Whitewashing Helen Thomas
Your must-read of the morning: Miami Herald TV critic Glenn Garvin’s barbecue of a fawning documentary about Helen Thomas.
Here’s a taste:
Multiple choice quiz: Helen Thomas has been covering the White House for 48 years. Which of the following stories did she break?
A. President Kennedy’s plans to invade the Bay of Pigs.
B. President Nixon’s secret bombing of Cambodia.
C. The Pentagon Papers.
D. The Watergate scandal.
E. None of the above, or anything else, either.
The answer, of course, is E, though you might not guess it from the fawning HBO documentary Thank You, Mr. President: Helen Thomas At The White House, the latest unfortunate example of the increasing tendency to confuse public temper tantrums with good journalism.
Though Thomas is routinely referred to these days as iconic, legendary and fearless, journalism has little to do with it. She’s celebrated not for her work as a journeyman reporter at a second-rate wire service or as a virtually unread political columnist for the Hearst newspapers.
Her reputation really derives from scolding, tendentious speeches nominally delivered as ”questions” like this one to George W. Bush, admiringly featured in Thank You, Mr. President: ”Why do you refuse to respect the wall between church and state? You know that the mixing of religion and government for centuries has led to slaughter.” Just in case you thought that was intended to produce an actual answer — the usual aim of reporters — Thomas interrupted Bush before he could even complete a sentence. Perhaps that’s because when presidents have gotten a chance to reply to Thomas’ tirades, they’ve often made her look like a fool.
A classic example was with Bush’s father during the opening days of the first Gulf War, when she wondered why the president was making such a big deal about Saddam Hussein’s missile attacks on Israel. ”War inherently is a two-way street,” Thomas loftily informed Bush. ”Why should you be surprised or outraged when there is an act of retaliation?” To which the puzzled Bush replied: “To a country that’s innocent and not involved in it?”
That exchange is not included in Thank You, Mr. President, which shamelessly cherry-picks White House briefings to enhance Thomas’ reputation and deprecate the rest of the White House press corps.
***
Flashback: Thomas blames bloggers for bad journalism.
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Helen Thomas has always had an ugly attitude.
I like it when they eat their
youngold.Thomas is a vicious old crone who should have been booted out of the White House Press a long, long time ago. Why anyone even called on her in the last 3 decades is beyond my comprehension. She contributed nothing but vile to any discussion.
That woman should have been washed out of public life a long time ago.
God she’s UGLY
make a grown man die of fright!!
Helen Thomas: A Horse’s Ass for the Ages…
Reminds me of Kuzco’s adviser Yzma in Emperor’s New Groove. Scary beyond all reason.
Seriously, though, why don’t they just put her in her place? Helen, that was not a question. It was a berating press release with a question mark at the end. Next?
You know, Don Rumsfeld style!
With that photo, you just destroyed the sex drive of every sighted male who comes to this web site for at least 25-30 minutes. UGH.
oofta, can someone find a pic of her from High School or somtin…..
Oh and to be fair, the lesbians probably aren’t all that happy either.
This could her High School photo.
Sry… “Could be her”
But this is a better shot..
AAAAHHHH, All better.
the AMA wants their cadavar back. The White House press corp has had her long enough now.
If you could bottle that ugliness, it might prove very useful to abstinence-only programs.
That’s true. If I wasn’t already gay, I’d turn very quickly after seeing that pic.
I can never look at Helen without the “Mr. Ed” theme song in my head: “A horse is a horse of course of course. And no one can talk to a horse of course.”
Nobody handled her better than Tony Snow. “Thanks Helen, for the Hezbollah view.”
My wife has been after me to lose weight. She could stick that picture on our fridge and I’d probably lose the desire to eat too. Real appetite killer there.
I think you owe an apology to Horse’s Asses. I’ve seen more attractive Horses rear ends.
SONOFDY you are a riot. Cracked me up !!!
Helen Who?
Oh, that Helen. If i want to hear something she has to say, i can tear a wet dishrag in my kitchen and get the same effect.
I had the displeasure having her give the commencement address at my graduation; yes it is safe to assume not one of the most prestigious institutions in the county. It was not surprise that it was nothing more than an anti-war and a tirade on the evil Bush family. Although not a surprise, it was still a disappointment. After 40+ years in the White House and all the World leaders she has had the opportunity to rub elbows with, she could not come up with some anecdote to send a positive message. Nothing but her personal hate..
It has been said before and should be said again.
Helen Thomas should be fetching papers, not writing in them.
It’s OK.
Now history can look back and see what the left was really like, what & whom the Dems decided to savor and memorialize in film.
Helen Thomas. Their hero.
Then historians will do a little research and somehow without laughing ( ok, probably with some chuckles), they will wonder….
WTF were they thinking?( or drinking)
More relief from the dreaded photo
The face that launched a thousand ……
( fill in the blank)
.
.
.
.
.
.
pop bottle rockets.
