Al Gore, bachelor
June 1, 2010 9:54 AM Subscribe

"We are announcing today that after a great deal of thought and discussion, we have decided to separate." Former Vice President of the US Al and Second Lady Tipper Gore separating after 40 years, announced via a mass email.
posted by Threeway Handshake (199 comments total) 1 user marked this as a favorite

Buh.

Well, crap.
posted by darkstar at 9:56 AM on June 1, 2010

PMRC. LOL.
posted by bardic at 9:56 AM on June 1, 2010 [16 favorites]

I don't believe in nothin' no more. I'm going to law school!
posted by gompa at 9:58 AM on June 1, 2010 [10 favorites]

Huh. Did not see that coming.

But they have been married for forty years, so maybe it's not so odd that they would want to spend some time apart. While you can never be sure with these things, the article makes it seem like it was an amicable split. Good luck to both of them.
posted by gkhan at 9:59 AM on June 1, 2010 [2 favorites]

Finally, Al can crank his Naughty By Nature albums up as loud as he wants.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 9:59 AM on June 1, 2010 [108 favorites]

I always find it weird when people divorce after that long together. I mean, after 20 or 30 years, you'd think you'd know a person pretty much 100% and couldn't be surprised.
posted by mathowie at 9:59 AM on June 1, 2010 [17 favorites]

It turns out, no they couldn't take it anymore.
posted by The Whelk at 10:00 AM on June 1, 2010 [15 favorites]

"sad. Seemed like such a great couple." -Katie Couric
posted by Threeway Handshake at 10:00 AM on June 1, 2010

Doing the same thing myself at the moment. Depressing and sad, I wish them well.
posted by marvin at 10:00 AM on June 1, 2010 [3 favorites]

Perhaps his marital discontent was like a frog in a pot of slowly heated water.
posted by Bromius at 10:01 AM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

Finally, Al can crank his Naughty By Nature albums up as loud as he wants.
I'm guessing he's cranking up some Zappa.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 10:01 AM on June 1, 2010 [10 favorites]

Didn't Al Gore invent separation?
posted by spicynuts at 10:04 AM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

It sounds like they just reached the-- wait for it-- Tippering point!!!
posted by shakespeherian at 10:05 AM on June 1, 2010 [24 favorites]

It seems so odd to see such a high profile, political relationship end amicably and without scandal.

I have forever held a grudge against Tipper for the whole PMRC fiasco, but I recognize that she helped to shape the life of a man I respect, so I wish them both well.
posted by quin at 10:05 AM on June 1, 2010 [4 favorites]

May your shit come to life and kiss you on the face.

* Frank Zappa, to Tipper Gore about parental advisory labels on album covers via

looks like maybe frank's wish came true.
posted by msconduct at 10:05 AM on June 1, 2010 [16 favorites]

And so, all of the important news is now shoved off the screen, never to be seen again, because Al and Tipper are BREAKING UP, OMG.

There are days I hate this country. This is one of them.
posted by eriko at 10:06 AM on June 1, 2010 [12 favorites]

Guess they had to face the inconvenient truth.

*rimshot*
posted by threeants at 10:06 AM on June 1, 2010 [6 favorites]

Separations happen; here's hoping it's as amicable as it looks and that their children and grandchildren aren't made too upset about it.

Here's also hoping they don't become the next tabloid figureheads, either.
posted by Fraxas at 10:08 AM on June 1, 2010

She couldn't compete with all those Nobel Prize groupies.
posted by Joe Beese at 10:09 AM on June 1, 2010

I'm picturing Al doing a bit of a Lester Burnham in the garage right now.
posted by anthill at 10:09 AM on June 1, 2010 [3 favorites]

And so, all of the important news is now shoved off the screen, never to be seen again, because Al and Tipper are BREAKING UP, OMG.

Not sure where you get your news, but it's barely even on the front page of nytimes.com or washingtonpost.com (both have tiny headline links to their gossip pages). So, yeah.
posted by inigo2 at 10:09 AM on June 1, 2010 [3 favorites]

First the Keith and the Girl separation announcement and now this. It's been a bad week for couples I never thought would break up. Always makes me a little sad.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 10:10 AM on June 1, 2010 [2 favorites]

There are days I hate this country. This is one of them.

Yeah, I don't get why, when we have 500 24-hour newschannels, they all spend 100% of their time talking about the same thing. Diversity of audience, LET ME TEACH YOU IT.
posted by DU at 10:10 AM on June 1, 2010 [7 favorites]

In the book Inconvenient Truth, Al gore talks a lot about his family and has pictures over the years, on camping trips etc.. they really come across as a good looking and admirable couple.
posted by stbalbach at 10:10 AM on June 1, 2010

I always find it weird when people divorce after that long together. I mean, after 20 or 30 years, you'd think you'd know a person pretty much 100% and couldn't be surprised.

It's not uncommon, though; I think there might be an aspect of other significant life changes -- such as children moving out, major illness, or major career changes (such as Al Gore has gone through in the last few years, obviously) -- waking a person (or both persons) out of the routine of their lives, giving them a fresh new perspective. Sometimes that might lead a couple to renew their vows and start traveling, and sometimes that might lead a couple to realize they don't want to spend the next decades doing what they've done for the previous ones.
posted by davejay at 10:10 AM on June 1, 2010 [3 favorites]

So does she get half of the Internet?
posted by ceribus peribus at 10:11 AM on June 1, 2010 [73 favorites]

i blame ralph nader
posted by pyramid termite at 10:13 AM on June 1, 2010 [16 favorites]

[insert joke about: a) the internet; b) zappa; c) polar bears]
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 10:14 AM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

Guess they had to face the inconvenient truth.

