In tribute to Huffington Post’s censorship of its members to present a false touching reverence for the career and humanitarian works of Andrew Breitbart, here are the top front page Hacklines (hack headlines) on the site at this moment, from the rich swamp of corporate tabloidism that HP has deteriorated into…and I say that with all due touching reverence (contrary opinions may have been heavily moderated):
- PHOTOS: 7 Comedians Without Their Signature Facial Hair
- Snooki Pregnant?
- 5 Weird Uses For Peanut Butter
- Thigh High Leather Boots?
- Indian Bar Dancers
- Gross Surprise In Spinach Dip
- Katy Perry Flashes Undies
- Flying Robots Play Bond Theme
- Worst Autocorrect Fail Ever?
- Apocalypse Travel
- PHOTO: Bizarro Photoshop Fail Explained
- Things You Should NEVER Put Down Your Garbage Disposal (don’t worry, Huffington Post wasn’t on the list)
So, whenever you read anything or hear anything “reported” from Huffington Post, always preface it with, “From the people who brought you, ‘Gross Surprise in Spinach Dip’ and ‘Katy Perry Flashes Undies’ comes…”
Batboy’s gotta be waiting in the “wings” at HuffPo! And HP, where are the latest updates on Area 51, celebrity nipples and Sasquatch??? Inquiring minds want to know!
Here’s a great AOLHP headline.
My Friend, Andrew Breitbart
Seriously!
It ranks right along side Arianna’s article, “My Soul Mate, Osama Bin Laden.”
I am so glad to read this and had to commen. I no longer go to HP. I had been there for years and had thousands of followers and fans. I was directed to this site by someone who read my recent posts critical of their direction. Recently they banned me from commenting due to my criticism of their celebrity worshiping and hype. They kept emailing me to get me to agree to some rules and they would lift the ban. I told them in no uncertain terms that would not happen and stop bothering me . They are losing many people and I believe Arianna is going back to her republican ways.
Welcome to the Planet lalalu. I think you’ll find the atmosphere here far better than HP. Here, you can speak your mind without worrying about your comments disappearing into thin air. And, there are no trolls here, no name calling and no hostility. The main rule here is “Be Nice.”
Thank You. I have looked around and like what I see. Good articles and comments that also have a sense of humor.
We may disagree with each other from time to time, but we continue to do so with respect for the other’s opinions. Glad you found us. 😉
I left HP a little over a year ago, and haven’t missed it one bit.
You Lalalu are welcome here. I found the same thing there and came to this site. I still go there but it is very different ever sense AOL bought it. This place is better.
Thank You. I think I really stepped on toes when I started protesting about posts that were deleted. Some I agreed with and some I didn’t but none were offensive. I was interested in what they posted and having a dialogue and then the post was gone! I really enjoyed reading different views and that was being shut down. I learned so much from posters, including about this sight 🙂
Welcome lalalu. There were some very good people there but finding our way through the BS was pointless and infuriating. Nothing worse than inane insults from a bunch of hired newbies.
Here you can make a point, have a discussion or just kid a little–fun is still a good thing.
“fun is still a good thing”
How true. Thanks.
Hello lalalu, and a warm welcome to The Planet. If you run into any difficulties here, please let us know on Help Desk, it’s on the right hand side of your screen above the Recent Comments widget. We hope that you will enjoy it here, our members are the best group of people blogging today, and here you will actually be able to have conversations.
Here are a few links to explain about how the site works in case you might need them. Again, welcome to The Planet. If you have issues or opinions you feel strongly about, you can write a post here so that everyone can read and share it. Enjoy.
http://en.gravatar.com/site/signup/
http://planetpov.com/2011/02/09/tips-for-newcomers-and-regulars-alike/
http://planetpov.com/2011/02/23/memo-to-members-how-we-choose-front-page-posts-and-other-editorial-policies/
Thank you for the info and I appreciate all the warm welcomes.
You are welcome. Just shout if you need anything. 🙂
Cheers Kalima, thanks for sharing all these key links with lalalu!
😳
lalalu, welcome to The Planet!
I see that Kalima did a wonderful job in providing info about navigating The Planet and getting up to speed here (thanks Kalima, you’re the best!).
It can sometimes take an adjustment when folks come here from HP and don’t have to manipulate words to avoid moderation…or see every comment of theirs immediately posted without moderation (and be able to edit their comments as well) but at The Planet, we strongly believe in freedom of expression and have one prime directive, all members deserve a modicum of respect.
