#gretchen carlson

[warningsine]

[msclaritea]

Check out this thread at Thread Reader App. https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1677669822388219904.html

"Since 1970, Rupert Murdoch's toxic Sun had published images of topless 'glamour models' on Page 3.

In 1983, Sam Fox became the youngest Page 3 model in The Sun, when aged just 16 she first featured topless with the headline 'Sam, 16, Quits A-Levels for Ooh-Levels'.

It wasn't until 2003, with the passing of the Sexual Offences Act, that the minimum age for women posing on Page 3 was raised to 18.

The Sun ceased publishing topless Page 3 images in Ireland edition in 2013, in the UK in 2015, & on its website in 2017. https://t.co/r27ZiZWrd3Page3.com

Katie Price - Latest news and gossip - The SunKatie Price has been known on the celebrity circuit for many years, starting out her career as a glamour model…http://Page3.com

Although feminists had for many years criticized the feature, The Sun had always vigorously defended Page 3.

The Sun introduced the feature in 1970, which boosted its readership & prompted the Mirror, Sunday People, & Star to begin featuring topless models on their own Page 3.

Page 3's mainly male defenders portrayed it as 'a harmless British cultural tradition', but it drew criticism both from conservatives, who tended to view it as soft porn inappropriate for inclusion in newspapers, & feminists, who argued it objectified women & perpetuated sexism.

Some politicians—notably Labour's Clare Short, Harriet Harman, & Stella Creasy, LibDem Lynne Featherstone, & Caroline Lucas—made efforts to have Page 3 removed, although other politicians eg Nick Clegg & Ed Vaizey, expressed concern that such a ban would compromise press freedom.

The Sun vigorously defended the feature. Typically representing Page 3's critics as prudes, spoilsports, or ideologues, it also routinely portrayed female critics as physically unattractive and jealous of its Page 3 girls.

When Clare Short in 1986 tried to introduce a bill banning topless models from British newspapers, The Sun ran a "Stop Crazy Clare" campaign, distributing free car stickers, calling Short a "killjoy", printing unflattering images of her.

The grotesque must-read of the yearNick Davies' book about media bosses making MPs and celebrities pander to them is essential reading for the politically informed.

The Sun polled readers on whether they preferred to see Short's face or the back of a bus. Murdoch's News of the World ran bogus stories suggesting Short was involved with porn, tried to buy old photos of her as a 20-year-old in a nightdress, & published other smear stories.

"Sun turns on 'killjoy' Short in Page 3 row

The Sun has launched a scathing personal attack on Labour MP Clare Short, branding her a 'killjoy' and 'fat and jealous' of its Page 3 girls, writes Ciar Byrne."

Rebekah Brooks was reported to be against Page 3, & was expected to terminate it when she became editor in 2003. Upon assuming her editorship, she defended it, calling its models "intelligent, vibrant young women who appear in The Sun out of choice & because they enjoy the job".

When Clare Short stated in a 2004 interview that she wanted to "take the pornography out of our press", saying "I'd love to ban [Page 3 because it] degrades women and our country", Brooks targeted Short with a "Hands Off Page 3" campaign.

Sun turns on 'killjoy' Short in Page 3 row

The Sun has launched a scathing personal attack on Labour MP Clare Short, branding her a 'killjoy' and 'fat and jealous' of its Page 3 girls, writes Ciar Byrne.

The Sun's campaign included printing an image of Short's face superimposed on a topless woman's body, calling Short "fat and jealous", and parking a double-decker bus with a delegation of Page 3 models outside Short's home.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/mar/10/anti-page-3-the-sun-campaigner

Sun turns on 'killjoy' Short in Page 3 rowThe Sun has launched a scathing personal attack on Labour MP Clare Short, branding her a 'killjoy' and 'fat and jealous' of its Page 3 girls, writes Ciar Byrne.https://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/jan/14/pressandpublishing.politicsandthemedia

The Sun also called Harriet Harman a "feminist fanatic" and Featherstone a "battleaxe" for their opposition to Page 3.

