newsworthy: November 2003 Archives

Earlier this year, I made a pledge to volunteer for whichever Democrat wins the party's nomination, not because I have any great love for the Democrats, but because I can't stand to see GWB win another term. He's already plunged the country into the insanity of war, increased our national debt and undermined just about every environmental and social program that have been created in the last twenty years (check out The Daily Outrage). I don't really care who gets the nomination - although, I'm leaning towards Dean - just that they organize a good, viable campaign that could actually challenge Bush and his cronies.

Unfortunately, an article in today's Washington Post suggests that for some unfathomable reason, many other individuals do not feel the way that I do. Apparently, Bush's campaign has been incredibly successful in garnering grassroots support from diehard GOP fans.

Bush's campaign Web site already has signed up 6 million supporters, 10 times the number that Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean has, and the Bush operation is in the middle of an unprecedented drive to register 3 million new Republican voters...."I've never seen grass roots like this," said a veteran GOP operative in one of the battleground states.

Yes, yes, I know...you can write me off as another liberal who reads Moveon.org's action alerts and The Nation. Just repeat after me, "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore."

Whoohoo! Queer Eye for the Straight Guy's decorating guru Thom Filicia is replacing Kirstie Alley as Pier 1's spokesperson. In other QE news, the show's soundtrack will be released on February 10, 2004. The CD will feature Basement Jaxx, Elton John, the Chemical Brothers, and, "former indie rocker but now corporate sellout who's one step away from being an older Avril Lavigne" Liz Phair.

Apparently, 13 year-old Bethany Hamilton is "in demand" after being attacked by a shark on the north shore of Hawaii. She's being courted by all of the biggies -Leno, Letterman, 20/20, etc. to tell her story.

Fine. I appreciate that losing a limb is a terrible blow. However, the fact that the press is promoting her as a "hero" is depressing. Yes, she was hurt. Yes, she survived. Yes, it's awful. But is it really heroic to be bitten by a shark? Perhaps I'm being cold, but it seems to me that there are plenty of other teenagers out there who are more deserving of this sort of attention. When Today show host Matt Lauer tells you that you're "the most sought after teenager in the world," and you have a manager who says things like, "What I'm trying to do is make this 15 minutes of fame into Brand Bethany Hamilton," you have officially become a product, and your suffering ceases to be deserving of my sympathy. You have become a public figure who risks being ridiculed when the inevitable backlash happens. In my mind, this is the real tragedy.

Of course, there's already talk of a book.