An editorial in this morning’s Seattle Times calls for a “round of boisterous boos” for an “uber-political artist” who, on behalf of Washington’s 7th Congressional District, fashioned a Christmas ornament for the White House. It’s a big ball with a little message that says, “Impeach Bush.”
How embarrassing.
Everyone involved has a role in our holiday discomfort: the ill-mannered artist and the director of the arts group 4Culture who allowed Lawrence to be selected.
Lawrence is known for her anti-war, anti-torture and feminist views. That should have alerted someone to check in with the artist — or to select someone else who might feel the Christmas spirit a little more acutely. …
Artists from the nation’s 435 congressional districts were asked to create an ornamental ball in the theme of red, white and blue to be displayed at the White House. The only ornament rejected was the one by Lawrence. The White House made the right decision.
Our holiday discomfort, indeed. Someone should have known that an artist from Seattle who believes in women’s rights and opposes torture would be such a feral cat, right, Fairview Fanny? Because we’d hate for Washington’s 7th Congressional District to stick out as a district that radically opposes the Bush doctrine. That’s what this is about, right? Going to war without good reason—that’s the inferred basis of Deborah Lawrence’s impeachment message. But, now that you mention it, we sort of stuck out already when our Congressional delegate Jim McDermott went to Baghdad on a peace mission and voted against Bush’s war. You called that “too liberal for liberal Seattle” six months before we reelected him with 80.7 percent of the vote. We also went on the record against Bush when we slam dunked votes for Gore, Kerry, and Obama. If you’ve been reading your paper, you know our feelings for Bush were not unexpectedly revealed on a Christmas ball.
Why go with an artist so politically motivated? … The smarter plan was to select an artist willing to represent the 7th District with some degree of taste.
Gee—why go with an artist so politically motivated? Perhaps because Lawrence wasn’t making decorations for Bellevue Square. She’s making an ornament for the White House, currently occupied by the most politically divisive administration in decades. But if Lawrence were making an ornament for Bellevue Square, she might have emblazoned the same message across it because, again, if you read your paper, you’d note it’s the “worst” Christmas economy in decades, thanks to Bush’s economic drunkenness. So perhaps Lawrence “might feel the Christmas spirit a little more acutely” if we weren’t having the least spirited Christmas in modern memory, and maybe she’d impart some apolitical Christmas cheer to the White House if “our holiday discomfort” wasn’t caused in large part by the White House.
But what’s flabbergasting about this editorial is that the logic is as absent as Bush’s leadership. Argue the great minds on Fairview Avenue: Lawrence’s art is embarrassing because it’s in bad taste. Fucking brilliant!! Seriously, what the fuck is the point of printing 100,000 copies of your opinion if you don’t explain WHY you reached that conclusion? At least tell us why it is distasteful for an artist to send a message to the highest political office that encapsules our dearest political beliefs. She wasn’t breaking from local public sentiment. We don’t need to coddle our worst president ever with appropriateness, nor do we need a newspaper to apologize for our civic tenacity for political theater; we’re in Seattle (SEE-AHH-TUL), Seattle Times.
God this blog is fucking horrible.
Opposing the bush doctrine and showing taste are not mutually exclusive. This artist and her ornament are like school on Sunday: classless.
right on, dominic !!!
they can scale down their print run to 99,999.
i agree completely with your reaction to that editorial and i love your writing style.
Rude is rude and the presidency is distinct from the president.
I can’t believe the nerve of this artist to associate the Christmas Spirit with opposition to torture. That’s so political! Jesus wouldn’t have said anything about torture, would he?
Damn her and her crazy feminist views
Ahahahaha. The Seattle Times thinks being anti-war, anti-torture, and feminist disqualifies you from representing Seattle. I can’t wait until newspapers go extinct. I hope the quality journalists, editors, and such at the Times get much better jobs in new media.
Dominic,
I had a colleague (no friend of Bush) at work here remark as well that her ornament presented after being selected to contribute was in poor taste. There is no accounting for taste. The White House didn’t have to accept and reacted civily. Ms. Lawrence made more news than she ever dreamed of and definitely will get more patronage for her art.
bla stupid blockquote. first paragraph quote, second paragraph me. 🙁
This post read like a hissy fit. Calm down, Dominic.
