As he so often does, Bob Somerby takes a two-by-four to the Times op-ed page today, swatting Gail Collins with the harshest possible language - that is to say, he judges Collins' recent work to be of the caliber of the NYT's resident conservative sex columnist, Maureen Dowd.
Gail Collins column topics, 2009:
June 20: John Ensign’s affair.
June 25: Mark Sanford’s affair.
June 27: Mark Sanford’s affair.
July 2: Mark Sanford’s affair.
July 4: Sarah Palin’s resignation
July 9: Michael Jackson’s funeral.
As your nation struggles with monetary heists, unemployment and national health care, Collins has three major things on her mind—celebrity, sex and gossip. This morning, though, she stoops to explain the thinking of her high class:
COLLINS (7/9/09): The media, for its part, plans to continue talking about Michael Jackson for quite a while—this is the first time since the election that we feel we have everyone's attention.
Yes, it's all about you, the insider commentariat. Always has been. It's been so unfair of us not to pay rapt attention to - oh, I dunno - the massive battle over our healthcare system or those millions of unemployed Americans. Collins is a fine writer who used to walk the municipal beat in New York, and she can still swing a roundhouse, especially when she turns her often insightful 'tude toward actual news and policy. Thankfully, Jacko's death has us paying more attention.
