Of all the things that could have caused Andrew Sullivan to blow his top about Barack Obama, it’s the charming “Access Hollywood” interview with the whole Obama clan that did it:
I can barely credit that Michelle Obama agreed to this and that Barack Obama went along with it–it’s not what they would have done a few months ago. One great aspect of the Obama marriage has been the way in which they appear to have brought up their daughters as very regular girls, down-to-earth, normal and sane. Displaying them in this way was bad judgment and poor parenting. Fame is a toxin. Children deserve to be protected from it as much as they would from lead paint.
Oh, please. Could you tone down the sanctimony a smidgen? There’s a pretty basic, universally-agreed-upon first step in protecting your child from fame’s toxic effects: Don’t run for the most powerful office in the world. Not doing Access Hollywood is, of course, second. And can someone check the lead paint readings at the Atlantic offices?
Maybe if we withhold oxygen he’ll be less likely to make some stupid political statement in the middle of the Super Bowl. Which would really be for the best.
… that and sawgrass for his prostate and Preparation-H for his flaring ‘rhoids and moonshine for his rheumatism and whatever else 90-year olds to stay functional.
Everything in the world is important and interesting—with one exception: sports.
Return to your stamp collection, George.
Was that one song slipped in for The One?
And what was with NBC refusing to put the camera on Little Steven. Was his fly open or something? He would have gotten zero face time, but for Bruce and him singing Glory Days and forcing the camera on the two of them.
And didn’t Little Steven have a problem with Disney years ago? I noticed Bruce gave a plug to the park.
I guess I’m the only Springsteen fan who reads Commentary Magazine. He’s still The Man.
#2 Viagra. You forgot the Viagra…
What exactly was he trying to prove?
Does he have children? How sad for them.
What was up with that knee slide thing he did into the camera?
The saxophonist was the bomb, and I did not vote for Obomba…
What an exciting Super Bowl. Who watches the Half Time stuff?
I have seen Bruce many times. I am a fan. Not only that, I have seen Pete Seger a few times too–and I will admit I like some of his stuff, especially when he does Guthrie. I still read Commentary and disregard their politics.
It is getting harder with the politics with Bruce. Maybe it is just me. I am reading Commentary.
Joe,
You can have “the boss”, but I have to agree with you about Pete Seeger. “Useful idiot” he was, for sure, but one hell of a banjo player and a true lover of core American music. Woody Guthrie’s politics were for the soft of head, most of John Dos Passos’ best work was done before he “saw the light”, and Ezra Pound was a Nazi. We just have to cut really talented artists some slack, I guess.
I’m perfectly happy to make a bargain in which truly talented artists can believe whatever nonsense they want, as long as they shut up about it. But I guess that ain’t likely to happen.
A Trivial Observation.
What everyone expects from John P. Normanson, The Queen of the Trivial Observation.
Norm and Midge must be so proud.
Pink-nailed jealousy did not become the original ben-David either.
“COMMENTARY is an act of faith in the importance and transformative effect of ideas, set out in the form of carefully crafted and highly nuanced argument that seeks to engage the reader not viscerally but intellectually, not by provoking unreasoning anger but by stimulating sober reflection. Indeed, you might say COMMENTARY is an expression of faith in the act of reading itself, in its unparalleled capacity to enlarge the perspective and knowledge of those for whom reading is an activity as central to their lives as the drawing of breath.”
Who wrote those words?
“Somebody ought to give Bruce Springsteen some oxygen or something.”
And who wrote these words?
George has a stamp from Bolivia that will blow your socks off, Atticus.
This super bowl featured Olby, Lauer, Obomber and Springsteen. I like football but those 4, Ugh, gag me. I watched the Australian Open.
A wheezer from a geezer. Glad I was not the only one to notice how out of breath he was. Remember, getting a Super Bowl gig is confirmation of your decline. Actually performing at the Super Bowl is confirmation of the confirmation.
Queen of the Supermarket – Working On A Dream…
…The newest Bruce Springsteen awesome disc, ‘Working On A Dream’, is published January 27th. I have had the pleasure of enjoying it but I had to listen to it on headphones……