Here are some photos of Ashley Judd and Gerard Butler at last night’s LA premiere of Olympus Has Fallen, that stupid-looking movie where Gerry (I think?) plays a Secret Service agent trying to save the White House from an air assault or something. All I can remember from the trailer is that a plane takes out the Washington Monument, which is probably one of the most potent “Castrated America” images in the history of filmmaking.
I didn’t even know Ashley Judd was in the movie, so this is a bit of a shock. She plays the fictional FLOTUS apparently. Ashley looked pretty good on the carpet – I can’t find the designer ID, but I’m assuming it’s Herve Leger because it looks exactly like a Herve Leger dress. It’s a pretty color on her, and I like her hair length these days.
Ashley is the reason I wanted to cover these photos – I know most of you don’t care, but I’ve been following Ashley’s movements to become the Democratic Party’s nominee for the 2014 Senate race in Kentucky. She still hasn’t announced, although she does seem to be making all the right motions – she’s meeting with DNC people, she’s gauging the interest level within Kentucky, and I think she’s probably cleaning up whatever chaos and drama remains in her personal life. I still think Ashley would be a trainwreck as a candidate for state-wide office. The issue isn’t that she’s a Hollywood actress (although that won’t help in Kentucky) – the issue is that I feel strongly that she has some mental health issues. But regardless of my concerns, it does seem like Ashley is going to do it, and as such, the right-wing media machine has already spun into action to mock her. Here’s what happened at CPAC a few days ago:
Fox News contributor and comedian Steven Crowder mocked liberal actress Ashley Judd on Saturday during a conservative gathering, claiming she was strangely fixated on rape.
“By the way, in breaking news, Ashley Judd just tweeted that buying Apple products, again, is akin to rape,” he said at the Conservative Political Action Conference. “From her iPhone. Rape — now she knows how my brain felt after Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. Oh, she said it. What is this obsession with Ashley Judd and rape? It’s pretty unnerving.”
As Mother Jones noted, Judd was sexually abused as a young girl.
Crowder was referring to an opinion piece Judd wrote in 2010, in which the actress lamented she was inadvertently supporting rape by purchasing Apple products and other electronics. The mining industry of the Democratic Republic of the Congo frequently employs violence, including rape, to coerce workers into producing the materials needed to manufacture electronics.
“My electronics, received as gifts or purchased, profit armed militias and support slavery,” Judd wrote. “I am financing mass rape as I enjoy these ridiculously Global North ultra-efficiencies and conveniences, for large scale rape is the preferred predation mining interests use to humiliate and terrify local populations, in order to control resource areas.”
Judd is rumored to be considering a run for the U.S. Senate in Kentucky. She would face Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Yeah. This douche is just some Fox News “comedian” (who has a history of saying really “funny” misogynistic stuff), so it’s not like this is coming out of Mitch McConnell’s mouth. But if Ashley gets into the race and she ends up going head-to-head with McConnell… oh, God. It’s going to be so much worse for her.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I seriously cannot stand this woman. She is vile.
Why? What has she done that you despise so much?
Exactly. “Gee, I don’t really know what she has done to earn my hatred. The corporate media that consistently slam her tell me to hate her, so whatdoyaknow~I hate her!”
@louisa
Have you been on this board before?
As I recall, Judd was getting taken apart by a comment board full of people just a couple of weeks ago. Go look it up.
To both of you- it is entirely possible to dislike a celebrity not based off the media. My mother went to her book signing in our hometown and said she was very rude to the locals, including my mom. She was a huge fan of Judd and her humanitarian work, and was crushed when she saw how it went. And this was a book signing, Judd was supposed to interact with people, it’s not like my mom accosted her on the street.
Exactly. She has a horrible reputation for being a total bitch.
I’m sorry your mother had a bad experience at the book signing. I actually had a very different experience with her 10 years ago when I was working on an AIDS awareness campaign with my university. She and Bono came through on a tour they were doing, and she was amazing. My group basically followed them around for three days, and her passion was palpable. She was incredibly engaging with every single person and chatted at length with anyone who had questions or wanted to discuss ideas. I even accidentally tripped her during a Q&A, and she apologized to me for kicking me! By the time they left, I’d almost forgotten she was a famous Hollywood actress. I was so impressed with how tirelessly she was working to make the world a better place. It was only three days, but I’ve had infinite respect for her since.
Gah! Don’t try to change my mind, Chordy! 😉
Sorry, Kit! She’s like a deep sea of awesome.
Zoid win! I took a dislike to the woman years ago. It has nothing to do with the media and everything with fan experiences, as well as what her mother and sister divulged directly to the public about her being a ball of bitch throughout the years.
Not a fan of rape jokes, myself, but she has always made stupid declarations comparing businesses to “rapists.” I can’t support that BS, either. If you’ve been raped/molested, as I have, and as Judd says she has, then you should NEVER make these offensive comparisons. That said, I have personally dealt with Judd, as I’ve been saying here for years, and she is a nasty piece piece work, with severe, severe issues. She has mistreated so many people under her in the business, people that worked for her, & her own family. I really hopefully no one supports her in this political venture. It’s not a R vs D thing. She has no place there, on either side.
