I will say that I read the speech several times and thought that there wouldn't be a lot of applause if any. I think many of us thought that. But I think there was a celebration, again, of the lives of those who had been impacted. Not just at that grocery store but throughout the country. And I think that, if that is part of the healing process, then that's a good thing.
Really?
I, for one, feel certain that the White House had no earthly idea the quad Jumbotrons were telling the audience to applaud every six or seven words.Update: Charles Johnson: 'Shut up, wingnuts! Everyone knows that the respectful crowd could distinguish closed captioning from commands to applaud... because all memorial services use Jumbotrons, free T-shirts and $3 drafts!'
Update II: Ed Driscoll: "...the excuse du jour will be that these weren’t stage directions, just merely the assumption that the president would have to pause while the expected hosannas rained down upon him. But presumably, if you put 'APPLAUSE' into the text on a Jumbotron, a sufficient number of people in the audience will do just that."
Update III: iOwnTheWorld: "Many on the left were quick to point out that the “applause” that appears on the screen are not prompts but closed-captioning. Really? ... I think it’s WORSE that it’s closed-captioning. ... Had some ass prompted the people to cheer, boo, applaud, act like morons and completely inappropriately, I would still have a scintilla of hope that maybe the left could be rehabilitated. Nope. Sadly the screen was merely reporting the goings-on. Scary, huh?."
Hat tips: Gateway Pundit and Larwyn. Linked by: Michelle Malkin and Memeorandum. Thanks!
Are you sure those aren't closed captions for the deaf?
ReplyDeleteNicedeb, that's a good question, but it also follows -- did the audience know they were closed caption signs or did they think they were cue signs?
ReplyDeleteGetting all very confused -- though I would think anyone would know that hooting and applauding is not how one behaves at a memorial service. But then, I've never been to such a service with beer sales and a t-shirt giveaway.
It's called closed captioning, you know, for people who cannot hear?
ReplyDeleteYou people are so stupid.
Well since the closed captioning wouldn't say "applause" until at least a couple seconds after the applause started, I'd have to think that anybody who wasn't clapping already would probably be more motivated to start by all the people around him clapping than some sign at the bottom of the jumbotron screen.
ReplyDeleteAnd even if they were, it's not like the White House staff sat around plotting about how to slip in a secret command to applaud under the guise of closed captioning.
The sooner you let this go, the less embarrassed you're going to feel in the end.
Closed captioning is a liberal plot.
ReplyDeleteThe hooting and hollering and the pep rally atmosphere even disgusted some liberals I know.
ReplyDeleteIf these college kids are our future, liberty isn't part of the future.
And Doug, it's discreet.
Yeah sure...they spent all the time warming up the crowd with the rally-esque set up of the "memorial" and then were surprised the audience treated it as a pep rally.
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly what the White House wanted. A 2012 campaign warm up in (a failure of a) disguise meant to warm up their 'base'.
To Charles Johnson:
ReplyDeleteGrow a set and grow up.
What a loser !
It was closed captioning.
ReplyDeleteHave the right-wingers who said otherwise admitted their mistake and apologized? Nope. You people just LOVE THE LIE.
Want to find a scumbag? Check the nearest mirror.
"Charles Johnson: 'Shut up, wingnuts! Everyone knows that the respectful crowd could distinguish closed captioning from commands to applaud because all solemn memorial services use multiple Jumbotrons, free T-shirts and $3 drafts!'"
ReplyDeleteSo you just don't understand what closed captioning is? Specifically, that it follows the applause or whatever is being said? When it reads applause there, that's because they were already applauding. Closed caption transcribers do not tell the future.
Man wingnuts are dumb.
um.. celebrating death can take many forms.. nice of you to expect some traditional Christian version to be forced upon everyone.
ReplyDeleteInstead of going by tradition, why not at least attempt to use your rational judgement in deciding what is offensive?
If cheering and applauding beautiful sentiments is offensive, I ask you why it is so and expect an answer to stand-alone as relelvent to the act in and of itself.
