Since I work from home and write a lot about pop culture and entertainment I try to catch a bit of the various talk shows. Lately I am finding "The View" more and more uncomfortable to watch.
I'll admit it - I'm a liberal (such a dreaded word unfortunately) but it's not just Elisabeth Hasselbeck's ultra-conservative politics that are driving me to click off my TV, it's her smug ignorance and intolerance that are leading me to open up my iTunes file and listen to anything but her.
Granted, I know Hasselbeck isn't alone in her relentless carping on the Reverend Wright, but the tension on that set due to her bulldog-like hold on the topic actually gives me a stomach ache. I doubt most of you will have the 7 minutes and few seconds to watch that whole video clip of yesterday's show, but all you need is a couple of minutes to see and hear how much of a conservative mouthpiece she is. She spews "facts" from Fox News without questioning their correctness, and when presented with contradicting information she won't back down. She's got her talking points and that's all there is to it.
Whoopi Goldberg is a much more patient foil for her than Rosie O'Donnell ever was, she tries to patiently explain to her things like perhaps she can't really understand what it's like to be an African American, and is never condescending about it. I admire her patience because my head would have exploded long ago.
I'm thinking that what it may really be about is I don't enjoy conflict. I like people to get along. I'm not a confrontational person (unless pushed and pushed) and find arguing upsetting. I am apparently a shining example of my WASP-y upbringing, a family where as my brother says, our crest should read - "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" - because no one wants to hear it. I'm not saying this is good, but we sure didn't have a lot of dishes being thrown.
Not everyone should think like me (though I'm pretty nice and think folks could do worse), I just wish that as I look at my mountain of bills - trying to decide, gee should I order heating oil at $3.77 a gallon OR pay my health insurance bill this week, that if there is going to be a debate it would be a helpful one. By people who can do something about it.
I think I will take a little hiatus from "The View" and stick with listening to the birds outside or some good music which by the way, will NOT include Scarlett Johannson's new CD - sorry Scarlett.
1 comment:
Candy, thanks for saying what so many of us think. "Liberal" isn't a bad word, as any dictionary will show. The wingnuts have brainwashed us into thinking it is.
Great post!
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