Ho. Lee. Cow.
I awoke to discover that my blog received a record breaking 161 hits last night. My previous high was 21. I usually get about five hits per post, so 21 was pretty exciting. But 161 hits? That’s practically viral! I mean, all 161 of you think I’m an ass-hole. But that’s cool with me. It looks like I asked for it. I actually find it more shocking to discover that there are still 161 people out there who support George W. Bush. I seriously had no idea.
It seems that Tim Blair read my last post and wrote a review of it in his blog, The Daily Telegraph. I’ve stumbled over Tim’s blog many times over the years. We aren’t on the same page politically, but I admire his work and I’m flattered that he took the time. And I appreciate Tim forwarding the link to his blog. That’s probably standard protocol out here in the blogosphere, but I’m still new to this, and it seemed very sporting of him.
Let me just say that I stupidly posted my paper on my blog in that post-finals-end-of-semester-bliss/haze-exhaustion that makes you do asinine things. I never dreamt anyone would read it. And I was in complete earnest when I said it was long and tedious. It isn’t a good paper. I realize this. I was just glad to be done.
That said, it seems I have some retracting to do. In my paper I said, “The Washington Post later reported that the turkey held by the president in the most memorable photo from the surprise visit was a plastic replica. The White House responded by saying that a decorative turkey was a standard feature in military chow lines and that they had no idea Bush would pick it up, much less pose with it.”
I’m actually quoting an article from cbsnews.com, but the article credited the Post, so I did too. The Washington Post’s original article was titled, “The Bird Was Perfect But Not For Dinner” (December 04, 2003). Obviously, I read a lot of back and forth about whether or not the turkey was real in my research, but it seemed from this cbsnews.com article that the White House had issued confirmation:
“The newspaper reported that in response to questions about the bird, the White House said the turkey was a decoration adorning the steam table where GIs picked up their food on cafeteria-style trays. The White House said the bird had been furnished by a contractor, and that officials had no idea that the turkey would be in the mess hall, or that the president would pick up the trophy turkey. The Post quoted military sources as saying that a decorative turkey was a standard feature of holiday chow lines.”
So I went with it. I did make one half-assed attempt to cross-check by visiting snopes.com, but the “W” related myths page seems to be missing this classic. There is so much stuff out there about this damn turkey. In my research I read this article from the NYT published well into 2004 (in addition to many others who have referred to the story much more recently) that also seemed to reafirm the “fake” story. If the Times can’t even sort it all out, no wonder I – a lowly grad student completely undeserving of this attention – have become disoriented.
At any rate, I obviously screwed up here and I officially retract and apologize. I would, however, like to take a moment to respond to a couple of the comments I have received.
Joe Libson wrote:
Wow…you are right. That really was tedious. But as you pointed out, at least it was long.
I wonder at “the motivation of those who have seen to it that the information was presented in the first place”.
Ms. Lewis:
My motivation: to pass my class, which required a 15 page paper.
My mistake: posting what I knew was a bad paper (though I wasn’t aware that I was perpetuating a tired old piece of modern mythology) on my blog.
My Solstice wish: that someday, I’ll write something that will inspire this many nice people to comment on my blog.
Amos writes:
Hilariously self-parodic conclusion. Staying ‘alert’ and ‘aware’ and ‘constantly questioning’, even as she mindlessly parrots information exposed FIVE YEARS ago as false You can’t make this stuff up.
Who hires these monkeys, other monkeys? The modern media is like some sort of privileged feudal system in which everyone is the inbred Duke’s imbecile half-cousin.
Ms Lewis:
Hired? This monkey works for free, baby!
RebeccaH of The New Dystopia writes:
In its obituary of Boorstin, the Economist magazine credited Boorstin with being “the first to describe the phenomena of non-news, spin, the cult of the image and the worship of celebrity.”
Pseudo-event, eh? Sounds like an accurate description of the recent US Democratic presidential campaign.
Ms Lewis:
I agree, though I would include both parties. I said as much in paragraph 18. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t have read that far either.
Basic fact checks lacking, turgid language, poor sentence structure, and obvious polemic lifted from other sources. As an article in the New York Times or Green Left Weekly, outstanding. You have managed to appeal to all the basic prejudices of that demographic, but as an objective essay, fail fail, fail.
Start doing some background research before you start pounding on a keyboard and make a complete fool of of yourself.
