It’s official. You will now be able to not just watch Sarah Palin offering sage political advice on Fox News, but then switch over to Discovery Channel to watch her new reality show. In a reported $1 million per episode deal, Discovery will feature interesting people and things in Alaska with Palin as the guide.
The show is the brain-child of reality-TV rainmaker Mark Burnett and “will center on interesting characters, traditions and attractions in the 49th state – with the ex-VP candidate as a guide.”
My immediate reaction to this news is how far the Discovery Channel has descended into cultural junk. The channel was once a fascinating collection of shows on science-related subjects that elevated the overall quality of television. As with the History Channel (discussed earlier) with such mindless shows as Ax Men and Ice Road Truckers, Discovery now shows such junk television as American Chopper and Ghost Lab. The Channel has gone from featuring the likes of Carl Sagan to Sarah Palin. That is a study in de-evolution.
For the full story, click here.
The silver lining to this cloud is that Gov. Quitter has finally found a job she’s capable of doing, something just shy of an anchor position on local TV News, what is essentially an infomercial host job. It has the same parameters Don Henley noted of newscasters, “Well, I could’ve been an actor, but I wound up here/I just have to look good, I don’t have to be clear/Come and whisper in my ear, give us dirty laundry.” Or as a former associate used to say, “Pimping is pimping” be it trafficking in human misery as news or for the Alaska Board of Tourism and Discovery Networks.
Discovery! Such wasted potential. Waste not or get watched not. Bad channel! Now get under the TV before I have to get out a rolled up newspaper.
I hear that the working titles are “Ice Road Sarah’s Axe Moose Hunt,” or “American Chatter.” Personally, I like the title “Myth Makers” but Discovery already has two wacky guys who blow things up to see if they really blow up! Sarah is fascinated by them, one supposes, as she is with shiny objects and Magic Eight Balls.
Tea Party Convention Organizer Sued Over ‘Rock Star’ Palin’s Speaker’s Fee
3/24/10 at 6:23
Sarah Palin speaking at the convention.
The Tea Party Convention is over. But the war it started is apparently just getting under way. Yesterday, Bill Hemrick, a conservative fund-raiser and the founder of the Upper Deck baseball trading-card company, sued the for-profit convention’s organizer, Judson Phillips, in Williamson County Circuit Court in Tennessee, in a dispute over Sarah Palin’s speaking fee. When Palin agreed to deliver the keynote address at the convention, it put the event in the news. And it was Hemrick, all agree, who provided the $50,000 down payment for Palin’s $100,000 speaking fee. In the suit, Hemrick claims that Phillips had agreed that, in return for helping to close the deal with Palin, Phillips would assist Hemrick with his National Fiscal Conservative Political Action Committee. But after taking the money, Phillips didn’t live up to his part of the deal, and even barred Hemrick from attending the event at all. Hemrick is seeking a minimum of $500,000 in damages and asserts that Phillips defamed him by badmouthing him after their falling-out over Palin.
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2010/03/tea_party_convention_organizer.html#ixzz0j8Z1G2JR
What is good about this is she has a short attention span, so do most people. Alaska was the 49th state, that is good, I would have to hear them call it Alaska 50. That is good. Will it make it past 49 minutes? That is the question….
How many times can you shoot Moose out of a Helicopter. I bet they don’t show the devastation from the Valdez…..
I wonder what won’t be shown, the decline of the commercial fisheries, that each resident gets money from the state for the natural resources….. even the Indians….
The whole show will be Palin giving the Ruskies the ‘evil eye’ from her kitchen window. It’ll be like a weekly, 30 min, one-person staring contest just to show how tough she can be.
Maybe in the background you’ll here her daughters practicing abstinence with their boyfriends…..
Will this be one of the shows topics?