So, none of the hatred, racism, misogyny, name calling, etc. that is a daily occurrence at HP is permitted here. PlanetPOV is for thoughtful people who are welcome to disagree on issues while continuing to be the decent and reasonable people they are.
Disagreement is a good thing, it can cause people to reconsider assumptions and even be convinced that another way is best, we like to see that process of debate and exploration of perspectives here.
So, please always feel free to express yourself here, whether in the minority or majority on an issue, it’s all good.
I noticed things were changing for the worse. Also, there were people I use to see post regularly and I noticed they were missing. A few popped in and said they had been banned for a while. It was time to move on. Lucky for me another poster read how I felt and directed me here. Thank you for the welcome.
Welcome!!!
Hello to you and thanks 🙂
Welcome indeed! Most of us are refugees from AOLHP, though I never got banned but often censored. VERY unAmerican, IMHO!
She has said she’s considering voting GOP – though why is not clear. She is no progressive though, so her Fifth Columnist tactics are now glaringly exposed.
Although I cannot reconstruct any of the Hacklines that peeved me, the ones that did were those that screamed some massive failure about Obama’s actions over reports that said no such thing. Comments made it clear no one had read the STORY – and you got censored if you mentioned that the story did not reflect the Hacklines.
Good to have you here. We might take some getting used to since we write longer and more thoughtfully than we ever could there, but please feel welcome and write what you like. We do read it!
When I read your post I felt like you read my mind. One of the things that bothered me was the lack of coverage of Occupy Wall Street at the beginning. It was only because so many posters kept questioning the lack of coverage that HP finally did a few threads. I know OWS wasn’t perfect but it did accomplish a lot of good things and it was people trying to do something about conditions in this country.
I was not a fan of the founder back when she was pro Reagan and a republican. I will admit that. But she was all over the place claiming she had changed and now we know it was all a game. Shame on her but fortunately people are catching on to her tactics. Thanks for the welcome.
Forgive me AdLIb, for I have sinned and spoken ill of Mr. Limbaugh. Not to set a bad example to lalalu (LOVE your name!), but the pain med is making me grouchy. And let’s all pretend that that SO seldom happens….
The Blov either refers to me as “Lotus Blossom” or (my personal fave) Shezilla.
AB my friend, the rule is that all members need to be treated with a modicum of respect, for the sake of allowing discussion.
As Rush is not a member, a public figure and someone who has never displayed any capability for constructive conversation, you are fully empowered to refer to him however you choose.
Shezilla! Love it. Hey, girl, I am finally going to stay at Pagosa Hot Springs this summer. I am worried it’s going to be too hot to soak though!
What was your nickname over at HP? I was Counterglow. And I can tell you the exodus is continuing. I keep my account there alive so I can track how many of my friends have left. So far, I’ve gone from about 3,300 to about 3,050. And the comments are a joke. If they keep going on their current arc, they’ll have nothing left but trolls by summer.
Did any of you see the article on Breitbart on HP entitled, “What Breitbart’s Death Has Taught Us About Grieving.” Just that mere title made me laugh. I thought it also interesting, that the day after his death was announced all of his articles (3) were no longer on the main. I imagine the paid moderators where kept up all night trying to delete the truth and needed some time to recover.
Hi Annie, What a classic Arianna-esque article…something akin to “Ode on a Toad.”
Hey, escribacat. I’ve missed seeing you on HP. Hope you are well.
Perfecto, as always, Dear Leader! I think Weekly World News is now PuffHo. Soon to be found: “Elvis’ Likeness Found in Bowl of Toilet!”
Hilarious, Adlib. It’s the Balloon Boyington Post!
I have been on Huffpo a long time and sense AOL bought it I’ve noticed that they don’t have the news stories before the MSM and often well after. They also have drifted to the right of center. I’m disappointed in Huffpo.
I also have a big problem with their dishonesty about Andrew B. He was a “sleazy politician” IMHO.
Breitbart helped Arianna found Huffington Post, so the fix is in. It would be like trying to say something truthful about Murdoch in the Wall Street Journal. Won’t fly.
Yup, I read some nice things from A.H about him, too.
He was sleazy and I will not take that back.
I had been with them a long time too and got banned for voicing my criticism. I am of the belief that Arianna never truly left her Reagan and republican roots.
My alterego moniker got banned for posting truth about AB. What I said was within guidelines, but because it didn’t glorify an awful person they support, they chose to ban me.
Their profits are down as well. 🙂
When you close an account now, they almost beg you to come back.
