Saturday, February 18, 2012

Stupid Commenter Beatdown - The Dangers of Glitter

OH YEAH!!
Picture from here.

There's really no point to this other than to tease an NPR story about a "Sparkly Weapon of Disapproval."  Yes, we're talking about "Glitter Bombs."  And they are exactly what they sound like.  

Earlier this week, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum was glitter-bombed by Occupy protesters in Tacoma, Wash., during a rally.  It wasn't the first time for Santorum. 

Everyone remembers their first time for santorum.

In fact, all of the Republican presidential candidates still in the race have faced off with glitter bombers. Unlike a ticker-tape parade or a burst of celebratory confetti, glitter-bombing is a form of protest — it tells candidates that someone thinks they're wrong on an issue.

And that you're going to spend small portions of the next three weeks finding that, no, you didn't get it all off in the shower.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney got hit by the tiny, shiny stuff at a rally after winning the Florida primary. He brushed it off — literally as well as figuratively.  

And quickly to avoid anyone seeing that he doesn't have a reflection.

"This is an exciting time. I'm happy for a little celebration. This is confetti ... 

"And I'm a viable presidential candidate!!" a delusional Romney said.

This sparkly weapon of disapproval was first launched last May in Minnesota.  Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and his wife were signing books at an event sponsored by a group that opposes same-sex marriage.  "Feel the rainbow, Newt! ... 

"It's taste, you idiot.  TASTE the rainbow!!  Get me the head of employee training, now!!!"  Joe Skittles.

Stop the hate! Stop anti-gay politics! It's dividing our country and it's not fixing our economy," a protester yelled as he hit Gingrich with glitter.  "Nice to live in a free country," Gingrich said.

Where a failed House Speaker on his third marriage with a weird name can be a viable presidential candidate by running on moral issues.  For 15 minutes at least.

Meanwhile, the protester, Nick Espinosa, was being quickly escorted out.  Espinosa says he's part of the "Glitterati — a nationwide movement to stand up to bigotry and anti-gay politics with a lighthearted dousing of glitter."

Lighthearted indeed!!

Espinosa is 25 and unemployed.  

You're kidding.

He told NPR he carried his glitter to the event in a Cheez-It box. But why glitter in the first place?

Because it's harmless but sensational?

"It's a harmless but sensational way to bring attention to serious issues," Espinosa says.

YES!!

"I knew he wasn't going to be hurt by it, but I also knew that it would stick with him and that, you know, for the days to come he'd be remembering what I said as he pulled the glitter sparkles from his hair. And that you know, of course, who doesn't want to see Newt Gingrich covered in glitter?"

Nobody wants to see Newt Gingrich.  Glitter or no glitter. Newt + Glitter = Ke$sha.

Well, Gingrich for one. He told The New York Times in an email that "glitter-bombing is clearly an assault and should be treated as such."

Newt Gingrich is clearly a douche and should be treated as such.

In fact, a Colorado student was arrested last week after tossing glitter at Romney in Denver. He was charged with causing a disturbance, an unlawful act on school property and throwing a missile.

And suddenly the invasion of Iraq makes so much more sense.

And a Washington, D.C., optometrist warns that it is possible to injure someone with glitter.
"If it gets into the eyes, the best scenario is it can irritate, it can scratch. Worst scenario is it can actually create a cut," Stephen Glasser told The Hill. He also noted that breathing glitter into your nose and sinuses could cause an infection.

Another example of that famed optometrical sense of humor.

We bet your wondering what the commenters had to say.  Besides the standard liberal/conservative, tea party/occupy, left/right hate-suck fest, there are a few goodies.

Mike Hunter (Mhunter) wrote:
I still prefer a good old fashioned cream pie in the face.  It's much more hilarious!

We bet you do.

Jose Bustamante (J_D_B) wrote: 
Anyone stupid enough to try to throw an unidentified object which could easily be mistaken for a grenade or a bag of anthrax spores, and throw it at the President of the United States, would definitely be taken down by the Secret Service.  And rightly so. As an expression of disapproval, I think glitter bombing is no big deal and certainly not an "assault".  But anyone stupid enough to try it on the POTUS would deserve it if they got shot for their trouble.

In fairness, "Frag"does look a bit menacing.  But come on, that anthrax is fabulous!!  If the military-styled Village Person had tried to glitter Jimmy Carter it might have saved the country from a ton of awkward wedding moments.  

Thomas Greene (FreeAgent) wrote:
Claims that these are "acts of intolerance" are just absurd. Technically, yes. They are acts of intolerance.  But they are acts of intolerance AGAINST intolerance. The rule of that marks liberal, pluralistic societies is that it cannot tolerate intolerance if it wishes to survive.  Claiming that someone is wrong because they are not tolerant of people who hate them or treat them like second class citizens is just thoughtless.

Wait, what?  Note to commenters:  Just because you use "smart" words doesn't mean you're smart.  "These are acts of intolerance because they are act of intolerance but they're intolerant of intolerance.  So the intolerance cancels out.  It's Newton's 3rd Law of Intolerance."

C Morris (CMorris) wrote:  
Boy, leave it to the Angry Gecko to swing 'Franco'. He keep calling for the arrest of people. Crypto-fascist, anyone??

Um...no.  Also, geckos are lizards.  Newts are amphibians (which means they can't get married to each other apparently).  Know your taxonomy, sir.


No comments:

Post a Comment