September 10, 2008
Where were YOU eight years ago?
Despite my desperate ploy to land myself a spot on the show "The View" many months ago, I think it’s always been quite obvious that I am not a fan of Joy Behar. I’m not a Rosie fan either and I seriously think that Joy is becoming worse than Rosie could have ever been.
Last night, we made a brief stop on CNN and watched an interview portion where she, of all people, was talking politics. There is nothing that can increase my blood pressure more than watching Behar discuss politics. She made a bunch of statements about Sarah Palin, including stating that she thinks men like her more than women because "she’s attractive." I just love when women discount the abilities of another because they feel she rode the good looks train to success. It makes me proud to have ovaries.
Or not.
As a man, I would take offense to that statement too. Are men only made of hormones? Are they only capable of appreciating a woman for her looks? Would a man be swayed to vote for an important office simply because someone looks attractive?
I was also irritated when she stated that Sarah Palin does not represent what women are looking for in a leader/politician. I also love it when especially liberal women think that they speak for all women. They most certainly do not speak for me and the majority of my female friends. I wish they would stop pretending they do.
I was also irritated because she began saying that Americans are not better off than we were eight years ago. I looked at Mr. BBM and said, "Where were we eight years ago?"
Eight years ago, to this very date, we were both unemployed. Big I was months old and I had decided to stay home. Because of this family decision, Mr. BBM had left his teaching job. Our house was for sale and he was in the process of trying to get into a training session which would hopefully lead to a job in a new field, one that could support the three of us without having two incomes.
We sold our house and moved in with my parents. We had one car that had "issues."
Eight years later, Mr. BBM has worked his way up the clinical research chain of responsibility into a very good job. We are living with my parents again, but only because the people who bought our house needed it earlier than our new home would be ready. We are building our dream home. I work, not one, but three part time jobs with a fourth on the horizon. I don’t work these part time jobs because I need to; I do it because I want to. We have two cars and they are both paid off. We are markedly better off than we were eight years ago.
Sure, the gas pump prices hurt these days, but they don’t hurt enough to say that we’ve gone backwards on the scale of success as an entire nation. Once again, Behar thinks she’s speaking for everyone. She’s not speaking for us.
We then began talking about our friends and family members and where they were eight years ago. We couldn’t think of a single person we know who is not better off today than they were eight years ago. Not one.
I’m not discounting that we are experiencing some hard times. I’m not discounting that some people don’t have jobs right now. I understand this, and I can sympathize with those people. I know what those times are like. We’ve been there. Past tense.
That’s why grandiose statements about everyone being so much worse off don’t work for me. Where was Joy Behar eight years ago? I’ve venture a guess that she’s much more well off now as well.
While comments (whether they agree with me or not) are always welcome, comments that are insensitive, insulting, and malicious will be promptly deleted. I realize we’re in hot political times, and while this may be the United States of America where we have freedom of speech, on this blog, it’s Black Belt Mama’s way or the highway.
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Good post BBM. While I think there has been a lot of irresponsible spending over the last 4 years,I share your views. I’ve found many of those who profess to be liberals (Like Behar) to be hypocritical in the sense that they claim to be open-minded but are only open-minded when you agree with them. It has made me sick to see the kind of attacks the left has made on Sarah Palin and her family. I’m sure she has thick skin by it is scummy nontheless. If she is infact a lipstick wearing pig, then pigs have never looked so good.
On a separate note, HOW MANY PHILLY PLAYERS DOES ONE PERSON NEED ON A FANTASY TEAM????
While I am very glad that you (whom I truly like and respect) are better off 8 years later, I know too many people who are not. My Mom for one- and we’ve emailed about her struggles to sell her house, etc. So of course not everyone is better off and not everyone is hurting. We can’t make blanket statements and on that point, I definitely agree with you.
And even though we are voting differently in this election, I can agree with you about people making comments on Palin’s looks and demeaning her intelligence because she is attractive. As a woman that pisses me off. While I do not agree with her politics, I will defend her on behalf of equal rights for women. And I know that you and I, despite our political differences, are on the same page when it comes to that.
“Are men only made of hormones?”
Ummmm–darn close, actually.
The economy is a large and complicated structure, and I think it’s important that we all recognize that any president–whether Democrat, Republican, or other party–has, in fact, limited control over it.
That said… I drive down my street, and I see more houses for sale for less. I have friends calling me, telling me how worried they are, because they owe more on their house than its currently worth. Many of my neighbors barely travel outside of a 3 mile radius because of the cost of gas.
On a national level? Eight years ago, it was the year 2000. Let’s be blunt: 9/11 hadn’t happened, and we were not yet at war. To be sure, who we voted for as president had very little to do with whether these events would have occurred. However, as much as I love my country and all it has given me, and as much as I honor those who have the courage to fight on our behalf, I cannot help but feel a deep and strong sense of concern that we are not fighting the right fight in the right places.
Marcus: Thanks, and regarding Philly, you only need two. . . the two I have. 😉
Sizzle: We are definitely on the same page. Two people with opposite political viewpoints can respectfully get along. I thank you for that.