Johnson had it right, you had it wrong. Typical wingnut defense...you just double down and dig your peevish feet into the ground like a child that much harder.
ReplyDeleteWhat the hell is so hard to admit you got it wrong?
Look, the deaf are NOT blind. They don't need to be told when there is applause in a stadium. They can see that there is applause.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever known a sing language person sign for *applause* while they were signing an event? No, me neither...
I was shocked too but not too shocked considering who the president is. Odd thing here is he drew a bigger crowd than the last couple months before the mid-terms.
ReplyDeleteAlso thought it was odd to see Well's Fargo on the jumbotron, kind of ironic, at least to me.
http://crazyconservative.wordpress.com
Obama just figured that since he needs a teleprompter, so does everyone else.
ReplyDeleteSince this wasn't a "deaf college" we can safely surmise that if this were closed-captioning the majority of the students, already a whipped up band of lefties in a circus-like mania, took it as stage directions. Afterall, we all know how bright these kids are; think "JayWalking".
"Look, the deaf are NOT blind. They don't need to be told when there is applause in a stadium. They can see that there is applause."
ReplyDeleteFirst, not everyone was in the arena. Thousands of others were in remote locations.
Second, a deaf/HOH person with their attention focused on the screen for captions may not notice others applauding:
Third, captioners are trained to transcribe ALL audio cues. They don't get to decide what information is important for a deaf person to have. That decision is left to the deaf/HOH individual.
"Have you ever known a sing language person sign for *applause* while they were signing an event? No, me neither..."
Actually, as a matter of fact, they typically DO sign applause. See numbers two and three above.
They are drones... mind-numbed drones.
ReplyDeleteSteve
Common Cents
http://www.commoncts.blogspot.com
Question: Wouldn't the transcriptionist have been given the speech in advance to put on the screen rather than attempt to transcribe in real time? Is that not how these carefully scripted events usually work?
ReplyDeleteRules for my funeral. #1: No politicians. #2: No Jumbotrons telling people when to applaud. #3: T-Shirts and $3 draft beers - OK
ReplyDeleteSince this wasn't a "deaf college" we can safely surmise that if this were closed-captioning the majority of the students, already a whipped up band of lefties in a circus-like mania, took it as stage directions. Afterall, we all know how bright these kids are; think "JayWalking".
ReplyDeleteWingnut idiot, the closed captioning wasn't done on site. It was done in a studio offsite, to be distributed not just on those screens but throughout the United States to people who weren't there.
There is no jerk quite like a stupid jerk, and there is no stupid jerk quite like a stupid right-wing jerk.
"the closed captioning wasn't done on site."
ReplyDeleteDoesn't matter if it were done from the moon. As noted, we're talking about a bunch of liberal Jaywalking-type kids thrown into a crazed, bizarre "Son Of Wellstone Memorial" atmosphere, where they could literally "get the T-Shirt" (replete with an 2008 Obama campaign slogan). Not knowing the difference between a funeral & frat party, when they see an order to applaud, hoot & holler in 5 foot high letters, they comply. Wonder if they blame the beer concession stands for overselling for their shameful antics?
the President, IF he had chosen to be presidential rather than succumb to his instinctive yearning to bask in the sound of applause, should have admonished the crowd that this was a Memorial Services, not a campaign rally.
ReplyDeleteObama is completely to blame for his failure to distinguish between the two.
i thank him, nevertheless, for providing yet another unmistakable, shameless example of his narcississm.
Not knowing the difference between a funeral & frat party, when they see an order to applaud, hoot & holler in 5 foot high letters, they comply.
ReplyDeleteThis is interesting. Shown repeatedly that there were no "applause" signs but only closed captioning, what to you do? You KEEP LYING. That's what the right-wingers of America, those believers in "traditional values," do these days: You lie, and when your lie is exposed, you KEEP LYING.
Hey idiot! The sun rises in the East!
"Question: Wouldn't the transcriptionist have been given the speech in advance to put on the screen rather than attempt to transcribe in real time?"
ReplyDeleteNo. Transcription is done real time. Live events have ad libs, interruptions, and other "off script" happenings that make real time more acurate than trying to follow a script.
"should have admonished the crowd that this was a Memorial Services, not a campaign rally."
ReplyDeleteWhy? The crowd responded to the eulogies of the victims, their life accomplishments, and acknowledgments of the actions of those that subdued the suspect. Why shouldn't those things be cheered and applauded?
I guess the first order of business for Boehner and Cantor next week should be to draft a bill that will outline the official, appropriate way for all Americans to mourn and honor their dead and heros.
"there were no "applause" signs but only closed captioning"
ReplyDeleteYou're totally missing the point - a college auditorium (Obama's favorite venue for such political pep rallies) filled with Jaywalking-level intelligence liberal kids who have been worked to fever pitch, decked out in Obama campaign shirts look up and see "SCHOOL APPLAUSE". So they do just that. Doesn't matter what the intention was, it only served to urge the kids on to scream their shout outs, applaud, boo, cheer and hiss as they thought they were being directed.
@11:07: Where else are they going to hold a community wide memorial service that can accommodate 10s of thousands of people?
ReplyDeleteAnd YOU continue to completely miss the point: The crowd was ALREADY applauding, that's why it showed up in the caption on screen. (in the case of the picture posted here, because it had just been mentioned that the Judge was an alumnus of the school, so of course there would be applause and cheers to that)
If there hadn't been any applause, it wouldn't have appeared in the captions.
"If there hadn't been any applause, it wouldn't have appeared in the captions."
ReplyDeleteAs noted, this was egged on a hyper-excited political crowd even deeper into the orgy of shameful behavior. As has been also noted, we're taling of louts who confuse frathouse keggers with funerals. In that context their antics make sense.
Obama could easily have chosen a smaller venue instead, a house of worship perhaps, for a respectul memorial service. But they don't usually allow political rallies, with Rev.Wright-type exceptions.
At any rate, the bottom line, as with the Wellstone Memorial embarrassment (which helped defeat Democrats, according to Bill Clinton's pollster) is the Democrats have yet again shown themselves to be clueless how Americans perceive such antics.
Obama and his staffers didn't choose the venue. The service was organized and put on by the University and the Tuscon community. Obama chose to attend, as did many other politicians.
ReplyDelete"As has been also noted, we're taling of louts who confuse frathouse keggers with funerals."
Again, it wasn't a funeral. It was a memorial service to honor and recognize both the victims, survivors, and others, as well as to begin the process of healing for the community.
Choosing a smaller venue would have meant 20,000+ of Tuscon/Arizona residents that attended would have been denied that opportunity.
It's pretty galling that some anonymous internet commenter is going to tell Tuscon residents that were actually affected by this attack the proper way to mourn and honor their fellow citizens. Not to mention that you've just called some 26,000 Tuscon residents drunken frat louts.
Finally, the only solution to your problem would be to tell the deaf/HOH citizens of Tuscon to bugger off, because they don't deserve access to such an event.
So you are blaming the closed captioning transcriber for doing his job and using the word [applause] where applicable, and you're blaming the students for applauding, and you're blaming the University for accommodating the thousands of mourners who wished to attend the memorial service. Yet Obama is the opportunist here. I guess he should have just blown the whole thing off and stayed in Washington right? The truth is that no matter what he did the right would have found something to criticize, so it's pretty safe to ignore this drivel.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous twerp @ 4:05pm:
ReplyDelete“You people are so stupid.”
Anonymous loser @ 5:21pm:
“Want to find a scumbag? Check the nearest mirror.”
Anonymous douchenozzle @ 6:32pm:
“Typical wingnut”
Anonymous mouth-breather @ 8:41pm:
“Wingnut idiot”
…plus!...
“There is no jerk quite like a stupid jerk, and there is no stupid jerk quite like a stupid right-wing jerk.”
