Debra Messing to Ivanka: Stop defending your father, start defending our rights

As I’ve heard Kaiser say, Debra Messing isn’t my favorite person but I do like her politics. She can grate at times, but she’s also very outspoken and matter-of-fact and there’s something admirable about that. She pulls no punches with a-holes like Susan Sarandon and I like that she stands up for herself and her beliefs. Messing was honored by GLAAD with the Excellence in Media Award over the weekend and she gave a long acceptance speech calling out Ivanka Trump for blindly defending her dad. I think it’s very futile to try and reach Ivanka at this point. Many people considered it possible to appeal to Ivanka a few weeks ago but have since given up now that it’s clear that Ivanka is the chipmunk-veneered and Botoxed face of fascism. Debra called out Ivanka though and I can’t tell if she’s being funny and pointing out what a hypocrite Ivanka is or if she’s serious and thinks we can still reach her. Maybe a little of both.

Here’s some of what she said and you can watch the video below. There are so many good, funny lines it’s worth watching in its entirety.

Things are getting dire. To paraphrase Charles Dickens, this year has sucked. Our democracy and humanity have been under attack. Unless you are an unenlightened straight CIS gender white male you are a target. That makes us all a target.

Right now there is a very bad and very orange man in our White House. At least a few days a month.

The person we shall not name came this close to signing an executive order that legally allows for discrimination against the LGBT community under the banner of religious freedom. Raise your voice, call the White House, call your representatives, call your Senators.

Don’t get discouraged, the resistance has accomplished more in the first 100 days than the President has in his. And we got pussy hats out of it so there.

Make no mistake, when we make noise, they pay attention…

There is someone I would like to make a direct appeal to this evening. It is the Secretary of State Ivanka Trump. Ivanka, girlfriend, what are you doing? Come on, it’s me Deb. Let’s talk for a second one Jewish mother to another. It is not enough to simply say that women’s issues are important to you. It’s time to do something.

Ivanka, you can change the lives of millions of women and children just by telling your dad stories about real people who are suffering. Don’t let him separate immigrant mothers from their American-born children. Don’t let him take healthcare from women who need it…

Ivanka please stop blindly defending your father and start defending what you say you believe in. You can’t just write #womenwhowork and think you’re advancing feminism. You need to be a woman who does good work #saywhatyoumeanandmeanwhatyousay.

Ivanka we know you love the guy who does your hair color. It’s good by the way. So do right by your colorist and by all of us. Imagine how you’ll feel sitting at Passover Seder if you can tell your children that you fought for justice and freedom.

[From YouTube via OMG Blog]

I guess I understand why Debra is trying. Ivanka told her dad about the gas attacks in Syria and he did something, albeit something completely ineffective, but he did something. He waffles so much on basic issues, like when he praised Australia’s healthcare system, that it’s clear he’s easily influenced. Ivanka has his ear for a bit, but so do so many other people, and his default setting is “racist, elitist idiot who wants everyone but rich white men to suffer.” Ivanka can deter him for a little while, if she even tries, but he has more of those rich white men around him and those are the ones taking away our basic rights. Precious Ivanka is talking out of both sides of her messed-up mouth and she’s completely loyal to her father and his extremism while giving superficial lip service to more liberal causes. She’s just like her dad, she’s just better at lying about it.

I want to end on a better note, so I’ll just quote one of Debra’s last lines, which was pretty good. She said to Ivanka “As a bonus, if you get Steve Bannon out of your dad’s office I bet we’ll put you back in Nordstroms.” If there’s anything that Ivanka values, it’s her brand and it’s definitely in the sh-tter lately.

Here’s Debra’s speech:

28th Annual GLAAD Media Awards

I thought this bronze one shoulder thing was bad enough as a dress, but it’s pants!
28th Annual GLAAD Media Awards

Photos credit: WENN and Getty

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16 Responses to “Debra Messing to Ivanka: Stop defending your father, start defending our rights”

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  1. Lightpurple says:

    Princess Nagina the Corrupt and her brand belong in the sh**ter. She is not nor has she ever been nor will she ever be a moderating influence on the Orange Turd of Voldemort. She is as unethical and grasping and out of touch as he is. It is nice of Debra to be kind enough to think there might be some good in the unethical snake but there isn’t.

