Chron on Ivins
by Owen Courrèges · 02/02/2007 7:54 amShowing once again that they have absolutely no class whatsoever, the editorial staff of the Houston Chronicle whips up this little number in rememberance of Molly Ivins:
One lovely irony of her 30-odd-year legacy is that, more than most other prominent Texans, she embodied the values — the love of country, state, family and friends — that so many of her victims so publicly claimed but so often betrayed.
Besides comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable, another public service that Molly Ivins performed was to give the world a different view of what a Texan is. In many quarters, unfortunately, the stereotype has been of an ignorant, provincial hick or a gun-totin’ cowboy — shoot first and ask questions later. In Ivins, the world saw an educated, urbane, funny, fearless and compassionate Texan.
Yep — the Chronicle apparently felt that this was a good opportunity to take a not-so-veiled swipe at conservatives, pitting the obviously urbane and compassionate Ivins against the conservative rural Texan.
In any event, was Ivins really “urbane?” Urbane essentially means “big city sophistication;” her entire schtick was writing Ann-Coulteresque columns for the left laced with blunt, folksy prose. She basically provided a biting, no-holds-barred liberal viewpoint coupled with a Texas twang. That’s not meant as an insult, as she was very successful in this model and gained a remarkable following. However, it does tend to undercut the Chronicle’s use of her example to slander conservatives.
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In the continuing interest of “if you can’t say something nice …”
/crickets
1st. Thank you, thank you very much.
I think this post is a perfect example of someone reading what they want to in an article, rather than what it actually said. otherwise couldn’t make. The writer didn’t say he agreed with that stereotype, did he? Unfortunately, a lot of people who don’t know us well do have that view of Texans.
The Comical must think real Texas family values include aplauding a middled aged man that thought being President entitled him to receive oral SEX from his young intern in the oval office, lie about under oath and then repeat the lie to the American people.
I have a different definition.
gadboy,
Oh, come now. Praising an uber-liberal columnist for breaking the stereotype of redneck Texans by appearing “educated, urbane, funny, fearless and compassionate” doesn’t strike you as sending a message about liberalism v. conservatism?
Furthermore, this blog (especially when it was called “Chronically Biased”) has more than shown the Chronicle’s ability to show contempt for ordinary Texans. This is just another iron ball on the scale.
Owen Courreges
what the comical inferred is that conservatives are “uneducated, backwoods, dumb cowards, with no heart”.
It’s sad, but to steal a line from our good pal: I shake my head!
By now it should be clear to anyone with at least half a functioning brain that the local ‘Pravda for the Sheeple’ NEVER misses an opportunity to slander conservatives, or anyone else who does not suscribe to their putrid Marxist philosophy.
What most people don’t know about Ivins is she grew up in a River Oaks mansion. Her father was a retired high-ranking military officer who was hired as, I believe, the chief legal counsel for one of the major oil and gas firms in Houston. I always thought her good ole country girl schtick was phony. She still had the ability to make me laugh out loud at her outrageous mouth.
texpat,
Yeah, she went to St. John’s for high school and her father was a high-ranking attorney at Tennaco, so clearly the country girl stuff was bogus. As I said, though, she used it remarkably well. If I thought I could half as successful as a political columnist, I’d have taken that path in a second.
texpat - Just as bogus as a another New Yorker claiming to be from Texas - Ann Richards. Two New York country girl huckster peas-in-a-pod. Yes sirre Bob.
Almost as bogus as someone from Maine claiming to be a Texas cowboy?
Yeah, and almost as bogus as a pieces of white trash from Arkansas claiming to be a Yankee’s fan……..
Do you all see how impossible it is to comprehend the manner in which a liberal mind interacts with the world? TEXPAT totally nailed gadboy with the fact that Ivins’ image was a fraud, and he responds with George Bush is from Maine or something? What? Everyone knows GB and his experiences in Midland and the oil fields.
What kind of thought process is this?? Savage is right about liberalism being a mental disease.
It all depends on where your roots are.
GW’s are in Central Texas, Molly’s were in East River Oaks.
Liberalism is not a mental disease, it is a lack of violence. I believe it was Churchill who once said that the difference between a liberal and a conservative was a mugging.
Almost as bogus as a Wisconsin born and raised Yankee Jew claiming to publish a blog that reflects the “Times” of mostly right-wing conservative Christians living in the “Lone Star” state!
