१७ मार्च, २०२३

What's the point of Pence if he's going to be crudely disrespectful?

I'm reading "Pence defends joke about Buttigieg 'maternity leave'" (AP). 

Pence was speaking at a roast — the Gridiron Dinner — and said that Pete Buttigieg took “maternity leave.” That was the set up for the joke: “Pete is the only person in human history to have a child and everyone else gets postpartum depression.”

Pence defended himself this way: “The Gridiron Dinner is a roast. I had a lot of jokes directed to me, and I directed a lot of jokes to Republicans and Democrats. The only thing I can figure is Pete Buttigieg not only can’t do his job, but he can’t take a joke.”

That's not consistent with the Pence brand, which is to be relentlessly civil and predictably strait-laced. Even aside from that, it's just plain wrong to claim that a joke is directed at one person when you are using mockery aimed at a group. To say that a gay man is taking "maternity leave" is to mock gay people in general. Why would he want to do that? Also, he's making light of postpartum depression, a mental illness.

If Trump had made these jokes, it would be consistent with his brand. He's a comedian and he steps over the line to shake up the squares. But Pence?! He is the square. If you're the square, be the square. 

१२८ टिप्पण्या:

JAORE म्हणाले...

Example number 7,482 of "the left can't do funny".

MadisonMan म्हणाले...

The only thing I can figure is Pete Buttigieg not only can’t do his job, but he can’t take a joke
Ding ding ding!
Also, our Transportation Secretary has a lot of apologists who look after his "reputation".

RideSpaceMountain म्हणाले...

Absolutely. Peter "Principle" Buttigay doesn't need to be the butt of jokes told by someone who only plays it straight.

gahrie म्हणाले...

To say that a gay man is taking "maternity leave" is to mock gay people in general.

Here I thought he was making fun of a man who took a pic of himself in a hospital bed with his newly adopted child and then took another picture of himself breast feeding his new child as if he was a mother. Just for the record I think any man, gay or straight can be mocked for that.

cubanbob म्हणाले...

Buttigieg is a joke, a unfunny joke that Biden has inflicted on America. But then again, Biden is also a bad joke. Anyone really believe 81 million people actually voted for him as opposed to 81 million ballots 'cast' for him?

Bigwig म्हणाले...

Can't say "gypped." Can't mock an extremely mockable political figure because of the group he's a member of. When did Schoolmarm Althouse take over?

tim maguire म्हणाले...

The anti-gay dig wasn't necessary to set up the joke. Pence should have insisted he said paternity leave and that the transcript is incorrect. The shift is so small, it doesn't matter if the tape doesn't back him up. That's his story and he's sticking to it.

But Pence is done as a politician anyway, so, really, what does it matter?

Enigma म्हणाले...

Projection.

Pence's public image was square and nothing but square, but he was up with Trump and anything thereby must be perceived as square.

People in Blue states often imagine Red state people are super duper different and vice versa. In reality, they are 45% X and 55% Y while the others are 55% X and 45% Y. The big issue is when one side converts modest differences into superiority and in turn imagines pure evil in others.

Pence is a regular guy who was boring due to circumstances, and all his nuances were projected onto him as identical because no one had the time or energy to examine him.

BTW, let's check in with Whoopi again. Beyond Ted Danson, has she set anyone else up to be in blackface at a roast?

AZ Bob म्हणाले...

No, the joke doesn't mock gay people. It mocks an incompetent Secretary of Transportation who left his job for two months taking advantage of an idiotic, woke policy. And yes, I know what woke means.

Shouting Thomas म्हणाले...

Buttigieg’s marriage and parenthood are a ludicrous clown show.

We’ve gone beyond tolerance to saluting perversion and delusion. It’s still perversion and delusion.

I say, ridicule this ridiculous nonsense. It’s earned.

richlb म्हणाले...

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love Ann's perspective on everything except comedy.

Pillage Idiot म्हणाले...

KJP lied (as usual) in her press conference in denouncing the joke as homophobic.

How is the joke homophobic? The joke does not mention Pete's sexual preferences, nor does any portion of the joke depend upon him being gay to make the punchline.

As usual, it is the Left wielding their special pleadings. You should treat gay people exactly the same as everybody else, AND, your are not allowed to make any jokes about gay people.

Iman म्हणाले...

Pence Buttedgeedge… quite a name!

gilbar म्हणाले...

help me out? What was the "joke"

If i say; "it's cold this morning", that's not a "joke"
If Pense says; "Buttigieg took maternity leave", that's not a "joke"

Real things, are REAL things, they aren't "jokes"

Greg the Class Traitor म्हणाले...

1: I hate Pence, and think he's a complete ass
2: Your claims are still garbage

Pence's joke: “Pete is the only person in human history to have a child and everyone else gets postpartum depression.”

