Going Rouge

Last updated
Going Rouge: Sarah Palin, An American Nightmare
GoingRogueAnAmericanNightmareSpoofBook.jpg
The cover was made as a spoof of Sarah Palin's similarly titled memoir.
AuthorEdited by Richard Kim and Betsy Reed
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreUS politics
PublisherOR Books
Publication date
November 17, 2009
Media typePrint (paperback) & Ebook
Pages240
ISBN 978-0-9842950-0-5

Going Rouge: Sarah Palin, An American Nightmare is a collection of essays about Sarah Palin with a spoof title and book cover design intended to lampoon Palin's memoir Going Rogue: An American Life . It was released on November 17, 2009. [1] [2] Both books feature Palin on the front in red, but Going Rouge has her against a backdrop of black thunder clouds and lightning, instead of the blue sky and white clouds on her memoir. [3]

Contents

The anthology, according to its publisher OR Books , provides a political counterpoint and addresses Palin's background, her rise to prominence, and "the nightmarish prospect of her continuing to dominate the nation's political scene." [3]

The book is unrelated in content to Going Rouge: The Sarah Palin Rogue Coloring & Activity Book, a 48-page paperback by cartoonist Julie Sigwart and radio host Micheal Stinson, [1] or to Going Rouge: A Candid Look inside the Mind of Political Conservative Sarah Palin, a novelty book of 102 blank pages. [4]

Content

The book, released by OR Books, a start-up founded by veteran publishers John G. H. Oakes and Colin Robinson, was published on November 17, 2009, the same day that Palin's own hardback Going Rogue: An American Life was released. [1] According to their site, Oakes is the former publisher of the independent publishing house Four Walls Eight Windows, and Robinson a former publisher of The New Press.

Other contributing writers include Max Blumenthal, Joe Conason, Eve Ensler, Michelle Goldberg, Jane Hamsher, Christopher Hayes, Jim Hightower, Linda Hirshman, Dahlia Lithwick, Amanda Marcotte, Shannyn Moore, Jeanne Devon, [5] John Nichols, Hanna Rosin, Matt Taibbi, Michael Tomasky, Rebecca Traister, Naomi Klein, Jessica Valenti, Patricia Williams, JoAnn Wypijewski, and Gary Younge.

Salon magazine also announced that several of their original articles will be included: "The Sarah Palin Pity Party," by Rebecca Traister; "The Losers Who Gave Us Sarah Palin," by Joe Conason; and two pieces by Juan Cole, "What's the Difference Between Sarah Palin and Muslim Fundamentalists? Lipstick" and "Sarah Palin, meet Mahmoud Ahmadinejad." [6] Some of the other more than 50 short essays, includes "Wrong Woman, Wrong Message," by Gloria Steinem, "Our Polar Bears, Ourselves," by Mark Hertsgaard, and "Sarah Palin's Death Panels" by Robert Reich. [7] [8] Max Blumenthal, author of Republican Gomorrah (2009), includes an account of his meeting with Palin's "witch-hunting pastor" from Kenya, Thomas Muthee, "who urges his parishioners to crush 'the python spirit' of the unbeliever enemies by stomping on their necks." [7]

An additional component in Going Rouge is how "feminist considerations" were "magnified and distorted" by Palin's candidacy. The varied and "complex nuances of gender and feminist constructions raised by the Palin phenomenon" are addressed by Katha Pollitt, Amy Alexander, Amanda Fortini and Emily Bazelon, among others. [7]

Publication and promotion

GoingRogue.jpg
GoingRogueAnAmericanNightmareSpoofBook.jpg
Palin's book on the left shown next to Going Rouge on the right

The cover is a parody of hers and it certainly takes some shots and mocks Sarah Palin, but it is a very serious book and the book itself is not a parody. It is not at all intended as a joke or a parody.

Richard Kim, senior editor at The Nation [9]

OR Books cofounder Colin Robinson announced that they intended to promote the book with a web video by documentary filmmaker Robert Greenwald, which they planned to "send around virally" leading up to the November 17 release date. Customers wanting the book would initially only have two choices, to order the book as an ebook download for $10 or order a print-on-demand paperback for $16. Such low production costs Robinson believed would allow OR to promote the book heavily on the Internet, with perhaps some print advertising as well. Afterwards, OR Books hoped to entertain offers from reprint houses looking to buy the paperback rights. [10] The book was eventually released on Amazon, achieving a sales rank of #825 in books for the week of December 14, 2009 and dropping to #7,309 for the week of January 29, 2010 (Going Rogue, in contrast, was #58 that same week).

