Um, may I just say this: Althouse seems like a woman on the verge in this segment. And it's sort of funny.

Anybody who still took Althouse seriously will be over it after watching this video.

I'm probably gonna sound dumb, but who is that interview Ann Althouse and why was she being interviewed? She (the interviewer) looks frightened....

Weird. I have no idea what Bloggingheads.tv is, but this looked oddly scripted to me.

Cheekily I had a look at Althouse's personal wicked queen mirror--oops I mean web site...what is funniest to me is her demand that other bloggers (read: liberal female bloggers) suck it up and take vitriolic and threatening comments in stride, but then comments on HER site have to be approved by her, and she regularly posts comments of her own declaring that so-and-so has been deleted and banned from EVER COMMENTING AGAIN on her blog because they were somehow offensive to her. Then she claims it's not hypocritical because it's her own site....riiight.

It's Garance Franke-Ruta.

just FYI, the only copy of the "notorious" picture in question that I could find was on Jeralyn's site at http://www.talkleft.com/story/2006/09/12/091/72051

What is amazing is that Althouse claims that the left is nasty to her....but in the original post in question here ( http://althouse.blogspot.com/2006/09/bill-clinton-lunching-with-bloggers.html ) , she trashes Jeralyn and John Aravosis for no good reason....

One measure of how deranged Althouse is was her comparison of your "pose" with that of Katherine Harris. Your body and face are pointed in the same direction (directing the eye to the proper 'center of attention' Bill Clinton) ...Harris' poses were "face to the camera, with the body tilted to the side." Big difference.... especially given the fact that your pic was a quick candid photo op....

Re: 11:01 "...Monty Python's Flying CirrrrrCUS!"

I'm still trying to figure out how you can look like Paula Jones and Monica Lewinsky...

I think I missed something.

Wow, what a nut!!! Based on the whole clip, the dark-haired woman maintains her composure and conducts herself very civilly and professionaly, while the blonde woman goes completely apeshit and says nothing. Kudos!

The picture in question, is she referencing the person in the gray shirt (or sweater)? I am sorry, but if so, that is a very conservative outfit, and yes, the "dirty pillows are showing", but as a big ole girl up top myself, it's really hard to find anything exept knits to cover them adequately. Button-up shirts gape open at the bust, or are entirely too big. It looks like a simple, demure scoop-neck sweater and I don't see how that could anywhere be construed as "bending over backwards" to make them prominent. Maybe if it'd been a plunging v-neck, but damn, why should ladies with large breasteses have to wear turtlenecks all the damn time? They shouldn't! And just b/c they're large and in-charge doesn't mean someone is going out of her way to make them so!

BabyPop, yeah she's talking about me, I'm in the grey sweater.

Not so "formidable" now, is she?

I thought that picture was named litterboxreaction.jpg

HAHA! I love the reaction shot!

Reading through the transcript, my reaction was a raised eyebrow and a "Huh? Wow... huh?"

If you get in an argument with one person, it's fair to think that the problem could be with either of you. If you find that everyone who you expect to agree with you is saying "Uh, no. You're wrong," then it might be that the problem is with you.

I'm not saying it always is, but, really, it's not a bad rule of thumb. If I were really worried about my liberal credentials, and found that most liberal bloggers found me offensive, while the conservative sphere had embraced me, you can be damn sure I'd be taking a close look at myself, not blaming the liberal sphere.

I'm crazy like that.

The interviewer was impressively composed by the way, there's a talent to interviewing someone who's irrational without letting them turn the interview into a complete mess. Kudos to Franke-Ruta.

Holy sh*t... I laughed through the whole thing. Althouse is a raving idiot.

Excellent reactions to Althouse's rantings by Franke-Ruta. Her expressions are priceless.

So sad.. I read the comments and am shocked that this woman calls herself a feminist.

She is more like a hateful and jealous bitch.

I didnt see anything inappropriate in the photo, and would have attended myself regardless of my personal feelings about Clinton. I jumped at the chance with Bush Sr., even though I hated the guy.