In February 2012, the #Leveson Inquiry heard arguments for and against Page 3.

Women's advocacy groups argued that Page 3 demeaned women and promoted sexist attitudes, but Sun editor Dominic Mohan called the feature an "innocuous British institution" that had become "part of British society".

Sun editor defends Page ThreeThe editor of The Sun newspaper, Dominic Mohan, has defended the continued use of topless pictures on page three.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/16927925

Lucy-Anne Holmes began campaigning against Page 3 after noticing during the 2012 Summer Olympics that the largest photograph of a woman in the nation's best-selling newspaper was not of an Olympic athlete but of "a young woman in her knickers".

No More Page 3 campaigner Lucy-Anne Holmes on her battle with the SunKira Cochrane: First offended by the newspaper's topless models at the age of 11, she wants Rupert Murdoch to remove the featurehttps://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/mar/10/anti-page-3-the-sun-campaigner

The campaign got 240K signatures & support from trade unions, universities, charities, women's advocacy groups & 140+ MPs.

It sponsored two women's football teams, Nottingham Forest WFC & Cheltenham Town LFC, who played with the "No More Page 3" logos.

No More Page 3 campaigners sponsor another women's football teamNotts Forest Ladies support call for Sun to end topless photoshttps://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2014/feb/19/page-3-sun

In 2012, Lynne Featherstone called for a ban claiming it contributed to domestic violence against women. Then–deputy PM Nick Clegg said "If you don't like it, don't buy it, you don't want to have a moral policeman or woman in Whitehall telling people what they can & can't see".

Then–prime minister David Cameron also declined to support a ban on Page 3, stating during an interview with BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour: "This is an area where we should leave it to consumers to decide, rather than to regulators".

Cameron refuses to back ban on Sun's Page 3 topless imagesPM says it is up to consumers to decide whether to buy the Sun, as he sets out plans for greater regulation of online pornographyhttps://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/jul/22/cameron-no-ban-sun-page-3

After becoming The Sun's editor in 2013, David Dinsmore confirmed he would continue printing photographs of topless models, calling it "a good way of selling newspapers".

On 20th January, 2015, Murdoch's Times reported that the tabloid was "quietly dropping" Page 3.

But on 22 January, The Sun appeared to change course, publishing a Page 3 image of a winking model with her breasts fully exposed and a caption mocking those who had commented on the end of the feature. The Sun did not feature Page 3 thereafter.

In a TV debate with Harman & Germaine Greer, Harman said: "In 100 years' time, if you look back at the newspapers of this country, & you see women standing in their knickers with their breasts showing, what would you think about women's role in society?"

No More Page 3 campaigner Jo Cheetham: Sexism in the media is less in your face, but it’s still thereA decade after taking on The Sun’s topless models tradition, Jo Cheetham talks to Imy Brighty-Potts about her new book, and why she quit social media.https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/the-sun-sexism-laura-bates-page-jessica-ennishill-b2295544.html

The #NoMorePage3 campaign was widely acclaimed, described by one MP as a “seismic victory”. Activist Katherine Sladden wrote, “No other campaign has done as much to inspire a new generation of young feminists.” It is still actively campaigning

No More Page 3: how a feminist collective took on a media behemoth to challenge everyday sexismThe campaign to stop newspapers publishing topless photos of women relied on a special brand of emotional energy.https://theconversation.com/no-more-page-3-how-a-feminist-collective-took-on-a-media-behemoth-to-challenge-everyday-sexism-156478

The British government never enacted legislation against Page 3.

In the mid-90s, The Sun began printing Page 3 photos in colour as standard. Captions, previously containing suggestive double entendre, were replaced by a listing of models' first names, ages, and hometowns.

After polling readers, The Sun in 1997 ceased featuring models who had undergone breast augmentation. In 1999, it launched the Page3 .com website, featuring additional photos of current Page 3 models, archival images of former Page 3 models, & other related content.

In the UK, the Sexual Offences Act 2003 raised the minimum age for topless modelling from 16 to 18.

