Sunday, March 4, 2012

Ignatius Reilly Issues Notpology

I've been watching this unfold for the last few days, but I haven't had much time to comment on it. So now that I have some time, I'm definitely going to say something.

For those who aren't caught up, the last couple of weeks have been nothing short of an all-out attack on the rights of women to be human beings in the United States. The Right-Wing is bringing it hard and fast; one assault after another. You almost get the sense they know they're gonna get their shit trashed this coming election, so they're doing everything they can to leave a mark and failing. This panic has lead to some strange, circus-like situations over the last few years. The strangest of them all, perhaps, is the fact that Ignatius Reilly could somehow become respected among the Republican Party as one of the most speakers for the regressive, backwards, wrongheaded movement.

Well, the Democrats managed to get a young law school student named Sandra Fluke to testify before congress. While the Republicans, in typical form, tried to silence her, she still managed to get some important things said. This, together with a general empathy towards human begins and a belief that a woman should control her own body as opposed to the government controlling it, pretty much shoots down the clown posse that Issa had testify before congress on the BC issue (for the record; all of these clowns were men. Speaking about women's biology and bodies. And the Republicans gave it their best shot to block an expert, so to speak - that is, someone who knows what women go through by virtue of being one). So, naturally, Ignatius Reilly wasn't pleased and he made some typical remarks expressing his disgust and thereby making everyone sick:


LIMBAUGH: What does it say about the college coed Susan Fluke [sic], who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says that she must be paid to have sex? What does that make her? It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute. She wants to be paid to have sex.
She's having so much sex she can't afford the contraception. She wants you and me and the taxpayers to pay her to have sex. What does that make us? We're the pimps.
The johns, that's right. We would be the johns -- no! We're not the johns. Well -- yeah, that's right. Pimp's not the right word.
OK, so, she's not a slut. She's round-heeled. I take it back.
So, the only thing we're missing there is the dead dog.

Somewhere, someone decided that this crossed a line. So as a result, he's lost about six sponsors, including a couple of large ones, like Carbonite. Once Reilly realized that he'd crossed this line with his sponsors, he stepped up to the plate like a responsible adult, admitted his mistake, said he was sorry for saying these reprehensible things, and offered to have her on his show so they could discuss the issue like reasonable adults gave a classic non-apology:

For over 20 years, I have illustrated the absurd with absurdity, three hours a day, five days a week. In this instance, I chose the wrong words in my analogy of the situation. I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke.
I think it is absolutely absurd that during these very serious political times, we are discussing personal sexual recreational activities before members of Congress. I personally do not agree that American citizens should pay for these social activities. What happened to personal responsibility and accountability? Where do we draw the line? If this is accepted as the norm, what will follow? Will we be debating if taxpayers should pay for new sneakers for all students that are interested in running to keep fit? In my monologue, I posited that it is not our business whatsoever to know what is going on in anyone's bedroom nor do I think it is a topic that should reach a Presidential level.
My choice of words was not the best, and in the attempt to be humorous, I created a national stir. I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for the insulting word choices.
It's a joke, I swear. Why are you punishing me? All I did was tell a harmful joke to 51% of the population, and acted like a bully. It's not my fault you don't have a sense of humor.

He's not sorry for the intent or what he said. He's sorry for using the wrong words to insult her, that's all. All he posit in his monologue was that she was "round-heeled" and we're John because we're paying for her contraceptive in the same way that we pay for other people's medications. He never once admitted to doing anything wrong - other than picking the wrong words. As a result, the only thing he's illustrated over the last 20 years is how stupid, bigoted, misogynistic and racist he is. He doesn't just own Ms. Fluke an apology. He owes every woman in the country who takes contraceptives for any purpose at all an apology. And until he gives that, anything else he says on this matter isn't worth two shits.

Hey, Ignatius - fuck you. Take your semen stained sheet and bugger the fuck off, asshole. And that's not a joke.

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