Here in the midwest, it's rampant. I know lots of otherwise intelligent, rational people who fall for this crap hook, line and sinker. A handful watch too many movies, a handful are closet conspiracy theorists, a handful work too hard to pay attention to anything but the loudest and most outrageous soundbites. Some folk, like my otherwise adorable mother, just don't trust anything that's different than the relatively sheltered world they've built for themselves.

It's hard to be a responsible voter. To be truly informed about any candidate takes a great deal of time, energy and research. When Joe and Jane Public are trying to pay the mortgage and get the kids to soccer, there's not a lot of time to sit down and really follow what our government does. It takes a concerted effort even to fact check SOME of the information that is streamed at us from every direction. I think it's irresponsible (and more than a little judgmental) to write off people who believe the BS as "stupid." Trying to out shout the red noise with blue noise just makes more noise.

I think the people in this thread who spoke of replying to the smearmails with facts have the right idea. Hand-wringing, name calling and pissing contests make all of us look like assholes.

Because Meyers still had charm. I don't think he has much of that anymore.

I've read the gossip bits, too. One piece said the folks who work for him aren't even allowed to LOOK at the guy. I'm coming to the conclusion that celebrity causes insanity.

I hope this movie tanks, tbh. I think old boy could use a touch of humility. Might bring back his sense of humor.

@Christopher - have you seen Carell in Little Miss Sunshine? It's on behind me while I work right now, and I think he did a great job. I find a lot of comedy obnoxious, so I feel you about the shtick factor, but I think the subtlety Carell showed in Little Miss Sunshine shows that he at least has the potential to be more than an Adam Sandler or a Mike Meyers.

I agree that the age of a lot of the leading women is kinda squickly, but I do admire the choices themselves. It seems like the bimbo:smart chick ratio in the movies is finally swinging more towards the brainy girls. Sure, they still don't look like most of us, but at least Hollywood's obsession with the "ooh! I'm soooo drunk!" girl seems to be passing. Baby steps.

Salon letters are full of 'em. Never met a group of people that liked hearing themselves talk (or, rather, watching themselves type?) in my whole life.

Couple of points.

1. Kathleen Sebelius is plenty exciting. No one knows much about her, true, but she's a feisty women in and of herself. Don't write her off because no one's had the inclination to drag her through the mud yet.

2. I think Hilary's angry supporters are mistaken when they believe they aren't being heard. I hear them a lot. They also have several routes to get their message across - blogs, message boards, newsletters, bullhorns, what-have-you - and they seem to be effectively using all the means of communication available to them to do so. If anyone hasn't heard why they are upset, they've been living in a box.

3. Olberman and Matthews are our Limbaugh and O'Reilly. Most folks with a brain, no matter who they support, recognize this. They say stupid, outrageous, horrible things so people will listen to them. Much like people on a message board, but with a broader and more gullible audience. And sponsors.

4. Holy crap, can the "cougar" trend end already?

5. I'm a firm believer in the statement "well behaved women seldom make history" but neither do women who sit around and gripe instead of getting up and doing. What would our foremothers who fought so very hard for our right to vote say if they knew you'd throw it away so easily?

I'm so over outrage, because it barely means anything anymore. I'm beginning to think the crowning achievement of the internet was it's power to turn us into a culture of sun-starved, articulate misanthropes.

Nobody ever made me laugh as hard and think as hard at the same time.

You will be sorely missed.