Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

Spilling the end game before they can coat it in frankl luntz-approved dogwhistles.

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

Their freedom requires your slavery.

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

The words do not have to be perfect.

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

This really is a full service blog.

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

That’s my take and I am available for criticism at this time.

The republican caucus is already covering themselves with something, and it’s not glory.

A consequence of cucumbers

I like you, you’re my kind of trouble.

Bad news for Ron DeSantis is great news for America.

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

When someone says they “love freedom”, rest assured they don’t mean yours.

If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

If you’re pissed about Biden’s speech, he was talking about you.

You can’t love your country only when you win.

Everybody saw this coming.

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Reader Interactions

58Comments

  1. 1.

    c u n d gulag

    This is exactly what would happen if Megan McArdle was making babies instead of bechamel sauce.

  2. 2.

    Linda Featheringill

    Hope somebody has money. Gonna have to pay for therapy.

    And I will wager, oh, twenty-five cents that when this child grows up she will not want to undergo the body-changing events of pregnancy and nursing the babe.

    Darwin.

  3. 3.

    Short Bus Bully

    Oh the lives of neurotic white people, how interesting they all are!

    – Would make a great Woody Allen movie too.

  4. 4.

    c u n d gulag

    Btw – Megan, why aren’t you, a good Christian woman, popping out babies like a Duggar Family Pez dispenser?

    Are you and/or your husband using birth control?

    It would be irresponsible NOT to ask!

  5. 5.

    Valdivia

    God. Shoot me know.
    also too. though I love the re-design: am I the only one who can’t see the rotating tag line I love so much?

  6. 6.

    Brandon

    I guess that whole ‘power of positive reinforcement thing’ is out of fashion. Too ’90s I guess.

    Am I misremembering that it used to be de riguer to hate on the memoriores of positive people leading impossibly charmed lives that allows them to over come obstacles that would drown mere mortals? How else can one explain the popularity of Dave Eggert’s tome? I hated every friggin’ page of it.

  7. 7.

    scav

    Didn’t we have a thread about how they wanted children re-integrated into family farming and small-businesses as active contributers? (“Actively stand there and advertise how wonderful we are as parents!” Now with a photo-shoot and book deal!) Furthermore, doesn’t this fit the wimminz at home barefoot and nagging the kidz instead of the lord and masterz ideal? It’s the brave new Idealized World.

  8. 8.

    Keith G

    Hopefully a large portion of the book’s advance will be set aside for the years and years of therapy that this girl will need.

    Edit: I see I just repeated Linda

  9. 9.

    andrewsomething

    “I once reproachfully deprived Bea of her dinner after learning that her observation of French Heritage Day at school involved nearly 800 calories of Brie, filet mignon, baguette and chocolate,” she writes.

    Whaaat? Filet mignon for school lunch? I obviously led a deprived childhood.

    What the hell is French Heritage Day anyways?

  10. 10.

    Roger Moore

    @c u n d gulag:

    Are you and/or your husband using birth control?

    I’m sure she is, but she’s paying for it on her own, or at least her insurance policy covers it without an evil government mandate, so it’s OK. Remember, she’s a Randian, not a Christianist, so the important point is whether she’s getting things by proper free market approaches, not whether she’s obeying God’s law.

  11. 11.

    Comrade Dread

    And the follow up book in 6-7 years about how she deals with the aftermath of her then teenage daughter’s tragic death from complications from bullemia later will no doubt also be a best seller.

    Pardon the language, but humanity is seriously fucked up.

  13. 13.

    Roger Moore

    @andrewsomething:

    Filet mignon for school lunch? I obviously led a deprived childhood.

    I assume it’s the kind of thing they have at the expensive private schools this kid attends. It sounds as if the question about whether the parents have enough money to pay for their daughter’s inevitable therapists’ bills is a big “yes”.

  14. 14.

    merrinc

    Of course Mommy loves you, darling. Just not when you’re fat. There’s a good girl, have some more celery and Ex-Lax.

  15. 15.

    cckids

    What a hateful, misguided excuse for a human being, let alone a mother. Poor child. Isn’t there a father, grandmother, or some other sane adult in her life to intervene?

  16. 16.

    Auldblackjack

    It was a tale that involved putting Bea — who at 4′-4″ and 93 pounds was veering toward childhood obesity — on an intense regimen of calorie restriction and public shaming.

    I guess engaging in a physical activity with the child would have cut too much into Mommy Private Time.

  17. 17.

    Keith G

    Pardon this redesign question:
    __
    Must I use a double underscore to leave a blank line in my text?
    Since just using ‘enter’ does not seem to work anymore.
    __
    Edit:
    __
    I see I must now use a double underscore.

  18. 18.

    Judas Escargot, Your Postmodern Neighbor

    Salon Magazine: Showing the world that (some) liberals can be just as shallow and sociopathic as conservatives since 1996.

  19. 19.

    trollhattan

    @andrewsomething:

    What the hell is French Heritage Day anyways?

    I guess it’s any day I drink something from the Rhone. Or think of Carla Bruni Les Naked.
    __
    Speaking of people with fancy elitist-sounding names, Katrina vanden Heuvel smacks around some Republican booties today.

    So yes, Rick Santorum. Yes, Mitt Romney. Yes, Paul Ryan and Republican politicians all over this nation. You are right, as right as you’ve ever been. There is a moral crisis in this country. A horrifyingly, back-breaking, bankrupt-the-core-of-this-nation style crisis. But it isn’t women or the poor or the middle class or the gay community or health-care advocates or environmentalists that are causing it.
    __
    It’s you.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/republicans-are-causing-a-moral-crisis-in-america/2012/03/26/gIQACSM2dS_story.html?hpid=z1

  20. 20.

    the fugitive uterus

    i have to say, when my sister went off the college and gained some weight her freshman year, my dad had a fit, made her start running and kept her from eating fattening stuff like ice cream

    of course, she wasn’t a child and he didn’t publicly shame her, but he made her life miserable and he got that weight off – however, now, some 40 years later, she has a weight problem and diabetes, which, i think, speaks volumes

  21. 21.

    Mnemosyne

    @andrewsomething:

    “I once reproachfully deprived Bea of her dinner after learning that her observation of French Heritage Day at school involved nearly 800 calories of Brie, filet mignon, baguette and chocolate,” she writes.

    Because depriving children (heck, people) of meals never, ever drives them to binge later.

    IIRC, it’s an axiom in the eating disorders world that anorexia and bulimia (and probably binge disorder) are desperate attempts by the person to assert control over the one area of their lives that they can control: their food intake. This woman is really setting not only her child but herself up for a lifetime of fights over what’s on a frickin’ dinner plate.

  22. 22.

    Valdivia

    I see now that the tag is back on top.

    I assume that French heritage Day means the girl when to the french private school on the Upper east Side

  23. 23.

    Mnemosyne

    Also, too, I guessed even before reading the article that this woman probably has a borderline eating disorder herself:

    Unsurprisingly, her mother, who admits, “I have not ingested any food, looked at a restaurant menu or been sick to the point of vomiting without silently launching a complicated mental algorithm about how it will affect my weight,” was pleased — and turned the story into glossy magazine fodder.

    ETA: Is there such a thing as Munchausen’s by Proxy with eating disorders?

  24. 24.

    geg6

    I must admit, one of the reasons I am sooooooo glad that I never married and popped out any brats is because I’d probably have to socialize in some way, shape, or form with other parents. It wasn’t part of the original motivation (that was the fact that I didn’t want to be tied down by either a man or a brat), but it sure is an added benefit for which I am eternally grateful. Modern parents are pretty much the definition of people no one wants to be around. No matter what the situation: education, sports, fashion, weight, you name it and they are obnoxious and psychopathic about it.

    ETA: And before all the BJ breeders come down on me for the generalization about parents, know that I don’t mean YOU. But I do mean pretty much 99% of the parents who I know and with whom I must deal every day of my working life.

  25. 25.

    Brachiator

    This reminds me of a recent New Yorker satire on French Women
    __

    To maintain my figure, I eat only half portions of any food, always arranging it on my plate in the shape of a semicolon. For exercise, at least once a day I approach a total stranger and slap him. And late each afternoon I read a paragraph of any work of acclaimed American literary fiction, which makes me vomit.
    __
    As for family life, Americans are far too concerned with a child’s self-esteem and accomplishments. The French woman knows that to build a child’s inner strength it is best either to completely ignore the child or to belittle him. As I was giving birth to my daughter, I refused to put down my copy of French Vogue. When it was over, I turned to my husband and remarked, “I have just had an unusually large bowel movement that will never be as attractive as me.” During my son’s thirteenth-birthday party, I ordered him to remove all his clothing, and I told the assembled guests, “You see? That is why we raised him as a girl.” My wisdom can be traced to the influence of my own mother. When I was five years old, I asked her, “What is love?” She took my small, flowerlike face in her slender hands and replied, “What do I look like, Yoda?”

    __
    .

  27. 27.

