L.A. Times James Rainey, in Column About Miss California: There Is Far Too Much Discussion of Miss California
The L.A. Times‘s James Rainey sanctimoniously pronounces that Miss California is getting too much attention, and Steve Schmidt is getting too little:
My search engine tells me that Prejean got easily double the news coverage that John McCain’s former campaign manager received when he announced last week that he supported gay marriage.
Well, actually, he first announced this on March 25, which isn’t exactly last week. But who’s counting?
“Denying two consenting adults the right to form a beautiful commitment to one another denies them two of our most natural rights: liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” Steve Schmidt said in a speech imploring Republicans to reconsider their widespread opposition to gay marriage.
Those who have been around Schmidt, whose sister is a lesbian, know he has put considerable thought into his position. But the big, bald politico never won a swimsuit competition. And he didn’t conduct a televised slappy-fight over his beliefs. So his statement quickly disappeared into the media maw.
That’s why Rainey’s column centers on Schmidt’s decision, while giving scant mention to Miss California.
Ha, ha! Just kidding! Actually, his column is all about Miss California, complete with picture:
The bit about Schmidt occupies paragraphs 17-19 in a 24-paragraph column about Miss California.
And the L.A. Times front page at this moment? I just searched it for Steve Schmidt and found nothing. But I did see this:
As far as the big revelation about Steve Schmidt, that must have been covered in the L.A. Times, given its importance to Rainey. After all, it’s not like the L.A. Times is all superficial and stuff.
Whoops! Looks like the only mention of Steve Schmidt in the L.A. Times since March 24 has been in Rainey’s column!
Media critic, criticize thy own paper.
And please: with a great deal less sanctimony. kthxbai
UPDATE: Speaking of Miss California and journalism, there is a raging journalistic debate regarding whether she can claim to be a Christian while posing for pictures like the one below the fold. Feel free to weigh in on this Important Journalistic Question.
There Is Far Too Much Discussion of Miss California
And too few pictures.
Apogee (e2dc9b) — 4/25/2009 @ 12:46 amUpdate added.
Patterico (cc3b34) — 4/25/2009 @ 1:10 amJesus!
Apogee (e2dc9b) — 4/25/2009 @ 1:12 amI see nothing untoward about that photo, but for some reason I am reminded of a story I was told in Church 30 years ago.
A pastor was visiting the home of one of the families in his congregation, which was normal for him to do. During the course of the visit, the woman of the house, trying to impress the pastor, said to her 3-year-old son, “honey, would you go into the living room and get that big book mommy’s reads off the coffee table?” The son obediently went and came back with the Sears and Roebuck catalogue.
John Hitchcock (fb941d) — 4/25/2009 @ 1:19 amJohn, here is my favorite Sunday School story.
The pastor has a glass of water, and drops a worm into it. The children watch the worm wriggle and wriggle in the water. Then the paster produces a glass of bourbon, and drops a worm into it. The worm dies almost instantly.
“So children,” asks the pastor. “What does this teach us?”
A small child raises his hand and says, “If you drink bourbon, you won’t get worms.”
Eric Blair (33cc23) — 4/25/2009 @ 1:26 amYa gotta hand it to the LAT for taking a page (page three, most likely) from Rupert the Great and slapping her smack on page one.
A little T,
DCSCA (9d1bb3) — 4/25/2009 @ 1:26 amA little A,
Adds to circ,
Most every day.
Eric, I gotta remember that one.
John Hitchcock (fb941d) — 4/25/2009 @ 1:28 amThe young lady is simply sharing with others what the Good Lord saw fit to bless her with.
The Red Pill (249d86) — 4/25/2009 @ 1:40 amIs any of the “Journalistic debate” over her Christianity being undertaken by journalists who would know anything about Christian behavior if they saw it?
Just wondering.
C. S. P. Schofield (2f879a) — 4/25/2009 @ 3:15 amChristian behavior?
Love your God with all your heart body soul and mind; Love your neighbor as you do yourself.
Miss North Carolina was a neighbor…. I demand photos
Read the Gospels sometime and consider how Jesus handles the behavior of his motley crew of fishermenn and tax collectors. They are not the “holiest” people around by any stretch.
