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

[Bigeasy]

The McCain campaign will use whatever distraction they can find, so as not to focus on the issues. They know if they focus on the issues they will lose, Barack has to keep the issues front and center and stay on the offense and have McCain go on the defense. As far as Palin her stardom will come to an end when she opens her mouth to the news media and debates Biden.

[Triangle1]

How could the greatest speaker of our time have not noticed this? Who came up with this line in his speech? Was it all Obama? How could Obama have missed the most memorable line from Palin's speech last week? How could he have POSSIBLY spoken this and not thought about Palin's speech? If he "didn't mean it" he's ignorant. If he meant it he's not taking the high road anymore. I'd rather think he's getting mean, but if so, he may have crossed the line. http://mespace.wordpress.com

[Gamble]

Because he's not the greatest speaker of alltime. Bill Clinton was, is, and will always be the GOAT.

[Obama08Supporter]

Bill has nothing to do with this.

[abigail1]

he didn't miss it. he wants this fight. He went on letterman tonight and repeated it, laughed about it.
He wants this fight. And I can't wait to see him wage it.

[Hare]

maybe there is an infiltrator in his staff and he trusted the idiot!

[bygollymissmolly]

Well, since McBush used that phrase referring to H'illary's health care plan about three months ago, perhaps you should be looking to your candidate for his sexist remarks.

If you think that Obama used that phrase, while talking about McBush's policies, to diss Palin, then you have some serious problems with critical thinking skills. I suggest you find a class at your local JC. It might help you not embarrass your self again.

[EvoMan]

Because it doesn't matter what he says. The McCain campaign will find something to use kindergarten logic on. This is unscientific, but from what I'm seeing and hearing, it's actually not working. Obama's right. People aren't stupid and get pissed when they're assumed to be.

[WildcatRob]

McCain/ Palin = Bush/ Cheney + Lipstick

[BillForObama]

Lipstick is put on a moose every day!!! Sarah wears lipstick, or so she says. Or was she saying that the pit bull wears lipstick.

[drew-drew]

When i saw this story, like most people I hope, I thought: ridiculuous, no way was Obama trying to make any sort of analogy, it's obviously just a colloquialism. But, my second thought, and what i really don't get is this: If one were to incorrectly perceive this as some attempt at an analogy, it's not that Sarah Palin is a pig... She's the lipstick. The pig is McCain (or the Republican party as a whole).

[BandH08]

Every women should stop right now and read Camille Paglia's excellent article:

http://www.salon.com/opinion/paglia/2008/09/10/palin/index.html

It will put EVERYTHING in perspective

[Tommygun264]

Camille Paglia - the person who said "there is no such thing as date rape". How's that for perspective?

[diogeron]

This is insane. Who the hell cares about this nonsense? It's only a diversion to keep McCain from talking about the real issues like the sinking economy and Palin from talking at all without the help of a teleprompter and a speechwriter.

[abigail1]

camille paglia thinks there's no such thing as date rape. no woman I know would agree.

yawn. bored now.

[TakingBackTheUSA]

Look, we've gotta put this Palen rumor mill crap on ice and fast.

Does everyone not realize that all we're doing is giving teflon John's campaign and their new golden calf (pitbull) free advertisement? They're throwing things up smoke screens so the media, and we, will jump on it and not their refusal to talk about substantive issues. The media was giving them a free pass, now WE are the ones giving them a free pass. We've GOT to put a stop to this. Start emailing radio stations, cable networks, websites. Tell them that you're going to change the channel, boycott their sponsors, etc. unless they start reporting on issues again, being objective again and not slinging check-out line tabloid news.

We've got work to do. Let's get to it.

[Triangle1]

Should have picked Hillary for the VP. Obama supporters were vicious. Hillary supporters haven't forgotten. Now you need us to win. You didn't unite the party. And now McCain is working hard to get our votes. Do we go with the vicious Obamaniacs? Or the party that puts their money where their mouth is? It's too late now. Obama's slipping in the meaningless polls. You smeared Bill Clinton, the only two term Democrat in modern history. Now - Obama will join Kerry and Gore with a successful post election career while yet another Republican runs the country.

[Fasteddie1515]

you should listen to what you're saying....­...but do what you gotta do!

[milo9]

If your clique and Hillary don't step up and help put an end to Republican LIARS dominance, you and her will never, I repeat never have any political viability. It's not about Obama anymore, it's way past that and way more primeval, it's a war between man's hope for grace, and man's appeasement of his basest nature.