Your whine: to say that a gay man is taking "maternity leave" is to mock gay people in general.

He didn't say that. he just said "have a child"

News flash: Men can take paternity leave. Even when they're heterosexual

So now you're completely mischaracterizing the words you actually quoted, just so you can say "that's not funny!"

Are you trying to turn yourself into a joke?

Iman म्हणाले...

Indiana sent them
Lord, send ‘em back there

gilbar म्हणाले...

HERE is an actual JOKE:
How many Lesbians does it take, to screw in a lightbulb?
THAT'S NOT FUNNY!

Shouting Thomas म्हणाले...

Buttigieg’s marriage and parenthood are a ludicrous clown show. There is no such thing as gay marriage. Allowing shacked up gay men to adopt is a criminal offense.

We’ve gone beyond tolerance to saluting perversion and delusion. It’s still perversion and delusion.

I say, ridicule this ridiculous nonsense. It’s earned. Reality will eventually prevail, but a lot of shit will have to fall down on us first.

rcocean म्हणाले...

Pence has gone from being a fake social conservative to a fake Trump Supporter to a fake "square". Maybe the REAL Pence is just your typical Establishment GOP politician.

It would explain his Lindsey Graham like warmongering, his newly found hysteria over J6, and his love of Mitt Romney. Making personal jokes about Pete Buggergig is just part of the pattern.

rcocean म्हणाले...

Mr. Pete should be fired. He's not up his job. Does anyone care about East Palastine?

Lurker21 म्हणाले...

You left out the "civility bullshit" tag. Maybe the joke wasn't about Pete being LGBTQ+ but about Pete being AWOL. A more conscientious and dedicated gay official wouldn't be taking foreign vacations and three months leave while the transportation grid was falling apart.

Does Pence have a brand? Isn't he, like most vice presidents, one of the non-player characters of politics? Pence the square, though, can be understood in different ways. Maybe he really is upright in all things. Maybe he has a whole other side that only his cronies see. Or maybe he just isn't above telling stale dad jokes. In any case, he doesn't have much of a brand to worry about.

That lame joke might go with "Trump's brand," but it's not a joke Trump makes, so maybe it's not part of Trump's brand after all.

Sebastian म्हणाले...

The post should have been titled: "How Mike Pence lost me." Mike should have known better: appearing to mock gays and women is a double no-no.

“Pete is the only person in human history to have a child and everyone else gets postpartum depression.”

It's a good line. Nothing wrong with it.

"The only thing I can figure is Pete Buttigieg not only can’t do his job, but he can’t take a joke.”

Do we know this for a fact? Did Pete take personal offense?

"it's just plain wrong to claim that a joke is directed at one person when you are using mockery aimed at a group. To say that a gay man is taking "maternity leave" is to mock gay people in general."

Why? The wrongness is in the ears of the beholder. It ridicules Pete's pose to good effect.

"he's making light of postpartum depression, a mental illness."

OMG! A joke is making light of a serious, serious issue! It should not be joked about! It's too serious!

As in the Stanford case, Althouse's reaction is a useful indicator of nice liberal women's reactions to events. In this case, showing that even the mildest of jokes by the mildest of men will earn him scorn and indignation. It's terrible! He's not as square as he pretends! In fact, he's just as misogynistic and homophobic as all those other deplorable righties! Next up: how DeSantis is a mean, uncaring man.

Che Dolf म्हणाले...

Two gay men lying in a hospital bed pantomiming motherhood deserve to be mocked.

That's not consistent with the Pence brand...

Civility bullsh*t posing as concern for some dopey politician's "brand."

Mike (MJB Wolf) म्हणाले...

Meet the new Jeb! same as the old Jeb.

D.D. Driver म्हणाले...

I once worked at a law firm that pressured men to take parental leave. He's not just targeting gay men. He's targeting fathers who want to spend the early weeks of their child's life with them. Being a caring father: how gaaaaaaaay!

For my part, I returned to the office after a day and a half so I could show off how manly and masculine I was. Many years later, I wish I would have been there for my son and to support my wife instead of impressing everyone with my billable hours.

gilbar म्हणाले...

it's OKAY though, if he's Crude and Disrespectful of Trump.. right?
Mike Pence implies that Trump is a fake Christian during speech to room full of journalists
“I read that some of those classified documents they found at Mar-a-Lago were actually stuck in the president’s Bible … which proves he had absolutely no idea they were there," Pence said.

Mike (MJB Wolf) म्हणाले...