(awww, someone skipped her nap)
Anonymous cum-bubble @ 10:05pm:
“Hey idiot!”
. . .
Ladies, ladies, ladies! Aren’t you the ones queefing about civility?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fsuo97arPqw
ReplyDeleteWhat do you expect from a pep rally? I'm sort of amazed they didn't have cheerleaders holding posters that read, "Together! We! Thrive!"
Yeah, go team!
How dare they cheer the news that Rep Giffords opened her eyes for the first time!
ReplyDeleteHow dare they cheer at the recognition of those that subdued the suspect and disarmed him!
How dare they cheer the fact that the Judge was a proud alumnus of the school!
How dare the deaf/HOH expect the opportunity to attend and share in this event as full members of the community!
What crass ignorant behavior!
"Ben King said... celebrating death can take many forms.. nice of you to expect some traditional Christian version to be forced upon everyone...
ReplyDelete"If cheering and applauding beautiful sentiments is offensive, I ask you why it is so and expect an answer to stand-alone as relelvent to the act in and of itself."
Well, Ben, the families of the victims were feeling sad that day because their loved ones were wounded or dead. Cheering and applauding even beautiful sentiments do not match the saddened mood of those who loss was so terrible. You appear to feel that only Christians are thoughtful of the feelings of others -- I assure you that many religions have this as a value. I know of none that thinks that free t-shirts, beer, and hoopla is a nice way to support the sorrowful emotions of families.
"Celebrating death" is a very interesting choice of words, Ben, for that is what happened here. The Memorial Service became the Obama Deathorama Rally.
I'm uncertain if I'm met your demand for an answer to "stand-alone" (do you mean "stand alone?") as relelvent (do you mean relevant?) to the act in and of itself (what the hell do you mean by "to the act in and of itself?" I have no idea here because your convoluted word choice has produced a phrase of stunning vagueness).
You, Ben, think and write like a college child.
Ladies, ladies, ladies! Aren’t you the ones queefing about civility?
ReplyDeleteNope, not me, you stupid, lying, woingnut scumbag!
At any rate, the bottom line, as with the Wellstone Memorial embarrassment (which helped defeat Democrats, according to Bill Clinton's pollster) is the Democrats have yet again shown themselves to be clueless how Americans perceive such antics.
ReplyDeleteThe bottom line is that you fuckwits will lie about every single thing, and when your lies are exposed you will keep telling the same lies. Why? Because the right wing in this country is addicted to lying. It's all you know how to do.
Upon evaluation of the comments here, the only possible method to settle this debate seems to be a gunfight.
ReplyDeleteAnyone know if the OK Corral is still available for large parties?
"I know of none that thinks that free t-shirts, beer, and hoopla is a nice way to support the sorrowful emotions of families."
ReplyDeleteYou've never heard of an Irish wake, I guess. Lots of drinking, laughter, sharing of stories of the deceased.
Even among non-Irish, while they may skip most of the drinking, it's very common to call funerals and memorial services a celebration of the life of an individual.
When people are sad after a death, it's comforting to hear stories of their loved one. I certainly don't know anyone that would be offended by hearing someone's favorite memory of a loved one at a memorial service.
That's the whole point: to start to get beyond the loss, and begin to focus on the memories.
" "Celebrating death" is a very interesting choice of words, Ben, for that is what happened here. The Memorial Service became the Obama Deathorama Rally."
ReplyDeleteAwkard choice of words, but I suspect he meant "celebrating the lives" which fits with the rest of his comment, and is certainly what happened that evening.
It certainly wasn't a "deathorama rally." There were no cheers of "ding dong the judge is dead" or anything like that.
Again: it was applause at recognition of the surivivors and those that subdued the suspect. Cheers at encouraging news on the recovery of Rep. Giffords. Applause and cheers at the mention of a prominent alumnus of the University. Cheers at the reminiscence of a little girl that loved her country, loved to jump in rain puddles.
If those things are wrong to laugh and cheer at, you live in a sad, bitter little world, and I feel sorry for you.
