Babs, you slut!!

[bluescribbler]

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/05/02/journalist_senator_were_an_item/

So Barbara Walters disclosed yesterday that she had a long affair with then Massachusetts Senator Edward Brooke, who was married at the time.

Why is this news? Brooke has been out of the public eye for quite some time. I recall that his daughter's allegations of financial "misreporting" during his divorce proceedings against his first wife torpedoed his Senate career and paved the way for Paul Tsongas and later, John Kerry, to be elected to his seat in the Senate. Why did she have to spill the beans, to make it public? I was always taught that a gentleman doesn't kiss and tell. Isn't that true for ladies as well? Is she just trying to sell more books? :puke:

[DrDan]

1. anything for another buck

[galaxy21]

2. Rosie: Babwa how could you?

[NewJeffCT]

3. Of course - it's purely done to sell more books

she was just waiting for the right time to disclose it. If she can do that in conjunction with a new book release, it makes it a lot easier for her to get onto the big talk shows like Oprah, Ellen, Larry King, the Daily Show, Colbert, etc, etc

[cynatnite]

4. Of course, men who sleep with women aren't sluts...

:puke:

[Annces]

5. She is a Don Juanita n/t

[bluescribbler]

7. It isn't the affair I object to.

It's the kiss and tell.

[cynatnite]

8. The name calling was totally uncalled for...

I know many here at DU think it's great and wonderful to call people whores and sluts. They think they're right in doing so.

Me...I think that kind of name-calling is offensive to women.

Especially, since no one is calling men the same names. It's mostly women that get the brunt of it.

But, well, I'm in the minority here at DU in thinking that this kind of thing demeans not just women...but everyone.

So go ahead and call her a slut because you didn't like the fact she talked about her sex life.

You can bet if she'd been a man we wouldn't have seen this kind of thread. You may believe and attempt to convince yourself and others that it's not true...but you'll never convince me.

[seabeyond]

9. i am and have always been an equal opportunity name caller. just a word, slut and whore and

a male can be one as clearly as a female. i have never seen a distinction between the genders. i agree with what you are saying that many do.... but not all people and because of that i will probably not change my ways, lol lol. just words, with difinitions and i figure if one is willing to make the choice to fit the discription, they should not have issue with the word, regardless of the harshness society has put on the word. it is harsh and blatant for a reason.

anyway... just another perspective

[cynatnite]

10. Yes, just words...that's all they are...

no matter that they've been used to oppress and demean women. To me...that name you called Barbara Walters is no different than calling a black person the 'n' word. It's offensive and disgusting. It's just a word, though.

I knew you'd find justification for using it...as if it's a good thing. :puke:

[seabeyond]

12. let me clarify... i am not the op. and i am a believer in using the words

they fit the difinition as opposed using it against all women for as you say, to demean and repress. i think it is totally approrpiate you called poster on using it with walters cause she is not a slut... from evidence we have of choices and behaviors in life and i think the op used the word in exactly the wrong manner, you are speaking of

shame on him, wink

for real

i agree with that

i was just expanding the conversation on the use of slut/whore for both genders.

[cynatnite]

13. I'm sorry...my mistake...

I get frustrated with this kind of thing and I shouldn't have taken it out on you. I wasn't paying attention like I should have been.

[seabeyond]

14. i hear ya

being woman myself amongst these males, lol lol

peace... and good friday to you

[slor]

16. I am a man, and I was called a "ho"...

by all of my friends, in my younger years. Unlike most women, I did not consider it a derogatory term at the time. In hindsight, I do regret the pain I may have caused due to my selfish and cavalier attitude toward the women I slept with.

