Kids today, Volume 5678

[Bronzeage]

One of the sillier parts of being President of the US is the annual Thanksgiving Turkey pardon. It's pretty dumb, but no one can find a reason to stop doing it. It's a great media event and there's always the hope to get a pic of the President with turkey poop on his tie.

This year, it included two teen girls watching their father talk to the nation about pardoning the life of a turkey, with the expected facial expressions of teen girls in this situation.

What do you do with a media professional who sees a picture of this event and then tweetcasts this diatribe to the world:

Dear Sasha and Malia, I get you’re both in those awful teen years, but you’re a part of the First Family, try showing a little class. At least respect the part you play. Then again your mother and father don’t respect their positions very much, or the nation for that matter, so I’m guessing you’re coming up a little short in the ‘good role model’ department. Nevertheless, stretch yourself. Rise to the occasion. Act like being in the White House matters to you. Dress like you deserve respect, not a spot at a bar. And certainly don’t make faces during televised public events.

These are the words of former Communications Director Elizabeth Lauten. She used to work for a Tennessee Congressman, but is now unemployed.

When I read this, I thought it had to be one of those mistaken "reply to all" things, where a message meant for a small group went to the entire world. The "Dress like you deserve respect..." line is totally off the track. The girls are dressed modestly enough to fit into a Pentecostal Bible study. It's like there is a quota for nasty things said about the President and she was a day behind.

A groveling apology was not enough to save her job, which is probably best for all of us, but she is still my favorite for the "What were you thinking?" award of 2014.

 

[Rhea]

A groveling apology was not enough to save her job, which is probably best for all of us, but she is still my favorite for the "What were you thinking?" award of 2014.

They didn't fire her, though. She quit. She said these things thinking they were mainstream enough for twitter and that is pretty devastating to think about why she held that belief.

 

[dx713]

A groveling apology was not enough to save her job, which is probably best for all of us, but she is still my favorite for the "What were you thinking?" award of 2014.

They didn't fire her, though. She quit. She said these things thinking they were mainstream enough for twitter and that is pretty devastating to think about why she held that belief.

Plus the whole criticizing teenagers while thinking she never did anything open to criticism while young herself. Or did she think that the Internet glasshouse only works one way and nobody could turn around to look at her? As a Communications Director, that's pretty devastating too...

 

[Bronzeage]

A groveling apology was not enough to save her job, which is probably best for all of us, but she is still my favorite for the "What were you thinking?" award of 2014.

They didn't fire her, though. She quit. She said these things thinking they were mainstream enough for twitter and that is pretty devastating to think about why she held that belief.

Six of one, half dozen of the other. Congressional Staffers who embarrass their boss and their party don't get to play the "I'm quitting before they fire me," game.

Her problem was not knowing what stream she was standing in and thought it was the mainstream. I'm not really sure she holds those beliefs. The whole statement is pretty stupid on the face of it. I think she simply generated it from the current GOP pablum without a lot of thought put into it.

I don't for one second think Elizabeth Lauten saw Sasha in her sweater and thought, "That girl looks like a bar slut on the prowl." I don't think she saw either video or still pics of the event. She is just another GOP professional who is paid to appeal to the GOP base. It's easy to forget that other people will see it too.

- - - Updated - - -

They didn't fire her, though. She quit. She said these things thinking they were mainstream enough for twitter and that is pretty devastating to think about why she held that belief.

Plus the whole criticizing teenagers while thinking she never did anything open to criticism while young herself. Or did she think that the Internet glasshouse only works one way and nobody could turn around to look at her? As a Communications Director, that's pretty devastating too...

Her arrest record for shoplifting as a teen and pics of her drunk at a party have already made the rounds with the hashtag #ladylike.

 

[rousseau]

With billions of people on this planet all unfortunately learning how to speak from birth, and infinite data storage, it seems like we've gotten ourselves into the problem of being exposed to unlimited dumb comments.

Luckily, and on a slightly unrelated note, some major vendors are starting to phase out things like comments on their platforms, to silence the crazy.

 

[Jayjay]

Yeah Obamagirls, show a little bit of class! Your casual dress code makes a mockery of age-old American poultry-based legal institutions!

 

[ksen]

Luckily, and on a slightly unrelated note, some major vendors are starting to phase out things like comments on their platforms, to silence the crazy.

Horrible idea. The comments are often the best part. Also I think keeping the crazy in the open is way better than hiding it away.

 

[Metaphor]

Queue someone from the half of Americans who don't understand what free speech means to cry censorship because the comments provoked backlash.

Lauten issued a non-apology apology after 'many hours of prayer'.

Too bad she doesn't seem to have asked God how to stop being a cunt.

 

[thebeave]

I think I call bullshit on the "many hours of prayer" claim. Seriously? How does anybody just sit there and muddle over in their head about stupid shit like what clothes the Presidents' kids wear, and expecting God, the creator of the universe, to chime in about it. FOR MANY FUCKING HOURS!! I think that's more bizzare than her stupid comment in the first place. THAT'S more reason for her to resign, IMHO.

 

[Valjean]

Why does the President waste his time on such silliness? What was the turkey charged with, anyway, and why was its crime pardoned?


Obama should do something meaningful, maybe pardon a political prisoner like Don Siegelman.

 

[TV and credit cards]

And let's keep this in perspective, they're teenagers. Hope for the best and expect the worst.
Aside from the usual crap a teenager has to go through, these two have to live in the bubble. I think it's a good thing these girls aren't further constricted into absolute propriety.
I didn't bother with the entire turkey speech but I saw two teens telling the world, I don't wanna be here.

 

[rousseau]

Luckily, and on a slightly unrelated note, some major vendors are starting to phase out things like comments on their platforms, to silence the crazy.

Horrible idea. The comments are often the best part. Also I think keeping the crazy in the open is way better than hiding it away.

I don't know.

Sometimes it seems like a vicious circle. One guy makes a snarling, homophobic comment, then all of the other people see that comment, think it's funny, and start doing it too. The result is the positive reinforcement of anti-social behaviour, unless someone is surveying the scene.

If, on the other hand, people's voice is more restricted to the real world where they're actually forced to not be a fucktard, I think that will actually reinforce better behavior.

In any case, based on some of the comments I've seen over the years, I'm perfectly fine denying trolls an outlet, regardless of the consequences.

 

[Bronzeage]

Horrible idea. The comments are often the best part. Also I think keeping the crazy in the open is way better than hiding it away.

I don't know.

Sometimes it seems like a vicious circle. One guy makes a snarling, homophobic comment, then all of the other people see that comment, think it's funny, and start doing it too. The result is the positive reinforcement of anti-social behaviour, unless someone is surveying the scene.

If, on the other hand, people's voice is more restricted to the real world where they're actually forced to not be a fucktard, I think that will actually reinforce better behavior.

In any case, based on some of the comments I've seen over the years, I'm perfectly fine denying trolls an outlet, regardless of the consequences.

Elizabeth Lauten forgot one critical element when she typed her tweet and it was that everyone knew who she was. She could have said the same thing, word for word, on any news outlet that covered the turkey pardon and it have gotten no more attention than any other. The only good reason to delete comments is to free up server space. If comments are to be taken seriously, there has to be a person attached to them.

Anonymous comments get no real attention, unless it's a bomb threat.