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‘Comply’ is the New ‘Coexist’
Several days have passed since the Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage, but the kulturkampf marches on. Nearly every media outlet unveiled rainbow flag versions of their logos, rainbow-filtered avatars filled social media, and the President lit up the White House itself in the colors of the pride banner.
Since then, news outlets have published calls to abolish the tax exemption for churches, legalize polygamy, and shame those too slow in celebrating the new order. In The Atlantic, Matt Schiavenza complained that sports teams aren’t bowing to the new idol fast enough:
The Supreme Court’s declaration that same-sex marriage was constitutional triggered widespread jubilation across the United States on Friday, as millions of people took to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to show their support. This enthusiasm was matched by numerous brands, such as Chipotle and Target, who used cleverly produced tweets to trumpet their position on Twitter.
The response from the country’s sports teams, by contrast, were relatively muted. Of the 122 teams in the four major American professional sports leagues—the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL—only five explicitly mentioned Friday’s ruling as of 7:30 pm Eastern time last night. Three—baseball’s San Francisco Giants, football’s San Francisco 49ers, and basketball’s Golden State Warriors—hail from the famously progressive Bay Area, while the other two (the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings) play elsewhere in blue-state California…
“Professional sports teams still haven’t been able to shake that toxic culture of masculinity,” said Dave Zirin, a journalist who specializes in the intersection of sports and progressive politics. “It’s still something that dominates the industry in a much more intense way than executives would like to admit.”
Maleness itself is now “toxic” and must be shaken off by all-male sports teams. Also in the new Orwellian America, some flags are more equal than others.
Bo and Luke Duke are no longer flying through Hazzard County on TV Land.
The network has pulled episodes of “The Dukes of Hazzard” from its schedule, a spokesperson for TV Land confirmed on Wednesday.
The network would not comment further on whether reruns of the series were pulled due to its inclusion of a 1969 Dodge Charger known as the “General Lee” which has the Confederate battle flag painted on its roof.
Might I suggest a “Dukes of Hazzard” reboot for the Obama Era? In the updated series, the biracial Duke boys will drive a Prius with a rainbow flag emblazoned on the roof. Daisy Duke will be played by Caitlyn Jenner, swapping the short-shorts for a pantsuit, while Martin Sheen’s Uncle Jesse will deliver socialist harangues penned by Aaron Sorkin. Boss Hogg will change his last name to Koch and order Roscoe P. Coltrane to arrest only African-Americans. Everyone involved will cautiously observe the speed limit and use light rail whenever possible.
The left has abandoned the classical liberal concept of “live and let live” for a Jacobin purge of counterrevolutionary thought. Over on Twitter, blogger Ace of Spades suggested that the left replace their COEXIST bumper stickers with a design that better reflects their new piety. Hopefully my design of the COMPLY sticker above will help Americans understand the new social reality.
Published in Culture, General
Hey Dude, that’s one awesome bumper sticker.
Our overlords will approve.
The “l” is off by one finger.
Meanwhile in NYC today: At the planned American flag burning the only people who showed up supported the flag.
There is hope.
https://www.periscope.tv/w/aGRxHTU1MjM2MnwzMjE5MzA3MVVSr1O8ByORK4PQX2mbK3Jp0so0Ts-5FjVKeJXsuQ-L
Agree that the “L” should be something different. It’s too gun-like at the moment. Can’t have that!
Maybe in the future there will be peace.
Why is that every day that goes by Rage Against The Machine sounds increasingly reactionary?
I want that bumper sticker…
Nice bumper sticker, but you left off the “or else.”
Regards,
Jim
I must have this!
Nice! Is the “m” something already? If not,maybe the NBC peacock could be an “m”.
That not-so-young man is in serious need of a wedgie.
Can you imagine being the sportswriter for The Nation? He must receive a non-stop series of e-mails with titles like: “Why the Pick-and-Roll is Fascist.”
Important thing to note about Zirin is that he’s an avowed socialist, but he’s presented in mainstream media circles (e.g. ESPN’s Outside the Lines) as a neutral observer, no adjectives or qualifiers needed.
As I’ve said many times, someone who is as far to the right as Zirin is to the left would have no chance—none—of being permitted to be a regular guest on ESPN programming, particularly as an allegedly non-ideological commentator.
We joke now, but the left has legal imprimatur to force compliance. It won’t just be twitter and yelp campaigns shutting down businesses. The state will run a parallel course of legal harassment.
…he says with some authority.
It started in Washington State 2 years before the SCOTUS ruling. It wasn’t the gay couple who sued the florist, it was the state’s attorney general.
Comply, indeed.
I don’t know what’s worse in that case: The $2000 fine, or Baronelle Stutzman (egged on by Alliance Defending Freedom) continuing to challenge the decision. Quite a few articles I’ve seen suggest Ms. Stutzman needs some intervention by her family members at this time.
Should she just bow to the state? The $2000 isn’t a big deal all things considered, but the permanent injunction compelling service against sincerely held religious convictions should raise every red flag from those who love liberty.
Two things:
1. Ms. Stutzman was being fined because she violated public accommodation law in refusing the gay couple’s floral request for their wedding. As we’ve seen with that Indiana RFRA attempt, there’s no public desire to make a carveout for Ms. Stutzman’s beliefs.
2. I’m going to say this gently: I’m not convinced Barronelle Stutzman is of the proper frame of mind to continue this fight (which apparently is going before the WA Supreme court). I think she is being used by Alliance Defending Freedom as a test case of sorts, when the offer by the WA State AG was a rather fair and just offer to Ms. Stutzman. And TBH, I have deep suspicions of groups like Alliance Defending Freedom when it comes to how they operate.
So I just checked The Store. Is EJ waiting for some, like, copyright agreement paperwork?
Brad2971, do you really intend to suggest that those who refuse to comply with unethical laws should be treated as having a psychological/psychiatric disability? You must have been taking lessons from the Soviets.
Great design, Jon. I really would like to have these printed up. Rico store?
I’ve been greatly annoyed by the kulturekampf, and was going to quit using Google Chrome, but when I realized that I use the service to fight everything they stand for I felt pretty good about it.
Steyn:
This is brilliant, Jon. You just have to come up with a name for the car, since General Lee won’t do. Maybe Mrs. Clinton? Ooh, better yet, Senator Warren!
That is because the media is the Enemy. Including ESPN.
John,
You’ve made it to The People’s Cube.
http://thepeoplescube.com/peoples-blog/coexist-is-now-comply-t16568.html