:Gang problem in Anchorage is real
By Mike Dingman
Alaska Standard Contributor
At two o’clock on a Sunday morning – after an all-night underage drinking party – a 17 year old girl was shot and killed on the front lawn of a Muldoon home. Neighbors tell the Anchorage Daily News that this residence has been a persistent problem for loud noise, underage drinking and other problems in the area. Even that night, multiple calls by multiple neighbors were made to Anchorage Police complaining about the noise, traffic and drunken juveniles wandering around the neighborhood.
http://www.thealaskastandard.com/content/gang-problem-anchorage-real
eniobob,
Thanks for the stuff about the Upper Deck Guy…
Actually American Chopper got switched to TLC in 2007 after the focus changed from the building of bikes to the interpersonal relationships.
Of course TLC is an even worse example of an interesting channel getting slowly changed into a ‘reality’ wasteland.
AY:
when I posted this story you had a couple of questions,this may answer some of them.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/03/nyc_police_officer_in_carlstad.html
eniobob,
I had read that and questioned why the FBI took over the investigation, but figured it was because of renting a vehicle in NJ.
Sarah Palin.
Reality show.
Surely a contradiction?
This should almost certainly serve as proof she doesn’t plan a run for the White House, shouldn’t it? Can one really go from Governor to VP candidate to quitter speaking tour to reality show to being taken at all seriously as a Presidential candidate?
rcampbell,
Do not forget RWR that went from a Grade B actor, Informant, Governor, to the Whitehouse.
Then you have RMN that quit a number of times.
Then the rest is his story.
Sure AY, but Palins career seems to be going the opposite way to Rayguns. Luckily.
rcampbell–
“Can one really go from Governor to VP candidate to quitter speaking tour to reality show to being taken at all seriously as a Presidential candidate?”
I’ll respond with two words often employed by ex-governor Palin when asked a question: You betcha!
**********
“This should almost certainly serve as proof she doesn’t plan a run for the White House, shouldn’t it?”
I would think–and hope–so!
Blind Faithiness
The whole show will be Palin giving the Ruskies the ‘evil eye’ from her kitchen window. It’ll be like a weekly, 30 min, one-person staring contest just to show how tough she can be.
=============================================================
Good morning laugh … thanks
Blouise & Blind Faithiness–
Speaking of Palin giving the Ruskies the evil eye: One million dollars an episode is a hefty hunk o’ change. On air, I’ll bet Sarah will be singing, dancing, staring–and “Putin” on the Ritz!
Does that makes her a hollywood type?
No as I understand it, Hollywood does not care for the Palin ideology. I heard this from a person that has money and is a Producer in Hollywood and worldwide for that fact.
Damn mainstream media promoting Socialism again! After all, Alaska is America’s Communist paradise! Before McCain’s handlers could get to her, Palin said in an interview that Alaska is “set up, unlike other states in the union, where it’s collectively Alaskans own the resources. … So we share in the wealth when the development of these resources occurs.” It’s incredible that the Discovery Channel is going to be running obvious propaganda from this person, because as we all know from the teabaggers, Socialism is exactly the same as Nazi Fascism. Uh, not that we can define or explain either system, but just that it’s what Obama does and it’s real bad, mmmmkay?
What’s next, are ABC/CBS/NBC evening news shows going to start accurately describing what’s in the Health Insurance Slight Adjustment bill that was recently passed, instead of just running sound bites of vague, non-specific “it’s bad” comments from Republicans? America-hating Pinkos everywhere, I tell ya.
Will the first episode be broadcast on April 1st, by any chance?
Jeeves–
“Will the first episode be broadcast on April 1st, by any chance?”
Maybe–but we know one thing for sure: Only fools will be watching.
“Funny” though t is to the sentient public, there is nothing funny about this ‘heartbeat away from the presidency” moment. Can there be any more cogent evidence of how totally unserious much of the political process has become — no surprise to many — and really how vacuous and/or suckered are those who see Sarah as important. Important in what way?
Hey don’t knock Axe Men. Tree felling is a dangerous biz. While some of the clear cutting is no good the fellers are fun to watch. Particularly Heli-loggers, who do “selective logging” where forests are not clear cut but merely pruned to allow other trees more room to grow. You can’t even tell heli-loggers were there when they’re done. Its a dangerous job but you can learn something watching it.
Axman:
I’m with you. I love that show!
