"As they passed the rows of houses they saw through the open doors that men were sweeping and dusting and washing dishes, while the women sat around in groups, gossiping and laughing.
"What has happened?" the Scarecrow asked a sad-looking man with a bushy beard, who wore an apron and was wheeling a baby-carriage along the sidewalk.
"Why, we've had a revolution, your Majesty -- as you ought to know very well," replied the man; "and since you went away the women have been running things to suit themselves. I'm glad you have decided to come back and restore order, for doing housework and minding the children is wearing out the strength of every man in the Emerald City."
"Hm!" said the Scarecrow, thoughtfully. "If it is such hard work as you say, how did the women manage it so easily?"
"I really do not know," replied the man, with a deep sigh. "Perhaps the women are made of cast-iron.""
- L. Frank Baum, "The Land of Oz"
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
. . . about Glenn Beck before now. I haven't watched his show recently, but when I did in the past I found him somewhat funny, and someone that I could agree with on a number of things (but not everything, and certainly I could do without the hyperbole).
Then I see this.
I don't really care if other people like soccer or not. I know it doesn't mesh that well with American sports sensibilities and tastes. I used to think it was awfully boring myself.
But to imply that I'm un-American for liking it?
Soccer to me represents the last 8 years of seeing my now twelve-year-old son have an absolute blast - and lots of success - on the field. He's worked his way up to the top team on a local select club and is at the age where things are about to really get interesting out there on the pitch. His dream of dreams would be to play in a World Cup someday, and he and his friends yelled themselves hoarse during the USA-England match at the beginning of World Cup pool play.
I say all that to say this: we bring our experiences, our understandings, and our culture to our sports. Many Europeans think basketball's boring, for instance.
Don't get me wrong - I find humor in American jokes about soccer (so, my facebook friend who has engaged in humor at FutBol's expense, this is not directed at you). But I'm reminded of one time when I was talking to a friend of mine at church, one who was generally very critical of a lot of things (and entering his Calvin Cage-Phase, by the way). I mentioned something about soccer, and he rolled his eyes and said "third world sport" and then started complaining about immigration or something. That had a different "feel", and it wasn't even subtle. It wasn't "I think soccer's dumb". It was UGLY XENOPHOBIC AMERICAN.
So, Glenn Beck, go take a flying leap. The USA made it into the second round today!
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Comments on "I Was Kind Of This Way, That Way . . .":
2. Bobbi
- 06/23/2010 1:25 pm CDT
Sorry guys. We are not sports fans even though my husband was a sports photographer on a daily newspaper a number of years. He kept up on sports while in that job. But when our son chose music over sports my husband was going to start a group called PAS (Parents against sports.) Sometimes parents get too wound up in their children's sports. We are an American family (my husband was in the military at one time, and I was a honorary colonel in ROTC Sponsor Corps.) We just go against the flow!
4. Bill
- 06/23/2010 4:09 pm CDT
Well, I am kind of shallow :-)
In my defense: the last time I watched Beck was way before you and a number of other people started denouncing him. I've been afraid to watch him since then on the off chance that I find out I agree with him . . . ;-)
6. kenleonard
- 06/23/2010 10:07 pm CDT
Every now and then, I try to listen to Glenn Beck, just to see why friends of mine are such fans.
Sometimes, I try to keep track of how long it takes him to say something so disgusting that I can't keep the radio on. (This is my grown-up version of holding my hand over a candle to see how long I can do it.)
Other times, I just get more and more confused about why any Christian listens to his crap.
My favorite is his recent claim to be a prophet.
7. Shrode
- 06/24/2010 12:54 am CDT
First time I heard Beck was about 8 or 9 years ago. All he ever talked about was goofy stuff. It was like a clean version of Howard Stern. He rarely, rarely talked politics. It just wasn't a political show.
I liked him then. He was funny. And it was nice not to hear someone ranting about politics.
Then Rush got in trouble with oxycontin...and Beck defended him...and after that, I noticed Beck started to do more political stuff.
When Beck got his show on Fox news, I quit listening to him on the radio. That's around the time he got really nutty.
Now I can't stand him. What really turns off is his, "I'm not a conspiracy theorist but..." stuff.
"I'm not saying you should sell all your stocks and buy gold because the entire economic system is going to crash but..."
Ugh. He changed.
8. Shrode
- 06/24/2010 1:02 am CDT
And by the way, now that I've said I'm no Beck fan...
I don't think you should take this clip too seriously. This is the equivalent of a couple guys around here or at moot arguing about soccer. I think the tone is clearly friendly, jovial and not totally serious. They're just taking up air time...(I think there's some media strategy going on there too. These guys appear on each others shows...on the same network, to get viewers for the one to view the other. Standard ratings strategy. Plus this kind of thing results in free headlines...equaling free publicity. See, you're just part of the machine now Bill. ;-)
On another note, I'm no soccer fan, but I'd sit through 10 soccer games to avoid one Baseball game. (I guess I really am unamerican.) I spell baseball b-o-r-i-n-g.
9. jen
- 06/24/2010 2:14 pm CDT
Beck does not really think that liking soccer is un-American. He joked about it on the radio show - he is very sarcastic and if you don't hear the whole package in context then there's confusion.
I won't defend him on everything - there are certainly things he says that I disagree with, increasingly more lately. However, like Rush, he will say inflammatory things to get reactions.
He and O'Reilly have become friends and often "argue" on O'Reilly's show. I can't watch the clip linked to, but I'm sure this was one of those times. Beck says over-the-op things to get a reaction from O'Reilly.
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Well Bill, speaking of an earlier post where I decried Christian Moralism in the comments, I've always felt that Mormonism is the natural kind of place that Christian Moralism goes if unchecked.....
...and I've always thought of Glen Beck as the natural spokesperson for that kind of place. He makes my skin crawl.
Glad to hear I disagree with him yet again. The World Cup is very interesting to me, even though I would never before watch a soccer game my kids weren't playing in.
.......but I do agree with Beck about those horrendous horns.