Conservatives across America mourned at the news of the death of Senator Jesse Helms, a man credited with impeccable conservative credentials in the U.S. Senate, a conscience of a movement devoted to the defeat of communism abroad and the defense of liberty at home. He was the staunchest of social conservatives as well, unflinching in his opposition to the abortion lobby and the gay agenda. To liberals he was "Senator No," which meant only that he would strongly oppose everything they wanted to impose on America. Their badly disguised loathing of Helms, well-expressed over the decades, only endeared him to... continue reading
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy reported last month that a teenager who has been depressed in the past year was more than twice as likely to have used marijuana than teenagers who have not reported being depressed (25 percent compared with 12 percent). The study said marijuana use increased the risk of developing mental disorders by 40 percent. So much for the "harmless" nature of pot. There are more worrisome statistics still. The 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that among Americans age 12 and older there were 14.8 million current users of... continue reading
In the thick of the fight over the wrong Reverend Wright, Barack Obama put on his annoyed face and said the whole issue of his preacher's hate speech was a distraction from the real issues, like health care and education and war. So many in the media were quick to agree. But now that the primaries are over, the network news crews aren't covering the issues. They're warbling a happy tune about all of Barack and Michelle Obama's wonderful personal qualities. Think of all the inane stories designed to boost the picture of Obama being loaded with charisma and momentum... continue reading
Everyone loves a person who makes you laugh, and you naturally mourn when a comedian passes away. George Carlin made a lot of people laugh with his observational humor, and we're saddened by the loss. But the media appreciations of Carlin hailed him for his daring in "crossing the line" of good taste. This was not something to be celebrated. The nation's top newspapers added some depth. Paul Farhi in The Washington Post noted two Carlin comic personalities. There was Gentle George, the absurdist who made fun of language, even the sound of words like "yogurt." He was riotous fun... continue reading
The general election season is under way, and the leftists are already displaying their hypocrisy. They've launched pre-emptive warnings against a Republican "swiftboating" of Barack Obama at the same time they're making up wild allegations about the villainous ultraconservative plots against goodness planned by John McCain. The supposed civility police in the media are emphasizing the Obama warnings of a right-wing onslaught, but not the nasty leftist attacks on McCain. Once again, Republicans are painted as the agents of character assassination, while Democrats are angels whose style is sweet civility and whose substance is the refreshing truth. Obama's campaign is... continue reading
Is our popular culture morally upside down? If not, why do good people have to make for terribly boring television? By contrast, why are bad people endlessly fascinating? It's because Hollywood's creative geniuses are obsessed with turning morality on its head. Once upon a time on TV, there were series like "Dragnet" and "The FBI" and "Adam-12" with the black and white of good and bad. Protagonists were role models for youngsters. When children played Cops and Robbers, there was no moral confusion over the roles. In these dark ages of TV, the old formulas are being disdained like newspaper... continue reading
The day after Al Gore endorsed Barack Obama in Detroit, MSNBC kept repeating the allegedly big news with the on-air question "Will Gore Help or Hurt Obama?" Left out of that question: Who cares? Does Gore's endorsement matter at all? Pundits usually declare in today's media-saturated world that endorsements from major politicians or movie stars just don't have much impact. A Who's Who of the Beautiful People in Hollywood endorsed and actively campaigned for John Kerry - and had no impact. With Al Gore it's the same thing. He doesn't bring a single vote Obama doesn't already have. He could... continue reading
It's axiomatic that people who've disgraced themselves are the last to realize it, or maybe the first to pretend they don't know. Take longtime CBS anchorman Dan Rather, who shredded his own reputation by smearing President Bush's military service with phony documents. He's still at it, still in shameless self-denial, raging against the world, still pontificating about that which he has no standing to speak about: Journalism ethics. On June 7, he mounted a soapbox at a far-left event in Minneapolis called the "National Conference for Media Reform," perhaps the last and perhaps the best forum interested in his opinion... continue reading
Feminism has been a very disgraced brand for decades. The final nail was placed in the coffin when feminists tried so athletically to see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil with Bill Clinton's record of serial adultery, sexual harassment, and even a credible accusation of rape. But now that Hillary Clinton has finally conceded to Barack Obama, the media elites have suddenly discovered the glorious and militant cause of women. Hillary Clinton's failure wasn't her fault. It was sexism that ruined her chances. Feminists have blamed everyone for this crushing burden of sexism. It's most fun watching... continue reading
Should the high school prom be renamed the high school porno? They call it "grinding" or "freak dancing" when students grind their pelvises into each other to the beat of sexually explicit music, sometimes in chains of three or four or more. This kind of dancing is so commonplace with high school students that some parents and cultural writers are suggesting all attempts at school dancing decorum should be abandoned. In The Washington Post, reporter Laura Sessions Stepp recently tried to talk herself and her readership into finding a different war to fight, since dancing regulations only spur a debate... continue reading