Greetings. Over the past few days Warren suggested that we begin a “critical theory of religion” blog. He mentioned that perhaps some sort of discussion about Sarah Palin. I responded with something like this:

Can you explain the interest in Sarah Palin to me? It seems to me that the Democrats are going to win the next election. McCain had to do something and picking Palin just seems very . . . predictable. But people are f-r-e-a-k-i-n-g out about this. Yet, there is nothing unusual here. In the past week almost every blog and newspaper and ivory tower sweeper started with “Well, if Sarah Palin. . .” The one that really put me over the edge was Jacques-Alain Miller’s post about how Palin was a sign of the times, playing the role of invincible castrator (Miller is the heir apparent of the Lacan legacy, see Lacan.com). It is kind of extraordinary, this response. It is almost as if in the last two weeks people have been prevented from talking seriously about any issue unless they write it on her body first. Why has Palin becomes the public Pillow Book? Am I just too much of an outsider on this one? We should be able to talk about abortion with mentioning Palin. We have been for years but now seem unable to at the moment. She’s become like a media bone that can’t be swallowed. It’s all very creepy and misogynist and weird.

best, Ken