    BruceFromOhio

    Everyday I tell my kids I LOVE THEM JUST THE WAY. THEY. ARE.

    Today, they get it twice.

    Poor Brea. Too bad child rescue looks like kidnapping.

    What I would give to wipe the smug fucking look off Dara-Lynn’s mug …

  28. 28.

    Satanicpanic

    As a parent, I believe the worst people in the world are generally other parents.

  29. 29.

    gene108

    For Argument’s Sake:

    Did anybody talk w/ Bea about what she thinks about her mom?

    Are we just jumping to conclusions about the impact of just one year of the kids life?

    Maybe thinking about the right foods to eat will help her later on in life?

    Also, too is there a dad in the picture? Is this another case of why single mothers should have a man?

    The list of contrary questions can go on.

  31. 31.

    japa21

    @Mnemosyne: Yes there is. When I was a mental health case managers, I saw several instances. Probably the worse was the mother whose daughter had gotten so bad she was hospitalized with a feeding tube. They discovered her mother would remove the tube on a regular basis so the girl didn’t get enough nutrition.

  32. 32.

    quannlace

    Grifters gotta grift, Gingrich edition.

    Sheesh, just when you thought this guy couldn’t get more cringe-inducing.

  33. 33.

    pragmatism

    back up choice for mom of the day: http://www.salon.com/2012/03/27/her_breakup_my_heartbreak/

    The mom who turns potentially bad life experience which her daughter is handling well into a real bad life experience by airing out her issues and making it about the mom.

    I felt a bit guilty that my protracted adolescence might force Katie, in response, to grow up too quickly. She may have felt that one of us had to be mature, and since I’m clearly not up to the task, it fell to her. I wondered if I was cheating her out of something precious and irreplaceable by becoming too emotionally embroiled in her private life. Did my romance with her love life short-change her experience?

  34. 34.

    Comrade Mary

    While I’m quite ready to discuss fat shaming and all the related issues here, I am deeply uncomfortable about any specific discussion about this specific little girl who should not be in the public eye at all despite her mother’s actions.
    __
    Can we try this again?

  35. 35.

    Comrade Dread

    @pragmatism: If there is ever a law mandating parenting lessons and/or licenses prior to having children, it will be these people who pushed us there.

  36. 36.

    shortstop

    Ten percent of the feedback this woman receives will be congratulating her for her “courage” to “take action” and assuring her that her daughter will “thank her later.”
    __
    And the silly jerk will believe it, filter out all the rest and decide she’s really rather noble. I’ve met this type before.

  37. 37.

    Mnemosyne

    @gene108:

    Are we just jumping to conclusions about the impact of just one year of the kids life?

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
    .
    Sorry, but I just had to laugh at the sweet naivete of thinking that this mother’s obsession only lasted a year and is all over and done with. I was never obese or even very overweight, but I’m 43 years old and my parents obsess about my weight to this day.
    .
    This woman is going to be poking and prodding and obsessing about every bite that goes into her daughter’s mouth for the rest of her child’s life. Hopefully there are some sane adults in the kid’s life who will be able to counteract it, but it’s more likely that the kid will end up inheriting her mother’s subclinical eating disorder and end up inflicting the same pain on her own daughter (never a son, mind you).

  38. 38.

    Studly Pantload, the emotionally unavailable unicorn

    Seems like a good thread as any to toss this in–

    Worst Person In The World, Youth Ministry Activities Edition:

    Glad Tidings Assembly of God stages mock kidnapping of youth group

    “A Pennsylvania church trying to toughen-up their young missionaries staged a mock kidnapping where they blindfolded youth group members, shoved them in a van, and subjected them to harsh interrogations.

    “But nobody warned the kids’ parents they were pulling this stunt.

    “And now John Lanza, pastor of the Glad Tidings Assembly of God in Middletown, Pa., is in hot water with members of his flock after one parent complained — and is under investigation by police.”

    Kids these days. Such whiny whimps.

    [ETA: Gah, block quotes. How do they effen work?]

  39. 39.

    Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason

    @geg6:

    Modern parents are pretty much the definition of people no one wants to be around.

    Well, yeah, agreed about the lacrosse parents back in our old Baltimore neighborhood. Baseball parents were pretty laid back, though.

  40. 40.

    Dave

    @Nutella: This Gingrich thing is such a potential comedy goldmine. Show up at his events and pay the $50 for a picture, but ask him to throw gang signs. Bring a ridiculous hat and ask him to wear it. Dry-hump his leg. You’re paying for the photo, he needs to dance like your monkey! Watch his eye twitch while he tries to figure out what he values more– his dignity or your money.

