Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

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

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

No one could have predicted…

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

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

Schmidt just says fuck it, opens a tea shop.

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

“But what about the lurkers?”

This fight is for everything.

Battle won, war still ongoing.

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

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

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

People are complicated. Love is not.

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

This really is a full service blog.

The revolution will be supervised.

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

Just because you believe it, that doesn’t make it true.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

You are here: Home / Interesting Target for Harsh Media Criticism

Reader Interactions

114Comments

  9. 9.

    nickgb

    Typical nanny state bullshit, telling women they can’t carry babies around in bags. Especially other people’s babies. WOLVERINES!

  14. 14.

    beltane

    Have we been hacked or something? Did a troll come by and steal this blog from a hospital?

  15. 15.

    Villago Delenda Est

    OK, Cole, what’s with giving a set of keys to this thing to the chuckleheads of the Rmoney campaign staff?

  18. 18.

    Jade Jordan

    Telling everyone you are a 29 year old virgin and posing nude right before the Olympics is a very good way to get them to talk about something besides your hurdling.

    NOT telling everyone you are a 29 year old virgin and NOT posing nude right before the Olympics is a very good way to get them to talk about your HURDLING.

    Just saying!

  21. 21.

    Darkrose

    @ChrisNYC: I don’t really blame them for being pissed. During the semifinals, it was all, “LOLOLOLOLOLO–and by the way, Kelly Wells was raped by her mother’s boyfriend as a child and the mother and boyfriend were killed in a car crash–but back to Lolo!”

  22. 22.

    David Koch

    Heather Mitts is a very attractive blonde on the US soccer team, and she gets a lot of ink. Guess what, she rarely plays because she’s 3rd string.

    But because she’s so friggin gorgeous, she get attention. Why isn’t NYT denouncing that?

    Lolo Jones finished 4th last night. The 4th fastest hurdler in the world. She would have won gold in China but hit the 2nd to last hurdle. She holds two world titles. She overcame a impoverished horrible broken family. She used to have to steal food to feed her family. And yet the Times treats her like dirt because she’s has the nerve to be a beautiful biracial woman.

  23. 23.

    beltane

    @Darkrose: Well duh, if Kelly Wells was raped it means she’s not a virgin which makes her boring in NBC’s eyes.

    The natural progression of this story is for Lolo Jones and Tim Tebow to get married and lose their virginity live on the Today Show.

  24. 24.

    Catsy

    Yeah, I’m not exactly dripping with sympathy for a world-famous athlete who makes a point of tweeting about her religiously-mandated virginity (bleah), poses for nude photos (nothing wrong with that), and then gets butthurt when the media focuses on her image rather than her athetic accomplishments.

    That said, the NYT article was some seriously catty shit. I don’t even disagree with it and I was meowing at some of the lines there.

  25. 25.

    Snowwy

    This is always the way of it. The major media always encourage these madonna/whore athlete stories (and yes they do it with attractive men, too, just not with the full measure of hateful intent) to set women up as a target to beat down. I’m not surprised. Would that Ms. Jones had the sense not to fall into that trap- but if she hadn’t they wouldn’t be talking about her at all, so…

  27. 27.

    Colleeniem

    I think the nyt times misfired, by placing all of the blame on Jones herself, but really, why hadn’t we heard as much about her teammate who WON the last Olympics and beat her in the trials? Why wasn’t the story about both of their abilities, a la Dan and Brian , the us decathletes from Atlanta?
    I love Olympics, but this years coverage has been terrible for recognizing athletes and their accomplishments. Par for the course at NBC, or any sports coverage of women athletes in general.

  30. 30.

    spudgun

    This just sounds crazy to me! Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m under the impression that the *media* created this sexy image/persona, not her. Yes, she’s attractive, so naturally people are going to want to find out more about her – why is this her fault?

    ETA: Oh, I didn’t know about the nude photos. Okay, well, derpity-derp to me!

  31. 31.

    Quarks

    You know, much of this could be avoided if NBC would, for a change, try to focus its attention on, you know, ATHLETIC EVENTS. What we are tuning in for.