Ms Lewis:
Okay, that one was just mean.
Richard Blaine wrote:
Well, what in blazes do you expect from a journalist? Accuracy?
Ms. Lewis:
I am not a journalist. I have never claimed to be a journalist. I have no designs on becoming a journalist. My blog is about internet dating, my spastic dog and the idiotic things I always manage to do to embarrass myself (this incident being yet another a prime example). While my post about sitting on the toilet and struggling to stifle my pissing sounds while on the phone with my sister really seemed to hit home with some people, I’m hardly trying to rival CNN here.
In light of the above, think you should shorten your description to simply ‘dork’.
Ms Lewis:
Touche, Evil Pundit. Touche.
lol
what a funny, stupid girl
Ms. Lewis:
Thanks for your comment. It wasn’t constructive or insightful, but it was short and correctly spelled. I can appreciate that. I would like to respond by quoting the irascible Dick Cheney when he said, “go fuck yourself”… but I won’t because I’m from Utah County and we don’t talk to each other like that.
Corwin wrote:
Rachel, You’re a liberal arts/humanities studenty-in perpetuity-aren’t you?I am reminded a bit of Zelaznmy’s “Eye of ther Cat”,which I recommend. My reason for guessing about your field of study is no one in a knowledge based field would have believed the story for a second.It was too ridiculous on a variety of fronts 1)Where would one get a plastic turkey 2) Even if one knew,it would be easier to just have the President carry a real turkey at a Thanksgiving meal. 3)The downside of serving a plastic turkey would be so overwhelming ,it would never be done 4)I doubt anu president would want to insult troops in that way. So,you see,one would have to be,well, cosmically stupid to believe it for a second.I don’t know what term could be used for believing it for years.But,as I say,you must have been a Liberal Arts major. And,since I’m taking a few minutes of my valubletime,would you care to comment on whether you believe in Global Warming.Please tell me if you believe strongly ,and -if you would add your scientific background. Best wishes,Corwin
Ms. Lewis:
I suppose that I thought the statements by the White House implied that there was a standard “decorative” turkey protocol. Which is, you are right, completely illogical. But if you know anyone in the military (my dad was in the Navy), you would hardly expect logical thinking to be routine. When I read the article on CBS.com I thought, “did anyone really think that they would feed multiple units of the Army by preparing whole roasted turkeys? That makes no sense…” I thought that putting a decorative turkey next to the steam trays sounded like a nice touch. I shouldn’t have assumed that “decorative” meant plastic. Of course, you could decorate with a real turkey. Upon re-reading the quote, I’m sure that’s what the White House meant to say to begin with.
I’d also like to clarify here and state that I had never heard of Turkeygate before I started researching this paper. I didn’t believe it for five years. I believed it for a week.
Now on to your global warming question, here is my response. As the word “believe” implies some sort of faith based suspension, I would have to say that I don’t “believe” in anything. I do, however, accept that human activity has contributed to global climate change based on what I have read on the subject. I also accept the “theory” of evolution. Is that what you wanted to know?
Thanks, by the way, for your “valuable time”, Corwin. I will fore-go describing the assumptions I have made about you based on your brief epithet. But I will give you a hint. It has a little bit to do with how much fun you must be at parties and a lot to do with your luck in romantic relationships.
Okay… that’s enough of that. Looking at the photo again…
I can still see why I fell for it. I’m not a turkey expert (obviously). But that bird looks about the same size as my nephew, and he’s a bicep busting 20 pounds. Yet, Bush’s fingers don’t even look like they are clenching to hold the tray! I guess he has strong arms AND cat-like reflexes. You know, I think I’ve come up with a comprimise that will allow us to put this myth to bed so we can all get back to worrying about the economic crisis. I concede that the turkey is real, but you all must agree that those grapes look TOTALLY fake.
I’m kidding… KIDDING!!! Please don’t call me any more names. And again, I apologize. I should have never brought this up. It appears that Adam Gopnik was incorrect when he asserted in his book, Paris to the Moon, that “there is no regulon in the semiosphere.” The lions are out and prowling and it would seem that I’m the limpy gazelle researching banal papers through Google search.
No, I take that back. I’m not even a gazelle. I’m the smallest fish in the world-wide pond, and there’s simply no need to go fisticuffs over this. Really. You can have my juice money.