This legal change meant that all topless images of 16- and 17-year-old models that had previously been published on Page 3 became potentially illegal content.

In 2020, Channel 4 produced an hour-long documentary, Page Three: The Naked Truth, to mark 50 years since The Sun first introduced Page 3.

#dontbuythesun #FuckRupertMurdoch #Leveson2

Just two weeks ago, Rupert Murdoch's Fox paid $12MILLION to settle two lawsuits alleging “systematic chauvinism” & a “misogynistic environment that permeates Fox News”, where “female workers are verbally violated on almost a daily basis by a poisonous & entrenched patriarchy”.

[that-starlit-wanderer]

Imagining a scenario where the 2028 GOP primary is Vice President J.D. Vance, supported by Elon Musk (who Trump fired in 2026 after the economy and stock market tanked in the first two years of his second term) and almost the entire elected Republican Party, against recently-elected Florida Governor Matt Gaetz, backed by Trump and the Tucker Carlson wing of right wing politics. Trump has been in an increasingly open civil war with his own VP for months, and the primaries are a vicious battle over all of the ideological conflicts of the Trump era that were papered over until now. Traditional and social media alike can't tear their eyes away from the spectacle.

And then the Democratic primary is Pete Buttegieg, Gretchen Whitmer, and Josh Shapiro having some spirited but generally civil debates about policy

[leveloneandup]

[l-1-z-a]

Halloween 2003 at Maxis: The Social Bunny

At the Maxis 2003 Halloween Costume Contest, we were visited by the Social Bunny. In the new version of The Sims, the Social Bunny appears only to those who are in need of extra social, so it's not such a good sign that we could all see it.

Photos courtesy of Komei Harada and Andreas Ramos.

The social bunny hops into the middle of the crowd to begin a few impromptu socials as (L to R) Kelly Riley, Marion Gothier, Kevin Byall, and Emmy Toyonaga watch.

Poor social bunny! Someone has rejected the bunny's social attempts, and now he walks away sad. Who wouldn't want a hug from a soft, fuzzy, ratty, stained, one-eyed bunny? Kevin Byall and Charles London watch this sad sight.

Here's the bunny with a collection of other spirits from the Costume Contest. Back row (L to R): Lisa del Toro, Alvin Go, the Social Bunny, unknown, Justin Graham, BJ West, Cory Tsang, Kevin Byall, David Benson, Wendy Bliss.

Front row: unknown, Suzanne, Jenna Chambers, Gretchen Carlson, unknown.

Whew! After a hard day of spreading sociality everywhere, the bunny waves goodbye.

At right, the bunny takes a well-deserved rest. The bunny learned to respect the entertainers who populate our nations' amusement parks... those heads are hot!

But you can't keep a bunny down for long! Later that night, the bunny popped back up at Patti Wilson's Halloween Party. Patti's friend Naomi looks on as the bunny sees more people in need of social. It's unclear how the bunny's eye returned for this picture, when in fact it was sewn shut until after the evening was over.

-------------------------

Pay attention to the first 2 photos. They have a printed screenshot on the wall that shows a hot tub. But the UI in this screenshot is not from E3 2003, but from earlier builds with Purple UI:

The third photo hanging reference photos to something and to the Marrocan style of objects in game.

[uswnt5]

“Soccers power couple” Christen and Tobin will be at this Makers event at the end of February.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/makers-conference-los-angeles-yahoo-gwyneth-paltrow-1235811758/amp/

[defensefilms]

2019's Bombshell Is A Media Literacy Tool

*This Review Contains Mad Spoilers*

Believe it or not, I used to love movies.

However, in 2024, I literally only pay enough attention to make sure I get the morsels of movies I know will be able to hold my interest, rather than knowing what's being released this week, the next and every other week.

Jay Roach's (director) Bombshell is one such film that does that.

Bombshell is a 2019 flick based on real life events, depicting the reports of a culture of sexual harassment at Fox News under former television executive, Roger Ailes, as portrayed in the film by the legendary John Lithgow.

