• May 26, 2012

What We Talk About When We Talk About Slate

by Juli Weiner  

Slate! That’s technically a magazine. Yes, yes, magazine by a hair. Okay, here we go, let’s take a look at which articles this week everyone will be referencing in conversation as if they did not just about read these things in Slate. As in: Q: “Oh, did you know so-and-so fun fact about so-and-so marginal aspect of bee-keeping or children’s literature or the economy of Idaho or whatever?” A: “Yes, yes. In fact, bee-keeping or children’s literature or the economy of Idaho is currently experiencing this sort of trend and here is an unconventional rationale regarding why everything will eventually be fine!” Knowledge!

“Wash hands before leaving office.”: Here is the famous Slate take on a recent event, specifically Obama’s weird turn towards cold shilling for handsoap companies because what the hell—Obama is a doctor now? Do they even teach non-social sciences at UChicago—Honolulu? John Dickerson sympathizes with Jake Tapper by noting that Obama didn’t answer Tapper’s question about torture, despite Tapper obnoxiously repeating it. Dickerson gives Obama extra credit for knowing his Churchill, and using something the guy said about the London Air Strike to slyly condemn Dick Cheney for personally torturing Sean Hannity. Good for you, Obama. Dickerson was most impressed, however, with Obama’s artful shout-out to the Troops, by whom, you’ll recall, he was forced to admit to being enchanted. [Wash hands before leaving office.]

“Obama’s Florida Problem.”: ‘Nother one from John Dickerson, this time about how how the entire state of Florida, especially the Democrats, absolutely despises Charlie Crist and all their very legitimate reasons for doing so. Uh, but wait just a leathery homosexual second there. Isn’t Obama in charge of Florida’s Democrats? The very same Floridian Democrats OKing mean tevee commercials directed against the aforementioned Mr. Crist? And isn’t Obama also sort of friendly with Crist? Or, at the least, isn’t Obama  supposed to a “post-bitchy tevee commercial Democrat”? Yes, yes, yes I said yes I will yes. ERGO: “Obama’s Florida Problem.” [Obama's Florida Problem]

“Swine Flu: What You Need to Know”: Just throwing this quickly out there, here’s a continually updated list of things dealing with our most imaginary national emergency. The more you know! [Swine Flu: What You Need to Know]

{ 28 comments }

InsidiousTuna April 30, 2009 at 6:12 pm

“Wait just a leathery homosexual second there” is one of the best things I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading on this website.

bago April 30, 2009 at 6:13 pm

Slate: Wash your hands. This are a clean slate. Keep your dirty hands off of it.

Joehoya April 30, 2009 at 6:13 pm

Didn’t spend too much time copy editing this post, huh?

Nerdalicious April 30, 2009 at 6:17 pm

Sheeples! Cantor is the new God of the crazy party(today anyway)! He announced “The New American Committee” today to start a grassroots effort to combat “Liberalism”. I thought their God was Santelli? Limbaugh? Who will it be tomorrow! Stay tuned! Palin/Cantor(Santelli, Limbaugh, Bachman) 2012!

AxmxZ April 30, 2009 at 6:19 pm

Slate: it’s what for podcast!

Czn939 April 30, 2009 at 6:20 pm

“Dick Cheney [...] personally torturing Sean Hannity.”
Juli, are you trying to turn me on?

Bruno April 30, 2009 at 6:34 pm

As much as we give grief to poor closeted Republican Crist, if he went turncoat like Arlen, I think I would grow to like the guy. And even more if he came out.

SayItWithWookies April 30, 2009 at 6:36 pm

And here I thought Slate might be getting more substance than the last time I checked (about a month ago) only to find out that Juli’s reviewing two John Dickerson articles and then an anthology of previous posts relating to swine flu (no, I will not say “listicle.” Totally ridiculous and unnecessary.) Hell, I only read the questions to Dear Prudence now and not her cloying replies.

