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I swear, each month of 2025 will have its own history degree.

Sadly, media malpractice has become standard practice.

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Within six months Twitter will be fully self-driving.

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Today’s gop: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

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One lie, alone, tears the fabric of reality.

It’s all just conspiracy shit beamed down from the mothership.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Spending too much time on political blogs

Spending too much time on political blogs

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A friend of mine was watching “Robin Hood” with his girlfriend yesterday and partway through the movie when King John raises taxes, my friend can’t help but say “why doesn’t he just lower marginal rates, he could raise all the money he wants that way, that’s supply side 101.” His girlfriend says “huh” and he starts to explain, then gives up.

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90Comments

  6. 6.

    Spiffy McBang

    If it was snark, that’s good snark. But if he tried to explain it, I guess he was serious, which… eesh.

  7. 7.

    bjacques

    Or else the Sheriff of Nottingham could have accused Robin Hood of engaging in class war and the politics of personal destruction. And pointed out that England was a center-right monarchy.

    What?

  8. 8.

    Brachiator

    A friend of mine was watching “Robin Hood” with his girlfriend yesterday and partway through the movie when King John raises taxes, my friend can’t help but say “why doesn’t he just lower marginal rates, he could raise all the money he wants that way, that’s supply side 101.” His girlfriend says “huh” and he starts to explain, then gives up.

    That’s just sad.

    They should rent Sense and Sensibility next. The boyfriend could then explain how the Dashwood sisters could keep the family home if they fought to repeal the estate tax instead of going looking for husbands.

  10. 10.

    Linda Featheringill

    Many long years ago, when I was younger and they had Westerns on TV, I had much the same problem. I was raised on a little ranch and I could tell when the show was wrong about animal behavior. “No, no. They wouldn’t act like that!”

    And since I was raised in Oklahoma, where people frequently discerned just what kind of Indian this or that person was, I was ruined for Westerns for a long time. Italians as Indians just didn’t cut it . Then they finally went to using Indian actors as Indians but they would show a village with each and every actor from a different tribe. Village? No way!

    People quit asking me to watch Westerns with them. I wonder why. :-)

  11. 11.

    The Dangerman

    Giving a lecture on stealing from the poor to give to the rich during Robin Hood is probably not the best way to get some.

  14. 14.

    Martin

    My daughter leaves for the AMAs in an hour. Excited is a bit of an understatement. I hate award shows, but gonna have to watch tonight. She could care less about the awards – just wants to see the performances.

  15. 15.

    me

    That could be a sequel to Supply Side Jesus, “Supply Side Robin Hood or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Laffer Curve”.

  16. 16.

    ant

    Funny comment i seen over at redstate this morning.

    Our kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews can ill afford the tax hike. Of course, we as a nation could ill afford the people they voted into office in 2008. Maybe it really is karma.

    lol

  17. 17.

    Jack

    King?

    I didn’t know we had a king, I thought we lived in an autonomous collective…

    I’m being oppressed!!!!

    Oops, wrong movie….

  19. 19.

    Dennis SGMM

    @ant:

    Pesky 22nd Amendment. I’m positive that one more term would have enabled Bush to solve all of our problems and deliver an even bigger tax cut.

  20. 20.

    Jrod the Cookie Thief

    If there’s anything that reduces your chances of nooky more than political snark, it’s Monty Python jokes.

    Aw, fuck it. You can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just ’cause some watery tart threw a sword at you!

  21. 21.

    Martin

    @Jrod the Cookie Thief:

    If there’s anything that reduces your chances of nooky more than political snark, it’s Monty Python jokes.

    Whoa, wait a minute. Plenty of girl geeks out there who’ll snort at a properly placed Monty Python joke.

  22. 22.

    Jrod the Cookie Thief

    @Dennis SGMM: We were truly on the road to economic prosperity and stability before Obama blew everything up four months before his inauguration.

    @Martin: Shush, you. I’m trying to scare off the competition.

  23. 23.

