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Monday, July 19, 2004

Join Arnold! or You're a GIRLY Man

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Some Democrats are upset today over our governors speech given on Saturday in which he called democratic legislators "Girly Men". Who wouldn't be upset? After all, what speaks more to your apparent manhood than fearless legislation in the face of criticism? Wait. Did I get that right? Or is it fearlessly Joining Arnold in the face of absurdity? I don't know. I am neither a man nor a legislator.

Here is the gist of the Dems complaint, as far as I was able to follow it. Calling someone a girly man is homophobic and misogynistic. Do we need to trace the history of the phrase "Girly Man" to discover that this spin is silly? It comes from Saturday Night Live. It addresses a lack of body-building physical perfection, not gender or sexual orientation. It's a joke on Arnold. If the term were addressed directly to a gay man then it would be a gay slur. But short of that, its just a catch phrase. No harm no foul -- at least on the Democrats. My advice is let it go. Because right now all the crying, whining democrats who want to make a huge discrimination issue out of this are just distracting from the real issue. Arnold is an idiot. (Oops, did I say that out loud?)

It is just another case of "The Democrats that Cried Wolf".

How can you expect to ever be taken seriously if you blow every, single, teeny thing into a federal case. (I love it that this "federal case" reference is in the common vernacular)  Arnold's use of the phrase was ridiculous.  But not because it's discriminatory.  It was ridiculous because it has no logical place in intelligent debate.  It is name calling, pure and simple.  It is the course of last resort for bullies of all kinds.  If you can't think of anything cogent to say just point and laugh. 
 
Democratic law makers should have mentioned that.  They should have said "Hey, Arnold! Have you run out of stuff to say?  What's next?  Where's the beef?"  Instead, they've taken this rather nutty position of crying homophobia.  It is just distracting from the vacuity of what Arnold said.  (I call him Arnold not so much to show disrespect but because I can't spell his last name) 

I am really tired of all of it anyway.  What does being a girly man have to do with writing appropriate, thoughtful, useful legislation?  Our government has turned into a high school macrocosm.  Look who we voted to be class president?  That most popular muscle-bound captain of the football team, Arnold.  Did he ever tell us what qualified him to be the governor?  Nope, he just said he'd do the stuff we'd all like done and smiled a lot.

This latest speech is just more of that.  Look at how witty and popular I am!  Able to make a joke on those democrats that has all my buddies laughing their butts off.  Forgive me if I have misapprehended this but isn't the governor supposed to be actually doing something besides making us all feel superior and cracking jokes?

Every time we allow important business, like legislation for crying out loud, to be reduced to name calling, finger-pointing bickering we diminish it.  We should endeavor to raise the bar, folks. To expect more, not less.  I am disappointed that the Dems have stretched a stupid catch phrase so far out of proportion.  Then again, I am always disappointed when people I would like to have some respect for dive into the dog pile and scrap with the less imaginative.


Next up, how language is headed for that lowest common denominator to join Arnold.







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