Monday, June 12, 2006

Coulter culture

Media Matters provides a round-up of Coulter apologists:

In the days following her June 6 appearance on the Today Show, Ann Coulter was joined by conservative media figures and GOP strategists -- including Mary Matalin, Lou Dobbs, Rush Limbaugh, and David Horowitz -- in whitewashing her comments, the most inflammatory of which was this attack on the widows of 9-11 victims: "I've never seen people enjoying their husbands' death so much."
Mary Matalin defends Coulter's attacks on the 9/11 widows, for which any defense invites the need for a psych exam. O'Reilly and Limbaugh claim Ann doesn't lie. Ha! They would know as students of Big Lie propaganda that could make a Goebbels smile. Lou Dobbs of CNN compared Coulter to Michael Moore as his contemporaneous "opposite." Unlike Coulter, Moore has talent so shame on you, Lou. And David Horowitz described Coulter as a "national treasure" further adding insult to injury by stating that Ann's hateful 9/11 widow spiel was "right on the mark." I never watch Faux News unless I'm slumming to see what the certifiably insane or rapacious propagandist mill has clocked on its Hyperbolemobile. Bleh! Today, Howie Kurtz at WaPo asks:
Is it time for the media to stop lavishing attention on Ann Coulter?
...But are news outlets being shameless in giving Coulter a platform for her inflammatory rhetoric, knowing it will boost ratings and circulation?
Yes and yes, Li'l Howie, yourself included. One reconciling statement exempts Howie from the Hall Of Media Shame, at least on this day:
Her one valid point -- that once widows turn themselves into political activists, their personal tragedies should not shield them from rebuttal -- is totally overwhelmed by the nastiness of her assault.
Maybe Coulter will join Mary Cheney and her literary poop-scooping flop. However, if book buyers make Coulter's Godless a bestseller, I don't know whether to grieve America's poor taste and quaint fascination with sensational verbal violence or pack my bags. A slice of American pie isn't so apple. Hate sells. Nutso!