Various news sources, including CNN and Fox News, have confused Going Rouge and Going Rogue in articles intended to discuss Palin's memoir. [11] [12]

Critical reception

Writer Geoffrey Dunn, author of The Lies of Sarah Palin: The Untold Story Behind Her Relentless Quest for Power, gave the book a favorable review, describing it as "full of golden nuggets." [7] Dunn concluded his remarks by stating "One thing is certain: You will read far more about the real Sarah Palin in Going Rouge than you ever will in her own memoirs, being published by who else? Rupert Murdoch." [7]

A reviewer writing in the San Francisco Chronicle said that the book contains "articles by some of the most thought provoking writers in America who have chronicled the foibles and pratfalls of Sarah Palin." [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathy Griffin</span> American actress and comedian

Kathleen Mary Griffin is an American comedian and actress who has starred in television comedy specials and has released comedy albums. In 2007 and 2008, Griffin won Primetime Emmy Awards for her reality show Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List. She has also appeared in supporting roles in films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antarctic Press</span> American publishing company

Antarctic Press is a San Antonio-based comic book publishing company which publishes "Amerimanga" style comic books. The company also produces "how-to" and "you can" comics, instructing on areas of comic book creation and craft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Palin</span> American politician (born 1964)

Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator, author, and reality television personality who served as the ninth governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009. She was the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee alongside U.S. Senator John McCain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe McGinniss</span> American writer (1942–2014)

Joseph Ralph McGinniss Sr. was an American non-fiction writer and novelist.

<i>Rogue</i> (magazine) Mens magazine

Rogue was a Chicago-based, men's magazine published by William Hamling from 1956 until 1965. Founding editor Frank M. Robinson was followed by other editors, including Harlan Ellison and Bruce Elliott. The magazine was subtitled "Designed for Men."

<i>Bert Feggs Nasty Book for Boys and Girls</i>

Bert Fegg's Nasty Book for Boys And Girls is a humorous book first published by Methuen in 1974 which purports to have been written by a psychopathic character, Dr. Fegg. In fact, the book is the work of Terry Jones and Michael Palin, who adapted a range of material from scripts written for the television comedy series, Monty Python's Flying Circus. Some material was later used in the duo's later TV series, Ripping Yarns (1975–78). The first edition was sold bearing a sticker on the front cover which read "A Monty Python Educational Product".

<i>Saturday Night Live</i> parodies of Sarah Palin Television comedy sketches

The sketch comedy television show Saturday Night Live aired several critically acclaimed sketches parodying then Alaskan Governor and vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin in the lead-up to the 2008 United States presidential election. The sketches featured former cast member Tina Fey, who returned as a guest star to portray Palin. Fey won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her impersonation of Palin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Public image of Sarah Palin</span>

Sarah Palin, while serving as Governor of Alaska, was nominated as the first female candidate of the Republican Party for Vice President of the United States. Following the nomination, her public image came under close media scrutiny, particularly regarding her religious perspective on public life, her socially conservative views, and a perceived lack of experience. Palin's experience in foreign and domestic politics came under criticism among conservatives as well as liberals following her nomination. A poll taken by Rasmussen Reports just after the Republican National Convention in the first week of September 2008 found that Palin was more popular than either Barack Obama or John McCain; however, this perception later reversed. At the same time, Palin became more popular among Republicans than McCain. A February 2010 ABC News/Washington Post poll showed 71% of Americans felt Palin lacked the qualifications necessary to be President of the United States.

<i>Whos Nailin Paylin?</i> 2008 film

Who's Nailin' Paylin? is a 2008 American satirical pornographic film directed by Jerome Tanner and starring Lisa Ann. It satirizes former U.S. vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Besides being a parody of Sarah Palin, the film includes spoofs of Hillary Clinton, Condoleezza Rice, Todd Palin and Bill O'Reilly.

<i>Sarah</i> (Johnson book) 2008 biography of Sarah Palin by Kaylene Johnson

Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned Alaska's Political Establishment Upside Down is a biography of Sarah Palin written by Kaylene Johnson. Written before Palin was nominated for the Vice President of the United States, it describes her upbringing and her quick rise to power as Governor of Alaska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palin–Couric interviews</span> Series of interviews during 2008 American presidential election

The Sarah Palin interviews with Katie Couric were a series of interviews of the 2008 U.S. Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin conducted by CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric. They were recorded and broadcast on television in several programs before the 2008 U.S. presidential election. Couric received the Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award and the Walter Cronkite Award for Journalism Excellence for the interview.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Levi Johnston</span> American model and actor (born 1990)

Levi Keith Johnston is best known as the twice-former fiancé of Bristol Palin and father of their son Tripp. He first received media attention in August 2008 when U.S. vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin announced that her daughter Bristol was five months pregnant by Johnston and that the two were engaged. The couple ultimately ended their relationship, and Johnston and the Palin family engaged in several public feuds.

<i>Up Till Now</i>

Up Till Now: The Autobiography is a 2008 autobiography by actor William Shatner with David Fisher. In the book Shatner discusses several aspects of his life including his childhood, early career struggles, time starring on Star Trek, his career after Star Trek and his marriages.

