Weekly Roundup, June 18-24, 2012

by Blueberry T

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Known Cheat Todd Palin on “Stars Earn Stripes”

As if there have not been enough Palins making fools of themselves on “reality” TV, Todd Palin will be one of the contestants on an upcoming series called “Stars Earn Stripes.”  Gag me.  Kathleen sends out a message to the other contestants to watch out, because Todd was caught cheating during the 2007 Iron Man race.  H/T to KatieAnnieOakley, who pointed out these comments from the racers.  (BBT: I wonder how many times he wasn’t caught.)  He will compete against some very accomplished athletes, so that part, at least, might be interesting to see, in a train-wreck sort of way.  The only thing that saved me regarding this news was Leadfoot’s great comment:  “I love how in the photo they are all supposed to look athletic and intense yet Todd just looks constipated.  HAHAHAHA.”  She was just getting warmed up…

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Bristol:  Life is a Tragedy

Leadfoot and Bella are back with another wonderful review of the Palin’s version of reality!  Spoiler alert: the woe-is-me-life-is-so-hard theme starts with the music and never stops.  Let’s see.  Life is trying to break Bristol, but she is going to tough it out in fancy houses in LA and Wasilla and gay bars by being “hard-working and humble and taking risks.”  (Well, we’ll grant her the last of those, but the first two are gag-inducing.)  Leadfoot deconstructs Bristol’s supposedly altruistic move to LA for what it is:  a stolen idea for a TV show, with the charity involving additions to Bristol’s bank account. She refers to her son Tripp as “it” and has to drag this 3-year-old to LA to show him the world.  Sarah approves of her bringing (a chubbier) Willow along to take care of Tripp, even though Bristol says Willow teaches him to do bad things.  Since I can’t recapture Leadfoot’s wit here, please do yourself the favor of reading her review, which blends in the backstory and is far more entertaining than the whine-fest itself.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Mitt as Laughing Stock

Sunnyjane shows Mitt Romney for what his son Tagg predicted:  a laughing stock.  The family film, “The Decision,” sets a new standard for dull inanity.  You will hear Ann talk about their stressful life and how they were going to be so challenged by running but “we’ll survive,” and how hard it is to keep the place clean and how she had to cook the sweet potatoes and bring them from Boston because she wouldn’t have any time once they got to Utah – all against the backdrop of their lavish ski home and furnishings, while talking to a videographer who just happened to be filming their family’s Christmas gathering.  She makes it sound like life is so tough!  But the real revelation is that SOMEBODY thought this was interesting enough to film and put out in public.  Wow, that right there shows how out of touch the Romneys are.  But I digress from sunnyjane’s excellent post, showing Mitt’s “common touch,” or shall we say utter disconnect from real people?  How he’s “unemployed” just like so many Americans; believes in an America mumbo jumbo; and his mind-numbing efforts to engage in banter with actual people, with whom he is obviously unfamiliar and uncomfortable.  Sunnyjane says it so well, with just the right level of snarky insight and indignation… enjoy!   

  

Friday, June 22, 2012

Bristol’s Show,Episode 1, Spreading her _____ (fill in the blank; hint: it’s not “wings”)

Need a good laugh?  Check out Anne S’s post summarizing Bristol’s latest whine fest on LifetimeTV.  Anne boils down the episode to the main themes.  I promise you, you will do yourself a huge favor by taking in this and rather than watching “Life’s a Tripp,” which as you’ll see below, has some very dark and perverse footage that displays the Palin pathology for all to see. 

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Lifetime TV presents Bristol’s abuse of Tripp as entertainment

Patrick’s post shows the emotional abuse served on Tripp Johnston by his mother, Bristol Palin, in the context of the history of the obsessive, abusive behavior by the Palin family in “Troopergate.”  The judge in the Wooten divorce case told the Palins in no uncertain words to stop disparaging Mike Wooten, because he explicitly said insulting a parent is child abuse.  How much clearer do they need things to be in order to Make.It.Stop.?  Seriously, what needs to happen at this point is Tripp needs to be taken away from Bristol.  She is badly damaged goods, and she is damaging Tripp in such horrible ways that it makes me and a number of our readers physically ill.  It is sickening to watch as Bristol not only talks about Levi in the most derogatory way imaginable, but then ups the ante by actually shooting Levi’s book.  This is entertainment?  Please.  That is sick.  Let Lifetime TV know that their show crosses the line (@LifetimeTV on Twitter).  Petition, anyone?  Let’s make this go viral. 

