 by Jen Sabella |
Rachel Maddow's unauthorized biography is everything you already knowWhat did a gal like me do before Rachel Maddow? For one, I rarely tuned in to cable news shows. My day job consists of knowing what is going on in the world, so the last thing I needed was some too loud, too cocky pundit shouting at me about his opinion on the day’s events. No thanks — I have columnists and political blogs to read for that. Thankfully, Maddow’s show is smarter, funnier and just plain better than any other cable news program out there — and I’m addicted.
Like many of my fellow Maddow addicts, I find her funny, brilliant and (obviously) attractive. When her ratings skyrocketed making hers the most-viewed show on MSNBC, interviews with were plentiful. From lesbian blogs to the New York Times — everyone wanted to know Maddow’s story, and she told it many times. We quickly learned of her accidentally coming out to her parents in a school newspaper article, her AIDS activism, how she met her longtime partner, Susan Mikula, her Rhodes Scholar status and how her experience with Air America led to her MSNBC gig. Sure, we know a lot, but we Maddow-addicts want more!
So, imagine our surprise when we heard of a new-ish book titled Rachel Maddow: A Neowonk Guide to the Leftist, Lesbian Pundit. Christine Badowski, writer for the Chicago-based LGBT newspaper The Windy City Times was as excited as many were: She ordered the book online, was giddy when the UPS man came to her door and, though she was disappointed with how small the book was, read it anyway. “Trust me when I say there is nothing new is this book,” Badowski wrote in a review published on the Windy City Times website this week. “If you've ever watched MSNBC; Googled Maddow or her partner Susan Mikula; or read any magazine article about either of them, you've read this book. Quotes are completely taken from other sources and noted throughout. Even information about Maddow's early days in California is all taken from other sources. And forget about being able to justify the purchase because you can ogle at some good pictures of Maddow. There's not one in the book."
I suppose you know you’re a celebrity when writers with names like Xander Cricket capitalize on your fame by writing a poorly researched fluff book about you. Fortunately for me, I judged this book by its cover and didn’t bother ordering it. (Call me a snob, but I refuse to purchase a book with such a disgusting font on its cover.) In any case, if you are still longing for more Maddow, know that if it’s out there, we will find it and promptly divulge our learning’s. Last week, the recently revamped Velvet Park website featured an interview with Maddow before she was wildly famous in 2005. This tidbit about her Rhodes Scholar days is pretty great: I lived in London with this Trannie photographer, and had a bar life ... crazy, like Shane on The L Word. Despite the Shane reference, she says she left a trail of “happy hearts” rather than broken ones. Sigh. Such a dreamboat. Submitted by on July 27, 2009 - 11:00am. |
|
Welcome to AfterEllen.com!
- Login
- Join Now!
News, Reviews & Commentary on Lesbian and Bisexual women in Entertainment and the Media
Facebook
Twitter
:)
i want to be rachel maddow!
at the risk of sounding like a 14 year old girl...
oh my god! that first picture of her in the shirt and tie with the belted trousers makes me a little wobbly. She's not quite the sort of woman to make me blush, she's more of the "I want to be her!" type. But that picture might sway me.
edit: There's another gorgeous picture of her and Janeane Garofalo on the link to the interview. I'm now giggling internally like a kid at the Jonas Brothers.
Rachel Maddow has Got it All
Rachel Maddow is an example of a woman who is not only smart but beautiful. I absolutely love the photos that you've shown of her. She is naturally beautiful. She has the type of beauty that appeals to people who appreciate true beauty. No makeup, short hair, clear skin - that is very beautiful to me. The Barbie Doll look, or looks that appeal to men, do not appeal to me in many situations. For example, Rachel Maddow turns me on more than Angelina Jolie.
This book is no big deal. Rachel doesn't have anything to hide, so this book is pointless as some sort of "unauthorized bio."
Meet Her Here
100% Lesbian Dating - Free Sign Up
http://www.meetherhere.com
Smile though that outburst
Rachel v. Angelina
"For example, Rachel Maddow turns me on more than Angelina Jolie."
Until I read this sentence, I've never thought of those 2 together. And I immediately thought: when they meet (eventually, in their line of work), I bet Angelina will be smittened by Rachel. I doubt Rachel will be smittened though :)
You Know Rachel M Looks Cute...
in that shirt and tie. My head would turn in her direction if she walked by, but I rather be her friend though.
The Barbie Doll look, or looks that appeal to men, do not appeal to me in many situations. For example, Rachel Maddow turns me on more than Angelina Jolie. -JDP
I disagree with you Jolie. Make-up is art not a 'oh I'm wearing this to please men.' If I wear make-up, it is because I want to feel mysterious and illusionist. Womyn don't wear make-up to please men they usually wear it to hide something: pimples,scars, etc. Some womyn may view it to express something else.
Angelina's personailty is different from Barbie's. My head would turn b/c of her persona she puts out not b/c of society's view of other people's good looks.
I'm good at reading people's auras anyway. I wouldn't just based them on physical appearance but rather their aura.
i love this woman
(Font) Snob!
(I can say that because I'm totally one myself!)
As for the issue of make-up, there's wearing make-up to please yourself and then there's...well, Barbie's a pretty good way of summing it up, actually, particularly as portrayed on SNL this past season.
The problem with make-up and Ms. Maddow, though, is that she's now on tv, where even the most macho of men wear make-up. But do the MSNBC make-up artist's leave it where they would with most men? I wish! I'm sure they've calculated that that would be far too queer.
Wouldn't you rather have the version of her in the tie doing her show than the softened-for-prime-time version? Although it would make it harder to pay attention to what she says, I'm up for the challenge!
"I am not a champion of lost causes but of causes not yet won."
Norman Thomas as quoted by Sonia Satomayor in her Princeton yearbook
Yes, I Would...
like to Rachel be herself w/ no make-up. You don't know it bothers me to see her like that on MSNBC.(to katydid).
Like someone on a trrans yahoo group said to me about gender expression is about you.
There many ways of expressing being a womyn. Make-up is just one way. No make-up is another. So on and so on.
I always wondered if she
I always wondered if she watched the L Word :) I mean, 'cus she seems quite into the not having a TV thing, often ppl that don't have/do stuff which most ppl do are quite into avoiding stuff, and make a point of it. And L word is so.. idk, a guilty pleasure almost? I wasn't sure if she'd watch it. Made me curious for some reason. Why'd I never google it... On the other hand she said the reason they aren't married is she likes gay culture. I guess anyone who socialised in gay culture would know TLW whether they watched it or not.
________________________________
My AfterEllen/Bridget Video Game
"there's always time for a burrow..."
"We're getting fired, fired, fired, fi..