It is rare on national television to have a guest refuse to speak and then just sit there, but that was the scene on Larry King Live with Carrie Prejean. It is always exciting to see legal technicalities and interpretations become the subject du jour for celebrity talk shows.
Just as a legal note, on this occasion, King may be right, but it is possible for the parties to mutually agree to bar any press discussion. A confidential settlement normally bars discussion of the terms of the settlement and not the motivation of the settlement. What Prejean is describing is an agreement for a gag rule. However, the pageant has released information, here. It would be strange for an organization to require “radio silence” and, if a gag rule was part of the settlement, it would be interesting to see which side insisted upon it.
Putting this aside, it is a matter of debate whether silencing an interview between Larry King and Carrie Prejean was a significant loss to the public discourse. Indeed, for those minutes of silence with Prejean and King staring at each other in silence, there may have been a net improvement of the overall journalistic content of the show. For that brief moment, a degree of sanity returned to celebrity cable programming. It was fleeting, however.
AY–
You are ordered not say the word “Meep” for a week. Case closed.
Elaine M,
I do stand corrected. So, what is the punishment that you mete out today?
AY–
Correction: He created Texas, let it secede–and then rested as all was good.
And the he created Texas…..and then rested as all was good.
Here is an excerpt from a Q & A with Carrie Prejean at Christianity Today
Q: “You wrote that you don’t regret getting breast implants. Have you ever wondered whether it might be incompatible with your Christian faith?”
A: “No, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with getting breast implants as a Christian. I think it’s a personal decision. I don’t see anywhere in the Bible where it says you shouldn’t get breast implants.”
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/novemberweb-only/145-22.0.html?start=1
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I think Carrie’s right. I just found something interesting when rereading the Book of Genesis this evening:
After six days of creation, God didn’t just rest on his laurels on the seventh day. He looked at the wonders of the heavens and the earth and felt something was missing. He said: “Let there be beauty pageants and breast implants and not-too-bright blondes wearing bikinis exhibiting their nubile female forms in public and competing for cash prizes and the opportunity to appear on Larry King Live.
Maybe Prejean should get the shaft.
Oh she’s just a lovely young woman. She’s especially nice to ‘interns’: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/blogs/yeas-and-nays/Prejean-threatened-walkout-before-she-stepped-on-set-of-_Larry-King-Live_-8526704.html
CEJ–
I agree with what you said in your last comment. I guess I feel there are objects more deserving of my poetic vitriol.
Maybe I choose to lay off someone like Carrie Prejean because I’m the mother of a young woman myself–or maybe because I remember how, in certain ways, I was quite immature myself when I was Carrie’s age. I should add that my daughter, while extremely attractive, has never been a contestant in a beauty pageant. Heaven forbid! I might have done something drastic to myself had she informed me of such.
Elaine,
Agree about the mistakes part – no doubt!
That you use your talent only on what inspires you – of course!
Disagree about laying off someone over the age of majority who voluntarily seeks the limelight and has becomes a public figure.
Particularly Ms. Prejean, who claims to be a practicing Christian, claims to be setting an example, and able to give advice to young people aspiring to lead a Christian lifestyle. She wants to tell others what to do (do as I say, not as I do) but more dangerously she wants to promote laws restricting and prohibiting what others may do. A hypocrite ripe for skewering in my opinion; that she may be acting while under the influence of others is just a pity but no protection.
Well when is she going to do a reality show with Ron Jeremy and Clarence Thomas as the Judge, of course Flip Wilson as the commentator.
Prejean just demonstrated the fact that she has joined Sarah Palin as the main intellectual heavyweights of the conservative movement.
At best, she serves as an occasional, humorous, distraction from normal, daily, responsibilities. Bizarrely, what is a mere humorous distraction for most is for her, serious life business. Society needs clowns … she fills the bill.
CEJ–
I don’t think I’ll write one about Carrie Prejean. She’s very young–and has made some mistakes. Haven’t we all? Sure, she’s been basking in a lot of the attention she’s been receiving. I think she may regret this whole episode in her life one day–at least certain aspects of it.
I prefer to write about folks like Dick Cheney, Sean Hannity, John Yoo, Bill O’Reilly, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Michele Bachmann, Sarah Palin, and company. They’ve been around for a while in politics and/or the media. They know exactly what they’re doing and truly deserve to be skewered.
Oh! Please don’t forget the shoes, must have shoes!
Okay, but only if I get to keep the clothes!
CEJ:
only if it is paid for by the RNC.
Elaine M:
that was great.
Elaine,
Your poems are wonderful! Thank-you for sharing them here!
PS: Have you done one on Carrie Prejean?
Byron–
This one’s for you:
Jack Be Nimble
(A Rove-ian rhyme in which Karl Rove hastily waxes poetic to Jack Abramoff when he sees reporters approaching the White House)
Jack be nimble…
Jack be slick.
Jack, slip out of the White House…QUICK!
I spy nosy news reporters.
You can’t be caught in Dubya’s quarters.
Sorry, pal, you just can’t stay.
Just think of what the press would say!
(We’ll invite you back another day
For caviar and a prime filet.)
Head for K Street right away!
Get back to work on pay to play—
That’s your genius, that’s your shtick.
Jack, slip out of the White House…QUICK!
Okay; but do we get to live in the Family’s C street house too!