    I get that every athlete has worked damn hard to get to the Olympics and all of them (well, maybe not the Queen’s granddaughter and that Saudi prince in the equestrian events, but everyone else) has a compelling story, probably a compelling sob story. Which is precisely why I want to see them PERFORM and do the athletic feats they’ve practiced so hard at.

  32. 32.

    pseudonymous in nc

    @ChrisNYC:

    There was also an interview with other US hurdlers who were like, we thought that our stories were pretty compelling and we um actually won medals but no one wants to talk to us, which sucks so we’re pissed about that.

    Sorry, ladies, you’ll need better backstories and/or to get your waps out before NBC gives you a callback for Reality Olympic House.

  33. 33.

    brent

    I guess its hard to know how one would react to being publicly criticized in this way but it all feels a little overly dramatic to me. Regardless of the results, Lolo Jones is one of the greatest athletes in the world. She will be getting the chance to reap some great benefits as a result and she has overcome a lot to get to this place in her life. She has overcome much worse than having someone say some less than kind things about her in the paper. Everyone reacts to the world differently but I feel like she should just let this one roll off her back.

  37. 37.

    Jay C

    @God:
    @ John Cole, top

    OK: back to John’s point: this really IS an uncharacteristically harsh hatchet-job by the NYT: they may not always nail their sports coverage 100% (though I’m not sure who DOES); but they don’t typically print – what seems to be to be – outright shivving like Jere Longman’s re Lolo Jones. Yeah, maybe Lolo is something of a publicity-hound (and that would be astonishingly atypical of Olympic-level athletes, right?): but this piece is more like something you’d read on a particularly spiteful sports blog, not the “paper of record”. Weird it is…

  38. 38.

    arguingwithsignposts

    Aside from the opening ceremonies, i have missed all of the Olympics. Sounds like I made a wise decision by default.

  39. 39.

    WaterGirl

    Wow. That was a major hit job on this athlete.

    You know how in shows on TV, some cop ends up looking at the dead body saying: “This guy was stabbed 15 times and then shot in the face. This was personal.”

    That’s how that NYT article looks to me.

    WTF were they thinking?

  40. 40.

    The Dangerman

    In the spirit of bagging on Olympics or Olympians (seriously, NYT, WTF?)…

    …what’s up with the London Olympics logo? I get it is supposed to be 2012 in some strange block lettering, but it kinda looks like a flattened dog turd. Is it supposed to be Stone Hengey or something?

  41. 41.

    David Koch

    @beltane: but she’s not Tebow.

    Tebow is a joke in his profession. He can’t even get a starting job among 32 NFL teams. he’s a clown touted as a great white hope by those who resent their favorite game being dominated by blacks.

    OTOH, Jones is one the five fastest women in the world. Yes, Jones gets more attention then one of the other five women, but she’s still at the pinnacle of her profession.

    ETA: if NYT wants to call someone out it should be Tebow. But they won’t do that, it’ll piss off too many whites.

  42. 42.

    SatanicPanic

    This was a cheap attack. Sucks to be her, getting criticized this way. I’ll bet she’s going to come out of this richer than ever. I’m turned off by her religiousity. She is a legit athlete. I am thinking all these things at once.

  43. 43.

    MikeBoyScout

    WTF was the Gray Lady thinking?

    Can’t have anything to do with the fact that Jones is both a woman and blackity black black could it?

  44. 44.

    WaterGirl

    @Darkrose:

    “LOLOLOLOLOLO—and by the way, Kelly Wells was raped by her mother’s boyfriend as a child and the mother and boyfriend were killed in a car crash—but back to Lolo!”

    And that, in a nutshell, is why I don’t watch the Olympics anymore. It’s the the news people are vultures and are thrilled if somebody’s brother or mother is dying and they get to talk endlessly about how x is handling it. I HATE these people.

  45. 45.

    Brachiator

    @Darkrose:

    I don’t really blame them for being pissed. During the semifinals, it was all, “LOLOLOLOLOLO—and by the way, Kelly Wells was raped by her mother’s boyfriend as a child and the mother and boyfriend were killed in a car crash—but back to Lolo!”