<i>Going Rogue</i> Memoir by Sarah Palin

Going Rogue: An American Life (2009) is a personal and political memoir by politician Sarah Palin, former governor of Alaska and 2008 Republican candidate for U.S. Vice President on the ticket with Senator John McCain. She wrote it with Lynn Vincent.

Lynn Vincent is an American writer, journalist, and author or co-author of 12 books. Vincent's work focuses on memoirs, history, and narrative nonfiction. In 2022 she was appointed as the executive editor of WORLD magazine.

"Dances with Smurfs" is the thirteenth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series South Park. The 194th overall episode of the series, it originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on November 11, 2009. In the episode, Eric Cartman becomes the reader of the elementary school announcements, and starts making politically charged accusations against student body president Wendy Testaburger. The episode was written and directed by series co-creator Trey Parker, and was rated TV-MA L in the United States.

<i>America by Heart</i>

America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag is the second book by Sarah Palin. It was released on November 23, 2010, and has been described as containing selections from Palin's favorite speeches, sermons, and inspirational works, as well as vignettes about Americans she met in the fall of 2009 while on her book tour for Going Rogue: An American Life. One million copies were printed for the first run, and a digital edition has been available since the release. She embarked on a 16-city book tour in America's "heartland" that began on November 23, 2010. The book made number two on The New York Times Best Seller list during its second week of release. America by Heart was the fifth best-selling nonfiction book of 2010, according to Publishers Weekly, with 797,955 copies sold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OR Books</span> American publisher

OR Books is a New York City-based independent publishing house founded by John Oakes and Colin Robinson in 2009. The company sells digital and print-on-demand books directly to the customer and focuses on creative promotion through traditional media and the Internet. On its site, OR Books states that it "embraces progressive change in politics, culture and the way we do business."

<i>Big Girls Dont Cry</i> (book) 2010 book by Rebecca Traister

Big Girls Don't Cry: The Election that Changed Everything for American Women is a 2010 non-fiction book written by the American journalist Rebecca Traister and published by Free Press. The book focuses on women's contributions to and experiences of the 2008 United States presidential election. Traister places particular focus on four main political figures—Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, Michelle Obama, and Elizabeth Edwards—as well as women in the media, including the journalists Katie Couric and Rachel Maddow, and the comedians Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, who portrayed Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton on Saturday Night Live, respectively. Traister also describes her personal experience of the electoral campaign and her shift from supporting John Edwards to Hillary Clinton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebecca Traister</span> American writer

Rebecca Traister is an American author and journalist. Traister is a writer-at-large for New York magazine and its website The Cut, and a contributing editor at Elle magazine. Traister wrote for The New Republic from February 2014 through June 2015. Traister regularly appears on cable TV news, commenting on feminism and politics.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Geier, Thom (October 21, 2009). "Attention, Sarah Palin Bashers: Lookalike Book 'Going Rouge' Is Coming". Entertainment Weekly.
  2. Flood, Alison (October 21, 2009). "Spoof Biographies Look to Spoil Sarah Palin's Book Launch". The Guardian.
  3. 1 2 Smith, Olivia (October 21, 2009). "'Going Rogue' Spoof: 'Nightmare' Stories May Have Sarah Palin Seeing 'Rouge'". New York Daily News.
  4. Quigley, Robert (November 18, 2009). "The Audacity of Going Rouge (Not A Typo) (". Mediaite.
  5. Toomey, Sheila (October 24, 2009). "Alaska Ear". Anchorage Daily News. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013.
  6. Koppelman, Alex (October 22, 2009). ""Going Rouge: An American Nightmare" A book mocking Sarah Palin's own effort will include articles from Salon". Salon. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Dunn, Geoffrey (October 31, 2009). "Going Rouge Skewers Palin". The Huffington Post.
  8. Rao, Vidya (November 5, 2009). "'Going Rouge' offers roguish reply to Palin book Published the same day, it offers critical perspectives on ex-VP candidate". Today Books. MSNBC. Archived from the original on November 9, 2009.
  9. Barr, Andy (October 22, 2009). "'The Nation' Preps Book Mocking Palin". Politico.
  10. Coffey, Michael (October 22, 2009). "OR's New Model at Work in 'Going Rouge'". Publishers Weekly.
  11. Rao, Vidya (November 23, 2009). "'Rogue' or 'Rouge'? Many are mixing the two up Major media outlets have confused Palin's memoir with book critical of her". Today Books. MSNBC. Archived from the original on November 25, 2009.
  12. Staff writer (November 26, 2009). "Sarah Palin memoir tops US bestseller chart". Entertainment. BBC News.
  13. Benjamin, Yobie (November 15, 2009). "Spell Rogue: R-O-U-G-E, Going Rouge: Sarah Palin". San Francisco Chronicle.