That being said - Althouse has a point about how mean and unbelievably cruel the people around this site can be.

If someone comes here who doesnt understand a view, and even states this, they get demeaned and humiliated, and called all sorts of names.

A lot of people here perpetuate the trolling behavior they so quickly accuse others of, and then act like children due to a person's misinterpretation or misunderstanding.

Really, a lot of people here need to grow up and act like adults. Not every statement is made out of the hatred for women, and yes, even the great bloggers here are wrong from time to time, and the logic used is seriously defective sometimes.

It a shame, since there is a lot of good this blog can do for many many people. But more women come away from this site turned off to feminism simply because many of the posters here are animals that cant control their behavior, or cant ignore the opportunity to say how stupid someone is because they didnt see something in the exact light they did.

But hopefully that will change as people mature on this site.

Oh, that was rich.

Shorter Althouse: HOW DARE THE LEFT HIDE MY MEDICATION!!!! HOW DARE THEY!!!!! SSSSSSSSCCCCCEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECCCCCHHHHHH!!!!!
YYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!

I JUST TURNED INTO A PSYCHOTIC PTERODACTYL!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Poor wee Ann. She's feeling ever so sorry for heself isn't she?! I find it really funny that this woman is supposed to be a lawyer too, would you trust her to sort your divorce out, or keep you out of jail? The woman can't even argue and can barely articulate what she is trying to say. In fact, I'm still not clear on what she is trying to say. Other than the lefties are MEAN AND NASTY!! I also find it weird that she has come out with all of this, when in one of her comment threads a woman disagrees with her, and Ann responds by bluntly calling her dumb. Yeah, Ann, you're just a kitten really....

I agree with Chari - Franke-Ruta's expressions are my favorite part. I seriously doubt I'd have been able to keep a straight face.

Agreed, Chari. She has beautifully mastered the dubious eyebrow-quirk Spock from Star Trek made famous. ;)

I don't have sound on this computer, so I had to settle for a transcript and the silent visual. Call me crazy, but looking between the two women, Ann seems somehow more, well...self-conscious. Not self-conscious in the shy, insecure sense, but in the "I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille," sense. The interviewer's body language looks like that of someone using a webcam who's forgotten it's on, but Ann's body language makes me wonder if she doesn't have a mirror positioned behind the camera so she can constantly check herself in it as she speaks, to ensure she still looks good. The difference is very noticeable, given the side-by-side contrast.

But it makes me wonder if the whole thing was just an act on Ann's part, something she'd planned or rehearsed. It did seem like she baited the interviewer into mentioning the whole breast blowup just so she could go into her ridiculous, self-righteous "No, I'M the victim!" tirade.

Rehearsed or not, I think the effort backfired. She just looked crazy, both to strangers to the dustup (to whom she appeared to go ballistic on an innocent interviewer with virtually no provocation) and especially to anyone who actually knows the backstory, and how little leg she had to stand on in the first place.

In the middle of spazzing out, Althouse gets a creepy smile on her face. (It's at the 1:10 mark, counting down.)

I always wonder if these people actually take themselves this seriously (and are this clueless about how others perceive them) or if they just act like this as some sort of big game (or to sell books, like Coulter). And then I remember my time spent working in retail, and I remember that some people really are that disconnected from reality.

Jessica, that's about my reaction as well. *scrinched up face*

Does she honestly think she'll get any sympathy? Well, certainly not from the left-wing meanies!

Muchly Kudos to Franke-Ruta - though I suspect she missed her calling as a hostage situation negotiator, as she metaphorically talked Ann into putting the rifle down and getting out of the school bus.

The wry, understated reactions to Ann, the "well perhaps they have a reason for their feelings" expression (which she then very honestly and diplomatically put into words) and even the way she emulated Ann's tone and words every time Ann said she wanted to stop talking about it (in the hopes of, well, stopping) - brilliant, and a joy to watch.

