No, I am not talking about American Idol. I would never watch that show and, if I somehow happened to view it by accident, I would certainly never admit it publicly.
Rather, I am talking about my actual idol, Mr. Al Franken. Al is a pretty polarizing figure, admittedly, but he is a Harvard grad (like yours truly) and he is an unapologetic elitist (also like yours truly). That second statement may have been redundant.
He is also damn funny. SNL anyone? Stuart Smalley? "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and dog gone it, people like me!" He has taken on the guffawing buffoon that is Rush Limbaugh with a tenacity like no one else. He even titled one of his books Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot. Genius!
I own all of his books and have read each one from cover to cover, multiple times. I briefly considered putting an Al Franken poster on my the wall in my room but couldn't for two reasons: 1) It turns out, Al Franken posters are not so easy to find and 2) My ex is over quite frequently and likes to poke fun of my idol (I suspect he hates America).
Well, imagine my horror this morning when I was trolling the news sites and came upon this: Blogger Targets Al Franken in Minnesota Senate Race. A fellow blogger trying to take down my idol! It seemed too awful to be true.
But it is true. Some guy named Michael Brodkorb, whose sensationalist blog is entitled "Minnesota Democrats Exposed" (yeah, that's a neutral, fact-based site, I'm sure), recently "exposed" Al for some erroneous bookkeeping that prompted him to pay $70,000 in back taxes this week.
I have two major problems with this expose. First, I'm sure this was purely an accident. Al does not keep his own books - he has people to do that. If we want to blame anyone, let's blame his accountants. I bet they're Republicans, too! Second, while $70,000 sounds like a lot to this average Joe, it's a drop in the bucket for Al. Al is worth millions. $70,000 is to Al is what $5 is to you and me. It's an easy amount to overlook. How many times have you borrowed $5 and forgotten to pay it back? Once you got a reminder, though, I'm sure you paid it back promptly. As did Al.
I think this Brodkorb guy is only trying to stir trouble before a big election in Minnesota. I implore you to boycott such obviously biased, right-wing blogging and please...leave my idol alone!
Friday, May 2, 2008
Leave My Idol Alone!
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8 comments:
I was just watching this on the local news a couple days ago and I being a HUGE fan of him and a resident of Minnesota was very upset. He did say it was an accounting error and has paid the money. Lets hope this is the end of it. I was very excited to see him running and truly hope he stays in it and wins.
oh my I love him too!!:-)
You write quite well. I like your style. Keep posting.
I did like the guy while he was on TV. However, since entering politics, I can't stand him. With regards to the so-called 'right-wing' bashing...if it wasn't for bloggers and conservative talk radio, the mainstream media (TV News, and print) these issues would never be addressed. The MSM is left-wing biased. I think this is a very important issue and the people need to know when they have tax-evaders running for public office. Personally, I think he should have just stayed in the entertainment business.
I think this is an extremely well-written article and I like your style. Much better than a lot of other blogs I've come across that can hardly string a sentence together.
But back on topic, I agree with Bobo. It IS an important issue and not one to just brush off. Apart from that, I agree with his other statement as well - he'd be better back in entertainment and not politics. My two cents.
Tay
http://superbloggingtips.com
Hopefully your Idol resolves the problem soon.
Hi Erica,
I'm sure your idol Al knows the ropes of the arena he chooses to enter. In entertainment, the papparazzi will never leave you alone. In politics, no one will leave you alone. Everyone will be on your hair since you have become fair game for everyone - the dog catcher, garbage collector, up to your political opponents, even party mates.
For some reason, politicians start off with a noble vision but end up becoming corporate sponsored. What Al says now will not be viewed as satire but political philosophy, his lines may not elicit that much laughter but criticism or ridicule.
Your idol has crossed over into the twilight zone. :-) --Durano, done!
I thought you're going to do something like Chris Crocker for your idol. LOL :)
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