Right Wing World: The Latest Faux Outrage is "Umbrella-gate"

At least with a trio of potential scandals, Right Wing World actually had something to squawk about last week. Sure, the big Benghazi memo turned out to be bogus. The IRS thing may end up causing the tea party more damage than if it were left alone. The AP thing. . .well, who knows. But a jump to a new scandal, one about a marine holding an umbrella for the President? Well, this one is just stupid, and smacks of racism.

Freeze frame from Washington Post video.

In fact, if one does a cursory Google image search, one will find several other images like this one. Images of past presidents--Republicans, notably--in nearly identical poses. Apparently, it is something of a traditional thing for the military to do for the president. The only difference I can see in this incident from those of George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan is. . .well. . .the color of the guy behind the podium. I know that alleging racism has become identical to racism in Right Wing World. But that is no more true than their commentary about this phony outrage. And this is not without precedent.

One that keeps coming around like a perennial flower is an image of President Barack Obama with his feet propped up on his desk. This was also a case where a simple image search would find examples of other presidents doing the same thing. But it doesn't matter. For some reason, it spreads like wildfire on the internet every few months, usually accompanied by right-wing commentary accusing the President of being arrogant, king-like, haughty, classless, anti-American, and everything right up to the line of "uppity." This is naked racism, nothing else.

And now for a blast from the past, the feet on the desk shots. . .

Flip FLOP: Nasty Feet Funk!

This caught my eye, because I was recently traveling, and was surprised by the number of people at the airport and on the plane wearing flip flops or sandals. Now, I wear sandals all the time. I live in the Mojave Desert! But for some reason, I'm just not comfortable traveling in them. For one thing, that's a lot of walking in unstable shoes. For another, I know I'd slip my feet out of them on the plane, and that's probably unsanitary.

Actually, there's no probably about it. If you're a foot fetishist, you might want to skip this article, or invest in Purell.

[Excerpt]

Flip-Flop Feet: How to Defeat Foot Cooties and Flaunt Sexy Toes

Anyone who has ever pounded the pavement in strappy sandals knows that, by dusk, your soles are the color of the asphalt you've been strolling. We won't even get into the "tan line" of grime around your ankle strap. . .

Read more at: StyleList

One More Time: Presidents Sometimes Put Feet on Their Desks

Image from MediaMatters

I've been noticing that an old "Presidents with Feet on Their Desks" keeps drawing hits, especially over the last couple of days. This has popped up a couple of times before, and I don't know what has spurred it this time.  Conservatives--especially those of the FReeper variety--like to say that President Obama putting his feet on the "historic" desk he sits at proves that he has no class. Or something.  Conveniently they overlook this photo of President George W. Bush doing the exact same thing. Can you guys please put this ridiculous controversy away, and move on to the next faux outrage?

Where'd Everybody Go?

February was a heady month here at Greenlee Gazette. Due to the most recent faux outrage of "the President with his feet on his desk," I got more hits than in any other month for the last year. This in a month with 28 days! But March looks to be a fickle bitch. After massive (for me) hits, it looks like March is going to be the blogging doldrums for me. And I've been prolific (for me) this month too! Oh, for a new faux outrage. . .

This is Not a Rerun: Faux Outrage Over Obama's "Disrespect" for Office

Image from source, Media Matters

Sigh. After eight long years of an overgrown frat-boy in the White House, it's amazing to me that right-wingers are trying to pin a similar label to President Obama. It's kind of like when they pick on him for using a teleprompter, when George W. Bush used one. Or for Obama's speech patterns, when Bush could barely utter a coherent sentence (even with a teleprompter). Or countless other things.

But this one in particular is getting incredibly stale. They've already gone after Obama for not wearing a tie in the Oval Office, and for putting his feet on his desk. It's like that episode of South Park where Butters (as "Major Chaos") is trying to come up with an outrageous plan, only to have "General Disarray" tell him, "The Simpsons already did it!" In this case, Bush already did it. Endlessly. Obama bowed to a dictator? Hell, Bush held hands with and kissed one! On and on. So why are they back to this again?

[Excerpt]

Dear Fox Nation: Was Bush disrespecting the Oval Office, too?

The Fox Nation is currently highlighting a picture of President Obama with his feet up on his Oval Office desk, accompanied by the headline, "Is Pres. Obama disrespecting the Oval Office?"

