March 31, 2013

"America 'Can Do Better'..."

A Drudgtaposition.

Driscoll is talking about the photo of Obama that happens to have a portrait of George Washington in the background, but that Drudge page he links to begins with a very striking picture of the new Pope, lying prone — with the quote "Respond to evil with good"— and a big closeup of a cute baby getting a spoonful of mush — with the headline "Putin Orders Ban on Adoptions By Foreign Gay Couples."

Graphically, the horizontality of the Pope corresponds to the spoon, but if that's expressing an analogy, it could be: 1. The Pope's advice is pap, 2. The Pope's advice is the simple nourishment that Putin would take from helpless babies, or 3. Sexual perversion (is the Pope humping the rug and what does Putin think gay people put in a baby's mouth?!!!).

ADDED: Sorry that #3 is inflammatory, but I'm just being honest about the alternative interpretations of the imagery. #3 is especially justified by the phallic imagery on either side of the Obama photo. Atop the left column, there's an upright microphone (representing the newly dead record producer Phil Ramone), and atop the right column there's Kim Jong-un (and another N. Korean) aggressively pointing fingers or guns or some sort of metal cylinders.

32 comments:

Roger J. said...

any chance you over analyzed the drudge page? looks like it to me

Hagar said...

Ann really is on the warpath today.

MayBee said...

"I'm just bein' real"

MayBee said...

The pope is humble and a true man of God. Putin would rather babies starve than be humble.

Big Mike said...

American "can do better" ...

Not with Obama in the White House it can't.

Sorun said...

It just looks like an ink blot to me.

Farmer said...

Hagar said...
Ann really is on the warpath today.


The gay marriage thing seems to have really gotten in her head and made her loopy. I can't think of any other issue in almost ten years of reading this blog where she's been this shrill and hysterical. Maybe occasionally back in the "you owe me an apology" days, but nothing this sustained. She's become the female Andrew Sullivan!

Farmer said...

Sorry if that was inflammatory.

Palladian said...

I can't think of any other issue in almost ten years of reading this blog where she's been this shrill and hysterical.

Lol. It's the anti-gay (note that I didn't write "anti gay marriage") assholes that have been shrill and hysterical this past week. Althouse has just been playing you, and getting you guys to write the stupidest, whiny-est, vilest things and completely beclowning yourselves.

Farmer said...

Althouse has just been playing you, and getting you guys to write the stupidest, whiny-est, vilest things and completely beclowning yourselves.

I know you are but what am I?

Farmer said...

Check and mate.

caplight45 said...

Was #3 inflammatory? I don't feel inflamed. The glory of the risen Christ is not threatened by mortal mockery nor is the authority of God to judge our actions and words diminished by the crude misuse of his eternal Word.

Having said that, one might have hoped for a greater measure of restraint out of respect toward those of us who celebrate this holiest of Christian Days.

To borrow a meme, you could do better.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Do you ever wonder if the weird and slightly nauseating propensity of Althouse to see sexual images in practically everything, might not have had some sort of effect on her son's homosexuality. Perhaps being raised in a home environment stewing in sexual innuendo could have some bearing?

Sorry if that was inflammatory. Not quite as bad as thinking the Pope is humping a rug but....still....just being honest about alternate interpretations of why someone would be homosexual.

AllenS said...

Overbearing mothers is what causes homosexuality in sons.

I Have Misplaced My Pants said...

Althouse has just been playing you, and getting you guys to write the stupidest, whiny-est, vilest things and completely beclowning yourselves.

Palladian, that's terribly cynical, and I hope it's not true although I grant that it may be. Why would Althouse play such damaging and dishonorable mind games?

At any rate, I've had enough for a while. I'm going to go take off my Easter dress, pray the rosary, lie down for a catnap, steal some of my kids' Easter candy, and cook ham and potatoes later. Y'all take care and God bless you every one on this glorious Resurrection Day.

George M. Spencer said...

I'd love to see Obama debate David Stockman.

His is the must-read piece today:

"Since the S.&P. 500 first reached its current level, in March 2000, the mad money printers at the Federal Reserve have expanded their balance sheet sixfold (to $3.2 trillion from $500 billion). Yet during that stretch, economic output has grown by an average of 1.7 percent a year (the slowest since the Civil War); real business investment has crawled forward at only 0.8 percent per year; and the payroll job count has crept up at a negligible 0.1 percent annually. Real median family income growth has dropped 8 percent, and the number of full-time middle class jobs, 6 percent. The real net worth of the “bottom” 90 percent has dropped by one-fourth. The number of food stamp and disability aid recipients has more than doubled, to 59 million, about one in five Americans."

Our government has been doing to us--in slow motion--what has just happened to the people of Cyprus overnight.

edutcher said...

