Wednesday, April 15, 2009

No, that’s not “tea-bagging”

Question: When is tea-bagging not tea-bagging? Answer: When the phrase is used by conservatives to show just how out of touch they are.

April 15 is Tax Day in the U.S. And while no one is really happy about paying taxes, some conservatives are really teed off. So teed off are they that they held Boston Tea Party-type protests all over the country. The Boston Tea Party of 1773, if you recall, occurred when the American colonists threw British tea into Boston Harbor to protest what they considered to be unfair taxation.

But these modern day Tea Partiers, who say they are angry about all the corporate bailouts, don’t seem to have access to loose tea the way they did back in ye olden times. So they have resorted to the next best thing – tea bags.

And what did they call their act of tea-based protesting? Tea-bagging.

Yes, tea-bagging!

Obviously, some public-relations mastermind behind this new movement never thought to check the Internet to see what “tea-bagging” really means. I won’t describe it here, but have a ball – or two – by checking out the definition at http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Tea-Bag.

Now some of the “tea-baggers” are angry that the protests have been referred to as “tea-bagging” by the media. Well, then why did these brainiancs call it “tea-bagging” to begin with?

Why is there a Twitter page called, “TeaBagObama”? Why have there been cries to “Teabag the White House” and “Teabag Congress”? Why is there a blog called “Teabag Obama,” which includes a post called “Teabagus Maximus,” which offers “proper teabagging instructions" (http://teabagobama.blogspot.com/2009/03/teabagus-maximus_21.html). And, seriously, the post includes the line, “Here's a great method to get around the assholes.” And when tea-bagging, that could be important!

I have no problem with people protesting what they view as unfair taxation. But at least be consistent.

These same people should have been protesting all the money George W. Bush flushed away, from corporate bailouts to a failed war. After all, one big stimulus package is not that much different from another big stimulus package, especially when it comes to tea-bagging.

3 comments:

  1. They obviously need some consulting. Perhaps Former Senator Rick Santorum is available? He also has a corresponding urban dictionary entry, and can probably relate.

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  2. As long as it doesn't reach the mouth of Larry King or the ladies from The View, that'd be like hearing your Nana talk dirty. *shudder*

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  3. The conservatives have gone nuts for teabagging! Certainly, it's easy to enjoy some chin-slapping fun at their expense but when you look at the sentiments underlying the superficial title of these events it's a whole other story. There are some serious undertones that if unleashed more generally, spells some serious trouble for this country. Check out some of the signs on display at these teabagging events: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/16/10-most-offensive-tea-par_n_187554.html. Scary!!

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