If this sounds familiar, it should. . .

Read more at: Media Matters

Actor to Watch: Enver Gjokaj

Image from Pop Power

Enver what now? The actor (whose name is pronounced En-vair Jo-kai) is one of the ensemble cast of the recently cancelled (but still airing) FOX sci-fi show, Dollhouse. I've been a vocal supporter of the show, which apparently leads to series cancellation--see Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles--sort of a "Greenlee's Law" if you will. The star of Dollhouse is Eliza Dushku, who also appeared in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel (all produced by genre great, Joss Whedon). But Dollhouse grew into a true ensemble piece, with uniformly good actors regularly outshining Dushku.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not on the Dushku-bashing band wagon so many other viewers are perched upon. Love her, seriously. But up against the acting of co-stars Olivia Williams, Amy Acker, Fran Kranz, Dichen Lachman, Alexis Denisof, Tamoh Pinekett, Harry Lennix and especially Enver Gjokaj, Dushku was bound to find herself a bit dwarfed. The premise of the show--if you don't already know--is that a shady business called "Dollhouse" takes wayward souls, wipes their memories (consensually, mostly), and reprograms them for use as, well, just about anything. Mostly as fantasy fulfillment for the rich, but also for more useful purposes.

So it was either lucky or by design that Gjokaj (along with other co-stars) is so gifted as so many different types of characters. The first time he was introduced, it was as a Russian, and we weren't as an audience aware that he was a "doll" at all. Later, he was put into other roles including as a secret lover to boss lady Williams. But it was his stunningly good impressions of other actors on the show where he really shone. First the contents of the brain of one of the characters, Laurence Dominic (Reed Diamond) was dumped into Gjokaj's Victor character. Dominic was a mole, and had his real self sentenced to "The Attic" for punishment. Through Victor, they found out what Dominic was up to.

The thing is, Gjokaj's take on Dominic's/Diamond's character was so spot-on, if you weren't watching the screen, you'd have sworn it was Diamond and not Gjokaj in the scene. Later, Victor was programmed with the memories of a serial killer. Here again, the acting nuances were so perfect, he almost became the other actor. Later in that same episode--through a mishap with the technology--Victor became Kiki, the empty-headed party girl Echo (Dushku) had been portraying. It was comedy gold.

Most recently, Victor was called upon to help brainy (and amoral) Topher be in two places at the same time. Gjokaj's performance as Topher blew every other attempt at mimcry out of the water. Other than hair color, the difference between Gjokaj's and Kranz's "Tophers" was almost indistinguishable. And again, the scenes managed to inject a significant amount of humor.

Dollhouse may sadly be cancelled, but I have no doubt that Enver Gjokaj will have a bright future. And given Whedon's propensity for using his actors again and again, hopefully it will be in something as entertaining as Dollhouse. Let's just hope it's more popular.

Enver Gjokaj's official Web Site

Presidents With Their Feet on Their Desks

FURTHER UPDATE (09/04/13): Getting a torrent of hits on this one AGAIN. Attention right-wingers: WHAT is your fascination with this subject?

NEW UPDATE (01/26/10): They're at it again. Click here to see the latest "outrage." Why is this news?

Photo from Democratic Underground

The next time you hear a right winger (or anyone else) comment about President Barack Obama's "classlessness" because he put his feet up on the desk in the Oval Office, remember this, mmmmkay?

Red State Update: The Obama Rumors

Maybe I'm just demented, but I find these guys funny. And I needed to do something to get that story about feet out of the top spot! So, enjoy. . .

News of the Weird: Human Feet Washing Up in Canada

Don't worry, that's Ricky Martin's (intact) foot, from Barefoot Male Celebs

There's not much I can add to this one. It's horrific of course, but so odd that it just makes you scratch your head and say, "What?!" And almost all right feet?

Let's hope that this is just a case of a sicky mortician, and the feet were from people who are already dead. But given that this one was found in a tennis shoe, that hope doesn't seem too realistic.

[Excerpt]

5th right foot adds to B.C. mystery

VANCOUVER - The grisly saga of human feet washing ashore on the coastlines of British Columbia became even more macabre Wednesday with the discovery of a sixth human foot on a beach in Campbell River, B.C. . .

Read more at: The Vancouver Sun