    BGinCHI

    I think in the Mel Brooks version this is all explained by Friar Murray, the fighting Franciscan tax attorney.

  24. 24.

    WereBear

    @Martin: Plenty of girl geeks out there who’ll snort at a properly placed Monty Python joke.

    In fact, this was the basis for the WereBear’s courtship. To quote Mr WereBear quite recently, “You were quoting the obscure skits, the ones nobody talks about. That’s when I knew it was true love.”

  25. 25.

    AhabTRuler

    @WereBear: Eh, the SO was on the opposite end of the spectrum, not getting MP, and thinking that Airplane! was a stupid movie (in a distinctly pejorative sense).

    But despite that, somehow we worked it out.

  29. 29.

    pragmatism

    i had the taibbi/gergen “its elitist to say the teatards are deliberately misinformed” conversation with a long time friend last week. and i’m no matt taibbi but i was playing his role on that day. its ok. my buddy has been wrong forevah. had a “clinton and gore, gone in four” bumper sticker in college.

  30. 30.

    BGinCHI

    @pragmatism: Does your friend also look like a dick with eyebrows?

    Gergen always reminded me of Beaker on the Muppet Show.

    And his voice isn’t all that far from Marvin the Martian in the classic Bugs Bunny cartoons.

  33. 33.

    Josie

    @Martin: Indeed. Finding out that a guy can appreciate Monte Python and Mel Brooks would be a turn on. There’s nothing sexier than a twisted sense of humor….. or maybe that’s just because I’m old and cynical.

  34. 34.

    BGinCHI

    From Jason Linkins’ live blog of Fox News Sunday, interview by Chris Wallace of Rick Perry:

    “No, he is not running for President. Ever! “I don’t want to be the president of the United States.” Wallace says that appearing on the teevee with him is only going to make Perry “more attractive” as a Presidential candidate. So, hands up if you now suddenly want to fingerbang the Governor of Texas? Anyone? Okay, moving on!”

    Well, that’s a relief.

  35. 35.

    pragmatism

    @BGinCHI:
    LOL no. but he is a “job producer” (TM). i’m actually very fortunate to have him for a conservative sounding board. he’s an excellent friend and that’s all that really matters.
    anyways, i mused that it may be elitist to misinform people or tell people that supply side economics favors them when it doesn’t to no avail. once i was branded as an elitist, my arguments were rendered moot. its a pretty neat trick. not very transparent at all.

  37. 37.

    BGinCHI

    @freelancer: Nice.

    Beck could easily lose one of those arguments he has with his hand.

    Why doesn’t Miss Piggy have her own political show, btw? She was always a tough broad and way smarter than your Sharron Angles.

  38. 38.

    Felanius Kootea (formerly Salt and freshly ground black people)

    Since this is supposedly an open thread – for any of the Southern Californians out there, where can I get a good sweet potato pie in Los Angeles? I need two for Thanksgiving.

  42. 42.

    Mike G

    So his girlfriend didn’t understand supply-side economics either?

    That’s OK, the Repig ideologues who pushed it on the country didn’t have a fucking clue about it either.

  44. 44.

    jl

    DougJ is not in the habit of explaining the jokes, and at least when he posts, is usually not sober enough to do so even if he tried.

    So, I am assuming for now that this was actually a story a friend told him. Or he witnessed the desecrating abomination.

  47. 47.

    Ross Hershberger

    There’s a Robin Hood parable in Atlas Shrugged where someone (Rand) goes on about why Robin Hood is half evil. He steals tax money (good!) but gives it to the wrong people (bad!).

    Is there a drug or medical procedure that will get that wretched excuse for literature out of my brain? Seriously. I’d sacrifice a lot to never have to think of Rational Objectivism again.

  48. 48.

    Felanius Kootea (formerly Salt and freshly ground black people)

    @Mary Jane: Thanks for that suggestion – I’d forgotten about Aunt Kizzy’s. I last went there over a year ago and the sweet potato pie I had for dessert was good. I was thinking more of a bakery style place but maybe Aunt Kizzy’s would sell a whole pie.

