January 21, 2010

"I had no idea he was going to do that. I saw the script and there was definitely no mention of that. It was totally off script."



Charming? Dorky? Creepy? ... Scary?!
“I want a chastity belt on this man,” [Glenn] Beck said. “I want his every move watched in Washington. I don't trust this guy. This one could end with a dead intern.”
And keep an eye on Beck too. Something's not quite right with that man's brain. For one thing, Gary Condit did not kill Chandra Levy.

97 comments:

Hoosier Daddy said...

Hey a couple more Bidenesque comments like that and the man is VP material.

Anonymous said...

"...a leaked photograph circulating on Huffington Post Wednesday showed Brown posing with his two daughters – both wearing sea shell cup bikinis."

Well, they're obviously whores.

Re: Glenn Beck, I usually like the guy, but this is over the top. I definitely agree with his general sentiment, that we don't know him and shouldn't trust him (or any politician), but the dead intern thing was not right.

That said, he didn't say Gary Condit, so it's hard to say he was actually trying to bring that specific incident up. I'm sure that there are a lot of interns in the world that politicians would have liked to see dead.

Not sure how any of that relates to his silly comment about his girls being available, though.

KCFleming said...

Ick, was my reaction at the time.


VW: horra; cf Apocalypse Now.

Kurtz: [voiceover] "The horra... the horra..."

AllenS said...

Last year I listened to Beck for about 5 minutes. Not. For. Me.

WV: educkso

So many possibilities.

KCFleming said...

My son has read some of his books, but he's 16. That's about right, I think.

Unknown said...

Like Allen, I've only seen Beck a couple of times.

When I caught him on CNN (flipping through the channels), I thought he was a jerk.

When I caught him on Fox, I thought he wanted to head up a cult.

This tends to fit right in.

lucid said...

Beck is interesting the way an exotic, venomous, and unpredictable wild animal is interesting. You may see some intriguing stuff, but don't get too close.

But I knew Brown was going to get grief about this remark as soon as he made it.

traditionalguy said...

The Beck family is the one in danger. Sexual abuse of the easily persuaded is usually accompanied by heavy use of alcohol. The Kennedy clan had their share of that character flaw, and Beck seems to know mof what he speaks. That Beck hopes for that to be a fatal flaw in Brown's character is obvious. Beck probably sees every celebrity of today's right wing uprising as competition to his rise to be leader.

kjbe said...

Not charming, but leaning toward creepy. A slightly inappropriate, bad-dad move. As for Beck, well, take him with a grain of salt, I guess.

Anonymous said...

Probably related to an internal and ongoing family joke/teasing over boys and dating. Inside jokes normally don't come across well in public because no one else has the backstory.

I give him pass for getting caught up in the moment. I'll reconsider if it becomes a trend.

rhhardin said...

Beck interviews on Imus are very funny.

Two guys alluding via jokes to where ratings come from.

Thus alluding to their actual selves as elsewhere.

g2loq said...

I simply wish he hadn't said that ...

Shades of not minding his own business ...

Amexpat said...

Ayla seemed to enjoy his inappropriate remarks, which added another layer of creepiness.

Beck is a loon. Emotionally weak and mentally defective.

Leland said...

My thinking is in line with Dogwood. Get back to me if Brown has assaulted one of his daughters or their boyfriend, and when Beck becomes as crazy of Olberman.

Joan said...

I refuse to believe that it's just a Massachusetts thing, dads teasing their daughters about trying to marry them off. I think the vast majority of parents wants to see their children in happy relationships. The typical human isn't wired for long-term solitude.

You can see the girls were embarrassed but not angry at the comment. It's obvious they love their father and he loves them. Beck's response is way OTT.

SteveR said...

I'm with Dogwood and Leland on Brown, he's got a ways to go to get into creepy.

Beck gets excited too easily. The world can only end once.

KCFleming said...

"“I want a chastity belt on this man,” [Glenn] Beck said.

I do not share -but do not condemn- Beck's fantasies.

master cylinder said...

Beck doesnt like Brown because he [Brown] is pro choice. Not quite the lockstep he demands

Balfegor said...

I've only watched Beck once, online, but he didn't seem all that creepy. Mostly, he just seemed a bit of a joker -- a pudgy, right-wing Jon Stewart. He mugged for the camera a lot, hammed it up. I thought he was entertaining, but not really for me.