Let's use leftist logic and language to analyze this then, since that's the theme this week:

Gay dudes absolutely can be mothers too. Trans women can be mothers. So anyone can take "maternity leave" under these current language rules. To be offended by calling Buttigieg's leave a "maternity leave" just reveals the butthurt reaction as gay-hating trolling, people who don't understand gender. Admittedly, Pence does not pander well but at least he's trying, you fucking haters.

Ampersand म्हणाले...

If Pete were hetero, you could make the same joke. This is a micro kerfuffle.

Iman म्हणाले...

I think that blowfly what landed on Pence’s gourd during his 2020 debate was on to something.

Iman म्हणाले...

“For my part, I returned to the office after a day and a half so I could show off how manly and masculine I was.”

How many co-workers did you fool, DD?

Patrick म्हणाले...

Wgat is woth Ann's takes lately? It's like I'm reading Rachel Maddow's blog

Bruce Hayden म्हणाले...

“Example number 7,482 of "the left can't do funny".”

It isn’t that Secretary Buttplug is gay, it’s that he is a grossly incompetent, who uses his sexual deviency from the norm to excuse his hedonistic abandonment of the duties of his office. No one, on either side, made jokes about Richard Grenell, who was the first Gay Cabinet member, because he was extraordinarily competent.he didn’t get the job because of his sexual preferences, which few on the right care about, but because he was the best man for the job. Buttplug is a standing joke on the right, showcasing the gross incompetence of the FJB Administration, putting someone in an important position solely based on his sexual identity, and ignoring that he had no real relevant experience for the job, having been a marginally competent small city mayor before that. HE then takes an extended maternity leave while ships pile up at CA ports, and shortages appear around the country. Instead of addressing the problem, we see pictures of him wearing his nursing apparatus and one of the babies he and his husband/wife had purchased. He’s on maternity leave and can’t be bothered. Never mind that real parents aren’t able to get formula for their babies, thanks to his hedonism on government time. And he still hasn’t stepped up to do his real job, never bothering to go to where hisDepartment is needed in emergencies. And, of course, he isn’t the only token in the FJB Administration, that hired based on membership in an identity group. There is the trans female admiral, still obviously a male, wearing a skirt, the cross dressing luggage their, etc. None are competent.

The left hates humor, because it points out their incompetence and venality. If they laugh at it, they will be reducing their ability to retain power. Indeed, they have become ludicrous in their attempts to eliminate criticisms of their incompetence and venality. They stole the Presidency and the Senate, and desperately don’t want their actions to be criticized, and the most effective way to do that is laugh at them.

Why Pence? Because he knows that if he doesn’t jump on the bandwagon, he has zero chance at the Republican nomination. Zero, not the 1%-2% he has now. He can still hope that Trump and DeSantis take each other out, and be the one experienced Republican still standing. Except that in reality, he can’t win the general election, after seemingly abandoning Trump at the very end. Still, the Republican base demands blood right now, and if he doesn’t offer them a little of it, he probably won’t win the votes of even his home state during the nomination process.

Yancey Ward म्हणाले...

The real problem with Pence's joke is that it wasn't actually funny. Buttuvwxyz is so incompentent, it should have been a better joke highlighting that.

exhelodrvr1 म्हणाले...

Not allowed to say anything critical of someone who is gay, no matter how valid the criticism. Unless, of course, the gay individual has been critical of something/someone related to a trans person/issue. Then they are fair game!

Bob Boyd म्हणाले...

What's the point of Pence?

Temujin म्हणाले...

This entire post could have stopped at the first four words.

Narr म्हणाले...

There's a point to Pence? Since when?

SECTRANS Pete is as empty a suit as exists in American politics, and deserves mockery, scorn, and derision as much as the guy who hired him.

Old and slow म्हणाले...

My guess is that Pence is not actually all that nice. It's just his chosen persona. You don't get to be vice president by being nice.

Mr. T. म्हणाले...

Don't worry leftists.

Pence's wit may have been extremely accurate and extremely funny, but Buttigieg will still always be the clown!

Mike (MJB Wolf) म्हणाले...

How many co-workers did you fool, DD?

Now that's funny!

Big Mike म्हणाले...
ही टिप्पणी लेखकाना हलविली आहे.
Limited blogger म्हणाले...

How is that 'Trump's brand'?

Good to see the 'pub pretenders will take themselves out of the race, with no help from president Trump.

Leland म्हणाले...

Did Pence go to Vegas on a private jet instead of by rail to Ohio? I'll admit, Pence didn't seem to care about East Palestine anymore than the other guy, but I'm trying to gauge the gravity of the word "disrespectful" here.

rhhardin म्हणाले...

The news is that Pence has a sense of humor.

Christopher B म्हणाले...