Keep in mind everyone, even celebrities, have bad days sometimes. She is a real person.
Anybody who speaks up on corporate greed that leaves people with no lobby in danger gets my vote! She is taking on a dangerous opponent though. Fox, Murdoch and Co are as evil as they come. They will do ANYTHING to bring her down.
Courageous girl!!!
I LOVE Ashley Judd, always have. There is nothing vile about her, but whenever women want to run for office, they certainly have to face the attacks that men never have…it’s still difficult in our world for women to get the respect they deserve, but the more women that stand up to this, the better it is for others.
Whether you like or dislike Ashley Judd; i hope we can all agree that Fox News is just the worst, end of story. The ignorance and hate they spew is toxic.
Oh God, I feel like such a moron for asking this, but what is the deal with Fox? I keep hearing all these references to it (usually negative) amongst other things, but I’m hopelessly ignorant as to what they have done/are doing to invoke such responses.
As far as I know, Fox doesn’t operate in the UK but I guess it doesn’t take a genius to guess that they’re quite biased going by all the comments I’ve heard.
Fox News is an American “news” channel that is really just a conservative opinion channel. Their people just sit there and spew ridiculous lies and hatred and nonsense. It’s widely known here in the U.S. that the “news” part is a joke. They are very anti-government, anti-woman, anti-progress, anti-education, etc. Sadly a lot of people think it really is news and they believe what they hear on there.
What I can’t figure out: why is Fox “News” so conservative and narrow minded, while Fox, the television station, has shows like The Simpsons and X-files, etc., which seem to have a progressive, liberal, live and let live bent?
The UK dodged a bullet on that one. Fox news is a hugely biased newes station. They sell themselves on being, ” balanced”, but clearly their target audience is republican, right wing, conservative. They twist facts, and given the chance, put down anyone that disagrees with their political views. Now, here comes the sh** storm over my description.
@ Amelia
You have probably heard about their other activities though.Fox’s parent company is News Corporation. The CEO is Rupert Murdoch, a key figure in the phone hacking scandal.
News Corp (Rupert Murdoch’s company) owns Fox, but it owns UK publications The Sun and The Times. I think it also owns Sky TV, so even though you don’t have Fox News, you unfortunately have the same tabloidy bs courtesy of the common owner.
As for Ashely Judd, the candidacy is a joke. There is absolutely no way she can win a state-wide race in Kentucky. I don’t care how badly people say they hate Mitch McConnell. Kentucky is as red a state as there is and Ashley has no chance.
As for the rape jokes, I really do not understand what it is going to take for so-called Republicans who have a microphone to get a clue. Obviously the ass kicking in the last election wasn’t enough.
Ahh, so they’re part of the same evil lot behind the phone hacking scandals. Suddenly everything makes a bit more sense! I knew that Murdoch owned The Sun and (what was) The News of the World, but I didn’t know he owned The Times. Interesting stuff. Seems he’s got a lot of fingers in a lot of pies. I can’t imagine he’s too happy at the outcome of the Leveson Inquiry.
Thank you for all the answers!
Amelia: outfoxed is a great documentary on Murdoch and his evil empire. It is usually streaming on Netflix (at least stateside). Netflix access or not, I highly recommend it!
Don’t forget that Murdoch also owns the Wall Street Journal.
The UK’s equivalent is Sky News. I don’t have Sky anymore, on account of my dislike of Rupert Murdoch, but from what I remember, Sky News wasn’t anywhere as right wing as Fox News. I think the reason is that many who are right leaning in the UK, would be considered left of centre in the US. Fox News would be a commercial failure in the UK.
Fox News is no more biased to the right than most other networks are to the left. Trying to get unbiased news today is impossible. All of these comments about Fox and how they spew hatred and lies… Wow. Their ‘news’ segments tend to be pretty fair and balanced… their OPINION shows are conservative. MSNBC is horribly biased to the left… no one is suggesting they spew hate and lies, but I guess it’s okay as long as you are in agreement with their agenda.
“Fox daytime anchor David Asman is formerly of the right-wing Wall Street Journal editorial page and the conservative Manhattan Institute. The host of Fox News Sunday is Tony Snow, a conservative columnist and former chief speechwriter for the first Bush administration. Eric Breindel, previously the editorial-page editor of the right-wing New York Post, was senior vice president of Fox’s parent company, News Corporation, until his death in 1998; Fox News Channel’s senior vice president is John Moody, a long-time journalist known for his staunch conservative views.
Fox’s managing editor is Brit Hume, a veteran TV journalist and contributor to the conservative American Spectator and Weekly Standard magazines. Its top-rated talkshow is hosted by Bill O’Reilly, a columnist for the conservative WorldNetDaily.com and a registered Republican (that is, until a week before the Washington Post published an article revealing his party registration–12/13/00).