    You could say the same thing about a lot of the NBC coverage, which looks for narrative hooks. And if you are not an American athlete who is not a name brand superstar like Bolt, good luck getting any camera time.

    The NY Times piece seemed gratuitiously cruel. Hell, even though the swimmer Lochte got mocked for being shallow, there was nothing even as remotely mean as this.

    The media practically begs for these athletes to say or do something “edgy,” and then turns around and slams them for being foolish enough to fall for their media honey traps.

    It’s fucked up.

  46. 46.

    Dennis SGMM

    I’m more impressed by the courage and hard work of those who lost their jobs, then lost it all, and who still maintain a good attitude for the sake of their kids while mom and dad work three or four jobs and pretend that living in a one bedroom apartment is an adventure.

  47. 47.

    John

    @Quarks:

    Hell, even the Queen’s granddaughter and the Saudi Prince. Do you know how easy it is to come from privilege and be totally fucking useless? Sure, they compete in a sport where you have to be massively rich to have an opportunity, but they still had to work incredibly hard to get where they are, something which lots of people in their position can’t be bothered to do. There’s a whole shitload of Saudi princes, but only one of them is an Olympic athlete.

    And of course you’re right that the best way to honor all that hard work is to show the damned events instead of trying to make us cry with soft-focus profiles.

  48. 48.

    Mnemosyne

    @Jay C:

    The “no chance of medaling” part was especially harsh since she came in fourth, ie one spot below getting a medal.

    Part of the problem is that NBC seems to be treating their Olympics coverage like a reality show by anointing the “heroes” ahead of time (makes it easier to assemble all of those teary interviews, don’t’cha know). It was a problem with Gabby Douglas as well — one of the other gymnasts was the designated media “hero,” but she didn’t perform nearly as well as Douglas did, so the media had to try and switch their coverage in midstream.

    Hey, here’s an idea — maybe the American media should wait and see who does well at the Games before they declare this or that person is America’s Greatest Champion.

    Yeah, I crack myself up sometimes.

  49. 49.

    The Very Reverend Crimson Fire of compassion

    @WaterGirl: It’s not just the news people. This is becoming common practice. I can’t tell you how many games shows I’ve flipped through lately on which the disembodied voice of white assholery was filling everyone in on which contestant’s wife was dying in the hospital as he competed. I wish I were kidding. Grief as a product placement.

  50. 50.

    jl

    @John:

    “cry with soft-focus profiles ”

    or ??? with inaccuratte hatchet jobs.

    Edit: this story on Jones is so worthless it would really be more at home with election coverage. It is unworthy of a sports section, even for that up close and personal bellywash they try to sell during the Olympics.

  51. 51.

    SatanicPanic

    @Quarks:

    ATHLETIC EVENTS. What we are tuning in for

    Nah, most of us are tuning in for the drama. Sports are just a form of theatre, and backstory is part of that.

  52. 52.

    pseudonymous in nc

    BTW, if any Americans were wondering why Michael Johnson, one of their greatest Olympic athletes, works for the BBC and not NBC, here you have one example.

  54. 54.

    beltane

    @David Koch: Tebow plays in the NFL which is the type of “joke” most high school players can only dream of being.

    The fault lies mostly with NBC, who have managed to make these games nearly unwatchable: neverending coverage of Misty May’s ass, a few selected clips of other Americans, and way too much Bob Costas.

  55. 55.

    The Very Reverend Crimson Fire of compassion

    @Dennis SGMM: Amen. I work in one of the poorest school districts in the country, and I am continually gobsmacked by the quiet heroism of the people I encounter every year. Most of them are facing circumstances every day through no fault of their own that would cripple the average middle-class straight white male in a matter of hours. They do this while loving their kids, working like mules to barely scratch by, and being the absolute best human beings they know how to be.

  56. 56.

    beltane

    @pseudonymous in nc: I’ve heard Greg Lougainis has also been doing outstanding commentary for the BBC. American exceptionalism has come to mean nothing more than the willingness to rejoice in mediocrity.

  57. 57.

