"Riffed from the Headlines" is Townhall's daily VIP feature with coverage of the deeply flawed aspects of journalism in the nation. We'll look to bring accountability to the mishaps, malaprops, misdeeds, manipulations, malpractice, and manufactured narratives in mainstream media.
09.01.22
Low Octane Gas Lighting – CNN
- This concept of uniting via division is interesting, we'd like to hear more…
It was just last week when Don Lemon was all excited about President Biden calling many Republicans "fascists," So much so that he was stepping on Karine Jean-Pierre trying to get her to repeat the accusation. Well, Don is back at it again, this time trying to move on to a grand suggestion – Joe Biden segmenting a large portion of Americans as fostering fascistic behavior is actually a unifying message.
Don Lemon actually argued that Joe Biden calling most Republicans "fascists" is actually a unifying message.
— Lie-Able Sources (@LieAbleSources) September 1, 2022
He is probably still trying to make sense of that in his mind... pic.twitter.com/Ri4gKpdZkm
Glossary Over Things – TIME MAGAZINE
Possibly the biggest tell that the whole trans social movement is about control and imbalanced attention is that there is never a set standard that can be agreed upon. It seems that every time a demand surfaces regarding the proper address of individuals, once that is accepted or at least tolerated, suddenly, a new command comes out. Naming, gender assignation, language terms, and biology definitions have all been brought out as items that need to be adjusted to suit the latest declaration.
Now, it seems that pronouns, which had been settled upon once before, are again getting their adjustment.
- "In the 2019 illustrated graphic memoir, Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, explores eir process of coming out as nonbinary and asexual."
TIME spoke to "Gender Queer" author and illustrator Maia Kobabe on about eir work, the efforts to restrict access to eir writing, and what ey make of the current cultural moment https://t.co/JLdmgu5lCL
— TIME (@TIME) September 1, 2022
That Time Magazine resorts to this unironically is the real joy. There is a small level of curiosity over what exactly the problem is with "th" in an already neutralized pronoun. But asking the question would likely lead to a discussion about the process, leading to em explaining it all.
Both Kinds Of Standards – MSNBC
- "Yes, he's been so mean to you - but your mean tweets have been great.
In Pennsylvania, the media continues to pretend that John Fetterman is not a case of a man clearly impacted by the stroke he recently endured. About the only time journalists have been willing to mention the episode is when they want to suggest that his opponent Dr. Mehmet Oz has been severely disrespectful and outright attacking Fetterman over his issue.
Fetterman himself has been taking to the cameras – sort of – to say that Oz has been crude with his campaign. But last night on "The 11th Hour" with Stephanie Ruhle, they had a gushing little segment about how masterful Fetterman has been with his aggressive and mean commercials.
It has been so crude and reprehensible how Dr. Oz has been campaigning against John Fetterman.
— Lie-Able Sources (@LieAbleSources) September 1, 2022
But hey, John -- how about that "hardcore trolling" you have been engaged in! Nice going, brother! pic.twitter.com/X1NOgCERhx
DNC PR Firm – CNN
- Willing to address the violent history of just one candidate.
In the Georgia Senate race, Herschel Walker has really raised the ire of the press. The latest focus has been on his possible violent spousal past. It appears to be a topic of concern for the media. Wait – that is not entirely accurate. His opponent, Raphael Warnock, also has a troubling past of this very sort, but somehow the disqualifying aspect only applies to Walker.
Kasie Hunt, while filling in for Jake Tapper, was sure to highlight the Walker spousal controversy and went further – she ran the attack ad against him that comes from the spousal abuser Raphael Warnock.
CNN airing Democrat attack ads for FREEEE! Kasie Hunt on the Jake Tapper show played a brutal anti-Herschel Walker ad by the "Georgia Honor" PAC.
— Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) September 1, 2022
Maybe a GOP PAC can do an ad on Warnock's ex-wife saying Warnock ran over her foot with his car. CNN wouldn't air that for free. pic.twitter.com/YgpYSeaa7L
Legalized Press-titution – VOICE OF AMERICA
We'll leave it to you which is more amusing. You have Bill Kristol – essentially painted into a corner after his passionate support for Biden in the election – giving effusive praise of our inept leader, trying to suggest the man raging about "semi-fascists" and claiming half the country wants violence is about to be thoughtful about politics:
- "It is striking President Biden is going to go there and give a speech, which is kind of an attempt to paint a big-picture view of where we are as a nation. I think it's appropriate for the president to say, 'Let's step back here, and let's be cautious about what we're risking. And let's be thoughtful about the way in which we conduct our politics.'"
Then you have VOA describing Kristol as a "prominent neoconservative political analyst."
“It is striking President Biden is going to go [to Independence Hall]…It’s appropriate for the president to say, ‘Let's step back, and let's be cautious about what we're risking. And let's be thoughtful about the way in which we conduct our politics.’” https://t.co/lUvKC1WRS6
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) September 1, 2022