Brown's comment about his daughters -- yes, rather creepy. But at the same time, I guess he was overcome by the moment? Maybe. Traditionally, the father is supposed to be overprotective of his daughters. Not advertise their availability on national TV. It's mothers who are supposed to brag about their sons' availability in an embarassing matter.

Synova said...

I'm starting to wonder if anyone has teenagers/20's in their life.

I'll agree that an inside joke doesn't work well on the outside, but the joke itself is hardly outrageous even so. He probably shouldn't have made the joke, but that says more about politics and how every fart is recorded forever than anything else.

And as far as what this indicates about the family, I'd put money on the opposite of Dad trying to marry off his daughters or Dad trying to suggest matches with "eligible" politically mobile or wealthy up and comers. Maybe I'm wrong about that, but I'd think that it wouldn't be a joke then, Dad being serious, and his daughters wouldn't be laughing, touching him, or getting caught with that "oh, no you di'nt!" look on their faces. It's pretty clear that he has a warm relationship with his daughters.

What Beck said doesn't even make sense to me.

Henry said...

Seems to me that kind of family-based joking -- about marrying off daughters, dead-weight husbands, battle ax mother-in-laws, etc. -- was pretty common stuff once. Think Henny Youngman, Al Capp, James Thurbur, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

Kind of dumb. Sure. Worth any kind of extrapolation. No. What the hell is Beck thinking?

DaveW said...

What strikes me when I watch that video is the obvious love he has for his daughters and they have for him.

The joke was a bit off, apparently, for some people. As a dad I totally get it and find it charming.

Chase said...

Can't find the link right now (have to run to appointments), but Michael Medved just ate a Beck supporter for lunch last week on his radio show. Totally schooled him.

An intellect like Medved's will always run circles around the empty Glenn Beck.

It was awesome!

michaele said...

I watch Beck and put into perspective his clownish faces and often find them mildly amusing. However, his hostile attck on Scott Brown hit a wrong note and left me uncomfotable about Glenn. I had a "what's up with that?" reaction. For me, Brown's crack was just a dad teasing his daughters in a way that would provoke that "Oh dad" reaction that healthy families thrive on.

Brad said...

Neither Brown or Beck are threats to self-determination or the economic prospects of individuals.

bagoh20 said...

Oh geeze! This country needs some real challenges: you are far too lazy and comfortable if this is important enough to fill any part of your work day.

I'm off today, so I don't deserve firing, but the rest of you?

AllenS said...

but the rest of you?

I'm retired. I'll be here all day. Don't forget to tip the Blog Woman.

Modern Otter said...

I think Beck's remark was calculated. He makes frequent practice of claiming the Tea Party movement is as much a threat to Republicans as Democrats, but rarely does anything but fawn and slobber over figures from the Republican right (viz Sarah Palin). I figure he's found in Scott Brown a token Republican to buttress his shaky claim that the Tea Party movement is not wholly owned by the GOP.

jag said...

Brown's comment about his daughters is something a small town lawyer might say at a Rotary meeting. Lame but harmless humor. I think he will take some time to adust to his new role of the nation's most watched Senator.

rhhardin said...

Lileks said that he didn't mind if his daughter started dating, once she's 26 or so.

Apparently Scott's are getting up there.

Salamandyr said...

Didn't find anything wrong with it. Half the fun of parenting is embarrassing your children.

As for Beck...how upset should people get about a show they don't watch?

Anonymous said...

but the rest of you?

Work from home, here all day.

Anonymous said...

He probably shouldn't have made the joke, but that says more about politics and how every fart is recorded forever than anything else.

Agree completely.

themightypuck said...

If you are going to say something weird, the acceptance speech is the time to do it.

knox said...

When I caught him on Fox, I thought he wanted to head up a cult.

Yeah. I don't think the "He's Just an Entertainer!" defense applies to Beck. I think he wants to insert himself in the process, probably hoping he can lead up the Tea Party in 2012. Or would that be Tea Party Party.

rhhardin said...

Beck: [recounts the story of the Christmas sweater]

Imus: So you found a way to turn this heart-wrenching, gut-wrenching story into a big payday. When are we going to have sweaters for the kids? I can't believe this bastard isn't selling sweaters.

KCFleming said...

@Chris If you are going to say something weird, the acceptance speech is the time to do it.