Oh and who do the right wing blame for Breitbart’s death by natural causes. You guessed it OBAMA!
http://bobcesca.com/blog-archives/2012/03/drudge-savage-jones-pushing-conspiracies.html
Personally, I think Bigfoot did it.
Obama can’t get us all if we scatter and change our identities.
SEAL Team 6 can’t be two places at once.
If you seal your car completely in duct tape, drones can’t pick you up on their scanners.
If you swallow enough lead, you render most tracking devices inert.
Helpful tips for us all to remember in the dark days ahead.
My tin foil hat is keeping me safe!
See? I knew I had the answer. They come in Trilby, Homburg, cloche, and pillbox styles for the discerning.
“Tin Foil Pillbox Hat” Isn’t that a Bob Dylan song? 😉
Breitbart’s Dad said he had heart problems in 2010, so that blows their conspiracy theory out of the water. Another interesting thought. How could it be AB was vetting Obama and would soon release a tape, which would cost him the election, when Obama was completely vetted in 08?
Thanks for the reality check, Annie. Of course, anything Breitbart ever said should be taken to be as true and legit…as anything Breitbart ever said.
Annie! Why are you destroying a perfectly good conspiracy with – well – FACTS?????
It’s so refreshing to be able to do that. On HP, facts only exist if you’re a sane Liberal.
Oh sure that sounds pretty reasonable….if your name wasn’t Arizona Annie OBAMA!!!
http://www.hark.com/clips/twjpwxrdqc-da-da-da-daaaaaa
I’m proud to be an Obamabot! LOL!
I have the tinfoil ready whenever you need it!
Just got the ID change. I’m now “Funksands”.
I’m guessing he raged himself to death.
They did say it was natural causes so I think you’re right!
I usually don’t quote posts from other people unless I think they are especially poignant but on Bob Cesca’s blog someone left this comment on a threat about Breitbart’s impact on civil discourse.
The big difference in this case Breitbart piled a truckload of shit and passed it through a huge fan. Pick that up!
Man, Breitbart’s death is bringing out a lot of great allegories from people. Cesca is once again on the money in pointing out that you aren’t forgiven just because you die, you’re forgiven when you make amends before you die or you die leaving a legacy of having been a miserable human being.
A great quote from Cesca. The feathers put him at the whims of the world rather than the lie he told himself about controlling it.
Forgiveness is a very good thing but not when the person doing evil is not repentant. Nothing about Breibart showed regret even as he passed. The GOP forgive themselves without remorse first and never forgive anyone else no matter what. Vitter v Spitzer.
Reaction to Breitbart’s Death…
in the media in general has been pandering and soppy
AND WE WONDER WHY FOX IS NUMBER ONE IN CABLE/SATELLITE
With heroes like this who needs villains
“He was one of the most fearless people I ever knew,” a shaken Jonah Goldberg, founding editor of the National Review Online, said on Fox News. “One of his favorite pasttimes was to retweet all of the hate that people threw at him, because he considered it a badge of honor. It was his Wheaties.”
Goldberg added: “He was the modern conservative’s iteration of a 1960s radical. He loved the fight.”
“He was completely fearless,” Tucker Carlson, editor of the Daily Caller, said. “And he thrived on the brawling.”
“What a huge loss, in my opinion for our country and certainly for the conservative movement,” Rick Santorum told press traveling with his campaign. “My prayers go out to his family.”
“RIP ‘O Mighty Warrior!” Texas Gov. Rick Perry wrote on Twitter.
“The conservative movement has lost a powerful voice in the fight to protect our freedom,” Ned Ryun, president of the American Majority and one of Breitbart’s friends, said. “Andrew was a pioneer in using social media and digital technology to bring a courageous conservative message to America’s grassroots. He did something many in the conservative movement are afraid to do–go right at the left and not back down. He served as an example to the rest of the conservative movement of how to fight for our values without apology or compromise.”
Yes, today the world of propaganda, yellow journalism, smear politics, and just outright lying is a little poorer. I feel badly for his family, but that is about it. The man’s role in the destruction of ACORN earned him a permanent place in my hall of shame.
I can think of lots of people who were just as fearless:
John Hinkley
The 9/11 Hijackers
School shooters
Bernie Madoff
The Koch Brothers
Racists
Right, he was a real pioneer in perpetrating fraud and sabotaging the democratic process in America.
His family will have to deal with losing a family member but I will invest my concern and feelings for all of the millions of Americans who have not only been losing family members but their homes, jobs and futures, many of whom Breitbart saw as enemies and spent his time and energy attacking.
