesn't call the Republican candidate one of Carlin's 7 words than if she does. I'm sure she'll at least drop one of her "Rethuglican" type insults at the very least.

Posted by: ratan at February 9, 2007 05:15 AM

I guess Amanda and Co just sold out to the man - the white man at that.

Posted by: chez diva at February 9, 2007 10:48 AM

Much ado about nothing; tempest in a teapot. Who cares if Edwards staff puts out? What has it got to do with him?

Nothing I submit...

Posted by: Carl W. Goss at February 9, 2007 12:12 PM

Carl

I’m going to ignore the straw man (does Edward’s staff (put) out?)Would you describe Marcotte’s writings as a tempest in a teapot if you were the parent of an indicted Duke University lacrosse player?

Posted by: Hugh at February 9, 2007 03:54 PM

What has it got to do with him? Nothing I submit...

And submit that you couldn't find your hindquarters with both hands.

Mr. Edwards, being a lawyer, should be well familiar with the term due dilligence. Would you be OK if he hired a Klansman? perhaps that person is an excellent chef, or world-class driver.

If your answer is "no, it's not ok to hire a virulent racist" then why is it ok to hire virulent anti-Catholics?

Posted by: I R A Darth Aggie at February 10, 2007 02:35 PM