[PamperedHousecat]

So the Repubs have put their money where their mouths are---Lipstick and all. If supporters of Obama's opposition in the Dem. Party are willing to cut their nose to spite their face, remember the next pres. will still more likely appoint a justice to the Supreme Court, as well as other federal appointees. Did you ever think Hillary might still be part of the president's cabinet? Maybe McSame might thank her supporters for putting him in the W.H. by making her head of the Dept. of Education.
Oh wait! That cabinet post will probably be abolished in the McCain White House.
Or maybe Hillary could be an advisor for Palin who I'm SURE would be VERY receptive to Ms. Clinton's ideas-----yeah.
Women!!!! Don't fall for the hype.

[BillForObama]

What we are actually talking about is the MSM and how piss-poor their performance, professionalism and their contribution to this presidential race.

The MSM talking heads are the problem. Here we are talking among friends and a few trolls, not all of America. What we say here actually matters less than a tinker's damn except to encourage each other and piss on the trolls that have occasion to lurk here.

[littlepuffycloud]

He was all preachy on Joe Beady-Eyes-McGee this morning; saying the media won't let it go...blah blah and then what does he talk about on his own lame show? Take a guess.

[Altalena]

Me thinks you people protest too much. If you look at the video Obama was smiling when he said it and the crowd went wild. They knew exactly who he was referring to. He called her a pig and to claim otherwise is more than a little disingenuos.

[army193]

Leave the pigs aloooooooo­oooooooooo­oooooooooo­oooooooooo­oooooooooo­oooooooooo­oooooooooo­oooooone the wolf cried.

[vegangoddess]

If only Sarah cared about the wolves, or pigs, or pitbulls, or moose, or caribou, or polar bears, or whales or any helpless animal's life.

How is she ProLife again??

[imfedup]

They're playing a classic game of good cop, bad cop. In his convention speech, John McCain was unrecognizable. He was like Grandma Walton, only nicer. He smiled and serenely instructed his flock to ignore "this noise" of the protestors being hauled away. He talked about how he wouldn't care who got credit for good ideas. I agree entirely, but what did they do with the real John McCain that night? I'm waiting for our bad cop. We need to let Obama be the good cop, and we need someone who has nothing to lose -- NOTHING -- to lambast these phony, self-righteous, shameless thugs.

[ErnestineBass]

Ooooooo, HILLARY!

[grata2ude]

Palin doesn't even know she's being played by Rove and McCain. You see she's all excited to come in and play the tough attacker. Now McCain can be the smiling guy and no one will say.......­does he have the temperment to be a world leader. Palin is under attack and big Mac is just standing back.

[trinidadgirl]

ENOUGH ALREADY!

[windwalker1984]

Maybe the appropriate phrase should be "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours."

CBS = Westinghouse.
Westinghouse Electric Company: provides services to the nuclear power industry.
Westinghouse Government Environmental Services Company: disposes of nuclear and hazardous wastes, plus operates 4 government-owned nuclear power plants in the US.
Subsidiary/Energy Systems: provides nuclear power plant design and maintenance.

NBC = General Electric
GE Power Systems: produces turbines for nuclear reactors and power plants.
GE Plastics: produces military hardware and nuclear power equipment.

McMaverick's energy plan calls for 40 nuclear power plants. Hmmmmmmmm

[LongBeachDave]

I thought this was a great post from Glenn Greenwald's post over at Salon:

What Obama Should Say

A friend e-mailed this to me:

Here's what I would have said.

Let me help out the McCain campaign because someone over there is pretty stupid. What I said is to have a campaign where you have the same tax policy, the same spending policy, the same foreign policy, the same education policy and to have in your own words voted with George Bush 90% of the time and then to say you are an agent of change is, well, to put lipstick on a pig. I never said any thing about Sarah Palin, but what I will say now is that after having found she has lied about her support for the bridge to nowhere and then keeping the 300 million after the bridge was voted down is piggish. To have taken per diem charges for 322 days when she went home for dinner is waddling up to the trough of taxpayer funds to take your fill and is piggish. And not only is it piggish it shows that Sarah Palin will fit into the business as usual Washington culture they both she and John McCain claim to abhor.
-- Tony In Philly
[Read Tony In Philly's other letters]
Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2008 08:40 AM

[honeydiva]

LOL...than­k you!

[ckfan]

I plan on putting on my LIPSTICK and voting for OBAMA.

[3Westies]

Fine with me, I tossed out all of my lipstick. The images of SP, pit bulls and pigs in my head every time I wanna wear the stuff.....­...Enough!­.......Wai­t........I love pit bulls and pigs.