Who's confused by Palin parody?

When we wrote that OR Books, publishers of the Sarah Palin parody "Going Rouge," might be hoping to confuse buyers looking for "Going Rogue" with their evil-twin cover and typo-switcheroo title, we didn't imagine that the media would be caught up in their ruse.

Today the New York Post reports that several media have mixed up the two books. USA Today posted an image of the cover of "Going Rouge" to accompany its review of "Going Rogue" on the Oval, correcting it later with the note, "Erratum: An earlier posting featured the photo of a different Sarah Palin book. The Oval regrets the error." Fox News also displayed the cover image of "Going Rouge" while discussing Palin's actual memoir. And CNN reported that Obama administration officials were sharing copies of "Going Rouge," when the book that had actual changed hands was the official "Going Rogue."

To try to counter the confusion, someone -- possibly publisher HarperCollins -- has been purchasing Google ads that point to "Going Rogue: An American Life" when people search for "Going Rouge," just in case they're not looking for the satire but have mistyped the title. This, indie publisher OR Books told Page Six, "seems very unsporting."

But maybe it's just the media that have been confused by the doppleganger books. Palin fans have been able to find her memoir without a problem at Amazon (even if they can't get it signed), where it remains atop the Amazon bestseller list.

-- Carolyn Kellogg

Comments

[PSB]

Now I am confused. Which one is which? I am actually more interested in the parady which I am sure is more cleaver.

[MaggieL]

PSB: You're undoubtedly confused.

If you can't spell "parody" or "clever", I doubt you know the difference between "rouge" and "rogue".

Might explain why you'd rather read someone dissing Sarah than what she actually has to say. There's a danger she might make you think.

Scary.

[AWS]

No wonder you're confused, you can't spell parody or clever so you probably can't tell the difference between rogue and rouge.

[Jim R.]

To the post by PSB: It's "parody". Kind of ironic that the first person to post was confused by the spelling of what the book is. My guess is that many Palin groupies will also be confused and buy the wrong book, which would just tickle me silly. Palin has stretched her "15 minutes" into half an hour and will make a bunch of money. She and her dysfunctional family can retreat to the north woods when it's all over and live in bubba splendor.

[EndlessNameless]

Am I confused? No, not in the least. Am I tired of hearing about Sarah Palin? Yes, most definitely.

By the way - Going Rogue is the real book, Going Rouge is the parody. The article states it plainly.

[Dave]

I would bet you are easily confused. Im sure the "parady" would seem "cleaver" to someone in your IQ range.

[DRB]

PSB - I bet you are. Seems fitting that someone who can't manage to properly spell 'parody' and 'clever' would be interested in such obvious garbage.

As much as I wish the mass liberal media would stop trying to steer public opinion, I wish even more that the collective IQ of the American public wasn't so low that its opinion CAN be steered by the likes of Richard Kim, Betsy Reed, and Tina Fey. Has everyone abandoned independent thought in favor of Saturday Night Live?

[mikemLBI]

wow, you can spell. kudos. really. thanks for not lording it over other people who *can't*;

you're implying that at one time *everyone* had it- wrong.
>>Has everyone abandoned independent thought in favor of Saturday Night Live?

yes, indeed: specifically, "this is the BEST we can do for candidates for national office?"
>>There's a danger she might make you think.

most people don't care, and don't vote. their spelling habits would interest all of you, though. thanks for judging.

--mikem
lbi, nj

[Re: PSB]

Peace and love, my brothers and sisters, peace and love...

[Rogue-ologist]

Have the roles been reversed? usually it's Palin supporters who can't spell.

Interesting...

[Annie]

MaggieL says: "There's a danger she might make you think."

Bwahahahahahahahaa! Yes, in the same way the brainless mold growing on food in the refrigerator makes me think of throwing it out with the garbage.

[Ben Wyskida]

Hi all. I'm with OR Books and wanted to say that "Going Rouge" isn't really a parody. It's a look at Palin's record, policies, politics and rise to power, with contributions from some of the best writers on the American left. So it's a relatively serious book - not a parody.

That said, if you're PSB below and want something fun, "Going Rouge" has a
"Palintology" chapter which includes some of Palin's strangest tweets, quotes and statements, etc.

Its at http://www.orbooks.com

[Jim Treacher]

"Have the roles been reversed? usually it's Palin supporters who can't spell."

At least they know to capitalize the first word in a sentence.

[Em2]

Apparently, Ms. Palin has "inspired" many of her detractors to be as mud-slinging and boorish in their opinions as she?

Also, it's hardly an encouraging comment on U.S. corporate media that they continue to give free publicity to the former v.p. candidate and governor, who did not see it fit to fulfill her commitment to her state for a full term.

Serious, independent investigative news coverage and fair, sound, and civil debate, and opinion columns supporting or critiquing Ms. Palin's statements and political actions -- if and when appropriate -- would be preferable in a democratic republic than the cynical, sensational, media-circus follies that instead prevail to drive reader/viewer traffic, and to detour substantive public discourse in these deeply troubled times. Troubled times, that is, for most everyone across the entire political spectrum.

