Every weeknight, MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann names a “Worst Person In The World.” It’s obviously satirical — Olbermann uses the segment to poke fun at some high-profile political personality, usually on the right, who’s said or done something offensive. It’s not to be taken literally; Olbermann does not actually believe this person is factually the worst human being on earth.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, Sean Hannity has borrowed the Olbermann idea, and cranked it up a notch<\/a>.<\/p>\n Forget Keith Olbermann’s “Worst Person In The World” contest — it’s now been completely upstaged by a new Sunday contest on Fox: Sean Hannity’s “Enemy of the State” award. Last night, Hannity’s new Sunday night program aired for the first time, and from here on he’ll award his “Enemy of the State” prize — a term originating with ancient Roman dictators placing bounties on rivals — on whatever red-state abortionist, anti-war activist, or run-of-the-mill Democrat who has attracted Hannity’s ire that week.<\/p>\n Imagine Hannity in that famous Twilight Zone episode, as the ranting Chancellor putting to death the old librarian portrayed by Burgess Meredith, and you’ll get the idea.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The inaugural winner was actor Sean Penn<\/a>, whom Hannity labeled this week’s “Enemy of the State,” in part because Penn called Hannity a “whore” during a recent speech.<\/p>\n Now, it’s likely that Olbermann will be flattered by all of this. Indeed, it’d be pretty amusing if Olbermann named Hannity the “worst person in the world” for having done this.<\/p>\n Regardless, I can’t help but notice that Stephen Colbert’s over-the-top parodies of right-wing blowhards is looking less and less like a parody all the time. As Kevin Drum put it<\/a>, “Parody is going to become a lost art if the blowhard brigade keeps trying to top itself with stuff like this. I mean, what could I possibly write that was any more ridiculous than the thing itself?”<\/p>\n I wonder if Hannity appreciates — or is even aware of — the history behind the phrase. Hannity isn’t trying to be funny; he’s just boringly annoyed, and prepared to use a Stalinist\/Nazi\/Orwellian label to express his annoyance. (Just imagine the outcry from the right if Olbermann called his targets “Enemies of the People,” and contrast it with the deafening silence from that side of the aisle about Hannity’s lapse in judgment.) Apparently not.<\/p>\n Digby, too, noted<\/a> the irony of Hannity using a Stalinist label for those with whom he disagrees.<\/p>\n This is their idea of irony, no doubt, but it’s not funny because … oh why bother<\/a>:<\/p>\n An enemy of the state is a person accused of certain crimes against the state, such as treason. Falsely describing individuals in this way is often a manifestation of political repression. For example, an authoritarian regime may purport to maintain national security by describing social or political dissidents as “enemies of the state”.<\/p>\n They are becoming parodies of themselves.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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\nAs Mark Kleiman noted<\/a>:<\/p>\n
\nDoesn’t Fox News have any adult supervision at all?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n