With all due respect, Jessica, I kinda thought that picture was going to be a little more scowly around the brow, and perhaps with one (or two) Hawaiian hi-sign(s).

You are a far better person than I am.

That was... weird.

She has the shrill righteousness of a woman who knows she's in the wrong but is too stubborn and proud to admit it.

peenerbambina--

For what it's worth, Ann Althouse is a law professor, not a practicing attorney.

Wow, Jessica, wow.

I remember that little problem when it first happened and to see Ann still upset about it now is just too funny. The interviewer didn't even say anything mean to Ann she just said, "Jessica Valenti (sp?) controversy and Ann goes fucking ape shit. Is that all it takes? If I saw her on the street I'd just go, "Jessica Valenti controversy!" to see what she'd do. :)

Yes, karma is a bitch and it's awesome.

You know all of this "character assassination" could have been avoided if Ann had just admitted that she made a really pathetic, tacky, and unfunny joke at Jessica's expense and apologized from the start. It was the even more pathetic, tacky, and unintelligent attempt to justify her comments that made Althouse such a laughing stock. She brought every bit of it on herself and I guess her pride or self-importance won't allow her to admit it. How sad.

And just for the fun of being offensive:

JESSICA VALENTI BREAST CONTROVERSY! JESSICA VALENTI BREAST CONTROVERSY! JESSICA VALENTI BREAST CONTROVERSY!

Well, her initial comments about the "breasts," were offensive enough. But to then backpeddal and do the whole "why do feminists calmor to Bill Clinton," is even more insulting. Does she really think all feminists are the same, and so one-dimensional that they could (AND SHOULD) only see Bill Clinton as a womanizing sexual harasser?
If I were to apply a FEMINIST FIRST AND FEMINIST ONLY stance to everything I like (movies, art, reading, music, sports), I don't think I'd have appreciation for too much of anything.

Holy batshit crazy. That was awesome.

Posted elsewhere and copied from a comment left at her blog by someone else....

She doesn't raise the question about Clinton being bad for feminism until AFTER she has attacked Jessica for her posing.

Her initial post is short and has two themes in it:

1) The bloggers were taken in by the lunch and the meeting with the President, and

2) Jessica was somehow posed in a way to exploit her sexuality.

The Professor claims her first point to ask "why feminists should pose proudly with Clinton?", but you shouldn't believe that without seeing the evidence, and the evidence disagrees with that interpretation.

Her first link was to Jeralyn Merritt. Merritt is known primarily for her work as a defense lawyer. She blogs about issues a defense lawyer is interested in first, politics second, and feminism only has it happens to fit into the above two categories.

In the post Althouse linked to, Merritt says, "Criminal defense lawyers take note: He's far better on our issues than we thought while he was President", which supports Althouse's theme which was that the bloggers were taken in by the greet and eat and not her claim that it was about feminism.

Althouse's second link is to John Aravosis. Aravosis is a political blogger known primarily for his works on gay rights and maybe on gay hypocrisy in the Republican Party. Americablog doesn't blogroll Pandagon, or Feministe, or Feministing, or any feminist blogs that I can see. Again, that does not support Ann's claim that the first issue was about Clinton's feminist credentials.

Her issue was that the bloggers were blinded by the greet and eat and their judgment suffered."

The nonsense about feminists not getting how evil Clinton was only came about AFTER she attacked Jessica, and she used it to defend her bad behavior towards Valenti.

"If I were to apply a FEMINIST FIRST AND FEMINIST ONLY stance to everything I like (movies, art, reading, music, sports), I don't think I'd have appreciation for too much of anything."

Babypop, you have sumed up a feeling I have had a long time very well but did not know how to put into words. I feel exactly the same way. If I were to take offense at every single thing that might be construed as chauvenistic or sexist, then I would not have very many things left to enjoy in this world.

As to this little tirade of Althouse, it is pretty funny. She didn't even give the interviewer (whom I am not familiar with) a chance to respond. But interviewer's facial expressions are pretty hilarioius and spot on. She didn't need to say anything.