Dan: Come on now! I’m trying to give you guys some credit!
Dave: I agree completely about 9/11. Although I am no cheerleader for Bush, he had a lot more on his plate than most President’s have had in the past.
You would be one of the only people I know who is actually doing better. Eight years ago I was a stay-at-home-mom and we were able to live on one income. Since that time I’ve had to go back to work and been laid off THREE times. Not only that I’ve had to go back to college and get my undergraduate and graduate degree…which have done nothing to advance my career or income. I live in the same home I lived in eight years ago with absolutely no hope of living in my dream home.
Personally, I cannot live like this for another four years.
Wait, which one’s the Palin? The hot one?
And “we’re worse off than we were 8 years ago” is a statement referring to the country as a whole. It’s not surprising that as a young couple, you have improved in life – we have as well.
But if you look at unemployment, consumer spending, home foreclosures, the stock market, and other indicators, we’re worse off.
Put another way – someone the same age in the same situation as you were eight years ago is going to have a harder time climbing out of it now than you did.
Damn it! “The” Palin?
Hey Avitable – you just undid a sensible statement (and slightly amusing comment) with your second comment – that’s damn offensive to some of us.
And price of gas…pffft…you wanna move to the UK?
I am right there with you, BBM. I am so sick of the “celebrity” view of politics. Just because they’re in the public eye, doesn’t mean their political beliefs are more valid than the “every(wo)man” I saw an “ET” fluff show the other night where I just had to laugh at the stupidity of celebrities. A “Desperate Housewife” whose identity is not important(Eva Longoria Parker)was talking about Oprah making a statement that she would not invite Sarah Palin on the Oprah Show. Eva said, “Oprah does not use her show as a political vehicle. She doesn’t bring politics into her show.” WHAT????? Does this woman live on the same planet I do???? You can’t get much more political than Oprah! Okay, off the soapbox now. LOL
I have to ditto Avitable here.
Lisa: I know about your situation and I’m sorry you’re having those problems.
Avitable: Behar was not talking about the country as a whole. She was referring to individuals. I’m not saying the economy is great, but it’s a cycle just like everything.
Deryck: Understood. I’m deleting that part, although I’m sure that Avitable didn’t mean it maliciously.
Lisa: I hear you loud and clear. You don’t book Obama twice and appear with him while campaigning and not use your show as a political pulpit. I don’t really care though. I don’t watch her anyway. I do think it’s pretty ridiculous that a woman in such a powerful situation wouldn’t have an interest in interviewing the first ever female nominated VP candidate for the GOP.
Miss Britt: It’s your right to do so.
There are many ways of framing a story. Telling your personal story, or even mine and Mama’s, makes the economy seem good, but telling the story of the rapidly ballooning national debt, which has left us heavily leveraged through government debt to some countries that I’d rather not have control my country’s marketplace makes the economy seem to be doing not quite so well.
Which story do we pick? Depends on which story we want to tell and which point we want to prove, however, both are factually correct.
In fact, if I told a story about the U.S. in which several banks and large financial institutions had failed and in which the largest mortgage lenders in the country were, in effect, bankrupt and in which the rate of mortgage defaults was skyrocketing, would you know if I was talking about the early days of the Great Depression or 2008? As a skilled writer, you well know that half of the telling of a story is in what you leave out, the other half being what you put in.
You left out, for example, the details about how long it took you to sell your house. Why did it take so long? Perhaps because rising costs and falling incomes have left more folks with less money to pay for goods? Could be. Or maybe it was just bad luck. The story you told was accurate, but it might not have been complete. Or perhaps it was.
That’s the tricky thing about the truth–it’s not always the same truth the person standing right next to you is seeing.
For example, I was trapped in a Jiffy Lube yesterday, in which there was nothing to do in the waiting room but listen to the Fox News hosts, including Bill O’Reilly, who believed that they spoke for all Americans when they belittled Barack Obama. I found it galling that Bill O’Reilly deigned to speak as though I and all Americans agreed with him, however, he’s well within his rights to do so. In fact, that’s what he’s paid to do–express his opinion, no matter how odious I may find it. I assume Behar has the same arrangement with CNN.
And they are both well within their rights to leave out details that contradict their theses, either through ignorance or willful omission. A wise man once advised not to let the truth get in the way of a good story, and I think that we’re all guilty of pushing the truth out of the way, particularly when we make generalizations. There will be exceptions to any broad conclusions. Does that disprove the generalization? Perhaps. Or not.
I believe that we generally accept in the world what corresponds to what we hold as inner truths, and no amount of evidence, statistics, or news stories can sway us from them. If anything might loosen our grip on them, it might be personal experience, but I’m not even sure that has the power to do so. Given that, Behar’s and O’Reilly’s freely told stories and proffered opinions are worth exactly what we paid for them.
Hey! Cool, BBM! Let’s see, my family is way better off than 8 years ago! My extended family is way better off than 8 years ago. My church family is way better off than 8 years ago. Nearly everybody I know in our community is way better off than 8 years ago.
Sure, it doesn’t apply to everyone – just to nearly everyone I know.
