Posted on 02/14/2009 11:59:17 AM PST by lewisglad
Not only were we served up two of our very favorite cultural icons -- American Hero and Psycho Mother -- but the spate of competing interviews offered a breathtaking look at a generational and zeitgeist gap the likes of which we haven't seen since the Greatest Generation gave birth to the hippies.
Ann Curry in full stern-headmistress mode -- I'm thinking they decided at the last moment the wimple really was too much -- acting as surrogate for the millions of Americans who feel outraged by Suleman's decision to have 14 children when she has no job, no husband, no money, nothing in fact but the desire to have a bunch of kids. Oh, and lips that look suspiciously like they have been tweaked to resemble Angelina Jolie's.
But Suleman refused to be cowed. Amazingly articulate for a woman who had given birth to multiples less than two weeks before, she answered every charge of selfishness and irresponsibility with a camera-ready smile and the lingua franca of self-esteem, including references to a need for connection, a dysfunctional family and a personal void that could have been directly lifted from any major women's magazine.
If she said the word "choice" once, she said it a hundred times, content in the knowledge that in 21st century America, one is discouraged from judging another's choices. It was as if "The Secret" had been made flesh; she wanted something, she single-mindedly pursued it, she remained positive about it and look -- she achieved her life's dream. Don't judge her.
Indeed, watching Suleman, it was difficult not to consider her circumstance as culturally and industrially inevitable. Given our society's still-relentless message that nothing is more important than the pursue-your-bliss entitlement and the new fertility technology, it's actually pretty amazing something like this hasn't happened before
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Fantastic article! So well written. (You should give Mary McNamara credit).
Thanks for posting!
My bad, I hit the button too early and didn’t get the date on either. :(
Sully - a reminder of a time when duty trumped desire and self-esteem was something you earned.
Great article! Thanks for posting.
Good article, but it is mostly about media perceptions. What it misses is the fact that Captain Suleman has a second business, Emergency response training. The key to emergency response is to be so well trained that emotion plays no part in your response, your brain goes on automatic pilot.
I love the description of the Katie Couric interview Capt. Sully did. Great article. hard to believe it is in the LA Times.
Over and over Sullenberger answered, friendly but firm, that all of his thoughts, actions and emotions were focused on one thing and one thing alone -- landing the plane. He didn't think of the passengers, he didn't have time to pray, he didn't feel personal fear, he didn't suddenly remember some significant thing his father once told him when he was 7 or that he needed to tell his wife he loved her because, you know, he never said it often enough. He was just trying to do whatever was necessary to: Not. Crash. The Plane.
Media perceptions are what a lot of people have instead of reality.
“Don’t ever call me Shirley!” :)
Did you sniff glue?
Over and over Sullenberger answered, friendly but firm, that all of his thoughts, actions and emotions were focused on one thing and one thing alone -- landing the plane. He didn't think of the passengers, he didn't have time to pray, he didn't feel personal fear, he didn't suddenly remember some significant thing his father once told him when he was 7 or that he needed to tell his wife he loved her because, you know, he never said it often enough. He was just trying to do whatever was necessary to: Not. Crash. The Plane.
Hey Katie....You've just met a real man. You're spending too much time with liberal Girlie Men at CBS and other liberal habitats.
When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
I’m surprised (and glad to see) that the L.A. times is not glofiying this idiot octomom. I thought the libs would be glorifying her and what she put over.
What was the book? A book about ethics in business!!
Posted at 8:47PM on Feb 14th 2009 by mec
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