    The Moar You Know

    Oh hooray, it’s been a while since we had a Carrie Prejean “virgin” publicity whore hogging the spotlight. Can’t wait for the inevitable cell pix/movies.

    Except this one is not remotely attractive, so on second thought I’ll just forget about this payday-seeking runner and pay attention to something I might actually give a shit about.

  58. 58.

    scav

    Am I understanding this correctly? An athlete is being called out because she’s pretty, has a carefully crafted, if internally inconsistent, image but a lack of gold medals (winning races)? Didn’t Clint Eastwood endorse a Presidential Candidate with nearly exactly similar characteristics, apparently based on looks alone as best anyone could tell?

  60. 60.

    Darkrose

    @Mnemosyne:

    Hey, here’s an idea—maybe the American media should wait and see who does well at the Games before they declare this or that person is America’s Greatest Champion.

    And there you go with that damn Earth Logic again.

  61. 61.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @Mnemosyne:

    Hey, here’s an idea—maybe the American media should wait and see who does well at the Games before they declare this or that person is America’s Greatest Champion.
    __
    Yeah, I crack myself up sometimes.

    Just had to see this again.

  62. 62.

    scav

    @scav: And, let me be clear, this has nothing whatsoever to do with the quality, talent or ability of the athlete, I’ve never heard of her and don’t much care. I’m just goggling at the NYT suddenly getting all OMGOMGOMGOMG over carefully crafted, internally inconsistent and pandering image-management.

  63. 63.

    David Koch

    @beltane:

    neverending coverage of Misty May’s ass,

    Really? Ah, damn. I missed it. Her milk shake really brings all the boys to the yard.

  64. 64.

    trollhattan

    Speaking of trying to avoid NBC’s ham-handed coverage, anybody know how to get around the “we can’t show this video/live program to your region” restrictions? I’m aboard the SS Failboat on this one.

    Also, too, let’s take a moment to remember FloJo. American track & field used to have some gen-you-wine superstars. That is all….

  65. 65.

    Tony J

    @The Dangerman:

    what’s up with the London Olympics logo? I get it is supposed to be 2012 in some strange block lettering, but it kinda looks like a flattened dog turd. Is it supposed to be Stone Hengey or something?

    No, it’s Lisa Simpson performing fellatio on Bart. It shouldn’t look like that, but that’s what it is.

    Like Darkrose said @ 53. Internet Slap! That was – my – revelation!

    And as to the topic and general theme of the post, I’m really, really happy that I’ve only seen BBC coverage of these Olympics.

  66. 66.

    Dennis SGMM

    @The Very Reverend Crimson Fire of compassion:
    Thank you. Those who are up agin’ it and who hold their mugs despite won’t ever get any accolades. Those who skip dinner so that the kids can eat won’t get any medals. To me, those people are the most courageous folks on earth because they’ll never get any recognition for what they’ve done. They sure as hell aren’t in it for the money and they will never get a medal, but they’re worth more than all of the Olympic athletes put together.

  70. 70.

    whidby

    Yes, the NYT has made the unpardonable error of speaking the truth.

    Don’t they know that the proper attitude is to bow before the Virgin?

  72. 72.

    muddy

    The media are not very self-aware. I was listening to them carry on one day about how people believe Rmoney’s lies, and saying that’s so weird. As though Rmoney is coming to their houses and telling them secrets personally. Or possibly a nice hand-written note? If the media did not keep repeating what he said, no one would have heard about it in the first place. Oh noes! How did they come to get this biased view?

    I’m glad my current dog does not mind me shouting at the tv. The last one took it personally so I was always having to stifle. I hope I’m loud enough that my neighbors who watch Fox and call it “the news” can hear me.

  75. 75.

    Dennis SGMM

    @Litlebritdifrnt:
    My deepest condolences. I have my first dog in over fifty years (US Navy) and I knew when I adopted him that my heart became a hostage. Beaming good thoughts your way, kid.

  76. 76.

    The Dangerman

    OK, I saw a lot of things in the logo (it took me a couple seconds to make out the numbers), but I wouldn’t have ever imagined the Simpson Scenario. I surely hope the Graphic Artist doesn’t put that in his/her portfolio.

  77. 77.