D.D. Driver said...
I once worked at a law firm that pressured men to take parental leave. He's not just targeting gay men. He's targeting fathers who want to spend the early weeks of their child's life with them. Being a caring father: how gaaaaaaaay!


As numerous people have pointed out, the reason this stings everyone apologizing for Mayor Mr. Bean's (lack of) performance so bad is he really was AWOL for this reason during a period when a competent politician would have at least put in the appearance of being engaged. I'm a father, too, and newborns spend quite a bit of time sleeping, plus Petey Boy has a partner who presumably wants some time with the kid. He's not a single mom in the barrio cleaning houses for living.

Also, don't you know that in our brave new world where everybody that really matters can do their job from home there really isn't any reason to take actual leave? You're already at home with your kid 24/7.

Lem Vibe Bandit म्हणाले...

If Pence is guilty of anything here, he’s guilty of being late to the party.

“stay in your lane” is un-American

Althouse is being obtuse here.

Michael K म्हणाले...

Blogger rcocean said...

Pence has gone from being a fake social conservative to a fake Trump Supporter to a fake "square". Maybe the REAL Pence is just your typical Establishment GOP politician.


Yup. Always has been. Took a pratfall over the Defense of Marriage Act a few years ago. Kristi Noem did the same thing, folded immediately once the trannies pushed back.

Lilly, a dog म्हणाले...

Mike Pence has a Brand? Who knew?
He won’t eat in a room alone with Pete Buttigieg or another woman besides his wife.

Laughing Fox म्हणाले...

I distinctly recall seeing the photo of Buttigieg and his "husband" sitting on a hospital bed holding their new adopted infants. This was when "maternity leave" was announced.

I thought, "Whom are we trying to fool? Giving birth is physically exhausting and also leaves a new mother's body chemistry unbalanced, needing readjustment. These are not difficulties either of these volunteer fathers had to deal with." It would make better sense of them to stay home and adjust when the kids start crawling.

Buttigieg's leave had everything to do with publicizing his and the administration's support for "parental leave," including leave for what we might call non-biological parents. It deserves laughter.

Ken म्हणाले...

I could probably count on two hands the number of times over the years that I've disagreed with the Althouse take on things. So I'm surprised to find two takes I strongly disagree with in the same week: Stanford, and now this.

Had Pence given anodyne jokes, he would have been criticized for being bland and humorless. There is no way for a conservative to avoid criticism at a media event. To me, the mystery is why they continue to play the media's games.

PM म्हणाले...

It was a ROAST. Was that Pence's only wisecrack? He just came up to the dais and said that one thing? Did other speakers joke about Pete's homosexuality? There was similar outrage by some Republicans at Sununu's crack about 'crazy' Trump? Pete IS gay. Trump only MIGHT be crazy. Either way, it's a roast, funny must be served.

fairmarketvalue म्हणाले...

Pete Buttigieg, the "butt" of a joke? How appropriate!

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves म्हणाले...

Leftist democrats - esp of the LGBDXTQ variety - cannot be mocked.

Those are the woke Soviet rule.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves म्हणाले...

Same joke on SNL mocking any gay conservative = fine and dandy.

Randomizer म्हणाले...

The joke isn't about women or about gay people, so it isn't misogynous or homophobic. It's about Buttigieg not feeling a sense of duty. Pete took two months off while the air traffic control system was failing and travelers were stranded at airports. He cares about his prestige and perks that coming from his position. He reiterated that point with his disregard for East Palestine, Ohio.

It's the Gridiron Dinner, and that joke was topical. Buttigieg is just surprised that a nice guy like Pence would take a shot at him. Good for Pence for not apologizing.

William म्हणाले...

Republicans should be advised to always address gays, Blacks, and feminists in respectful even reverential terms. There are limits to the First Amendment. Hate speech is not covered. If the Republican is a practicing Christian, this should be considered an aggravating factor to his hate crime. Some leeway is given to Democrats, but they too should watch their step.... All jokes and criticism should solely be directed against straight, white men. The targets should be mostly affluent, but MAGA hat wearers are excepted. All this is clearly spelled out in the penumbra to the First Amendment..... Just as the First Amendment now allows us to burn the American flag, that right should be extended to the right to burn conservative Christians at the stake. You just know that Pence would carry on like a martyr if he were to be burned at the stake, but reasonable people would be assured that in such a way is democracy illumed.

Owen म्हणाले...

Ann: "...But Pence?! He is the square. If you're the square, be the square."

I'm confused. I thought the Progressive religion was based on the power of each of us to be whoever we chose to be. Selfhood is an act of individual will, a heroic endeavor, and it is criminal to suppress or dismiss it.

