Ha Ha--David Corn replies to James Wolcott....big mistake

[trumad]

Pajama Bottoms (II)
Posted by James Wolcott

It's rare that I extend a helping hand.

Not that I'm a churlish, selfish person. Far from it.

It's just that my gestures of goodwill seem to make most people wary. They assume I'm "up to something."

Yet my motives are pure, my intentions innocent.

So when I question David Corn's lending his name to a dubious enterprise like Pajamas Media, my purpose is to save him from possible embarrassment and shame. It's easy to fall in with the wrong crowd and have your reputation dragged through the circus sawdust.

Unfortunately, Corn fails to accept the spirit of Samaritan goodwill that made me wonder what he was doing consorting with this band of crumb-bums.

He retorts: "I look forward to a new Internet enterprise that seeks to promote varying views, even if the idea came from conservatives. And if James Wolcott, whose work I admire and respect, can bring himself to be associated with a magazine (which I admire and respect) that makes mucho bucks by placing Paris Hilton's jugs in front of our mugs, perhaps I can see if being associated with rightwingers will benefit this blog, my work, and my readers. If not, I'll be happy to chuck it all for a column at Vanity Fair. James, thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Jugs" is not a word I would have associated with Corn's word processor. Perhaps he confused Vanity Fair with another fine publication, whose editors would no doubt consider Miss Hilton's upper assets a bit on the dainty side for their audience's tastes.

To be fair, Corn is distressed by the late entry into the Pajamas board of supremeo political hack Cliff May and the odious Ledeen, and vows to fling ginger ale if the blog panel in which he's participating veers off into a war dance. But I foresee a darker scenario, something closer to The Masque of the Red Death.

Corn is going to be seated at the Rainbow Room listening to keynote speaker Judy Miller justify her journalistic debauchery and his eyes will begin to wander the room, the faces of his fellow board members and new comrades swimming before him...

John Podhoretz...Roger L. Simon...Charles Johnson...Michael Barone...May...Ledeen...Glenn Reynolds...Mark Steyn...Larry Kudlow...Dr. Josef Mengele...the ghost of Roy Cohn, chewing on a chicken carcass...

And his soul will utter the silent cry, Sweet baby Moses, what have I got myself into?

As the Rainbow Room whirls like a carousel gone berserk, flinging bloggers and waiters into the abyss.

So endeth my prophecy. I have done what I can, I can do no more.

11.02.05 10:05AM

http://jameswolcott.com/archives/2005/11/pajama_bottoms_1.php

[Fenris]

1. Gentleman Jimmy is the master of snark.

Dumb move on Corn's part.

[BlueManDude]

2. the incomparable wolcott strikes again

love it

[Cha]

3. Bravo to James Wolcott

for pointing this out!

"The Nation's David Corn would lend his name to the editorial board of Pajamas Media, the greatest assembly of conservative deadbeats since Jonah Goldberg's last fondue party. What an illustrious roster of ideological utensils make up Pajamas' masthead: Michael Barone...John Podhoretz...Tim Blair...and this inveterate stirpot, whose presence all decent men and women should shun until proper disinfectant can be found. By allowing his name to be slated on the editorial board, Corn is letting himself be used as a figleaf enabling Pajamas to pretend that it's a bipartisan effort instead of what it so flagrantly is, a neocon popstand."

I can see what Corn is trying to do but I'm with James Wolcott in that I wouldn't want "to be trapped indoors with Satan's playmate".

[CBHagman]

4. If you haven't read...

...Attack Poodles and Other Media Mutants, Wolcott's recent book, you are missing a gem. There's a quotable bon mot on EVERY page.

It is also quite an angry book, but then again, if you're not angry about the state of the media, you simply aren't paying attention.

[orwell]

5. Not So Fast

...from what I have surmised from Corn's duplicity, he may just fit right in with this crowd.

[Demit]

6. great thread title! I couldn't wait to open it up

Wolcott is always a delicious read.

[eissa]

7. I just LOVE James Wolcott, but

I had to smile at Corn's line re: Vanity Fair's covers. I'm a subscriber and they have the most informative articles, but you wouldn't know it by the covers they choose. The worst: Martha Stewart on the cover in a publication that outed Mark Felt. Come on!