How Dumb Are Trump Voters? New Poll Sheds Some Light (They're Pretty Dumb)

Imagine my surprise.

Right Wing World: Obama Doesn't Wear "Mom Jeans," Conservatives Don't Get Humor

Right Wing humor is an odd thing. No, strike that, it's practically a unicorn, because I'm not sure it exists. I should maybe say, Right Wing attempts at humor are an odd thing, a very, very odd thing. For the rest of us, humor has to have an element of truth to it. It has to grow out of something that exists, and

Not Mom Jeans

then is exaggerated to humorous effect. Conservative humor seems to start with an exaggeration or misconception, and the gets more exaggerated and more distorted in the telling and retelling of the joke. It then gets repeated endlessly, as though it's as hilarious in the 3,000th telling as it was the first time. Then, inevitably, Sarah Palin works it into her word salad.

Of course, if you're not conservative, the first telling is a head scratcher, and on the umpteenth retelling, you get so irritated about the lack of humor, you can't hold your tongue anymore. If it's your Republican Uncle Ralph, this can start a family fight. If it's on the interwebz, you might dive into the viper's pit that is NewsBusters.  

NewsBusters is a "liberal media" (hah!) watchdog site, run by Brent Bozell, he of the "put my byline on columns written by others for years at a stretch" infamy. They'll

Still not Mom Jeans.

rail about The NBC Nightly News with the same fervor as Kathy Griffin or Bill Maher, so their idea of news media is rather loose. And if you're a liberal, you'll scroll through their "outrage" headlines, and kind of wonder why any of the headlines is particularly outrageous. My response to most of them is, "yeah, so?" But their comments section is among the most poisonous on the internet. You could point out the correct spelling of the president's name and be called the stupidest, filthiest, most worthless person on the planet.  It's that kind of place.

So, I happened by one day, and caught the repetitive joke that was bugging me one too many times, and couldn't hold my tongue. The joke was about "mom jeans," a reference to a Saturday Night Live faux commercial from several years ago. "Mom Jeans" are those high-waisted pants that seemed to be on every mom in the 1980s and 90s, which made women's rear ends look longer, lower and flatter. They were characterized by a very long rise and fly, which gave seemingly acres of denim from crotch to waist on both the back and front side. It was funny because it was instantly recognizable, and for the tag line that said, "I'm not a woman anymore, I'm a mom."  [Story continues below]

None of the pictures of Obama supposedly wearing mom jeans have these features. None of them. They might look dorky.* They might be ill-fitting. But none fits the joke. In many cases, the funny looking part of the picture is the president's pose (throwing a baseball, riding a bike) or something else he's wearing (like a bike helmet). In no case does the photo match the joke. And yet, they'll insist that it does. And they'll get  vicious to anyone who points out this fact! I even started my entry into this realm by showing the picture (shown here) of the SNL original ladies in mom jeans, and picture of Willard Mitt Romney in similar pants. Because, you know, I'm a helper. Didn't work. They still fail to get the joke, still have no ability to see where they're wrong, and still treat me (even though I'm unfailingly civil, if snarky) like vermin.

Now these are mom jeans!

I don't know why I bother. The commenters at NewsBusters-like those of any conservative site that even allows non-member comments--are instantly hostile to almost any contrary comment. Hostile in a very different way from those you might see to a conservative on a left-wing site.  In Right Wing World, it seems the default response to an "interloper" is to heap on the derision and venom, in an out-of-scale, bazooka-style blast. If you enter into it with a sincere, inquisitive mindset, you'll be crushed. If you go in with the foreknowledge that they're knee-jerk assholes, it's kind of fun.

But somebody who is on their side should really explain humor to them. Because the mom jeans thing is missing the mark, but it's far from their only humor blind spot. I tell you though, if you want to see what Right Wing World--at the base--is really all about, go take a gander at NewsBusters' comments section, and see if you can suss out what they think is funny (such as calling Rachel Maddow, "Ray," "Mad Cow" and "he" or "it," EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.). Here's a link to where I had my latest kerfuffle with them. Note also that this "watchdog" site that allegedly only exists in reaction to the crassness of "liberal media" has no problem calling Maddow "surly" in their headline!

It's here: Newsbusters

*It should be pointed out that at the root of this joke--even though they're not applying it right--is that the president is feminine, girly, not a man. NewsBusters is only a hop and skip from World Net Daily, after all, where they come right out and say that the president is gay. That's why this joke delights them so much, and why they desperately want to make the evidence fit the joke. But it still doesn't.

Meanwhile, on Facebook: Idiot Romney Voter!

It needs to be a named law: "If you're trying to insult a group of people (especially online), you will make a foolish mistake that proves that you are the idiot." It may be a corollary to Murphy's Law, but it needs its own name. Poe's Law is taken. So is Rule 34. Godwin's Law too. Dare I make the idiot rule "Greenlee's Law?" Nah, I'm sure someone has already taken it, and that's kind of like being Lou Gehrig, Mr. Parkinson or Mr. Alzheimer. Anyway, the idiot rule applies here (and yes, I initially misspelled "idiot" in the headline!).