Pence is acknowledging that Pete can be --is-- a woman. Even without a degree in biology, Pence can (excuse the expression) man up and recognize Mayor Pete for what she has chosen to be. In doing this, Pence himself has changed; has chosen to change. The very last thing we should do is try to pigeonhole him as "the square."

We are witnessing an historic process here. Please join me, and I hope many others, in celebrating Mike Pence's spiritual progress away from mere Squaredom.

Harun म्हणाले...

Gridiron dinner supposedly doesn't allow phones or cameras for a reason.

fairmarketvalue म्हणाले...

Blogger Lilly, a dog said...
"Mike Pence has a Brand? Who knew?
He won’t eat in a room alone with Pete Buttigieg or another woman besides his wife."

LOL. Now that there is funny, I don't care who you are.

tommyesq म्हणाले...

A) it is a pretty funny joke.

B) it was almost certainly written for Pence by someone else.

C) why do you automatically assume that "maternity leave" is an insult? He took time off for the very purposes of maternity leave, to take care of a newborn.

D) maybe Pence isn't concerned about coming off as mean because he has no real, national political future.

tim maguire म्हणाले...

Randomizer said...The joke isn't about women or about gay people, so it isn't misogynous or homophobic. It's about Buttigieg not feeling a sense of duty.

The problem part is "maternity leave." That's either homophobic or misogynistic. Take your pick.

Big Mike म्हणाले...

Since Pete Buttigieg pointedly refers to his partner as his husband, it’s pretty easy to see why parental leave might be called maternity leave in his case. I’m all in favor of this silly kerfluffle; the longer it goes on the more apt normal people are to notice that the Biden Administration’s Secretary of Transportation is so lacking in management skills that he apparently did not write a Delegation of Authority for the issues facing his department. I don’t expect a university professor to understand, but those of us who’ve worked in large, hierarchical organizations will immediately see what he did wrong.

In related Biden Administration news, it has come out that Sam Brinton, formerly of the Department of Energy, is apparently refusing to return women’s clothing and jewelry that he stole — and wore — when he walked off with the women’s suitcases. I eagerly await Althouse grandly informing us why the liberal groupthink believes that that’s okay in his case.

n.n म्हणाले...

trans-portation... how apropos.

n.n म्हणाले...

Transphobic projection is a state of psychiatric dysphoria.

Tom T. म्हणाले...

Ironically, when trying to riff about childbirth, Pence produced a joke that was labored. One might fairly say he laid an egg.

n.n म्हणाले...

maternity (n.)

1610s, "quality or condition of being a mother," from French maternité "motherhood" (15c.), from Medieval Latin maternitatem (nominative maternitas) "motherhood," from Latin māternus "of a mother," from māter "mother" (see mother (n.1)). Used from 1893 as a quasi-adjective in reference to garments designed for pregnant women. Maternity leave in reference to working women is attested by 1942.


This is the age of the transgender. You've come along way.

Will Cate म्हणाले...

When I read about that a couple of days ago, I thought "Really?" I barely imagine Pence telling a joke of any kind

Ann Althouse म्हणाले...

Full quote reported in WaPo:

"When Pete’s two children were born, he took two months’ maternity leave whereupon thousands of travelers were stranded in airports, the air traffic system shut down, and airplanes nearly collided on our runways. Pete is the only person in human history to have a child and everyone else gets postpartum depression."

Lem Vibe Bandit म्हणाले...

What Rh said...

Pence is running.

Freeman Hunt म्हणाले...
ही टिप्पणी लेखकाना हलविली आहे.
TeaBagHag म्हणाले...

Oh no! Pence support drops from 3% to 2.5%, among GOP voters for damaging his brand.
Part of that brand is “Clearly that guy hates vagina but takes one for the team in the name of Jesus.”

n.n म्हणाले...

Genderfied jokes aside, womb bank and child are doing fine.

Is the juice worth the squeeze?

DIEversity.

Lem Vibe Bandit म्हणाले...

Gays aren't oppressed... not anymore.

Gays are fair game, as far as I see it.

Change My Mind.

Lincolntf म्हणाले...

Rather than a homophobia tag, maybe there should be a homophilia tag. Indicating that no homosexual is ever wrong and all of their complaints are perfectly reasonable. From pimping drag shows for kids to demanding that their lifestyle choices be celebrated by everyone, everywhere. Everything and anyone gay is great, if you disagree you are a Nazi.

Rabel म्हणाले...

Not the least concerned about his jokes. They were jokes.

I am concerned about his comments regarding J6 at the same event. He appears to have bought almost every lie put out by Schiff and the J6 committee.

Not Sure म्हणाले...

In US political history, how many Cabinet secretaries' spouses have been pushed into the media spotlight at our incompetent Trans. Sec. (excluding Hillary Clinton's)? The sole basis for the attention in this case is the sexual orientation of the couple. Jokes that riff off that are completely valid responses to the use of sexual preference as a prop.

