Our loss and our embarrassment because no one needs Whora on their side. For those unfamiliar with Whora's biggest 'feminist' contribution, it was promoting a false 'study' that imploded (spousal abuse and the Superbowl). For much of the 90s, any true feminist study, any true study on gender differences in pay, in advancement, etc. was mocked and ignored thanks to Whora's 'help.'
Were we conspiracy theorists like Whora's nutty uncle Alexander Cockburn (or like Whora herself who used one Saturday of RadioNation with Laura Flanders one Saturday to 'explain' that the destruction in New Orleans was not from Hurricane Katrina but from hidden explosives set off by the government), we'd insist that Whora's pose of feminist is nothing but an attempt to derail and defocus feminism. Instead, we'll just note that 'helper' Laura's never really helped women. We'll further note that even Whora seems to grasp how nutty she's become. In the recent weekly GRIMEtv, Whora's clip-job effort at a weekly best-of, she not only invited the audience to "call me crazy," she also wondered "am I losing it?"
Admitting the problem, Whora, is the first step to recovery.
And there are so many problems with Whora. At the end of her interview with the over-exposed Dean Baker, she boasted, "You can see more interviews with Dean Baker and get links to his work at our website." That's really nothing to brag about, Whora.
We make the world we want. Whora's in NYC. She's surrounded by colleges and investment analysts. She can't find a woman of any color to bring on as her economic guest? That's alleged 'feminist' Whora for you, always re-enforcing the system that rewards the White, straight male and shoves everyone else into a niche. "He's our economist here," bragged Whora. You get what you settle for.
Which is why she brought on fellow-political closet case Bill Fletcher to discuss the passing of two people. Which two people? Let's see, Bill Fletcher is African-American so your first guess shouldn't be Dennis Hopper and Rue McClanahan. That's right, in Whora's mind, African-Americans can only speak to the deaths of other African-Americans. White Anglos -- watch her show, you'll see it -- can weigh in on the death of anyone of any color but African-Americans, in Whora's mind, must be restricted to speaking only of their own race. Dorothy Height and Benjamin Hooks passed away and Bill Fletcher was brought on to comment.
Uh, Farai Chideya?
Whora insisted in the intro taped for this clip-job that Fletcher and Chideya ("TV host Farai Chideya") would be featured. Instead, the clip of the segment on Height and Hooks featured only Fletcher indicating Whora is highly comfortable rendering women invisible -- especially women of color. (Chideya showed up for the final segment which was an embarrassment as Whora and Chideya likened the Tea Party to the KKK. As if political rallies, that was the danger from the KKK?)
Rendering invisible?
How about LGBT? Though mentioned third on the intro, they weren't the third segment. The Height and Hooks tribute was. They weren't even the fourth segment.
The Height and Hooks segment was followed with crap about gun rallies that quickly morphed into "gay priests" with "boyfriends." From 'expert' John Fugelsang. Who? A bit player in Coyote Ugly or, as Whora billed him, a comedian and "a many time graduate of Bill Maher." A many time graduate of Bill Maher? That would explain the homophobic stereotypes (at this late date, no one should be equating pedophillia with same-sex attraction between adults). Noted sexist Bill Maher hates women and that's why we got Fugelsang -- on 'feminist' Whora's show -- 'explaining' that the Republican Party will never take abortion rights away. Really?
Never?
That's interesting. We wonder what Whora's sometime-guest Katha Pollitt would have said had she been present for that assertion.
It's interesting who is present. When the show was winding down, the LGBT story finally aired. Where were the six? Those people (male and female -- "service men and women" insisted one guest) were not aired, were not present. Instead, Queers For Economic Justice' Kenyon Farrow and Voice of Broadway Joel Silberman. Who? Exactly. And his 'radio voice' was laughable. It was hammy, it was theatrical, it was embarrassing.
Neither Farrow nor Silberman were among the six arrested at the White House. Why were they on? At one point, Whora played a clip of the Barbara Boxer rally Barack spoke at in April where Kip Williams (GetEQUAL) called him out. That was the closest the show got to the voices of the activists involved.
Which brought to mind the second segment, the one where Whora 'explained' that Earth Day was having it's 30th anniversary only to be corrected that it was "actually the 40th anniversary of Earth Day." The correction was offered by faux journalist (when you're a kept-whore on George Soros' dime, don't expect anyone to take you seriously) Mark Hertsgaard and "Kit" (Katherine) Kennedy of the weak-ass NRDC. At one point, offering some (weak) criticism of Barack Obama, Whora tossed to Kennedy who sniffed that she wasn't present to mind read or criticize Barack. Hertsgaard also demurred.
That was embarrassing. But shameful?
Whora insisting "but people outside of Washington, let's talk about the movements that exist." The same Whora who claims her show is "putting the public back in the public debate."
When?
For an environmental segment, she has no activist present. She has an alleged journalist and a professional lobbyist. For the segment on the LGBT protests, the one she promised would allow you to hear from "six" LGBT members who were arrested demanding the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, she featured a blogger and the head of an LGBT organization. They weren't the six arrested. She wondered why the sea of change, the difference between GetEQUAL and the laughable HRC? But she wasn't asking the people involved.
For all her people-power talk and all her pretense to democracy, Whora's not interested and has never been. Her appalling 2008 behavior is finally explained: She sees no future. She can't reshape the world because she can't see a new one. She's unable to do anything but mimic the world around her with all its imbalance while pretending to rally against it.
