Saturday, September 20, 2008

Poor, Poor Pitiful Sandra Bernhard

Tim Graham of NewsBusters points out the disconnect between the foul content of Sandra Bernhard's new show, "Without You I’m Nothing," and the glowing reviews she has received.

For example, Barbara Mackay of The Examiner:


In Sandra Bernhard’s new show, “Without You I’m Nothing” at Theater J, she kvetches continually, whether she’s sneering at vacuous celebrity-speak from a fashion magazine, mocking mediocre singers or voicing contempt for Sarah Palin.

But in the end, oddly and subtly, Bernhard’s message is positive.

In this updated version of her off-Broadway show from 20 years ago, Bernhard mixes music with satire, self-revelation and a trip down memory lane. Bernhard says along the way that she has two sides, but as her stories spin out, it’s clear that there are many more than two: she’s a savvy political and cultural observer, a rocker, a reformer, a lover, a devoted mother — and much more.

...The fascinating thing about “Without You I’m Nothing” is although Bernhard uses as many four-letter words as other comedians do, she doesn’t do so for shock effect or to establish a lowbrow persona. Her profanity comes across as a shout to a passive, disengaged world.

Behind Bernhard’s criticism of present-day American life in “Without You” is a passionate belief things don’t have to be so bad. What she communicates most clearly is her confidence that a better America will exist if she can just mobilize everyone in the audience to go out and start creating it.

Positive message? A passionate belief things don't have to be so bad?

Watch some video of Bernhard's show.

It's not positive. It's hateful.

At the end of the clip, Bernhard's message is clear. First and foremost, she's about pure self-promotion.

She tells her audience:


Call the sh-t in. Call the sh-t in. Tell them what I said tonight. I hope you're filming this sh-t. Put it out there.

I don't doubt that she believes every vile word she says, but I do believe that turning her ugliness into a performance is a calculated move. She wants attention.

She's crying out, "Look at me! Pay attention to me!"

Bernhard is to be pitied. She seems miserable, poor thing.

_______________

Greg Gutfeld reacts to Bernhard's rant in a Gregalogue: "Sarah The Dog Whistle."

Just when you think things couldn't get any uglier, along comes Sandra Bernhard, who's ugly in her sleep.

Following the lead of Chevy Chase, Lindsey Lohan, and something called Margaret Cho, Sandra has attacked Sarah Palin - warning that if the governor were to come to New York, she'd be raped by "big black brothers."

Yep, that's not racist...at all (Paging Al Sharpton).

But what you're really seeing, once again, is the amazing effect Palin has on the fragile minds of the C-list celebrity. It's as though Palin's success is a dog whistle that only unhappy has-beens like Sandra can hear. And it unhinges them completely. It would be funny if the responses were funny. But they're not. They're just vicious.

...Of course, Sandra's words are just another example of the rich intolerance only the tolerant left can muster. For more of it, check out how reporters are handling Palin's hacked emails. The media thinks the real story is about her use of a private email account - as opposed to her actual privacy being invaded. This cowardly garbage, mind you, comes from the same folks who decry Bush's imaginary infringements on our own personal liberties.

But here's the real hypocrisy: all of these media whores have private email accounts separate from work - which helps them jump from job to job. I mean, do you actually think the wussy bloggers who exposed Palin's emails don't have a private account that they use to apply for entry level jobs at Vanity Fair? Private email is as common at work as stealing Post-it notes.

Finally, if Obama's email had been hacked instead, and something embarrassing had been found, imagine the media hellfire that would have been unleashed. Heads would roll and Republicans would be gang-raped.

I don't know... maybe all this hate is what Obama needs to get elected. And if it works, Sandra... then Palin won't be vice-president.

But you'll still be ugly.

Gutfeld pulls no punches.

What kind of review do you think Gutfeld would get from someone like Barbara Mackay?

I highly doubt it would be positive.

3 comments:

Mary said...

Intelligent, accomplished conservative women are demeaned while foul-mouthed liberal women are praised for being offensive.

It's twisted.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, it was wrong. But you can't seriously be such a prude that you can't spell shit on the internet? SH-T? What is that? on bbc in britain they can say that word.

I wish criticism of bernhard's moment there wouldn't come only from the insanely demure camp of conservatives. Please readers, not all us conservatives are so unhip that we write our internet blog with protection of the kiddies in mind, less they read a four letter word for excrement.

Mary said...

For the most part, liberal mainstream news outlets don't print or say expletives in their reports. I'm following that standard.

Are they prudes? Hardly.

Are they from the insanely demure camp of conservatives? No way.

You may be interested to know that I'm not, as you put it, "unhip."

(No offense, but your use of that term makes you sound rather "unhip.")