SteveG (02d951) — 4/25/2009 @ 4:22 amJesus honors and loves these followers who are earnest, average, knuckleheads. Two of them send their mother to him to ask if they can get a special place in heaven… Jesus sighs. Another time Jesus has to chill them out from asking him to call fire down onto a village that had refused them lodging for the night.
Those stories are in there for a reason… Christians will be average knuckleheads who retain their humanity even as they reach toward the Divine.
Jesus seems to harbor a special distaste for the people who played themselves off as “holy”. He knows they are faking it.
To me, Miss California was earnestand honest about her belief about marriage meaning a union betwe a man and a woman and did not judge gays as ‘evil”… she just holds traditional views and articulated so in a graciously honest response to a gotcha type question
Speaking of Miss California and journalism, there is a raging journalistic debate regarding whether she can claim to be a Christian while posing for pictures like the one below the fold
“Raging journalist debate” in this context means: Smear, belittle, mock, attack, and demonize Miss California for daring to have the same opinion as a majority of Americans.
Perfect Sense (0922fa) — 4/25/2009 @ 4:38 amThere is too little coverage of Perez Hilton calling her a b*tch and a c*nt for daring to disagree with his agenda-driven question. His popmpous sanctimonious ass could have never gotten away with that were he a conservative white male. Just sayin’ …
I am in the minority in preferring Miss NC, and I think our host is discriminating against southerners with his lack of photos of her in comparison, but Miss Prejean is still a treasure.
JD (e59ffa) — 4/25/2009 @ 4:53 amthere is a raging journalistic debate regarding whether she can claim to be a Christian while posing for pictures like the one below the fold
It certainly makes me want to pay her a visit, Bible in hand, for some scriptural conversation.
nk (4b5c8a) — 4/25/2009 @ 5:32 amMore of Carrie Prejean and less of Steve Schmidt can only be a good thing.
Rich Fader (45e08d) — 4/25/2009 @ 6:30 amHeh…
When the Christian dress covers from neck to shins they are mocked. When they are less covered they are mocked. It just seems that some people just want to mock Christians…like we make them feel uncomfortable or something.
Go figure
MunDane68 (54a83b) — 4/25/2009 @ 6:51 amHow utterly hypocritical. The left is filled with porn stars and others doing much worse than showing their bare backs to people. Yet when they make their inevitable, laughable claims to being “devout Christians”…well, let’s just say I can’t recall ever hearing a peep of dissent from the media on that score.
I’m not giving a pass to Miss Califoria because, yes, as a matter of fact, what’s she’s doing (intentionally provoking lustful thoughts and/or actions) is sinful. Those questioning her have a point. Maybe they should enter the Church. Or maybe they should just stop employing such a huge, transparent, and phony double standard.
danebramage (700c93) — 4/25/2009 @ 7:11 amGood insight, SteveG and MunDane68. How dare she be attractive and Christian.
Steve G (324d86) — 4/25/2009 @ 7:12 amPerez Hilton is simply vile. And Rainey just trivializes that vileness.
Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (0ea407) — 4/25/2009 @ 7:47 amHindsight is easy, but I wonder how this would be argued had she said, I agree with my president, Barack Obama, that marriage should be between a man and a woman.
ManlyDad (506a95) — 4/25/2009 @ 7:48 amThat would have been nice, but even nicer had Perez Hilton’s intrusive question had never been asked. And nicest had PH never been on the panel.
Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (0ea407) — 4/25/2009 @ 7:56 am. . . and then the other parrot says, “Terence, our prayers have been answered!”
Official Internet Data Office (ffca53) — 4/25/2009 @ 8:05 amParaphrasing Ben Franklin, that photo is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.
Brother Bradley, good points on the execrable Perez Hilton. Literally, the guy posts photos of celebs with snarky, often obscene comments. That’s it. That’s his blog. If you need to see the photos of Britney Spears’ private bits with Perez’ witty repartee (hand written in white crayon) vis a vis the “vajayjay” that’s where you go. He is rewarded with a publishing deal and guest spots like this. What a super-duper media culture we have here.
carlitos (f022c4) — 4/25/2009 @ 8:15 am“….but I wonder how this would be argued had she said, I agree with my president, Barack Obama, that marriage should be between a man and a woman.”