The abundance of conservatives and Republicans at Fox News Channel does not seem to be a coincidence. In 1996, Andrew Kirtzman, a respected New York City cable news reporter, was interviewed for a job with Fox and says that management wanted to know what his political affiliation was. “They were afraid I was a Democrat,” he told the Village Voice (10/15/96). When Kirtzman refused to tell Fox his party ID, “all employment discussion ended,” according to the Voice.”
http://fair.org/extra-online-articles/the-most-biased-name-in-news/
Kitten, I don’t want to do this. I like and respect you a lot, and very much enjoy (and agree with) most of your posts here. I can find plenty of information from well respected sources that reflect the bias at other networks… along with accounts from conservatives and how they were treated by those networks and co-workers.
As I said, there is plenty of nastiness on both sides. For every right wing crazy lying nut on one side, there is crack pot extreme lying liberal on the other. These elements do not represent either party, yet do damage to both.
Might be true that other networks are biased? As I said below, I don’t watch those networks so it’s not of concern to me and frankly, I’m only speaking about Fox News because it’s a talking point of this post.
My only point was that if you think Fox News is unbiased, you are sorely mistaken, that’s all. My comment wasn’t meant to be a battle of “which networks are more biased” I was simply stating that Fox News IS UNQUESTIONABLY a right-leaning conservative network.
I don’t think Fox is unbiased, though I feel most of their bias is reflected in their opinion shows. My original point was that most of the other networks are biased as well… just in the other direction, yet any time Fox News is brought up here, it is bashed beyond belief as if it is any different from many other news outlets. That’s all(;
Right on TOK! Always appreciate your comments, bold but polite, and cuts thru the bull. Well done.
If you want the left-nut version of Fox News…check out MSNBC/NBC news.
Belle-
I respect your legitimate questions regarding TOK’s post, and I support what you have said.
I, too, agree with many of TOK’s posts, but regarding Fox News Network and their supposed ‘bias‘, CNN and other networks go out of their way to be far-reaching left wing liberals. Regardless, none of this has anything to do with the fact that Ashley Judd has communist leanings, as well as mental health issues.
Is she unfit as a candidate for EITHER party? Hell YES. Do some internet research on AJ. Not only is she unqualified as a political candidate and a screaming nut job, she routinely hassles mainstream media and causes to fit HER agenda. Point well taken. Ashley Judd- don’t go there.
Can I be honest? Atleast fix bothers to cover news around the world. BBC has become really bad about it. I remember when the hunger strikes in my country were gaining worldwide coverage, everyone EXCEPT BBC covered it. I’m not joking even the daily fail and fox managed to do a sort of balanced Job at covering it. Ad they are known to have extremely biased coverage on my country.
@aims, I don’t think that’s extremely accurate to say the UK dodged a bullet. BBC has a huge problem with incorrect reportage and bias as of late. For example, there was a mass hunger strike going on in my countries that was gaining international reportage on it, and there was zero reportage from BBC about it. I’m not even joking when I say this, but even the Daily Fail and Fox News managed to do a sort of balanced reportage on it (even though Fox is known to be extremely biased towards my country). That was pretty much the day that I stopped bothering with BBC news.
Also to be fair, most networks and news publications are biased. Even my beloved NYtimes unfortunately.
To say that she is “obsessed with rape” is offensive and ridiculous. First of all, the woman was sexually a used as a child. Second of all, put her comments in the context they belong. Mass rape is a tool used to strike fear into populations living where the materials needed for cell phones, etc. are mined. It’s not like she pulled a Kristen Stewart, “the paparazzis don’t respect my privacy. It is like they are raping me.”
That’s why they call it “Faux News”.
BL had a post the other day that went like this:
How News Really Works:
CNN: Obama appeals to Pepsi fans
Fox News: Obama declares war on Coca Cola
BBC: 18 die in US drone strike in Pakistan
The point being that American news is pretty atrocious in general, with Fox News being one of the worst. Don’t get me wrong-I have no problem with conservatives having their own news channel-my issue is with the “fair and balanced” tagline that Fox News hides behind.
TOK You stated that perfectly! BBC and AP is all I can bare for real news. The fair and balanced tag line is a joke. It’s such a pain when Something or someone good gets coverage on FOX and then that person or thing is forever tainted.
BBC makes everything out here look like a bad tabloid. NPR is the closest thing to BBC that we have in the states.
I’m not sure why everyone lumps in Fox’s opinion programs with their news segments. Yes, their opinion shows are conservative, but no more so than the left-leaning news organizations… some of which are so blatantly left-leaning, it’s hilarious that no one here seems to notice. The opinion shows on the other networks are just as biased, if not more…. but they are more liberal, so I guess that is okay.
Do other networks like NBC, CNN, ABC etc have conservative commenters? YES. Watch Meet The Press-they have people from all sides.
Again, it’s nothing to get defensive about. Nobody cares if conservatives have their own network. Really-enjoy it.
