On the one side, Todd Palin seems happy to accept his wife's greater stature, and he is willing to share in the housework. That's very good.

But that's it. The guy is a rightwing extremist married to a cruel, power-mad twit. I know we're not supposed to take those elements into account, according to the article, but you cannot separate Todd Palin's admirable qualities from what he is on the whole; on the whole, he's not someone any man should want to emulate.

Then there's the emphasis on his manly man's hobby of snowmobiling. Are we still stuck on this kind of activity as a signifier of what it means to truly be a man? If so, then let's just acknowledge that society's notions of manhood have not progressed since prehistoric times and call it quits.

Look at this quote from the article: "Apparently, the New Amcrican Man is the kind of guy who can change the diapers on his baby and the tires on his snow machine"

First, what's an "Amcrican"? I don't know either.

Secondly, how do you change a tire on a snow machine? Think about it. I'd really like to know.

Does this author know anything?

I was about to answer this close, detailed analysis of whether Todd Palin represents progressive masculinity--or whether, the more progressive thing is to analyze the ways in which his version of masculinity is actually a form of backlash -- when it occurred to me: is answering this analysis progressive? Or itself a form of backlash?

I mean, if analysis only reaffirms normative cliches in its very act of negating them, perhaps the most progressive thing to do is to negate the negation? Yet perhaps that is in itself a mutually constitutive act of self-negation: being afraid to negate the negation out of the fear that one's own negation is a negation? How can that be progressive?

Surely, as of this moment, the progressive analysis of whether Alaska's first dude represents a progressive or backlash phenomenon must continue in the very name of anti-backlash progressivity! But perhaps merely constituting that fact means that "this moment" has now passed, and the opposite is true?

To be continued...

Hopefully, these two magazines will go the way of the Rocky Mountain Journal. Nothing but a bunch of empty consumerism masquerading as masculinity. Cosmo for men.

Because I admire Todd Palin so much, I recently bought a snowmobile. But darn! It just never snows down here in South Florida! What's a person to do?

Well, maybe I can try to drive my snowmobile thru the Florida Everglades.

I think there are some who would take exception to the perception of T. Palin as 'blue collar'. From his ownership and management of a snowmobile dealership to his other business ventures, not to mention active participation in work that properly (or improperly, as the case may be) belongs in the realm of his wife's government office, I think this whole blue collar thing has been exposed as a myth by other writers.

And what we're seeing is the mass mediated rehabilitation of the Palin clan. So we get yet another puff piece on a family member of a demonstrably awful politician in an effort to lend more humanity, if not respectability, to said politician's presidential aspirations.

Didn't we learn anything from 2000, when the media fawned over the "humility" of George W. Bush and his doting wife Laura? Wasn't she pretty and nice compared to that ball-buster Hillary Clinton?

Unfortunately, Americans love the fantasy of "ordinary people" running their government, despite the plain fact that these supposedly everyday people are often inveterately corrupt and authoritarian. In their behavior towards the public, they exhibit only venality and greed, in Palin's case even extending to bullying librarians.

I wonder if, in the author's frenzy of homoerotic worship of Mr. Palin, it occurs to him to press his subject about anything concerning his wife's kooky views on various subjects? I have no doubt he would say, "That's not my role."

Todd Palin's snowmobile is just a blue-collar smokescreen/sign of fawning media attention/whatever, but Michelle Obama's arms (and don't forget Bo!) really are critical harbingers of social change.

And the obsession that BS has with a failed VP candidate is quite puzzling. Especially when more ink is being spilled these days on the failed VP candidates family.

He's the new American model for stupidity.

That was easy...

There's no point writing any more about the Palins' home life, guys.

In a feat never to be repeated, somethingawful.com's articles (ostensibly) by Levi "HOckey" Johnston have completely nailed all the people and relationships involved. They're even offensive, just like the real thing. In future, you can just post links to them and save yourselves the time...

Oh. come ON now! "Blue-collar outdoorsmen who competes in one of the toughest races on earth." It's NOT "one of the toughest races on earth" if you use an engine! Sorry, folks, but I can't buy into the idea that riding a so-called snow machine that does the propelling for you is tougher than triathlon, marathon, dogsledding, running ultradistance or cycling a double century.

Tell ya what, "First Dude," if you're not too busy getting a spray tan to match your silk boxers, why don't you come to north Georgia next September for something like the Six Gap Century? Or do the annual bike ride up Mount Washington in New Hampshire? I'm sure some pantywaist like John Kerry could tackle a ride like one of those.

This is the same kind of fawning crap that we got from the Washington press corps who went to George Bush's former pig farm converted to a dude ranch and oooohed and aaaaahed over the fact that he was...clearing brush!

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to call the garage and see if my pavement machine is ready.

And if so, what does that mean?

Probably not very much. Obviously Barack Obama is the new model for American masculinity, and Todd Palin is picking up a few crumbs that fall from the political table in the form of celebrity modeling gigs.

Obama can also multitask. He has won a nationwide campaign, fathered two daughters, ended torture in the US, been invited to the palace to meet the Queen, met Tiger Woods, survived British cuisine and a trip to Iraq, and still found time to play with a puppy. Due to an accident of birth, he was raised in Hawaii where opportunities for snowmobiling are limited, but he made up for it by body surfing.

And if Palin can change the tires on a snowmobile his name ought to be Merlin, because those rubbery thingies are called tracks, not tires.