This Just In: Joe "The Plumber" is an Idiot

But, then again, you knew that. It's really something, the caliber of the Tea Party heroes, isn't it?

[Excerpt]

Joe The Plumber Has Brilliant Analysis Of What Caused The Holocaust



. . .Mr. The Plumber, who apparently would like some more attention, please, has a new ad out that explains that gun control caused both the Holocaust and the Armenian genocide. That is some First Class trolling there, Joe, but you forgot one tiny, teeny thing. . .

Read more at: Wonkette

Keith Olbermann's Worst Persons in the World: Eric Cantor is "Idiot Tool of the Rich"

Top 10 Conservative Idiots, November 2, 2009

Monday again, and it's already November, can you believe it? Well, of course you can, because it is now dark at friggin' five o'clock! Undoubtedly the worst part of fall/winter for me is the onset of early nightfall. I wonder if all of the post-holiday blues people feel in January is more due to the fact that it's nighttime most of the non-working day.

So, we've got to keep ourselves occupied. And one of my favorite ways to do that at the start of the work week is to read Democratic Underground's Top 10 Conservative Idiots*. Sure, it's bi-weekly now instead of an every Monday thing. But that just gives me something to look forward to. So go ahead and take a peek. You won't be sorry!

[Excerpt]

The Top 10 Conservative Idiots, No. 376

November 2, 2009
Traitor Joe's Edition

This week Joe Lieberman (1,2) spits on his colleagues yet again. Elsewhere, The GOP (3) is eating itself, George W. Bush (7) entertains Canada, and Liz Cheney (8) has more trouble with the truth. . .

Read more at: Democratic Underground

*EDITOR'S NOTE: Greenlee Gazette does not contend that all conservatives are idiots. Merely that many prominent conservatives are idiots, as this column regularly confirms. So, please, no offense is intended to those of my friends and family who are themselves conservative. In other words, present company excluded!

Glenn Beck Admits His Fans are Idiots

Image from source, ThinkProgress

OK, maybe that's stretching what he said a little, but just a little. . .

[Excerpt]

Beck: ‘If you take what I say as gospel, you’re an idiot.’

Mr. Beck says he believes every word he says on his TV show, and the radio show that he still hosts from 9 a.m. to noon each weekday. […]

At the same time, though, he says he is an entertainer. “I’m a rodeo clown,” he said in an interview, adding with a coy smile, “It takes great skill.” […]

He added later: “I say on the air all time, ‘if you take what I say as gospel, you’re an idiot.’”

Read more at: Think Progress

Freepers Get it Wrong (Suprise) on Sex Scandal

Image from Wikipedia.com

I know I've harped on this a lot, but it bears repeating. FreeRepublic.com, one of the leading right-leaning blogs, is a haven for uninformed, juvenile homophobes. They have other negative qualities too, but those are at the top of my list.

In regard to the latest GOP sex scandal (another gay one), the wingnuts over at FR are working themselves into yet another anti-gay lather. Believe me, it doesn't even take a scandal of this scope to get them worked up. And they get so bent out of shape about the wrong issues.

You see, they seem to think the behavior of Sen. Craig is typical of gay people in general. No, you idjits, it is closeted, married gay people who behave this way!

Anyway, to educate and inform, I offer these comments on the first thread they've posted on the matter, in case you think I'm too hard on them. With editorial commentary by me.

FR: Dems have this strange deal with sex. When it involves themselves they say it's not important, but when it involves Republicans it's explosive.

GG: No, it is the hypocrisy, stupid! This guy is for "traditional family values." He votes to prevent same-sex marriage. He allegedly wants to "protect marriage."

FR: He pleaded guilty, something dems never do. He should step down immediately.

GG: Sure, he pleaded guilty, and then said he was innocent. That takes cojones.

FR: Bawny Fwank can diddle anyone he wants but a republican does it and it’s front page news...?

GG: Bringing up Barney Frank (while disparaging his speech impediment) is pretty weak. Frank did have a sex scandal years ago--alleged against a roommate and not himself--and the Republicans made plenty of hay about it.

FR: Another GOP pansy in the Senate. Good Riddance.

GG: Pansy? Is it 1952?

FR: Seems homos target ALL US airports for there sick hook-ups.

GG: You bet. Everyone knows that the Crown Room at LaGuardia is the gay spot in New York.

Anyway, it goes on like that (and on, and on, and on). Read on, if you can stomach it:

Senator Craig Arrested, Pleads Guilty Following Incident in Airport Restroom

UPDATE: Some time after this post, AmericaBlog.com posted a longer and more comprehensive version. I have gotten many ideas from AmericaBlog, but this wasn't one of them! In any event, here's their take: Freepers bleat about Larry Craig