*rimshot*

Guess he couldn't keep his marriage in the lockbox.

*muted cornet*
posted by gompa at 10:15 AM on June 1, 2010 [4 favorites]

They couldn't agree on where to set the thermostat.
posted by Knappster at 10:15 AM on June 1, 2010 [6 favorites]

The twelve year old 80s metalhead kid in me who considered Tipper Gore his arch nemesis until death slightly rejoices.
posted by The Straightener at 10:16 AM on June 1, 2010 [18 favorites]

Interesting. Reminds me a lot of how my own parents separated, two weeks after their 35th anniversary. (They're back together, and the eyes couldn't roll more.)

People do change, y'know? I see a lot of my dad in Al Gore -- crusading, jetting off here and there and getting inundated with opportunities from giant causes down to crackpot groups. My dad's not a world leader or anything, but he did get to a point in his life when other people weren't in charge of his time as much as he was. Which, for him, has been a nightmare at times, seeing as he probably has worse ADD than I do and needs a wrangler.

And right when he needed a wrangler most, my mom needed one too. We'd been out of the house for a good 10 years, and I don't even think she'd had enough breathing room at that point. She was drowning in her own opportunities. Still is.

I hope Tipper's not as much of a crazy hag as my mom was, though.
posted by Madamina at 10:16 AM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

been there, done that..

my advice... leave them alone...
posted by HuronBob at 10:16 AM on June 1, 2010

This has finally gotten me to admit that he will never run for president again. For some reason I always thought he'd give it another crack.
posted by norm at 10:17 AM on June 1, 2010

By mass email? Oh well. At least it wasn't Tweeted by Tipper.
posted by Lisitasan at 10:18 AM on June 1, 2010

Ha, pmrc! Ha, he invented the internet! Ha, global warming!

Did I get all of it? Is there more to say?
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 10:18 AM on June 1, 2010 [9 favorites]

Well I can give ol' Al and Tipper a pass in my head. It's not like Nancy Grace territory (Burl and Edna Cribbins of Possumcock, Mississippi discovering a third cousin living in an underground box for the last year and a half). I wish them well.
posted by Kskomsvold at 10:19 AM on June 1, 2010

Love means never having to say you're sorry.
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 10:21 AM on June 1, 2010 [13 favorites]

By mass email? Oh well. At least it wasn't Tweeted by Tipper.

Yeah, if they don't want to draw a lot of attention to their separation, mass email was probably not the way to go.
posted by JanetLand at 10:21 AM on June 1, 2010

I don't know why this suprised me so much bit it produced an audible gasp heard round the floor. I don't know -- even with their faux "PASSOINATE!!111" kiss in 2000, it just seemed, yeah, like they'd been together forever and that sort of thing.

PRMC aside; this makes me a sad panda.
posted by cavalier at 10:22 AM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

GLOBAL WARMING CLAIMS FIRST CASUALTY
posted by Hiker at 10:25 AM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

So does she get half of the Internet?

Al, I was looking at the settlement we approved, and there's something in my pile that I don't recognize. What's a 4chan?
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 10:30 AM on June 1, 2010 [20 favorites]

So when do Hillary and Bill admit what everyone already knows?
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 10:32 AM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

Well this calls for a celebration.
posted by geoff. at 10:33 AM on June 1, 2010 [6 favorites]

Sad, but maybe it is better that they fianally realized that after 40 years they could no longer put up with each other's bull.
posted by Gungho at 10:33 AM on June 1, 2010

Look out ladies!

Big Al is back on the prowl.

RAAAAWWWWRRR!
posted by chillmost at 10:36 AM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

This is really sad to me.

It's just as sad as Bradley Whitford and Jane Kaczmarek splitting up.
posted by zizzle at 10:37 AM on June 1, 2010 [3 favorites]

A convenient truth.
posted by blue_beetle at 10:38 AM on June 1, 2010

Yeah, I don't get why, when we have 500 24-hour newschannels, they all spend 100% of their time talking about the same thing. Diversity of audience, LET ME TEACH YOU IT.

There are, like, 5 24-hour newschannels on my cable system that report on basically the same thing. (Before that, there were, like, 3 networks and PBS that reported on basically the same thing, but only for 3 hours a day.) There are also all these channels that I don't watch, like BBC, NHK, some sort of South Asian channel, a Philipino channel, and a bunch of Spanish-language channels, that appear to report on different things, to a diversity of audience, that do not concern me very much. Ditto for some Christian-focused channels that seems to have their own news programs, entertainment channels that have their own news programs, business-focused news channels that probably will not even mention Al Gore today, and local-interest news programs that I don't care to watch.

In all events, I think your complaint about ignoring diversity of audience is a bit overblown. It seems like you are complaining that the channels that you watch because they report on the sort of stuff that attracts a lot of comments on metafilter are focusing too much on the sort of stuff that attracts a lot of comments on metafilter. Not a callout, but if you flip through your cable channels beyond the 3-4 channel band that contains CNN, CNNHN, FNC, and MSNBC, you will probably find that there is more diversity in news content than you realized (or care about).
posted by Slap Factory at 10:39 AM on June 1, 2010 [5 favorites]

This is all Blackie Lawless's fault.
posted by Wolfdog at 10:39 AM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

Lawyers are still trying to decide who gets Florida.
posted by mattdidthat at 10:40 AM on June 1, 2010 [10 favorites]

If no one else is going to say it, I will:

Al Gore is about to get more ass than a fair-trade BPA-free toilet seat.
posted by griphus at 10:41 AM on June 1, 2010 [4 favorites]

My guess is that she probably is the second lady these days. After a dutiful period of post-separation we'll find out who the Al's first lady actually is.
posted by MuffinMan at 10:41 AM on June 1, 2010 [2 favorites]

Al's gonna be chest-deep in patchouli poon. I give him a month before we hear about his death from exhaustion.
posted by davelog at 10:41 AM on June 1, 2010 [4 favorites]

Warm globally, separate locally. (sadface)
posted by 23skidoo at 10:46 AM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

I always find it weird when people divorce after that long together. I mean, after 20 or 30 years, you'd think you'd know a person pretty much 100% and couldn't be surprised.

