Sunday, November 30, 2008

Ode on a Grecian's earnings

In these parlous times, when there ain't nobody getting money for nuthin', Arianna Huffington's Huffington Post -- one of the leading purveyors of Hillary-hate in 2008 -- will receive an additional $15 million shot of venture capital.
That funding round brings The Huffington Post up to $40 million in raised capital, giving it an estimated valuation of $100 million, says a report in PaidContent.org
Oak Investment Partners participated in this latest round. In previous rounds, SoftBank Capital and Greycroft Partners have provided investments.
Keep in mind that HuffPo is on the rise while Los Angeles Times and other traditional news outlets are shedding reporters and staff. Mainstream news outlets -- which, in theory at least, try to offer unbiased reportage -- are being replaced by openly hyper-partisan online sources.

This is very disturbing news indeed -- especially for people who believe, as I believe, that Stassinopolous remains a libertarian at heart.

So how did Arianna achieve this august position? In large part, she did it by sucking up to celebrities and making sure that her site featured "names" as often as possible.

Here's the larger question: How did this woman bull her way into the American aristocracy?

Many younger people don't know that Arianna once was a hard rightist, and that she remains the devotee of a particularly obnoxious religious cult. Despite her foreign birth, she once tried to "Lady MacBeth" her way into the nation's highest office by way of a sham marriage to a rather easily manipulated gay millionaire. When that plan came a-cropper, she became a state-wide joke; even the local radio rightists mocked her mercilessly. And yet, after switching ideologies, she made a seamless transition into her current position as "new media" powerhouse.

How?

Why are some people simply not allowed to fail? How does one enter that rarified club?

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

While I got the "Grecian earnings" pun, Arianna us more of a Hungarian Rhapsody.
And let's not forget that before switching sides in Al Franken's bed "Strange Bedfellows"on Comedy Central, she used to kiss Newt's butt. David Brock dedicated 2 pages to her in his book "Bkinded by the Right"

Anonymous said...

Whose wrinkled old ass do I have to kiss for my own $15 million wad of cash?

(Hypothetically speaking of course, I would never sell out.)

Alessandro Machi said...

There appears to be a triangulation among Soros, Huffington, and in the past, Hillary Clinton. Huffington managed to finagle her way into the mix.

Several years ago Soros and Huffington appeared on the same Charlie Rose show hawking their books. They were involved together in the Shadow Convention as well.

http://www.DailyPUMA.com

Huffington profited from Bill Clinton's impeachment by demanding he resign. She seems pretty good at at gaining publicity by telling others to quit.

Anonymous said...

Even some pros with doctorates in English lit write "Ode to" though it's "Ode on".

Perry Logan said...

For a while there, during the primaries, going to Huffington Post was like wading through a sewer. That's when I found out what misogynists progressives are.

Last Lemming said...

Capital infusion? Isn't that a sign of someone burning through cash without corresponding income? Doesn't sound like a flaming success of a business project. Sounds like someone is propping up the whole endeavor.

Joseph Cannon said...

All right. I've made the change. And thanks, I suppose are in order.

(He said, grumbling as he shambled away, annoyed at being proven wrong.)

madamab said...

Arianna Huffington could not hate Hillary Clinton any more if it were her job to do so.

Oh, waitaminute....THAT's what the $15 million is for!

Anonymous said...

Here's another "ode to"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cSfwq5kjEE

Anonymous said...

Ode? Don't you mean Owed on a Grecian's Earnings? Cheers for myiq2xu's allusion to Ozymandias!

Anonymous said...

I always thought of Arianna as Zsa Zsa or Eva, without even that amount of charm or style.

Howling Latina said...

Initially, Arianna emailed every progressive blogger a nice little note wishing them well. Then she worked her way up the food chain in the blogosphere by advertising on google and all the sites owned by the blogger boyzz. As a follow up to her shameful rants during the Clinton years, she somehow conned MSNBO to allow her to pontificate about the Democratic party as a party elder. And gasp, MSNBO was even stupid enough to allow her sub for Rachel Maddow recently.

Rarely do I visit her site. People who worship at Puffy's post are a bunch of raging idiots. If you need any evidence, refer to old posts during the primary. I hope in the future, Hillary loyalists totally shun her anytime they come across her botoxed ass.

Anonymous said...

Oo, great post. Thanks for the info. I knew Arianna was a rightwing Clinton-hating plant who got a ton of money from somewhere for her odious online presence.

But I didn't know about the recent infusion of millions, nor her Teresa-Heinzish attempt to marry into higher office.

Let alone the fascinating cult-flirtation...a trait she shares with another foreign social climber, that Brit child bride of Kookinich, who hobnobs with those Breatharians...one of the most laughable of cults.

I'm not surprised that Huffington's cult came out of Utah. The good people of Utah must be naturally more tolerant of cults. But what is it with the powerful and the elite being more vulnerable to spiritual conmen? What's up with that?

Unknown said...

I remember Arianna's mug well on CNN, trying to take Bill Clinton apart piece by piece, during Monica-gate. Let's face it: Arianna detests the Clintons and Hillary's campaign created the perfect storm for Arianna. Who gave her legitimacy in the self-proclaimed "progressive/liberal" world? CNN, MSNBC, Bill Maher.

2Truthy said...

"Why are some people simply not allowed to fail? How does one enter that rarified club?"

Short answer: "Barrified Air."

Arianna has new BFF's and a sugar daddy in Silicon Valley, where the cult of "Barrified air" was hatched.

Let's see now. Huff's High Priestess of Cult has bagged more funds from the SV mint and has invaded the City of Chicago -- yes, Chicago!! --- current home to Barry, Blago and the Boyz AND a new office for HuffPo.

Coincidentally, the Chicago Tribune is going belly up. Does the "New Media" Madame have all her sugar daddies lining up to bail out that puppy in the window?

Say 'Buh-bye' to one of the last muckrackig rags in this country and hellllo to One World cult news.
With a Greek twist.