Jerry Falwell dead at 73
Via Breibart.
You know, my heart actually skipped a beat when I read that on Drudge just now. I don't love or hate Jerry Falwell, although I kinda feel sorry for all the abuse he got over the years. My friends and I (and so many of you) spent our post-college nights making fun of this guy on TV. Now I'm a frickin' Christian conservative my own damn self. So just remember your old Aunt Kathy over here, kiddies, and be very careful who you make fun of...
It really is the end of an era in American politics. Not to mention pop culture: Who else but Jerry Falwell had an actor who made an entire career out of portraying him (and characters based on him) in movies and sitcoms?
On the good side: maybe we can finally retire Brooks' Rule (aka "Reducio ad Falwellum": "The first debater to mention the name of a prominent 1980s televangelist forfeits the argument. Mentioning James Dobson out of context earns a caution." ). But I doubt it.
My daring predictions: a brutal post-mortem blurt by Andrew Sullivan. And a more thoughtful obit by Mark Steyn. Also, expect lots of interesting posts at The Corner this aft.
Meanwhile, Gawker and its combox keeps it class-AY all the way...
The first exposure I had to Jerry Falwell was when I was about 16 and saw The People Versus Larry Flynt. And even then, while still an arrogant, snot-nosed punk (and thus more likely to side against whoever could be construed as the boring, unironic killjoy), I remember watching and liking him a lot more than that awful prick the movie was about.