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Home » Safety, Sexism

Is McGinnis a bully and a Peeping Tom harassing Sarah Palin?

May 28, 2010

by ValentinacloseAuthor: Valentina Name: Cristina Espinosa
Email: valentinago@gmail.com
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The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and not necessarily those of The New Agenda.

The “journalist” McGinnis is renting the house next door to Sarah Palin’s home because he is writing a book about her. She is so “uninteresting” that she deserves all this attention. But he cannot submit to conventional and even unconventional “acceptable” methods for his research. He is doing it this way because she is a woman, and because not only does he have society’s consent, but a cheering crowd.

peeping-tomJack Shafer of Slate described McGinniss’s approach as “journalistic assholery” – apparently a compliment:

“I admire his determination to get the story and have no problems, ethically or morally, with him getting as close to his subject as possible-even if his technique seems a little stalkerish.”  [my underine]

It reminds me when I used to cross everyday the border from Mexico to the US while I was working on my masters degree. I got into the line as every day (and as everyone does coming from that street to get to the bridge); the guy was so upset I was able to get in front of him (even though he’s probably done it himself many times)  that he ran his car on my car!   I got out and told him he was doing this only because I was a woman, and that he wouldn’t have done this if he knew he could expect a punch (or something worst) back.  He just laughed and shouted insults at me. When I got to the US border inspector, I told him what had happened, and made sure I expressed to the inspector that I thought he had done this because I was a woman. And he said: “I can’t do much since it happened on the other side, but I will request more information from him”; I noticed he stopped him for further inspection. Well, that was satisfying, to see that there is interest in showing somethings are just unacceptable.

McGinniss is like this guy. Somebody has to tell him that this is unnacceptable!  I’ve heard in the news that Sarah Palin characterized McGinniss as a Peeping Tom. I couldn’t find evidence of her saying this, but checking the definition in dictionary.com, seems like an accurate description:

“peep·ing Tom (p?’p?ng)

n.

A person who gets pleasure, especially sexual pleasure, from secretly watching others; a voyeur. “

[After the legendary Peeping Tom of Coventry, England, who was the only person to see the naked Lady Godiva.]

Halane’s Perspective: “this is basically a bully effect. People wonder why children bully. They say it is strange and they don’t understand it. People in our society condone bullying if the bully serves their interest. People are stalking Palin and bullying her and no one cares bc it’s just Sarah. Makes for more joke material for the unclever at cocktail parties.”

Again, the big news here is the media condoning and cheering this act (read here).

23 Comments » Want an avatar? Get a gravatar!

  • SYD said:

    You are absolutely correct, Valentina. It is no surprise that we see the kind of bullying that we do amongst our teens… when we, as adults, condone this sort of harassment.

    What’s next? Will “breaking and entering” be given journalistic license? How about kidnapping?

    I think we are on a slippery slope here and that we, as women, had better call this out for what it is. Stalking. Pure and simple.

    May 28, 2010 at 6:07 am
  • Annie said:

    “unnacceptable” is too soft.

    The creep is a stalker and this should be illegal. Beck is right for boycotting Randomhouse. If it’s not possible to prosecute, WE ALL NEED TO BOYCOTT AND BOYCOTT FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.

    I hope Palin sets cameras up trained on the creep’s house. She needs to keep tabs on him.

    May 28, 2010 at 7:54 am
  • Optixmom said:

    I would get a nice green laser and if you notice the stalker with a camera focused on your home, just aim the green laser at the lens of his camera. Done deal.

    May 28, 2010 at 8:52 am
  • Kali said:

    I liked the way ABC news covered this. They very subtly let him make an ass out of himself. They went to interview him and he started complaining about *his* privacy being violated and people trespassing *his* property. A creepy stalker complaining about his privacy. Now that’s funny.

    May 28, 2010 at 9:14 am
  • Jack Shafer said:

    Correction: Jack Shafer of Slate, not Salon.

    May 28, 2010 at 9:30 am
  • Amy Siskind said:

    McGinniss is a classless scumbag.

    *If* this continues, we will organize a letter writing campaign and boycott of whatever publisher (Random House or other) that publishes this filth. No right minded, decent person will be buying a book from this man (use that term loosely!).

    May 28, 2010 at 9:53 am
  • Henrietta said:

    Murderers and pedophiles are treated better by our society than this. It’s disgusting and I’m ready to boycott whomever.