Ha! Perfect.

Fred4Pres said...

I am sure Ace's ears pricked up. He was there in the room.

bagoh20 said...

I don't watch Beck a lot, but I think he is very entertaining. His show often covers items so disturbing to ones sense of justice that his over the top reaction relieves me of the guilt I feel for being resigned to them. I assume Olberman and Maddow fill the same function for lefties.

This reaction to Brown is not one of those cases and just stupid and mean. I don't usually find Beck to be mean spirited and dishonest as I do Maddow and Olbermann, but that might just be political viewpoint. I'm not willing to reverse that, I already have once in my life.

Peter V. Bella said...

Beck has squirrels juggling knives in his brain.

Peter Hoh said...

I'm willing to give Brown a pass. It comes off as goofy. He hasn't acclimated to the national stage yet.

Beck is an ass. He's a shock jock at heart. Back in his morning zoo days, a rival DJ's wife had a miscarriage. Beck called her up, on air, asked about the miscarriage, and proceeded to make a joke about it.

Larry J said...

After my youngest son's wedding, I was sitting outside with the father of the bride. He has two younger daughters. He smiled and said, "One down, two to go."

Anyone who is offended or outraged by Brown's comment needs to seriously lighten up. This is much ado about nothing.

Nichevo said...

C'mon, they were having fun. She didn't have to start up that "Gas up the truck" chant if she wasn't into it. He did nothing a proud, kvelling Jewish mother wouldn't do (excuse me, C4). I found it cute, what can I say.

This is what Beck chose to make such unpleasant remarks about? It diminishes him in my esteem, which I guess is irrelevant because I've literally never watched him outside of maybe fifteen seconds while channel-surfing.

What is his damage? I don't remember him accusing Bill and Chelsea Clinton of incest, although back then of course nobody knew or cared who Glenn Beck was. Why would he "go there" with the Browns on the night of their happiness, exactly when such exuberance could be excused? I could go look at the Beck tape to search for clues, I suppose.

Anybody want to defend Beck here? Other than Dr. Pogo I suppose, who seems the closest? Maybe some of our leftists, who might see the upside in using it to shank Brown? Or would that be arming Beck with your imprimatur?

All I can tell you is I've known fathers who would do much worse (and who don't need ankle bracelets, needless to say). And mothers, but evidently mothers are allowed?

Gosh, Scott Brown is a human being. Good to know, because I was never going to get close enough to check the back of his neck for pod-marks.

Republican said...

Brown: My daughters are available, heehee.

Beck: Brown needs a chastity belt, ankle bracelet, 24/7 supervision...dead intern.

Beck's a creepy pervert, like most cult leaders.

Hoosier Daddy said...

I'm willing to give Brown a pass. It comes off as goofy. He hasn't acclimated to the national stage yet.

Yeah cause we know after a few years being a national politician nothing stupid ever comes out of thier mouths ;-)

Nichevo said...

I mean, I've known fathers who would SAY worse ;-))

TW: mulua. Not quite muahaha, but close.

The Drill SGT said...

Fathers have always made bad jokes about their daughters and boys. My favorites:

10 Rules For Dating My Daughter

Rule One:
If you pull into my driveway and honk you'd better be delivering a package, because you're sure not picking anything up.

Rule Two:
You do not touch my daughter in front of me. You may glance at her, so long as you do not peer at anything below her neck. If you cannot keep your eyes or hands off of my daughter's body, I will remove them.

Rule Three:
I am aware that it is considered fashionable for boys of your age to wear their trousers so loosely that they appear to be falling off their hips. You may come to the door with your underwear showing and your pants ten sizes too big, and I will not object. However, in order to ensure that your clothes do not, in fact,
come off during the course of your date with my daughter, I will take my electric nail gun and fasten your trousers securely in place to your waist.

Rule Four:
I'm sure you've been told that in today's world, sex without utilising a "barrier method" of some kind can kill you. Let me elaborate, when it comes to sex, I am the barrier, and I will kill you.

Rule Five:
It is usually understood that in order for us to get to know each other, we should talk about sports, politics, and other issues of the day. Please do not do this. The only information I require from you is an indication of when you expect to have my daughter safely back at my house, and the only word I need from you on this subject is "early."