Actually, I've heard that divorce rates spike at retirement age (as do suicides, mostly in men) because couples suddenly have to spend a lot of time together - so maybe there are surprises...
posted by Pax at 10:46 AM on June 1, 2010 [2 favorites]

(or what davejay said)
posted by Pax at 10:47 AM on June 1, 2010

After a dutiful period of post-separation we'll find out who the Al's first lady actually is.

If it's Sandra Bullock I swear I'm canceling my cable.
posted by The Bellman at 10:48 AM on June 1, 2010 [4 favorites]

HA HA DIDTN HE INVENT THE INTERNET!!!!
posted by Damn That Television at 10:49 AM on June 1, 2010 [4 favorites]

If it's Hillary I'm going to cancel my jaw.
posted by MuffinMan at 10:53 AM on June 1, 2010 [6 favorites]

Hey! Now he can finally grow his beard back!
posted by hippybear at 10:54 AM on June 1, 2010 [2 favorites]

It's Leela, isn't it.
posted by shakespeherian at 10:55 AM on June 1, 2010 [4 favorites]

But maybe, just maybe, as admirable as Al is, he is a pain in the ass to live with. You can never really tell what people's relationships are like from the outside. It is hard to plan a life with someone as your twenty-something self that remains as important to your fifty-something self. And they got married at a time where women expected to take a secondary role to their husband's.

I would wish that they could be left alone to grieve (because even if it is amicable, there is a grieving process after a long marriage), but they will be on the hotseat for now.
posted by readery at 10:56 AM on June 1, 2010 [2 favorites]

This makes me sad too, but I agree with MuffinMan. I bet Al found a new woman and wanted to pull off a split with more class than John Edwards.

And I feel you, Straightener!
posted by xenophile at 10:57 AM on June 1, 2010

Metafilter is People Magazine.
posted by Burhanistan at 10:59 AM on June 1, 2010 [2 favorites]

But maybe, just maybe, as admirable as Al is, he is a pain in the ass to live with. You can never really tell what people's relationships are like from the outside

Er, do people at that level of power and influence "live together" in the way you and I think of it? I think once you've been the Vice-President your life no longer resembles the average.
posted by The Whelk at 11:00 AM on June 1, 2010 [2 favorites]

A 40 year commitment, with multiple children and grandchildren involved, is ending and most of this thread is about how the guy is gonna bang a bunch of women? Pretty juvenile.
posted by piratebowling at 11:01 AM on June 1, 2010 [8 favorites]

How depressing would it be to have the end of your 40-year marriage become a national laughingstock? I'm just picturing the inevitable Jay Leno jokes over the next two weeks . . . ugh.
posted by Mid at 11:03 AM on June 1, 2010 [2 favorites]

This is kind of an odd thing to read about, on the day I'm getting married to my partner of 20 years. That said, people can grow apart just like they grow together, and the Gores' marriage looks like a perfect example of this.
posted by me & my monkey at 11:03 AM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

I'm going to go check Twitter to see if the right wing are making fun of him. And if they're getting as nasty as they did over Roger Ebert's sharing of his political opinion.

Okay, apparently they're more surprised than cruel. That linked blogpost they're sharing is more a list of Right Wingers' Things We Dislike about Al Gore than anything particularly mean.
posted by mccarty.tim at 11:03 AM on June 1, 2010

Hurr something something pregnant chad! Something something hockey stick chart!
posted by mccarty.tim at 11:06 AM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

um, check out #gorepickuplines - totally HAW HAW INTERNET INVENTOR! HAW HAW CAN I WARM THE GLOBE?
posted by Mid at 11:06 AM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

But maybe, just maybe, as admirable as Al is, he is a pain in the ass to live with.

"Al will you put out that dang incense and take the trash out? And don't you dare start a compost pile again. I haven't heard the end of it from Mrs. Clarence next door about the last time it spontaneously combusted. Did you know the firemen had to come by and put out her rosebushes? Of course not! You were on your damn book tour. "Inconvenient truth" my left foot. You know what's inconvenient? A fire, that's what! Are you listening to me? I don't care that you need to practice lines for your Futurama cameo. I've got Betty Ford coming over for tea in an hour. And make sure to shave! Al? Al are you listening to me, goddammit?"
posted by griphus at 11:09 AM on June 1, 2010 [4 favorites]

Further proof that Al is infinitely more honorable than his ex-boss, Bubba Clinton.

Still, I can imagine the Climate Change Denialists saying "See? If that relationship cooled off, how could we have Global Warming?!?"
posted by oneswellfoop at 11:09 AM on June 1, 2010 [3 favorites]

Awww. Well, this is too bad.
I am glad it sounds friendly enough and wish them both well.
posted by SLC Mom at 11:10 AM on June 1, 2010

Okay, apparently they're more surprised than cruel.

But they're not going let anyone forget: Al Gore is an idiot!!!!!!!!!! GLOBAL WARMING A HUGE LIE!!!!!!!!