  42. 42.

    pragmatism

    @Comrade Dread: there is no parenting class that can overcome narcissitic personality disorder. which i can diagnose over the internets because i’m that good.

  43. 43.

    shortstop

    @Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason: I don’t think so. The 27% contains plenty of overweight parents raising overweight kids, and their only interest in this matter is criticizing Michelle Obama for daring to help educate children about healthy choices in a self esteem-affirming way. They aren’t worried about their kids needing to lose weight; they’re too busy complaining that taxes on soda are too high.
    ___
    The people who will back this idiot come from the same overprivileged, shallow, status-driven demographic she does.

  44. 44.

    marcopolo

    Another sad thing is how many people will buy the damned book when it is published. Sigh.

  45. 45.

    bemused

    @trollhattan:

    Don’t legislators’ government paid health plans cover contraceptives? I don’t see that many Republicans in office with very large families. It couldn’t be possible that they are hypocrites, could it?

  46. 46.

    Catherine

    Oh, hey, my mother did exactly this to me when I was a child. 30+ years of eating disorders and self-loathing later, I am still so bitterly angry with my mother I can hardly bear anything more than the most minimal contact with her.

  47. 47.

    Arclite

    Yeah, the problem here wasn’t that the kid got fat and needed to lose weight, it was the methods she used (although the question is, how did a 4’4 girl get to be 93 pounds in the first place).

    .

    I have kids around the age of this girl. Having thin kids is not rocket science. Among other things:
    .

    – Serve proper portions at meals

    – Make meals consist of lots of veggies

    – Buy only healthy snacks like fruit

    – Make sure the kids get exercise several times / week

    – If kids don’t eat what you cook, they DO NOT get a bowl of cereal or something instead

    – Don’t make kids eat all their dinner to get dessert, if they only eat 2/3 of dinner, that’s fine, but only serve 2/3 dessert

    .

    There is no need at all to discuss being fat, or body image, or anything like that. If my son or daughter asks, Why can’t I have ice cream for dinner? I explain that we need to eat lots of different kids of foods, and that while a little ice cream is fine, too much is not healthy. I don’t ban foods, but I do moderate. And TV and gaming are provided by the PC which I have the PWs for.

  48. 48.

    Robert

    It’s said in the linked article, but it’s worth repeating: publishers found someone worse than the Tiger Mom? What’s next? The memoirs of a mother who beats her child with a sack of oranges every morning because they must have done something to deserve it the day before?

  50. 50.

    Nicole

    As someone who was, at age seven, given deadlines by which I was expected to lose a certain amount of weight, I really feel for that little girl. As horrible as it sounds, I think the only thing that kept my assorted food issues from turning into full-blown eating disorders, was my mom’s death when I was ten. As much as my stepmom and I hated each other when I was a teenager, and as much as she picked on me, it would never have occurred to her to criticize my weight and food choices. Because, in her eyes, I looked fine.

    My stepmom is awesome, by the way. We just had to get through my teen years. ;)

    But, as an adult, I’ve had to accept that I will never have an objective idea of what I look like, because my mother was telling me I was fat when I was too young to have any idea of what that meant in relation to me. I’m not mad at my mom about it; it was a long time ago, and they didn’t know what they do now about eating disorders, and she’s dead so what’s the point? But it still stinks.

    And parents now should know better.

  52. 52.

    daize

    Nothing like the shaming so you feel guilty every f*cking time you eat something. The woman is a monster.

  54. 54.

    catpal

    @pragmatism: I think I see what you did there.

    yes some of the commenters there also pointed out that ruining an easter egg hunt could be part of good christian family values in CO.

  55. 55.

    dollared

    This is a two book deal: mom now, and daughter after her near death experience her senior year at Mt. Holyoke.

    And I’m sorry, this is such a f#$king top 2% experience. Only in the top 2% does an abusive mother get a book deal. If she did this in Scranton, her daughter’s public school teacher would be calling in the school nurse and Child Protective Services.

  56. 56.

    WereBear

    @Studly Pantload, the emotionally unavailable unicorn: Gee, when I was in seventh grade in a Christian school, our biology teacher wouldn’t teach actual biology; because that was From Satan.
    __
    Instead, he would randomly whirl from the blackboard to yell that atheist commie commandos had just burst into the room and would shoot anyone who believed in Jesus. Would you tell them you believe in Jesus. Would you?
    __
    And in that dorky way of kids, I figured it was normal.
    __
    Ironically, the French are known to be a nation of few weight or cardiac problems. I don’t think the kid is learning the right things from this mother.

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