They could have put a picture of Elmer Fudd or Wile E Coyote and the picture still would have had a message.

caplight45 said...

DBQ as far as I can remember the Professor does not bring her son into the blog nor does her son comment at his mother's blog. As he is not a public person I believe that decency would call us to leave him out of this in any manner.

Anonymous said...

Sorry Prof Althouse but you're wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy over analyzing. Sheesh, just like my Wisconsin significant other. Is it something in the Wisconsin water or just the way of women in general?

Phil 314 said...

#3 Getiing in the Easter spirit, huh.

edutcher said...

Funny, that's what most of America is thinking.

Poor Barry's been booed twice in 2 days.

Why it's just like right before the "election when he was booed."

FleetUSA said...

AA must be fun in bed! GGG

edutcher said...

Palladian said...

I can't think of any other issue in almost ten years of reading this blog where she's been this shrill and hysterical.

Lol. It's the anti-gay (note that I didn't write "anti gay marriage") assholes that have been shrill and hysterical this past week.


The word projection ring any bells?

Ann Althouse said...

Obviously, Drudge is putting images together in an intentional way. There's clearly a challenge that has been made by an author of images to interpret these images.

I came up with 3 ideas to try to cover the possibilities. If I could have thought of more I would have included them.

Does anyone deny that Drudge is doing this?

If you criticize me, please be clear about why. These are the options I see:

1. Drudge is not really trying to say anything with his image juxtapositions. (I think this is hard to believe and a willfully dumb thing to think.)

2. You think I've included an option that shouldn't even be in the options. (Why not?!)

3. You think I've left out some options. (Fine. Add options.)

4. You think that interpreting Drudge juxtapositions isn't a worthy activity. (You're entitled to your opinion, but I disagree and I would invite you to simply skip the post if that's your problem. I think it's worth doing because: 1. The Drudge page is influential and seen by many and part of our culture, even it it's a lowly form of art/journalism, 2. It's amusing to people like me who are interested in graphic design, metaphor, humor, and forms of meaning.)

FullMoon said...

The current Drudge page shows an elephant tusk representing Republican penis' above a picture of Obama and his friend.

Obviously prepared to ejaculate upon Obama.

The picture to the left of Obama is of multiple horses asses, obviously representing the fight to legalize bestiality after gay marriage and polygamy is confirmed as socially acceptable.

Dante said...

1. Drudge is not really trying to say anything with his image juxtapositions. (I think this is hard to believe and a willfully dumb thing to think.)

I think in an old post an Ad guy discussed this, and he said it's a natural thing to start playing around with images in this way. Whether Drudge is doing this to make a point, or for his own personal interests is hard to say.

However, given the interest, I would guess it adds to the Drudge mystique, especially assuming the guy is saying something really meaningful. Put a bunch of things together, and intelligent people will find meaning in it. That's what people do.

Some even make a living on interpreting the tea leaves.

I understand some students of English write doctoral thesis on the gibberish in the middle of "Waiting for Godot," for instance, even though it seems like stream of consciousness junk.

Dante said...

Incidentally, Ann, since you brought it up.

What's your position on whether the state ought to approve of raising kids by same sex couples? The state would use it's substantial power of taxation to encourage or retard the practice.

Paul said...

They put President Washington's photo over Obama cause they didn't have one of Pinocchio handy.

Washington merely chopped a tree down, but Obama chopped a whole economy down.

Anonymous said...

1. Drudge is not really trying to say anything with his image juxtapositions. (I think this is hard to believe and a willfully dumb thing to think.)

I've seen enough Drudge to know that he does say things with his image juxtapositions, but I wouldn't assume he's always trying that hard to do so.

Clearly he possesses a graphic sense, but he puts together a front page everyday, and I assume that some days it comes together better than others.

Maybe today he just liked the horizontal rhyming between the pope prostrated and the baby's spoon.

Baron Zemo said...

The disrespect you show to the Pope in this post is vile and nauseating.
I really think you have lost it. You desire to get blog hits and comments have sent you far astray from the bounds of decency.

To turn a religious ceremony where the Pope is demonstrating his humility into a sexual act is demented.

You should be ashamed.

Anonymous said...

DBQ as far as I can remember the Professor does not bring her son into the blog nor does her son comment at his mother's blog.

caplight45: Occasionally Althouse does link to her son's blog and occasionally he shows up to comment here.

I think DBQ is sick of Althouse's "cruel neutrality" which seems to serve as an excuse for her to be obnoxious when she wants to.

Anonymous said...

Without knowing quite a lot about Drudge and his frontpages, the meaning of his juxtapositions must remain speculative unless they are really, really obvious.