The film has 3 main protagonists through which the Fox News culture is examined, and each of them has a different relationship with Roger Ailes.

The first is Megyn Kelly portrayed by Charlize Theron, the 2nd is Gretchen Carlson portrayed by Nicole Kidman, and the last is Kayla Pospisil played by Margot Robbie, and they're all at different stages of their careers at the time of the bombshell report.

The one who sets the events in motion, however, is Gretchen Carlson, who was the first to take any kind of legal action against Fox News or Roger Ailes.

Megyn Kelly is the other side of the coin in this news corporation, because whereas Gretchen wants to expose Roger, Megyn is deemed to have played ball and won, and her career was on a high during the time of Trump's first election campaign, thus she didn't have a reason to rock the boat.

It isn't until she realizes how many women had been through the same thing that she talks to Carlson's lawyers.

The thing is, this movie isn't just a movie, it's 2 hours' worth of answers about anything you have ever wondered about the news giant that is Fox News.

This film should be mandatory viewing for people aspiring to do anything in news or entertainment media.

Not only does it shed light on what the experience of these women were, but you learn a lot on how news is disseminated at the conglomerate.

Margot Robbie's character is shocked to learn that the Bill O'Reilly show doesn't require its producers or researchers to fact-check anything, and if you've watched Fox News, you always knew something was off about how news stories are told.

It's the story of a broken news reporting culture that reflects the broken political culture that they are paid to report on.

It is made implicitly clear to Kayla Pospisil that she needs to play to the biases of the audiences and report stories that feed notions that "immigrants are taking the jobs", "black people are criminals" and "the government wants you to be gay", and in short, not to challenge the party line with her sourcing.

It may be the most important dissemination of media culture since 1976's Network, a film that resonates massively even in 2024.

The Donald Trump 2016 election campaign also places this story at a very critical time in American history.

This is the Fox News culture at a time when they are the number one source for Republican news, with a Republican for a president, and are on the verge of having unfettered access to Trump's white house. Something that puts a strain on the way both Gretchen Carlson and Megyn Kelly do their jobs.

An excellent flick that sees a bunch Fox News' on-air personalities portrayed in rather ridiculous fashion, and in particular I found Alanna Ubach's portrayal of Jeanine Pirro, every bit as over the top as I imagine her to be in real life.

To me, this is what film making is missing, stories that talk about things that matter, things that have happened in real life.

The issue with films like this, is that so many people get exposed and made to look bad, that the legal hassles of getting this thing released probably blew the marketing budget, and it probably explains a bit of why I didn't know this movie was a thing until it aired on my television in 2024.

[beardedmrbean]

A Michigan state rep was disciplined Monday for espousing “racist rhetoric” online by sharing a post about the “great replacement theory.”

House Speaker Joe Tate, a black Democrat, booted State Rep. Josh Schriver off a key committee and yanked resources and staff from him, days after the Republican shared the post on Feb. 6.

“I will not allow the Michigan House of Representatives to be a forum for the proliferation of racist, hateful and bigoted speech,” Tate said in a statement.

“Schriver has a history of promoting debunked theories and dangerous rhetoric that jeopardizes the safety of Michigan residents and contributes to a hostile and uncomfortable environment for others.”

Tate’s disciplinary action comes roughly a week after Schriver, who is white, shared a post on X from conservative pundit Jack Posobiec featuring a graphic showing white people being outnumbered with the phrase, “The great replacement!”

“Great replacement theory” claims there’s a conspiracy to replace white people with nonwhite people.

Schriver’s post sparked fierce backlash back at home and allegations of racism.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer slammed his post as “abhorrent rhetoric.”

The Post has contacted Schriver for comment.

He defended his post to The Detroit News.

“I’m opposed to racists, race baiters, and victim politics,” Schriver said.

“What I find strange is the agenda to demoralize and reduce the white portion of our population. That’s not inclusive and Christ is inclusive! I’m glad Tucker Carlson and Jack Posobiec are sharing links so I can continue my research on these issues.”

Despite the penalty, Schriver will be permitted to vote on the House floor.