Incidentally, I think it’s funny that the Times upped its price to 75 cents and now the editorial section is down to one page, maybe one reader letter printed. Now where will the senior citizens go to sound off on the issues of the day?
Remember the fools at the Seattle Times endorsed Bush in 2000. Bush doesn’t even deserve a Christmas ornament from Seattle..how about prison term instead?
It sounds like the Seattle Times is implying that anti-war, anti-torture, feminist type people are lacking in compassion.
Dominic, this is extremely well put! I completely agree and I hope the Seattel Times reads what you’ve written.
The thing is, they’re right: the place for speaking out against torture IS the political arena, and the editorial pages, not in the art world or public Christmas displays. SO WHERE THE FUCK ARE THEY? Maybe if the dolts at the Seattle Times would speak out against torture, this artist wouldn’t have to.
I have noticed that so many of the Seattle ultra-radical-liberal-progressive-lesbian-feminist types, like this “artist”, actually look a bit retarded while somehow scowling and looking smug at the same time. Imagine scowling short-bus riders looking very smug, self-righteous, and self-satisfied and that’s pretty much the look. Deborah Lawrence has that look. I can see how looking like that would make someone very bitter inside.
The real problem is that the ball is ugly.
The anti-Bush rhetoric may buy some fans but as an ornament the ball looks more like a 2nd grader’s work.
So according to Seattle Times: Anti-war, anti-torture and feminist views = The opposite of the Christmas Spirit.
In other words: Christmas Spirit = War, Torture and Misogyny
@14: The art world is no place for speaking out against injustice? Have you ever SEEN art? WTF?
Oh yeah, holding Bush responsible for his crimes against the nation and the world is impossible in our hopelessly fucked up society (that would be sooo rude!), so even a Christmas ornament is causing a hissy.
Gawd I can’t wait for the pro-war, pro-torture, male chauvinist pig Times to go under.
Woooo wooo woooo…
more on a top of that Descartes-ized
ah-mathematical vanilly waegen’again with the sepratist powers and interpretative reprographical stop gapping huh?
gee whiz Mr. Wilson…. what will the hound dogs of hell think of next to try and cut the charge of the light brigades from the eyes of youth?
Dominic… your absolutely right about the devisiveness…. art and the line of decension are the glue in the mortar drowning in the ocean of politics….
here’s another example to bring in more thought on the trade between the new and old world censors… Native Peoples… December of this years cover….
A beautiful face in this decades reminding time of past treaties abused… just as beautiful of face as a fat baby with blottered nose and stringy hair…with war paint and screams in the clouds… it’s true…and the smile doesn’t hurt sales for those who eat the paper….
and then another extreme…
VICE Volume 15, no. 11
I found it on the sidewalk this morning… apparently someone wanted to throw it away….
the two magazine covers covered are indicative of creative opposition in contrast.
I turned it to the tale of twotom… and thought of Yorke and Jones in a recent picture in a magazine I viewed…
I can Imagine were the intended connection to the prosaic melody message is directable… and of course that implies others may see connective spirits polluted for the meer fun of it…
Revenge is a bloodsucker for the tykes on the battlefields of oppression here…
one might think the anonymity and sheer volume of material “out there” would shelter the crimes of passion to a point where the conflict of nature would not intrude on the epistles of fortune… but shit, what the fuck do I know about art degrees?
I’m just a nobody on the hunt for separation from the past administration like everybody else at this point who have been careening around town crying out… where the hell is the life boat and why should there even be a fight for the ornament?
Of course.. I understand that one artist cannot tell another artist WHAT to create… but shit, who the hell ever said artists can’t tell a fake feel me up from a slap in the ass….
I’d just as soon recreate another give the world a whole lot of get out of the way stuff for the purpose of disaplining a bad story plot… but someone might ask what’s so bad about a plot to puppet stick disrespect at a shite shooter Z?!
but then again… I’m not self serving enough to create my own blog sight and profit off of the compilation of imagery that guts the life out of quiet dignity…
I’d advocate a good fist fight with the pants on, if you know what i mean….
because after all… when artists kill, the less said the better.
