In the magazine world, Vanity Fair may be known as a glossy, trendy magazine for the rich and the aspiring rich. But conservatives know it as a hopeless, scandalous, left-wing Democratic rag with no journalistic principles -- it's Vanity Unfair. Exhibit A: Vanity Fair's website now hosts a supposedly "Authoritative Trig Palin Conspiracy Timeline," complete with "research" thanks to the Daily Kosmonauts at the bottom. What a triumph for the noble "Fight the Smears" Obama campaign! Or it's simply a Vanity Fart. The blog post with graphics, authored corporately by "Vanity Fair," playfully offered:
The McCain campaign won’t countenance it, and Barack Obama has even declared it off-limits, but the question of Trig Palin’s parentage—whether his real mom is Sarah Palin or her five-months pregnant, 17-year-old daughter Bristol—has transfixed the blogosphere. To settle the matter once and for all, VF.com presents this handy timeline juxtaposing both the official narrative and the wingnut conspiracy theories. Vote for the most likely scenario after the jump.
At posting time, with 7,000 votes logged, 69 percent checked the tinfoil-hat box and said Sarah Palin faked her pregnancy.
What follows isn't journalism, just catty gossip and snide insults, with lines like this one at the bottom: "Levi Johnston stares into the barrel of a shotgun wedding, and down the cleavage of his comely sister-in-law."
It sounds a lot like Vanity Fair "attack poodle" James Wolcott. Who has no pride of "authorship" on this chart? On his Vanity Fair blog, he says this is nothing compared to the smears on the Clintons (like that lie about Clinton having sex with the intern):
What's happened this week is a thin patch on those rabid hostilities, and if the Palin leggo-my-preggo saga has "legs," it's because it's the perfect tabloid story and tabloids aren't stupid -- they recognize a gusher when they see it, just as the late-night comics do.
(Hat tip: Dan Gainor)
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Is this their way of
September 7, 2008 - 07:50 ET by ThisnThatIs this their way of increasing readership? They should have consulted with US, first. But I guess it doesn't matter -- principles before profit, I always say.
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If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it is in English, thank a Soldier. - My barber
X
September 7, 2008 - 12:27 ET by serfer62That depends on your audience. The people who buy Us are not likely to read Vanity-is-us and the otherway around...
Totally vile
September 7, 2008 - 07:51 ET by BlondeThe tinfoil hat brigade is apparently alive and well.
David Gregory, do you know which damn network you lie for? ~ Uncle Jimbo, @Blackfive
There is only one way to show up this vile pile on.
September 7, 2008 - 08:05 ET by JWFThere is only one way to show up this vile pile on, that the media is currently engaged in, and that is to win come November.
From imdb.com, memorable quotes from Major League
Lou Brown: [at a team meeting] Can I have your attention, please?
[picks up a bat and leans on it like a walking stick]
Lou Brown: I have something I think you all ought to know about.It seems that Mrs. Phelps doesn't think too highly of our worth. She put this team together because she thought we'd be bad enough to finish dead last, knocking attendance down to the point where she could move the team to Miami... and get rid of all of us for better personnel.
Roger Dorn: Even me?
Lou Brown: Even you, Dorn.
Eddie Harris: What if we DON'T finish last?
Lou Brown: She'll REPLACE you with somebody who WILL. After this season, you'll be sent back to the minors or given your outright release.
Jake Taylor: [Jake stands up] Well then I guess there's only one thing left to do.
Roger Dorn: What's that?
Jake Taylor: Win the whole fucking thing.
[long pause]
Willie Mays Hayes: [Willie stands up] Yeah.
Pedro Cerrano: [Pedro pounds his hand] YES!
[everyone talks amongst themselves]
You may already be a weiner
September 7, 2008 - 08:09 ET by DontFeedTheTrollsAnother mag I will have to pull the subscription cards out of, while shopping, so I can send a free subscription to all my neighbors.
Mr. John Smith
123 Main St.
Mytown, Mystate, ZZZIP
D
Keep the ILLEGALS out, join NumbersUSA to send free faxes to your reps.
Why the surprise?
September 7, 2008 - 08:11 ET by Cool ArrowWhy are we not surprised 69% of Vanity Fair readers are incapable of comprehending the biological impossibility of a woman being five months pregnant with a four month old already in tow.
These 69%ers are the product of our glorious public education system and its stellar ability to teach Math and Sex Ed.
Look at it another way and the headline would be.
Rocky & Bullwinkle '08
Fetal Clone
September 7, 2008 - 11:46 ET by CobraManI have an answer for that.
/moonbat mode open tag
Bristol is currently pregnant with the fetal clone of Trig. Sarah was implanted with Trig after he was removed from Bristol and had his stem cells extracted for the purposes of cloning. Those stem cell were grown in the lab until a viable fetus was cloned, then that clone was re-implanted into Bristol several months later, hence the apparent discrepancy between the times of the two “conceptions” and the birth of Trig, who is suffering Down’s because of the brain damage caused by that extraction from Bristol and implantation into Sarah.
