Non-Think Progress Plays Bash the Bitch

"$2 for workers -- but only if Paris Hilton gets millions"

That's from the Non-Thinkers at Non-Think Progress and a great example of how much the left and "left" can suck. So the Non-Thinkers need to do a story on the minimum wage? (We'll note it's not, "'Congrats America! You're Worth Two Dollars More An Hour!' From the Same Congress That Traffics In Corporate Giveaways!")

The Non-Thinkers, policy wonks wanking off online, need some "sex" to sell their gibberish and what better way than to thumb a ride on the Paris Hilton?

Paris Hilton's been popping up a lot lately and why is that?

If you're reviewing bad reality TV (or bad TV), okay, fair enough. If you're reviewing bad music, she's got a CD due out. If you're reviewing bad horror movies, have at it.

But exactly why is she the pinata of choice for a bunch of men? Do they see her and want to grab their sticks -- their stubby little sticks?

We're not really sure but when The New York Times features one of the regular columnists who doesn't do pop-cult refs and he's got a joking reference to Paris Hilton or when the Non-Thinkers at Non-Think Progress offer up their attempt at a chuckle, we're reminded of nothing so much as the creepy, desperate to be with it uncle who wants to convince the young teenagers that he's still "with it."

Paris Hilton?

"That's so thirty-seconds ago" as the saying went a few years back. (Hey, maybe the Non-Thinkers can trot that out as well?)

What's really going on here?

A woman's being attacked and for what?

For being born into money? The mega-bucks of Paris Hilton were never as large as the press would have you believe. The first hint should have been her career. As Ava and C.I. pointed out in their review of A Simple Life:

We'd love to see a show about the truly wealthy that embarrassed them. But then the truly wealthy have no need to do reality shows.

Good point.

And exactly what has Paris Hilton done that's so much of a crime that the Non-thinkers feel comfortable headlining their supposed economic story with her name in it?

She's a woman. Is that it? Just one more round of bash the bitch?

There are a lot of children of the really rich. There are a lot of big trust fund babies. Big trust funds. Paris Hilton wouldn't make the top twenty and only liars and fools would tell you otherwise.

But she's the face the Non-Thinkers need to drive 'traffic' to their website?

Did we miss it? Did Paris Hilton give an impassioned speech calling for the abolishment of the estate tax?

No, she didn't. She's not very political. If you're going to write about the non-political, by all means include her on the list.

But why is she in the headline of this ecomic wanking? Answer that question.

It's an easy slap-down and once again it's aimed at woman.

In a post written by a poor, working class boy -- to be sure. Because most poor, working-class children go to Harvard right? Attend Georgetown?

Keep that sort of psuedo nonsense up and watch the right-wing scream "class warfare!" and convince a few middle of the roaders.

They may even have a point (especially if they add "led by hypocrites! well funded hypocrites! and big money backed hypocrites!") because Paris Hilton's getting trashed not for anything she did (attempts at acting & singing, sex tapes, etc.) but because of her birth.

Paris Hilton's getting trashed for being born into money? She's not winning the lotto the press would have you believe. (Or the monies the Non-Thinkers at Non-Think Progress would have you believe.) But if you buy into the press-myth, why trash her as class conflict? Especially if you buy into that myth, she is working. She's hardly the poster-child of the ungrateful, non-working heir-to-be.

She's also quite popular. Since the whole point of Non-Think Progress is to get their Non-Thoughts out to a wider audience, do they really think going after Paris Hilton is the way to do it? Their stated goal is: "to advances progressive ideas and policies."

They've failed with this one. They've made themselves look silly. Elite school boy trashes a woman who works for a living. That'll go over big. We asked Ava and C.I. to give us ten names, of men, children of the wealthy, who do nothing and stand to inherit far more than Paris Hilton? They gave us a list of fifty off the top of their heads.

But Non-Think Progress wants to steal from the work of others. They want to use Paris Hilton's name to make a joke that not only isn't accurate but it hasn't been earned by them. Not just because the work required would have led them to other names but because they don't really cover Paris Hilton. It's a little beneath them to address Paris Hilton at other times -- but when they need traffic, they're going to latch on to her name and try to ride her name (which is her name, she worked to establish it -- whatever you think of the work, she did work to establish it) to traffic while apparently non-thinking, "When people see this they are going to be impressed!"

If every elite school boy impressed as often as he hoped there would probably be far fewer Sunday regrets. But they can dream, they can dream.

If there's a reason you're writing about Paris Hilton, use her name. If you're not writing about her and using her to advance your own non-thought, you might want to struggle with actual thought for a few seconds (we know you can do it, 30-seconds of thought, come on we believe in you) to ask: "Will this advance the idea? Am I going to appear hypocritical?"

You're the org that wants to influence people (or at least elections). You think this is the way to go?

With all the money that's poured into the Center for American Progress, it's frightening to realize that this is what is paying for: sexist rounds of bash the bitch aimed at a working woman by an elite school boy.

They even feature a photo of Hilton to really put a (sexist) face on the issue. We would suggest they re-think their shorthand but there's no indication that they ever put thought into it.

Putting a real face on the issue would require work and it's so much easier to raid the work of others apparently.

"If __ didn't exist, they'd have to create" him/her. The Paris Hilton the Non-Think Progress wants to ride the coatails of doesn't exist. They really ought to be ashamed of themselves. Maybe instead of bringing on elite school boys, they could do some real work and go to some of the colleges across the land where real people struggle. Chances are you won't find many there slamming Paris Hilton for whatever benefits birth provided her with.