Scariest. Headline. Ever. : Dispatches from the Culture Wars

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Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of Michigan Citizens for Science and co-founder of The Panda's Thumb. He has written for such publications as The Bard, Skeptic and Reports of the National Center for Science Education, spoken in front of many organizations and conferences, and appeared on nationally syndicated radio shows and on C-SPAN. Ed is also a Fellow with the Center for Independent Media and the host of Declaring Independence, a one hour weekly political talk show on WPRR in Grand Rapids, Michigan.(static)

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Scariest. Headline. Ever.

Posted on: November 14, 2009 9:23 AM, by Ed Brayton

I saw this and my first thought was, "Carrie Prejean made a sex tape with Sean Hannity?" And then I threw up a little in my mouth.

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Comments

Curses; foiled again! Not that I wouldn't puke in my own hand either way, just on mere principal alone.

We were THAT close to history and it doesn't happen. BOO HISS to you Sean Hannity. He's still too smart not to take the bait.

Posted by: Gregory Weagle | November 14, 2009 9:37 AM

Well, rumors have it that a large dildo WAS involved so you probably weren't too far from the truth.

Posted by: Sigmund | November 14, 2009 9:39 AM

Prejean:

. . . worst ~~mistake~~ mistakes of my life.

It's since been revealed that Prejean's book tour interviews had her:

a) lying by inferring there was only one when in fact she made multiple videos (according to her ex-boyfriend who claims he's still in possession of all of them).

b) Lied about her age when the videos were made, she attempted to portray herself as a naive teen when her ex-boyfriend who was the recipient of such videos claims she was 20 (IIRC, she might have been 19 when some were made, but the one that was released supposedly occurred when she was 20).

c) asked her ex-boyfriend to lie and claim she was 17 when she made them to help validate lies.

Over the last couple of days she's failed to appear at events previously committed to, one of the primary reasons the USA California organization dethroned her in the first place.

No wonder she looks up to Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann.

What annoys me is that she's been able to use the exact same talking points at each media interview she did this past week. The media's complete laziness to prepare for interviews and instead provide for a forum for people like Ms. Prejean remains an infected thorn in my side. I don't expect standards from Mr. Hannity but I do from NBC.

Posted by: Michael Heath | November 14, 2009 10:05 AM

Michelle and Sarah really ought to take this girl under their wings, because she has great potential as a Republican wingnut blabbermouth. Or is she that already?

Posted by: Rodney | November 14, 2009 10:35 AM

Since wants to live Biblically correct fashio, I believe we are to stone her. As I am successfully saving myself for marriage, I believe I get to cast the first stone.

Posted by: History Punk | November 14, 2009 10:43 AM

I would pay for the Prejean woman to make a sex tape with Sean Hannity. And then I'd pay not to see it.

And then I'd pay for it to be "accidentally" broadcast in its entirety on Faux News.

Probably a good thing I don't have any money.

Posted by: Kapitano | November 14, 2009 11:32 AM

I feel bad for Carrie Prejean. She sounds like a not-terribly-bright girl who got in way over her head, doesn't know what she's doing, and now the world is watching her sex tape and laughing at her.

Posted by: Gretchen | November 14, 2009 11:35 AM

Oh Carrie honey, don't feel too bad. Going on to Hannity is the worst mistake of lots of people's lives.

Posted by: Abby Normal | November 14, 2009 11:38 AM

I agree with Gretchen. I feel a little bad for the girl at this point. If I were doing an interview with her I'd throw nothing but softballs just to get her out of the way as soon as possible. She's not an important public figure and there are bigger fish to fry.

Posted by: Tyler DiPietro | November 14, 2009 11:49 AM

I heard Michael Feldman of NPR describe the tapes something along the lines of an Abstinence Until Marriage video.

I don't know whether to laugh or use this as an example of abstinence only education.

Posted by: Scott M. | November 14, 2009 12:01 PM

I might feel bad for her if she just went away and lived her life. The fact that she's working overtime to turn herself into a fake martyr to make money off the situation makes her more than fair game.

Posted by: Ed Brayton | November 14, 2009 12:12 PM

My gosh, you feel sorry for not-terribly-bright people? You should let their own stupidity weed them out of their own livelihoods.

Posted by: Katharine | November 14, 2009 12:22 PM

Ditto Ed @ 11. Plus she's now advocating that liberal criticism of conservative lies be taken off the air and arguing that criticism of religious ideas have no business being aired out. That gets on the fighting side of me.

