Because I think that women in general and adolescent girls in particular are more sensitive about their looks. See the excessive number of beauty products women use; the greater amount of plastic surgery/eating disorders among women; the fact that men can joke with each other about being “fat bastards” while no woman would ever say that to another, unless she hated her; etc.
And as I said, I’m inclined to think Chelsea’s public persona would be more likely to be sensitive about her appearance, since there were millions more people to notice it.
Why? Surely the world taught him his whole sense of “value” stemmed from “cuteness”. When that ran out he must have felt incredibly sensitive about it. All of a sudden the world that had adored him and told him how cute he was turned upside down. He became the object of ridicule instead.
Chelsea arrived in the spotlight at what is a sensitive time of life for all of us. People like Rush need to be lined up against a brick wall so we can all point and giggle.
I know (being one) that females find teenage years a minefield of criticism, much of it based on looks. I don’t think boys have it any easier though. Does any teenager feel good being taunted about their looks? Or about anything for that matter.
I don’t think females are alone in feeling insecure about their looks in those delightful teenage years.
I was thinking in terms of the height of his stardom, not afterward. If you read through the thread you’ll see I acknowledged that he probably would have been sensitive later on.
I think females are a lot more likely to be taunted about their looks in those years, though. My memory of those years is that average-looking boys were left alone–only the ones who were fat or had bad acne or a serious deformity were teased. Whereas pretty much all the girls who weren’t beauty queens were fair game. Hence, there are fewer boys developing the kind of complex about their appearance that comes from being regularly ridiculed for it. I certainly don’t disagree that the boys who are ridiculed are likely to develop one, though.
No, I’m not “being contrary just to be contrary,” nor am I “arguing for the sake of arguing.” You know, just because we’re differing in opinion doesn’t mean I (or either of us) am being argumentive. Don’t be so intolerant.
Second, please don’t assume you know what I have or have not experienced in life. I am not saying that if I have not personally experienced something, it’s less of a fact. On the contrary - I am saying that because something happened to someone else does not at all imply that it has happened in this particular case.
I’m not saying teenage girls aren’t cruel. What I have said several times is that such cruelty certainly doesn’t limit itself to female victims. You’re turning the entire argument around needlessly.
No argument here; you’re right. It’s pretty shameful that that’s how society is, and evidence seems to point to that pressure occurring earlier and earlier in a girl’s life. It’s a shame, really, because we fat bastards have nothing to be proud of in that regard.
I’m just unconvinced. I think if a friend of hers at school - or even an enemy of hers at school - made that comment, she’d be crushed. But I don’t know that she’d be so hurt if a blowhard said it on the radio, especially if her parents told her he was saying it just to get at them. Now, if Rush had called her up on the phone and told her she was ugly… that would have been colder still, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that hurt her tremendously. But the disconnect of hearing some babbling twit say it on the radio to her indirectly might not have had as potent an effect.
I’ll rephrase - I don’t knowingly know anyone with said disorder or who has said surgery.
Really not true. But I should point out that it takes at least two to argue. If you feel the conversation’s going nowhere, don’t enter into it.
Look, I understand that people think the remark about Chelsea Clinton was more offensive than the remark about torture. I do not share that opinion, and I was curious as to what the basis for that opinion was. None of what has been said here convinces me that the latter remark was less offensive than the former, but that doesn’t mean I am begrudging those who hold that opinion or their right to have it.
I don’t see why it wouldn’t have. The point is that she, personally, is being described as ugly. Whether she was told it directly or indirectly, it would still have the effect of telling her that she’s an ugly girl, which is the last thing in the world a 13-year-old wants to be told.
And the fact that millions of people heard her being described as ugly would probably have made things even worse, I think. It was a public humiliation.
Not only that, but Rush is supposed to be an adult. Hearing an ADULT call her ugly, to a million other adults, and then WEASEL about it, saying it was a mistake, rather than just owning up to it and saying he was sorry…
To a thirteen year old kid. That’s just crass. A kid who never did ANYTHING to him, just because he happens not to like her parents’ politics.
It would be like, say, I was pissed at Poster A here, and at a dopefest, Poster A is there with his or her child. If I were to just say, “Hey everyone, isn’t Poster A’s kid a retarded little shit!” Or something like that.
Do you really think that a 13 year old girl is going to make that distinction? I don’t.
As to your comment regarding proof that teenage girls are sensitive about their looks, what sort of proof do you seek? Lab results? A double-blind study? What would constitute proof for you? The testimony of former 13 year old girls is obviously not enough for you. So what is?
As to which comment by Rush was more offensive, isn’t that like comparing the acting “talents” of Pauly Shore and Pia Zadora? Is a more futile argument even possible?
As to who is cuter, Chelsea or the Bush girls, I demand proof. I’ll settle for the taste test. We can use the Gore girls as a control group.
What amazes me is how the Rush-haters are dredging up A TWELVE YEAR OLD INCIDENT, ignoring the transcripts of the actual incident & follow-up apology and projecting their own hostility to Rush or memories of their teen-age physical insecurities.
I’m not as much a Rush fan as I used to be, having become turned off by his bloviation & having discovered Dennis Prager in the same time slot, but I faithfully watched the show back in the day (heck, may even have the episode on tape somewhere) & I can say the transcripts cited in the responses to the ESPN article correspond to my memory and the “White House Cat-White House Dog” version is erroneous.
But it doesn’t matter because Rush-haters are going to believe what they want, anyway.
Anyway, I thought Chelsea was Babe-Potential then & she is Babe-Actualized now. Same as her mom. And I still despise Hillary’s politics (tho I admit she also has not been an embarassment as Senator).
Well, in the transcripts he still (assuming the “slip” was no accident) is insulting an adolescent girl for her looks, so it doesn’t really matter which version of the story people believe. It’s still a horrible thing to do.
How come nobody is screaming about how mean Saturday Night Live was to Chelsea? They were awful to her while she was going through her awkward stage.
That said I think she’s pretty now. Either hormones or plastic surgery has been good to her (maybe both?).
I don’t think the Olsen twins are attractive at all. They looked like monkeys then, they look like 'em now. They have GOT to have the best agent in the free world, though. Can’t act worth shit and they’re worth a billion dollars. Only in America!
Well, speaking as a mostly Rush fan and having seen the actual televison program where the Chelsea Clinton insult occurred, I can assure you it was intentional. There was mock shock and surprise and amusement in his voice, and it was clearly intentional, with built-in mock aghastment adding to the humor. I was outraged at the time and I still harbor ill will toward Rush because of it.
Regarding SNL, they haven’t come in for the same bashing over Chelsea that Rush has because they weren’t hated like Rush was/is and they tried to make up for it with a “babe-in-waiting” comment on her afterward.
I have to agree that the comment about torture seems a lot more offensive to me simply because it is trivialising something which has killed and injured millions of people. Calling one thirteen-year-old girl a dog in public is awful but pales into insignificance IMHO.