That was comment #3. The whole comment. Comment #2 is a bit subtle: Maybe Tipper is hooking up with Ozzy Osborne, maybe she just wants some carbon credits out of the settlement, maybe she got tired of green sex.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:10 AM on June 1, 2010

Er, do people at that level of power and influence "live together" in the way you and I think of it? I think once you've been the Vice-President your life no longer resembles the average.

I can pretty easily imagine how people could grow apart when one of them is touring the world most of the year, meeting people and seeing places that the other one isn't.
posted by shakespeherian at 11:11 AM on June 1, 2010 [2 favorites]

/plays theme from Love Story IN REVERSE.
posted by Artw at 11:13 AM on June 1, 2010 [3 favorites]

I'm betting it was his unrepentant love of Gangsta Rap that did it.
posted by Artw at 11:14 AM on June 1, 2010

LIBERAL PLOT TO REDUCE AL GORE'S CARBON FOOTPRINT
posted by mullacc at 11:16 AM on June 1, 2010

Al 3: "Dad! I don't want you guys to get divorced!"

Al Jr.: "This is just one of those things that parents sometimes..."

Al 3: "But I don't want to choose between you two!"

Al Jr.: "You don't have to. I think it's about time you moved out of our summer house, got a job, got your own apartment, and acted like a fucking adult, you lazy pothead."

Al 3: "But I'm only 28."

Al Jr.: "I was only 25 when I got my own... Uh... Fuck. This is good shit. Never mind. You can chill here for a while."
posted by Bathtub Bobsled at 11:18 AM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

Rather than the more-or-less discreet, Quiet Understanding Between Two Adults most seem to suspect of Bill and Hillary, Al and Tipper go for the explicit and earnest announcement to the world.

It's sort-of sad, but has a weird and (I think) endearing quality to it-- and is, at any rate, in character.
posted by darth_tedious at 11:19 AM on June 1, 2010 [9 favorites]

I feel like everyone online is mining for low hanging jokes with high humor output, but let me warn you friends: These are fool's lols. The most you can ever derive from an Al Gore joke in this situation is a mild chuckle that could be mistaken for a cough.

Got groans, though. Plenty of groaners.
posted by mccarty.tim at 11:20 AM on June 1, 2010 [7 favorites]

It might be a fanciful idea, but maybe their marriage really was an indirect casualty of global warming. I mean, it can't be easy being married to a guy who's on a personal crusade to tell the world about a problem that the overwhelming preponderance of scientific evidence tells us is real, when somewhere approaching 30% of the population remains skeptical or unconvinced about the existence of the problem.
posted by saulgoodman at 11:22 AM on June 1, 2010 [3 favorites]

Fuck, I don't know shit about divorces or marriage or any of that, so I'll decline to comment on the actual OP.

But, off-topic -- the whole PMRC thing? In retrospect, what a dumb thing to get upset about. I mean, yeah, I was a teen, I was pissed, a good Jello Biafra boyscout all the way. But really? The PMRC was pretty harmless. If I recall correctly, they didn't even want to ban "obscene" music -- they just wanted to label it, right? And I mean, we have that now, and lo and behold, the musical universe hasn't imploded or anything. Hell, I support age limits, labeling schemes, and rating systems -- anything that keeps the kids away from the adult stuff so that adults are free to enjoy it.
posted by Afroblanco at 11:23 AM on June 1, 2010 [8 favorites]

This is just sad.
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 11:24 AM on June 1, 2010

No need for panic. He invented the Internet. He knows how to find Match.com.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 11:24 AM on June 1, 2010 [2 favorites]

I hope they don't get too lonely.
posted by Mister_A at 11:27 AM on June 1, 2010 [2 favorites]

I feel like everyone online is mining for low hanging jokes with high humor output, but let me warn you friends: These are fool's lols. The most you can ever derive from an Al Gore joke in this situation is a mild chuckle that could be mistaken for a cough.

Bears repeating... But with oil spills, dead Turks, Korean rar rar, sink holes straight out of a Roland Emmerich film, etc I'm really desperate to Lulz and I don't have much to offer in the way of insightful commentary.

I will concede and quietly step into the shadows of the Lurker.
posted by Bathtub Bobsled at 11:27 AM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

The PMRC was pretty harmless. If I recall correctly, they didn't even want to ban "obscene" music -- they just wanted to label it, right? And I mean, we have that now, and lo and behold, the musical universe hasn't imploded or anything.

Oh, except for how the largest retailer in the US will demand songs be removed or chained for albums or certain classic albums not appear on their shelves.
posted by jscott at 11:29 AM on June 1, 2010 [13 favorites]

me & my monkey: congratulations!
posted by Halloween Jack at 11:31 AM on June 1, 2010

How Al's life is going down as she packs her bags and drives away.
posted by stormpooper at 11:35 AM on June 1, 2010

I'm sorry, jscott, I really am. But I really don't care about the money, and I'd rather NOT have an album available at Wally World. Tipper's crusade might have lessened the earning power of some people who decided that that was the only way to express themselves, but she's no Anita Bryant/Pat Robertson/anyone else advocating for laws that that actively harm people.

Tipper and Al (whom I've met several times, namedrop namedrop) are gracious and friendly, and I don't care if they're nerdy and say stupid stuff. I like 'em both, and I still do.
posted by Madamina at 11:37 AM on June 1, 2010

In an Al Gore interview I read, he said he had taken home a copy of The Onion featuring the article "Gores Having Best Sex of Their Lives" and shown it to his wife, and that Tipper said, "How did they know?"

I'm sure that in 40 years, with all they've accomplished together, there were lots of wonderful moments like that. It's a shame there won't be any more of the same.

