“‘So President George W. Bush listens to an iPod,’ began another pointless space-filler in the [New York] Sunday Times, ‘….How uncool is that?’ For the record, President Bush was spared both the ‘nerd’ label, as well as the unfortunate ‘spaz’ classification,” Isaiah Z. Sterrett writes for Men’s News Daily. “‘If someone as mainstream as President Bush has caught on to something allegedly so hip, what can Apple do to keep iPod chic and cutting edge?’ (That was the first time in recorded history that the New York Times was caught calling Bush ‘mainstream.’ Would that Miguel Estrada had jogged with an iPod.) ‘Apple promotes the iPod…with a counterculture package of freewheeling dancers, psychedelic coloring and raucous music. The company’s devotees are almost as fanatical as the Deadheads who followed the Grateful Dead on tour.’ (For future reference, a Deadhead is by definition someone who followed the Grateful Dead on tour.) ‘With simple styling and an easy-to-use format, it is little surprise that even the president has stumbled upon the iPod. Apple has a daunting 75 percent of the digital music player market, dominating companies like Dell and Samsung.'”
“Puzzlingly, it was just last month that the Times was pointing out how frequently iPods are stolen on the Subway. If they’re so uncool, why do they attract thieves? Reflect on the fact that no one is stealing Molly Ivins’ new book,” Sterrett writes. “Also last month, we learned that Apple Computer did fabulously well in the second fiscal quarter, beating even its own expectations. As of Tuesday afternoon, iPods or iPod accessories accounted for nearly 20% of Amazon.com’s top-selling electronics. We must ask: if Apple products were so unfashionable, why are people buying them?”
Full article here.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Rush Limbaugh says ‘Mac OS X Tiger Rocks,’ posts link to free Rush advertisement for Mac – April 30, 2005
President Bush’s use of iPod a lucky or bad break for Apple Computer? – April 18, 2005
President Bush’s Apple iPod features eclectic list of downloaded tunes – April 11, 2005
Die Welt: U.S President George Bush is ‘the Steve Jobs of World Politics’ – February 25, 2005
What’s on U.S. President Bush’s Apple iPod? – February 23, 2005
The Hill: Put Rush Limbaugh on Apple’s board of directors; he could sell tons of Macs – January 26, 2005
U.S. President George Bush a confirmed Apple iPod user (images included) – December 22, 2004
Rush Limbaugh calls for Apple iCal to Sidekick solution – November 12, 2004
President Bush, candidate Kerry both use Apple PowerBooks – July 14, 2004
Baltimore Sun: Vice President Dick Cheney a confirmed Apple iPod user – April 01, 2004
The Mac is Bush to Windows’ Clinton – October 25, 2002
Apple CEO Steve Jobs: ‘I’m going to just stay away from all that political stuff’ – August 25, 2004
Rush Limbaugh: Why does Apple put politics first? – June 27, 2003
Rush Limbaugh comments on Gored Apple – March 21, 2003
It is impossible to try an politicize the iPod, Macs or Apple. Big Fat Idiot Rush is a MacUser. He even talks about it on his radio show.
But other notable MacUsers include Al Gore and Dustin Hoffman. Not the most right-wing guys. Go figure.
Wow, what a piece of shit article. MDN, you have enough quality material to work with. Quit referencing crappy articles like this one and keep to the writers that have a bit of talent.
MDN generating hits for MND, on a topic guaranteeing hits for MDN…..
Suspicious?
Let the culture wars begin anew…Thanks, MDN…
wha? and the point of this article is?
Jimbo::
This site is called MAC DAILY NEWS! I believe the intent is to post ALL Mac related news stories possible… and yes. the above article whether you like it or not IS Mac related. It is up to the readers to decide what they will or will not read.. In other words, stop complaining!!
>But other notable MacUsers include commy pinkoes, Al Gore and Dustin Hoffman.>
Clinton’s iPod probably vibrates.
‘Nuff said.
Yeh-heh-hessssssss Liberals should crawl back into my poop
Why post this MDN?
Totally off topic I found this little gem while researching for something else. I thought I might share this with everyone.
“As democracy is perfected, the office of President represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.”
So wrote H.L. Mencken (1880-1956), the acerbic American journalist and critic rightly known in his day as the Sage of Baltimore. I thank the Herald reader who reminded me of the quote for, with the re-election of George Bush, we can safely assume that Mencken’s great and glorious day has arrived. In spades.
Sara.
Here are your morons.
DEM CONGRESSMEN: CONSERVATIVE VOICES ON PBS MAY BE ILLEGAL
Two congressional Democrats called Wednesday for an investigation into recent activities by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, suggesting that efforts by the Republican chairman of the private nonprofit to add more conservative programs onto PBS may violate federal law.
In a letter released Wednesday evening, Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., and Rep. John D. Dingell, D-Mich., asked CPB Inspector General Kenneth A. Konz to investigate the contracting, hiring and policies of the corporation, which distributes federal funds to public television stations. Both congressmen are ranking Democrats on committees that have oversight of public television.
They called recent actions taken by CPB Chairman Kenneth Tomlinson “disturbing” and “extremely troubling.”
A CPB spokesman could not be reached for comment. But in a recent interview with the LOS ANGELES TIMES, Tomlinson defended his efforts to expand conservative perspectives on PBS, saying he merely wants to increase the network’s audience.
Fair & Balanced.