Gretchen's right she's in way over her head. Blame that on her parents for indoctrinating her rather than insuring she was educated and blame it on Ms. Prejean for not honestly considering the most cogent criticisms of her and responding with integrity. The reality is she bought into the lie that the world is a certain way and is now being confronted with the fact it most certainly is not.

As someone raised to be fundie, I intimately understand her predicament. Whether she passes or fails this test of character is entirely up to her. It appears to me she's going for fail in a way where she hopes to exploit it financially. From my perspective, that means x number more children's parents will have their worldview reinforced in a manner that encourages them to continue to indoctrinate their kids rather than educate them. In addition, the media's celebration of her will also reinforce such behavior in the kids themselves. That reality is worthy enough to continue stridently castigating her (realizing no one in this forum is arguing we shouldn't).

I appreciate feeling badly from her. If her reaction was one of honor I'd defend her, but the fact her reaction is attack others causes me to worry far more for the kids she harms than for Ms. Prejean.

Posted by: Michael Heath | November 14, 2009 12:28 PM

I thought about reading her book, but decided not to because reviewers say the writing is abysmal, and it was written before this whole sex tape thing happened. But I did write an open letter to her.

Posted by: Gretchen | November 14, 2009 12:59 PM

I'd actually be surprised if Ms. Prejean wrote a single word in her book.

Posted by: Sadie Morrison | November 14, 2009 1:06 PM

I think it's terrible how people are taking away her right to Free Speech. She should go on TV to tell us all about it. A bunch more times.

Posted by: Modusoperandi | November 14, 2009 1:09 PM

I feel a little bad for the girl at this point.

I don't. Not even a little bit.

The double-standard she applied to gay people blew up in her face and she deserves whatever she gets, especially now that she's trying to cash in her victim card. As a bonus, now she knows what it's like having other people invade and disparage the most private part of your life. It's a shame that she's too much of a hypocrite to learn from it, but that's her problem.

This Soup segment pretty much sums it up (except for that they were a lot nicer than I would have been).

You know what that is? Pure, unadulterated, manipulative bullshit. She goes on a national show where the whole fucking point is to be asked questions, and when King asks her a question she doesn't like, Prejean scolds like he's some drunk bum trying to touch her boob. Victim my ass.

Posted by: Leni | November 14, 2009 1:16 PM

I propose we hijack the meaning of the word 'slut' to make it mean, instead, a person of either sex who preaches against sex but then has a sex life which dwarfs even us liberals in its practice of all sorts of kink.

Posted by: Katharine | November 14, 2009 2:03 PM

@Michael Heath,

"I don't expect standards from Mr. Hannity but I do from NBC."

Um, why? Honestly: Why?

I have a saying that I repeat to myself, it covers the same ground as the "Serenity Payer":

"Stress happens when expectations do not match reality."

Of all the commenters I read here, and most anywhere, you seem to be the most level-headed and rational. If you were to start your own blog and/or aggregator site, I think you'd do phenomenally well.

There is a market for well-reasoned reporting and commentary, just not on the commercial airwaves. I know I'd learn from it, just as I do from most of your comments.

Thanks,

Posted by: 10000li | November 14, 2009 2:12 PM

I agree. That little hissy fit--coupled with everything else--cemented her as a thoroughly unsympathetic character in my eyes.

Posted by: Sadie Morrison | November 14, 2009 2:29 PM

I like the time traveler theory.

Posted by: Gretchen | November 14, 2009 2:32 PM

I honestly just don't think she has any idea what she's getting into. She doesn't even appear to be able to recognize obvious contradictions in what she's saying half the time, or to be able to follow through with an argument from premises to conclusion. I just can't bring myself to attack her too viciously.

Posted by: Tyler DiPietro | November 14, 2009 6:01 PM

Re 10000li

I second the motion that Mr. Michael Heath should start his own blog. I would certainly be a daily visitor.

Posted by: SLC | November 14, 2009 6:07 PM

She doesn't even appear to be able to recognize obvious contradictions in what she's saying half the time...

Psssst... that's probably because she's a hypocrite.

Anyway, I might have felt sorry for her had she not become a paid spokesperson for the National Organization for Marriage and a virtual poster girl for the campaign against equality. She knows enough to take money from those bastards and that's enough of an excuse for her to get both barrels as far as I'm concerned.

Posted by: Leni | November 14, 2009 6:35 PM

So she's going to be Sarah Palin's running mate in 2012, right? There's a sex tape that will make you gag.

