We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Far-right conservatives appear to have more of the latter than the prior, but they are good at a few things: playing the victim, making emotional appeals, raising money from gullible supporters, and most importantly, manufacturing an outrage.
The left, for all of its strengths, is horrible at this. Perhaps progressives everywhere should take some notes at the latest case study: the Folsom Street Fair.
The fair, a major public social gathering in the San Francisco area, created a poster featuring stereotypically gay men in a Last Supper-like setting. It’s a pretty common cultural touchstone — I’ve seen similar “spoofs” of the da Vinci painting for years. The Folsom Street Fair poster isn’t meant to be taken seriously; it’s risque, but it’s also obviously tongue in cheek.
The right doesn’t quite see it that way. Concerned Women for America, a religious right powerhouse, got the ball rolling.
[CWA] sends out a press release calling attention to it while decrying the offense and issuing demands for various organizations and public figures to join them in repudiating it and for the media cover it:
“A picture’s worth a thousand words,” said Matt Barber, Policy Director for Cultural Issues with Concerned Women for America (CWA). “Scripture says that God is not mocked, yet it doesn’t stop people from trying. As evidenced by this latest stunt, open ridicule of Christianity is unfortunately very common within much of the homosexual community.”
Then the Catholic League jumped in (natch), making demands and targeting advertisers of the Folsom Street Fair.
Then the far-right media caught wind of the story, and amplified it.
Human Events pushed the story, followed quickly by similar outlets, all of which immediately had the vapors.
Shortly thereafter, wouldn’t you know it, a certain partisan cable network is on the story, too.
Now Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer, Dianne Feinstein, and California progressives in general are under pressure to condemn the harmless poster, which the right insists is an affront to Christianity. Do any of these lawmakers have anything to do with the Folsom Street Fair? No, but they’re expected to denounce it anyway. (In light of the complaints, Miller Brewing Co., a co-sponsor of the event, has already asked organizers to pull its logo from the poster.) Can a congressional resolution be far behind?
I have to admit, this is almost impressive. The right-wing Outrage Machine really is a sight to behold, isn’t it?
I’m reminded of Michael Kinsley’s latest, which I’ve taken the liberty of editing a bit to suit this “controversy”:
Goodness gracious. Oh, my paws and whiskers. Some of the meanest, most ornery hombres around are suddenly feeling faint. Notorious tough guys are swooning with the vapors. The biggest beasts in the barnyard are all aflutter over something they saw in a poster for a community gathering. It’s that poster from the Folsom Street Fair — the one that has a little fun with a da Vinci painting. All across the radio spectrum, right-wing shock jocks are themselves shocked. How could anybody do such a thing? It’s horrifying. It’s outrageous. It’s disgraceful. It’s just beyond the pale … It’s … oh, my heavens … say, is it a bit stuffy in here? … I think I’m going to … Could I have a glass of … oh, dear [thud].
Welcome to the wonderful world of umbrage, the new language of American politics.
Well, the right is playing to its strengths. They can’t govern, but they can fall onto that fainting couch like nobody’s business.