Sara, Mencken was paid to write, and truly his opinion can be found on every side of any issue. He was also an alcoholic and miserable, not surprisingly unable to keep friends without buying them. He may have been at his lowest when he wrote:
“The educated Negro of today is a failure, not because he meets insuperable difficulties in life, but because he is a Negro. His brain is not fitted for the higher forms of mental effort; his ideals, no matter how laboriously he is trained and sheltered, remain those of a clown.”.
Nice, eh? Do you buy into to that as well or are you the sort who cherry picks the quotes of intellectuals as they suit you?
btw, Mencken’s moron quote was printed way back in 1920, when Harding and Cox were battling it out. There is no way he could have imagined Hillary then.
And let the flames begin!
And since we’re throwing quote around, here’s one that’s more iPod-related than politically motivated:
“Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.” – Victor Hugo
Obey, Dingell & Konz. Our future!
Don’t you just love it?
Who really gives a sh*t? Liberals don’t have a corner on the “hipness” market like they seem to think they do. It’s just more childish games as usual. Some people really need to get a life. There are just as many conservatives that use iPods and Macs as there are liberals, so what’s the point of having such a stupid argument in the first place…
Conservatives don’t have a corner on morons either. We have a liberal moron in charge of running Canada into the ground right now.
Sam, I disagree. If I wrote an article on my web site, MDN would not be obliged to quote or reprint it. I’m sure that MDN culls over many articles each day that they do not print. This artcile was poorly written and was just plain stupid. Why print it?
I love my Mac … I love my iPod. I am conservative.
It does not matter your politics, you can recognize cool stuff. I do not fault Apple for the fact that it’s management is by and large, very liberal. I use the products because they are good. I do not buy anything becuse of the companies politics.
But since the can of worms has been opened:
What is hip? The Times seems to equate Hip with liberal. At times it has been hip to be liberal, but I am not sure that is the case anymore. Does hip have to do with popularity? Well, the polls tell us that conservative is slightly more popular than liberal. Does hip more have to do with trendy? Again the recent trend has been to be conservative – republicans have increased thir hold on power in every election in the last few years. (Bill Clinton not withstanding – he ran claiming to be a new democrat, and won primarily because Perot took mainly from the right).
Or does hip mean trendy with the young? In this case the Times argument may hold true as the young are still more liberal that society as a whole. of course they are more conservative than the youth of the past, so even here the conservatives may be the more “hip” group.
Of course the alternative definition of hip might be, not yet popular but soon to be. The the iPod is no longer hip, and we never recognize hip till it has passed. iPods are now the mainstream, and it is better to be “formorly hip.”
Of course this is all folly, because what really matters is that Apple has produced such a wonderful product that it has moved beyond the hip and chic set and appeals to everyone. I hope OS X does the same thing, it is becomming hip now, perhaps in two years it will be mainstream.
It seems that conservatives and liberals can share the love of good technologies! So lets take a break from the bickering and listen to our iPods … “think different” and make the world a better place.
Joe:
I know who Mencken was but also people fail to understand that he was a product of his times. In his time the KKK had more than 15 million members which was disgusting then as now, but a lot of people supported it that wouldn’t be possible today. Thank God that times have changed (or is it the same but different in more subtle ways). Look at our treatment of people with differing views (left or right) or people of differing religions ( Christian or Muslim). As for cherry-picking everyone does even you Joe going by your previous posts.
The New York Times should stick to what it does best: supporting pointless, criminally-motivated “wars” and praising dumb-ass moron pretenders to the throne.
Joe:
I like your Hillary quote, it seems you have a sense of humour. My first post wasn’t intended to be serious even if it was sardonic like yours.
I’m as right wing as they come (OK, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration–I think Ann Coulter is full of cr*p), but I love my Mac and my iPod.
This was just typical BS from the NYTimes. They can’t just agree to disagree with conservatives, they have to boost their egos by telling themselves they’re hipper/smarter/better/etc. How pathetic.
Regardless of SJ’s personal politics, Apple products are not political. SOME things SHOULD be non-political.
What gets me a bout an article like this is that it’s written by a racist. Why not have an article explaining why “Whitey’s” and “Crackers” use iPods and thereby make them not cool. Or perhaps we can target the “Jews”. I mean we all know the Jews are just a greedy group of people intent on dominating our media, right? Shit, maybe its the “towel-heads” or the “niggers”. But for now, I suppose writing “liberals” will do along with a whole shit-load of misconceived hate for them.
from the article: Liberals, alas, have a habit of telling consumers what to like and dislike. Liberals like capitalism only when it involves buying the things they like, such as both of the products made in France.
(MISINFORMATION AND HATE)
When consumers decide for themselves what to buy, Western liberals become strict Marxists.
(MISINFORMATION AND HATE)
What’s strange is that iPods, innocuous creatures as they are, have become the subject of leftist rage.
(MISINFORMATION AND HATE)
Someone really should tell these Democrats that, in just one of the hand-held devices, they could store all of their old Barbra Streisand albums—not to mention various hilarious clips from Air America.
(MISINFORMATION AND HATE)
MDN stop pushing politics on your site. We all know that you are a right winger already so GET OVER IT…..
Ok sara, peace on.
Regarding Jimbo’s comment:
“”Sam, I disagree. If I wrote an article on my web site, MDN would not be obliged to quote or reprint it. I’m sure that MDN culls over many articles each day that they do not print. This artcile was poorly written and was just plain stupid. Why print it?””
Sam, I think the difference is that the above article was pulled from a regualr news site.. Not someone’s personal blog.