Said Senator Susan Collins, caught on a hot microphone. (WaPo has the quote with the recording.)
She was talking about Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Tex.), who deserved her ire for saying something that had me calling him "a loser" the other day.
Here's the photograph Senator Collins was talking about:
This is the photo Sen. Susan Collins was referring to when she commented on Rep. Blake Farenthold wearing pajamas in 2010. pic.twitter.com/jZYCPC4FYW— Beatrice-Elizabeth (@MissBeaE) July 25, 2017
Let's be clear. Collins didn't call him "fat." She used the ambiguous euphemism "huge" — Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime was huge — and the generalization "unattractive." And she softened it with the silly denial "I don’t mean to be unkind." It's silly because it means the exact opposite: I do mean to be unkind. If you didn't mean to be unkind, you'd stop at the point where you're conscious of and confessing that what is about to come is unkind. Like this:
Posts
52 comments:
I mean she is really fat and she is just so ugly. It is unbelievable how ugly she is. Good thing he is not a woman or she would be in trouble.
He sounds deplorable.
According to this, she did call him fat:
"Well, fat guy. He's huge," Collins told Reed. "He's so … he's so unattractive, it's unbelievable. Did you see the picture of him in his pajamas next to this bunny, this Playbook bunny?"
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/sen-susan-collins-apologizes-to-rep-blake-farenthold-for-calling-him-fat-and-unattractive/article/2629665
Sen Reed also said she'd beat the shit out of him.
So...outrageous or no?
Not outrageous, you can dump on fat ugly white guy all you want. But you can not joke about having a duel with a "lady".
Fat man and ugly old woman. Next
Always with the excuses. In fact "huge" is worse than "fat" which has been diluted to include somewhat overweight. Huge is used specifically to preclude that interpretation.
I wouldn't fuck Blake Farenthold with Susan Collins'cock.
Ugh, when did the Senate turn into my high school?
The pic shows a guy with a sense of humor. No wonder a feminist wouldn't like him.
That "Bunny" looks like something they picked up on E. Colfax.
The old candid moment caught on a 'hot mic' trick. Is anyone still fooled by this besides politicians?
Didn't Trump catch hell for saying a Miss Universe winner gained weight?
Some poor fat guy in duck pajamas doesnt even get to Lloyd Christmas odds with Ms Collins??!?
Ok then. Back to the budget debates...
The photo is a classic. He is fat and unattractive. And apparently completely unconcerned that he is. Body pride, baby.
I don't care if he's fat -- I just want to know where he got the groovy PJs.
Lloyd Christmas odds with Ms Collins
Typo?
White male privilege!! Nothing wrong with celebrating that!!
For a moment, let's look closer at the body language...
He is leaning into her, but in doing so he is pulling his pelvis back from her: he understands that he can be near her, but there is to be NO groin contact. (Of course, his ample belly helps in this regard)....
His right arm is unseen by the camera. Is it on her hip? Her shoulder, perhaps? Or is it awkwardly hovering a few inches away from her, to prevent any contact that would upset her and thus shame him?
His left arm is hanging down straight: he does not know where to put it, so he is going with the inoffensive default position: that side of his body has no idea what is happening over there by the woman...
His head is craned forward towards the photographer: oddly, the fat around his jowls, obscuring his neck, hides further awkwardness...
She is leaning back towards him, yet is uncomfortably keeping her buttocks away from any contact: she is making it clear that this is a Photo Opportunity, nothing more: no ideas, mister...
She is also NOT doing the duck-face lip-thing, which means she does not find this sexy, or that she is old: either way...
Her positioning of her head shows great practice of the face-to-lens geometry that draws the least attention to the size of her nose; unfortunately, she has combined this with a gaze that looks like a drunk Katie Couric...
To fit his entire body in the frame she is practically being pushed out of the picture. Yet there is the hint of clothing on the other side: another person in close proximity? A man? Is she in the middle of an unfortunate sandwich...?
To sum up: her pose resembles that of a woman posing next to an unappealing poop Emoji in duck pajamas that has some power and/or wealth...
I am Laslo.
I told you all on the previous thread about Congressman Farenthold 451 not to look at that picture! You can't unsee it, and now Althouse has frontpaged it.
Don't make me go all Dean Wormer on you, Congressman ("Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son."). Get out of those pajamas and put some real clothes on. Something that drapes you a bit.
Well, at least the pajama bottoms weren't shorts - 'cause that would be unattractive.
"Her positioning of her head shows..."
The positioning of her head makes it look like the head isn't attached to the body, perhaps expressing how she feels. Isn't that the classic sex-object feeling? I'm not really here. This isn't really happening to me.
Women need to learn to listen to that feeling and get the hell out of the place that is making them feel like that.
As for him, after posing in those pajamas, he deserves to be called fat. You can be completely straightforward. He's fat. Just say it. And frankly, I think, if you are fat, you can try to get un-fat, but while you're still fat, be fat. Own it. Otherwise, it's like hunching over because you think you're too tall.
Do we know who she is?
I had to laugh at one comment that someone made about her attractiveness....or lack of
She could make a freight train take a dirt road
I had never heard that one! Very funny.
MayBee: Lloyd Christmas odds with Ms Collins
Typo?
"Dumb & Dumber" reference.
Laslo Spatula: To fit his entire body in the frame she is practically being pushed out of the picture. Yet there is the hint of clothing on the other side: another person in close proximity?
Yes. This is a cropped photo - the original was a group shot of several people.