[seabeyond]

17. because in your immaturity you did not take it seriously but as a badge to wear

i can understand that. but the times i have called a male a slut, it has not been a compliment, nor judgment for that matter and the ones i talked to understood that.

for most all of us there is a difference between our youth and maturity

btw... generally the time that i did call male a slut, in all seriousness,... it was when they were whining about the repercussions of their choices and they felt on the one hand, cause of their gender they were to go out and fuck nondiscriminately and without responsibility and ended up with fucked up situations instead of just mere fun. as they would say why me... i would tell em. not a lot of empathy there. suck it up and deal with it. and there were many and varied repercussions.

and... thanks for you post. i like hearing from male perspective in honesty instead of the manly man game they think they have to play. oh.... like you in youth taking pride in ho... lol. thanks

[slor]

18. I am appalled...

even to this day, when I think about my past behavior. And I even thought of myself, as one of the good guys in those days, as far as, equal rights for women and such. I, thankfully, evolved, with the help of my girlfriend who eventually became my wife. But you would be shocked to hear how men who are supposedly long past that immaturity, still talk about women these days, in private company. I know I am. And yes, I do call them out on it.

[seabeyond]

19. thank you

lol, you just dont know why i appreciate your post so much. as i talk about youth and maturity, the issue i see weighing on female, and ultimately on male cause there is a repercussion for the behavior (action/reaction), is too many of the men are not reaching maturity today, even as they age. decency is no more.

i am not shocked by what males are saying about the women, it is not so hidden and behavior is really evident on the shifted view of female

my husband didnt realize either, how some of the choices he made were degrading to female or disrepctful until it was said in a way for him to be able to "hear" it. then.... it is like geez, of course.

what has been hard for me is growing up with almost all male, and male being majority of my friends and me being awfully independent myself, i spent my 20's walking it like a male, lol. i get it. and getting it made it hard for me to ever want to tie myself to a man. i just happen to find a special one that is probably more nice and respectful than i am.

[bluescribbler]

20. OK

I understand why this upsets you, and I apologize. Tell me, though, what would you call a person who boasts about having had a lengthy affair with a married person, simply to sell more books? What word would be acceptable to you?

[cynatnite]

21. Greedy...

That's the worst I can come up with because, IMO, anyone can talk about their sex life as much as they want whether it's to sell a book or just for the hell of it.

No one should be thought less of because of how they conduct their sex life as long as they're not hurting anyone. Sex is still considered the big bad evil by much of society and women catch the worst of it for the most part.

Sex is a normal biological function that can provide both physical and emotional gratification. It shouldn't be looked down on nor should those consenting adults be made to feel guilty for it either.

Barbara Walters isn't the first person to write a tell-all book...she certainly won't be the last.

[bluescribbler]

22. Disagree. You let her off too easy.

anyone can talk about their sex life as much as they want whether it's to sell a book or just for the hell of it.

Would you feel the same if an ex SO bragged to all who would listen the salacious details about your tryst of years ago?

No one should be thought less of because of how they conduct their sex life as long as they're not hurting anyone.

Do you know that this revelation did not hurt Senator Brooke or members of his family? I suspect not.

Sex is a normal biological function that can provide both physical and emotional gratification. It shouldn't be looked down on nor should those consenting adults be made to feel guilty for it either.

I agree with that, as far as it goes. As I wrote upthread, I have no problem with their affair. But I do have a problem with her need to air it in public. It's not my business, and it's not your business, either.

Barbara Walters isn't the first person to write a tell-all book...she certainly won't be the last.

Randy Cunningham wasn't the first Congressman to accept bribes, and he won't be the last. That still doesn't make it acceptable behavior. Walters' behavior is worse than greedy. She dragged Senator Brooke's name through the mud for no reason than her own gratification. I find that inexcusable.

[leftofcool]

6. Damn! I thought you were talking about Babs Bush

[HughBeaumont]

23. I don't think "Babs Bewsh" and "slut:" should be in the same universe as one another.

Just the THOUGHT of . . . OK, I'll stop right there, because it's giving me the same feeling as eels all over my upper torso. :puke:

[zbdent]

11. evidence of one of the last Republican scandals dealing with a Republican male

having an affair (sex) with ... A FEMALE!!!

[Warpy]

15. Ed Brooke was a liberal GOP and more liberal than most of his

Democratic opponents. He was a rat of a husband but a good Senator. He was also the last GOP I voted for.

If Babs had to have an affair with a GOP, at least she picked a competent and largely humane one.

Brooke lost to Tsongas because the latter was finally a liberal Democrat, although the bad publicity from a messy divorce contributed to his defeat.