Ditto what Vervain said about suspecting Althouse had a mirror positioned behind the camera!! It was very Joan Crawford-esque for me. Probably the most entertaining thing I've seen in a long time. Sadly, I don't think it was an act. That's what someone with a severe personality disorder looks like in the throes of indignant rage.

The video is hilarious. Props to Garance whose expressions are priceless.

I'm favoriting this video because it's so funny. Ann Althouse has lost all credibility.

I don't know how you can expect to be taken seriously as feminist writer when all you do here is talk about fisting and tits. Maybe if you made your blog about trying to get Sam Brownback elected president, then you'd have something...

I am guessing the blonde is Althouse. Well, whoever she is, she's a whiny pants isn't she? Poor thing getting attacked by the bullies. Not really, she deserves it. What a moron.

btw- she's absolutely hilarious when she's angry.

I want "JESSICA VALENTI BREAST CONTROVERSY!" on a t-shirt. I don't know if that was more funny or painful.

Poe, poe widdew ann!!

The bleach is getting to her. But honestly, Jessica, your pic staring at Ann? No breasts.

I want a tee shirt too.

Ann's Student Paper is the Badger Herald.

Online Advertising for a "large" button is $40 for 10,000 impressions, $4 for every 1,000 impressions after that.

Or for $60, you can get a "column inch" in the print version (printed daily) for an entire week.

So a week's run of a "feministing mudflap" with the text "See Althouse Go Berserk!" and the url online and in print could cost, what, $200?

I bet you could raise that....

Great news is this controversy brought me over to Tapped which Garance and Ann write for. It almost brought me to tears to learn that Democrats Kennedy, Boxer, Maloney, Nadler, Dingell, Woolsey and the Feminist Majority's Eleanor Smeal reintroduced the ERA in Congress today. This is 150 years after the 14th amendment was signed which gave us due process and equal protection under the law for Blacks which shows how much this country hates women.

I would totally wear that shirt.

You gotta admit that "J.V.B.C." would be a pretty good name for a band.

OK! Now that I've got an excellent (and appropriate) source picture of La Valenti herself, I'm going to have to Photochop "acceptable.jpg" (click on the "Posted by:" link) so it includes that face instead of the generic "alarmed woman" face I used before.

Thanks for shining the bright fool light on Althouse! Anything that discredits and undermines that sorry loony-tune is a good thing.

The Breast Controversy - an excellent name for a feminist band, W. Kiernan. If only I could play an instrument or didn't sound like the "Second Althouse" cat when I try to sing.

I must admit, the "spock eyebrow" (I think first especially apparent at 4:55?) is absolutely great.

Ann seems somehow more, well...self-conscious. Not self-conscious in the shy, insecure sense, but in the "I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille," sense.

That's the very first thing I noticed upon watching this... she has this whole almost coquettish thing going on, at least for the first few moments before she flies off the handle

She's always like that. Very vain and everything she accuses everyone else of.

I hate to be a spoilsport, but you bitches need a reality check: the only bands "J.V.B.C." or "The Breast Controversy" would be good names for are fucking shitty ones. (Excuse me while I go blog about how not everything can be a cool band name now.)

The Jessica Valenti Breast Controversy sounds like a decent, indie, niche band. The niche would be progressive bloggers and commenters.

So I'm a little late to the Breast Controversy (TM) but I just went to look at the picture and if no one had mentioned JV's breasts beforehand, I wouldn't have seen anything untoward. As it is, I still don't see anything untoward. It was a high neckline, with a facing. Show me someone who doesn't have a standard facing for cameras! Anyways. Late to the party as usual, but just wanted to throw my two cents in.

Althouse can't honestly be wondering why people don't like her - can she?

Well you've got to understand... calling it a "controversy" clearly demonstrates bias. I mean, look in the dictionary. "Controversy: A dispute in which liberals are right and conservatives wrong." It's as plain as day.

At any rate, it's safe to say that with this notably bizarre reaction Ms. Althouse has done more to assassinate her character than anyone else possibly could have.

