Because us libtards are a bunch of lame weenies. "Mommy, I didn't know activism was going to be hard. I'm just going to go sulk in the corner."

Sorry if some people are disapointed that they can't just snap their fingers and magically make everything the way they think it should be. Sorry if people are disapointed to find out that being politically active means you're going to face stiff opposition (You don't say! And here I thought every other group and figure throughout history just watlzed their way to political and social change! You mean they actually had to work dillegently at it? Next you're be telling me the seed doesn't grow become an apple tree overnight)

I really have to hand it to you, Joan. That was a classy take on the whole affair. I like that evn though you admitted that you didn't feel the need for insincire worship (unlike a lot of other people out there), that didn't stop you (again unlike a lot of other people) from giving some type of respect to the precedings (after all, a man DID just die here and one who meant something to some people. Quite honestly, if you're a human being, that should be enough for at least some kind of reverence.)

Congratulations, Joan, for cutting through both the media spectacle AND the dehumanizing negativity to offer nuanced, honorable look at Michael. Thank you.

By the way, his daughter's speech did move me, much for the reasons you stated, Joan: It was touching because she DIDN'T try to make Michael "larger-then-life". To her he was simply "dad" and to kids, that's usually enough.

I'm sorry, but this article already starts off on the wrong foot with a title that is not only false advertising (hint: it doesn't really have anything to do with Michael Jackson) but implies that it delves into that most tiresome and obnoxious of argumentative tactics: the guilt trip. Even ignoring the "King of pop", such tactics are asinine.

For starters, this type of argument is habitually used because it's so insincere and generic (after all, you could easily replace the words "Michael Jackson's death" with ANY percieved "vice" and still get the same article). Secondly, as a Black man AND a gay man, I know the problems that can occur when people try to "go for the gold" in the Oppresion Olympics. It's not a competition for sympathy, people. (After all, THEN we could say "Well people are ALSO not surviving weddings in Rwanada. So why should we feel sorry for folks in Afghanistan?" It's a slippery slope to nowhere) Also on that note, I wish us liberals would remember that people CAN walk and chew gum at the same time. After all, if I mourn a recently deceased family member, does that mean I'm incapable of mourning anyone else? If you really want to mourn the Afghani people, well, there's nothing stopping you, you know. You don't need "our" permission to do so.

Finally (and I'll admit this is my own generalized observation) but there seems to be a bigger generosity of spirit in other countries then in this one. For instance the tributes and mourning to Jackson has been global (including places like Afghanistan, where they listened to his music too.) This, of course doesn't seem to stop other countries from mourning their own or paying attention to "what's important".

I'm sorry, but no.

For one, I suspect that the main reason Palin is considered so "motherly" is simply because she has a lot of damn kids. Amanda, I think you're confusing "maternal" for "fertile."

In addition, let's all remember that around the same time Snowbilly was announced as a VP canidate, the "scandal" surronding her pregnant teen daughter also surfaced. Let's also keep in mind that at this time she was an "unknown", which is what made her selection look questionable in the first place. Therefore the first thing Palin was "known for" was her family drama instead of her political accomplishments (probably because she was none.) This helped contribute to her "maternal" image (and note that, unlike what Amanda implies, it's not exactly a positive image.)

I thought Sarah Palin was the Republican who was going to tell us how plotics was like sports ("Quiting is like being a point guard you betcha. Also.")

Here's an obvious "lesson" from the book: If you Republicans are going to be passing any balls, make sure they're Harry Reid's. :-)

Welcome back Glenn! I hope you enjoyed your vacation (or whatever it was you did.)

I'm surprised that you haven't mentioned the most prominent of this phenomenon: The Dixie Chicks. They offer (rather mild, in my opinion) criticism on Bush in a foreign land, and the Conservatards act like they are Osama Bin Ladin's right hand and work overtime to derail the Chicks' career. Madness1

Sorry, O'Hehir, but I only got halfway though when I saw something that was rather wrong-headed. It was about Tim burton not being very good at adaptations. Puh-LEAZE, Andrew! What about his Batman movies? Not only were they successful critically and commercially, but they actually influnced to source material they came from (as well as many other versions.) And what about Sweeney Todd? Sorry but that stuck out so much that I felt that it really needed to be corrected.