Playboy

Feminist Bonnie Erbe Hints Michelle Malkin Deserved to Be Target of Playboy's Venom
By Ken Shepherd | June 3, 2009 | 12:52 PM EDT

Updated below

It was wrong of Playboy to publish a top ten list of conservative women its writer Guy Cimbalo would like to "hate-f***" but, c'mon, we all know Michelle Malkin had it coming. That's the gist of PBS "To the Contrary" host and U.S. News contributing editor Bonnie Erbe's June 3 blog post, "Playboy Mix of Sex, Hate, and Politics Demeans Conservative Women" (emphasis mine):

Yesterday, I was contacted by the executive director of SmartGirlPolitics.org, a conservative women's website, to stand up for conservative women treated despicably by the media. Here I am, doing just that.... A couple of caveats are in order. First, I probably disagree politically with much of SmartGirlPolitics.org's agenda--I know I disagree completely with the group's position on abortion rights. But as a nonpartisan, I'm also a firm believer in supporting all members of my gender when attacked due to their gender. I am supporting these women herewith.

UPDATE: Politico Apologizes; Politico Sanitizes Vile Playboy Attack on Conservative Women
By Stephen Gutowski | June 2, 2009 | 9:59 AM EDT

UPDATED below: Politico removes item, writer explains/apologizes decision to highlight the list.

Yesterday, Playboy writer Guy Cimbalo published a top ten list of conservative women against whom he would like to commit vulgar and violent sexual acts. His piece, which has since been removed by the skin mag's Web site, was actually promoted to conservative sites like NewsBusters by Playboy's PR people (see editor's note at bottom of the post). Cimbalo's hate-filled and misogynistic write-up drew the condemnation of many conservatives and even some liberals.

Yet Anne Schroeder Mullins of Politico.com remains unimpressed and disturbingly amused by Playboy's sick hit list. She was so amused in fact that she playfully white-washed Cimbalo's violent sexual rhetoric as the "lighter side of politics." But what if the tables where turned in this story?