Monday, February 13, 2017

Breaking News: Melania Trump Is Not A Prostitute




It can now be told:  Melania Trump is no prostitute.

You probably assumed that anyway but now, in defense of Mrs. Trump, supermodel, actress, and Bernie Sanders supporter Emily Ratajkowski wants you to know it. Politico reports

Editors at the New York Times have reprimanded a reporter for referring to first lady Melania Trump as a “hooker” at an event Sunday night, calling the remarks “completely inappropriate.”

The reporter in question, who has not been identified by the paper, came under fire Monday morning after supermodel Emily Ratajkowski made the reporter’s remarks public in a series of tweets. Ratajkowski, who said the reporter made the remarks while sitting next to her at a New York Fashion Week event, called the comment “disgusting sexist bull---t.”

Keep it classy, Emily. Continuing

“At a party last night, a Times reporter who does not cover Washington or politics, referred to an unfounded rumor regarding Melania Trump,” a Times spokesperson said in a statement to POLITICO. “The comment was not intended to be public, but it was nonetheless completely inappropriate and should not have occurred. Editors have talked to the reporter in question about the lapse.”

In one tweet, Ratajkowski contended "what it is: slut shaming. I don't care about her nudes or sexual history and no one should."

There is almost no information available, so we don't know about what precisely was said, to whom, in what volume, in what context, and whom else was in a position to hear the reporter's remark. Those are mere inconsequential details to Ratajkowski.  Consequently, we can't even be sure whether the reporter was referring to Melania's previous work as a model, speculating about her once being an escort, or something else entirely.

The problem is exacerbated by use of the word "hooker," which literally means "prostitute," but like "racism" or "slut-shaming" is bandied about loosely.

We can, though, speculate about two things. One is that Ms. Ratajkowski has made discussion (hopefully, limited and brief) about Mrs. Trump's character a possible topic of discussion in the context of "slut-shaming," which appears to have been her motive disguised as concern about the First Lady.

The other is that the press is running scared of a President of the United States who pursues personal vendettas. The Politico article concludes

Trump is suing the U.K.-based media company Daily Mail for running an article that included the unfounded rumor that she had once been a “high-end escort.” Trump recently settled a defamation suit with a Maryland-based blogger, who has since retracted and issued a lengthy apology for repeating two rumors about the first lady on his blog. 

We now know, from Emily Ratajkowski's tweeting, that some people (erroneously) consider Melania Trump a "hooker," or alternatively, an ex-hooker. More disturbingly, an offensive, off-hand (as far as is known) comment which would have remained obscure can now be reported broadly and come back to haunt the speaker. Expect more of this sort of thing. Bashir Assad, a fan of Donald Trump, would be proud.











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