This is part of the non-federal fetal stem cell experiments that Bush and the Neocons have secretly conducted while banning private labs from performing the same experiments. Bush and his fellow Mengele Republicans doesn't want anyone to know that they're trying to clone conservatives in order to increase their failing populations and maintain their fascist control of all of us for generations to come.
Don’t you see? Don’t you SEE? THIS is why Sarah didn’t even look pregnant until AFTER the six-month gestation mark. THIS is why Sarah flew to Alaska in order to “deliver” the baby. THIS is why Sarah started “leaking“ amniotic fluid while traveling. . And THIS is why Sarah refuses to have the paternity test made public. The Fascist Neocons DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW THE TRUTH!
/moonbat mode close tag
Obama: My job is above my pay grade
I always knew Vanity Fair
September 7, 2008 - 08:29 ET by motherbeltI always knew Vanity Fair was a little off-the-wall, but this is ridiculous.That they do a timeline for a conspiracy theory is simply beyond belief!
but the question of Trig Palin’s parentage—whether his real mom is
Sarah Palin or her five-months pregnant, 17-year-old daughter Bristol—
WHETHER????
Apparently it doesn't seem odd to them that Bristol would have already been pregnant with another child when she gave birth to Trig.
But I'm sure they'll have an explanation when Bristol's baby is born...that she lied about how far along she was this time...that it's really only 2 months, or 3....they will say this baby is premature, even if he/she weighs 9 lbs......
That's the thing about conspiracy theorists....they have an answer for everything.
It's like anything else the
September 7, 2008 - 08:45 ET by Mean Gene Dr. LoveIt's like anything else the left puts their stock in. As long as there is any shred of possibility, then they use that as their proof. Look at global warming as a prime example.
They don't even think about the ideas that pop into their heads let alone explore alternative lines of thinking. Many women don't immediately resume ovulating right after they deliver...the average for non-breastfeeding mothers is 45 days.
Anyway, whatever the left thinks, they will use whatever they can to justify it as "truth" or "proof" to themselves and will continue to broadcast the information as truth until more and more people accept it and believe it...just like global warming.
"An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life." --Robert A. Heinlein, "Beyond This Horizon", 1942
As was claimed during the
September 7, 2008 - 08:56 ET by motherbeltAs was claimed during the Clarence Thomas inquisition...er...hearings...it's not the nature of the evidence, it's the seriousness of the charges.
MGDL: It is possible to
September 7, 2008 - 11:07 ET by stratmanMGDL:
It is possible to become pregnant 2 weeks postpartum (see 3rd to last paragraph). Possible, but very, VERY rare.
If these morons want to push a remote event like pregnancy within a month following delivery, then the much more likely event of spontaneous abortion in such a proximate preganacy should be rammed down their throats.
It is good to know, though, that Vanity Fair stands shoulder to shoulder with other truthers, like the 9/11 and JFK assassination truthers. If they continue on this tack, VF will fade into the wallpaper too as irrelevant and laughable.
Opps. My bad. They already have.
stratman, that's why I
September 7, 2008 - 15:46 ET by Mean Gene Dr. Lovestratman, that's why I specifically put the words 'average' and 'non-breastfeeding' in there...the normal range is from 25 days to 72 days. And those two key words are essential to understanding my statement. But you are correct as your material backs up what I said.
"An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life." --Robert A. Heinlein, "Beyond This Horizon", 1942
"But you are correct as
September 7, 2008 - 21:02 ET by stratmanNice Lib-speak.** I'm sure Biden will crib it for his next interview. ;-)
MGDL, I didn't say you were incorrect. I was clarifying for the benefit of readers, maybe you as well since I don't know you or your educational background, that pregnancy may occur expiditiously following delivery.
On a lighter note, as I recall from OB training, the overwhelming majority of women I followed postpartum expressed wanting no part of intercourse for some time at discharge from the hospital. Can't say I blame them. Even so, the call of the wild may take hold and pregnancy can occur very early on.
** So there are no other misunderstandings, no, I don't think you are a Liberal.
EDIT: I just read your Bio.
Party on, Garth, um, MeanGeneDrLove!
TotalKaosDave I am more
September 7, 2008 - 10:33 ET by totalkaosdaveTotalKaosDave
I am more interested in the timeline of Obama's life from Columbia University through Harvard law, and when he actually became a full-fledged card-carrying communist.
Glad You Asked
September 7, 2008 - 11:19 ET by stratmanYou may want to read this!
Frightening, given this guy wants to be president.
RRAM Tough!
Yes But
September 7, 2008 - 11:28 ET by JoelCT"stares... down the cleavage of his comely sister-in-law"
I agree that that was the nastiest of the comments on that timeline... BUT!
Find me a 17-18 year-old boy who doesn't check out every cleavage that passes by! As the father of a 17-year-old boy, I can tell you, when we go to the mall or pratically anywhere, I see those eyes flicking back and forth. And since he is handsome and muscular, I see the girls doing the same thing as he walks by. I always end up trying to hide a big grin at the sight.
Heck, Levi probably "stared down the cleavage" of every girl and woman in the building who wasn't buttoned up to the neck that night.
It just makes their comment even more juvenile and petty.