17 comments
Comments feed for this article
December 21, 2008 at 6:23 pm
hester
Although I was amazed anyone was still falling for that story, I give you credit for a classy and humble retraction.
Tim Blair has had a running joke about this for so long. At one time he had a link to a list of all the writers, bloggers, celebrities, journalists, and commentators who used the fake turkey story to ridicule Bush. It was hilarious! Very few had the guts to retract. Good for you!
December 21, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Secret Agent X-9
Rachel,
It is unfortunate that many in the comments on your paper chose to use personal attacks on you to express themselves. Kudos for posting a humerous retraction. It is good to break the echoes of loathing that seem to permeate the conversations around President Bush, from those that hate him to those that defend him hating the haters, all it does it create noise that we can all live without. Creating chasms that neither can pass serves no purpose but to divide and isolate ourselves.
December 21, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Wendy
I respect you for issuing this retraction. I’ve been following this Fake ‘fake turkey story’ for years via Blair’s site. You’re among the few who have issued a correction after examining the facts.
I don’t respect anyone who posted personal attacks against you. It’s enough to speak of facts, personal attacks were not needed.
December 21, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Brian Tiemann
I might add that the reason Blair and his readers have found this story to be so delectable and juicy and to go so well with cranberry sauce over the years is that it illustrates so perfectly exactly what so many people feel to be a serious and widespread problem in our day and age: that the news media is undeniably biased, and is a lot more careful with some facts than with others, particularly when the “others” happen to fit a narrative that they would be all to happy to help spread.
In other words: if we can’t trust sources like the New York Times on matters like the plastic turkey, what else that they’ve been telling us all this time can we not take at face value?
That is why there are (at least!) 161 people out in the vastness of space who still support Bush. Look at the factual record and past the media narrative, and you find a guy who has done what the majority of his country wanted him to do during a trying decade following an unprecedented national catastrophe. Under the veneer of Daily Show snark and Family Guy ridicule, there’s a set of very complex yet very human circumstances that any decent, responsible, and intelligent person– John Kerry and Barack Obama included– would be hard pressed to say honestly that he or she would have handled any differently than Bush did.
The plastic turkey is a perfect microcosm of a media narrative run amok. People believe what it flatters them to believe. This leads to a vicious circle of dishonesty and half-truth feeding dishonesty and half-truth, until even virtue looks like evil and vice versa. It may be simplistic to wish for a world of black and white; but too many of us have seen the alternative and see it to be hardly better.
December 21, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Dean McAskil
Well done. You have my respect for the prompt retraction.
Everybody scr*ws up sometimes but what has amazed me is not that so many fell for the fake turkey story, but the vast majority of professional journalists who when made aware of their error refused to retract. Worse they then plead the “fake but accurate defence.”
I think there is a great book, perhaps by a left leaning young journalist, in the genesis and biography of the very famous but fictional plastic turkey.
December 21, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Dean McAskil
And another thing.
“…sentences that start with conjunctions. And sentence fragments.”
Hear hear.
December 22, 2008 at 3:11 am
ooh honey honey
Rachel, good on for you for retracting. Falling for the plastic Turkey lie just makes you a self-centred ditz. Assuming that all 161 hits were from people who “support Bush” makes you an asshole. I just care about truth and couldn’t care less about Bush.
December 22, 2008 at 4:39 am
Vince
Rachel you are fantastic!! You are one witty wit and sooo funny!!
Why is it that conservatives are such haters?
Angry old white men totally fits the brand.
December 22, 2008 at 9:59 am
hester
Brian Tiemann: “The plastic turkey is a perfect microcosm of a media narrative run amok. People believe what it flatters them to believe. This leads to a vicious circle of dishonesty and half-truth feeding dishonesty and half-truth, until even virtue looks like evil and vice versa. It may be simplistic to wish for a world of black and white; but too many of us have seen the alternative and see it to be hardly better.”
Excellent points!
December 22, 2008 at 7:39 pm
say what!
From a Bush admirer, I applaud you on your humble retraction,
it takes a lot to admit making an error.
My wife used to work in the media. It was a revelation to me when she explained how screeds of information used to come in about a subject but only a line or two were used to prop up the editors slant on the subject. This then became the ‘facts’ of the situation.
Now I take everything I read with a grain of salt.
Merry Christmas.
