Thursday, August 07, 2008

Okay, you want a new post NOW?

'Tis but an interesting email I received weeks ago: Somehow I got involved with this organization called MoveOn, and sometimes I at least get my signature into some issues, in case this actually makes a difference.
` One day they sent me an email, asking to collect signatures to make a statement about the racist smears going on at FOX News. (Which I know about because it's always on at the gym. Blech!)
` Now, I'd rather just take over the world (a la Dr. Horrible of previous postage) because I question just how much this can help.
` I was pleasantly surprised when I got this notification, which also contains a link to a wonderfully hilarious episode of the Colbert Report (hosted on Hulu, also like Dr. Horrible).

Dear MoveOn member,

Big news! Your petition signature telling FOX to stop their racist smears against the Obamas had a really exciting day on Wednesday. Here's what happened:

1:00 p.m. Your signature was printed off at a New York City Kinko's along with 620,126 others—filling 19 big boxes.

2:00 p.m. The signatures were piled in front of FOX's national headquarters at 6th Avenue and 48th Street.

3:15 p.m. Hip hop star Nas (whose new album had just risen to #1 on the Billboard charts hours earlier) joined over 100 activists and delivered the petitions to FOX on behalf of ColorOfChange, MoveOn, and Brave New Films.

3:30 p.m. FOX refused to accept the petitions. (Sometimes, the truth hurts.)

4:00 p.m.—9:00 p.m. News of FOX's racism and the star-studded petition delivery made its way around the world—with stories in Rolling Stone, Billboard, USA Today, Associated Press, Reuters, India Express, Huffington Post, MTV, OpenLeft, and over 200 other places.

11:30 p.m. Stephen Colbert welcomed Nas as his guest on the Colbert Report and dedicated over half of his show to FOX's racism. The boxes containing our signatures were stacked prominently on Colbert's set in place of his normal interview table and chairs—and he conducted the entire interview surrounded by petitions! Then, Nas performed his new song "Sly Fox," which is all about FOX's racism.

12:00 a.m. Several MoveOn staffers, jaws dropped open, get on the phone and engage in several rounds of, "Wow!" :)

Since then, the news has kept spreading around the world. You sent a message to FOX, and that message was very much received!

And the fight's not over. We'll continue to push back together against FOX's racism and their smears against Obama. But for now, enjoy the video of Wednesday's petition delivery—led by our friends at ColorOfChange—and the video of Colbert. Both videos are at this link:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3980&id=13325-6693480-MPRA9Jx&t=4

Thanks for all you do.

–Adam G., Laura, Ilyse, Justin, and the rest of the team


Not bad, eh? I'm amazed myself! Plus, my received signature was on a national television show I would actually watch if I had a TV, which is all and all unusual!
` Well, time to scurry to the gym for me... though this time I'm going to scurry with a Skeptic magazine and some earplugs so as to avoid inadvertent watching of FOX news or some other drivel while I'm planted in front of a television set for forty minutes....

5 comments:

Kingcover said...

If they didn't accept the petition boxes is it really going to change anything though? Is there going to be another petition against media outlets for ageism against McCain now too???
'Ism' in any form is wrong.

Have fun at the gym.

Spoony Quine said...

Just got back from the gym and all the other things I wound up doing such as food shopping and laundry with Nate.
` It was a blast! Well, except that my bedtime turned out to be at six and I am so sleepy right now!

Ageism? Well, the guy does have memory problems and all. It is a real concern, I think.
` As for the petition, the point is that it helped to draw attention to yet another example of just how bastardly FOX News can be!

Cara said...

I'm happy that you engage in such positive petitions.

However, one thing I don't like is when people refer to Obama as a black man.

Really? Because by their own logic I could easily refer to him as a white man!

He's mixed race, not either or.

Rant over.

lol

Spoony Quine said...

This is true, though in America, sad to say, people who are partially of African heritage are usually referred to as 'black'. Such are the inadequacies of this culture's language.
` This reminds me, actually, of a friend of a friend whose house we were going to. Now, there are so many Johns around that some circles call him "Straight John" and others call him "Black John".
` When I first saw him, I thought to myself; "He isn't black enough to be called that!" Later on, I actually told him this and he said; "No kidding! I don't get it either."

Iris VonKornea said...

Oh my word.