    Jay C

    @Litlebritdifrnt:

    So sorry, Brit: must be extra-awful to have to deal with a dogless void after so many years. Hopefully, Doggy Heaven has readied a puppy with your name on for future delivery….

  80. 80.

    WaterGirl

    @Litlebritdifrnt: I am so sorry. So very sorry.

    I lost my Bailey last September, and that was the first time I hadn’t had a dog in decades. I did not last long, the world was just wrong, and I got my Tucker 4 weeks later. It’s rough feeling all that on top of desperately missing the guy you just lost.

    My niece sent me a card that really helped.
    It said something like this:

    Peace to soothe you, Grace to hold you, Love to comfort you

    After I got Tucker, I realized he was the Love to comfort me.

    So sorry.

  82. 82.

    Ron Beasley

    John, are you using Chrome? When I’m doing blog posts that include embeds I have to use Firefox or I have problems. This is in both Typepad and WordPress.

  84. 84.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Litlebritdifrnt: Oh no oh no. Oh sad, I am so sorry. I know you were expecting and dreading this day, anguished for you that it came so soon. But Cueball is a happy healthy active vibrant pup again.

    {{{Big hugs}}}

  86. 86.

    Gex

    What I really love is that she has no control over whether or not others find her attractive. But because she is found to be attractive, it is easy to attack her for trying to be attractive.

    But doesn’t everyone do that?

    If she is working hard enough to win those medals, who exactly should get to demand that she work harder? Who do these people think they are?

    Our Village is fucking junior high over and over. A bunch of quality kids that end up popular, and a bunch of sniveling sycophants who make sure they have elevated status by beating everyone else down.

  87. 87.

    blueintheface

    Apparently I’m the only one who thinks it’s ironic that an Olympic athlete is being ripped apart by the NYT and some in this thread for being physically attractive (and using it for endorsements and publicity, quel horreure) when Olympic athletes used to compete naked.

    So for those keeping score at home, it was ok to run and pose for statues with your dick hanging out if you lived in 700 BC, but in 2012 if you do a nude spread for Sports Illustrated with your genitals strategically covered, you’re a poseur and not a real athlete.

    And while I’m on a rant, playing “March Sadness” on Matthew Perry’s show may have gotten a chuckle out of me during the first of 100 times I saw that ad, but you’re an f’ing tool if you think that Kelly Wells getting raped by her mother’s boyfriend > Lolo Jones having to sleep in the basement of a Salvation Army. If only Lolo Jones had gotten raped in the basement, maybe some of you would have more respect for her.

  88. 88.

    FlipYrWhig

    @Litlebritdifrnt: Oh, damn it all. So sorry and our thoughts are wth you. Especially today. We just came in from burying our cat in the corner of the backyard.

  89. 89.

    muddy

    @Litlebritdifrnt: Oh, that’s terrible. That’s just how I felt when my last old one passed, and I had not been without at least one dog, usually more, for decades.

    I just felt invisible entirely. No one gave a shit where I went or what I did anymore. The first quality that came to mind in meeting new dogs was that I wanted one who would mind my business. Once you are accustomed to the canine entourage, you just feel naked without it.

    I’m so sorry for your loss.

  91. 91.

    Jay in Oregon

    @Mnemosyne:

    Hey, here’s an idea—maybe the American media should wait and see who does well at the Games before they declare this or that person is America’s Greatest Champion.

    The unfortunate legacy of all of the crap “reality” programming we’ve had to endure is this: networks seem to think we apparently can’t decide for ourselves which contestants or athletes we want to root for, so they have to pre-chew it all for us.

  93. 93.

    bemused

    @Litlebritdifrnt:

    It’s too damn quiet. We lost our older dog a few weeks ago and thank goodness we have the younger dog but it’s still too damn quiet around here. I feel for you.

  97. 97.

    kdaug

    @The Dangerman:

    …what’s up with the London Olympics logo? I get it is supposed to be 2012 in some strange block lettering, but it kinda looks like a flattened dog turd. Is it supposed to be Stone Hengey or something?

    It’s Lisa Simpson giving Bart head.