Suicide attempts
oh man….
how would you like to wake up to that every morning? ….good god…she is hideous!
& irrelevant.
No morning stuff for me, thank you very much!
Perfect example of how a hateful, pessimistic attitude will affect your appearance over time.
Ugly on the inside will rise to the surface.
And still can’t figure out how to do it right.
This maybe why JFK started smoking weed.
There’s nothing you can do to whitewash that mug 0_0.
Helen Thomas: making straight men gay for 48 years!
You guys awe so cwevew wif the photoshop!
I’m happy to see the President get told off from time to time. He’s earned it.
Do you think it makes you look like a thoughtful intellectual to make fun of the looks of an old lady? You’re supposed to call them “distinguished”.
I apologize to any horse’s ass, donkey’s ass, ferret’s ass or any other ass I may have offended with my unkind comparison.
I wasn’t trying to be a thoughtful intellectual. I am simply having a little fun at a liberals expense. After 7 years of liberals doing the same with bush you have no place to talk. Besides she is UUUGGGLLLYYY in that photo.
Funny you should post the right after lgm.
No. It takes very little thought to realize her ugliness is more than skin deep. Some issues require thoughtfulness. This isn’t one of them.
She hasn’t earned it.
A distinguished what?
Lighten up LGM.
How dare you call anyone here a thoughtful intellectual. We’re principled… there’s a HUGE difference. :p
sonofdy said (#37):
Sober up, sonofdy.
Okay, Helen Thomas is a distinguished ………… (fill in the blank)
Have fun!!!
Not while I have one bottle of jack daniels left in my work desk!!!
How the hell does something that ugly get a front row seat anywhere?
Fear.
Two ways to sober up instantly:
1. look at that picture of Helen.
2. look at a picture of lgm
You have got to be kidding.
so, because McCain is an old fart, are you and your liberal friends going to give him the same courtesy? Or any other republican?
Just asking.
Is there any way to stop her, other than physically restraining her?
And would you want to touch something that ugly?
Ultimatum. Concede to our demands or we unleash Helen Thomas on you.
I bet she she was kept around the White House for the comic reflief. Who could take her seriously? I thought she was a hoot.
-sexual favors?
-fear?
-fear of sexual favors?
-some meadusa like power?
-Voodoo?
Nasty on the inside and nasty on the outside. Just her face on HBO made me change the channel.
The documentary has be garbage.
Good Points Backwoods.
Last week’s Power Player of the Week on FNS was a repeat from March of Dana Perino. One of the highlights shown was her smacking down Mz. Thomas hard. That old Jackie Gleason line comes to mind…”How sweet it is!!”.
Bet that didn’t make it into the documentary either. (Couldn’t find a link on Fox’s site and have no access to youtube.)
Given the popularity of Batman, I am surprised no one recognized that Helen Thomas had a guest stint in one of the earlier Tim Burton movies:
Helen Thomas Stars In Batman
She’s still alive?
Sonofdy – Wow, lgm sure told YOU! (brushman pictures Sonodfy coiled in fetal position, whimpering and sucking thumb – not!)
My two tasteless entries…
“Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes all the way to the bone”
and,
“U-G-L-Y, she ain’t got no alibi! She’s ugly, she’s ugly, her momma says she’s ugly!”
I’d better get back to working, though I can now forego lunch (no appetite) and get a few things done.
Even a pork chop wouldn’t improve her chances with puppies.
Wildcats reference, bonus points!
\
Pix: Phony reporter or Sith Lord?
This is the reaction I would imagine waking up to her would bring:
UGLY?
Okay, fess up. How’d you get that picture of her in her bathrobe before she trowels on the makeup? : )
It’s like looking in the mirror!
Morning Ms. Malkin,
Hey, just a bit confused about the title thingy on this one: “Whitewashing Helen Thomas”. Now it has been a long, long time since I did any painting of tree trunks or decorative rocks and I understand the symbology of the word “whitewashing”, but why would anyone want to whitewash Helen?
This is actually a more in-depth job that a few brush strokes of a hydrated lime slurry. No, I think we need some serious plastering and trowels. Perhaps Bondo and an industrial sander.
Wait, never mind. I have seen one of these before. It was ugly with a deep-rooted fondation. It required too many skills to overhaul and the risks to the schedule and those working on it outweighed the base desire to replace it.
We used a couple of sticks of TNT and a D9 tractor to remove it completely from the ground.
Problem solved.
“Distinguished”???
With that fake hair dye job, one can hardly call her distinguished.
You know, Mother Teresa was no looker. But for some reason, when I looked at her face, I saw something beautiful.
Nothing of the kind with Helen Thomas.
Yes! Now- whenever Republicans ask me why I’m gay, I’ll say,” It’s not my fault. I met Helen Thomas when I was 18.”
I’ve heard of getting hit by the ugly stick, but somewhere, an ugly rain forest disappeared………
As a Jewish person, I could care less what Arab sympathizer Helen Thomas has to say.
