Where oh where to begin?
I guess we just have to dive in:
"When you're a star, you can do it. You can do anything. Grab 'em by the pussy. You can do anything." —Donald Trump
Friday was such a weird day. It all started when our hero David Fahrenthold released that tape and the story about that tape, at the Washington Post. And then it took a little while for people to start reacting. When I saw the whole thing on the news at around 6 pm, I thought oh brother. Honestly, I was one of the ones who just rolled her eyes. So much of that crap goes on in Hollywood, in corporate America, in the media, you get a little too used to it. So I thought what a jerk I am so not surprised, et cetera, and I went to dinner at my friend Adam's house.
By the time I came home, it felt like maybe the world had changed.
It was so great. I mean, seriously great, to see the commentators finally erupt over the fact that in America women are discriminated against, widely and disgracefully, in myriad grotesque and demeaning ways.
That tape was hideous, both men in it are hideous, and the use of the word "pussy" is its crowning glory.
The casual misogyny from both Mr. Trump and Mr. Bush wallows in its own nasty assumptions.
The game but brittle television actress in the purple dress doesn't know what they were talking about in that bus, but she knows to play nice when she's told to give "Bushy" a hug. Try watching it 20 times in a row. That's what happened to me Friday night. What a train wreck. You really couldn't look away.
The commentators who tried to defend Mr.Trump may have ended up sounding worse than he did. Corey Lewandowski literally blathered on about the fact that Mr. Trump is not running for the job of "Sunday school teacher" and Jimmy Carter is a moral person who would have made a great Sunday school teacher but wouldn't you rather have Ronald Reagan as your president? Say what? Honestly, why do we have to keep listening to that idiot? Who is paying him, and can we get them to stop?
On the other hand, we have the wonder that is Ana Navarro. I don't always agree with her, and sometimes I get real mad at her because she can be a mighty advocate for things I don't believe in. But watching her go ballistic on Scottie Nell Hughes for defending Mr. Trump's use of the word "pussy" was sensational. When Ms. Hughes finally asked that Ms. Navarro stop repeating the word "pussy," because her daughter was watching the television set, I almost fell over. Ms. Navarro just shot back, "So you'll defend his right to say pussy, but I'm not allowed to say pussy?" If any of you missed it, go online right now and watch it. It is mind blowingly good television.
The Republican party is, deservedly, in free fall. After years of running on platforms dedicated to denying rights to women and minorities, their voters were finally led to believe that a complete misogynist, racist, bigoted bully might be a good candidate. Donald Trump is a nightmare. He is also the fruit of a poisoned tree.
There seem to be three choices available to Republican leadership now: A. Defend him. (Mr. Lewandowski et all, sounding like idiots.) B. Denounce him. (Ms. Navarro, sounding like a titan.) C. Tap dance.
Which brings us to Paul Ryan, who said, "women are to be championed and revered, not objectified."
WOW. That might explain why we need men to tell us what to do with our bodies!
Seriously I have to applaud pretty much everyone on my Twitterfeed for jumping on that bit of lunacy. In 140 characters or less, people had plenty to say about it, including:
"Paul Ryan says 'women are to be championed and revered not objectified' in a statement that objectifies women."
"Championed and revered? How about just RESPECTED?"
"Women are to be championed and revered, paid less than men, and forced to have babies against their will."
"Paul Ryan said women should be championed and revered, not objectified." I agree. Paul Ryan should bow down to me. Worship me, Paul Ryan."
Clearly, this could go on and on. But it is time to reflect, once again, on that dynamic little word, "pussy."
We all know what Mr. Trump meant, and we know why Mr. Bush laughed at the viciousness and the crudity of Mr. Trump's attack. We've all watched that video twenty times now, and no one can pretend anymore. We know what's going on. The least evolved men out there hate women; they especially hate excellent women. The fact is, they hate pussy almost as much as they love their own mediocrity. And Donald Trump is their leader.
And there are more of us than there are of them, and we are the future, and we have a vision of the future that commands respect for all human beings. Women, Mexicans, gay people, transgendered, muslims, children, the disabled. Black lives matter! Everyone is included, including confused white men who don't yet know how to respect women, but who, we hope and pray, can be taught.
And Hillary is our leader.
And no matter how many times they try to insist that she is not excellent? She IS excellent. Brave, brilliant, steady, determined, just excellent. And that excellence cannot be dismissed or undermined or embarrassed by demeaning male bullshit anymore.
The world is new.
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October 8, 2016