Best of luck to you, Al, and Tipper.
posted by orange swan at 11:40 AM on June 1, 2010 [7 favorites]

Al Gore is a good man and works really fucking hard on an important cause, possibly THE important cause of the Anthropocene. Tipper is who she is, it cannot have been easy as a wife to be married to someone who works as hard as Al. I feel really sorry for their family that they should endure not just a divorce but the inane and juvenile jokes that are all just oversimplified small variations on the same stupid themes. It is so easy to rimshot but so difficult to actually think for more than 5 seconds about how tough their marriage must have been. Now imagine someone saying the same things about you while you are going through a divorce - shameful.
posted by infinitefloatingbrains at 11:46 AM on June 1, 2010 [16 favorites]

I always find it weird when people divorce after that long together. I mean, after 20 or 30 years, you'd think you'd know a person pretty much 100% and couldn't be surprised.

Maybe that's the problem. Boredom can be a pretty dang powerful thing.

Disclaimer: longest relationship, 3 years, but then, I'm only 26
posted by six-or-six-thirty at 11:46 AM on June 1, 2010

I'm a bit broken up knowing that the mighty moonworm is in for a nasty custody battle.
posted by cmfletcher at 11:56 AM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

PRMC
Additional suggestions from the PMRC that appeared in an article in the Washington Post included: printing warnings and lyrics on album covers, forcing record stores to put albums with explicit covers under the counters, pressuring television stations not to broadcast explicit songs or videos, "reassess[ing]" the contracts of musicians who performed violently or sexually in concert, and creating a panel to set industry standards. This article led to the removal of rock music and magazines from American stores including Wal-Mart, J. C. Penney, Sears and Fred Meyer.

Responses Include.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 12:00 PM on June 1, 2010 [4 favorites]

In Irish music circles, I've always used the term "Tipper Gore" as a threat against off-kilter bodhran players.
posted by salishsea at 12:04 PM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

It seems, even with his scary cabal of NWO scientists, Gore could no longer "hide the decline."
posted by defenestration at 12:04 PM on June 1, 2010

Afroblanco, the up-front selling point was that the PMRC was pushing a warning label to educate parents and totally not about a ban. The understanding being, of course, that this would turn in to a de facto ban when record stores treated the Explicit Lyrics sticker like an "R" rating. This is what the local, indie music chain I worked for ended up doing after a round of bad publicity in the local media for selling to a minor.

That and the label was inconsistently applied with way more "white" music getting an artistic pass while more "black" music would get a sticker for a single instance of 'fuck' in a song.
posted by Fezboy! at 12:04 PM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

It's just as sad as Bradley Whitford and Jane Kaczmarek splitting up.

Wow, I'd never heard that. It makes me kind of sad, they always seemed so sweet together. On the other hand, it minutely increases my non-existent chances with Bradley Whitford, and since I'm still nursing an unrequited Josh Lyman crush...
posted by jacquilynne at 12:08 PM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

Aw. That's sad.
posted by zarq at 12:12 PM on June 1, 2010

So when do Hillary and Bill admit what everyone already knows?

That the fight was fixed? That the poor stay poor, the rich get rich?

That’s how it goes.

But yeah, a bit of that broken feeling.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 12:21 PM on June 1, 2010 [3 favorites]

For now and the next few hours as the global warming jokes and denials creep in here, keep in mind that the temperatures in India are hovering around 116 F.
posted by Freedomboy at 12:23 PM on June 1, 2010 [6 favorites]

Sinkholes, fires, oil spills, bees attacking Manhattan restaurants and Gores breaking up - man - these are real confusing omens.
posted by The Whelk at 12:25 PM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

Yeah, holy shit about the situation in India. I doubt we'll see a lot of climate change denies from there anytime soon.
posted by GuyZero at 12:25 PM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

It is so easy to rimshot but so difficult to actually think for more than 5 seconds about how tough their marriage must have been.

You have a vastly different definition of "tough marriage" than most.

Most people would say that a tough marriage is when one person is, say, chronically ill, unemployed or underemployed, because money is at the heart of most divorces.

Al Gore, the son of a Senator, married Tipper in 1970. He was elected to Congress in 1977. He started out set for life, and then continued to win opportunities that would keep him set for life. And while she has "worked" in several campaigns and organizations by choice, Tipper has never held a full-time job, in the way most people think of "a job." At least in the Senate, you have to show up and vote every now and again. ;-)
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:26 PM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

"Peace out, y'all!"
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:37 PM on June 1, 2010

Seen at lunchtime: Al perusing the racks at FYE, looking to bolster his Zappa collection.
posted by VicNebulous at 12:38 PM on June 1, 2010

Damn, so many jokes so little time.

"He shoulda kept the pounds off"
"I guess he can start his rap career now"
"Eh, he'll be rolling in enviro-groupies."

Hmm, I guess that's only three. And the third one was kind of whiff. Have we reached peak joke?
posted by delmoi at 12:40 PM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

Seriously, I hope they broke up because Tipper didn't want to share living space with the sentai science team Al, Elon Musk, Richard Branson, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Brian Cox are putting together. It's one thing when it's just the guys and their D&D books, but when it gets into power armor, housing your Quinjet and/or Blackbird, and getting the permits for an underground lair, that can be very stressful on a marriage.

After all, he's not going to be home much, splitting his time between world catastrophes and the lunar base.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 12:41 PM on June 1, 2010 [4 favorites]

I live in Canada, and like a lot of Canadians I view U.S. politics as a spectator sport. I have one friend who rags on the Bush regime and the American right. When this comes up in discussion, I usually like to point out that we have enough problems in our own backyard, and don't need to worry about the U.S. is doing.

