Hysteria rises

The flapdoodle over the cartoon lesbian couple appearring in the "Buster" cartoon (free reg. req.) continues, as the head of PBS has ordered an internal review of the children's show. (Link courtesy mediaBistro)

I could go into a big rant about WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE, THIS IS A FUCKING CARTOON but I just have to tell myself, Relax, it's just pressure-group tactics, my side does the same thing, it's always darkest just before the dawn, and so forth. The existence of pressure-group tactics does not automatically indicate the rise of fascism. Now, if fundie churches were sending goon squads into the Castro wearing sweatshirts that said Defend the Family, I'd start worrying.

Speaking of fascism, I'm reading The Plot Against America, and I think it's really good. The parallels to today's society are only subtly rendered -- Roth leaves it entirely to the reader to make the connections. Which are there. I like Roth's narrative noice a lot, having read last year "American Pastoral."

Meanwhile, here's a Rolling Stone story about right-wing media company Sinclair Broadcasting, famous for trying to use its group of TV stations to push a right-wing agenda.