I'm Officially Shutting Down This 'Lipstick On A Pig' Discussion

What a trying day. What an insufferable news cycle. This is why Mission of Burma wrote the song "That's When I Reach For My Revolver." And this is why I am thankful that I have the good sense not to own one.

Chris Matthews teased the top of Hardball by saying, "By now, you may have heard of this 'lipstick on a pig' controversy." And, naturally, hot blood shot to both my temples. "Well YES, Chris. 'By now' I have, in fact, seen at least sixty seconds of your network's dayside coverage." But I restrained myself, because I know that occasionally Tweety will rise to the occasion, and shut some nonsense down, declaratively. One would imagine, that with the network pivoting to tonight's extra-Special Comment about...oh, what was it again? Wasn't it something that people think of as important? OH YES 9-11! Like I said...ONE WOULD IMAGINE that Matthews might be shrewd enough to not send his viewers into the media twaddle version of the Hadron Supercollider, where "lipstick on a pig" is shot at 9-11, leading to a black hole that would suck everything in the world that is not already sucking -- just as hard as it can -- into the sweet release of nonexistence.

But, no. Matthews proceeded to explain that tonight, "We'll talk to some Democratic and Republican strategists about it."

And I'm like: "TWEETY, PLEASE. Nobody needs to hear any more nonsense from strategists. This is a matter of linguistics and colloquial expressions. The phrase "lipstick on a pig" is commonplace, well understood, not freighted with sexist connotation, and it's not some sort of inside-the-beltway neologism."

Is it a swipe at Sarah Palin? Can anyone say definitively that it is? Of course not! And, really, how could they? When Palin is not gamely reciting her greatest hits on the stump, the McCain camp has got her locked up in Rapunzel's Tower -- updo in full effect -- away from anyone who would dare pose a question in her direction. For all anyone knows, Palin is a pig in lipstick, a silk purse sewn from a sow's ear, a turd in need of polish, OR NONE OF THOSE THINGS, but, heck -- I'm willing to reserve judgment until such time as she's mustered up the courage and the wherewithal to actually face the public she professes to serve and prove otherwise.

But the larger concern should not be with Palin, who, to me anyway, comes across as a perfectly capable brawler, deft with zingers of her own. Here's the major concern: The whole wide world went to bed last night, safe in the thought that tomorrow, we would all wake up and be able to say "lipstick on a pig" the same way we have done every bloody day of our lives. And I'll be good and goddamned if I'm going to let strategists, pundits, and news anchors take that away. NO NO. It is time for someone to say that we are not this stupid, that we are not this pliable, that we are not going to be led by the nose, and that, going forward, every single person on the television and in print who has the nerve to suggest that the use of the phrase "lipstick on a pig" is a deep matter that faux-experts need to dissect and decipher needs to be immediately trepanned with a railroad spike and thrown into a ditch.

I'm officially reclaiming "lipstick on a pig" for humanity. Further discussion is a non-starter. I warn you: THAT DOG WON'T HUNT. NOT EVEN AERIALLY.

UPDATE: Many have pointed out that Matthews made gamely efforts to shut this nonsense down as the show went on. Saints be praised.

Comments

[rampart231]

This lipstick on a pig thing is common .In my work we try to make old ugly things into new beautiful things. What our fellow americans are trying to do is turn this thing around so we don't see the absolute shitthole this country has become.

[realpolitic]

Sarah Palin will just be another executive in the White House waiting for the rapture. We have experienced that sort of leadership the last eight years. Enough!

[realpolitic]

The arguments over "lipstick on a pig" will go down with the Lincoln-Douglas debates as a great moment in American history. Actually, when you consider that the Lincoln-Douglas debates happened about 150 years ago, it shows how our civilization is declining and we are becoming more and more infantilized.

[dcarn2]

i know she compared herself to a pittbull already but i don't think that does her justice.............its more like SHIH TZU!

[FreelanceWriter]

Shih Tzu's are cool dogs. Better than the yappy Chihuahuas running on your side.

[realpolitic]

Ha! I have never seen a Chihuahua vote Democratic! They are confirmed conservatives.

[frontstreet]

I think Obama should actually keep referring to McCain's "new" policies as putting lipstick on a pig because (1) it's accurate, and (2) it shows he won't be cowered into retreat over something so patently ridiculous. In fact, I think the next time he says it, he should pause and say something to the effect, "in light of John McCain's sensitivities, I want to apologize to Babe and Arnold Ziffel for my negative remarks about pigs." Clearly Obama was not referring to Palin, and he needs to treat the McCain camp's mock indignation as stupid and absurd, which it is.

[PADebbie]

Now then, last time I checked only one of those running for high office wears lip-stick and Palin gained international fame last week with her "Hockey Mom lipstick" joke last week so......do you think that subliminally the Chosen One has been shaken and hence the comment? Or was it just clumsy, like when he talked of his Muslim Faith, and like when he talked about abortion issues being above his pay grade?

