HELLO & WELCOME, NEW PALS!
In the midst of the fiery Kirko-Reichstag death threats last week, so came many nice things.
A lot of old friends and new fellow travelers discovered I was here on Substack, and it’s great to have you here. I’m currently enjoying over 5,000 subscribers, and I wish I could have you all over for dinner.
Every plan starts with a wish!
I didn’t get “fired” last week like Jimmy Kimmel, or the hundreds who lost their jobs within hours because they showed “insufficient respect” to Dear Leader.
I was part of the “doxxing cluster” — I’ve learned so many new terms this week— but I had different consequences.
I didn’t get fired because I don’t have a J-O-B to be canned from— I suffered such events in earlier eras of American Banishment.
MY OWN HISTORY OF GETTING MY SHIT CANNED
Have I ever lost a gig for my political beliefs? Of course!
Have you? I bet many of you have. As you understand, most of these moments never hit the headlines, but they are just as devastating.
I’m not cavalier. I fought it. We have to fight it every time. Didn’t always win— not because the law wasn’t on our side, but because sometimes the gold makes the rules. Shouting at the top of your lungs does make a difference.
In print, my work has been seized/destroyed many times. In Los Angeles high school my collective underground newspaper was seized, our staffers suspended and arrested.
Later, as a sterling individual, I was banned in Canada, burned in the Bible Belt, prohibited from Australia, snuck into the UK — there’s a story for each one.
However, my most Kimmel-seque firing happened in 1986, when I was expelled from radio station KPFA as the host of a popular drive-time radio show “for obscene content”— and replaced by instrumental Peruvian Flute music from 4-6 Friday afternoons!
Yes, all because the FCC took an interest. And Pacifica didn’t fight it, much to my sorrow. They didn’t think they could survive a challenge.
You can read some of the precipitating details here; it’s related to the “Jerker” case.
Once again, it was the FCC leading a right-wing political cause against the First Amendment, at President Ronald Reagan’s behest. He and his wife Nancy made persecuting gay people a special cause of their Bible-mongering and vote-cashing.
Yeah.
Nothing is new.
MARTYR OR WEIRDO MAGNET?
Whenever a get an uptick in anonymous death threats, I also see a surge of wacky, harebrained solicitations land in my in-box. It’s like a waterfall of Mad-Libs.
I finish up my podcast today, by describing such a Doofus of the Week.
Clits up,
Susie
In Case You Missed It
Potzo Balls for the Cure
Matzo ball soup is one of my favorites but until recently, I never made it myself. What inspired me to start? I was inspired by a “potzo” ball soup recipe on a cannabis site. Thank you Elise McDonough, and your inspiring tutoring!