We personally are better off now than eight years ago. I suspect that this is because we are similar in age and family situation. My husband has a higher status and better paying job, we’ve gotten some equity into a house, and such like.
On the other hand, in the last eight years, we’ve had two companies go bankrupt under my husband, while one cut back on their employees to the point that 100+ hour weeks were commonplace (job before this one). If my husband were not one of the very best in the country at what he does, he would not be employed in his field.
My mother-in-law died last year of an emminently treatable condition because she couldn’t afford the doctor visits. The debt load we had accumulated during the repeated company bankruptcies meant that we could help her financially in only a very limited way. We found out what killed her at autopsy.
Our next door neighbor has been foreclosed on – the second time for that house in the last four years. The neighbors across the street are having a desperation sale – and I there are at least six other houses like that within a 1-block walk of us. The general mood of our neighborhood is beaten down and desperate.
I can’t say I’m better off than eight years ago unless I only look inside my own closed door.
PB, Perpetual Beginner, and Patrick: Thank you for your opinions and for keeping things respectable around here. I think I should have just said, “I can’t stand Joy Behar.” Now that’s something we could all agree on!
Personally, I couldn’t pick Joy Behar out of a lineup of one person.
When I was young (1968) I wanted Nixon to win because I thought he was the more physically attractive candidate.
I was 8 then. I don’t know if I thought he looked friendlier or what.
But I think this goes to show that voting for someone because they are more handsome/pretty is a mistake.
I’m with you girl! Joy Behar most certainly does not speak for me or any of my female friends and family. I couldn’t care less about celebrities and their opinions. They are so full of themselves to think we all see things as they do. I am proud of the fact that I don’t see things as they do. You should be very proud of your post. I know the courage it took.
I think that it’s a little misleading for people who are doing well to use their own friends and relations as any sort of gauge for how well “people” are doing in general.
It’s kind of like a bunch of Mensa members sitting around talking about the dumbing down of America and saying, “Well, my friends are all smart. I don’t get it.”
It’s an ivory tower world view, in my opinion.
Regarding celebrities and their opinions, they’re people, too. They are allowed to have and express their own opinions. Why discount them out of hand? If they make sense to you, great. If not, no problem.
Personally, I’ll take a concerted effort to become educated on the issues over blindly accepting the spoon fed political opinions offered by the cable stations.
Delmer: Ha!
Miss Chris: Thank you. It needed to be said.
Steve: It’s also wrong for Joy Behar and other extreme liberals to pretend to speak for me and others when they most clearly don’t. It’s not an ivory tower I’m speaking from. I just thought it only fair that for once, the other side be told.
And regarding the news stations, clearly, it depends which network you’re watching.
Hi Steve,
BBM was in no way using our situation and that of our friends’ and family’s as a gauge for how well “people” are doing in general. She was merely trying to counter the somewhat tired argument that all “everyday Americans” are suffering and need to be saved. Yes, she used her personal experiences as a reference, but isn’t that kind of what you are supposed to do on a blog?
As for the comment…”I’ll take a concerted effort to become educated on the issues over blindly accepting the spoon fed political opinions offered by the cable stations”, I sincerely hope you weren’t referring to BBM as she was actually rejecting the spoon fed political opinion that we were watching because she HAS made a concerted effort to become educated on the issues.
Contrary opinions and thoughtful debate are healthy, but holier than thou attitudes, thinly veiled insults, and obvious mis-representations only serve to drag the conversation into the gutter.
Look at this nice big pot of controversy you’ve stirred up! I’m impressed!
😀
I’m with Mr. BBM on this one. I lurk here and on Steve’s blog from time to time. I see lots of snotty comments directed at BBM from Steve, but I don’t ever see BBM being that way over on his site. In fact, I don’t ever see comments from her anywhere that are like that. Steve’s comment was insulting. My mother always taught me, “If you don’t have anything nice to say. . . ” Presenting a different side of the argument is one thing but throwing insults is just plain not cool.
I don’t think that it is ‘ivory tower’ to compare what one is told to ones’ own experience to see if it matches. In fact, that’s the only way to get an education instead of a brainwashing.
In the case in point, we have been told so often in this election season (in both Presidental and state elections) that we are so much worse off than 8 years ago. Should we accept that at face value as a truth statement from a benevolent, impartial media? Or should we compare that statement to our own experiences and to the experiences of those around us to see if it makes sense?
_That’s_ what a concerted effort to become educated is.
I would personally argue that while celebrities can certainly have their opinions just like ‘real people’, they have disproportionate ability to express whatever crazy ideas pops into their minds. That doesn’t mean they should be censored, but that the value of their opinion should perhaps be discounted proportionate to their potential influence.
On the other hand, I didn’t find Steve’s comments insulting. Maybe impassioned, maybe terse. But maybe the fault lies in the medium of communication. It’s hard to tell what Steve’s tone is from those short comments.
Thanks for all the spirited comments. I guess I’ve figured out how to bring the lurkers out. 😉
I’m closing comments because I’m hitting the beach on this wonderful rainy weekend.