Apologies are in order
July 12, 2009 9:11 pm ET by Jamison Foser
Let's be clear about who objectified a 17 year old girl at last week's G-8 summit.
It wasn't President Obama. It was ABC's Jake Tapper and FOX News and the New York Post and right-wing bloggers like Ann Althouse (seriously, get a load of the crazy on display here.)
They treated this junior G-8 delegate as an object - for all the world to see - simply so they could crack some stupid jokes about President Obama, or to score some infintismaly small (and false) point against a political figure they don't like.
And then when it was debunked, they just said, essentially, "Oh, we hadn't see the video yet. Bygones." Well, no. The smear of Obama is already out there; a young woman was already dragged into a ridiculous story that treated her as an object rather than a person. That can't be undone.
Is it really that hard for professional journalists to understand that they shouldn't have peddled this non-story before they actually reviewed the video to see if there was anything to it? Tapper, at least, should already have learned a lesson about watching video before passing on bogus claims about it.
But, having pushed the photo, it isn't enough to now say "never mind." They owe their viewers, President Obama, and the young woman an apology.
UPDATE: I should have made this clear earlier, but Reuters bears ultimate responsiblity for this mess. Reuters originally distrubted the highly misleading photo in question, and they should have known it would be misinterpreted by some and used in an opportunistic way by others. Whether it was a simple mistake on their part, or a calculated effort to get attention for their photo, they did a big thing badly, and should be first in line with an apology.
Where are the comebacks and the fight from the Democratic leadership to push back against this kind of outrageous behavior from the meida, being slaves to right-wing slander like this?
You are so right on. Why is Media Matters doing the tough work for the democratic pols? Anybody seen anyone's balls?
Great question. Are the dems so beaten down by the corporate media that they've lost their balls? Or are they just really stoopid? One or the other.
Obama is the only Dem out there with any real spine. But this is just too small an issue to be worth HIS time. And anyone else would just sound like a whiner. They just can't do false outrage as well as the conservatives can.
I would add Dr. Dean and Biden to that list.
Biden... I disagree with you. Don't get me wrong, I have a great deal of respect the Vice President, but without Obama I just don't see him as national leadership material. I think he's a really smart guy, and has very good judgment of people, and as someone (myself) who is prone to saying whatever's on their minds, open and honestly, I certainly don't hold THAT against him. But politically... I don't see anything that seperates him from all the other lapdogs(-D) in the Congress still pandering for (largely uneccessary) Republican and Conservative approval, as if they STILL haven't figured out that THEY WON.
And I could be wrong. That's just the impression I get form those guys. What I wouldn't give for a dozen more with the courage, intelligence, conviction and charisma of President Obama. (Who knows, maybe Franken? We'll see.) ;)
The Dems do need some Colbert-esque b*lls.
It was clear that the other world leader captured in that video was looking at the young woman. It was not clear that Obama was.
And it's clear that it was a matter of attacking the person, attacking Obama, that was the goal here of the person who pushed the single frame from the video.
Luckily for the young woman, we'll forget her soon, but she'll always remember that instead of being valued for her intellect or her contributions, she was solely judged on her body.
That's the shame that Drudge and Tapper et al have tied around their necks.
A bunch of sick puppies over there. Even after seeing the video that thoroughly disproves the depiction of Obama in the photo, Ann Althouse still claims that the video didn't sway her opinion one bit.
This is the kind of idiocy that Media Matters is trying to combat.
Unlike the rest of us, RWnuts can simply ignore reality.
He is one of the filthiest punks in the corporate media.
When I first saw the picture, it appeared to look like it was a still, not a frame from a video.
And in any case, what should the apology be? "We're sorry that we showed our viewers a picture that gave some a chuckle, a picture that suggested that the president is heterosexual, a picture that suggested the young lady was successful in shopping for appealing attire" just doesn't seem to be worth much air time.
And an apology to the young woman for identifying her in that way.
And an apology to Obama for presenting him that way.
And an apology to their viewers for jumping to a conclusion without a good foundation.
See, that was easy if you aren't a rightwinger, determined to make Obama look as bad as possible, and determined to snow as many viewers as possible.
After reading the comments though, it occurred to me that it's refreshing to see that conservatives are finally learning that it's okay to disagree when your side isn't in power. They seem to be realizing that you can be opposed and it doesn't make you a traitor after all. They finally seem to understand that you can state your opinion and it doesn't make you a Nazi or a Communist, it doesn't mean you should be rounded up and locked away or shot, it doesn't mean you hate America. Let's just hope they remember what they're learning now the next time the worm turns.
Gosh, check out the family values on this real American.