the 50 most loathesome people in America

Doug Henwood dhenwood at panix.com
Tue Dec 17 07:45:43 PST 2002


eXile alum Matt Taibbi is now in upstate NY, editing The Buffalo Beast. They've got a list, reminiscent of the Spy 100, of the 50 most loathesome people in America <http://www.buffalobeast.com/article.php?path=2002/09/&article=01_0>. Here's a politically balanced sample:


>42. MICHAEL MOORE
>
>Misdeeds: Every would-be oppositionist in the country has lined up
>to blow Moore every since he put out the amazing film Roger and Me,
>anointing him as a leading political figure and a brilliant creative
>mind even though he's been an unfunny, egomaniacal blowhard for over
>ten years now. Moore wears his dissident credentials not on his
>sleeve, but on his head and his waistline: his mesh baseball cap and
>fat body are now the leading brand-ID marker for political
>discontent among the narrow, incestuous "enlightened left"
>demographic. Gertrude Stein said that "A mouth is a mouth is a
>mouth"; Moore shows that a media darling is a media darling is a
>media darling.
>
>Aggravating Factor: The O'Reilly Factor is a hundred times more
>entertaining than TV Nation ever was.
>
>Aesthetic: Upper-class poor hygiene and grooming habits disguised
>as working-class sloth.


>13. SEAN HANNITY
>
>Misdeeds: Without question one of the most smarmy, vile,
>hypocritical talking heads on television. Has the uncanny ability to
>vilify and generalize those who disagree with him, and then state
>that he's not a partisan person. Exploits his devout Catholicism and
>patriotism to the point that it makes you think he's selling
>something-like his book, whose cover features his giant head in
>front of one of the glossiest, waviest American flags ever. Much of
>his wrath can probably be traced to his displeasure that Reagan
>still can't remember his name although he's met him many times.
>
>Aggravating Factor: Since 9/11, pretends to be genuinely convinced
>that anyone who disagrees with the Bush administration does not want
>America to be safe.
>
>Aesthetic: Repressed kid from Long Island who got to college, was
>scared of sex, discovered other repressed white kids in conservative
>student group, joined them, devoted rest of life to blasting people
>who didn't.



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