As I said above, my issue is that they don’t come clean and market themselves as such. “Fair and Balanced”? It’s just a lie and it’s treating the American public like they’re morons that are easily conned.
Also, I don’t know what you mean by “left-leaning news organizations” but myself and my liberal friends stick to NPR.
I’m not defensive, and it’s not that I only ‘enjoy’ conservative programs. I am an Independent… leaning conservative on fiscal issues and a bit more liberal on social issues. I just want ‘news’ networks to do their job, and most don’t anymore.
Most of the networks you mention have a token conservative on opinion panels, just as fox has a token liberal. It’s for show… to appear to be open-minded and willing to share both sides.
When it comes to actual ‘news’ segments, the only difference between Fox and other networks is that Fox reports and digs on stories that put the current administration in a negative light (Benghazi), and many of the other outlets either ignore those stories, or barely give them a mention. The opposite would be true for a Republican administration. I don’t like it either way, and want reporters to do their jobs. I don’t want someone’s personal ideology mixed in with the news, slanting it one way or the other.
I usually try to stay out of these political threads because I come here for a bit of enjoyment. Political bashing is not fun. When it comes to Fox though, some of the comments are so outrageous (not referring to yours), it’s difficult not to speak up, though I know my opinion will be in the very small minority on this site. There is plenty of nastiness on both sides.
To be fair to you-maybe CNN and other networks are left-biased. Full disclosure: I don’t have cable so I don’t watch those networks. I just know that the state of American “news” is pretty dismal.
I like NPR because they seem almost clinical in some regards with the way they report. They have some talk shows that are biased/viewpoint based but in regards to their standard news reporting, I find them to be very balanced. They address their stance on being “unbiased” on their site but also admit that bias in news cannot be entirely eliminated.
http://www.npr.org/yourturn/ombudsman/2002/021126.html
Anyway-I DO think they are for conservatives and liberals alike.
I encourage everyone to check them out. I think you’ll find it fair and maybe you’ll enjoy the site as much as I do.
Kitten, thank you for the logical and thoughtful reply (as I knew you would have). I agree with you for the most part on NPR. As I mentioned, I am not right or left… but mixed on many issues. Because of this, it can be difficult to discuss important issues with either side, as most (on both sides) simply believe their party is the ‘right’ one, and the other is evil. What is easy to see though, is that BOTH sides are guilty of spewing lies and hate.
xo.
The thing I LOVE about NPR is they are informed enough to ask meaningful follow up questions of both Rs and Ds.
It seems most news organizations allow politicans to spout the pre-scripted talking points of their party without calling them out when they are being misleading. NPR asks serious follow up questions and makes people answer them. So much of cable news is opinion. NPR is more focused on the who, what, why, when, where, and how. Plus, they always base their stories on factual documents/events that I can research for myself if I have questions.
BBC has its problems with reportage. They are really bad on worldwide reportage, they also have their fair share of scandals. Most recently they were involved in a sex scandal (I am not completely knowledgeable about it to be fair). They came under fair for their reportage of the Arab Spring. They also don’t see to report much about my country, even when there was worldwide coverage about it (for example there was a mass hunger strike going on in my country, everyone reported on it including the daily fail and fox) but not a word came out from BBC until people protested outside the studios for a week. They’ve come under fire from scrutiny and bias claims from many groups in the UK and out. It is also well known they are under pressure from certain ‘interest groups’.
WHich is why I stick to Channel 4, Associated Press, The Guardian and the Independent. But I also check out a various amount of news channels depending on what I’m looking out for (I follow about 10-15 different news channels, websites and newspapers, it also depeneds which country I’m living in at the moment).
x10!
@Kaye… How WRONG wrong you are! At least FOX NEWS doesn’t edit video to make it sound as they NEED it to, like MSNBC does. I am beginning to think that to work for MSNBC, one does not need a Joirnalism Degree! Case in point: Rachel Madcow.
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If Judd is elected, she will set women back a 100 years!!!
How can you make that comment about airing videos when Fox News fully supported James O’Keefe and his massively misleading edits?
Thank you, Tiffany!
Tiffany:
They were edited for time purposes. You may see all of the video’s in their entirety on Brietbart’s site.
The videos on Breitbart were still edited. If you view the original videos in their entirety, they showed a completely different picture from what was actually shot. For example, he wasn’t dressed as a pimp. He was in a suit and tie when he did the interviews. State Attorney Generals in Massachusetts, California, and the U.S. Attorney of Brooklyn, New York all investigated and concluded that the videos were heavily edited and completely misrepresented what happened.
James O’Keefe had to pay $100,000 to one of the ACORN employees because of the way his editing mislead in regards to their actions.
Since this conversation was about Fox News, it should be noted that Fox never addressed the misleading editing of the video they aired on their channel and website.