December 22, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Sean in NC
Good for you Rachel for having the guts to own up to your mistake. I’ve seen others try to rationalize what they did and even try to deny that they’d done anything wrong by repeating the lie.
That said, I would like to say that this has happened more times than you may know. President Bush has been slandered more times than I can count.
It has become a “fact” that he lied to the American people about WMD’s, but the real truth is that Bill Clinton and the members of his administration said EXACTLY the same things that President Bush did. Every intelligence agency in the world believed Saddam had WMD’s. I could give you the quotes from Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Madeleine Albright, Tom Daschle, Al Gore, and many other congressional leaders on the intelligence reports, but I won’t because I’m not here to change your mind. If you doubt me you could do a simple Google search for Glenn Reynolds, AKA The Instapundit. He has VIDEO in his archives of these people and the things they said in the ’90′s. He has their quotes and it’s all a matter of record what they said.
But my real frustration is with President Bush. He didn’t defend himself and by extention he allowed me and the rest of his supporters to be made out to be evil warmongering blood thirsty racists who blindly believed everything he said. We didn’t. We knew what the Democrats said in the 1990′s.
MY mistake was believing that elected Democrats were honorable and responsible people. I severely underestimated their desire for power at all costs. I watched in disbelief as each one of them denied or changed what they’d said when Clinton was president or acted as if President Bush was the first to say anything about intelligence reports.
I hope you will understand the turkey lie was just another “truth” that people have accepted as fact. But again I place the blame at President Bush’s feet. He had the ability to set the record straight and simply didn’t. To my everlasting frustration.
Thank you for you retraction. You have honor and integrity and you can be proud of yourself. Take care and good luck to you.
December 23, 2008 at 10:50 pm
mandible claw
To be brutally honest (and leaving aside questions of accuracy, political affiliation, relative merits of George Bush etc.), this retraction makes for much more interesting reading than the original. You’ve got plenty of material in terms of the original media claims about the plasturken (TM), dissenting viewpoints to your original, and then the incongruity that the NYT as late as 2004 was still pushing the plastic turkey story, your surprise that people would come out in GWB’s defence – not to mention that your admittedly small blog somehow got noticed by Australia’s unofficial head anti-plastic-turkey campaigner and your traffic increased fourfold over such a bizarre issue.
If I were you, I’d rewrite this article and submit it in place of the original. I’m sure it’d get you a higher mark.
December 26, 2008 at 9:06 am
TFK
You are a class act, Rachel! I think both your response to the personal attacks on you and your willingness to review your conclusions when fresh evidence is brought to your attention show some pretty rare virtues in the blogosphere.
The “plastic turkey” meme makes a very interesting case study in how people can latch on to inherently improbable “pseudo-facts” because they reinforce their existing prejudices. This is not the exclusive preserve of left or right (however those terms continue to have meaning) but the turkey is particularly neat little example from the intersection of politics, pop culture, media theory and human psychology.
And all because George W Bush hammed it up for the soldiers for a few seconds and was photographed doing so. If I recall correctly, Phillip Adams believed that Bush had flown the plastic turkey in all the way from the USA for a deliberately staged photo-op. Any he is *supposed* to be a smart guy!
Anyway, well done! You have earned the respect of a good number of Tim Blair’s regular readers. I hope that doesn’t make you feel too icky!
December 28, 2008 at 1:50 am
Jobius
You mention checking snopes.com to see if they’d debunked the “plastic turkey” myth. I’ve written them and asked them to, but was ignored. Maybe they’d listen to you if you sent them a link to this.
(I’ve jokingly suggested before that Snopes has avoided the topic because Tim Blair paid them off…)
January 4, 2009 at 10:44 pm
Joe Libson
Much respect is due to Ms. Lewis for posting a retraction.
And more for being so good natured about responding to the torrent of posts.
You *should* become a journalist. You may have leftist leanings, but at least you are capable of admitting mistakes and handling them gracefully.
Cheers, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Joe
January 5, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Joe Libson
And having read more of your response (and some of your other posts) you actually are a pretty good writer!
Sort of a female David Barry-esque kind of thing going on.
Funny stuff.
August 5, 2010 at 11:01 pm
Level Minds Prevail « Ms. Lewis Infers
[...] written about politics in a long time. Not since I got all that hate mail from Australia back in 2008. I think I handled it well, but still, it left me pretty gun shy and reluctant to wander into [...]