Intelekchewals!

Gotta love 'em:

To sum up: Erica Jong writes a half-baked essay (on the basis of so perfunctory a read of one single line of one single article that she couldn't remember my name; she confused me with my father), violates my mother in print, and calls me a motherfucker. Then, when I write back to defend myself (and, by extension, my mother), she first cloaks herself in the suffering of both the Jewish people and African-Americans, then congratulates herself on having achieved the intellectual level of one of the great geniuses of the 20th century, and then finally compares me, in the space of a couple of sentences, to both the Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan -- two great historical enemies of exalted thinkers like herself, thinkers who even as we speak would be tirelessly working to prevent the breakup of the Antarctic ice cap and generally save humanity from itself wherever possible, were it not for the childish insults of such anti-intellectual monsters as me gumming up the works.

Did I miss anything? Because I think she hit pretty much every single liberal cliche in existence. I wouldn't previously have thought it possible to connect a wisecrack about Hillary Clinton's arms to global warming, but I suppose anything is possible, if you really put your mind to it...

I'm sorry, I'd go on, but I'm still laughing about the Antarctica thing. On second thought, Erica, you're right, we'd better drop this. I should step aside and let you intellectuals do your job. It does feel a little warm outside!

Taibbi had me at, "and calls me a motherfucker." Love ya, Matt.

To make my own view clear on one point: in the event you follow some or all of those links (go on! calorie-free and no global warming threat!), I should note that there was unquestionably a huge and detestable amount of misogyny in the coverage of the Democratic primary, as I briefly discussed in "Let the Victims Speak." I'm working on a further essay focusing on that subject; the roots and operation of that misogyny are worth exploring in more detail. But it won't be completed until I've finished some other articles. And to deflect the criticisms I received before (see the Update to that earlier piece), of course there is a great deal of racism directed at Obama. But Obama's racism problem is greatly complicated by the fact that he himself has intentionally and systematically adopted every element of the ideology and belief system of the white, male ruling class. And see "The Fatal Illusion of Opposition," "Obama's Whitewash," "Moving On Up, to the White Side" and the additional pieces they link on that subject. I'll also have a new essay about racism and Obama in another week or two, since Obama's unceasing attacks on Black Americans have created and will continue to create an altogether extraordinary spectacle.

With much more to come on the subject, I wonder how we might summarize this unique situation. Perhaps: Obama -- The First Black Presidential Candidate ... Who Isn't! Or: Obama -- The Great Black White Hope! Or, possibly more in line with what Obama and many of his supporters would prefer: Barack -- He Will Be As You Desire Him! (Just as long as he gets to be the most powerful man in the world, in which case, screw you, bub.)

Taibbi link via Michael J. Smith. We loves us some Michael J., too: "Seems that Jong took exception to Taibbi mentioning that Hillary Clinton had 'flabby arms.' She offered a bit of free and fairly shallow psychoanalysis suggesting that Taibbi really wanted to fuck his mother. (Well, duuhh, who doesn't?)"

In fact, Michael (and aside from the not insignificant fact that my mother is dead, which puts rather a different cast on the entire question), I didn't want to fuck my mother. Not ever. Nope.

Oh, so you think I'm in denial about it, huh? I suddenly have an overwhelming desire to fuck you. Call me.

And to think this used to be a much more family-friendly blog. I shall now attempt to locate my dignity. It's around here somewhere...

Oh, hell. Fuck dignity.