One day, I took a different track. My buddy was going on another Bush bash, and I pointed out that Gore made some mistakes in his campaign for president i.e: Gore had Liebermann as a running mate when he ran against Bush (supplied some backstory), and his wife was Tipper Gore... who all my 30-something friends remember as the "rap-lyrics crusader"...

When faced with that news, my friend when all quiet and said "that was her?"... I enjoyed the rest of my lunch free of critiques of the U.S. electorate.

Seriously though, this is sad news... I thought they were a happy couple. I've tried to rip-off Al Gore's "canoe date" pictured in the "An Inconvient Truth" book a few times.
posted by Deep Dish at 12:42 PM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

Yeah, I don't get why, when we have 500 24-hour newschannels, they all spend 100% of their time talking about the same thing. Diversity of audience, LET ME TEACH YOU IT.

Dude, If you want to go for snark, the goal is to come up with things that other people will repeat. And, well, you're doing it wrong.
posted by delmoi at 12:43 PM on June 1, 2010

Oh, c'mon man, do I have to explain that I was being satirical? I'm not a global warming denialist. As David Cross once put it, "You don't believe that? Well, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. I do not actually believe what I just said. It's called a joke and I'm going to be doing a lot of them tonight."

To be more honest and straightforward:

I wish Al and Tipper the best. I wish them happiness. It couldn't have been an easy decision to make.
posted by defenestration at 12:46 PM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

That was RE: Freedomboy, BTW.
posted by defenestration at 12:46 PM on June 1, 2010

Who gives a shit?
posted by punkfloyd at 12:47 PM on June 1, 2010 [4 favorites]

In an Al Gore interview I read, he said he had taken home a copy of The Onion featuring the article "Gores Having Best Sex of Their Lives" and shown it to his wife, and that Tipper said, "How did they know?"

I'm sure that in 40 years, with all they've accomplished together, there were lots of wonderful moments like that. It's a shame there won't be any more of the same.

Well put, and worth noting that not all couples split up in a way that involves animosity or sadness. Sometimes people are just ready to do other things, and come to that conclusion together, with strong communication involved along the way.

Then again, how would we know? The media beast prefers to focus on the dramatic, and what's dramatic about two people being calm and reasonable and making changes that improve both of their lives?
posted by davejay at 12:47 PM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

Gore had Liebermann as a running mate when he ran against Bush (supplied some backstory), and his wife was Tipper Gore... who all my 30-something friends remember as the "rap-lyrics crusader

Having spent the last decade with a backdrop of constant warfare, and incidents like BP Oil Spill that seems like a really small issue... What can be said? Those were more innocent times.
posted by Deep Dish at 12:47 PM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

Tipper just kicked him out because he wouldn't stop bringing Gary Gygax, Nichelle Nichols, Steven Hawking, and Deep Blue over for late night drinking and murder binges.
posted by Pope Guilty at 12:50 PM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

everyone online is mining for low hanging jokes with high humor output

And some are just content to mix metaphors.
posted by HP LaserJet P10006 at 12:51 PM on June 1, 2010 [5 favorites]

Most people would say that a tough marriage is when one person is, say, chronically ill, unemployed or underemployed, because money is at the heart of most divorces.

Yet, people in the world who have more money than they know what to do with get divorced anyway (and commit suicide, too.) As with fame, some people have so much money that it doesn't really get measured into how they view their day-to-day lives, and some people obtain a great deal of it only to realize that it doesn't solve their problems or make them happier.

So, from that perspective, what you describe is indeed a tough marriage, but that's just a subset of all the real (emotional, physical, and logistical) issues that can lead to personal and marital problems that don't necessarily involve money or illness. If that weren't true, then nobody on earth would be wealthy, healthy and going through a painful divorce, but of course the world is full of such people.
posted by davejay at 12:51 PM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

Former Vice President of the US Al and Second Lady Tipper Gore separating after 40 years

Not so fast. They can't be officially separated until Florida makes a decision in a few months.
posted by chococat at 12:54 PM on June 1, 2010 [3 favorites]

Having spent the last decade with a backdrop of constant warfare, and incidents like BP Oil Spill that seems like a really small issue... What can be said? Those were more innocent times.

Arguably they were no more innocent than now; what's changed is that you and I have become more connected to, and invested in, the world and events going on in it. There are kids out there (as old as you and I were during the Tipper thing) who think the latest Kate Gosselin update is the worst thing going on out there.

And hell, if you go to yahoo.com as I write this, a story about the BP disaster is being presented with no more weight and importance than a story about a woman suing google or something about Los Angeles taxpayers being annoyed -- because they all aren't the latest story (which is, of course, the Al/Tipper divorce and thus given massively disproportionate weight.) Through the media we create and consume, we make it easy -- and almost mandatory -- to filter the relative importance of these stories solely by what's the newest, and by what piques our interest for the next five minutes.

Bah. I'm an old man today. Everybody get off my lawn and let me chill out.
posted by davejay at 12:57 PM on June 1, 2010 [3 favorites]

"a great deal of thought and discussion" == "nearly 40 years of silent treatment and screaming"
posted by nutate at 1:01 PM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

I don't get the respect for Al Gore. He ran a crappy campaign, distanced himself from a sitting president when the economy was running on all cylinders, and then let the election get stolen from him. He also picked Joe Lieberman as a running mate. I'm supposed to respect that?