What seems to be getting missed in all the kerflufflle (sp?) is that Representative McDermott appears to have been quite aware of Ms. Lawrence’s political leanings – which is PRECISELY why he selected her to make the ornament on behalf of the 7th District in the first place.
And given that the 7th is probably one of the MOST liberal Congressional Districts in the entire nation, I can’t imagine why ANYONE, including the Times Editorial Board, OR Mrs. Bush (who I presume prefers that particular appellation over the feminist-inspired “Ms”) would be surprised at the content of the message conveyed.
Just wait until anti-Obama wingnuts start doing the same kind of thing. Remember how classy and tasteful they were during the Monica Lewinski thing? And that was back in the 90’s when manners ruled. Comparatively speaking.
The Seattle Times (if it is still in business) will be defending the political speech and artistic freedom of all manner of absurd demonstrations and wild, tasteless antics.
As an aside, um what was Dan’s editorial position on the War? I seem to have forgotten.
go Dominic, go! the hateful comments about Deborah Lawrence need to be balanced by the truth about what her work represents: ART ISN’T NICE!
art isn’t just pretty decorations, art isn’t just pleasing everyone and minding manners.
bashing Lawrence and defending Bush is outrageous, how can the Seattle Times be more upset by an ornament than Bush’s actions over the past 8 years?
and Lawrence’s ornament wasn’t filled with hate for Bush, it was an homage to Senator McDermott, totally appropriate patriotic red white and blue.
oh good lord…
Jim McDermott called 4Culture, to see who they thought would be good. They recommended Lawrence. There are no surprises here.
The ornament wasn’t an “impeach Bush” ornament – it was a review of Washington politics, and a nod to McDermott… and a brief mention of his support of impeachment for the Tard-In-Chief. Of course, all the press picked up on was “This ornament wants to impeach W.”
Braying fucktards with the attention span of a fruit fly.
The Seattle Times can finish their flight to hell. Let them die off, and save the rest of those trees.
If I wanted to be a wuss, I wouldn’t live in Seattle.
Tell Blethen to stuff a ball up his …
Thank you Dominic, there may be a voice of reason left in this town after all.
Laura Bush planned to host a poetry event at the White House during the run-up to the Iraq war. A bunch of the invited poets came out publicly against the war and made noises about raising a stink at the event. Laura promptly cancelled the entire thing.
What’s amazing is that all the rest of the artists for this thing have been so well behaved. Is it because Bush is leaving office or was McDermott the only congressman willing to choose an artist who’s not a flagrant ass kisser?
Dominic, you done good on this one!
The Times sucks!
The Times does suck.
I wish Bush had been impeached long ago, but it’s a little late now to do any good.
While the ornament was tacky (and uglier than need be, what with McDermott’s mug on it), they should have let it be displayed so that the rest of the country could have a good laugh at the expense of Lawrence/McDermott and their lame attempt at “political activism” via Christmas ornament.
I know the cool people on Capital Hill don’t care what the rest of Seattle (much less the state or country) think, but this reflects poorly on the rest of us in District 7.
I love you Dom, this is great. And why does no one mention the fact that it was UP ON THE TREE and was only taken down after they realized what it was. Looks like the 1st lady didn’t do a good job prescreening the ornaments. I wonder what else made it up there…
Hell yeah, Dominic. Thanks for fighting the good fight.
Good grief, Good Grief, haven’t you figured out by now that nobody CARES what the eleven of you who aren’t McDermott-supporters in the 7th think anyway…
“The tree of Christmas must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”
–Santa Claus
if all the first lady wanted was “charming” tree decorations, she should have put the call out to craft hobbyists, NOT artists.
@26: Hate to burst your bubble, but Seattle is one of the wussiest, passive-aggressive, do-nothing cities anywere (except maybe your beloved Vancouver).
Nice place, but toughness is not the first attribute that comes to mind. (Yes, I’m originally from the east coast.)
“Will in Seattle” always gives the “Stereotypical Wimpy Seattle Liberal Douche Puss” perspective.
awww, I wuv you too, @38. Thanks for whining!
@24 I agree. True artists aren’t afraid to tell the truth.
Its a Christmas ornament that in tiny lettering says “Impeach Bush” among over 300 other ornaments.
And we’re getting a lecture on toughness from the east coast?
Hilarious.