I loved it when the late Tony Snow thanked her for advocating the Hezbollah position in a press conference.
She is living proof that age does not necessary correlate with wisdom.
Respectfully,
eric aka the Tygrrrr Express
Good Heavens, is it Halloween already???
That is one of the scariest pictures I have recently seen!! Good thing I put my coffee down!!
EEEEKKK!!!
THANK YOU
Since I have to sneek up on a mirror to have a quick look at myself I have never called others “ugly” however, this womans heart shows through to her face and she would be ugly to a blind person.
I am reminded of this every time I watch Sean Hannity.
At least he’s easier on the eyes…
I think Ward Churchhill is the secret love child of Helen Thomas and Ramsey Clark.
JLP
Man oh man. I’d have to shoot myself.
This waste of time is produced by Rory Kennedy and distributed by the same people who bring you “Real Time With Bill Mahr’ and ‘Def Jam Comedy Hour.’
Just to give you a sense of Rory Kennedy:
1. After seven years of incredibly brave stories to come out of the War on Terror, Kennedy decided to produce a “documentary” called “The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib.”
2. With oil reaching nearly $150 per barrel this year, Kennedy decided to produce a “documentary” called “Indian Point: Imagining the Unimaginable,” a “what-if” portrayal about a hypothetical radiation leak at a nuclear power facility here on the Hudson River, an hour north of NYC.
You would think that instead of focusing on isolated instances and hypothetical situations that meet her political agendas, and with all of her free time and capital, Rory Kennedy would be able to document some actual and dangerous moments in US history, like:
So much to document, and what does Rory Kennedy focus her attention on? A useless reporter who consistently fails at attempting to down play the War on Terror and embarrass the Bush Administration on a daily basis.
Another typical Kennedy.
I have poured gasoline into my eyes and set them on fire, doused the flames with an icepick, and yet, I still can’t get that lovely visage out of my mind. But, good news, I get to go home from work early, because I ralphed all over my computer and have rendered it inoperable. The LAN admin says he’ll get me a replacement tommorrow.
The day I became a Dana Perino fan:
http://hotair.com/archives/2007/11/30/helen-thomas-pwned-by-dana-perino/
Chap –
Has Sean ever claimed to be anything but a conservative commentator? Ol’ 2 (or 3, 4, 5)-bagger is supposed to be an “objective journalist”. The only difference between Sean and Helen (other than the fact Sean is much better looking) is Sean admits his bias. Helen is being dishonest when she pretends to be impartial.
chapoutier: Sean Hannity’s show is OPINION. This person tried to pass off her opinion as fact.
brushman beat me to it.
Ok Michelle. You owe us an apology for such a face. My flat screen shivered and shuddered when that face appeared and I had to call technical help to put it back in proper focus. You could make up for it by posting a couple of your face photos!
Okay but most of here would sooner kiss Sean.
Reminds me of the joke about real fear being Janet Reno walking down your hallway toward you smiling in a slinky nightie with a box of condoms. That vision with Helen Thomas is much more frightening. I know, I know, I’m a sick man. Lunch anyone?
Sonodfy -
by only a minute – great minds think alike!
You truly are a fear-monger!
lol
abqalan -
Janet Reno, slinky nightie wearing Doc Martins
He’s a libtard lawyer. That means there is no difference between opinion and fact.
Some lawyer.
Here’s something to heal your eyes, now
brushman,
Thanks. So much for lunch.
Thanks for the eye candy!
Don’t know what’s going on here, but I’m a co-worker of the guy posting as brushman. He has just been hauled in from a window ledge and is under sedation. He was babbling something about: Janet Reno…nightie…condoms…Doc Martins….Helen Thomas…condoms…Janet and Helen…
He may not be back
brushman,
ROFLMAO, I’m dying here! Stop!
Brushmans coworker, if you’re still there, tell him this:
Michelle Malkin, nightie
See if that helps!
Quickly now!!
I was eating when I scrolled down to that pic, again!
There’s another week off the wagon, good thing I wasn’t getting a haircut.
Now I gotta restart all the clocks.
You know tre, for someone who doesn’t claim to be a beauty queen, she’s pretty damn attractive.
And it gets me to thinking about the often used liberal meme: “All female conservative pundits are ugly whores and all Republican Presidents are stupid crooks.” Ok, I get it, I get it.
But wouldn’t that be the equivalent of me saying “Kristen Powers is an ugly whore” just because I disagree with much of what she says?
Even I’m comfortable enough to say that this statement would make me a liar.
I know how to make students stop having sex with their teachers – make Helen Thomas a teacher!! That would put an end to it right quick!!
This thread makes my point in the “MM looks like Chucky (and Sam Cassell)” thread.
tre, uh, that was kind of creepy brah. Kind of stalkerish to be honest.
Although tempting, I’ll pass on the critique on her looks.
But seriously, what has she ever done to make her “distinguished.” I would prefer EXtinguished. (just career, not life)