Yes, he ran a bad campaign, and picking Joe Lieberman and distancing himself from Clinton were bad decisions. The election went to the Supreme Court and he lost, which was the end of his legal options. He gave a classy, honorable concession speech that accepted the result and called for unity and an end to partisan rancor. I believe his campaign mistakes were due to excessive caution^*, but he found his voice and became his own person after his electoral loss, becoming one of the first prominent politicians--in September 2002--to call Bush out on invading Iraq, getting distracted from Al Qaeda and Afghanistan, and "the administration's attack on fundamental constitutional rights." So no, don't respect him for his poorly-run campaign. You might consider respecting him for the way he ended it, and for what he's made of himself since. He's almost certainly the most influential loser of a presidential election in American history. (Other than people who lost and later won.)
^* I'm also not sure if he ran for president because it was important to him personally, or if it was more an obligation to do something he was essentially raised since birth to do.
posted by kirkaracha at 1:04 PM on June 1, 2010 [8 favorites]

Why am I not surprised that this thread has morphed into a referendum on the 2000 election?
posted by HP LaserJet P10006 at 1:14 PM on June 1, 2010

"Tipper just kicked him out because he wouldn't stop bringing Gary Gygax, Nichelle Nichols, Steven Hawking, and Deep Blue over for late night drinking and murder binges."

FYI: Gary's dead.
posted by Mitheral at 1:22 PM on June 1, 2010

You'd be surprised what master over spacetime can fix.
posted by Pope Guilty at 1:23 PM on June 1, 2010 [2 favorites]

Man Mr. Twisted Sister is totally getting the shaft in this conversation.
posted by stormpooper at 1:31 PM on June 1, 2010

becoming one of the first prominent politicians--in September 2002--to call Bush out on invading Iraq

To be fair, he's also one of the few politicians who can see into the future like that.
posted by shakespeherian at 1:42 PM on June 1, 2010

This is kind of an odd thing to read about, on the day I'm getting married to my partner of 20 years.

I just went to a wedding on Saturday for a couple who'd been together 20 years! It's some kind of crazy trend or something!

Mazel tov.
posted by not that girl at 1:43 PM on June 1, 2010

"May your shit come to life and kiss you on the face.

* Frank Zappa, to Tipper Gore about parental advisory labels on album covers via

looks like maybe frank's wish came true."

This is the most mean-spirited, misdirected crap I have read on the internet today. Even if Frank was right about Tipper, I doubt he would have wished this -- and whoever would is a real asshole.
posted by Clyde Mnestra at 1:49 PM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

"Tipper just kicked him out because he wouldn't stop bringing Gary Gygax, Nichelle Nichols, Steven Hawking, and Deep Blue over for late night drinking and murder binges."

FYI: Gary's dead

Well, no wonder then. The smell must have been especially awful after boys' nights.
posted by MuffinMan at 2:03 PM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

About time Al Gore got rid of that explicit lyrics dumass ball and chain. She was just holding him back from getting the nasty lyrics vote.
posted by Skygazer at 2:03 PM on June 1, 2010

Time to celebrate
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 2:05 PM on June 1, 2010

He started out set for life, and then continued to win opportunities that would keep him set for life. And while she has "worked" in several campaigns and organizations by choice, Tipper has never held a full-time job, in the way most people think of "a job."

Politicians do not have it all that great, they work long hours and have night meetings and are frequently on the road. Very few marriages can navigate that kind of arrangement without significant strain, no matter how financially well-off they may be.
posted by infinitefloatingbrains at 2:12 PM on June 1, 2010

Sad....... :(
posted by caddis at 2:13 PM on June 1, 2010

Oh, except for how the largest retailer in the US will demand songs be removed or chained for albums or certain classic albums not appear on their shelves.

You shouldn't be giving business to walmart in the first place, fool. What's the matter with you?
posted by hamida2242 at 2:23 PM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

The Politico article mentions the Gore's halloween parties while he was VP. One of my absolute coolest memories is getting to go to that one year (I think it was 96). I have a picture with some of my family and the Gores: Al was Frankenstein's Monster and Tipper was Bride of Frankenstein. I was a pirate. Good times.
posted by jermsplan at 2:28 PM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

This is the most mean-spirited, misdirected crap I have read on the internet today. Even if Frank was right about Tipper, I doubt he would have wished this -- and whoever would is a real asshole.

Seriously? It's a divorce, not prostate cancer. Going through a divorce is a bummer, but not something so serious we can't make jokes or chide at. To her face, yes that would be remarkably brash, but I doubt ole' Tip has a handle on the blue. Up thread I've seen a few "Well, I was against the PMRC, but I can put that aside to offer my condolences...

How polite of you, but save your regard for people in Guatemala, Gaza, the Gulf, Korea, etc... Those are tragic circumstances. THIS is a stupid divorce. Knowing what we know about the political sphere, I can guarantee she has PLENTY of people around her who know what she's going through and can offer support.

Assuming we know anything about this at all. For all we know she was gettin' down with the pool boy. I'm sorry for the groundless jecture, but I'm just offering perspective on this.

Lastly, as the head of the PMRC, as someone who considered herself the gatekeeper and spokesperson of family values, I think one could argue she is in a position to have to answer for it:

"Mrs. Ex-Gore, can you explain why you saw it fit to attack our music and art as contributers to the downfall of family values? Perhaps to enlighten us, can you tell us what Al and you had on your respective playlists around the time your marriage fell apart?"

I may not agree that this is the case, and definitely, it is a perverse question to ask at this time, but I don't think the current circumstances absolve her from any previous statements or political stances. If anything it's a concern for Blue decorum (thread derail) rather than social.
posted by Bathtub Bobsled at 2:29 PM on June 1, 2010

Who gives a shit?

Yes! It's not a real Metafilter thread until someone shows up and makes sure everyone knows they don't care about the subject of the post.
posted by Caduceus at 2:30 PM on June 1, 2010 [12 favorites]

Politicians do not have it all that great, they work long hours and have night meetings and are frequently on the road. Very few marriages can navigate that kind of arrangement without significant strain, no matter how financially well-off they may be.