  51. 51.

    Felanius Kootea (formerly Salt and freshly ground black people)

    Did y’all know that the treasury accepts donations to the US government to reduce the national debt? Just found that out. Amazingly, people have donated 2,840,466.75 in 2010. Unfortunately, the debt is $13 trillion, so those donated amounts are like, nothing.

  53. 53.

    LaMaestra

    It isn’t that you’re spending too much time on political blogs, it’s that Robin Hood was a really crappy movie. I can never get that time back…

  54. 54.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    His mistake was watching something with his girlfriend that didn’t have Meg Ryan in it.

  58. 58.

    Felanius Kootea (formerly Salt and freshly ground black people)

    @Mary Jane: Called Aunty Kizzy’s and they’ll special order two sweet potato pies for me by Wednesday! Thanks again for that suggestion – that’s what I was asked to take care of for Thanksgiving dinner and now I’m done :-). What a relief.

  60. 60.

    Felanius Kootea (formerly Salt and freshly ground black people)

    @burnspbesq: Just saw this – thanks for the suggestion. I’ll keep that in mind for another time but I’m closer to Aunt Kizzy’s.

  61. 61.

    Ross Hershberger

    Oh, there was a Robin Hood in 2010. No way am I going to that, especially with Crowe in it.
    After seeing Hollywood turn Sherlock freakin’ Holmes into a badass bare knuckle boxer I’ll bet Robin Hood is a total bloodbath.
    What’s happening to movies these days?

    Off my lawn! OFF!

  64. 64.

    Max Power

    @ant:
    Funny comment in iTunes on W’s new audiobook

    When you said “God bless America”, it was unpopular, but it rang with conviction and proved to me you didn’t change your faith based on public approval.

    I mean, just what is it about wingers that allows them to claim victimhood when the President says “God bless America”?

  66. 66.

    Corner Stone

    @AhabTRuler:

    and thinking that Airplane! was a stupid movie (in a distinctly pejorative sense).
    __
    But despite that, somehow we worked it out.

    Glad to hear you worked that out. But my question is, why would you want to?

  72. 72.

    Glidwrith

    Aarrgh! I’m doomed – my kids were watching Disney’s Robin Hood and I found myself telling the kids that those really weren’t taxes Prince John was collecting because he wasn’t doing anything with them like building roads or giving the peasants clean water or food.

  73. 73.

    Felanius Kootea (formerly Salt and freshly ground black people)

    @Angry Black Lady: I’d never heard of Sweet Lady Jane’s. Just googled them and their website shows pumpkin pie but no sweet potato. I’ll be bookmarking that link for the future though; their blackout espresso fudge cake is singing my name sweetly. Thanks!

  74. 74.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    @Max Power: That’s a great question. My fundie mom sent me a rightwing chain email yesterday saying she was proud to be “this kind of redneck”. The email was basically an amalgamation of rightwing Christian nationalistic gripes like “You might be a redneck if: It never occurred to you to be offended by the phrase, ‘One nation, under God..'” and “You might be a redneck if: You’ve never protested about seeing the 10 Commandments posted in public places.”

    I wrote back and said “You might be a redneck if: you forward resentful emails portraying yourself as a victim of other’s intolerable opinions.”

    No response, of course.

  75. 75.

    BGinCHI

    @Just Some Fuckhead: I can’t believe people are perverting the genius comedic philosophy of Jeff Foxworthy.

    Well played though with the response. I hate having to dispense family beatdowns, but that’s the world we live in.

  76. 76.

    jl

    @Angry Black Lady: I’ve been gone from Los Angeles too long to understand what you say.

    Most store bought sweet potato pies seem to be made out orange varieties, like beauregard (a sweet potato of which I am not a fan, unless it is pied and sugared up).

    My favorite kind of sweet potato pie is from either really deep red ones, like Red Garnet or white like Jersey Sweet.

    Anybody know who makes extreme sweet potato pies outta deep reds or whites? Last time I tasted one of those, it was from a great aunt, who has since gone to making sweet potato pies in the next world.

