So I watched Olberman tonight. I don’t always watch, and I usually love him, but I have noted a certain misogynous tinge to the show, and geez Pete did I notice it tonight.
Olberman closed the show with a snide story on Paris Hilton’s release from prison and the papparazi frenzy that surrounded it. Which, let’s face it, deserved a snide story. His guest on the topic was Michael Musto. Who quipped “As Martin Luther King said, ‘Free at last, Hallelujah, I’m free at last!'” (Yes, he got the quote wrong, but it was mildly amusing.) He then said,
“He also said, ‘Bimbos belong behind bars.'”
Thud.
Why? Because the media frenzy surrounding a meaningless socialite isn’t funny enough unless it’s misogynist? Because we can’t really poke fun at a woman unless we call her a slut? Because bimbos really do belong behind bars and white men on TV get to be the arbiters of bimbohood?
It’s just not funny if we’re not putting women in their place and insulting their sexuality. It’s just not.
Later, Musto said that such-and-such was as unlikely as “Heidi Fleiss opening a soup kitchen. Or opening her legs for free sex.”
Because sluts are funny.
The thing is, with the Paris news, these guys are delighted because they don’t have to hide it. They have the perfect excuse to trot out all their hatred for the bitchez and the pussy and how dare bitchez have pussy? It’s safe to hate Paris.
But we should recognize that it’s not Paris they hate. It’s women. She’s just a convenient example.
