News and Media Post (MSNBC and Rachel Maddow!)
So, I don't get to talk politics too much during . . . well, the entire week. I don't bug my husband too much with politics because it can drive him insane (you should've seen us during the primary season!) And my closest political junkies lives about 1500-2000 miles away. So, I absorb my little podcast, "The Rachel Maddow Show" on my errand runs during the day, and I usually watch MSNBC programming from the night before, visit several political and news sites, and I toss in a healthy dose of satire courtesy of "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report". And, of course, every once in a while, "South Park".
Because, really, I can't make half the horse-shite that is the American political system go down my throat completely without some decent belly-laughs.
Well, I'm minding my own business today, when I get word from my sister-in-law about the latest MSNBC programming lineup in the fall, effective immediately on September 8, 2008:
Rachel Maddow Gets Her Own MSNBC Show
Now, anyone who's related to me and/or has access to my Fanfiction.net author page might be fairly familiar with my intellect-crush on Ms. Maddow. She's a resident of MA, and broadcasts her show, "The Rachel Maddow Show" (duh!) through Air America and their affiliates. She can be heard on XM, although I subscribe to her podcast through iTunes. She's a prison rights and AIDS activist, and she studied political science at Oxford University under the Rhodes Scholarship.
Now, true, I'm a Liberal/Progressive. However, I also grew up in Oklahoma, a state that elects Democrats at the state level, but almost always goes Republican on the federal level. Many of my friends are very conservative or Independent-minded, and I don't fall blindly into my beliefs. I like to explore nuances and different ways of thinking among all parties. So I really do strive to find common ground among all of us.
And this is why I adore Rachel. Anyone willing to stand up and defend her progressive ideas with an erudite, educated discussion of exactly why she feels a certain way, anyone who holds all candidates feet to the fire when she feels like it is deserved (and this includes Democrats), and anyone who can stand with conservatives and independents and discuss matters of National Security and Foreign Policy and life during wartime and convincingly OWN the discussion is tops in my book. Rachel Maddow does all of this and more on her radio show, and I cannot wait to see how she does on her own show which will come on at 9:00 eastern after Countdown with Keith Olbermann.
**Implicit in all of this, and something similar in theme to what Christopher a-respite posted yesterday about Ellen Degeneres and Portia DeRossi, is the fact that Rachel may very well be the first openly gay woman to host her own news show on a news network. Now, don't quote me on that or anything, but I did read that in an article. For me, it feels like we're really getting closer to regarding human beings as human beings, not with any labels attached to them or anything.
I'm a long-time listener of her show, and she constantly talks about Susan, her partner. Very sweet, very awesome. When she's on television, it's certainly referred to, but not as often. My fabulous family, who all watch Countdown with the fervor of hungry hyenas devouring a day-old corpse, ask me on so many occasions "Are you SURE she's a lesbian . . . ? Not that there's anything wrong with that . . . But are you sure?"
I just kind of smile and nod and laugh. And then I just tell them, "Well . . . she's just Rachel. Y'know?"
Because, really, I can't make half the horse-shite that is the American political system go down my throat completely without some decent belly-laughs.
Well, I'm minding my own business today, when I get word from my sister-in-law about the latest MSNBC programming lineup in the fall, effective immediately on September 8, 2008:
Rachel Maddow Gets Her Own MSNBC Show
Now, anyone who's related to me and/or has access to my Fanfiction.net author page might be fairly familiar with my intellect-crush on Ms. Maddow. She's a resident of MA, and broadcasts her show, "The Rachel Maddow Show" (duh!) through Air America and their affiliates. She can be heard on XM, although I subscribe to her podcast through iTunes. She's a prison rights and AIDS activist, and she studied political science at Oxford University under the Rhodes Scholarship.
Now, true, I'm a Liberal/Progressive. However, I also grew up in Oklahoma, a state that elects Democrats at the state level, but almost always goes Republican on the federal level. Many of my friends are very conservative or Independent-minded, and I don't fall blindly into my beliefs. I like to explore nuances and different ways of thinking among all parties. So I really do strive to find common ground among all of us.
And this is why I adore Rachel. Anyone willing to stand up and defend her progressive ideas with an erudite, educated discussion of exactly why she feels a certain way, anyone who holds all candidates feet to the fire when she feels like it is deserved (and this includes Democrats), and anyone who can stand with conservatives and independents and discuss matters of National Security and Foreign Policy and life during wartime and convincingly OWN the discussion is tops in my book. Rachel Maddow does all of this and more on her radio show, and I cannot wait to see how she does on her own show which will come on at 9:00 eastern after Countdown with Keith Olbermann.
**Implicit in all of this, and something similar in theme to what Christopher a-respite posted yesterday about Ellen Degeneres and Portia DeRossi, is the fact that Rachel may very well be the first openly gay woman to host her own news show on a news network. Now, don't quote me on that or anything, but I did read that in an article. For me, it feels like we're really getting closer to regarding human beings as human beings, not with any labels attached to them or anything.
I'm a long-time listener of her show, and she constantly talks about Susan, her partner. Very sweet, very awesome. When she's on television, it's certainly referred to, but not as often. My fabulous family, who all watch Countdown with the fervor of hungry hyenas devouring a day-old corpse, ask me on so many occasions "Are you SURE she's a lesbian . . . ? Not that there's anything wrong with that . . . But are you sure?"
I just kind of smile and nod and laugh. And then I just tell them, "Well . . . she's just Rachel. Y'know?"