Cinderella Myths

Darlings, Pretty Lady never thought this day would come; hell has, in fact, frozen over. Pretty Lady feels sorry for Sarah Palin.




In Governor Palin's defense, it is nearly impossible for an individual who is unfamiliar with French accents to accurately decipher the phrase "Hustler's Nailin' Palin" on the first go-round, particularly when one is anxious to make a good impression.

But the fact is, this sort of thing is terribly cruel. It is cruel because the Cinderella Myth is still endemic in our culture, fostered by such travesties as 'American Idol,' 'People Magazine,' and irresponsible Republican identity politics. Huge swaths of our population implicitly believe that It Can Happen To You, if you are swept up by a sufficiently powerful media machine; YOU may become a celebrity overnight, magically acquiring the talent and expertise to accompany your exalted position, merely because The Powers That Be say so.

It isn't true, and it never was. Media machines sweep up the physically attractive and psychologically dependent, who are then crushed, sucked dry, and spit out. It is time we confronted the evil of this--the pervasive, cynical, inexcusable evil--and repudiated it.

This recording makes it clear, if it weren't so already, that Ms. Palin is still, psychologically speaking, a child--a credulous, hopeful, struggling child. And child abuse is dreadful. Please, let us stop.