Anyone know if the OK Corral is still available for large parties?
ReplyDeleteYou bring the Tea Party, and I'll bring the .50 caliber machine gun. We got a deal?
It would be interesting to see if the cheering, the yelling, the "WE love you Obama"s, and whistling were also shown in closed captions. Anywhere online that a tape of the event with closed captions can be viewed?
ReplyDeleteanonymous: did the audience know they were closed caption signs or did they think they were cue signs?
ReplyDeletePresumably, anyone who was actually reading the captions would realize what was going on. If a particularly stupid person were to choose that exact moment to look at the bottom of the screen for the first time, they _might_ mistake it for a command.
Look, the deaf are NOT blind. They don't need to be told when there is applause in a stadium. They can see that there is applause
The same feed goes out to the jumbotron as goes to the news networks. The vast majority of people reading that caption would not be at the event.
V the K: Question: Wouldn't the transcriptionist have been given the speech in advance to put on the screen rather than attempt to transcribe in real time?
They might. However, they still need a live person following along and typing in non-speech sounds and deviations from the script.
Those of you who are whining about the applause and cheering at this "pep rally" just need to get a life. Several years ago my uncle, a vet who retired from the Air Force in 1975 as a Master Sgt., died at the age of 73 from cancer. His body was cremated. A memorial service was held for him a few days later. His son was first up to eulogize him, and one of the first things he mentioned was his dad's love at watching cartoons of the Road Runner with his kids on Saturday mornings. He made a funny comment about it and the crowd laughed with him. Then one of his childhood friends went to the podium and told a few stories from their childhood, and again everyone smiled and laughed.
ReplyDeleteEquivalent of cheering at a "pep rally"? No, but not the serious stuff you expected from the memorial from the other day. It's quite hilarious reading about all of the criticism from those who weren't even at the memorial. If anyone has a right and a need to complain about the way things were handled, it's the people who, you know, actually attended the event...especially the victims and the families of the victims. They are the ones who deserve to be offended...not some fool halfway across the country.
It is quite evident to anyone with a brain that the attendees were cheering at the good and positive things that were said by the president and others; it wasn't because they were cheering for their sports team to beat a rival team. And those idiots at Fox and Friends who were making fun of the blessings for the entrances...please, someone give them a lesson in humility. God forbid that they consider the context in which the entrances were blessed. Are they really that stupid, or are they grasping at anything they can get their hands on just to simply criticize something?
Anonymous half-wit @ 9:20am:
ReplyDelete“Nope, not me, you stupid, lying, woingnut scumbag!”
Yeah, we get it. Stupid. Lying. Wingnut (nice spelling, jackass). Yes, yes, yes, we hear you. Over and over again. You are so very creative. Hey – let’s mix it up: lying stupid wingnut. Oh wait! How about wingnut stupid liar? Oh, the choices seem nearly infinite.
We are so impressed.
Anonymous dolt @ 9:22am:
“The bottom line is that you fuckwits will lie about every single thing, and when your lies are exposed you will keep telling the same lies. Why? Because the right wing in this country is addicted to lying. It's all you know how to do.”
Yeah, we get it – big lying liars. Fuckwits. All we know how to do is lie – we don’t tell the truth like Dan Rathers, the New York Times, and the always truth-telling William “B.J.” Clinton. Have you an original thought to offer?
Obviously not-Irish Anonymous twat-fungus @ 12:16pm:
“You've never heard of an Irish wake, I guess. Lots of drinking, laughter, sharing of stories of the deceased.”
Are you kidding me? Do you have any idea how offensive this is? Téigh trasna ort féin.
Anonymous Nazi @ 1:55pm:
“You bring the Tea Party, and I'll bring the .50 caliber machine gun. We got a deal?”
Thank you for illustrating what we conservatives have been pointing out for decades: that you simply cannot abide criticism. All objectors shall be lined up and shot, eh? Sieg Heil, you douchebag.
. . .
