# Can lonesome polecats' charges be debunked? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 21, 2010, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-lonesome-polecats-charges-be-debunked/561486 "2010-11-21T23:36:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-lonesome-polecats-charges-be-debunked/561486/141 "2010-11-24T03:03:46Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > See, the joke is it’s a _half hour_ show… but it’s called the “News Hour”! Get it? I figured it was just a ripoff of _This Hour has 22 Minutes_ (a show, incidentally, that I cannot stand for more than 20 seconds at a time at three year intervals), which itself parodied the serious news show _This Hour has Seven Days_. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-lonesome-polecats-charges-be-debunked/561486/142 "2010-11-24T03:49:25Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Because tolerance is useless if you only tolerate those who agree with you. And because trying to control what someone else does is an authoritarian position, not a liberal one. I’m pretty liberal, and yet I know that. And of course if your critique of someone else is that they aren’t tolerant, they’re going to point out where you are not tolerant. > > The main point with Ms. Prejean is that she gave a stupid answer. These beauty pageants are not solely about beauty, but about whether you are smart enough not to bring disrepute on the pageant organizers. She was not smart enough, so she got voted down. Pageants are not about being fair, they are about appeasing the judges. Weren’t you just bitching the other day that we should have a law about “hate speech”? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-lonesome-polecats-charges-be-debunked/561486/143 "2010-11-24T06:57:58Z")
Having read through this thread, all I can add is that I want the Miss USA contest to add some kind of punishment competition – to see who can take it best. Perhaps they should all be spanked, or maybe it should be more freestyle. with the contestants allowed to pick their own form of punishments. Then there could be points for creativity. Nipple clamps, anyone? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-lonesome-polecats-charges-be-debunked/561486/144 "2010-11-24T07:10:44Z")
Spanking. Definitely spanking. God, yes. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-lonesome-polecats-charges-be-debunked/561486/145 "2010-11-24T07:17:27Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Spanking. Definitely spanking. God, yes. Seconded. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-lonesome-polecats-charges-be-debunked/561486/146 "2010-11-24T08:09:17Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Spanking. Definitely spanking. God, yes. An excellent idea, but who could administer such a punishment. I mean, this thread is proof of how politically charged the pageant world can become. There would have to be strict controls to ensure absolute impartiality. The spanking would have to be delivered by a finely calibrated mechanical device. I can see no alternative than to use some sort of… ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-lonesome-polecats-charges-be-debunked/561486/147 "2010-11-24T13:54:55Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > An excellent idea, but who could administer such a punishment. I mean, this thread is proof of how politically charged the pageant world can become. There would have to be strict controls to ensure absolute impartiality. The spanking would have to be delivered by a finely calibrated mechanical device. I can see no alternative than to use some sort of… Android appendage? -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-lonesome-polecats-charges-be-debunked/561486/148 "2010-11-24T14:03:39Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > An excellent idea, but who could administer such a punishment. I mean, this thread is proof of how politically charged the pageant world can become. There would have to be strict controls to ensure absolute impartiality. The spanking would have to be delivered by a finely calibrated mechanical device. I can see no alternative than to use some sort of… I think we could placate all parties if the spanking was administered by William Shatner. He’s Canadian, so it’s not like he’s a real person. Also, somebody could punch Perez Hilton in the face. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-lonesome-polecats-charges-be-debunked/561486/149 "2010-11-24T14:43:15Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I think we could placate all parties if the spanking was administered by William Shatner. He’s Canadian, so it’s not like he’s a real person. I would not be pleased if William Shatner got to administer the spankings. Or anyone else, in fact. If I can’t have fun, why should anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-lonesome-polecats-charges-be-debunked/561486/150 "2010-11-24T15:19:38Z")
Let’s see if the Japanese can develop the Spankbot. I’m rather surprised that haven’t done so already. Or maybe they have but it’s only used at the highest levels of government. ---
**Author:** ![emacknight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ec8ea/32.png) [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-lonesome-polecats-charges-be-debunked/561486/151 "2010-11-24T15:33:05Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > The problem, allegedly, with Prejean’s statement is that it is “divisive”. There is (despite all the tantrums and screaming) no consensus on gay marriage, even in Ms. Prejean’s home state of California. Just the opposite, in fact - a recent referendum seems to indicate that California as a whole agrees a bit more closely with Ms. Prejean than with Hilton. So, first problem was that this pageant is decided by a panel of judges. I think you’re confusing it with _American Idol_ that has a popular vote. The judges ask the questions, and then evaluate them. Prejean was an idiot to not recognize that. Second, let’s pretend that it was by popular vote. Prejean spouts her bigoted nonsense, Kristen Dalton gives a reasoned and thoughtful explanation of why same-sex marriage needs to be recognized. Would we say that she was punished for her views by the people of California? I think what this all comes down to is your projection onto the issue. You want to see liberals punished for their views. You’re hoping that you can find examples of liberals doing it to conservatives so you can relax and say, “see, they do it to.” Lastly, you seem hung up on the word divisive. Maybe look it up and see if you fully understand the meaning. Then realize that there are ways to answer a question neutrally, or divisively. Examples: “I’m against abortion because I hate woman and want them to suffer.” “I’m against gun ownership because I hate rednecks and want them to suffer.” “I’m against UHC because I hate poor people and want them to suffer.” “I’m against world peace because I hate brown people and want them to suffer.” She lost because she couldn’t think of a way to answer the question in a less divisive way. And what you should realize is that if you can’t come up with a less divisive answer, you’re probably wrong. Go on, try to answer why “blacks/women shouldn’t be allowed to vote” without being divisive. You can include all the “no offense to anybody out there” and “that’s how I was raised” but you still come across like a bigot. ---
**Author:** ![emacknight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ec8ea/32.png) [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-lonesome-polecats-charges-be-debunked/561486/152 "2010-11-24T15:37:37Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Let’s see if the Japanese can develop the Spankbot. I’m rather surprised that haven’t done so already. Or maybe they have but it’s only used at the highest levels of government. [They did](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaUHOUkf0QA) And now I have “Japanese spanking robot” in my search history. Can’t wait for my wife to type “J” and have Google autofill the rest… ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-lonesome-polecats-charges-be-debunked/561486/153 "2010-11-24T15:41:38Z")
> [@emacknight](#): > > And now I have “Japanese spanking robot” in my search history. Can’t wait for my wife to type “J” and have Google autofill the rest… Hey, Christmas _is_ coming up. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-lonesome-polecats-charges-be-debunked/561486/154 "2010-11-24T15:42:06Z")
> [@emacknight](#): > > And now I have “Japanese spanking robot” in my search history. Can’t wait for my wife to type “J” and have Google autofill the rest… I guess you’ll just have to buy her one for Christmas, then. Edit to shake fist angrily above himself ---
**Author:** ![emacknight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ec8ea/32.png) [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-lonesome-polecats-charges-be-debunked/561486/155 "2010-11-24T15:50:02Z")
> [@villa](#): > > I guess you’ll just have to buy her one for Christmas, then. > > Edit to shake fist angrily above himself I think I’d get more points if I bought a Roomba. Now if only they made a Roomba that spanks… Hell, I don’t even need that, I’d be happy with a Roomba that says, “[you are very attractive and interesting](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2BTMTsdTxw&feature=related)” at random intervals (cab fare would be a bonus). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-lonesome-polecats-charges-be-debunked/561486.md?page=7)