However, he will lose his spot on the House Natural Resources, Environment, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Committee.

Moreover, Tate instructed the House Business Office to supervise his staff.

Schriver most recently won election in 2022.

Similar punitive measures are not unprecedented in the Great Lake State’s legislature. In 2021, former Democratic state Rep. Jewell Jones was yanked from a committee after a drunk driving conviction.

[warningsine]

[47burlm]

FollowFormer Fox News Host Who Sued Network Calls Tucker Carlson’s Firing ‘Meaningless’ Unless ‘Enormous Change’

Former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson claimed on Tuesday that the firing of Tucker Carlson (unrelated) from the network would be “meaningless” unless Fox News also underwent change “at the very top” of the company.

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

I'll never forget Jon Stewart exposing Fox News's Gretchen Carlson, who absolutely played the dumb blonde on her show, but was a Stanford grad and Rhodes scholar and an accomplished concert violinist in her past. They sure know their audience.

That can’t be hood for your mental health, being a certified genius but needing to pretend to be a dumb asshole to get anywhere in your career.

[cattarattat]

"The timing of the offer has also sparked early backlash within CNN’s hallways, according to one of the people familiar with the talks. Acosta jousted regularly with the Trump administration during his time as a White House correspondent. He found himself temporarily blocked from the White House press room during the Trump administration in November of 2019 because the Commander-in-Chief often didn’t like the questions Acosta asked him at various events. Acosta later became a symbol of America’s belief in the First Amendment when CNN prevailed and got its employee reinstated.

At a time when more corporations and media organizations seem eager to court Trump’s favor, moving Acosta to a previously unfilled shift might be viewed as a sort of kowtow. CNN has made moves in recent months to court conservative viewers, giving increasing amounts of time to former George W. Bush adviser Scott Jennings and enlisting former Fox News personalities such as Gretchen Carlson and Geraldo Rivera — as well as current contributor Juan Williams, currently promoting a book — to appear on 'News Night,' a 10 p.m. roundtable program that features hot talk between people with clashing political beliefs."

[moontyger]

The Trump team’s efforts to crush dissent range from public-media campaigns targeting vulnerable senators in conservative states (and paid for by unelected billionaires) to more underhanded tactics aimed at intimidating and discrediting potentially hostile witnesses. Hegseth’s lawyer, Tim Parlatore, for instance, has threatened to sue Jane Doe, Hegseth’s anonymous rape accuser, and her lawyer for defamation if her allegations prevent him from being confirmed. So far, it appears that such tactics may be working. Several potential witnesses, including the accuser, have declined to speak out publicly and have elected not to testify at Tuesday’s hearing.

Republican senators have disparaged anonymous critics of Hegseth. But some of these senators have also declined to speak face to face and confidentially with such critics, including the woman who accused Hegseth of rape. According to three sources with knowledge of the situation, Joni Ernst, Republican of Iowa, is one of the senators who have turned down offers to hear privately from Hegseth’s accuser. Ernst is a pro-Trump conservative on the Armed Services Committeee, and her vote is seen as the linchpin to Hegseth’s confirmation, because she is both a military veteran and a survivor of sexual assault who has championed women’s rights. (Ernst’s office did not respond to questions from The New Yorker about her refusal to see Hegseth’s accuser.) Susan Collins, a moderate Republican from Maine, also declined an offer to meet with the alleged victim. Collins’s press secretary, Blake Kernen, confirmed the outreach but said that the senator believes that such allegations should be brought to the relevant committee—in this case, the Armed Services Committee—of which she is not a member. Collins has, however, met with Hegseth. Afterward, she said she would wait to decide on his nomination until he had undergone an F.B.I. background check and his confirmation hearing.

Julie Roginsky, the co-founder, along with the former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson, of Lift Our Voices, a nonprofit that fights against the silencing of victims of sexual misconduct, told me, “For senators not to allow a sexual-assault survivor to speak to them is unconscionable. She should be allowed to tell her story.” But a source who tried to broker one such meeting described the Republican senators as “just plain scared of Trump.”