Rule Six:
I have no doubt you are a popular fellow, with many opportunities to date other girls. This is fine with me as long as it is okay with my daughter. Otherwise, once you have gone out with my little girl, you will continue to date no one but her until she is finished with you. If you make her cry, I will make you cry.

Rule Seven:
As you stand in my front hallway, waiting for my daughter to appear, and more than an hour goes by, do not sigh and fidget. If you want to be on time for the movie, you should not be dating. My daughter is putting on her makeup, a process that can take longer than painting the Golden Gate Bridge. Instead of just standing there, why don't you do something useful, like changing the oil in my car?

Rule Eight:
The following places are not appropriate for a date with my daughter: Places where there are beds, sofas, or anything softer than a wooden stool. Places where there are no parents, policemen, or nuns within eyesight. Places where there is darkness. Places where there is dancing, holding hands, or happiness. Places where the ambient temperature is warm enough to induce my daughter to wear shorts, tank tops, midriff T-shirts, or anything other than overalls, a sweater, and a goose down parka - zipped up to her throat. Movies with a strong romantic or sexual theme are to be avoided; movies which features chain saws are okay. Hockey games are okay. Old folks homes are better.

Rule Nine:
Do not lie to me. I may appear to be a pot-bellied, balding, middle-aged, dim-witted has-been. But on issues relating to my daughter, I am the all-knowing, merciless god of your universe. If I ask you where you are going and with whom, you have one chance to tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I have a shotgun, a shovel, and five acres behind the house. Do not trifle with me.

Rule Ten:
Be afraid. Be very afraid. . As soon as you pull into the driveway you should exit your car with both hands in plain sight. Speak the perimeter password, announce in a clear voice that you have brought my daughter home safely and early, then return to your car - there is no need for you to come inside. The camouflaged face at the window is mine.

KCFleming said...

"Anybody want to defend Beck here? Other than Dr. Pogo I suppose, who seems the closest?"

Ooog, me, the closest?
I feel vaguely offended, or else I misunderstood.

Beck's comment was boneheaded.
Brown's comment was probably benign, a euphoric joke that could be mistaken for something else.

Brown and family (well, at least Ayla) seem all very outgoing, so public joking like this is acceptable among them. My family is introverted, and girls would cry if their Dads spoke this way in public. That's why it made me squirm a bit when I heard it. I am glad to read of different perspectives, as mine is overly skewed towards protecting my kids from public humiliation.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

I think Beck is way off on this subject.

To me it just seemed like a good natured, but in bad taste, inside joke for the family. The daughters were embarrassed but not angry. I like the look on his wife's face in the photo....like..."oh no, you didn't say that out loud1" and he looks pretty pleased with himself for cracking a joke.

If it were my daughter and her father said something similar....in a Henny Youngman type of way..."take my daughter...please" he would have been rewarded with a good natured hit on the arm and a "OMG! Shut UP Dad". All in good fun.

As already stated. Probably an inside joke, which is harmless, and usually not all that funny to the non insiders.

Beck..get a grip.

themightypuck said...

The look on Ayla's face is pretty priceless though. I love how she goes from OMG to it's all good in about 3 seconds.

Anthony said...

To be truthful, "Loser" is the only song of Beck's that I know. I guess he is still performing, but I am not that hip.

Charlie Martin said...

I think Imus actually nailed it today — he hit on the Beck remark several times, btw, I don't think he was impressed — when he said "Beck wouldn't have been so worried if only Brown had signed on with the 9/12 project before the election."

kalmia said...

I thought Brown's joke was dumb, although innocent. He definitely came across a little dorky. Beck's remarks were revolting, disgusting. What kind of a mind does he have? Makes you want to go take a shower.

William said...

There are those whose talent transcends their biases. On the left, I would put Tina Fey and Maureen Dowd in this class. On the right, I would give the nod to Rush Limbaugh. In the entertainment field, wit has more currency than wisdom......I don't know enough about Beck to comment, but if you talk a lot, you're bound to say something stupid. If you don't like someone, you choose their worst moments as their defining moments.....The high comedy of the Brown candidacy was watching liberals--"it's just about sex"--twisting themselves into pretzels trying to find some way to pass judgement on Brown's thirty year old pin up photos.

Larry J said...

Brown is a loving father. That doesn't mean he won't be happy when his twenty-something daughters are finally out of the house. Those aren't mutally exclusive thoughts as anyone with older children can attest.

William said...