Completely agree. I know HP is doing this badly. I have complained. But I do not see many other MSM types that are being honest. This guy was pond scum, an under-the-rocks dweller. I had good friends in ACORN and they were targeted because they dared to promote Obama’s run for the Presidency. How “uppity” of them. And Breibart and his minion O’Keefe lit the pyre fire.
Don’t know if you saw the Rolling Stone story by Matt Taibbi, “Death of a Douche” but he has updated it after having been hacked and receiving death threats and harassment after posting what is actually a far more generous post about Breitbart than I would have written:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/andrew-breitbart-death-of-a-douche-20120301#ixzz1nzeldklI
Just to be clear, this is who HP is in league with through their actions and it is inexcusable.
I saw the original story but not the update. Disgusting. I will pass this on. Glad I have the Planet (which means folks like you) to keep me on the cutting edge rather than the soft/safe middle.
The right has nothing to recommend itself other than the intelligence required for deceit, lies, and criminal acts.
Yep Foodchain, the GOP takes pride and gets props from the MSM just for winning here or there while ignoring how they are winning.
Isn’t it part of the story to explain that the GOP uses hatred, fear, prejudice and lies to “win”?
To the MSM, all that matters is the horse race, whoever crosses the finish line, they hang a laurel on even if the winner only won by cheating.
There is a lot of evidence in support of that.
FC, I firmly believe that “cunning,” and “wisdom,” are two separate things.
We have imprisoned the wrong people.
well AB has gone to his reward….
And they see themselves as “victims”. Of what is never quite clear and never clearly specified, but they are “oppressed” and “under surveillance” and “deprived of free speech” and on and on and on.
Nobody among them is happy until they invent a reason to portray themselves as martyrs. And then go home to the easy chair with a cold martini.
Oh, the humanity!
Did you leave Charles Manson off the list on purpose?
Jonah Goldberg can go cry on his mother’s shoulder, the woman who taught him his trade. Remember she was the one who told Linda Tripp to tell Lewinsky to hold onto the blue dress. What a crop of weasels there are in the right wing tabloids.
LOL! Goldberg is the same soulless hack that tried to prove that the NAZIs were liberal socialists. His views aren’t worth the paper they are printed on.
It’s a smarmy crowd and it is all in the family.
Fearless? That’s IT? So were Hitler and Stalin, Pol Pot and Idi Amin. So was bin Laden and the leaders of God’s Revolutionary Army.
Being fearless just means you are insulated from consequences and dumb enough to think that’s courage.
I agree with your definition of fearless if you add unprincipled to it. As AB certainly was.
AOLHP has gotten much worse if that’s possible. I was just replying to Khirad on his Mideast thread that they will pick any random hack to write a column if they criticize the president. Not valid criticism like we all have but hyperbole filled goulash riddled with personal attacks. Like letting a friggin’ Literature professor blast Obama on Iranian policy with, a literature professor FFS. I asked Khirad to read the piece and he could only read the first page because it was on of the worst pieces on Iran he’s seen and just a forum for this guy to personally attack Obama (I could only read a couple paragraphs because it could have been written by a Breitbart type hater). This guy did not have a fraction of the knowledge Khirad has about Iran.
Oh and of course you article is spot on. When someone writes an Obama hating column on AOLHP very few responses calling out these hacks ever get through. It’s just part of the way they frame the false narratives.
They’ve been doing this for a while but they have now become such extremists and demagogues, I see them as no different from Fox News and the GOP on this.
They have an ongoing campaign that is pro-corporatist and anti-Obama whenever or wherever possible, pandering so obviously to Progressives by applauding Obama occasionally then quickly flipping back to be “fair and balanced” by attacking him for whatever they can.
The censorship at AOLHP is now as bad as the worst sites out there. When there is an article about something meaningless, they let people post comments freely because in their view, who cares. But on any important or powerful topics and especially on Arianna’s immaculately conceived blatherings or those of her ilk, no opposing opinions are allowed.
I understand that many thoughtful folks still like to blog there because of how many people are at the site and because they’ve built acquaintances and friendships with other bloggers but I do think that they are unwittingly supporting and empowering a propaganda machine that is working against their best interests.
Can you believe that with the Rush thing Matalin and Fleischer tried to deflect asking if Obama should apologize for an anti-Catholic piece on AOLHP.
No guys, they should apologize to HIM.
Go back to the false equivalency generator and try again.