Tiffany, you are wrong! I certainly will not debate this with you, because you sound entirely to far to the left to even try to get a point across. You are referring to ONE video! Andrea Mitchell herself has coped to many videos she willingly and knowingly edited. So, don’t even attempt to try and throw ONE video up… And I have lost count on the many Madcow has edited to benefit the Liberal’s!!!
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And how much has MSNBC and all their so called journalist had to pay? Or better yet, how many have fired for their antics…
How am I extreme, I am only pointing out factual information: Fox News aired a heavily edited and misleading video, promoted the creator, and never acknowledged the fact, even after it was investigated by Attorney Generals and a US Attorney. If I am wrong, I would sincerely love to know where. Would hate to repeat the same mistake in the future if one was made here.
I am not trying to argue the virtue of Mitchell or Maddow’s reporting (I do not watch their programs). I was commenting on Fox News because you said that Fox News doesn’t air edited videos.
I agree. Fox News is disgustingly slanted against modern ideas.
Bless your heart…
I hope she doesn’t do it. My husband is a political aid (started as a campaign worker in 2010). he confirmed that candidates and their surrogates will tear apart your personal life, twist everything, dig up little specks of dirt you forgot about – basically, they play very dirty (both parties, too). She comes off as an idealistic feminist, which isn’t a bad thing, but it’s not the best way to be in such a nasty, aggressive forum. They will attack her brutally.
And just FYI: Google Steven Crowder. He actually wrote an entire essay about how his wife is just a better woman than the rest because she was a virgin until their wedding night and how their marriage is gauranteed to last because of it. I shit you not. He’s really that pompous.
I remember that article. It was bizarre.
The Jezebel version is the best.
http://jezebel.com/5944747/in-case-you-havent-barfed-today-here-comes-the-stupidest-fox-news-article-of-all-time
For extra laughs, read the Feministe version (with commentary):
http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2012/09/20/your-drunken-slut-wedding-was-worthless-you-harlot/
Ow gawd! Ow mah gawd! Really?
How can someone gush about being such a righteous “christain” in one sphere and then go on and poke fun of rape in general because they disagree with someone?
I guess we can’t all be “blessed” enough to be born white in America, ay Mr. Crowder?
Aaaaaand cue Crowder’s drug-and-hookers fuelled sex scandal in 10, 9, 8, 7…
Nothing falls harder than something on a pedestal.
The funniest thing about his gig was his claim to be a comedian.
Thank you for that link! The gif parade was priceless!
What an arrogant dork, this guy.
Thanks for those hilarious links. I remember that vomitous article. What a pompous jerk!
“Looking back, I think that the women saying those things felt like the floozies they ultimately were…”
Wow….
Wow! Mr Crowder seems to have an incredibly delusional perspective on marriage! Perhaps he is speaking more to the tendency for certain subcultural norms that dictate a woman’s only worth/identity is that which she gains through marriage. It’s kept many a lady loyal to one man.
IDK, while I agree that the political franchise here in the US is run by a tough crowd, perhaps we need more women seeking to break into that realm of clearly sexist cronyism.
I don’t know much about Ms. Judd’s political perspective, but maybe she’s got what it takes to play ball.
“Pompous” is by FAR the nicest thing you could say about Crowder.
Judd has a never ending history of idiotic rants. I have heard from my Democratic friends that they hope she doesn’t run. She may be a drag on the Kentucky Democratic races in 2014. I have often heard her fellow celebrity costars rip on her arrogant attitude. Her rants on apple and rape were ridiculous.
Yeah I REALLY hope she doesn’t run. Not only because they will eat her for dinner but also because I find her really REALLY unlikable.
Yeah, I know it should be about her credentials but we all know that in politics, when you’re a woman, you have to have some level of likability.
Judd is like the Dem version of Palin, maybe a tad smarter but with the same grating persona. Judd just has that elitist attitude that bugs me-patronizing and condescending.
Too harsh? Meh…I just don’t like her.
Totally agree.
Judd to me is exactly like Palin on the right…both of these women give me a headache and I wish they would retreat to their private lives and do good works for their fellow man without mugging for the cameras.
At least Ashley Judd is intelligent. Doesn’t she have a degree from Harvard?
It’s Kentucky. If she’s bent on running, she’d do us all a favor by running there so she can quickly be cast aside.
Gravels – I agree 100%. I have worked with Ashley and she is completely crazy. I wish both she and Palin would retreat.
Kitten & Bluhar, she is not any smarter than Palin or anyone else (Harvard, Yale, etc… You can always buy your way in, especially if you are a celeb and can contribute financially as an Alumni. Additionally, the Ivy League schools are notorious not only for nepotism, but also for admitting students who ordinarily would not have been admitted, but have already achieved success in life and that success will enhance the school’s reputation). Yes, she has often said in interviews that she read a lot while growing up, and yes, she claims to be an Etymologist, however, she often uses words incorrectly. Her attempts at “acting intelligent” are so bad and her incorrect use of words is so blatant, that even I, a lay person, have to laugh.
