The Wily Filipino

Girl on Girl Action!

Now that I have your attention -- and yes, I'm running a thumbnail-sized photo swiped from an AP article because I have no shame -- check out the following story, after the Atlanta Journal-Constitution apologizes to readers for running the same photo on their front page (via Silver Rights):

[Atlanta Journal-Constitution managing editor Hank] Klibanoff compared the Spears picture to graphic images from the war in Iraq.

"We ran images we otherwise might not have run. But that was war, and war was news. The photo we ran Friday was neither, and I wish I had limited its display to the inside of the Living section..."

But enough about celebrities and obscenity. (See also Heriberto Yepez's August 31 post: "She also helps Bush. Madonna’s makes front news. A stupid kiss becomes more important than killing people in Iraq.") (I suppose I should be thankful that the AJC apparently ran photos from the war on Iraq -- we didn't need a war sanitized for our protection.)

On another related note, Brooke Biggs asks:

I have a nagging question: You remember how all the right-wing punditocracy was whinging about celebrities speaking out on political issues, and how being a movie or music star didn't make anyone an expert on world affairs, or their opinions worth more than anyone else's? You remember, all of the foaming about the Dixie Chicks and Janeane Garofalo and Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon?

Aren't all of those people among those championing the campaign of The Terminator for Governor? Playing their Clint Black "I-raq and Roll" and wearing their "Toby Keith for President" T-shirts?

And I'll end with another celebrity apparently on the side of the angels (though he really should move back if he wants to make more of a difference):

"America is dumb, it's like a dumb puppy that has big teeth that can bite and hurt you, aggressive," he said.

...

"I was ecstatic they re-named 'French Fries' as 'Freedom Fries'. Grown men and women in positions of power in the U.S. government showing themselves as idiots," he [said].

Posted by the wily filipino at September 3, 2003 10:16 AM