In accepting the Golden Globe for his portrayal of former vice president Dick Cheney in the movie "Vice," Christian Bale thanked Satan for supposedly helping him get Cheney right:
The critically acclaimed British actor said he was "cornering the market on charisma-free a—holes … What do we think, Mitch McConnell next?"
He added, "Thank you to Satan for giving me inspiration to play this role."
It was a nostalgic moment, reminding us that the current unpleasant state of the political/media culture did not begin on November 9, 2016.
The current bitterness isn't as new as the media seeks to persuade us. Thanks for the reminder, Mr. Bales.
What Donald Trump brought to the mix was merely a Republican who could dish it out as much as the left.
In the past, Republicans flinched and rose above it.
Admittedly, the tone gets worse when conservatives mix it up, especially one with President Trump's relish for the fray.
As you no doubt already know, Bales' quip came on swiftly the heels of newly-minted U.S. Rep. from Michigan Rashida Tlaib's vow to "impeach the motherf—er:"
“When your son looks at you and says, ‘Momma look, you won, bullies don’t win,’ and I said ‘Baby they don’t,’ because we’re going to go in there and we’re gonna impeach the motherf—-er,” Tlaib said at a party Thursday night.
Momma! When your son looks at you and you use the word "motherf–ker," maybe it's our private culture that is deteriorating, too.
Just for the record, if you comb through President Trump's public statements, you'll find plenty to make you cringe. What you won't find is this kind of language.
For all his bravado with an insult, President Trump does not use words like the one Rep. Tlaib used.
You might not even notice this because the president is being blamed in some quarters for Rep. Tlaib's obscenity. The closest Trump has come is "sh-thole" countries in a behind doors meeting. The vulgarism was promptly leaked.
So Christian Bale deserves another Golden Globe for reminding us of two things: How long our nasty political culture has been going on, and How much nastier it has become.
By the way, read the Fox News report on Bale.
He takes a potshot at former second lady and accomplished author (and an IWF founder) Lynne Cheney.
Another thing that has been going on for too long in our political/media culture: taking potshots at conservative women.