Some Comments and Links:  A quick note from BBT – there were so many really heartfelt and wise comments this week, showing Politicalgate readers’ concern and compassion for Tripp... this is but a small sample.  Also, many thanks to our readers who shared their personal experiences of growing up with abusive parents.   

Maelewis:  …Here is another example of why people really do have to think before they speak-- or act. Bristol had second thoughts about doing her reality show.  "If I would have known it was my own name and so much in my life is gonna  be shown on this show, I think I would reconsider it and think about it
more," Palin said last week." … Welcome to the big old tough world, Bristol, where people have every right to criticize you because you chose to put some doctored, made up version of your "life" on TV. If you didn't want to put your own life (and Tripp's) on TV for people to see, then you should have followed your own [scripted] advice, "Pause before you Play." … It's called maturity-- thinking about what will the results would be if you do something, and how it will affect others and yourself. Grow up!  [And later:]   What is it about the Palin Family that makes them want to appear on a fake TV reality show and then protest about how they resent the media invading their privacy?  They really are a tabloid TV joke.

CacklingRad:  OMG! These people truly have no shame. Our only hope is that since they will obviously do anything for money, eventually one of them will be willing to spill the truth about Trig, if the price is right.  [Later:]  I think of all the times I've heard mothers say to their children, "Don't be rude! Don't stick your tongue out! Don't make faces!" Yet here we see Bristol TEACHING Tripp to be rude and ugly to people. It's the Palin way; they train them from the time they're young. And they're proud of it!

BfromC:  Trig will be the star of a new reality show based on the popular children's book "Are You My Mother?"  Each week he will be introduced to a sister, aunt, or nanny, and try to connect and guess if this person is his birth mother.  Sarah will not be involved.

JCos:  Let's be honest. Tawd and Sarah belong on Stars Wear Stripes.  [And, re Bristol’s show:]  On reflection, it must be difficult to act lonely and at loose ends, when there's a camera person, sound technician, hair and make-up person(s), continuity person, paramedic(s), director, producer, agent, publicist, legal advisor, safety and standards inspector, security, housekeeper, caterers, (real) nanny, assorted crew members, one bitch of a mother and an entourage of fellow Wasilla highschool dropouts tramping in and out of your mansion all day.

Sunnyjane:  I truly think that farce the other night should have been titled, Life's A Bitch and So Am I.

Jane:  Bristol shot herself in the foot big-time with a 3-way bullet as a result of this disaster… First, she allegedly established that she steals other people's work…Stealing other people's work is a huge no-no in the creative community. Second, she proved that she fails to show up for interviews – even when they are scheduled to be shown on television (Huckabee). Mike Huckabee had a trail of e-mails showing that Bristol's claim she wasn't contacted was unsubstantiated. Third, as it relates to the Huckabee instance, Bristol shows that her word is not to be trusted… I didn't mention the fourth and fifth bullets: the show stinks – and Bristol appeared to project all her failures onto others by being the mean girl.

Peacepax:   I was prepared to be shocked [by clip from Bristol about Levi], but I am horrified.  Why in the world is this evil footage being shown on Television?  Its satanic.  Even if the program is pulled instantly, that child has been permanently  harmed. Seriously, what is the purpose of this show ????  It is not entertainment. It numbs the mind and the soul.  It is beyond belief. I didn't really just see that, did I? For the sake of humanity, I hope not.

Maelewis:   Lifetime should not be giving Bristol a platform to insult Levi publicly. It's one thing if Bristol wants to show that she can shoot a rifle, hug her child or blunder through life in LA. That's supposed to be entertainment. It is not entertaining when Lifetime offers one side of a parental dispute over custody. Even The Peoples Court shows both sides.

Older_Wiser:  …Both of these women have a slothful attitude, no energy--it's just a bitch-fest about someone else and not addressing real concerns that a more mature, concerned parent would have.  They throw their own dysfunction in Tripp's face, and to me, that's abusing an innocent child.  I just don't think dysfunction is entertainment, no matter what show it is and I think the public is tired of it, too.  