Um, nevermind.
#12 PBFloyd
Take that back. How dare you offend my character. I am not or never will be a Yankees fan.
Oh, you meant Hellary.
/heading back in the doublewide
Hogfan
#17
Heh, heh!
urbane (Merriam Webster)
: notably polite or polished in manner
synonym see SUAVE
Why is everyone canonized after they are gone? In my eyes Ivins was a mean spirited blowhard and a fake. The fact that she’s dead does not mitigate my harsh opinion of her. I can’t wait to see what the hypocrites at the Commie-call will write about Rush when he buys the farm.
I hope the people who attend my funeral will have the guts to say what they want about me when I’m dead. If it’s true now it will still be true then.
#16 David B. How long have you been in Texas as a refugee from the Frozen North of Wisconsin? We’ve been here since 1969 from (The Peoples Republic of) Madison and consider ourselves Naturalized Texans. Or, sorry to offend those birthed here, we’re Texans by choice not by chance. David is bound to be Naturalized by now.
Adee, actually the immigration laws in Texas for Jews are a little strict. I beleive you are in transition for forty years before you are allowed to become a naturalized citizen.
Also,
She wrote for the Post
#22 Duhmoose. I believe there is a dispensation for anyone who leaves Wisconsin, particularly Socialist Madison or Milwaukee. Same would go for parts of Minnesota. David has to be home free now.
I will uphold the LST tradition and say nothing ill of the dead on the day of their death.
Molly’s entertainment value lasted until Reagan became elected.
After that
rest of this text has been redacted
Been here over 10 years, loved every minute of it except the coupla’ times it got hot and humid.
#17 Hogfan: Not all white people from Arkansas are white trash, of course!!
Present company excepted, absolutely!
In the case of the Grifter’s, errr, I mean, the Clinton’s, yeah, they are. If the shoe fits, you know!
BTW, them Hogs had a helluva year, maybe it will get them off of Houston Nutt’s back for a while, he’s a good coach. But watch for Bama next year!
Roolll Tide Roll!!
Good, bad or indifferent, I quit reading Molly Ivins a long time ago. She always was too much of an Austin liberal for me. While she was a gifted writer, I could never get over her democratic and socialist, left leaning articles.
May she rest is peace.
Molly Ivins died? Who knew…
Geez… go away fgor an extended weekend, then lose internet connections for 4 days and you miss a lot!
Frankly, I agree with Gadboy and the Chronicle obit. I’ve traveled all over the world and the country and it is indeed true that “in many quarters, unfortunately, the stereotype [Texan] has been of an ignorant, provincial hick or a gun-totin’ cowboy — shoot first and ask questions later.” Ivins was indeed educated, urbane, funny, fearless and compassionate with readers and admirers the world over. I disagreed with her politics but I admired her writing and wit. And, apparently unlike many people posting on LST, I make it a point to read views expressed by those I disagree with, if only to hone my arguments against them. I’m going to sorely miss Molly’s columns and her pithy comments.
Better watch it, Shiner. Agree with me too many more times, and they will ban you from the blog as being someone with too much sense.
How ’bout we all just rejoice in the freedom to be ballsy, whether it’s for or against those in power, without risk of incarceration, or worse.
#20 Maltboy! got it exactly right. Ivins was nothing more than a lefty pot stirrer and bomb thrower that never let the truth or common sense get in her way when she wanted to impugn someone. Just because she had a way with words and made pithy comments doesn’t mean she was intelligent or even knew what she was talking about most of the time. In my view, she was filled with hatred and rage against those who would dare disagree with her ultra left-wing poppy-cock. I would hate to go through life with the kind of chip on my shoulder that she had on hers.
gadboy
#31
Hmmm I think not.
I’ll drink (a Shiner Blonde, of course) to that, Banjo! As to those who disagree with my asessment of Ivins…well…I propose another toast to our right to disagree.
As to your warning, Gadboy - I’m not worried. I haven’t seen any evidence of anyone being banned from LST because of their common sense. In fact, I think the majority of replies here show a great deal of common sense. Some of it more common than sensical, perhaps - but all of it worth the read.
Ahh it is great night to go Troll hunting.
Why look there’s two now.
Typical troll droppings lead me here.
“Agree with me and you will get banned” yep those droppings have troll written all over them.