Obviously, TLC is making a political statement, by humanizing this ultimate “mean-girl.” So, now please give us “Barak Obama’s Chicago.”
Palin strives for portmanteau, but she lands on malapropism, just like Bush Jr. used to do, and Bush Sr. before that, and Papa Reagan before him.
I am disappointed to learn that spell check doesn’t recognize “combobulated” as a word. Sarah Palin has inspired me to try to be more inspiring with the English Language. So has TLC-Discovery Channel. If “discombobulated” means confused, befuddled or addled, then I’m just the opposite. I am totally combobulated.
The TLC-Discovery website says, “Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the world's number one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 180 countries. “ It’s the “non-fiction” part that has me all combobulated, as it is obvious their intent was to DIS-combobulate with a mixed message. But I’m too smart for that. I hold a liberal arts degree, and I put it to work every day.
If Palin can invent words like “refudiate” and “misunderestimate”, and claim they have a sound basis in portmanteau linguistics, then I am totally combobulated. I get it. That makes me omniscient – I see it all, I know it all. Except this:
I’m still not getting this “non-fiction” thing put out by TLC-Discovery. I was changing channels recently, and I came across “Sarah Palin’s Alaska.” Surely you’ve heard about this weekly political stump speech, neatly packaged by TLC-Discovery as a travelogue, adventure, warm, fuzzy, pretty-girl goes hunting story. Maureen Dowd said it best, “ . . . she came across less like a pioneer woman than Private Benjamin.”
Ouch, that hurts all the way around. Maureen is insulting the “shootin’” skills of Mama Grizzly, and insulting all the Goldie Hawn fans. Memo to Maureen Down: Sarah Palin isn’t Jewish; Private Benjamin was; big difference! But Maureen makes a good point that Palin is trying to be the pioneer woman in her Neiman-Marcus/Gucci custom hunting outfit. “Pioneer Woman” spins her own yarn; she doesn’t shop at Neiman, we are reminded.
Private Benjamin at least survived basic training. Palin quit her job as Governor of Alaska because she was being pestered about some silly ethics issues, and it was distracting her. Makes me wonder how Palin would hold up under a drill sergeant’s barrage of profanities. Palin became a reality TV star to bolster her Q-ratings and keep her face out there for the 2012 Presidential race. And apparently, the executives at TLC-Discovery really, really want her to win, because show her on TV every week slaughtering something, and squealing with giddiness. Only TLC and Sarah Palin could try to attach a warm and fuzzy message to the weekly televised slaughter of animals. Memo to TLC & Palin: Fur is Dead!
Oh this silly language of ours; Palin strives for portmanteau, but she lands on malapropism, just like Bush Jr. used to do, and Bush Sr. before that, and Papa Reagan before him. Could this be the rub, or “pat-down” as it were? It’s not the economy stupid, or the stupid economy. It’s all about Our Silly Language and how we can make it sillier.
It’s cute to be mean. I learned that from some of the pretty girls I went to high school with. Some of them grew up to be nice girls after they went away to Ole Miss or Stephens College and met meaner, prettier girls. Sarah Palin didn’t have the grades for Ole Miss or Stephens. I’m not knocking Stephens College. Some women I love went to school there, and they turned out to be gifted artists, writers & teachers. But I AM knocking Ole Miss. I HAVE to. It’s a Memphis thing. As a child I went to most of the Memphis State-Ole Miss football games, where I was exposed to a lot of drunk men and loud, mean, pretty women. Like the Palinistas, who rig “Dancing with the Stars” for selfish political gain. At Ole Miss football games, there were always lots of pretty women in baby doll dresses and heavy make-up. And they often yelled a lot of loud, stupid things at the other teams’ players, especially the “colored” ones. Then they would kiss their boyfriends and squeal. Palinistas – pretty, mean girls. TLC-Discovery is getting a lot of ad revenue by promoting mean girls with guns. Maybe we should all send them a letter. But that would require sacrifice; like watching an entire episode of “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” and taking notes on who pays the bills. I have to think about how MUCH I love my country, and what I’m willing to sacrifice.
On behalf of fans of the Obama administration, we recognize our disappointment on that tax cut thing, but demand equal time for our man. Obviously, TLC is making a political statement, by humanizing this ultimate “mean-girl.” So, now please give us “Barak Obama’s Chicago.” Show us the Prez & his family taking in the Field Museum or Adler Planetarium. Give us a cameo of the first family at a Cubs game in the bleachers. Show us the mug of our Prez quaffing from a mug at one of the Waveland Avenue pubs. Gotta’ have some footage of a full-court hoops game at the East Bank Club with the Prez in the mix. And please give us seasonal treats that include the First Family at the Clark Street Beach, playing volleyball and body-surfing. Finally, in the spirit of “Sarah Palin’s Alaska,” please show the Prez snipe hunting by moonlight Show him dissecting and eviscerating a snipe, and give us Michelle holding court on the various ways to prepare snipe for your family.
TLC-Discovery has changed the political landscape. And who would have thought it?
H. Scott Prosterman