I had another small account and went on under that moniker. As they were posting nothing truthful about Breitbart on the thread announcing his death, I found another thread that was open about Jonah Goldberg (?) crying about his death. I posted comments which were within the guidelines, but truthful and was banned. That’s how bad this site has become. What makes it even more egregious is the way they allowed right wingers to come on the death threads of Whitney Houston and say, “She was nothing more than a crackhead, why are you mourning her?” They took none of those comments down. Anyone who makes a hero out of Breitbart and doesn’t allow for opposing opinions has jumped the shark.
Annie, you were banned for posting a comment critical of Breitbart? Really?
HP has degraded so incredibly and is so clearly a conservative, corporate MSM tool, I remain surprised at the amount of respect they receive from the Progressive community and the loyalty many Progressives have for them.
It is an exploitative business AOLHP is in now, making people on the left and right think that it’s the place for them when really, it’s a place only about juicing up conflict and doling out propaganda…with a narrow slice of actual reporting and news thrown in.
How can someone as detestable and awful, such an enemy to Progressives, the poor and journalism be held up with reverence just because they died? His death doesn’t bring ACORN back or repair the damage he’s done through lies and fraud to people and our system.
He was emblematic of what is absolutely wrong with our politics and the “do-whatever-it-takes-to-win” mentality of partisan extremists.
That is nothing to celebrate and neither is he.
If they had the same standard for the treatment of everyone who died, then it would at least be understandable. But, to glorify a villain and not allow anyone to post anything but how great he was, is censorship to the extreme. When I heard he passed, I was happy. That’s the first time I’ve ever felt that in my 69 years on this planet. Another thought I’ve had is for them to moderate his threads so closely, just speaks to how destructive he really was. As an aside, I see the crumbling of the right wing on a daily basis, both in voter rejection of their policies and recalls, such as Russell Pearce in my state of Arizona. His demise is just one more example of that empire tumbling down. Can hardly wait for the November election when Democrats take all three branches.
I so agree with everything in your response, AdLib. Thanks.
Welcome to the Planet Arizona Annie. I don’t recall seeing your posts before today.
To say the GOP is myopic when it comes to social changes, is a huge underestimation. They simply can’t see that social change is natural and usually progressive in a free society.
Thanks, KillgoreTrout. It’s been awhile since I visited here. What happened yesterday and seeing AdLib’s article on my email inspired me to return.
Glad you’re here.
Hi Annie – welcome to the Planet. Several of us are in AZ, and I have family there, so you’re right at home.
Most all of us are refugees from AOLHP – when you cannot be truthful, then it’s not a blog it’s a propaganda machine. Here we say most anything. It’s true we are often in sync – it’s not at the level of HP – but all one asks of anyone is civility. The few who have been taken off have had that occur for INcivility, not content.
We’re glad you’re here. Keep writing!
Thanks, choicelady. On HP, if you’re a right winger, incivility is considered a badge of honor and is encouraged. As for content, in my opinion, I’ve yet to see any right wing post on that site that contains anything but distortions, lies and delusions.
As with many of us here on the Planet, it’s what drove us away. I found KQ, the very first person I followed over there, had managed to sneak in the link to PPOV (he got dismissed on most attempts) so I followed, and here we all are. KQ had left long before, but I had no idea where. Serendipity led me here, and here I shall stay. We’re so glad you’re here, too.
CL, Zoot Liberal brought me here. I haven’t seen any of his posts in nearly a year. I hope all is well with him. I owe him a debt of gratitude for cluing me in on the Planet.
Annie, the reason I left was because of all the trolls and the senseless censorship. A person can’t truly speak their mind over there. You have to follow Arianna’s meme or get deleted.
Thanks Ad Lib. Censorship doesn’t even begin to cover what was done on the Breitbart articles. After the news broke, I went to the first article to appear and found less than 200 comments and 2000 pending comments! None of mine ever appeared, even the one in which I typed “test”! They only allowed flattering comments from the right wing followers basically and only those saying RIP. I believe they just dumped all the pending comments. What a joke it has become I’m sad to say.
Indeed Greta! Btw, this is what I posted here after the news about Breitbart’s death broke:
I concur with everything you said. Trust me, I didn’t dare try to post anything so accurate on HP, yet the mere mentioning of Shirley Sherrod was enough to blackball my comments.
Wow. Has Fox News become an investor in HP?
This poor excuse for a human being assassinated the character of an innocent woman and permanently damaged her life and career.
And that typical act of Breitbart’s has to be wiped from memories because HP deems it so?
Well…nice try but it didn’t and will never work HP, home of “5 Weird Uses of Peanut Butter”. In fact, I can think of a 6th, smear it all over your monitor screen and it’s just like being on HP’s site.