Tsar’s Bores: The Empire Strikes Back

From Howard Kurtz at Newsweek:

The inquiry was grinding on, and Rupert Murdoch looked exhausted when he had trouble remembering what he’d said when he appeared with his loyal aide Rebekah Brooks. “I walked outside my flat,” Murdoch said, “and I had 20 microphones stuck in my mouth.”

That, of course, is the kind of hot pursuit his tabloids routinely employ against elusive celebrities. In the twilight of his career, Murdoch has gone from the hunter to the hunted, brought low by the crass culture he helped create.

And yet even in his apologetic testimony, the 80-year-old mogul couldn’t resist a shot at rivals with “dirty hands” for trying to “build this hysteria.” That theme has echoed across News Corp.’s many media outlets as it tries to turn the corner on the phone-hacking scandal. The empire, it would seem, is starting to strike back.

Original movie poster

Funny Princess Can’t Take a Joke, Because She Is One

From the Austin American-Statesman (February 17):

Sarah Palin is lashing out at the portrayal of a character with Down syndrome on the Fox animated comedy “Family Guy.”

In a Facebook posting headlined “Fox Hollywood — What a Disappointment,” the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee and current Fox News contributor said Sunday night’s episode felt like “another kick in the gut.” Palin’s youngest son, Trig, has Down syndrome.

The episode features a character on a date with a girl [Ellen] with Down syndrome. He asks what her parents do. She replies: “My dad’s an accountant, and my mom is the former governor of Alaska.”

Palin resigned as Alaska governor last summer.

Palin’s oldest daughter, Bristol, also was quoted on her mother’s Facebook page:

“If the writers of a particularly pathetic cartoon show thought they were being clever in mocking my brother and my family yesterday, they failed. All they proved is that they’re heartless jerks.”

Original poster

(Clockwise from top:  xChimpyx George W. Bush, Gretchen Carlson, Steve Doocy, Diaper David Vitter,  Princess Sarah Palin,  Glenn Beck and his mucous, Rush Limbaugh)

Droppin’ a Doocy

From Think Progress:

Discussing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s (R) prospects as Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) running mate this morning on Fox and Friends, Brian Kilmeade said Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) “is going to capitalize” in a debate with Palin because “she has no international relations experience, she’s not the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee.” Co-host Steve Doocy then jumped in to try to set the record straight.

DOOCY: But the other thing about her, she does know about international relations because she is right up there in Alaska right next door to Russia

(video at link)

Original DVD cover.