    May 28, 2010 at 10:26 am
  • AnneE said:

    Is there a rental unit on the other side of McGinniss? Perhaps a little bit of his own medicine would do him some good. I am sure that if he has “boundary issues” he is probably electronically monitoring her too. Creepy? You ladies are way too civil.

    May 28, 2010 at 10:31 am
  • Bes said:

    Well you could write letters and a boycott of any media that publishes him is definitely a great idea. Still I think he is the type who could process the communication of slit tires and shotguns blowing out his windows more that words whether they are written, said or repeated over and over.

    May 28, 2010 at 1:18 pm
  • Janis said:

    Pig. And Palin could deck him. I’d pay money to see it.

    May 28, 2010 at 2:11 pm
  • anna said:

    checked mc guiness prior books, all bestsellers since his “selling of a president”, murder within the family mysteries, a very controversial kennedy book. likes to talk about murder, sex , incest .. here from a review of his kennedy book. that makes everybody understand why he needs to sit next door

    From Publishers Weekly
    McGinniss’s biography of Edward M. Kennedy is a salacious read containing the things that make a bestseller: sex, incest, money, politics, power, compelling personalities. The problem, though, is, can you believe McGinniss? Although the bibliography lists 73 titles, there is not one footnote. There are juicy tidbits about members of the family. Joseph Kennedy progresses from a WW I draft dodger to U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St. James. He beds innumerable women, manipulates the stock market, becomes a Nazi sympathizer and anti-Semite. Rose is portrayed as the ultimate holder of Irish grudges: when her husband had his stroke she delayed calling a doctor while she played golf. A devout Catholic, she was actually happy about Joe’s affairs because then she didn’t have to sleep with him. Retarded Rosemary was lobotomized because she was considered a less-than-perfect Kennedy. There are dark hints that Joseph may have had an incestuous relationship with her. Sexual innuendo is rampant throughout the book. When McGinniss finally gets around to concentrating on Ted, we are given a picture of a lonely boy raised by servants. The first crisis of his life comes when he is expelled from Harvard for cheating. His father was furious, but only because Ted got caught. We see Ted as an ineffective campaign manager for JFK in 1960 and we see him being forced by his father to run for JFK’s former Senate seat in 1962. In 1968 after RFK’s assassination, Ted turned “reflexively, to women, alcohol and other drugs.” The book ends with the Chappaquiddick tragedy in 1969 and the questions raised by Ted’s alibi. Thus the biography misses Ted’s presidential campaign in 1980 and the events surrounding the rape charges against his nephew William Smith in 1991. Employing journalistic histrionics and amateur psychology in his attempts to find what makes this family and this one man obsessed with winning at all costs, McGinniss concludes that the Kennedys are all-American frauds. The reader will wonder …

    May 28, 2010 at 11:38 pm
  • anna said:

    about McGinnis grizzly women killing books and other nightmares he caused the people he interviewed for his books, read here
    http://www.nytimes.com/1991/10.....wanted=all

    May 29, 2010 at 12:06 am
  • Juliette said:

    I was just about to send an email to Amy about this sleeze bag, then I told myself, wait and check TNAblog first, I bet they are already on this. TNA never disappoints. I am all for boycotting the publisher who is complicit in this disgusting never ending gang rape of Sarah Palin and her family. Especially at this time when far left liberals, who are clueless to the fact that Sarah Palin is about the only politician who ever had the courage to hold big oil accountable and to verify their safety plans and procedures while on the AOGCC, attack her for her words drill baby drill, while Obama continues to allow spill baby spill.

    May 29, 2010 at 12:26 am
  • SA said:

    Broadway Books told the Associated Press, “McGinniss will be highly respectful of his subject’s privacy as he investigates her public activities.”

    If he were only investigating her public activities, there would be zero need to live next door. Broadway Books is the publisher, and they should be held to account for this. Broadway is part of the Crown Publishing Group in Random House. Broadway publishes authors like Bill O’Reilly, Mitch Albom, Bill Bryson, and Frances Mayes.