She is sweet, loves children, does what she wants, and wasn’t destroyed by the America hating left and prissy Marxist Ivy League types currently running things.
And they tried their best to destroy her.
That’s enough to generate loathing and contempt.
Tootie:
“She is sweet, loves children, does what she wants, and wasn’t destroyed by the America hating left and prissy Marxist Ivy League types currently running things.”
****************
Sterling qualities indeed, rendering her eminently qualified for the second highest office in the land and a heartbeat away from the nuclear codes. Wonder if she can dance?
New title for the show: NitQuit’s guide to Alaska.
or: Alaska for NitQuits.
mespo:
She is more qualified that a deranged Marxist with a law degree.
Tootie:
“She is more qualified that a deranged Marxist with a law degree.”
****************
I’d take the intelligent Marxist (whomever that may be) over a religious fool with a death wish like Palin when my life depends on it.
Let’s see . . .
Quit as Governor.
To be a infomercial hostess.
Vs.
Resigned as Senator.
To become a lawfully elected President.
Vs.
Failed At Everything
Appointed by Daddy’s Friends
If I were to interpret this as a either a sign or a sine, Obama comes out on top. He even wins if we make this a game of “Which One of These Things Is Not Like The Other”.
Put in terms you can perhaps better access.
mespo: The people with the death wish are those who belong to the party that would have wanted Sarah to snuff out the life of her youngest child.
Tootie:
“The people with the death wish are those who belong to the party that would have wanted Sarah to snuff out the life of her youngest child.”
*******************
I know of no such straw man party. There is a party that would protect her right to choose to terminate her pregnancy, but not one I know of that “wanted Sarah to snuff out” her unborn child. If there is such a party, please prove it “wanted” her to do something like you suggest.
Mespo,
You’re three for three on this post… I read the comments hoping for a way into the conversation but I think you just about said it for me this time
Tootie:
I like Sarah Palin on a human level and respect her choice to raise her son, in that regard she is an admirable woman. But she is not the free market capitalist you seem to think she is. I only have a few snippets of information to have made this determination, one during her debate with Comrade Joe and the other a few days ago in which I read that she thought the resources of Alaska belonged to the citizens and they deserved a share.
She is no different than Obama or Waxman in this regard and given her apparent religious beliefs I think a Palin presidency would be as detrimental as the Obama presidency is shaping up to be and for the same reasons. They are not that far apart philosophically when you look at their core tenets.
Bryon: I wouldn’t and didn’t vote for Sarah by voting for McCain. You need not worry, but I appreciate your trying to alert me.
I’m a Ron Paul fan. Yes, I know she supports Rand Paul for his run for the senate in Kentucky. I still couldn’t vote for her if she ever ran if she continued to support the leftist ideology of international interventionism.
The evil neo-cons (the Bush wing of the GOP) got their nasty claws in her and tainted her. And so she unfortunately supports the phony war on terror.
I like Sarah because she is symbolic of what politics needs to become: a world without Ivy league types (the types who are and have been destroying America for half a century or more).
I merely defend that trend and like to tease the leftists who simply hate her because she is common, cute, kind, and decent.
mespo: You know of no such party?
Well, at least you honest about what you do not know.
you=you are*
Stupid leftists don’t know when the “choice” should be made.
This is why they need a “do over”.
I can understand why after having sex with each other leftists need the option of abortion.
Furthermore, it seems to me if you rob a bank, you don’t get to “unrob” it, so-to-speak.
And that seems to be the moral framework pro-abortionists would like us to accept.
There was something else mespo said Tootie.
“If there is such a party, please prove it ‘wanted’ her to do something like you suggest.”
If you’re going to do your homework, Tootie, it must be complete or no credit will be given. Remember to show your work.
Buddha–
“If you’re going to do your homework, Tootie, it must be complete or no credit will be given. Remember to show your work.”
Love that second sentence!
**********
The book I’m currently reading: “Idiot America: How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free” by Charles P. Pierce. I wonder why the book came to mind when reading this post about Palin?????
Oh, I’m reading a good book, it’s called “Idiot America: How Stupid People Got Ivy League Degrees And Went On To Run and Ruin America”.