He's gap toothed and has a kind of Dionysian magnitude. I bet he gets lucky more often than you might think. Some guys are oblivious to rejection and are willing to endure a hundred no's in their relentless pursuit of yes. Plus, it looks like he's hunting in a game preserve to increase his chances. He looks like he's more acquainted with satiety than frustration.
Farenthold
What fun the high-schoolers must have had with his last name!
Ann Althouse said...As for him, after posing in those pajamas, he deserves to be called fat.
Deserves is a funny word.
He certainly is fat; I don't think anyone disputes that. I guess the social convention is that its impolite to draw attention to unflattering physical qualities of others, generally, but since you say he "deserves" to "be called fat" for appearing publicly in a silly costume (presumably at an event that called for costumes) I guess there's a corollary that says if the person dresses poorly then the normal rules don't apply. Or maybe that's only if the person is a jerk AND allows themselves to be seen dressed poorly.
It'd obviously be civility bullshit to say that maybe just being polite is the better way to go, so we'll all just note this exception to the general rule. Wear unflattering things = ok to point out and/or mock you for your physical imperfections. Fair enough.
He should have done something empowering, like painting his stretch marks.
(To be honest I would have expected criticism of his pajama costume no the grounds that it's infantilizing in exactly the same way that shorts are infantilizing...and in the context of an explicitly sexual context like a Playboy Mansion party {I'm assuming that's where the picture was taken} that's wholly inappropriate. Maybe that's all implied and part of why he "deserves" to be called fat.)
He looks like a gay Bluto Blutsrsky - not that there's anything wrong with that!
I have to admit, I find the duck pajamas amusing. He's a fat Congressman at a Playboy party. He easily could have seen himself as some hot property and worn silk pajamas, convincing himself that because women who are paid to amuse the rich and powerful at parties are honestly crazy for him.
Instead, he had a sense of humor. I like that.
I don't necessarily like him. And he is fat. But the duck pajamas do nothing to enrage me or make me think he *deserves* to be called fat. Just the opposite, really.
Bodyshaming! I forgot the term.
Anyway bodyshaming is ok sometimes, like when it's done against unattractive old white guys, or rude white guys, or just gross guys in general.
I'm going to file this one under "things that are empowering when women do them."
Insulting a person's looks (esp. in a "gendered" way), bodyshaming, etc, is impolite and crude and weak and in poor taste and in a way is symptomatic of rape culture.
But when a woman does it...it's empowering.
Yup, he's fat. Collins is ugly, she deserves to be called ugly. She could get unugly with the right surgeon, She also sounds like a bitch, no help for that.
Why is a Congressman at a Playboy party?
I love her and Northeast Republicans. Although, he was also referring to Lisa Murkowski and Shelly Caputo when he was referring to the three Northeast republicans. West Virginia and Alaska are not in the northeast.
And the guy is disgustingly fat. I always wonder what kind of district elects something like him?
Let's find a photo of him in shorts.
It's the open contempt found in: "he's so unattractive, its unbelievable" line.
Fat man, ugly man, stupid man: all the world over, i would say that most of us (er... I meant them!) know we (they, why is it autocorrecting me on this?) are fat. Or ugly. Or stupid. That's what brought the Lloyd Christmas reference to mind.
The hypocrisy is that we all judge a person on traits that we are not supposed to. Except, of course, the people we love, no matter how fat or stupid they are. Some people get in trouble for doing so, but it's like a game of musical chairs, as to who gets to say what. Hmm, i wonder it used to be said that you know who has the power in town by what you are not allowed to say.
I dont think Ms Collins will suffer long for her expressed disdain. Somewhere, there's a sports celebrity about to say something quite inept or derogatory.
What "playboy" party are you referring too? I'm seriously curious.
Where was it?
Was it for charity?
Who else was there?
Etc.
There's a meme that I saw recently that fits this photo perfectly.
"When my son asks, 'Dad, why should I study?' I show him this picture.
"When my daughter asks, 'Dad, why should I study?' I show her this picture."
"I don't mean to be unkind" is one of the phrases that screams the exact opposite of what it says. In the South you're taught that you can say anything you want about someone, no matter how candid, as long as you follow it with the words "bless his heart."
Titus said... I always wonder what kind of district elects something like him?
Something.
Othering.
Do we still talk about othering?
Tolerance.
"I always wonder what kind of district elects something like him?"
A district with a sense of humor?
This explains a whole lot of political careers.
Well, Susan, you're not exactly an oil painting yourself.
And the guy is disgustingly fat. I always wonder what kind of district elects something like him?
The same kind of district that elects Jerrold Nadler (especially pre-surgery) I suppose. In his case, it's lower Manhattan. (I had a sex dream once about Nadler--had me freaked out for weeks.)
Pic is from a charity event - Tellie’s 3rd annual Pajama/Lingerie Party for Charity.
Proceeds from every party benefit four of his selected non-profit organizations. This year, they include: The American Heart Association, Big Brothers Big Sisters Of South Texas, The Gulf Coast Humane Society, and The Women’s Shelter Of South Texas.
The babe in the nightie was a bartender.
Thanks rebel. Funny ( but not really ) how it became a playboy party.
Also funny how someone would elect the fat slob boy chaser Bernie sanders. Only in the north I guess.
I guess he is too fat to attend a charity event.
And she softened it with the silly denial "I don’t mean to be unkind." It's silly because it means the exact opposite: I do mean to be unkind.
Nonsense. She doesn't want to be unkind. It's just that this guy's creepiness is so overwhelming as to leave her no other choice when having to relate it.
Post a Comment