These are the only reasons why I myself bother to comment at all on this blog entry about Ms. Palin.

This country's people need to grow up and wise up fast -- because most of its major media have a vested interest in keeping us bickering uselessly in the sandbox. I sincerely hope, for the sake of our great country, that that shift in national consciousness occurs soon.

[EndlessNameless]

I would think that we would all be adults and pay more attention to what someone is saying than how they are spelling it. Granted, spelling and composition are important to getting people to address your views. But, is it everything? No, I think not. So how about we not be grammar and spelling nazis?

PSB - Don't listen to these people. Most of them troll the internet looking for typos so as to point them out and make themselves feel superior.

[Jonathon Moseley]

This is actually illegal, and the publisher should sue.

Both Federal law and most State laws make it illegal to intentionally confuse consumers about what they are buying, incuding the source of the product.

This is trademark infringement as well as unfair competition or deceptive marketing practices. (No doubt the publisher trademarked "Going Rogue" as a matter of course.)

So there needs to be some lawsuits.

NOTE that news and information about Sarah Palin is being compiled in one place at:

http://pressarahpalin.blogspot.com/

[philosopherkingtomas]

lets remember Palin supporters are generally scared, white, bible banging, WWE, Nascar, sunday church going, lazy poor hating, uneducated 'end of the world lovers'!
Palin would get rid of Social Security unless Todd needs it!
Palin would get rid of Medicare.
Palin would mine and drill the Wilderness.
Palin would free people in Georgia Republic, Iran with an 'n', Iraq with an 'q', Venezuela, and, Alaska!
Palin2012 the end is near

[DooDoo]

Everyone that comments/reads these blogs (including myself), really need to get a life or better yet a job... way to feed the media monster... morons

[Matt]

Maggie, Might explain why you'd rather read someone dissing Sarah than what she actually has to say. There's a danger she might make you think.

Scary.
--------------
Why would ANYONE want to hear what she has to say? Everythign she stands for it against everything this country is founded on. For Petes sake she's a Creationist, which is causing her father to roll in his grave. She is more kookoo than Ms 'PornStar' Prejean.

[US Marine]

Her book should have been called 'Going Crazy: A Joke of an American'.

[Patrick]

The culture wars are going grammatical! Palin supporters overuse nominal relative clauses!

Seriously though, the first post was obviously a troll. Kind of a clever parody in itself, really.

[Anne Gallagher]

Being a good speller is not a measure of intelligence.
Einstein couldn't spell.

On the other hand, insulting people for little things like spelling errors is bad manners.

I'd rather have bad spelling than bad manners.

[mklitt]

I am sure the people who think the Colbert Report is conservative talk show would find this confusing . . .

[Peter Dust]

Aren't we being just a bit coy here. The obivious, near duplication of cover and title couldn't be expected to confuse the audience?(which includes the media, Honey) Who, with a degree in journalism, could have been so dense as to have missed that possibility. Oh the Los angeles Times. My, my.

[ChrNYC]

Either one is still an American Nightmare....

[mlimberg]

Libs are always confused. They think my money is their money and that their money is their money....

Here's the good news, they are so self centered that their ability to reporduce is limited. So in a few generations, they will be selectively eleminated from the gene pool....

[bothsideswrong]

yeah the article title here is a bit misleading. the book is not parody. nothing about this is considered humor. this book and its cover is a mild misguided attack from the left media against a total non threat. The contents of either book are equally as empty and unimportant. aside from her being a vp candidate in 2008, there isnt much to say about palin either way, except that her name has brought out the worst from both sides of the political aisle. history will remember her as unwittingly highlighting everything that went wrong with american democracy and the media in the early 21st century.

[Harold]

Palin has the freedom to believe in what she believes in. The whole point of her book tour, her life is about promoting freedom. You have right to decide if you want an abortion for example. The difference here is that your freedom to decide would be taken away and controlled by the government. The point is either the government controls your life or you control your life. Sarah Palin is not the issue. The issue is about freedom.

[samuel]

What is diferencee. I canot tell. The books look all same to me. But this is funy the way sarah pallin is been taking about. I thinks she woud make a bad president no?

[samuel]

What is diferencee. I canot tell. The books look all same to me. But this is funy the way sarah pallin is been taking about. I thinks she woud make a bad president no?

[Tim B]

@DRB: "As much as I wish the mass liberal media would stop trying to steer public opinion, I wish even more that the collective IQ of the American public wasn't so low that its opinion CAN be steered by the likes of Richard Kim, Betsy Reed, and Tina Fey. Has everyone abandoned independent thought in favor of Saturday Night Live?"

This is a very interesting comment that reveals a lot about Palin supporters and modern day Republicans in general.