“There is no qualification for government but virtue and wisdom, actual or presumptive.”
Edmund Burke
There is only one person in DC who meets that criteria: Ron Paul
Tootie,
I’m producing a modern day version of Don Quixote, in which the hero declares himself victorious after defeating a field full of scarecrows. Based on your performance in this thread, I’d like to ask you to audition for the lead.
Gyges:
The thing about scarecrows: They are wussy, fraudulent, dried-up push-overs of puffed-up, bug-ridden, tinder who think they contain the life-blood of the real McCoy.
The crows sit and poop on them.
Tootie,
I think you missed the point, but hey, keep attacking people rather than arguments, that’ll show everyone your moral superiority.
“There is no qualification for government but virtue and wisdom, actual or presumptive.”
Edmund Burke
I notice Eddie didn’t bring knowledge to that equation. Wisdom is but lessons learned in acquiring knowledge. As I’ve pointed out elsewhere – not all lessons take with all students. Recognizing that some are less capable of learning does not mean that the stupidest and least educated should rule by default.
Thanks, Tootie. Now I feel like a complete failure. I’ve got an Ivy League degree and all I get to run is the lawn sprinkler. However, anyone who calls me “prissy” will get the snot beaten out of him. So there.
Mike A.–
So sorry to find out you’re one-a-them Ivy League elitists who has brought this once great country of ours to rack and ruin. For shame!
“Sarah Palin stumps for McCain today”
(especially if she is wearing high heel shoes)
“As our Gannett colleagues at The Arizona Republic report, it’s the first McCain-Palin joint campaign appearance since the 2008 presidential contest.”
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2010/03/sarah-palin-stumps-for-mccain-today/1
Live Video of the event: Just started @ 15:42 EDT
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/26/palin-mccain-rally-in-ari_n_515026.html
There is a petition to boycott the Discovery Networks.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/21/boycott-the-discovery-channel-networks
Palin is fulla ya betchas and ya knows, etc
Tootie:
“I can understand why after having sex with each other leftists need the option of abortion.”
isnt that a bit harsh?
Won’t it be fun to listen to Sarah explain how 5 separate tectonic plates have pushed together in just the last 6000 years to form all the mountain ranges in Alaska?
And to try to explain how the early American Indian ancestors swam the freezing Baring Sea to settle Alaska 6000 years ago and then spread aaaaaaal the way to Tiera del Fuego in just 6000 years.
Oh yeah, and how they killed off all the dinosaurs and turned them into stoney fossils, but left the buffalo, and elk, and wolves and Fire ants and eagles and, and, and did all that in just 6000 years in just 6000 years.
Not to give the barbie bimbo anymore head lines but…I was just reading this and thought what?
Jefferson: a state beyond but within our border
According to a State of Jefferson website: “The abundant supply of minerals and timber in the region was largely inaccessible due to the lack of sufficient roads and bridges into the rugged mountain border country. The local pioneering people grew weary of unfulfilled promises from Salem and Sacramento to help fund sufficient highway projects in the region while building campgrounds in cities where there were more votes.”
Things got truly interesting in November 1941, when representatives from three northern California counties (Del Norte, Siskiyou and Trinity) and one southern Oregon county (Curry) met in Yreka to discuss the situation. With no apparent solution in sight, a serious secession movement was born.
Caught up in the ensuing excitement, the Yreka newspaper held a contest to name the new state. The winning nomination invoked our third president, Thomas Jefferson, who once said “A little rebellion now and then is a good thing.” At that point, Yreka was designated the temporary state capital, and groups of armed (but harmless) men began stopping traffic one day a week on the highway outside town to hand out their “Proclamation of Independence” to drivers.
“The 49th State …
Among the language in the officious little proclamation were these tidbits: “You are now entering Jefferson, the 49th State of the Union … This State has seceded from California and Oregon this Thursday, November 27, 1941 … Patriotic Jeffersonians intend to secede each Thursday until further notice.”
http://www.oregonlive.com/travel/index.ssf/2010/05/jefferson_a_state_beyond_but_w.html