    • Eveil says:

      +10000

    • AlmondMilk says:

      People who think Ivanka can influence Trump, even if she was inclined to, and I don’t think she is, are deluded.

      They don’t understand trump’s misogyny extends to his daughter. She’s a posession. All he requires from her is loyalty. That’s the only value she has to him in the great scheme of things.

      So please stop demanding Ivanka do things people. She’s an a-hole, and a subservient one to him – she cares less than nothing about issues. She’s damaged. He’s made sure that all of his children pledge allegiance to him and see him as the omnipotent power he believes he is. For her to correct him, say he’s doing the wrong thing or has made mistakes trying to get him to shift policy is completely out of character. He’d slide Melania or one of the other daughter in laws in her west wing office in a heartbeat.

    • Digital Unicorn (aka Betti) says:

      IA, she isn’t a moderating influence over her father because she drinks the same cool aid as he does. She and Ken Doll are true believers. The only ones with any real influence over Trump are Bannon and the Mercers – they know how to play him.

  2. Clare says:

    I normally can’t stand her, but she BRINGING. IT. when it comes to IVanka, Susan Sarandon and and other privileged morons.

  3. Nicole says:

    Honestly Debra has been killing it lately. She’s made many missteps in the past but she’s been working really hard to recognize her privilege and fighting for little guy (i.e. marginalized communities). And I love that she’s not backing down from idiots.
    Go ahead Debra.

  4. detritus says:

    It was a good piece, minor quibble – whats the bit about her colourist? Does Debra personally know said colourist? If so and they are cool, bang on, go for it. If not… leave that level of stereotyping to Will and Grace.

  5. Beth says:

    I can understand wanting to defend someone I love, but Ivanka does it foolishly. Her daddy is disrespectful and dangerously careless. She should be snatching his phone to stop his ridiculous tweets and do what she can to explain to him all he’s doing is wrong. If he’ll take her advice to bomb, maybe he’ll listen when she tells him to resign as president

    • naomipaige says:

      She’s loving all that comes with her dumba** dad being in office. If he resigns, she loses all of that. She isn’t about to do that!

    • Lightpurple says:

      Princess Nagini does not see him as disrespectful or dangerous. When confronted with his acts, she defends him, blames the media, and says he always treated her the same as her brothers. When he does something that could hurt the brand, she posts pictures of her kids. Launch an unsuccessful raid on Yemen killing lots of kids and a Navy Seal? Watch this video of Arabella mumbling a song in Chinese! Issue a Muslim ban that rips apart families and leaves thousands stranded at airports? Look at this picture of me in fancy dress with my husband groping my ass! Gut after school programs & Meals on Wheels? Look at my baby eating cake! Cut funding for STEM for girls? I met an astronaut!

      Yesterday, while Orange was tweeting lies about the Yates testimony & Husband Ken Doll was dodging questions about selling visas in China, she tweeted more pictures of her daughter.

  6. Rapunzel says:

    Ivanka only does what’s best for Ivanka. She will turn on her Bigly Daddy when it suits her. These Trumps have no loyalty except to money.

  7. Serena says:

    Her overall brand and businesses are huge in China. Young Chinese women worship her. They love her and look up to her and want to be like her. “Rich, white and beautiful” is what they say they love and want to emulate. They want to make their skin lighter!

    Ivanka started teaching her daughter, Arabella, Chinese at 3 (I think she is 8 now). At the white House she dressed up her daughter in a beautiful party dress, with her mommy and daddy at her side and she sang a favorite Chinese song. I saw the photo in the NYTimes. The president, or whatever he is called, of China, sat at a little round table with his wife and loved the presentation. They were here on State business but the Kushners were making nice to him because they were getting patents for their businesses in China. They scored and made a great impression.

  8. Serena says:

    Oh, I forgot. Rich, white, beautiful and SKINNY!

  9. Carol says:

    Why do people think Ivanka could ‘control’ her father? Donald Trump does whatever Donald Trump wants to do. Yeah, he probably adores Ivanka but he’s not going to listen to her.

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