Only 47 more days of Bush bashing to go.
The real villian in this story is Jim McDermott’s idiot office staff who chose this artist to send an ornament for the White House Christmas tree. This was a petty, churlish, and juvenile act and I’m embarrassed to be from Washington state today. SO thankful I didn’t vote for that fool.
Fuck McDermott. AND —> I can’t even stand Bush, can’t wait to see the back end of him. But this… this was just flat-out stupid.
Have you ever noticed how RETARDED so many ultra-liberal people like the “artist” look?
@44: Every day in Slog.
This whole situation is just silly, guys.
as much as we all like to hate on Bush (and don’t get me wrong, its my favorite pass-time) this is a Christmas tree in the Bush’s home.
They wanted to showcase local art from around the country on their Christmas tree in their home, and this ornament says how much the artist dislikes Bush.
That is just fine that the artist chose this opportunity to express her dislike.
Its also just fine that Laura Bush chose not to hang up an ornament on her Christmas tree that talks about what a terrible person her husband is.
The Times is awful, but the artist is lame (yeah, lets impeach Bush a month before he leaves office!) and this all smells of a bid to get publicity.
And the ornament looked like a semi-talented eighth grader made it.
Props, Dominic. Thanks.
“Impeach Bush” Ornament: A poke in the eye and a pie in the face of the worst and most dangerous president in the history of the USA. He deserves a real trial for his crimes this Christmas.
There are millions around the country to cheered that little act of ballsy rebellion. Just like millions more around the world cheered America for breaking windows during the WTO. They were relieved to know, that without any doubt, Americans were alive, thinking, and still kicking after all.
The “Seattle Times” editorialists, all those “secure” pinchface stickbutts, can go drown in their own ink.
@22
The Monika Lewinsky flap was calculated political claptrap. A juvenile attempt to sully a president. It does not compare to the necessity of impeaching Shrub.
Bush II has committed MAJOR crimes and misdemeanors. Blatant lies, savage wars, dangerous power grabs, restrictions of our liberties… the list goes on. Not to mention committing to death 100’s of thousands of innocents, both US and Iraqi; and Afghani too, for that matter.
Yes, Clinton had blood on his hands too, but Right-Wingnuts should have had the balls to go after him on those grounds, not cheap (cum) shots.
Lord knows most –if not all– Presidents have had mistresses (Check out Bush I’s history sometime). It’s their personal business, not the Senate’s, who the fuck really cares? How many of those Senators have had mistresses? Note that Hilary Clinton didn’t divorce him over the matter. So why should anyone else give two shakes?
Impeach Bush II.
It’s my understanding that nowhere on the ornament does it say “Impeach Bush”. Am I wrong?
I WANNA BUTTFUCK AND GAY MARRIAGE THAT ORNAMENT
Here is a better question. Where did they find 300 other artists to create ornaments for the tree that didn’t take the opportunity to slam Bush? Probably the most corrupt and unethical administration in American history?
And why pick on 4culture? They were asked to suggest an appropriate artist, which they did. They had no idea what she would create. If her work in the past has been anti war and anti torture, isn’t that totally appropriate subject matter for a Christmas ornament? What happened to Peace on Earth?
@50 – apparently the theme of the ornament is about the history of Washington politics, and it gives a reference to Jim McDermott and his career – one of the points of which was his support of the bill to impeach. But the press only picked up on the words ‘impeach’ ‘ornament’ and ‘white house’, and filled in the rest
i think this is the website for the photographer who took the photo
http://www.lessterling.com
There are more pictures but i cant see anytihng about impeaching
Seriously, if they wanted pretty ornaments from around the country, they should have asked people who do crafts, not ARTISTS.
On a side note, since when is being anti-torture controversial in the United States of America? Jesus Christ.
What’s really in bad taste, Seattle Times, is George Bush occupying the White House. Why are you coddling the man who lied America into a war based on intelligence everyone knew was wrong? That’s not fair, now that I think about it. Bush would have gone to war whether the intelligence was right, wrong, whatever – they started planning how to do it a few days after the 2000 election and 9/11 gave them the excuse they desperately needed after the Chinese spy plane incident.
Since I have to post my e-mail address i will say. go seattle times your great. Love everything you do. keep up the good work.