The blogosphere is buzzing over WaPo columnist Richard Cohen's lame attempt at humor, and frankly, a rather pathetic shot at bloggers:
A survey of political bloggers showed that 94 percent of them had never been out of the country or read anything other than a Harry Potter book.
There are a lot of different sites commenting on this, but frankly, I loved Markos Moulitsas' response the most (please excuse the language!):
Remember Richard Cohen?First, let me state my credentials: I am a funny guy. This is well known in certain circles, which is why, even back in elementary school, I was sometimes asked by the teacher to "say something funny" -- as if the deed could be done on demand. This, anyway, is my standing for stating that Stephen Colbert was not funny at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.
Ignore the fact that the guy who has to declare "I am a funny guy" never is (Stephen Colbert has never said the words, "I am a funny guy"). Let's just see that sense of humor in action:A survey of political bloggers showed that 94 percent of them had never been out of the country or read anything other than a Harry Potter book.
He's right! He's fucking hilarious!
It never really surprises me to see beltway journalists taking cheap shots at bloggers, and especially political bloggers. We're their competition. Newspaper sales are dwindling lower and lower, and less and less people are tuning into the big networks. Meanwhile, sites like Daily Kos, Hot Air, and Instapundit, and bloggers like Michelle Malkin, are seeing their hits climb higher and higher and higher. Beltway journalists hate us for that, because the blogosphere is becoming a force to be reckoned with, and the only way they know to deal with it is by taking cheap shots at us.
For the record, I have never been out of the country, no. In my own defense, I'm 23, and not exactly wealthy enough to be able to take off on a vacation overseas whenever I choose, although I am planning a trip next year. And there are so many places I want to go: Egypt, Italy, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, India, Thailand, Australia, Greece... I could go on and on.
And as for reading, yes, I have read the Harry Potter books, but that by far is not indicative of the contents of my library at home. I started reading at four years old, and got yelled at in school all the time for propping up books behind my textbook. I'm an avid reader; everything from political non-fiction to Harry Potter to suspense to historical fiction. If you looked in my apartment, you'd see books everywhere. I love to read. I honestly couldn't tell you how many books I read every year; it'd be hard to keep track.
But, then again, what do we bloggers know? We're uncultured ignoramuses. Maybe Cohen would work with Pat Schroeder on his next column.
Others commenting: Beltway Blogroll, Mary Katharine Ham, Matthew Yglesias, Blog P.I., DailyKos, Eschaton
5 comments:
"I actually agree with Markos Moulitsas on something." Even a blind pig (Markos) can find an acorn every now and then!
C'mon, Cassy. He's just jealous. He hasn't made it past "The Cat in the Hat" yet. Maybe someday he'll be able to understand Harry Potter, too!
Just another inside the beltway elitist.
As they say, even a broken clock is right twice a day. I've read Richard Cohen here and there, and it would seem to me he understands the world outside the newsroom about as well as a toddler understands nuclear physics. Pardon my french, but the term "preening ****bag" comes to mind.
Do the Sunday funnies and old Calvin and Hobbes collections count?
Actually, since you noted you like historical fiction... if you haven't read Jeff Shaara's Rise to Rebellion and The Glorious Cause (highly researched historical novels about the American Revolution), you should put those on your "to read" list. Outstanding books!
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