Same way the pro-life folks who used Barack Obama’s childhood in a commercial celebrating life get treated: With scorn, derision, and a strong sense of HOW DARE YOU USE THE NAME OF THE ONE IN VAIN?!!!
After all, pro-lifers and good Christians are EWWW, THOSE PEOPLE, doncha know.
Brad S (5709e3) — 4/25/2009 @ 8:28 amThe answer is rather clear, no one cares about what Steve Schmidt, except possibly to make sure
narciso (996c34) — 4/25/2009 @ 8:32 amhe is never employed again. That speech at the U. Delaware (that’s Biden’s prestigious alma mater, right) caterwailing about Obama ‘inspiring the
idealism of RFK’ showing he didn’t have a clue about any aspect of the campaign, he was
entrusted with running, shows why the only effective campaigning came from the other person
on the ticket. Ironically if they had not voted her down, precisely because of her beliefs, which are shared by the majority of the country; there probably wouldn’t be such a ruckus
Steve Schmidt could have done us all a favor by telling us his candidate was getting senile so we could nominate Rudy or Fred or Mitt.
MIke K (2cf494) — 4/25/2009 @ 8:45 amJust to be clear, this whole flap is obviously a Rove-ian plot of some kind. AND I QUESTION THE TIMING!!!
Viktor Nehring (6c107f) — 4/25/2009 @ 8:48 amThere is too little coverage of Perez Hilton calling her a b*tch and a c*nt for daring to disagree with his agenda-driven question. His popmpous sanctimonious ass could have never gotten away with that were he a conservative white male. Just sayin’ …
Comment by JD — 4/25/2009 @ 4:53 am
*Way* too little. In fact the schmuck (in the original Hebrew sense) as of today has even self-deleted his own video on YouTube calling her a “dumb b****.” Wonder if those hordes on YouTube criticizing someone purporting to be a professional judge of a national contest calling a contestant vulgar names on TV and the Internet had anything whatever to do with it.
Nah, he just was the victim of an anti-gay campaign, right? Homophobia!!!eleventy!!
As usual, the ones most vicious with their pummeling of others can’t take any of it themselves. Typical bully – a coward.
no one you know (1ebbb1) — 4/25/2009 @ 9:19 amThe Hilton brand sure has taken an ass kicking in the past few years.
PC14 (82e46c) — 4/25/2009 @ 9:46 am[…] to developing a Caroline Kennedy-esque verbal tic. Intervention time? Elsewhere, Patterico flags a glamour shot of her giving a come-hither look while showing off her derriere and wonders if there isn’t […]
Hot Air » Blog Archive » Video: New queen of the GOP won’t say which party she belongs to (e2f069) — 4/25/2009 @ 10:05 am“….but I wonder how this would be argued had she said, I agree with my president, Barack Obama, that marriage should be between a man and a woman.”
I made this point at one of Patterico’s earlier posts on the subject except that I said I wished she had been shrewd enough to say it. But she is young, optimistic, and sweet and most likely didn’t realize the level of deceit and malice Perez Hilton capable of.
Patterico, on behalf of those of us perhaps feeling a bit discriminated against and in the interest of equality, perhaps you would provide some Important Journalistic Question evidence involving, oh, say, Hugh Jackman or the like? Because I’m notice a trend. 🙂
Dana (d08a3a) — 4/25/2009 @ 10:30 amPatterico,
What ever you think about her, whether she is a true Christian or not, whether she is a hypocrite or not, please do post pictures if you are going to blog about her.
She is a hottie, but she is also cute – her CNN interview was terrific, with so many “you know whats” 🙂 And she ended it with a zinger about she shares the same position as Obama on gay marriage.
In your dumb face, you effing c*nt Perez Hilton !
Nagarajan Sivakumar (cdb14f) — 4/25/2009 @ 10:37 amDana, here’s some fair and balanced photography for you.
John Hitchcock (fb941d) — 4/25/2009 @ 10:40 amraging journalisitic debate…
You mean like, bouncing their comments off their echo-chamber newsroom colleagues for validation?
