insidious -isms

I'm sure most of you deplore the stereotypes of blacks and Asians in older cartoons (including ones as recent as the 70s).

And you wouldn't laugh at unkind and inaccurate stereo types, right?

Ok, I'm going to name a well known series of cartoons that are *based* on such stereotypes. They entire series wouldn't exist if not for the stereotype.

And I bet you, like me, never thought twice about how they'd piss off members of the group being made fun of.

Think real hard and then I'll name it after the cut...

( Read more... )

A (not so) Modest Proposal...

Over in mikkop's LJ the other day he noted that the folks pushing "Intelligent Design will admit that they've got facts wrong on one day, and then the next push the same lies the next day.

This crystallized an idea that had been floating in my head for a long time.

Consider a law (possibly modeled after some aspects of both libel/slander laws, "inciting to riot" laws, and other laws) that makes it a crime to knowingly spread false information. Or to present true information in a manner that leads people to draw incorrect conclusions.

It'd probably need to be scaled with different degrees of seriousness for private situations, "public figures" and "attempts to affect public policy".

It would most definitely *not* have exemptions for "freedom of the press".

One of the main justifications would be that freedom of speech and freedom of the press are set forth to allow discussion and debate of ideas. But debate *cannot* work, nor can valid decisions be made if false data is being fed in.

This would have "interesting" effects" on news coverage of politics, on editorials, and on even advertising.

No doubt it could be abused (show me a law that *can't* be abused), but the picture of some talking head, or fundie shill getting arrested for lying to the public is very tempting.

Don't be scared, she only a girl...

Valentines

Please note that I will not be doing any Valentine memes.

The day is a sore subject with me, what with a combo of teasing about it being my birthday, and being ignored and worse (*far* worse in couple of cases) when growing up.

This does not mean that folks can't send me good wishes (though date requests should wait until I'm recovered, don't wanna give anyone else the Plague)

Thank you.

argh.

Good news. my symptoms have shifted some and now my nose is running. That's *usually* a sign that I'll be ok in a day or so.

Bad news. My nose is running. That makes using the CPAP a royal pain as I have to be able to breathe thru my nose.

Valentines...

http://www.dieselsweeties.com/archive/1947