Psalm023:  Lifetime should be sued for aiding and abetting an abusive parent.    Did they get a written agreement by Tripp's father, Levi to this spectacle?    If not, he has every right to sue.

Dizlz:  A copy of their child custody agreement has been viral for a couple years.  It states beyond a shadow of a doubt that neither party is to disparage each other or their families and further warnings about potential exploiting of the child.  If this doesn't drive Levi Johnston to make a legal move, I don't know what it would take.  We, as strangers, can be aghast, offended and disgusted but it's up to the one with legal standing to enforce this agreement in protection of this innocent child who is being emotionally abused.   One would think even a child has the right to a measure of privacy and not be forced to be a party to the airing of the family's dirty laundry solely for financial gain.

DebinWI:  She complains endlessly about people hating/bashing her mother, yet it's okay for her to bash his father??? What a psycho!  

Kathleen:  I was shocked that the producer filmed this with Tripp sitting on her knee taking in every word. Lifetime obviously has no morals. It is more interested in sensationalism than the effects that such a conversation might have on that innocent little kid.

Zane1:  What a mess.  They are trying to air their dirty laundry for public sympathy. Bristol & Willow feed each other lines & completely ignore Tripp.  Bristol is not parenting.  She is obsessing over Levi & not even interacting with Tripp.  Most definitely playing the victim.  It she has issues regarding all of this she should go & see a family therapist & learn some coping skills to deal with it not bring it to the public arena.  Shame on Lifetime for airing this crap.

ToesintheSand (from a very moving longer comment):  I am seriously having a pain in my heart for this young boy. THIS is what he faces by the abuse of his own Mother, her sister and the rest of this family. I am 54 years old and I still cannot come to grips with WHY some woman could hate someone SO MUCH that I do not matter, even being her child. I was a pawn in her destruction and contempt directed at MY Father. I was used. All those wasted years that she could have had a daughter, all those years wasted where I could have had a mother...if she didn't hate my Dad so much. As a child, we do not care what separated our parents when they have problems, we just care about WHO LOVES US. And who keeps us safe. And...who loves us unconditionally. Without it being a game to play. If she would have never said anything bad about my father I would have respected her. I would have loved her. More... for the love of God someone please remove this child from their care…  There is some serious child abuse going on here, right in front of all of America to see…. This is tragic and oh so urgent.

HopeforAmerica reminded us:  Bristol was no stranger to sex, alcohol or drugs as a teen.  At any point she could have taken control of her life. Instead she loves to blame others for her poor choices.

4/18/2007 Bristol to Johnny
tracks little bitch ass decited to tell my parents im a stoner..hes so tight..and when I get home, im gonna kick him in the balls.

On June 25, 2007 she wrote:
ha ha im a slut. but sounds good...what number?

Azure Ghost:  Regarding the quotes from Bristol's book -- I'm speechless.  No loving mother would EVER compare her pregnancy to lung cancer.  WTF?  Exactly how is that supposed to make Tripp feel?  Oh, that's right -- he's the one who should be grateful to Bristol for allowing him to live.  He's the one who has to comfort Bristol because she's sad.  He's the one who has to defend her against the vile paparazzi.  He's her little goldmine and he'd better not get any ideas about keeping that money for himself.  He's going to be one messed-up teenager and an even more dysfunctional adult.

HopeforAmerica linked to this report on Palin’s hypocrisy about drug use.  

Older_Wiser found this on the Palin VP choice “poisoning the well” for other women. 

cheeriogirl linked to the inimitable Margaret and Helen and to this WSJ op-ed saying Republicans should stop obstructing President Obama’s jobs plan.  

Picked up on Twitter:  Stephen Colbert explains “Fast and Furious.”  

Moseyon pointed out this wonderful DailyKos story: Nuns on the Overpass: Question Austerity.  

The REALLY important news was in the comments:

Kathleen:  I am engaged to be married to the sweetest man in the world. He definitely knows how to make me feel so much better! Love you darling!

Patrick:  Ohhhhh...my sweet Kathleen!  I am the lucky one!