Dr. Laura and 'Biological Errors'
Now that Dr. Laura is a columnist with the News-Press -- one has to wonder what is next and how much more out of touch the News-Press can be with the Santa Barbara demographic.
Here's some archived web pages on an effort to Stop Dr. Laura from a few years ago -- it discusses her calling gay people "deviants" and "biological errors" and equating homosexuality with pedophilia. Another interesting article in an old Salon piece describes the family values versus nude photos of Dr. Laura on the Internet scandal from 1998.
There's also a hilarious urban legend email that went around a few years ago questions Dr. Laura's assertion that the Bible prohibits homosexuality by pointing out other rules, here's a sample:
Here's some archived web pages on an effort to Stop Dr. Laura from a few years ago -- it discusses her calling gay people "deviants" and "biological errors" and equating homosexuality with pedophilia. Another interesting article in an old Salon piece describes the family values versus nude photos of Dr. Laura on the Internet scandal from 1998.
There's also a hilarious urban legend email that went around a few years ago questions Dr. Laura's assertion that the Bible prohibits homosexuality by pointing out other rules, here's a sample:
Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?
posted by Sara De la Guerra | 8/01/2006 11:57:00 AM
Our Community Guidelines ask that you use the Blogger/Open ID login or the
more private Name/URL option when making comments. Comments using "Anonymous" will not be published. For more info, see choosing an identity.
12 Comments:
With Dr. Laura now a prominent figure at the Santa Barbara News-Press, I would imagine that any gay empoyee of the News-Press might feel a bit uncomfortable, wondering if his or her employer has taken a stand on the matter. With the News-Press' new concern about hostility in the workplace, it will be interesting to note if the paper chooses to censor Dr. Laura's well known views in the area of human sexuality.
The NEWSPRESsMESS has far exceeded our wildest imaginations in the realm of HOW BAD CAN THIS GET.....WENDY and her paper ar ethe laughing stock of the country.
The GALL of calling MRS. Laura a "community member" qualified to comment on local affiars in the footsteps of Barney Brantingham.
Would Wendy/ARthur appoint someone as a local columnist who demonized people of a certain religious or racial group? as MRS Laura did in calling gays "biological errors" and continuously berating gay and lesbian parents.
If this weren't so shameful, it might--just might---be funny.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=96246991
This is a spoof of wendy mccaw. A fake profile of her on myspace!
... this is in todays HOLLYWOOD FISHBOWL LA NEWS!!(who is Judy Miller?)
Tuesday, Aug 01
News-Suppress, Part 206
We were in such a drunken fugue over Mel, we somehow missed this little gem: Dr. Laura Schlessinger is joining the Santa Barbara News-Press. An irritating rich woman who likes to berate people and moralize? Hmm. We wonder where billionaire owner Wendy McCaw got the idea for hiring her.
Apparently, Schlessinger is taking the place of beloved columnist Barney Brantingham, who quit in protest -- along with several other reporters and editors -- after the wall between editorial and news came tumbling down.
We're so impressed that the paper can continue to one-up itself in mock-worthiness. But we worry. At this pace, they're going to run out of things to keep our attention. We have a suggestion: hire Judy Miller to cover city council.
Sara, nice link... I guess she really is a doctor (a Ph.D. in physiology from Columbia).
I rarely agree with Dr. Laura, but she is entertaining. I also find Rush Limbaugh entertaining... both of them have an interesting combination of respect for their listeners and disrespect for those they dislike or disagree with.
Now before flaming me, I certainly think both of them play to bigots and kneejerk reactionaries. My big point is it is unwise to deny that they are interesting... they know how to get the audiences' attention and hold it. I wish more progressive people could figure out the formula. Sometimes Mario Cuomo has it, and sometimes Bill Clinton has it, and even Jerry Brown in his radio days a few years ago had his moments. But none of them quite achieve the level of audience interest that Dr. Laura and Rush do.
Amy Goodman on Democracy Now! is pretty effective, but she is humorless. Judy Swallow and other BBCers have a certain dark humor, and the British way of attacking is devasting... understated with relently reliance on facts (if you've heard Robert Fiske on Democracy Now! the last few days, my goodness, what a bulldog in a velvet glove)... usually when the interviewee is prevaricating. But still, Dr. Laura and Rush are more brilliant at the art of what they do, and actually, it infuriates me.
I think it was actually pretty clever of Wendy to get Dr. Laura. Wendy is playing to her audience. Next? Bob Dornan or some other radical property rights supporter. Maybe Anne Coulter, Ollie North and G. Gordon Liddy. Swing for the fences Wendy!
They must be looking for more folks to cancel their subscription! Dr. Laura? C'mon, this isn't Orange County!
After reading this mornings column (on line) I notice that (Dr.) Laura is a total 'hatchet man' for the McCaw management.
Actually I have an observation. The management seems to have a double set of standards in addressing their new 'pet' columnist.
One of the rules that the News Press has in all it's writing is that only true medical doctor could have the title [Dr.] in an article. Another words, in the News Press, Henry Yang or even Albert Einstein would never be be refered to as Dr. Yang or Dr. Einstein. I have checked out Laura Schlessinger's resume and no she is no more a medical doctor than someone with a PhD. in plant science.
MS, M Phil, Ph.D. (Physiology), Columbia University (College of Physicians and Surgeons)
does anyone else have take on this?
Yeah - the newspress hasn't been the paper for years. So, why all the concern over how a private company is run? If they want to run it into the ground, so.
News has moved to the web... fact.
Contrast the fatuous Dr. Laura column with the Montecito Notebook column on page A9 of today's News-Press. Stephen Murdoch quotes from the reprimand to Michael Todd (he's not on staff so gag rule doesn't apply) and says most Montecitans he's talked to believe "the publishers care more about the famous than the rest of us."
And deliciously, as a columnist he doesn't have to use courtesy titles so it's just "McCaw," right in her own paper.
As far as Laura, I believe in an N-P news story she would be Ms., Mrs. or Miss with her last name on second reference. The "Dr. Laura" rates as a nickname really.
I think that they should approach Mel Gibson to write a column, too. He's as hateful and mean-spirited as Travis and Dr. Laura, and covers another segment of the population- antisemites- that could add at least 5 more subscribers.
Plus he and Travis could go drinking AND driving together!
Anon 8/1/06 7:41 are you serious? Judy Miller, or maybe you'll recognize her by her full name, Judith Miller, was the NYT report who was sentenced to jail for refusing to give up her sources. She later "retired" from the NYT.
uhhh sorry anon 648pm, don't you know irony when you read it?
Post a Comment
<< Home