Ragin’!
furious (a74982) — 4/25/2009 @ 11:00 amThis was a disaster for the homo wedding people because if a pageant bimbo can’t be intimidated into giving a pc answer in front of a national audience when her life’s dream depends on it, what hope do they have of intimidating anyone?
j curtis (52244f) — 4/25/2009 @ 11:30 amOnce again the LA Slimes brings up news that no one cares about (take your pick of any of the recent McCain “stories”- Megan’s big mouth and lack of love interest, the supposed Canadian connection to terror infiltration, or Steve Schmidt’s gay sister) and ignores legitimate news like the Tea Parties breaking out all over America, or a Miss USA runner up that has more smarts than the collective IQ of the judges and organizers of the event.
Is there any question at all as to why this rag is circling the drain?
trentk269 (ce2dd2) — 4/25/2009 @ 11:35 amI don’t know how a homo can look at her and still prefer the pooper.
Ray (c3c0e5) — 4/25/2009 @ 11:39 amI don’t know about anyone else, but Ray crossed a line in my opinion.
John Hitchcock (fb941d) — 4/25/2009 @ 11:44 amI would say that James Rainey has a good eye for hucksterism on both sides of an issue.
Tim McGarry (37fcc4) — 4/25/2009 @ 12:01 pmYou would have to say that with an uncritical eye.
John Hitchcock (fb941d) — 4/25/2009 @ 12:03 pmschmuck (in the original Hebrew sense)
The word schmuck is from Yiddish, not Hebrew. Yiddish adopted the word, and its meaning, from Slovenian.
Official Internet Data Office (7a989a) — 4/25/2009 @ 12:13 pmComment by John Hitchcock — 4/25/2009 @ 11:44 am
Well….what he said doesn’t tickle my sensibilities either. Howevah it’s interesting that the defense of free speech over PC is exactly what this whole Hilton/Prejean brouhaha is about.
no one you know (65b7aa) — 4/25/2009 @ 12:16 pmPlus ISTM that Ray’s just admitting ignorance of the reasons for non-attraction of a man to a gorgeous woman, lack of delicate language notwithstanding.
The word schmuck is from Yiddish, not Hebrew. Yiddish adopted the word, and its meaning, from Slovenian.
Comment by Official Internet Data Office — 4/25/2009 @ 12:13 pm
You’re right – thanks for the correction OIDO 🙂 !
no one you know (65b7aa) — 4/25/2009 @ 12:17 pmI had heard of Perez Hilton before this but had no idea who or what it was. It has not enhanced my life to find out.
As for Miss CA, she will be recognized and famous long after whoever won the crown has been forgotten. Kinda like Clay Aiken.
Peg C. (48175e) — 4/25/2009 @ 12:30 pmShe’s a Christian.
She’s smart and articulate.
She states her beliefs regardless of consequence.
She’s gorgeous.
What’s not to like!
As for the comment by Peg C.(#43), I could not agree with you more!
Liberalism is a Mental Disorder (c534c1) — 4/25/2009 @ 1:13 pmPerez Hilton reminds me of the old joke about liberal that are intolerant of conservatives —- because they think conservatives are intolerant.
charlie (b9705b) — 4/25/2009 @ 2:25 pmShe can be a Christian and take that photo. It just proves the existence of God.
Timothy (531d1f) — 4/25/2009 @ 2:41 pmThe high heels are to get her closer to god.
scrubjay (db802d) — 4/25/2009 @ 6:49 pmAll pithy remarks by the armchair theologians aside, she may be a Christian, but she needs to brush up on her holiness if she’s going to live a life of victory.
For her to be involved in this soft-porn called “Miss America” is a bit much. Her witness for Jesus would be much stronger not being involved in that to begin with (…yes, I understand that’s the forum she was discovered in and made her remarks in…).
Having said that, I’m glad she stood up for some principles of God. May He open her eyes to the rest of book for her.
Steven (8b6de0) — 4/25/2009 @ 7:53 pmDoes she accept Jesus as the risen savior? If the answer is “yes”, then she is a Christian, no matter what pictures arise. PLEASE, stop the “but, you can’t be X if you do _____” stuff. That’s for the strident left.