[PADebbie]

Get out the RULES FOR RADICALS book.....AHHH there it is.....how to put statements out there and let the masses think your meaning is of another nature......oh Barrack just meant that as a statement not refering it to Gov. Palin in any way .........but that doesnt matter because Im sure it rolled off her back...... sticks and stones may break my bones but names can never hurt....shes a tough big girl with more important issues than worrying about a name caller like Barrack........he did NOT get away with it though did he!!! HAHAHAHA Now he is out there defending himself......I like him in this negetive light come on Barrack show everyone some more of your good qualities! "WHO ARE YOU WHO WHO --WHO WHO..........I REALLY WANT TO KNOW" He is a COMMUNIST.......

BTW it WAS on the Dem. website 12 days ago a pig with lipstick and a pearl necklace on.......also the crowds applause says a lot........Busted

[iraaolcom]

Obama's statement was a reference to Palin's support of PORK BARREL SPENDING--which she lied about in her convention speech. As both a mayor and governor, she has actively lobbied for and accepted all the EARMARK CASH she could--including that for the "Bridge To Nowhere".

[lvdragonlady]

If there were any REAL journalists left, it would not be a problem.
MSM is scared of jm..............after he will win and then shut them down...............

BE AN AMERICAN AND STAND UP FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE REGARDLESS.

THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE.

[RobinLandseadel]

What's at the bottom of this all [yes, the Re-Thugs planned this in advance, they planted this IED, I'll bet the Republicans had swarms of operatives searching the internet for the first swipe at their pack that included the word 'lipstick'] is that Sarah's so called 'ad-lib' was a canine self-definition. So far, no one official has brought up that potentially very touchy info, but there it is; a trap that Obama was cagey enough to set off without mentioning dogs even once, thus drawing attention to the trap, not the dog.

Obama: He's even smarter than he looks.

[foxfan]

I've heard Sen. Obama speak often enough to know he was not caliing Gov. Palin a pig. In fact, he has used the "lipstick on a pig" line before. It is just unfortunate that no one in the Obama campaign realized it followed Gov. Palin's "lipstick" remark by only a week. At first glimpse, it seems hostile, but once you think about it you realize just how innocent it is and how silly it is to even have a discussion on this as a serious topic. Of course, no one ever accused average Republicans of being able to think.

[FreelanceWriter]

But this is WHY so many people still don't trust Obama and he's only tied in the polls. I don't think he meant it, but right after he spoke someone should have been smart enough to realize what he said -- how awkward it COULD be seen -- and clarified the use of "pig.". But even when it WAS pointed out to Obama (in fact, immediately after) he still refused to do it. And given that the crowd behind him DID assume he meant Palin and cheered, that's when people start thinking "Hmm, then maybe he DID mean it."

So Obama has himself to blame for saying it, for having it pointed out, for refusing to correct it. So no wonder this blew up in his face.

[amabo1]

These are the proposed tax plans for the two candidates. You can see that McCain intends to further reduce the tax burden of the wealthiest Americans at the expense of the middle and lower income families. Obama"s plan increases taxes on the wealthy, especially that top 1%, to the benefit of working americans - a first step in reversing the rich-get-richer trend and toward re-building a real middle class. In fact, Obama has offered to actually raise his own taxes for the benefit of the country as a whole. Where are you in this table?

¦¦¦¦¦¦ MCCAIN ¦¦¦¦. OBAMA
Income ¦¦. Avg tax bill ¦¦. Avg. tax bill
Over $2.9M ¦. -$269,364 (-4.4%)¦ +$701,885 (+11.5%)
$603K and up¦. -$45,361 (-3.4%)¦ +$115,974 (+8.7%)
$227K-$603K¦¦ -$7,871 (-3.1%)¦¦.. +$12 (+0.0%)
$161K-$227K¦¦ -$4,380 (-3.0%)¦.. -$2,789 (-1.9%)
$112K-$161K¦¦ -$2,614 (-2.5%)¦.. -$2,204 (-2.1%)
$66K-$112K ¦¦ -$1,009 (-1.4%)¦.. -$1,290 (-1.8%)
$38K-$66K ¦¦.. -$319 (-0.7%)¦.. -$1,042 (-2.4%)
$19K-$38K ¦¦.. -$113 (-0.5%)¦¦. -$892 (-3.6%)
Under $19K ¦¦¦ -$19 (-0.2%)¦¦. -$567 (-5.5%)

[WalterHiggins]

The phrase, "pot calling the kettle black", is also ,"commonplace,[and] well understood", but if McCain were to use it regarding his opponent, he would rightly be called racist.

Obama can plausibly deny that he called Palin a pig, but when you see how his supporters (on camera behind him) react to the remark, it certainly appears that they think he was referring to her.

[LAB10]

There is a very grave situation in America and that is the scary possibility of a third Bush term. McCain is Bush all over again and Palin is even more of a right wing extremist than Bush or McCain. No one wants more of Bush, not even the republican party itself. McCain/Palin is a double down on the same old Bush failed policies. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

[walk0nwalls]

This post deserves to be hung up on the wall, laminated and bronzed.