    May 29, 2010 at 1:24 pm
  • Bes said:

    The thing is I can’t believe this guy is not going to stick out like a sore thumb everywhere he goes in Alaska. I would expect the Good ole Boys of Alaska will take care of him for Sarah as well as for their own enjoyment, and make his life miserable. So then he publishes his book eventually, does anyone really value the opinion of some east coast prick regarding what goes on in Alaska or the Palin house? I don’t think east coasters truly understand how much they and their arrogant attitudes are disliked by west coasters. When Sarah was running for VP a big deal was made of her speaking to secessionists. Well out here those people are not considered fringe, they are considered to be people who have a valid suggestion for getting our democracy back. No one wins any office without treating secessionists with the respect you would give any voter.

    May 29, 2010 at 10:22 pm
  • Anna in AK said:

    Bess, your post is very right! I’m sure this man will stick out very badly in Wasilla. The attitude is much different. But I think many people will be very interested in this book.

    For the record: in Alaska, you aren’t a “true” Alaskan unless you haven’t at least considered that Alaska may have been better of on it’s own. We even call the lower 48 states ‘America’.

    May 31, 2010 at 1:50 am
  • JeanLouise said:

    I find McGinniss’ decision to move next door to Sarah Palin to be loathesome and creepy. If he steps over the line to illegal activity, he should be vigorously prosecuted.
    I support any legal protest of his actions. That does not include violence against him.

    May 31, 2010 at 8:33 pm
  • anna said:

    this guy has brought a lot of problems to anybody he wrote about. I am not sure whether a fence is good enough against this psycho lunatic. a teaparty action with groups of peoplebeing in hsi way like defense players at soccer might work better. anyone with money likes to go to Alaska for a vacation or writing a story?
    we really like Piper and don’t want her be in the limelight of this creep

    May 31, 2010 at 10:12 pm
  • A different Amy said:

    Are you folks aware that that home was previously a half-way house for recovering addicts? The Palins seemed to have no problem with that. The insinuation that McGinniss is somehow a “peeping Tom” merely for renting the house next door is what is creepy to me. He’s writing a book about her, and was approached by the owner of the home, who offered it at a reasonable rent. In my opinion he would be a fool to pass it up.

    Palin ALWAYS plays the victim, and never takes responsibility for anything. And is too cowardly and poorly educated to have a real press conference or non-Fox interview with non-prescreened questions.

    I appreciate that you’re going for a non-partisan organization here–I think that’s great. I appreciate strong and smart women whose opinions I do not share. But, in my opinion, Sarah Palin is an embarrassment to women.

    June 1, 2010 at 7:23 pm
  • BevWKY said:

    Are you folks aware that that home was previously a half-way house for recovering addicts? The Palins seemed to have no problem with that.

    And exactly why would they be supposed to have a problem with a half-way house beside them?

    June 1, 2010 at 10:38 pm
  • Valentina said:

    BevWKY,

    “And exactly why would they be supposed to have a problem with a half-way house beside them?”

    This and other of the usual arguments the “progressives” make when attacking other people -especially HIllary and SP- are just mind boggling.

    Aren’t they aware of how backwards, un-progressive they sound? And they are supposed to be the ones concerned about the poor and the vulnerable.

    Is SP supposed to hate people who are trying to recover from drug addiction? I think that speaks more of her true accepting and embracing nature.

    It’s just like when the “feminists” progressives scolded her for not aborting her down syndrome baby.

    June 2, 2010 at 10:55 am
  • BevWKY said:

    This and other of the usual arguments the “progressives” make when attacking other people -especially HIllary and SP- are just mind boggling.

    Heh, what tickles me is don’t they even realize how many of the so-called “fundamentalists” that they get so crazed about run half-way houses? And then there’s the whole trailer trash meme. I mean, you’d think they’d automatically believe she’d feel right at home mixing and mingling with those types…

    But, g-d, the poor woman can’t win for losing. Or so it seems. Sort of. ;-)

    Mind boggling doesn’t even begin to cover it.

    June 2, 2010 at 3:03 pm
  • Andrea said:

    The only one playing the victim is Joe the Stalker
    Joe McGinniss: Like a Wife Beater Blaming the Wife http://tinyurl.com/2gxa6ca

    McGinniss is well known for pushing the envelope when it comes to his subjects. His 1983 book on the Jeffrey MacDonald murder trial result ended in a lawsuit by MacDonald alleging he had been set up by McGinniss.

    June 3, 2010 at 12:22 pm

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