Goldberg on a Silly Outrage

Goldberg on a Silly Outrage

Jonah has it right. People get upset about a "don't vote" joke, but don't care about a shirt for 13 year-old girls that says "porn star".

As Yakov might say, "What a country!"

If voting is for old people, irony isn't

But this astoundingly stupid controversy does get to the heart of why I think the cult of "youth politics" is so contemptible.

First there's the cynicism of Democrats like Dan Glickman, Clinton's secretary of agriculture, who obviously love youth voting because they think the youth will vote Democratic.

This in turn highlights the muddle-headedness of "youth advocates" who insist that you can't stereotype "the youth" but who also insist that there are a bunch of issues and concerns (i.e. liberal ones) that unite all young people. Um, which is it?

But what bothers me the most is the cart-before-the-horse logic that says it's fine for young people to be lazy, scummy, ignorant and immoral, but it's an outrage against God and man if those same kids don't vote.

Urban Outfitters' Web site features dozens of T-shirts with slogans that would be truly offensive if they were to be taken with a fraction of the literalness of Glickman & Co. A girl's shirt reads: "I did Justin three times." A boy's tee says: "I rock Catholic girls." Another: "American rat race: Drop out." Another: "Beer: It's what's for dinner."

I understand these are jokes. But it's not clear that Glickman & Co. do. Isn't it interesting that they don't care if kids get the message to be lazy, slutty drunks - so long as they vote?