    Ain’t sure what it’s supposed to signify.

  98. 98.

    Arclite

    @Jade Jordan:

    Telling everyone you are a 29 year old virgin and posing nude right before the Olympics is a very good way to get them to talk about something besides your hurdling.
    NOT telling everyone you are a 29 year old virgin and NOT posing nude right before the Olympics is a very good way to get them to talk about your HURDLING.
    Just saying!

    I’m glad it’s not just me who thinks this.

  99. 99.

    Catsy

    Can someone explain to me whence all the stuff about the media treating Lolo differently because she’s biracial?

    Because I’m just not seeing it. And I mean that literally as well; she looks like a stereotypical tanned California white girl to me. Not unattractive at all, just… I never would’ve twigged that she had any brown people in her family tree if no one had said, and I’m just not seeing the racism here. Shittiness and sexism, yes. Racism, no.

  100. 100.

    raven

    @Litlebritdifrnt: Aw, I’m so sorry to hear that. You did your best, know that.

    We who choose to surround ourselves
    with lives even more temporary than our
    own, live within a fragile circle;
    easily and often breached.
    Unable to accept its awful gaps,
    we would still live no other way.
    We cherish memory as the only
    certain immortality, never fully
    understanding the necessary plan.
    — Irving Townsend

  101. 101.

    Anne Laurie

    @Litlebritdifrnt: My condolences. You gave him a better life than most dogs can dream of — heck, IIRC, you gave him a life when his breeder rejected him — and I hope that the good memories of your time together will soon replace the pain you’re feeling now.

  103. 103.

    sb

    @Anne Laurie: Took the words out of my mouth (who am I kidding–Anne said it better). That wonderful animal had a wonderful life because of you.

    Monday through Friday of this year, I’m going to drive to my job in South Central Los Angeles. On the vast majority of those days, I’m going to see an abandoned dog or cat–often more than one. I always think our Puddle could be among them and I always think that with a little more money and space, I could pick up one of those dogs or cats (allergies be damned) and do something. You did something. That won’t be forgotten in these parts anytime soon. Godspeed to Cueball.

  105. 105.

    Joel

    @Catsy: I think the treatment – both the increased exposure and increased scrutiny – is because she’s pretty. Simple as that. The Kournikova comparison is apt, for what it’s worth.

  106. 106.

    Joel

    @Catsy: I think the treatment – both the increased exposure and increased scrutiny – is because she’s pretty. Simple as that. The Kournikova comparison is apt, for what it’s worth.

  110. 110.

    Cacti

    The self-appointed Virgin Mary/Christian Martyr of US Track and Field got some negative publicity? The poor dear.

    I couldn’t help but notice she has a much lighter complexion than her more successful teammates. I’m sure that has nothing to do with the extra attention though. I deserve four pinnochios for suggesting it.

  111. 111.

    BigSouthern

    The only thing I think is wrong is the statement that posing nude automatically equates to being a vixen, which makes her a hypocrite. The human body can be beautiful without being sexualized and there’s nothing inherently contradictory about a virgin being willing to celebrate the beauty of her own body.

    That said, everything else was correct, and is incredibly frustrating. Wells and Harper both have fascinating stories to tell, but no one seems to care. I notice Ricards-Ross and Felix are getting a little more attention, but that only highlights the racial/colorism aspect of the whole thing. It was equally vexing that every time Gabby Douglas or Aly Raisman performed during the all-around they just couldn’t stop themselves from giving us a shot of Jordyn Wieber.

    Honestly, the best commentary I’ve heard so far has been Teddy Atlas and Bob Papa over in the boxing. They’re both insightful, clever, and subdued. And I have to give them credit for calling the women’s matches the same as they’ve called the men’s. Paul Sunderland and Kevin Barnett have also done a solid job with volleyball.

  112. 112.

    Paul in KY

    Just like to set the record straight. Ms. Jones stated in the linked article that she was the American record holder for 100 m hurdles.

    She is not. Gail Devers holds the American record at 12.33

    I’m wondering if she sincerely thought she was or was it some kind of dig at Ms. Devers (who has faced accusations of steriod use in the past).

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