Firstly, anyone who still thinks there's a mass liberal media out there is permanently stuck in a bygone era, unable (or unwilling) to adapt to changing realities. A liberal media would not have cheered the inevitability of the Iraq war, nor would they have breathlessly pounced on the Clinton witch hunt. They certainly would not have allowed the "death panel" nonsense to drag on for weeks without challenging the basic lies behind it. As Bill Kristol said, the "Liberal Media" is just a convenient excuse for Republican failures.

Secondly, it's clear that rank and file Republicans assume that Palin detractors must be intellectually challenged and superficially influenced by TV shows. It certainly couldn't be on the merits of the issue, now could it?! Listen carefully: we don't like Palin because she's a fundamentally dishonest talking point machine. This isn't an opinion formed by watching Tina Fey, much as you'd like to believe. This is an opinion formed by watching her performances on the campaign trail and at the VP debate. Her accusation that it's all the media's fault for attacking her is just an extension of her inability to accept responsibility for ANYTHING (as evidenced repeatedly in her self-serving book).

I understand this may blow the minds of self-righteous Republicans who are convinced they have a lock on the facts, and will therefore be dismissed as more liberal nonsense. And thus the cycle of ignorance continues...

[Thomasi]

Why do people who clearly think of themselves as intelligent have such a hard time detecting irony? Anyway, well played, PSB.

[Wol]

This is a nation of immigrants, and many of its people can speak and write English as a first language. They are to be lauded for trying and for participating.

Palindrones might automatically consider such people to be merely stupid. Such are the revealing thought processes of "Real Americans"(TM).

[Tim]

PSB, hilarious troll, great work.

Feel bad for the biters below who apparently still don't get this whole Internet thing.

[ohnohedidnt]

The first post was an obvious troll. Such angry little people ready to lash out at someone's spelling. Hope you're all feeling better after that, really.

Get outside more.

[Dave]

Epic troll

Nice job PSB

[MaggieL]

EndlessNameless: There's a difference between typos and illiteracy.

As for "mikem", "judging" may be a faux pas in the People's Republics of New Joisey and Cali, but we're still free to do it where I live. Prejudice may be bad, but discrimination isn't.

Em2, if you want to see true boorish mudslinging, I commend to you HuffPo, DailyKos and DemUnderground. As for Palin's "not fulfilling her commitment", I seem to recall a certain junior Senator from Illinois who didn't fulfill his commitment, leaving a Senate seat in the good hands of Messrs Blagojevich and Burris, and ACORN.

[nic]

Comes as no surprise, considering the media's lack of intellectual capacity and overall inability to slow down and fact check things...

And Maggie L -- Unfortunately, Sarah Palin didn't write her own memoire, so it's not exactly "what she actually has to say."

[woosht]

successful troll is successful

[DaveM]

The only people who would read Sarah's book are those who don't want to think and will believe anybody that tells them what they want to hear. Thinking people would be able to understand and appreciate the parody for what it is, though why someone would make a parody of a joke is beyond me.

[CrazyEddie]

Well, at least Sarah is back in her comfort zone - that of the trailer trash, as she tours the country looking for validation.

Hey Sarah, "Thanks, but no THANKS!"

CE.

[EesaC]

Oh my--you people have been sucked in
sarah Palin is the Paris Hilton of politics---she is a joke and is clueless she is a joke--too funny

[EesaC]

Oh my--you people have been sucked in
sarah Palin is the Paris Hilton of politics---she is a joke and is clueless she is a joke--too funny

[murrie]

mikem - you're kidding right? Judging? If we had more sound judgment maybe our country wouldn't be in half the mess it's in now. MaggieL et al are right on the mark - & I for one am happy to be in their company.

[Fred]

WHY DOES ANYONE EVEN CARE???

[andrew]

With every putdown and cutdown Palin's supporters grow stronger.

We all need to stop bashing Sarah Palin.

If we don't, all of the FAUXNews bashing of the current power regime coupled with the irate Palin supporters will topple Obama in 2012 or even worse, she could make a run at 2016 with no opponent.

Unless Oprah runs.

[Goldie]

Rouge >< Rogue ??

This can also be considered a spelling lesson... for those who need it.

[andrew]

With every putdown and cutdown Palin's supporters grow stronger.

We all need to stop bashing Sarah Palin.

If we don't, all of the FAUXNews bashing of the current power regime coupled with the irate Palin supporters will topple Obama in 2012 or even worse, she could make a run at 2016 with no opponent.

Unless Oprah runs.

[RobWariwck]

wow....man, tough crowd. god forbid someone mispells a word! pull out the pitchforks and torches!!!

Don't sweat it, PBS....even they misspell words.

[Spyder699]

I would recommend both books for anyone trying to understand the language of a vocal minority who suffer the abuses of elitism as for example when these beleaguered underdogs sometimes known as "teabaggers" are labeled as "white trash" or "red necks" while championing the "values", whatever that may mean, of the "middle class".