Taking the Charge
I didn't get the point of this column at all, but at one point Jonah Goldberg says: "It's all a bit reminiscent of Irving Kristol's observation that a liberal believes it's all right for an 18-year-old girl to perform in a pornographic movie as long as she gets paid minimum wage." I take it that's supposed to be some kind of self-evident refutation of liberalism but, well, what's wrong with that? How old does Jonah think you should have to be to perform in a pornographic movie? 21? Should the movies be banned? Or is the idea that the minimum wage is destroying vital porn industry jobs and ought to be repealed?
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No, no, no. The idea is that if sexy 18 year girls were banned from porn movies, there would be more jobs for Jonah "the tuna can" Goldberg.
April 7, 2006 10:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
Um, ain't the point that conservatives (at least the paleo- kind)believe is ISN'T "all right" to work in a porn movie, regardless of age or amount being paid. (They may make a distinction between "not all right" and "should be legally prohibited", perhaps, though...)
April 7, 2006 10:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
The point is liberals object to regulating sexual relations between consenting adults but are fine with regulating economic relations between consenting adults.
April 7, 2006 11:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think the point is that Jonah Goldberg just likes to hear himself talk, he doesn't really care whether he makes any sense at all.
April 7, 2006 12:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
shorter virgil.
Jonah Goldberg is an ass
April 7, 2006 12:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
"It's all a bit reminiscent of Irving Kristol's observation that a liberal believes it's all right for an 18-year-old girl to perform in a pornographic movie as long as she gets paid minimum wage." I take it that's supposed to be some kind of self-evident refutation of liberalism but, well, what's wrong with that? How old does Jonah think you should have to be to perform in a pornographic movie? 21? Should the movies be banned? Or is the idea that the minimum wage is destroying vital porn industry jobs and ought to be repealed?
What's wrong with that? Can't liberals believe that anybody performing in porno movies is a bad thing and that it's an even worse thing for 18-year-olds than 28-year-olds? That doesn't mean it shoud be illegal, but there are a lot of things that are legal but still deserve condemnation (and getting barely-legal teens to perform explicit sex acts in public and film them doing it has to rate right up there).
April 7, 2006 1:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
If 18 year old girls didn't appear in porn movies, what would conservatives watch in their hotel rooms?
Dissent Protects Democracy
April 7, 2006 2:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Pornography shouldn't be banned but that doesn't make it okay. And it would be great if there were no 18 year olds desperate enough to be filmed having sex for money.
April 8, 2006 3:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think the idea is that liberals (allegedly) think participating in porn movies is a morally respectable choice and there's nothing wrong with it, while conservatives (allegedly) think participating in porn movies is Just Wrong.
April 8, 2006 3:37 PM | Reply | Permalink