I also believe that her mental issues (whatever they are) could be an issue in this campaign. I’ve noticed during the past couple of years that she has to take her (anxiety) dogs with her on interviews, which no doubt is an issue that will be raised (although admittedly, as an animal lover, I’d love to take my dogs to work with me. However, I don’t think that would fly if I appeared in court with them on behalf of a client. Can you imagine telling a Judge that I was anxious about the case and needed my dogs to calm me down? I would likely be sanctioned, at the very least). 🙂
Her acting career is all but over. She received a significant amount of criticism over her book (and whether or not it was accurate), and she has a completely dysfunctional family. Oh, and she’s going through a divorce. The worst thing she could do right now is run for political office. She’s probably one of those people who throw themselves into things to not deal with personal issues, and it’s clear that she needs to get healthy before taking on a bunch of ruthless politicians. Otherwise, I agree, she will be eaten alive. Her trips to Africa with Bono (or anyone else)have not prepared her for “real” politics (this, too, I speak with firsthand knowledge).
Both arrogance and ignorance are going to be Ashley’s downfalls. I think Ashley could get elected to office, although I doubt she could do so in KY. She can talk a good game, but she also needs to learn when to shut-up. Anyone can get elected to office as long as they have the money and the power behind them to do so. Look at Arnold, George W., Al Franken and Jesse Ventura as examples (and I’m merely using them as examples of “celebrities” or people who rode other people’s coattails to get into office). I really hope that she is doing this all for attention. Sadly, I don’t think she is.
Oh my god, can men please stop bringing up rape? I mean, if they’re not emphatically denouncing it, they just need to shut up.
And if you read her piece, you’ll see what she’s actually saying and it makes sense.
Agreed!
Ashley would be an AMAZAING Senator~ cetainly far better than Mitch McConnell, in ANY capacity. She is very much a serious contender for the 2014 Senate seat~she has several advanced degrees that she EARNED thorugh Kentucky schools, is a 3rd generation Kentucky resident (Rand Paul moved there in the 90’s, NOT a “native”) has a reliable and consistent track record of fighting for social justice issues, and is articulate, intelligent, and very well spoken. The hatchet job on her is already starting, because the republicans will be facing what they fear most: a cojmpetent, qualified, well known, powerful WOMAN who stands a VERY real chance of winning if she runs. RUN, ASHLEY, RUN!!!
Meh. I don’t believe she is nearly as smart as she thinks she is. I really don’t think she has what it takes to be a politician.
Judd is TERRIBLE at getting her message across. She *might* know what she’s talking about but her penchant for talking down to people is NOT an asset in the political sphere.
Most of the democratic establishment isn’t behind her. There’s a lot of talk about finding a primary challenger if she does run. The issue isn’t her record (although her actual feminist activism is up for debate). The major concern (at least from what my friends who work in politics say) is that many do not believe she is mentally stable enough to handle McConnell. He is an extremely connected guy (his wife is the former Sec. of Labor) and he’s entrenched. He has the resources to run a nasty campaign. Judd is just coming off a divorce, and she does has a history of saying some stuff that would look great on attack ads.
If she does run, my money is on the Dems getting her in the primary. They’ll prefer a more conservative, Blue-Dog type Democrat who will actually stand a chance. Kentucky is among the reddest of the red states, and they’ll want to hedge their bets.
While she grew up in KY, she is a resident of TN, or she has been while married to the race car driver. She’d have to move back and establish residency to be able to run in KY.
Don’t care what anyone says, Gerard Butler is a hottie (but he’s losing weight, he looks skinny in that suit)! Ashley Judd – she still is beautiful but has she messed with her face? It could be swelling due to medication (that’s what she said when people asked) Hopefully it’s not filler or some form of cosmetic enhancement. If so, she better be careful – she’s starting to look like Jon Hamm’s woman.
I like Judd; seems like one of the few who do…and good for her after moving on from her divorce.
You can like Judd. I like her too. She may be a good person. She isn’t right for politics. She seems overly emotional and is prone to mental meltdowns. They will tear her apart to the point she will defend from an emotional platform rather than a reason and logic driven platform. This will end badly.
Completely agree – as smart as she may be, her emotional state will make her a mockery, just like Palin (although Palin’s intelligence may be in dispute).
Ashley is a snob who wouldn’t give any of you the time of day
+1
From personal experience.
I give her full marks for being brave enought to consider running for office, but in spite of the blue color (which is pretty) bandage dresses are hideous creations which should be burned.
What’s with the “I feel strongly that she has some mental health issues” comment? That seems a little offsides, no?
She seems pretty damn smart and well spoken to me. That alone puts her leagues ahaead of most people in Congress.
Why would that be offsides? Being a senator is one of the most important jobs on the planet, and their mental stability, and their possible dependence on meds to keep them stable, is a real issue. Judd has had several highly publicized mental health issues and it’s not unreasonable to be concerned about how that might affect her decision making.