Incidentally, Brown has raised two exuberant, good looking daughters who exude self confidence and health. Kids like that are a product of good parenting. You may question Brown's comic timing but not his skills as a parent.

Synova said...

Heh.

Maybe it was a double reverse pre-emptive strike so that it will be impossible for any Democrat, progressive or liberal to attack Brown and his family.

Now they've got to chose... to agree with Glenn Beck.

What are the chances?

TWM said...

I'm sorry but this is one of those "Andrew Sullivan" moments where the "creepiness" is in the mind of the listener. I don't see anything wrong with it - it's just a Dad teasing his daughters about being available for marriage. Quaint and possibly seen as sexist by some humorless feminists, but creepy? Please.

Get your minds out of the gutter, folks.

Shanna said...

You can see the girls were embarrassed but not angry at the comment.

Exactly. It was obviously a "dad, stop embarassing me" moment. I don't know why anybody would go to a abusive/dead intern place. Gross.

On a different note, wasn't there an Ayla Brown from Mass on American Idol one year?

Nichevo said...

Pogo,

"Pogo said...

"“I want a chastity belt on this man,” [Glenn] Beck said.

I do not share -but do not condemn- Beck's fantasies.

1/21/10 8:36 AM"

I did not know what to make of this. Latest parallel in movie dialogue was Dr Manhattan accepting Ozymandias' fiendish world-peace scheme in The Watchmen. I don't condemn him in any frothing-at-the-mouth, arrest-him sense, but it would seem to lower him in my opinion.

I abound in your sense of introversion, but seeing this is a political family and the daughter has been on American Idol, any shyness would seem misplaced, and in fact any shyness is not evident to me. Me, I think everybody on stage is having a good ol' time.

The Drill SGT said...

On a different note, wasn't there an Ayla Brown from Mass on American Idol one year?

that one

Nichevo said...

Also, as a former nude model myself (in college for art classes), I'm not getting the problem there. Did I do something wrong? I admit I made less money than Brown.

TW: updomse. Never happened while modeling, it was pretty cold.

Beta Conservative said...

Both of my daughters, now married and in their 20's, have heard the great line from Eliza's dad ("I raised them with the sweat of me own brow til they was interestin' to you gentlemen") more times than they can count.

Embarassing the FOML's (Fruits Of My Loins) from time to time is a fatherly duty. Just ask them.

KCFleming said...

@Nichevo: "I did not know what to make of this"

It was a bad joke.

I was trying to suggest that Beck wanted Brown in a chastity belt for sexual fantasy reasons Beck himself entertains, and that although I do not share such peccadilloes, under current PC idiom, I am supposed to add a NTTAWWT codicil (i.e., 'I do not condemn').

As I can see, a joke that widely, badly, missed its mark!

KCFleming said...

Trooper just would have said Beck, you're freakin' me out, man, to greater effect.

Shanna said...

On a different note, wasn't there an Ayla Brown from Mass on American Idol one year?
that one

For real? I had been wondering when I heard her name, but figured it would have been mentioned. Maybe I haven’t been paying much attention. Off to you tube!

The look on Ayla's face is pretty priceless though. I love how she goes from OMG to it's all good in about 3 seconds.

Heh. I think Ayla’s thought process was “dad, stop embarrassing me….but if that guy in the fourth row calls, feel free to give him my number”.

Nichevo said...

Pogo,

Oh shit! LOLOLOLOL

robinintn said...

Pogo: mine is overly skewed towards protecting my kids from public humiliation.

Well, what's the point of private humiliation? Getting out the baby photos doesn't work at all unless there's someone there to see them.

Charity said...

I thought it was funny. Embarrassing, but funny. That's the way my family is, we joke at each other's expense. I didn't think there was anything creepy about it. He was obviously joking. Beck is a nut job.

KCFleming said...

True, but we shy people prefer to be humiliated in front of fewer than a dozen people, max. Otherwise, we get irritable bowel or a migraine.

That can be hard to manage onstage.

robinintn said...

"irritable bowel or a migraine" Exactly my point!

Anonymous said...

NO! NO! NO! Glenn Beck is just plain wrong.

Glenn Beck is also forcing the APA to drastically expand its new DSM-V, but that's another story...

Taken in full context-- as shown in the entire clip-- the remark about the "availability" his daughters is just an icebreaker to the honest love and appreciation he showed in the next remark. You also have to consider it in the full down-to-earth context of his speech.

