God Hatez Fagz, LOL!!!

I had some confusing feelings as I read this article about a recent visit to Iowa by Fred Phelps' crew, the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas. When I first heard about Fred Phelps and his church, my first reaction was to feel angry and frustrated at the huge amount of hate that they bring everywhere they go. I went to a counter-protest in high school, and was all "wtf?" like everyone else. It's been a few years since then, and my feelings about this group actually become less and less ambivalent the more I hear about them. I think that as I thought more about their message and philosophy it became clear just how extreme they are. They really don't represent the views of any substantial political base, and no one actually believes what they preach except themselves. Seen in this light, they become completely harmless. Kinda cute, actually. They stand on street corners and howl like a bunch of monkeys or lunatics, and that's exactly how people perceive them. They simply don't feel dangerous to me; inconsequential.*

Abigail Phelps, the daughter of Fred Phelps, told the Ames Tribune, "You want to know how I feel about those people over there? My heart is overflowing with glee. I’m so thankful that the lord brought them out to see these words. It’s their only hope." Left me tickled. She just wants to give us hope! What a sweetheart.

So for the past few years I've been following the actions of Westboro Baptist as a form of entertainment. Like a traveling wingnut circus--a kaleidoscope of colorful signs and spectacular performance that will leave you and your whole family breathless! Most people take for granted that they're completely serious, but I'm not entirely convinced that a group like The Yes Men isn't behind these shenanigans.

*I realize that for the families of those who have had funerals ruined by WBC picketers, their actions may not seem inconsequential, but in terms of influencing American values and policy, they really hold no sway. Also, it is clear that they are doing severe psychological damage to the children who are born into this community. It seems that after having been taught such extreme faith and values, there is little or no chance that these children will be able to lead normal lives.

Double Standard?

I love that this headline is accompanied by both a highly sexual American Apparel ad and a startlingly ugly photo of Dov Charney. Now if only I could shut my mouth and stop buying their clothes....

Thanks, New York Times

Wtf kind of headline is this?

On Pat Buchanan's Sore Bum

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I hear that Rachel Maddow has made a routine out of ripping apart Pat Buchanan's batshit (patshit?) arguments these days, but this is particularly noteworthy. Last week Pat went on The Rachel Maddow Show and let loose some truly racist (and completely insane) drivel about how America was built 100% by white people, and about how Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is an "affirmative action nominee." This didn't sit well with Rachel, evidently, and she devoted a segment of her show last Monday to setting a few facts straight. I love that she doesn't stoop to the level of actually arguing with Buchanan--she doesn't even have to argue with him. She just has to state a few facts to completely invalidate everything he said.

GIMME MORE: What I Ate for Dinner Tonight

Yum. 15 grams of protein per serving!! Unfortunately, a little pricey and not very many calories but the protein and flava definitely are worth it.

GIMME MORE: Those Darlins

I went to see Tennesee trio Those Darlins last night at the Vaudeville Mews and it was the best show I've seen in a while. I'm kind of smitten, in fact. I was a little worried when I got to the Mews and I was the only person there, and then I found out they were pushing the show back 2 hours to see if more people would show up. I think this put the band in a crappy mood because when they first got on stage they didn't seem too happy about being in Des Moines.* This didn't last long, though, because once everyone had had a few beers people started moving up to the front, dancin' sexual and taking their shirts off. This is the kind of behavior that makes a good audience, and the band definitely responded. They played for about an hour, and by the end it was clear that they were enjoying themselves, which is something I love to see at shows. I won't try to describe what they sound like, because the only thing I hate more than talking about music is trying to write about it. Check out their MySpace to hear some songs.

I talked to band member Jessi (the ghey one?) for a few minutes after the show, who was not only super friendly but also had an adorable southern accent. She said that we were a much better audience than they had at their previous show in Omaha--probably because Omaha is for loserz.

They'll be touring the South and Midwest July through September, and you should definitely check them out if you get the chance. Also, Darlins, if you're out there? Maybe you could play a show in Northampton sometime this fall?


*There's no better way to ruin a show than to act like you don't want to be there.

ACCESS DENIED: Hipster Bashing

I really, really hate this blog.

Not only has the whole hipster bashing thing gotten old, but this blog is chock-full of racism, homophobia, misogyny, and fat-phobia. A picture of one or more black persons is inevitably accompanied by a mention of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., or gangs. Asians? Insert broken English. Men touching? "No homo." Androgyny? Dude looks like a lady.

I also find it interesting that the author of this blog remains anonymous. I have a feeling that it's because he (judging by the frequency of homophobic comments I'm going to assume the author is a sexually confused, self-identified heterosexual male) isn't actually all that different from the people he is bashing. And he's bitter that all these fucking hipsters are coming out of the woodwork to rub in his face uncool he is.

This leads me to wonder, how did the author come to develop such deep hatred for "the hipster"? I have a few theories.

(1) Once or twice, back in 2002 someone wearing (choose one: skinny jeans/oversized glasses/sweater vest/iPod earbuds) gave him the cold shoulder at a Belle & Sebastian concert.

(2) He got turned down for a date by a girl with a septum piercing.

(3) He listened to Cat Power and wore oversized glasses way before they were cool, and now all these fucking hipsters are prancing around like they are on the cutting edge.