Anyway, Dickerson’s good and Jack Shaffer is good and that’s still about it. Slate should combine with HuffPo and have one big zine that’s about vapid celebrity nonsense and one tiny adjunct that’s about real news.

Oh, and kudos on the Joyce reference (if that’s what it is — I could just be turning illiterate).

chascates April 30, 2009 at 6:38 pm

For some reason I couldn’t check Doonesbury today there. Although it’s an ‘flashback’ all this week.

x111e7thst April 30, 2009 at 6:44 pm

[re=305387]Bruno[/re]: Sometimes when I see his photo I’m sure I met him one time at the Anvil, or maybe the Ramrod.Back in the day.Also

Canuckledragger April 30, 2009 at 6:55 pm

It’s especially important to wash your hands after checking your tire pressure and before eating swine.

AxmxZ April 30, 2009 at 6:56 pm

[re=305391]SayItWithWookies[/re]: Molly’s a favorite with the young women of Wonkette.

wickedlittledoll April 30, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Red Zeppelin April 30, 2009 at 7:32 pm

[re=305421]AxmxZ[/re]: [re=305391]SayItWithWookies[/re]: Yes, that’s because they’re all un(der)employed English majors. I know–used to be one myself. Ken, on the other hand majored in psychedelics and got the Ph.D. in snark.

Red Zeppelin April 30, 2009 at 7:38 pm

[re=305391]SayItWithWookies[/re]: [re=305421]AxmxZ[/re]: The phrase “young women of Wonkette” in conjuction with Molly’s masturbating is pretty hot. Scuse me, I gotta go tweet!

nosnikreplliw April 30, 2009 at 7:39 pm

i hate slate more than wonkette. deep on the surface.

x111e7thst April 30, 2009 at 8:42 pm

[re=305498]allainjules[/re]: Et allors, pur voir S Williams (nue) quel est le mot de passe?

krustysfather April 30, 2009 at 9:10 pm

You should have made fun of Fred Kaplan, too…
oh, wait, he makes sense.

Never mind.

x111e7thst April 30, 2009 at 9:17 pm

[re=305511]x111e7thst[/re]: pour voir.

DC Hates Me April 30, 2009 at 10:03 pm

Obama doesn’t have a Florida problem. Florida has a Florida problem.

Botswana Meat Commission FC May 1, 2009 at 9:51 am

You forgot to make fun of Slate for its well-known bias toward being pointlessly contrarian.

“Why Up is the New Down.”
“Why the Sky Shouldn’t Really Be Blue.”
“Everything You Know About Politics is The Opposite.”

bright virago May 1, 2009 at 10:09 am

Oh, nuts, I come to Wonkette to get away from Slate.

MrsNateSilver May 1, 2009 at 11:09 am

[re=305352]Joehoya[/re]: Copyediting schopyediting! This post was hilarious. Good job intern Juli. If I ran a writing-related business, I’d hire you faster than the Pig Flu flies up Biden’s nostricles in a sickly-ridden T ride into town.

lada_sue May 1, 2009 at 11:20 am

[re=305779]bright virago[/re]: I knew it! Your conspicuous use of also’s gave it away. I check in at BOTF most days to make sure it still sucks. But a handful of good and reasonably sane posters there, yourself included, so people rarely leave for very long. (Pissenlit here. I don’t say much here, either.)

bright virago May 1, 2009 at 5:14 pm

[re=305885]lada_sue[/re]: shhh…..no one knows I’m here.

lada_sue May 2, 2009 at 3:37 am

[re=306538]bright virago[/re]: Well, okay. But only if you won’t tell everyone that I’m really a dude.

hazelnutty May 2, 2009 at 6:14 pm

But their Facebook version of Obama’s first 100 days was pretty brilliant, you have to admit.

Bruno May 4, 2009 at 4:32 am

Why do I get the feeling that by reviewing Slate, this is a way to avoid paying $4 for a ‘real magazine’?

(I would make the same decision by the way)

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