Cam Winston (96ec19) — 4/25/2009 @ 8:07 pmIt is ridiculous to call Miss America Pageant soft porn. Utterly ridiculous. As my favorite NBA “color” man would say, “Get that weak stuff outtahere!”
John Hitchcock (fb941d) — 4/25/2009 @ 8:12 pmOh, I don’t know. Some parts of the Bible are pretty hot. Like “The Song of Solomon.”
Until this woman shoots a porn flick, I think even the most religious folk should relax. The first stone and all that.
Eric Blair (33cc23) — 4/25/2009 @ 8:15 pmHasn’t anyone ever read
?
The Monster (bd81ea) — 4/25/2009 @ 9:13 pmSong of Solomon is an Old Testament book in the Bible that talks about Lebanon Oak trees and heavenly orbs. And does it poetically. (It is a song, after all.)
John Hitchcock (fb941d) — 4/25/2009 @ 9:15 pmDoes she accept Jesus as the risen savior? If the answer is “yes”, then she is a Christian, no matter what pictures arise. PLEASE, stop the “but, you can’t be X if you do _____” stuff.
Lighten up. I was doing that as a transparent excuse to post the picture.
Assuming you were talking to me, that is.
Patterico (cc3b34) — 4/25/2009 @ 9:17 pmI believe he was referring to
Comment by Steven — 4/25/2009 @ 7:53 pm
and my comment beneath was also referring to that post.
John Hitchcock (fb941d) — 4/25/2009 @ 9:21 pmYeah, well, I think Christians are allowed to be SEXY!
Patterico (cc3b34) — 4/25/2009 @ 9:34 pmAnd since you are agnostic, Patterico, that is quite generous. As you know, it is very easy to take cheap shots at Christians these days.
Strangely, the Left doesn’t do that about Muslims. Even though the Muslim faith is far, far more opposed to issues of interest to the Left. Hmmm.
Eric Blair (33cc23) — 4/25/2009 @ 9:37 pmI would denounce Ray as a racist or something but I’m laughing too hard.
When are we going to get some cute guy pics, anyway? Perez Hilton just doesn’t cut it.
Patricia (2183bb) — 4/25/2009 @ 10:03 pmWhew ! “cute guy pics” and “Perez Hilton” in the same sentence just blew my mind !
Ooooh, is that rabbit over there ?
What a cute squirrel !
Mike K (2cf494) — 4/25/2009 @ 10:14 pmPatricia, I mentioned that up in #30, “Patterico, on behalf of those of us perhaps feeling a bit discriminated against and in the interest of equality, perhaps you would provide some Important Journalistic Question evidence involving, oh, say, Hugh Jackman or the like?
So far, no response!
Dana (d08a3a) — 4/25/2009 @ 10:14 pmI didn’t know we had wenches commenting here. Heh!
daleyrocks (5d22c0) — 4/25/2009 @ 10:20 pm…actually,
….her pose and the color of clothing she is wearing make this much more harmless then if she wore a bright color mini, showing every curve/tit high-light protruding from her body, and had legs spread apart, while looking over her shoulders with her tongue in her lips… liberals, do ya know what i mean???
the dark jet-black and feathery clothing is in fact de-emphasizing her contours, almost even de-emphasizing her sexuality, especially at her chest & even butt, compared to other models doing the same pose or worse.
also her butt isnt very up in your face, the way many of these poses can emphasize.
i would like her to wear a longer or more modest dress but I dont find this very offensive, if at all. it looks like she is saying, “ok here it is, her i am, and I cant wait for the next photo or stage of the competition.” she even looks like she is stretching her calve muscles.
lets put it this way: the poster for the movie BRUNO is much more lustful, revolting and insulting then what Miss Cali is doing here. although the poses seem the same, they are NOT as much as one would think. please check both of them out before “condemning” Miss Cali.
this is a non-scandal if I ever saw one.
lu-ee (157509) — 4/25/2009 @ 11:25 pmcheers
“Speaking of Miss California and journalism, there is a raging journalistic debate regarding whether she can claim to be a Christian while posing for pictures like the one below the fold. Feel free to weigh in on this Important Journalistic Question.”
