New Low: Senator Claire McCaskill, the Democrat from Missouri, thinks men should "sometimes just shut the hell up." Presented without further comment, here is a report on the senator's recent outburst:
It's unusual to hear a politician ridicule about half her constituents on national television, but certain topics simply supersede politics. For Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), that issue is apparently mansplaining. Or maybe just men talking? As one of 20 women in the Senate, she wants more women to run for office, she said for Monday's Late Show, "but equally important is encouraging more men to sometimes just shut the hell up." She quickly clarified, sort of, telling the world's men: "It's not that women don't value your thoughts, it's just that we don't value all of them."
If men are eager to abide by the shrill McCaskill order, but are unclear on what topics they are not permitted to address, she has a list:
What topics should men just shut up about? Don't worry: McCaskill had a list. An incomplete catalog includes "what women do with their bodies," "who the next James Bond should be," Star Wars, selfies, pantsuits, millennials, "Star Wars again," all art, carbs, and turkey brining. But she did throw in a little consolation prize for men: "If you can control yourselves and hold back from further expressing your opinions on any of these topics, we'll let you keep weighing in on marijuana legalization — but that's a huge, big 'if.'" Brave? Foolish? Funny? All of the above? Watch below. But perhaps we'd have a better sense if Stephen Colbert invited one of McCaskill's male colleagues on to give his list of topics men don't want to hear women talk about anymore. Anyone? Anyone?
Might be better if we were just all polite to each other, no?