Personally, I’m just sick of people who decide, with no experience and no background in anything other than pretending to be someone else, that they should have one of the most powerful and important jobs we have. I think it becomes an ego trip for them.
Its offsides because there is nothing backing up that statement. Its a little harsh to say someone seems to have mental issues and not say why. Perhaps she does, but nothing in this post suggests that.
And I agree that actors shouldn’t just run for office as some vanity project. but Ashley is actually very well educated and active with charitable causes and has been out spoken on alot of human rights issues.
It would depend on the mental condition. You wouldn’t want a schizophrenic as your senator. But a lot of people suffer from intense depressive episodes which can be controlled by medication. The same way physical ailments that might affect a person’s performance do.
Because she actually has mental health issues. Hasn’t she publicly talked about them before, years ago?
Looks like whatever was going on with her face has calmed down because this is the first time she looked ok in a long time.
She was on Dancing with the Stars with her mom to cheer Wynonna on yesterday. Despite the family dynamics, they really stick together and cheer each other on. I liked how Naomi was miming the call in and vote sign whenever the tv panned her way and she got Ashley to do it too.
I don’t think she should enter politics.
I don’t think someone having mental health issues should stop them from running for office. After all there are candidates with stupidity issues who make flippant comments about “rape” and they are deemed fit to run for office.
Yes and some even conduct themselves like your local park flasher, and they still become president.
I really, really hope you aren’t implying what I think you’re implying.
“local park flasher”?
Ohhhh! She must mean GW Bush.
Well, I suppose GW Bush’s cocaine habit in college is similar to the crack habit that my “local park flasher” has, but then again, I didn’t vote for him so it’s all good.
Oh, I’m not implying, I’m saying exactly what you think I am. Guess you missed Paula Jones taking the lie detector test on national television.
@Original Kitten- are you saying Bill Clinton has a crack habit? Really I have actually never heard that before.
My God, you’re still complaining about CLINTON?
Really, move on.
If you cared at all about your party and the state of politics in this country you’d be addressing the subjects brought up in this post instead of dredging up the past as a way to deflect from REAL issues.
Of course you conveniently gloss over Steven Crowder’s comments.
Do you even HAVE an opinion about Judd running or are you just here to talk about Clinton’s sex life?
@Original Kitten–I was responding directly to Gemini08’s comment. Maybe you should go back and re-read her post. And I’m sorry, how many times have you brought up George Bush? You’re telling someone else to move on? Hopefully Paula Jones has been able to move on following her sexual assault. And I didn’t mention anyone’s sex life unless you consider the criminal activity of flashing “a sex life”. I kind of thought rape and sexual assault was pretty on topic, no?
Yes I have an opinion on Ashley Judd’s political career since you asked–here it is…I think she is a very smart lady with a good heart. Unfortunately, she has no experience at anything relevant to the office which she seeks.
@OriginalKitten–also it’s kind of hard for me to figure out how I ‘glossed over’ comments when I didn’t even mention them. I didn’t make excuses for this idiot comedian. I guess I made the mistake of assuming everyone thought he was stupid. You said I supposedly did this right before you proceeded to gloss over a sexual assault telling me to ‘move on’ and focus on something else. Wow. I thought victimizing women WAS a real issue. But then again, I’m a real feminist. And I’ve had a few bad things happen to me in my time. I try not to just let abusers get away with things and then move on with their lives like nothing happened while the victims struggle in the aftermath. People protecting abusers does not sit well with me. Why did you not have something to say about Gemini08’s comment but you had a problem with mine?
Rape jokes?? Now there are two words that should NEVER be used together.
@Belle you could not be more correct in your assessment. It’s just that this site’s visitors are apparently about 98% liberal and 2% conservative. They just repeat what they hear about Fox from whatever propaganda machine they are listening to. They’ve probably never even turned it on. The primetime line up on Fox is most definitely conservative. However, MSNBC was actually found to be the most biased in a recent study. Chris Matthews doesn’t even have to actually analyze anything- all he does is say (or scream) ‘that’s RACIST’ every 2.5 seconds and then goes home for the evening. A lot less prep work has to be done that way don’t you know? Rachel Maddow is just as bad, but that’s what she was hired to do and she has a lot of fans here. And yes Sean Hannity exhausts himself with the statement “Obama began his political career in the home of domestic terrorist Bill Ayers”. Bill O’Reilly pretends to be an ‘independent’. See I know these things, because I don’t live in an information bubble like some of these people. People would do well to broaden their horizons and listen to both so they know what propaganda or bias is when they hear it. There is no unbiased news source so read everything you can get your hands on. For entertainment, listen to Rush Limbaugh AND Bill Maher.
Oh yeah, and I wonder if any liberals on this site were as outraged with the constant Sarah Palin rape jokes and hate f*ck jokes. The answer is no.
I’m a liberal and I don’t watch MSNBC. I don’t watch Fox either. I prefer my news to have a little objectivity.