She's the one who wrote several posts over two weeks criticizing Jessica.

"I do not believe that I am a vindictive [person], but when the immortal gods take a hand in the matter it is pardonable to observe the result with complacency."

--Somerset Maugham

"SCHAAADENFREUDE! Makin' the world a better place to be..."

--Avenue Q

I guess this is the picture that she was talking about?

http://static.flickr.com/91/243422784_94e813fa78_b.jpg

Oh no! NOT A THREE QUARTER TURN!!!!!!!!!! I'm so disappointed in you Jessica :(

The criticism about this is just the most ridiculous thing I think I have ever read. I don't even understand her reasoning... It's a picture, people pose for pictures. Judging from the other picture linked, you had been talking to someone next to you and then it looks like turned to take the picture. Ending up with you in this pose. And what's wrong with the shirt exactly? o.O I saw people saying it either wasn't dressy enough or was displaying yourself in some inappropriate way but I think the women next to you look just as dressed up (or not) as you do and the leaf print black and white dress is a lot flashier than what you're wearing...

Maybe she didn't want to pick on the fellow blond?

Anyway, her reaction to the term "Valenti breast controversy" is pretty amusing :P

I am new to Feministing so had no idea about the "breast controversy" and all I can think of is how fucked up the whole thing is! Why does the clothing that a woman decides to wear matter so much? I am not going to defend what Jessica was wearing because there is no need for it, it should NOT matter. If she had gone wearing a black leather mini skirt and tank top, it still wouldn't matter, nor would it take away from her accomplishments. It is a sad state of affairs when an intelligent woman is judged and criticized because of how she is dressed.

I probably wouldn't give her the satisfaction that she is getting from knowing that she upset you.

Kudos to you Jessica!

Oh NOES NOT THE THREE QUARTER TURN!!

Check out the woman across from Jessica ALSO AT A THREE QUARTER TURN. Why isn't she (jealous) of her?

But... but... what about the mens?!

No. Seriously- those guys on the end... they're clearly displaying their packages for all to see. The guy in blue is pretty much doing everything but pull his pants off to make you notice "Hey! Look here!" And, ALSO AT A THREE QUARTER TURN!

At least the guy next to Jessica had the decency to cover himself up so that nobody would be tempted by his... unmentionables.

What?

Please someone, tell me this is a joke... I went to her blog to read her side of this, and there's a recent post of her watching and commenting on American Idol. It's like she's trying to prove the point that she's self-absorbed. "I'm so interesting that I will sip wine and comment on this t.v. show and my fans will love it and speculate about my blinds, my roots, etc."

Yes, isfa, that was sad.... but not as bad as her request that the regulars on her site visit the bloggingheads comment section and defend her honor.

"Yes, isfa, that was sad.... but not as bad as her request that the regulars on her site visit the bloggingheads comment section and defend her honor."

You have got to be kidding me!! WHAT HONOR?? That woman doesn't know the meaning of honor!!

@Scilian - I agree. I admit I do my fair share of snickering behind my hand, and making rather snide remarks to myself. But, BUT, some of the comments here, as funny as they are (to me), are nonetheless immature and reek of point-and-name-call.

I can't stand Althouse, but we should try to avoid turning into the very thing we're poking fun at, no?

That being said, the lady makes me twitch - this time with laughter, and a touch of disbelief. I can understand asking the interviewer to change the subject, but flipping out at the interviewer for bringing it up, claiming you don't want to discuss it, then ranting for 5 minutes about it is a bit contradictory and unprofessional...

I though Jess V handled herself well for dealing with a crazy person. Who knows the real reason behind why Althouse was acting the way that she did.

Y'all need to "lighten up."

As y'all can imagine, I haven't said that in a long time.

Monkey, I don't know why she's doing this but I hope the media will stop using her to hurt women now.

Yeah, that's a good point donna d.

Wes.

In case you missed it (I can't get over what a freak this woman is)!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwt9-Wb6R5E