Posted by: BaldApe | November 14, 2009 10:39 PM

Some time back I suggested to Michael Heath that if he felt he didn't have time to do a blog that he could write really good shit and send it to me. I would then put it on MY blog and tell people it was my work. Unfortunately, on top of being smart, Mr. Heath has a integritivenessousity and that is a dangerous mix.

Ms. Prejean? She deserves to take her nice storeboughts and the swimsuit she fills them with over to the Lake of Fire! Yowsuh!!

Posted by: democommie | November 14, 2009 11:43 PM

So Carrie (bucket 'o blood) Prejean* thinks discussing the sex tape she made with Sean Hannity was "The Worst Mistake Of Her Life"?
I certainly can't fault her logic, and here was I thinking that she was stupid. ;) -DJ
--------------
*The one that Mr. Bek has not denied "got away".

PS: When the tape hits the Intertubes will it be titled "Carrie: Sans Jeans"?

Posted by: DingoJack | November 15, 2009 12:46 AM

I agree completely with 1000li, SLC and democommie regarding a blog for Mr. Heath. I would also be a regular visitor and probably make myself considerably smarter for doing so!

Posted by: Satcomguy | November 15, 2009 1:12 AM

Gretchen @14:

Good letter (and I like your avatar!).

Posted by: Satcomguy | November 15, 2009 1:17 AM

Translation of Katharine @12: All people who aren't very bright deserve neither sympathy nor livelihoods. You're all heart, Katharine.

Posted by: daniel rotter | November 15, 2009 2:41 AM

I'm with those who feel Prejean should get no sympathy. She should be laughed at and ridiculed for her over the top hypocrisy at every opportunity until we overload and fry her persecution/martyrdom complex in the same way she overloaded and fried our irony meters. If her frail ego can't take it, then she should either 1) quit being a hypocrite about people's sex lives, or 2) disappear from the public spotlight. She's had her 15 minutes. If she wants another 15, she can do more of her amateur porn, but no more of this moralizing defender of traditional Christian values bullshit.

Posted by: AL | November 15, 2009 3:15 AM

Translation of Katharine @12: All people who aren't very bright deserve neither sympathy nor livelihoods. You're all heart, Katharine.

She does not have a cognitive impairment, she has a fundamentally defective way of looking at the world and relating to facts, feelings, and people. This is completely within her control to change.

Posted by: Azkyroth | November 15, 2009 2:09 PM

Meh. I was a huge moron when I was 20. Fortunately that moronitude wasn't put on national display.

Posted by: steve s | November 15, 2009 5:16 PM

"I agree completely with 1000li, SLC and democommie regarding a blog for Mr. Heath. I would also be a regular visitor and probably make myself considerably smarter for doing so!

Posted by: Satcomguy | November 15, 2009 1:12 AM"

Michael Heath and glen davison could compete to see who can take the longest to say something. Then at the last minute, they're both beaten by Steven den Beste.

Posted by: steve s | November 15, 2009 5:19 PM

I think Michael Heath should keep posting his comments here, because I already have too many blogs in my google reader list.

Posted by: llewelly | November 15, 2009 6:36 PM

I suspect the other 7 sex tapes are looming large in Ms Prejean's 'mistake' list as well....

Posted by: MikeMa | November 15, 2009 7:00 PM

steve s.:

Thank you for your insightful comment. You are, of course, under no obligation to read them, just as no one else is under an obligation to give a fuck what YOU think.

Posted by: democommie | November 15, 2009 7:48 PM

Demo - lay off Stave, already.
Hands up all those (assuming you're over 30, say) who didn't act like a moran in their twenties. ... Yep, I thought so.
The difference being, I'm guessing, that you weren't trying for your 15 seconds of fame by making hypocritical moral pronouncements about things that were none of your concern. I'm also betting that when criticised for your ignorant bleating, you didn't whine about how the 'evil liberal media' were picking on you just because you were a Xtian Fundie trying to emulate a Barbie doll, and put your publicists and your hairstylist into 'purer-than-the-driven-snow martyr' mode. Then, oops, out pops the sex-tape, just in time to prove what a complete hypocrite you truly are.
In short, she's young and foolish, but she brought it all on herself. Mock away.
(Just my $0.0184) - DJ

Posted by: DingoJack | November 15, 2009 8:38 PM

I saw this and my first thought was, "Carrie Prejean made a sex tape with Sean Hannity?"

Liberal Tree-Hugger: "Save the whales!"
Regressive Douchebag: "FUCK the whales! Praise Jesus!"
Carrie Prejean: "Well...okay, if you say so. He DID say 'praise Jesus' after all."

Posted by: Azkyroth | November 16, 2009 12:21 AM