Mark म्हणाले...

What if Pence had said, "Lighten up, Francis," instead?

Krumhorn म्हणाले...

I thought it was damned funny. But then, I am always disgusted when I see two guys kiss in commercials. I turn away and make puke-y disgusted noises. I'm all for one guy boning another guy in his ass...in private... but don't rub my nose in it and try to make me the bad guy because I wanna retch.

- Krumhorn

Dude1394 म्हणाले...

Stop being a Karen.

Ken म्हणाले...

Here's what Pence should have done: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhvq02bi9HE

Ken म्हणाले...

Here's what Pence should have said: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhvq02bi9HE

farmgirl म्हणाले...

I’d sooner say it makes fun of postpartum depression.
If Buttigieg took the leave(maternity)- and was awol on his duty- it’s not just a joke- it’s the truth.

The best part of putting ppl into boxes(he’s a square) is watching those who have been pegged a certain way- to climb into another box. Truly, do we honestly know the real Pence? Or only the version the media has allowed us to see.

They boxed him up.
Who knew he carried a box cutter?

Mark म्हणाले...

So, the joke is "everyone else gets postpartum depression."

Of course, the punchline would make ZERO sense if the set-up didn't cast Buttigieg in the role of birthing a child.

Eva Marie म्हणाले...

“crudely disrespectful” to all the stranded travelers. Couldn’t the Biden administration have appointed an interim Sec of Transportation?

rcocean म्हणाले...

The news is that Pence has a sense of humor.

Well, at least his speechwriter does.

Jupiter म्हणाले...

Yes, and what's the point of Pete Buttplug, if he is appointed Secretary of Transportation for no reason except that he is an obnoxious homosexual?

Ann Althouse म्हणाले...

"Since Pete Buttigieg pointedly refers to his partner as his husband, it’s pretty easy to see why parental leave might be called maternity leave in his case...."

That really is very stupid.

n.n म्हणाले...

I know mother, he's no mother.

Where's the womb?

We have no uterus today.

Perhaps guardian leave for couplets, and other adoptive parental units.

n.n म्हणाले...

To say that a gay man is taking "maternity leave" is to mock gay people in general.

Trans/homosexuals are gay in cultural appropriation, transphobic for social distance. The politically congruent are albinophobic and misogynistic.

Jim at म्हणाले...

Even aside from that, it's just plain wrong to claim that a joke is directed at one person when you are using mockery aimed at a group. To say that a gay man is taking "maternity leave" is to mock gay people in general.

Tough. If you get a whole month in which the rest of us have to bow down to your tender sensibilities - not to mention Pride Nights and whatever else we're forced to endure while watching a simple sporting event - you can take a fucking joke.

This idea that certain groups of people are off limits is bullshit.

farmgirl म्हणाले...

Dude.

gilbar म्हणाले...

Serious Question
If a republican DOT sec, that identified as a woman, had a baby right after getting picked..
And then SKIPPED the next two months, to stay home with the kid(s)..
AND there was a transportation issue..

Would the media (would Althouse?) have cut that DOT sec some slack? Or would they have crucified her?
Now, for fun! What if the republican DOT sec had ADOPTED kids? And then taken 2 months off?

JaimeRoberto म्हणाले...

The post partum depression line doesn't work if you call it paternity leave. It's as simple as that.

Chuck म्हणाले...

Wow. This is one of the greatest Althouse blog comments pages ever.

Althouse blogs about Mike Pence's personal brand (straight-laced, serious, Christian) versus Trump's brand (loose, nasty humor, combative)...

And the Althouse commentariat immediately proceeds to prove (a) how right Althouse was in categorizing the two brands and (b) how hopeless it will be for any non-Trump Republican to ever hope to ride the Tiger that is the Trump base.

OMFG you guys are so great. If you Trumpsters had a brand (I rather think that you do), you nailed it on this page. Beautiful stuff.

Laurel म्हणाले...

Ann Althouse said…
“That really is very stupid.”

No, it’s a sharp zinger. Let me explain. (Sarcasm follows)

WOMEN have babies. Even in 2023.
WOMEN, by virtue of having said babies, requested and deserve a period of post-partum recovery. You might know that as ‘maternity leave’.

Men, in contrast, do NOT have babies. Even in 2023.

So, in the never ending raised-stakes, pitched battle between the sexes (thanks, you bitter feminists), MEN, being in all ways fully equal to women, demanded and received (not deserved) paternity leave.

But, no, the battle can never end, the war must continue (Slava Ukraini! Or…something)

So now teh gays, incompatible, incapable of marriage, insisted upon corruption, and pronounced their gay mirage every bit equal to marriage. A massive game of “Let’s pretend” escalated.
But, yet, the battle rages on.

