Fuckwit or Scumbag?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19339362

Todd Akin, a Republican candidate for a soon-to-be-vacant Missouri Senate seat, has apologised.  Kind of.

Akin is (no surprise here - Missouri.... Republican....) a strong opponent of abortion.  When asked in a recent TV interview whether he would support abortions for women who had been raped, Akin said: "It seems to me, from what I understand from doctors, that is really rare.  If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."

Is it just me, or does he sound like a moron?  Well, he may sound like a moron, but it is also possible that he is cynically dissembling in order to maintain a stance that he knows will help bring out the base on election day.  Dissembling, despite the fact that his lies/half-truths would cause torment for women that have become pregnant as a result of rape: "if what Todd Akin says is true, then I wasn't really raped - perhaps I invited it??"

Obama responded in his usual thoughtful manner, along the lines that Akin had illustrated why (mostly male) law-makers in Washington should not be legislating on, as he puts it, women's health issues.  Romney was also critical and, after a day's prevarication, called on Akin to stand aside form the Senate race.

So to the apology.  As I understand it, Akin is apologising solely for the use of the word 'legitimate'.  He has said that he mistakenly used "one word in one sentence on one day".  Admittedly, in a subsequent statement Akin has said: "I used the wrong words in the wrong way, and for that I apologise" (emphasis mine).  However, he still seems to be saying that his only mistake was a slip of the tongue giving the impression he thought not all rapes were really rapes.  It appears that he stands behind the substance of his original comments, i.e. pregnancy is very rarely the result of rape, if ever, because a woman who has been raped has some physiological means of preventing pregnancy. 

I need hardly note that the relevant US medical association has refuted Akin's comments.  So who were these doctors that mis-informed Akin?  Do they exist?  Did Akin make them up?  Is Akin a moron or just a liar?  Or is he both?  I don't know, but I do know that his half-hearted, lily-livered, P.R.-scripted apology is disgusting.  He is seeking to relaunch his political career by appearing to eat humble pie.  The reality is that he is accusing others of overracting to a slip of the tongue.  He is avoiding addressing his real offence, which was to suggest that women who become pregnant as a result of a alleged rape could not really have been raped.  And thereby also avoids having to answer the original question.

Akin, do you or do you not support abortion in cases of rape?

Musicola

The BBC has announced that it's "Sound of 2011" is a young lady called Jessie J. The fact that J's career is owned by Universal, the largest record company in the world, rings alarm bells. I am not suggesting that the BBC is in Universal's pocket, but they simply would not have noticed J if she had been on a true independent label. Having said that, she sounds mildly interesting in a Ms Dynamite kind of way and I predict her career will follow a similar trajectory - mild critical acclaim, a couple of hits, universally ignored second album, followed by occasional reality TV appearances.

But there is something quite depressing about this award. We are asked to view singers like J (and Dynamite, Lily Allen, Rumer, etc etc etc) as true artists striking a blow for female empowerment. But scratch the surface and you inevitably find some middle-aged male musician billed as a "co-writer"/mentor. This isn't an exclusively female phenomena - the same applied to Robbie Williams/Guy Chambers - but the record industry has clearly seen it is onto a good thing with young female "singer-songwriters".

The real shame is that there must be great female artists out there who ARE in charge of their music in the same way as forerunners such as Bic Runga, Tori Amos, Kate Bush & Carly Simon. It would be wonderful to hear that the BBC's "Sound of 2012" is a young woman otherwise unheralded by the industry, and who is producing her own music from scratch. Sadly the reality is that the next 'next big thing' will be another record company mannequin. So much for 'Girl Power'.