Until you numbnuts live under the rule of a true “progressive” communist dictatorship which you promote so vehemently, you should be quiet and let the adults take care of business. Hey, correct me if I am wrong: any one of you anonymous cowards can feel free to email me your proof of prior Cuban residency, and explain as coherently as possible (no words more than four letters, I imagine) why you chose to leave such a utopia for the lands of such cruel capitalism. I’m waiting: thebad@cox.net.
Oh wait! How about wingnut stupid liar?
ReplyDeleteOkay, have it your way, you wingnut stupid liar!
Hahahaha, I hope you wingnuts like being the laughingstock of the internet this morning for not understanding how closed captioning works.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't anyone here critiquing government & media know about the ADA law that covers closed captioning?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.captions.org/caplaw.cfm
OMG! Did you see that the entire event was sponsored by Wells Fargo! After all, it is on the Jumbotron!
ReplyDeleteYou people trying to make this [closed-captioning for the HEARING IMPAIRED] something that it isn't makes you look REALLY REALLY stupid!
jesus, you people really are fucking shit for brains morons.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous tool @ 1:36am
ReplyDelete“Okay, have it your way, you wingnut stupid liar!”
Once again, I am humbled by your level of creativity and originality. Oh, if I could only be like you … wait – there’s a tack hammer! I can hit myself in the head with it. That might get me close to your level.
Shih Tzu (isn’t that a shitbag 2 pound dog?) @ 11:40am:
“Hahahaha”
Excellent grammar, little doggie.
“I hope you wingnuts…”
How creative! We’ve not heard that term before! However did you come up with it?
“…like being the laughingstock of the internet this morning for not understanding how closed captioning works.”
THE WHOLE INTERNET????!??!??!? OH MY GOD!!! WE MUST RUN AND HIDE!!!
Hey, did you just have an accident on the rug?
Anonymous drone @ 7:10pm:
“the ADA law that covers closed captioning”
Can you show us where the Jumbotron captioned the booing of the Governor of Arizona? I mean, it’s the law, isn’t it?
Anonymous dickhole drip @ 7:44pm
“makes you look REALLY REALLY stupid!”
You mean like using “OMG”? Are you a twelve year-old girl or do you just type like one?
Anonymous proof that Indians fucked buffalo @ 8:27pm:
“jesus, you people really are fucking shit for brains morons.”
Wow, your insight is well-stated. I’m going to immediately begin rethinking my fundamental beliefs. Now, go fuck your mother.
Just like everything else with this Administration.....use any incident to further your agenda, even if it is one that is a tragedy.
ReplyDeletePeople died, and this was "suppose" to be a memorial service, not a campaign kickoff. But then again with all the media attention to the Democratic U.S. Rep., no one else really mattered. It is all about Gabby Gifford. I'm sure it was a-okay with her.
But can't Pres. Obama have shown some consideration for the others involved. If they were not Dems, I'm sure it did not sit too well to have "applause" prompts in a memorial service!
I do not doubt for a second there there were not people placed in the audience to start the applause!
Oh for Chrissake, have you troglodytes never heard of closed captioning?
ReplyDelete*massive eye roll*
Indisputable proof that mankind is descended from apes spewed the following:
ReplyDelete"Ladies, ladies, ladies! Aren’t you the ones queefing about civility?"
Civility? That'a a laugh. You forfeited any claim you may have had to civility a long time ago, you snot-bubbling piece of chimp shit. In the words of your hero Dick "Darth Vader" Cheney, you and your fellow wingnuts can go fuck yourselves, singly and/or collectively.
Reichsfuehrer Limbaugh has now confirmed that the message was indeed closed-captioning for the hearing impaired. So now that your master has officially told you all what to think, you and your fellow right-wing sheep can go back to polishing your jackboots and shut your fucking pieholes.
P.S. Amateur musician, eh? I could swear I tossed a quarter in your direction this morning -- or was it some other demented-looking homeless guy?
P.P.S. Eat more bacon. A massive heart attack would look really good on you.