Besides, what the hell does it really matter? Brown is who he is, and if his daughters were not offended then why do we care? Even if they were offended (which it doesn't appear that they were), the issue is between father and daughters and not for public consumption.

In general it would probably be better for everyone if we stopped judging politics as performance art.

jeff said...

nothing creepy about it. (Brown's comment that is) I was totally confused by Beck's reaction until I read thru the comments and figured out what HE saw. Now that's super creepy. Who thinks like that?

Brown- good naturedly teases daughters.

Beck- DEAD INTERNS!! CATS AND DOGS LIVING TOGETHER!! CHASTITY BELTS!!!

Pretty easy to see who the creepy guy is.

Fen said...

Gary Condit did not kill Chandra Levy.

Condit was having S&M sex with her. She used strap-ons. Seriously.

Lynne said...

You know, I don't get any TV reception so I've looked at precisely two clips of Glenn Beck. The one that stuck in my mind was the footage of Beck reacting to the South Park satire of him a while back. I found that charming, because he really seemed to be enjoying their spot-on take.

But geez- this Brown thing? Ack!
This is like a confirmation of all the negative things that get said about Beck.

Count me in the skeptic camp at this point. Geez.

(When I was that age and planning my wedding, my Dad used to embarrass me during discussions by offering me bribes to elope. It's a Dad thing.)

AllenS said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
AllenS said...

A farmer had three daughters. The old codger eventually agreed that they could date. However he would meet each suitor before they left. Thinking he would intimidate the young lads when he met them, he would be holding his shotgun.

There was a knock, knock, knock on the door. The farmer opened the door, and the young man said:

"Hi, my name is Joe
I'm here to take out Flo
we're going to the show
is she ready to go"?

The farmer couldn't see anything wrong, so away they went.

Later, there was a knock, knock, knock on the door. The farmer opened the door, and the young man said:

"Hi, my name is Eddie
I'm here to take out Betty
we're going to go eat spaghetti
is she ready"?

The farmer couldn't see anything wrong so away they went.

Later, there was a knock, knock, knock on the door. The farmer opened the door, and the young man said:

"Hi, my name is Chuck"

And the farmer shot him!

Kurt said...

Beck is certainly the creepy one in his reaction to this comment.

Dogwood, Joan and others have already explained it in a way similar to the way I heard it--as an inside joke that is a bit dorky to outsiders, slightly inappropriate, but really, Brown just won this huge race and was excited and got carried away and tried to embarrass his daughters a bit. Big deal.

Besides, how creepy would it be if he acted like a super-overly protective father of his grown daughters? Imagine if he had said the opposite and joked that they were not available at all and that people should stay away from them. Then I wonder what Beck would have said.

wv: loutsor--Glenn Beck, upset that he hasn't yet been anointed the ruler of a large new political movement and that Brown's victory has taken attention away from him.

Trooper York said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Phil 314 said...

"and when Beck becomes as crazy of Olberman."

I think we're there already.

Trooper York said...

At least Senator Brown was just joking. Joe Willie is begging someone to take out his lookalike demon spawn because he is tired of driving her everywhere because of her DWI's.

Now that's a problem

David said...

What kind of a father would he be if he weren't lame or goofy from time to time? Kids love it when you are lame and goofy and they can laugh at you. And what better chance than when about half the country is watching?

As someone said above, half the fun of being a parent is embarrassing your children.

David said...

Context is everything. The real joke is "These girls have trouble getting dates?"

Pretty damn doubtful.

traditionalguy said...

Stray thoughts:...Beck is a Morman, and to him never exercising sex rights inside the "family of the Patriarch" is a constant dilemma for Morman men. He reccomends to Brown the "go cold turkey/ never have an oops " remedy. But Brown being a lusty Protestant that approves of lots of sex inside marriage doesn't like to see his daughters in waiting mode forever to enjoy the best part of a good marriage with a Husband. Brown was serious, but was not tempted to commit incest like Beck presumes.

John Stodder said...

Finally seeing the Brown clip, I think it's Beck who has a dirty mind.

I'm a father of a 19-year-old, and every so often, I give into the temptation to embarrass him by saying something outrageous. (Hence, he doesn't allow me to comment on any of his Facebook posts.) This was clearly what Scott Brown was doing. You can tell by his daughters' reactions. It was actually kind of cute.