So, words having entirely lost objective meaning:

What, precisely, is your complaint? Only the Left gets to word-play? Only the Left gets to insult the Right?

Surely a “cruel neutrality” acquiesces to “good for the goose, good for the gander” rules of cultural warfare, right?

Or, in your eyes, are some animals truly better than others.

Rocco म्हणाले...

"To say that a gay man is taking 'maternity leave' is to mock gay people in general."

What are your thoughts about people who call Brazilians "Hispanic" ?

n.n म्हणाले...

Gender dysphoria. Semantic dysphoria. We didn't start the fire...

Michael K म्हणाले...

Blogger Ann Althouse said...

"Since Pete Buttigieg pointedly refers to his partner as his husband, it’s pretty easy to see why parental leave might be called maternity leave in his case...."

That really is very stupid.


Ann, you should take up stand up comedy. You should good at it based on this week.

damianlewis719 म्हणाले...

Hell, I thought it was funny.

CStanley म्हणाले...

I’m puzzled about the story that PB’s spouse is now telling, that the twins were medically fragile neonates and the adoptive parents needed the time to attend to them in the hospital. I remembered seeing the photo they’d posted and never had heard anything about any medical issues, and a quick search of the news stories covering the adoption never mentioned it either.

The most charitable assessment is that they kept that private but I can’t help but wonder about less charitable interpretations about him playing for sympathy now to increase the backlash toward Pence.

Frankly even if that story is true and PB needed to take leave of his job, you don’t just vacate a Cabinee position without having an acting surrogate while you’re away.

D.D. Driver म्हणाले...

“For my part, I returned to the office after a day and a half so I could show off how manly and masculine I was.”

How many co-workers did you fool, DD?


My billable hours were very, very strong.

lonejustice म्हणाले...

Jupiter said...

Yes, and what's the point of Pete Buttplug.

-----

That's what drives people away from Alhouse Blog. We all disagree about Pete's policies and his credentials. They are terrible. But every one of you fucking idiots have to make this into his sexual orientation. Why? My only conclusion is that Jupiter and all of his friends here are repressed homos. You need to come out of your closet, for your own sanity.

Mikey NTH म्हणाले...

Pete-Wee Herman can't be president because he would be declared immune from criticism.

Lincolntf म्हणाले...

So Ann is saying that a man cannot be a mother? Pretty sure that makes her a transphobe.

Jim at म्हणाले...

But every one of you fucking idiots have to make this into his sexual orientation.

Maybe because without his sexual orientation, nobody would've ever heard of him?

exhelodrvr1 म्हणाले...

Laurel,
That should be "good for the goose, good for the goose." Or are you homophobic?

n.n म्हणाले...

Took a pratfall over the Defense of Marriage Act a few years ago

"Respect For Marriage Act"

Politically congruent ("="). Civil unions for all consenting adults, trans/homophiles.

Eva Marie म्हणाले...

Howabout if the joke went like this: Pete Buttigieg screwed the flying public, then he had the baby and we ended up with the postpartum depression. Better?

n.n म्हणाले...

But every one of you fucking idiots have to make this into his sexual orientation.

He's transgender. The mother of the child is a womb bank. Genderfication (i.e. sum of sex-correlated attributes). You've come along way, baby.

Civil unions for all consenting adults. Why so politically congruent ("=")? Why the bigotry? Lose your ethical religion.

Lower the Rainbow banner, sequester the rhetoric, the albinophobic affirmative action. #HateLovesAbortion

That said, respect the pride parade of lions, lionesses, and their [unnPlanned] cubs playing in gay revelry.

Quaestor म्हणाले...

But every one of you fucking idiots have to make this into his sexual orientation.

If it weren't for his sexual orientation, Buttigieg would not have taken "maternity leave" and several other leaves of absence which have rendered him unprepared to do the work he is paid generously to do, assuming he is even willing to perform such work.

Inga म्हणाले...
ही टिप्पणी लेखकाना हलविली आहे.
Inga म्हणाले...

I really don’t know how Althouse can stand her own majority rightist commentariat. You folks are getting more hateful and obnoxious as the months go by. As I do have to ask occasionally, what is wrong with you people?

Joe Smith म्हणाले...

Pence is one of the most unlikeable politicians in the past 100 years.

Truly an empty suit with zero personality.

I hope he runs so we can all laugh at him for his 1% vote total...

Michael K म्हणाले...

Blogger Inga said...

I really don’t know how Althouse can stand her own majority rightist commentariat. You folks are getting more hateful and obnoxious as the months go by. As I do have to ask occasionally, what is wrong with you people?


Well, truth is like sunlight to vampires. Is that what you mean ? "Hateful" means not agreeing with you, I assume.

Eva Marie म्हणाले...

n.n said...
“But every one of you fucking idiots . . .”
1. Beginning the sentence with “but” is a bit homophobic no?
2. Is “fucking” an adjective or verb?

Christy म्हणाले...

Hey Gang, be kind. Think about it. Our beloved hostess has been losing her filter. What some of us have suspected for a while has become clear this week.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves म्हणाले...

Inga - you leftists sure do lie a lot. and your hatred of (fill in the black) allows you to lie a lot. Then, you are so enraptured by the big lies you tell yourselves (Muller/Russia) that your hate spilleth over.

or did you forget?

Laurel म्हणाले...

lonejustice:

I don’t care. This crude default to “you’re all closeted homosexuals” is maddening. I’m done with “tolerance”.

We tolerated the end of The Closet with “Don’t ask, don’t tell”. That wasn’t good enough.
We tolerated “lifestyle choice”. (before switching to “born that way” nonsense) That wasn’t good enough.
We tolerated more crap like “love is love” and “if 2 people truly love each other”. Still not enough.
We “tolerated” ourselves into gay “marriage “. And, damn it, it STILL wasn’t enough.
Now we have to tolerate Pride month and gay flags; the bastardization that is homosexuality spawned additional, never ending depravity”: just how many damn perversions can the LBGT+ moniker hold?

And now they’ve come for our kids. Pretending that plastic surgery and silicone genitals is all that distinguishes male from female. You are so corrupt you can’t see the evil all around.

I’ve said repeatedly, the closet IS the compromise.

The blowback will be fierce, and you will deserve every bit of it.

n.n म्हणाले...

They said that women would suffer social progress as breeders, they were right. The lack of empathy for the womb of his child is not unexpected, second only to the lack of empathy for the victims of abortion in the left-wing's wicked solution, revisited.

Marcus Bressler म्हणाले...

Poor Ann can't take a joke either.

MarcusB. THEOLDMAN

Marcus Bressler म्हणाले...

Ann is on her way to the fainting couch over a witty joke and just a few days ago was defending the asshat who told a visiting judge at Stanford that he couldn't find a clit.

Priorities!

MarcusB. THEOLDMAN

TeaBagHag म्हणाले...

Thank God for the rain which has helped wash the garbage and trash off the sidewalks. I’m working a single now, which means stretch-shifts, six to six, sometimes six to eight in the a.m., six days a week. It’s a hustle, but it keeps me busy. I can take in three to three-fifty a week, more with skims. I work the whole city, up, down, don’t make no difference to me – does to some. Some won’t take spooks – Hell, don’t make no difference to me. They’re all animals anyway. All the animals come out at night: Whores, skunk pussies, buggers, queens, fairies, dopers, junkies, sick, venal. Someday a real rain will come and wash all this scum off the streets.
- Laurel?

boatbuilder म्हणाले...

Haven't read the comments, and I'm probably not the first, but:"Lighten up, Francis."

Mike Petrik म्हणाले...

What’s the point of Pence …..?
Easy. Pence knows he cannot win. He also knows other GOP candidates are understandably reluctant to directly criticize Trump. He has accepted that role on their behalf simply because he loves his country. He is a good and decent man, a normie with a sense of humor.

loudogblog म्हणाले...

Remember in the movie, Rocky, when Rocky joked to Adrian that the reason why he fought because he couldn't sing and dance?

It's really tempting to be forced by peer pressure to get up and tell a joke, but if it's not in your skill set; just say, no.

And even if Pence had Bob Hope's best joke writers, I still can't see him as being able to deliver a funny joke.

Plus, a lot of people who don't get comedy make the mistake of thinking that comedy is just about making fun of people. Don't get me wrong, you can make fun of someone, but it's very, very difficult to do that and not look like you're throwing a low blow. Also, times have changed and it's not funny anymore to attack people for simply being a part of a particular group. There has to be more, like they were a part of this group but they took something way too far so it's fair game to make fun of them for that.

fairmarketvalue म्हणाले...

Loudogblog said:

"Also, times have changed and it's not funny anymore to attack people for simply being a part of a particular group. There has to be more, like they were a part of this group but they took something way too far so it's fair game to make fun of them for that."

So Pete the Butt taking two months of (please fill in the blank yourself) leave for his cubs without a care for actually doing his job as Trans-Sec is not going too far so it's fair game to make fun of Lil Petey? Got it, Karen.

Ancient Mariner म्हणाले...

Professor Althouse is the prototypical AWFL.

Real American म्हणाले...

sounds like Bootyjudge isn't the only one without a sense of humor.