It’s unsurprising in the extreme to find wouldbe august journalists preoccupied with this topic. Journalists cum moralists, that is, whose moralizings fail to transcend the level of a facile and sneering contempt.
Michael B (57f880) — 4/26/2009 @ 11:06 amumm, what?
John Hitchcock (fb941d) — 4/26/2009 @ 11:08 amI think he was criticizing journalists who pompously preen themselves as moral and cultural arbiters, but really are just expressing their own snobbish prejudices.
Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (0ea407) — 4/26/2009 @ 11:16 amI think she may be causing Allahpundit to reconsider his atheism.
nk (4b5c8a) — 4/26/2009 @ 11:17 amDid you put the wrong photo on? I don’t see anything wrong with it, especially since her dress is even too dark to see the curve of her backside. This is controversial? I know some Christians who I wouldn’t consider that orthodox in their faith who are of the opinion no pretty woman could possibly be holy just by definition, but otherwise, I don’t see why anyone should tar and feather her for this photo.
Magic Puzzle Box (3aad2d) — 4/26/2009 @ 11:20 am#17 seems a little self congratulatory…. I’m wondering how I sock puppetted myself without knowing it.
SteveG (02d951) — 4/26/2009 @ 5:37 pmDuh. Is this a trick question? Where’s the pornography?
Doesn’t the Bible look favorably on a woman’s attempts to find a husband, impressing him with her looks, and proving her love by bearing his children?
Of course, she is still Christian posed that way. Only stupid folks could think otherwise. Or the Taliban! This is all a kerfluffle generated by what Godless liberals “believe” Christians think. They wouldn’t know a Christian thought or action even if smitten by thunderbolts from heaven.
What kind of idiotic question is that?
Subsunk
Subsunk (8d80dd) — 4/26/2009 @ 6:31 pmI’m guessing that they didn’t teach “sense of humor” at subsunk’s Sunday school today.
carlitos (f022c4) — 4/26/2009 @ 6:34 pm“… [can she] claim to be a Christian while posing for pictures like [this] one…”
A few days ago, I happened to be looking through some TIME magazines from 1940. I noticed (in passing) a squib about a beauty-pageant constestant threatened with excommunication by a Catholic archbishop for appearing in the swimsuit competition.
So… not that long ago, this sort of thing was a real issue.
Rich Rostrom (874cbd) — 4/26/2009 @ 7:24 pmMr. Rostrom, is it possible to get the exact date of the Time magazine you read about the excommunication. I just did a search in Time magazines online archives and could not find the article you alluded to. went all the way back to 1923. Thanks.
lu-ee
lu-ee (157509) — 4/26/2009 @ 8:11 pmThere would not be a controversy if Perez Hilton had not decided to emulate Fred Phelps’s level of civility.
Michael Ejercito (7c44bf) — 4/26/2009 @ 9:39 pmBut then without provoking lustful thoughts, how could they get husbands?
Michael Ejercito (7c44bf) — 4/26/2009 @ 9:42 pmDuly noted, but I think that you haven’t made your case well enough and separate post with several more pictures are necessary before I can accept your premise, kind sir. 🙂
Cam Winston (2937d1) — 4/27/2009 @ 9:58 am“UPDATE: Speaking of Miss California and journalism, there is a raging journalistic debate regarding whether she can claim to be a Christian while posing for pictures like the one below the fold. Feel free to weigh in on this Important Journalistic Question.”
How much debate was there when she was standing on a stage for millions to gawk at wearing 3 ounces of fabric in what they claim was a bathing suit, that didn’t quite cover her fake boobs? Seriously. She showed a lot more during the pageant than she is showing in that black dress or nightie.
Cassy (77a5c5) — 5/12/2009 @ 1:24 pm[…] sanctimoniously proclaimed that there had been too much coverage of Miss California — in a column about Miss California. Complete with a picture of Miss […]
Patterico's Pontifications » Patterico’s Los Angeles Dog Trainer Year in Review 2009 (e4ab32) — 1/1/2010 @ 10:34 am