January 9, 2008
Hillary Clinton helped turn her political fortunes around in New Hampshire by flipping a tasteless shock jock stunt – two guys shouting “iron my shirts!” – into a case study of male oppressors blocking her route to the presidency.
The two yahoos, who interrupted one of Clinton’s last speeches on the Monday before the New Hampshire primary, were later identified as Nick Gemelli and Adolfo Gonzalez Jr., who are associated with Toucher & Rich, a white-guy-oriented talk show on Boston’s WBCN radio.
6 comments:
I believe it was more like this:
http://www.mediachannel.org/wordpress/2008/01/09/new-hampshire-primary-rigged/
Mr. Parry, you are brilliant, and I admire you very much, but this time, you are wrong. It was the media's behavior that pushed people to favor her, perhaps in addition to a few gentle tears. It was the media who attacked her non-stop, said she was a failure, criticized every word she and Bill said. It was so excessive that I, never having been a fan of the Clintons, felt sorry for them both.
In the debate among the four Democratic candidates, as much as I like Obama, both he and Edwards did poorly. Richardson and Hillary were far better, giving details to support their positions. Then moderator was horribly insulting to Ms. Clinton when he questioned her as to why people didn't like her and they liked Obama, or perhaps it was that people liked Obama better than they liked her, whatever the question, it was an attack on her personality as opposed to the substance of her message. Again, I was angry for her sake.
In analyzing her responses, they pointed only to her having sharply responded to Obama. When the Republicans sharply respond to one another, the media smiles in approval. What is this behavior?
As much as I don't like the Clintons, it would have been tough for me not to vote for her had I the chance. I'm glad she won, but, in the end, I hope Obama prevails. Still, any more of this media behavior, and there is going to be another kind of revolution.
Great article!
Here is the actual event on YouTube. You will see the two hecklers escorted out and I particularly like the one woman who yelled out 'iron your own shirt!" as the two left the auditorium.
Is there any evidence it was staged? What they did just sounds so ridiculous. Who put them up to to this stunt? Why were they trying to benefit Hillary? It's obvious that it would help her. Imagine someone launching racial epitephs at Obama at a rally? Wouldn't that be designed to help him.
Whoever prompted this stunt: Hillary or her opponants, the quote actually came from an on-air joke made by Rush Limbaugh back during (I think) the '92 election.
His joke was about meeting Hillary in an elevator and her saying that it was nice to be with somebody that made her feel like a real woman.
When she responded positively to his question about making her feel even more womanly his response was to take off his clothes...and tell her to iron them.
Just because these two men come across as "dumb guy losers" does not mean (a) that they are not (or will never become) part of the elite white-male oppressing class or (b) that their stunt does not represent the sexism that is very much alive today -- and something Clinton must continuously battle. I am not defending Clinton here because she is 'my' candidate (she isnt), but rather because I am offended at the juvenile act of these two guys and by your post, Mr. Parry.
These two guys could have said anything when they yelled during Clinton's speech (perhaps something relevant to her politcal actions and promises?) but instead chose something that targeted her gender. Sure, they're the ones that come off looking like the immature losers that they are, but their taunt is no less a reminder that many Americans still believe that a woman's place is 'in the home' or - if not that extreme - that a woman cannot (or should not) be president. Their taunt is "funny" because of its ideological resonance.
Judging by the other "jokes" you listed (e.g., mocking the afros of baseball players), it seems these 'juveniles' turn contemporary tensions into "laughing matters". The effect of this is for the stunt/joke-makers to claim "we were only kidding" while they, in reality, offend racial and gender minorities by expressing and perpetuating the hurtful stereotypes held by, if not them, many Americans. But, as is typical, it is the females (and racial minorities) that must 'get over it' and not "grossly exaggerate" what those "funny" sexist and racist comments demonstrate: if you will not overtly discriminate against us, you will do so subtly, so that either the effects of your sexism and racism will not be explicitly recognized or we will become the butt of your jokes.
I do wonder, why was no stunt pulled on any of the male candidates? My guess is that Clinton's candidacy is itself taken as a joke (odd, considering how many dopes are running for the Republican ticket!). Aaah, yes, equality has been achieved -- and Clinton was blowing this thing waaaaay out of proportion!
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