Several Republican senators have taken the same approach as Collins, saying that they are waiting for the F.B.I.’s background report on Hegseth to assess the conflicting claims about his behavior. But, as the Senate rushes ahead with the confirmation process, the F.B.I. report doesn’t appear likely to resolve much. According to multiple well-informed sources, the Bureau failed to interview several potentially crucial witnesses, including the woman who has accused Hegseth of rape. The F.B.I. also neglected to do a full background interview with the second of Hegseth’s three wives—from whom he reportedly went through a contentious divorce—after initially struggling to get in touch with her. The Bureau failed, too, to interview former employees of Concerned Veterans for America who were critical of Hegseth when he ran the organization, between 2013 and 2016. As The New Yorker reported in December, these former employees were so shocked by his behavior that they sent a blistering internal whistle-blower report to the nonprofit’s top management—a document that was subsequently shared with the Senate Armed Services Committee. Sources told The New Yorker that the F.B.I.’s background investigation also failed to interview Fox News personnel who had described Hegseth to NBC News as smelling of alcohol on the job as recently as last fall. Instead, sources say that the Bureau settled for an interview with a public-relations official at Fox. (The F.B.I. declined to comment for this article.)

The lack of rigor in the Hegseth investigation is reminiscent of the F.B.I.’s investigation into Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his contentious confirmation hearing, in 2018. Three years after Kavanaugh’s confirmation, the F.B.I. disclosed that it had received more than forty-five hundred tips on him during its investigation, and that the Trump White House determined which ones received follow-up. (Max Stier, a Yale classmate of Kavanaugh’s who had reached out to the Bureau to report witnessing gross misconduct by Kavanaugh, was among those the F.B.I. never contacted.) The Bureau has a lesser standard for background checks of nominees than it does for criminal investigations. It regards the President who appointed the nominee—in both these instances, Trump—as “the client” who determines the scope of the inquiry.

...

Outside the public eye, Hegseth’s fixers have used questionable tactics against his opponents. Last week, the private employment records of a former employee of Hegseth’s who was a potential witness against him were leaked to the Washington Free Beacon, a conservative Web site, which published them in an apparent effort to undermine her. The Free Beacon’s chief financial supporter is Paul Singer, a New York hedge-fund billionaire who was also a major supporter of Vets for Freedom, a nonprofit that nearly went bankrupt under Hegseth in 2008, as NBC recently reported. The Free Beacon didn’t disclose its past ties to Hegseth. Instead, it publicly outed the previously anonymous witness, who had sought whistle-blower protection from the Senate Armed Services Committee. The same day, another version of the piece about the witness, along with her photograph, appeared in Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post.

The whistle-blower, Kat Dugan, is a military veteran who helped compile the accounts of Hegseth’s drinking, misogyny, and other misconduct for the report on Hegseth produced by several former employees at Concerned Veterans for America. The seven-page report was written by numerous former employees and named more than two dozen individuals and incidents. But the Free Beacon and Post stories attempted to dismiss Dugan as a lone “disgruntled employee” exacting revenge for having been laid off following a medical leave.

When asked for comment, Dugan sent a statement via e-mail decrying “thuggish efforts to intimidate me.” She said that Hegseth’s allies had spread “outright lies” about her, including the false claim that she was trying to help the Democrats. She described herself as a registered Republican with twenty-one years of experience in the Army and as a defense contractor, and said that she had left Concerned Veterans for America in 2015 by mutual agreement. She said that she had not communicated with any Democratic members of the Senate and had not provided any news organization with the whistle-blower report on Hegseth. As for her agenda, she said, “I am for a fair process of vetting this cabinet nominee, period.” Dugan insisted that she was “not intimidated” by what she called a “smear campaign.” Nonetheless, she decided that the personal and professional costs of testifying at his hearing were too high.

[mongowheelie]

Former Fox News Host Throws Shade at Bret Baier Over His Harris Interview

Source: TheDailyBeast

Former Fox News Host Throws Shade at Bret Baier Over His Harris Interview

Source: TheDailyBeast