But, I admit, when I had only read his words and not seen them, I was a little creeped out. He needs to be more careful now. I'm sure his campaign manager whacked his knuckles for having said it.

MadisonMan said...

I don't see anything wrong with Brown's remark, his daughter was pretty clearly used to such a thing. Inside joke, nothing to see here.

knox said...

I'm sorry but this is one of those "Andrew Sullivan" moments where the "creepiness" is in the mind of the listener.

Great comparison. Beck's comments were Sullivanesque.

Caroline said...

A talk radio host here in MA, who claims to know Beck, says Beck was joking.

I thought Beck was serious, but I only heard the snippet, not the whole show, so I can't really judge.

As a satire to the over-reaction to Brown's playfully teasing his daughters, I suppose it could work. But it's a sick joke (if that's what it was). The dead intern line was ugly (IMO).

knox said...

Oh, well, if he was joking, more evidence that he's just not very funny and most often fails by trying too hard.

Kirby Olson said...

Good politicians read the audience and give them what they want. Obama does that well, Hitler did it well, too. Bush could do it.

But a good politician shouldn't give away his own daughters to the audience, even if that's what they want.

He made a mistake -- he's a populist, but he has to learn that there are some things that won't make him popular. He ought to protect his family, and especially his daughters. I loved the rest of the speech.

He seemed to trust that everything he would say would come out right if he just read the audience and gave them what they wanted.

That mostly worked.

Kensington said...

The outrage is weird and stupid, particularly from Beck. He's acting as if Brown had put Ayla up on the truck hood, put a spotlight on her ya-ya, quoted a price and said "COME 'N GIT IT, BOYS!"

He was saying the girls don't have boyfriends and are available for courting. Isn't that what normal people do all the time? There is nothing lewd or unseemly about it. It was cute.

And the look on Ayla's face is priceless and adorable.

prairie wind said...

Obama does that well

Does he? I've been hearing that forever but I've never seen it. The audiences who love him don't love him because of his speeches. His speeches are boring, no matter how many times reporters tell us something different.

WV: slyfu...what we're stuck with until 2012

MaggotAtBroad&Wall said...

He wasn't worred about embarrassing his daughters while joking that they are single. My impression is they probably have a strong family bond and his daughters have high self esteem and a good sense of humor.

Being outraged by a silly remark about his daughters being single is strange and bizarre.

Gina said...

I usually defend Glenn Beck, but those remarks are outrageous. The chastity belt thing- just stupid. The comment about a dead intern, entirely beyond the pale.

Ritmo Re-Animated said...

Oh the horror! If a father wants his daughters to be happily involved/married then that is creepy because such a relationship might involve another man's peepee and that's just weird!!!

The sexual over-protectiveness says something more about the people who are squeamish about it than the one who just wants his kids to be happy and providing him with grandchildren, or the bystander who accepts such a view as natural.

So, in other words, what Joan said (8:35).

Seriously. Get a grip. Stop worrying about the potential son-in-law's peepee and start being tolerant of things that most normal people accept as a natural part of life. And stop being paranoid over the loss of control over another person's decisions and their natural right to determine the course of their own relationships, sexuality and happiness.

Weirdos.

BTW, speaking of creepy... Here's your creepy.

John Clifford said...

I watched Brown's victory speech and squirmed along with the daughters. It was not what I would have done... but I understand.

Brown has been getting, what, 4 to 6 hours of sleep per night for the past month? The guy's exhausted, and he's living one of the best nights of his life. He's just being goofy, enjoying the moment, trying to connect with his audience because he really appreciates what they've done for him.

BTW, Ayla did a pretty durn good job singing her song on American Idol. She's not another Mariah Carey or Selena, but she can carry a tune as well as Britney or Madonna. She just needs to relax a little. Unlike the last two, however, I think she'll have a lot more palatable options than being a pop singer, and with her family she won't be anywhere near as dysfunctional as Britney or Madonna... or Mariah.

Cheryl said...

Oh for Pete's sake. Dads where I grew up, including mine, said things like that all the time. The family obviously loves each other and were having a good time up there together. The man is so clearly proud of his girls, and they of him. If you watch the faces for the next few minutes of the clip, it's pretty clear that Ayla's expression is one of MOCK horror, playing along with the joke. What is the matter with people?