Does the blinking skyscraper of a ranting, hate-spewing guttersnipe change what a blog actually says - what it means, why its author drags himself to the dusty keyboard every morning after tea?
That's the question I'm asking today after visiting the voluble online journal of John Cole - one of my only Republican faves - and receiving a slimy gob of digital spit in the face: a massive advertisement for aging Ann Coulter's latest anti-American tract. Johnny, we hardly knew ye. Is the twenty bucks worth it, man? Can't you see what this dirty Pajamas Media game is doing to you, to us, to the pact you've had with your readers?
More to the point: how will Steelers fans react to this deal with the aging she-devil? Mr. C., you must realize how bad this looks - if not, watch the video here, my friend. Or just enjoy this wonderful quote from your proud advertiser, from the very book you're promoting, about 9/11 widows:
"These broads are millionaires, lionized on TV and in articles about them, reveling in their status as celebrities and stalked by griefparrazies. I have never seen people enjoying their husband’s death so much."
Now maybe this is just a script, and you don't know what ads will appear where - you don't know that hate-speech is being sold on your site. But Roger L. Simon knows. Oh, Roger L. Simon knows all too well. And if he put that ad there without running it by you first, John me buck-o, he went way beyond any borders of decency - and does not deserve your patronage.
UPDATE: This just in: David Corn has not - repeat not - resigned from PM in horrified disgust at his network's sale of the above content. David, you're helping Ann Coulter.
UPDATE II: Mr. Rick Moran, who runs the self-titled Right Wing Nut House blog, says he sleeps very well at night despite getting paid to promote a hate-filled book he professes to detest. Interesting indeed.On reading my "meaningless, insufferable drivel," he claims that "ignorant, self important comments like yours acts just like a sedative." Happy to oblige Rick old man. And you took the ad down!
UPDATE III: Mr. Moran implies that I have "shit for brains" and claims he has no sway over what appears on his own site. "I have absolutely no control on what ads are placed on my site. None. Zero. Zilch," he writes in the comments here. Strangely, on his blog, he states: "The answer is, yes I could request that the ad be taken off this site." So to sum up, the ad is down but the blog-owner didn't request it, and has no power to request it, though he admits he could request it, and the ad would be taken down. Like voting for the resolution before voting against it. The horror.
UPDATE IV: John Cole responds: "Apparently can ask to have the ad removed, but I am not going to- I would run an ad for Code Pink or Michael Moore or whoever. Unlike Charles barkley, I would draw the line at the KKK and groups like that, but I really don’t think the Coulter ad is a big deal. I haven;t even seen the damned thing yet, so I have no idea how frequently it procs, but I am betting not too often." I respectfully disagree here.
Technorati tags: John Cole | Pajamas Media | Ann Coulter | Roger Simon | David Corn
