On MSNBC this morning, three on-air ‘personalities’ but not Joe Scarborough, who was not around, presented a story about Elwood, a tiny dog who won the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest recently.
They noted that the two-year-old Chihuahua-Chinese Crested mix was almost put down by its first owner because she thought no one would want him. Fortunately his current owner fell in the love with the little dog and gave him a home.
Somehow this led these apparently brain-dead ‘personalities’ into a discussion of puppy neck breaking and they were just having a high old time laughing and giggling like schoolgirls about it. They gave no indication that what they were doing was not only in bad taste, it was simply and profoundly disgusting and disturbing.
I wonder if they wonder when they go home at night why they get so little respect from anyone with three brain cells to rub together.
They were just joking around. They are just chatting with eachother. If you would have listened, Mika, the woman who was filling in for Joe was talking about how she met the dog and it was very cute…
I did listen. I saw the whole segment. I know they thought they were just joking around. Consider what they were joking about. It’s ugly that they thought breaking the necks of animals was funny, that they were doing this on a national news discussion show, that they juxtaposed their joking with the story of the dog. Committing gratuitous violence against animals is never funny outside of comic devices like Tom & Jerry and Roadrunner cartoons. Laughing about it on a news show – not funny, not light, not amusing.
I find it interesting that the shows like America’s Funniest Home Videos and its ilk (I may have the name wrong) present as funny videos that more often than not involve violence, though unintentional, and pain and humiliation and embarrassment. We laugh and we wince at these things. But these events are generally due to accident or stupidity or thoughtlessness. Deliberate violence against other beings isn’t funny.
HI! I was googling “transdermal tapazole” and “vomiting hyperthyroid cats”, yet again (my happy hour activities) and ended up on your cats page! I, too, am a follower of the feline gods and goddesses, and just lost my adorable beloved Walter (nearly 11…saddle thrombosis literally out of the blue!) a month ago, and am now trying to tame 15 yr-old Bianca’s hyperthyroidism, which had us up three times last night with the vomit monsters.
ANYWAY, I wondered if you caught morning jo(k)e on the day he ripped into Bob Barker’s last sign off…the mentioning of the spay/neuter issue, as he’s done since, what, God? Scarborough was incensed that this man would “waste” his final seconds on the air over such a trivial manner, going off on that whole “humans are far more important than pets” delusional, frightening rant tangent. I wished that morning that I had more energy so I could whip off an email full of cat procreation stats for his enjoyment, but alas. Maybe you could take up this challenge? You seem to have tons of energy. Keep up the great Work. Laura in NC
I hope this e-mail gets to Morning Joe and his group.I woke up to hear you and your group say that this Democratic Campaign is not about race. Let me school you . It is about arace and Geraldine Ferraro and the Hispanic woman In Texas told it like it is. I wish someone would tell me how it is that Hillary Clinton can taklk about gender but Obama cannot talk about race. But, nothing has changed, white folk get to set the agenda and black folk have to go along with it. What G. Ferraro said was definitely racist. She said it. If Hillary Clinton was a black woman and said she was going to run for President she would have been laughed out of the country. It is amazing to me how the fact the white women are voting for Hillary and nothing is ever said about it. Let me ask you white folk– why is it that you have gotten amneshia during this campaign and I could just throw up when I hear all of the hiprocricy been thrown around by you white media people. Excuse me but white women are in board rooms, have more money have gotten farther than black men or black women in the corporate world,etc,etc. Maybe you people aught to come out of your privlidged place as whites and look at the Real USA. I live in it every day. Joe, You talk about white women will not vote for Obama—well let me tell you this –I and alot of my black women friends will not vote for H. Clinton. In my opinion white people in this Presidential race aare doing what they have been best at. Making themselves look good. Geraldine Farraro made aracist statement and tried and is succeeding in turning it around . This country is racially divided and as most of us blacks know most white men and most white women are together. You are absolutely insane when you say the media has been easier on Obama. But, I give up because the history of racism in this country has been left out because it would make white people feel bad. You (white ) people own all the media and you skew all the information coming from your Priviledged white position.
It is 3:45 am here in Arizona and I am so angry I don’t know what to do. Joe Scarborough get out and talk to some black folk thet live in this racist country every day. You and Lou Dobbs should know better. Where were you when I could not get ajob at the Movie theatre? Wher were you when the white women and men on my job were harrassing me because I dared to try to educate white students about racism in this country? I finally had to retire when I was physically assaulted by a Hispanic man that was defended by the white woman principaland all the white administrators. You know I am again back where I was when I was forced to retire from my school counseling position ten years aga. My health has never been the same. IN my opinion black people aught to let this country continue down the primrose path it has been on for some time. You and Lou Dobbs and the majority of the TV people were obviously educated in the American school syster because you sit in you Ivory Tower and say the things you obviously don’t know anything about. Keith Olberman got it right and so far he is the only one.
I don’t know where this e-mail is going,but I hope someone reads it and passes it on to Joe Scarborough. This country is in so much trouble and all you media people are saying this is not a racial issue. It is a racial Issue.
Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog.
Cheers! Sandra. R.