ANOTHER WINGNUT APOLOGY?! "HOMOPHOBIC [MONICA]? MAYBE YOU'RE GAY"

DON'T TAKE IT FROM ME. That's the New York Times' informed speculation on the latest example of "wingnut humor" (extensively covered in this blog), which isn't "humor" but HATE SPEECH. For those unwilling to entertain the possibility that Fox wingnut Monica Crowley is only the latest in a long line of right wing sociopaths, in the clinical definition of the term, blissfully unaware of the distinct difference between hate speech and humor — hate speech, in this instance against gays, reinforces the hater's stereotype and encourages bullying and hate crimes — then the Times speculation seems tailor-made for Monica:

WHY are political and religious figures who campaign against gay rights so often implicated in sexual encounters with same-sex partners?

In recent years, Ted Haggard, an evangelical leader who preached that homosexuality was a sin, resigned after a scandal involving a former male prostitute; Larry Craig, a United States senator who opposed including sexual orientation in hate-crime legislation, was arrested on suspicion of lewd conduct in a men’s bathroom; and Glenn Murphy Jr., a leader of the Young Republican National Convention and an opponent of same-sex marriage, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge after being accused of sexually assaulting another man.

One theory is that homosexual urges, when repressed out of shame or fear, can be expressed as homophobia. Freud famously called this process a “reaction formation” — the angry battle against the outward symbol of feelings that are inwardly being stifled. Even Mr. Haggard seemed to endorse this idea when, apologizing after his scandal for his anti-gay rhetoric, he said, “I think I was partially so vehement because of my own war.”

It’s a compelling theory — and now there is scientific reason to believe it. [read on ...]

I hate to break it to our friends at the Times, and have to repeat myself, but "tell me something I didn't already know. Right?" It should also be noted that the hate speech Monica claims to be "humor" is a common characteristic of the sociopath, defined in its mildest form as an "antisocial personality, who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience." In short, if the typical sociopath doesn't turn to a life of crime, he or she may end up working for Fox, The Daily Caller or Big Government. In some cases — e.g., James O'Keefe — criminal behavior and employment with right wing media are not mutually exclusive.

From a purely aesthetic perspective, however, the Times exposé of homophobic wingnut brains makes perfect sense. I'm sure Monica would rather crawl into bed with Megyn Kelly than with Roger Ailes or Bill-O The 'Falafel Face' Clown, regardless of whether this could have a negative impact on her prospects for career advancement.

Then there was the de riguer and obligatory wingnut "apology" — I couldn't have scripted it better myself. "Tweeted question" ... Really?! How about, "regret having made insensitive, homophobic statement. Sincerely apologize to Sandra and especially to the LGBT community for any pain I have caused perpetuating a hateful stereotype.":

There is something universal about good humor, which transcends culture and context, and which unites us. The so-called "humor" of wingnuts and "conservatives" is the inverse of that — hateful, nasty bigotry meant to demean people and accentuate the "other."

One dead giveaway between regular, normal folks who may have said something inappropriate, and the constant barrage of "humorous" hate language from these right wing sickos, is the tenor of the expressed apology. A normal person's apology is genuine, heartfelt and contrite. A wingnut's apology (see Limbaugh, Grenell et al) is frequently an insincere qualifier, "to those I have offended ..." As if the problem is with the people who took offense. Therein lies the mental illness. Normal people, indeed most of us, have an internal trigger that keeps us from saying and doing highly inappropriate things. It's called a conscience. 

Take it away, Monica!

Monica's BIFF weighs in from the wingnut leaders camp of the transcendentally clueless :

And to think this IDIOT could have been an octogenarian's heartbeat away from the presidency?! Seriously scary.

Sandra Fluke, the poised and impressive young woman who rocketed to stardom as a symbol of standing against everything decent Americans — men and women — view as abhorrent to our values, only grows stronger the more the wingnuts smear her. There's a favorite song of mine by the great Caetano Veloso that says: "Get up, shake off the dust, and step above it" (Levanta, sacode a poeira, e dá a volta por cima). To borrow Lawrence's signature line, Sandra gets the last word: