Tumblr isn’t a good place to be famous, so it’s a good thing that I’m not. With that in mind, I’m reposting a comment I submit to an acquaintance’s blog regarding Tucker Max’s attempted donation to Planned Parenthood earlier this year. I don’t actually think she’s going to let the comment go, so this is simply a record of the fact that yes, I submit this, and yes, I agree with everything I’ve just written.
Right. So I was catching up on some reading and came across a couple things I thought it would be worthwhile for you to see. Going through the Tucker Max books to discuss why he’s not anti-woman would do nothing for you, since you probably don’t care about having that (seemingly) set-in-stone image challenged. However, I do have several comments to add:
1. Did you ever actually check his side of the story? As in actually reading with an open mind? As a former Medillian, even you know that it’s useful to check for the other side’s story (even if you think it’s bullshit/won’t link to it from here for your own perceived sensitivity).
http://tuckermax.me/the-exhausting-process-of-trying-to-give-money-to-planned-parenthood/
http://tuckermax.me/peta-wants-me-to-fix-some-bitches-and-i-think-thats-a-great-idea/#more-252
2. I was also curious if you had double-checked your source on Forbes, which offered a peculiar update:
“UPDATE: In response, some commenters and bloggers have asked why Tucker didn’t make an anonymous donation. The answer is that Planned Parenthood wasn’t interested in that either. On the call with Planned Parenthood when they rejected the donation no suggestions or offers for alternative donations were made by Planned Parenthood or its representatives. Why? Like I said, for them this was about judgement not what was best for women. Ultimately donations were made to a handful of other charities instead.”
Why didn’t PP allow for an anonymous donor? It’s an option that has been available to donors beforehand, so why not now?
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/ppahc/files/Hidalgo-County/2011_General_Donation_Form.pdf
If your automatic rebuttal is to go back to my first link and say “but he wouldn’t have done that!” I will happily reply, “Since when is Planned Parenthood telepathic?” They sincerely screwed themselves by not even making that an option, because they wouldn’t have been able to know he’d reject that idea until they tried (which they didn’t).
3. If you’re able to take a step back and look at the basic idea (Charity needs money, author offers money, Charity says no = ?), this makes a lot less sense. I’ll be frank: if it wasn’t already obvious, I personally enjoy Tucker Max’s books. They’ve made me laugh and wonder about the fact that people like him exist. However, I’m not holding this guy to an image that existed when he was younger for the same reason people didn’t hold Robert Byrd in long-lasting contempt for being in the KKK: people typically grow and mature with age.
http://popsych.blogspot.com/2012/04/tucker-max-v-planned-parenthood.html
4. I don’t think it’s your place (nor is it the place of anyone else) to question the motives behind charitable donations, whether it be true altruism or for writing them off as tax-exempt. The fact that the money is being donated and will be used for good reasons is all that matters.
I’m actually rather appalled by the idea that you reject the money based on the (past) actions of a (surprisingly? not surprisingly? overrated?) writer because he writes about things that make you unhappy. The money would have done a lot for Planned Parenthood, an organization that I have always supported (and clearly needs funds).
http://www.lifenews.com/2012/01/04/planned-parenthood-closes-abortion-center-in-waco-texas/
http://www.lifenews.com/2011/12/26/planned-parenthood-closing-michigan-abortion-referral-center/
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/statewide/archive/2011/07/planned-parenthood-closures-present-new-challenges.shtml
http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/bay-area/2011/03/peninsula-residents-left-lurch-planned-parenthood-clinic-s-closure
http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2012/01/13/state_college_planned_parenthood_closed_due_to_economic_troubles.aspx
http://www.jillstanek.com/2011/12/planned-parenthood-closes-clinic-in-town-where-twilight-book-and-movie-series-set/
Your wishy-washy morality to reject the funds because you find the person behind the donation appalling is truly not appealing, since your decision could only aid in cutting off access to useful and necessary health services for women.
Updated:
“Miriam on April 25, 2012 at 1:08 am said:
Honestly, had you refrained from making ad hominem attacks and assuming that I wouldn’t be willing to consider your point of view, I’d respond to this. But I’m not going to have a conversation with someone who seems intent on attacking me for no particular reason.”
While that’s perfectly her right, it would have been nice to have gotten a response other than a blanket, ‘Since you’re kind of insulting, I won’t respond to anything. Nyah.’