    Next time I get to Pasadena, I’m heading to get me some of that purple sweet potato pie? Perferably in SF Bay or Los Angeles.

    Here are pix of the range of colors
    http://www.ncsweetpotatoes.com/sp-varieties.html

    Edit: Waita minute here, no deep reds on that page. Sheesh.

  77. 77.

    Yutsano

    @jl:

    Next time I get to Pasadena, I’m heading to get me some of that purple sweet potato pie.

    Waitaminute…I know there are Peruvian purple potatoes (had them before, quite nom) but you’re telling me there are purple SWEET potatoes? Methinks I haz a new entry on the bucket list.

  78. 78.

    JCT

    And why look at this from Little Newtie Gingrich discussing his “participation” in debates.

    “I would not participate if it was a hostile reporter asking ‘gotcha’ questions with a certain time limit,” Republican Gingrich said on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal” Sunday.

    Jesus, what a chickenshit pussy. So this guy supposedly has a PhD? What did he do, piss himself at his thesis defense?

    Pathetic.

  79. 79.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    @BGinCHI: Meh, I think it falls on deaf ears because I don’t think they view themselves as resentful or victims. I wrote her back and asked if she would engage me constructively so I could better understand the rightwing Christian nationalist mindset, instead of just dismissing it.

  80. 80.

    Jay in Oregon

    @BGinCHI:

    Me too. First episode (Study in Pink) is especially good.

    I was actually referring to the BBC’s Robin Hood series, but I loved the new Sherlock series.

  81. 81.

    jl

    @Yutsano: Yes, I am telling you this. Hear me now, believe me later, after you had a taste.

    You never had ube? I’m not sure whether or how it is related to the purple sweet potatoes they are growing in the states now.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_yam

    Get thee to a Filipino bakery, they will have tons of stuff out of ube. Or a Hawaiian BBQ with lots of stuff on the menu.

    Edit: but yes, you are correct, the multicolored Peruvian potatoes (related to ‘Irish’ potatoes), are different than the deep purple sweet potatoes.

  83. 83.

    WereBear

    @JCT: So this guy supposedly has a PhD? What did he do, piss himself at his thesis defense?

    Just so you know, that made me laugh so hard I inhaled gingerbread crumbs, and it was so worth it.

  84. 84.

    JCT

    @WereBear: Hehe — sorry! Yum, gingerbread. Just gearing up for the big bake fest around here this week.

    Newtie really touches a nerve with me on multiple levels. He runs around pretending to be an “intellectual” yet doesn’t want to answer “hard” questions? WTF? Any academic lives to answer questions — it’s our version of combat. So now a supposedly educated guy is channeling Sarah Palin? Talk about a race to the bottom.

  85. 85.

    polyorchnid octopunch

    As a person who’s passed most of his adult life in the sub-30K salary range… don’t trickle down on me and tell me it’s raining. Anybody gonna try to tell me I’m an elitist? Anyone?

  87. 87.

    YellowJournalism

    @Just Some Fuckhead: Obviously, you’ve never seen In the Cut. That movie is grounds for divorce.

    Although, I personally feel that The Women remake could be considered Hollywood’s way of spitting in the collective female face. Sadly, there are women who seem to enjoy that, too.

    And just because I can, I’ll add that Joe Versus the Volcano with its three different Meg Ryan performances is a delightful cinematic experience that gets better with each viewing.

  88. 88.

    aimai

    @Max Power:

    I was watching a huge black SUV *which was driving on the wrong side of the road for a few yards because it wanted to* and the bumper sticker, when it had passed me said “Does my display of the US flag offend you?” To which I said, politely, under my breath because I had a young child in the car “No, your execrable driving offends me. The Flag is just icing.”

    aimai

  90. 90.

    gnomedad

    @aimai:
    Heh. Saw a bumper sticker yesterday “If you want to burn the flag, wrap yourself in it first.” Which made me think, no, I don’t want to burn the flag, and wrapping yourself in it is your job.

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