I think people need to realize that media is owned by corporations and corporations are going to advance the agenda that impacts favorably their bottom line.Therefore your news is filtered by the respective corporations. What I find interesting is how ABC,NBC,CBS,CNN,MSNBC all report the same stories with the same talking points. Most of their Republican guests are progressive Republicans verses the libertarian or conservative Republicans. The progressives are the Lindsey Grahams and the Chris Christies’ who believe in big government.
Fox NEWS(big difference between news and commentary shows) often include stories that aren’t even reported in MSM like Benghazi and Fast and Furious. People should actually take time to view the other networks as well as FOX News to get the complete picture. Personally I prefer to visit known Left and Right slanted blogs to see the arguments on both sides of specific issues. At least you know that they are truly left or truly right. By the way Murdoch has much more in common with the Bloombergs of the world than any conservative. Murdoch is for vigorous gun control as well as open borders so he is no friend to conservatives.He like most billionaires are globalists who want to rule the world and run people’s lives.
Important points made by Garvels.
It’s also important to remember that the networks are also businesses that need to make a profit. They need companies to buy ad space and they need viewers to tune in.
These elements all affect what stories are covered, what guests are featured etc.
@garvels you are speaking my language. I’m sick of the media putting out a bunch of BS and ripping the country (the actual citizens) apart into groups. I think also that the only reason Fox has such high ratings is that there is nowhere else to go if you want to hear conservative news. The other networks have to split their audience. Fox doesn’t. And the country is roughly 50/50 on their political views.
Thank you Jules… you can be my one friend on CB today(;
Agree with all of your points… and you bring up a very good one about Sarah Palin.
Other good points by garvels as well. While I believe that the ‘bottom line’ dictates many of the decisions made by these different companies/networks, IMO, personal ideology and agenda is a bigger factor, yet should play no part at all. I do realize is it difficult to be completely unbiased in all aspects of reporting, but all media outlets should strive for it.
We’re friends, Belle!!! I have plenty of Republican friends that are thoughtful and contribute meaningful and interesting comments to any political discussion.
It’s hard when you feel outnumbered but if you express your point calmly and rationally, people here generally play nice.
Jules: TAKE NOTE. Trolling and rude comments meant to incite don’t go over well around here.
Oops… meant to address Kitten with the comments about the ‘bottom line’ stuff… and wanted to add that as much as Fox news is despised by some, it is consistently the #1 rated cable news network. I know some will dismiss that as… ‘just means there are a bunch of stupid conservatives out there watching it’, but I would suggest it might have more to do with your point about networks’ choice of stories, coverage, etc. People might actually be interested in issues and stories that are ignored by other networks.
Oh, also meant to add that Ashley looks beautiful in these photos. I don’t know if I love the dress, but that color looks gorgeous on her!
Oh, and I was posting while you were Kitten, so I missed that last one, but thanks much! (; I knew my opinion wouldn’t be a popular one on CB, I’m used to it… LOL I associate with both ‘sides’ and know where I’ll get some love (or not!). I find it helpful to mix it up though… much better than surrounding myself with like-minded people who really have no need to discuss issues. What’s the point in that? (;
Did you ever read the Rolling Stone “expose” on Fox News? Even when you consider that RS is a pretty liberal magazine, it made some very interesting points.
@Belle- Haha! Yeah, you may not find too many friends here.
@Original Kitten- Awww, you just can’t stand that Belle likes me! How cute!
I don’t know what you mean by trolling unless you mean I don’t agree with you on every single thing and you don’t like me saying what I think. As for rude comments, if they were frowned upon, this site and the whole internet would be shut down, and you personally would have been kicked off a few times. I’m sorry if you find my opinions personally threatening in some way. They aren’t meant to be. Does everyone here need to think the same thing for you to continue to be comfortable? I figured you to be the tolerant sort. But thanks for the personal ‘warning’ that I’d better limit my free speech–or else you might, what, try to mean-girl me out of here? It’s not politics that bothers me at all- it’s hypocrisy.
I’m as liberal as they come, but I think rape jokes on Palin or her kids are UNACCEPTABLE, and of course unfunny.
Thank you. I appreciate you.
I hope she runs. I’d vote for her if I could.
Ashley looks good here. Looks like she lost some weight, and looks healthier. I don’t know if she can win this, she does have a lot of baggage, and I’m told she can be very up and down in her moods, but she is intelligent, and I think she would be a million times better than that old fossil.
I am really hoping to see more women representatives, and less old white men. And less of the tea party types. I am a liberal, but not a reg. Dem.
i dont think any US based “news” is anything more than entertainment with brainless dummies reading off a teleprompter.
as for judd who has always struck me as a narcissist, is she still using her rapey phone and other electronics or did she just really want to go for the soundbite?
I hope she does run for office…
What I’ve always respected about her is how she takes a stand for women’s rights. She’s an unapologetic feminist. Love that.
She probably won’t be called a whore or a cunt like conservative women are by the likes of Bill Maher and Louis C.K., to name just two ‘liberal comedians’.