Of course, if Al was a patriot, he would have gone the traditional Real-American route and taken a rent boy on a book tour, rather than airing his dirty laundry like this and dishonoring the sanctity of marriage. Socialist!
posted by Pickman's Next Top Model at 2:31 PM on June 1, 2010

Bathtub Bobsled,

There are worse things happening every second, but I haven't recently read too many like expressions of "they had it coming to them" -- though I grant you it's consistent with the Hillsboro Baptist line of logic, or what some said about Katrina. And we can always *conjecture* that one or both had it coming to them, but that seems to me to fall below the ordinary level of discourse.

As to your question to "Mrs. Ex-Gore," I am unaware that she'd taken the position that all family distresses were due to music.
posted by Clyde Mnestra at 2:40 PM on June 1, 2010

I guess we disagree with what the original commenter meant. I got the impression that he/she was referencing Zappa's quote as a "This is what Frank said in a backhanded manner, and one could assert he accidentally prophesized this because the 'shit' being her husband, turned out to be a bad deal (the kiss on stage at the DNC) and now she's getting divorced." I read it as a "Peculiar how something like this happened," rather than a "Ha ha, it's exactly as he wished." But that would require a discussion with the commenter, and an unecessary thread derail.

As to your question to "Mrs. Ex-Gore," I am unaware that she'd taken the position that all family distresses were due to music.

Again, I had said that someone could raise the argument that if someone puts themselves in a position to say "I stand for family values" then they open themselves up for the Glass Houses v. Stones precedent when their family doesn't stand the test of time.

Yes, it would be in poor taste, but poor taste doesn't mean "unwarranted." The hypothetical question I used is just that. She never mentioned music as the cause, I'm asserting that if there is going to be a thread derail on that question, it's not so much impolite to the current state of affairs with Ms. Gore, it's more a question of how off-topic it is for the blue.
posted by Bathtub Bobsled at 2:54 PM on June 1, 2010

Yes! It's not a real Metafilter thread until someone shows up and makes sure everyone knows they don't care about the subject of the post.Who gives a shit?
posted by punkfloyd at 3:05 PM on June 1, 2010

This is the most mean-spirited, misdirected crap I have read on the internet today. Even if Frank was right about Tipper, I doubt he would have wished this -- and whoever would is a real asshole.

hi clyde, asshole here. i don't know if you were around for the pmrc, including the senate hearings where frank zappa was front & center--and where he essentially hung his ass out in front of the entire world and was a tad bitter because it was hanging out there mostly alone, although a few others, including jello biafra and (of all people) john denver took a public stand. zappa was no fan of tipper and could probably write an entire series of books to contain his hatred of her. correction: hatred of her opinions, which she used her position to promote, while whipping the middle class into a frenzy of fear that their little darlings were on the fast track to hell because of music lyrics and album covers.

i will try to sum up zappa's opinion of tipper: he thought she was a privileged myopic twit given to condemnation without investigation & censorship without understanding. zappa was no fan of tipper. i don't know what his opinion of al might be, but i doubt it would be the hem-kissing going on in this thread.

divorce can be a sad & brutal thing; it can also be 'a mutual and mutually supportive decision ... following a process of long and careful consideration.' i.e., it's not always the end of the world, as some are positing here.

i doubt that zappa would have really cared either way, but i suspect he would have leaned toward some satisfaction if it was the former rather than the latter.
posted by msconduct at 3:15 PM on June 1, 2010

I just hope that Al Gore's hosts while he finds a new place get good advice about how to deal with having him as a houseguest.
posted by deanc at 3:16 PM on June 1, 2010

Bathtub Bobsled: "Seriously? It's a divorce, not prostate cancer. Going through a divorce is a bummer, but not something so serious we can't make jokes or chide at. "

I'll venture that a lot of people would rather die in their current relationship than deal with the long-term emotional ramifications of losing that person through divorce. I don't know if either of the Gores are one of them, but neither do you.
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 3:23 PM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

Clyde -

Never mind. It appears you read it correctly.

Disregard my rebuttal.
posted by Bathtub Bobsled at 3:24 PM on June 1, 2010

I'll venture that a lot of people would rather die in their current relationship than deal with the long-term emotional ramifications of losing that person through divorce.

Ok, wow... I'm fairly certain you're wrong on that. If you truly love the person, I'd imagine you'd rather see them live with someone else than die painfully... but... ok, Fine. Work with what you said and go with it.

I'm done. I've definitely contributed to the derail, so I'll just go back to lurking like I promised. I not only bring little to the table, I apparently cause digressions, as well.

Sorry. Bye.
posted by Bathtub Bobsled at 3:29 PM on June 1, 2010

Seriously bummed about the divorce, y'all.

Still, Al can totally hang at my place as long as he needs to get on his feet again.

He can help me install my solar water heater. I'll give him backrubs.

What?
posted by darkstar at 3:36 PM on June 1, 2010

How depressing would it be to have the end of your 40-year marriage become a national laughingstock? I'm just picturing the inevitable Jay Leno jokes over the next two weeks . . . ugh.

That's true, but just as they get to enjoy the benefits of fame, they also have to endure the difficulties. It does suck, but being so famous that the world wants to know about your marriage is a good problem to have, relatively speaking.
posted by krinklyfig at 4:08 PM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

* I'm also not sure if he ran for president because it was important to him personally, or if it was more an obligation to do something he was essentially raised since birth to do.

Yeah, did you notice how happy and loose he looked after it was all over? I tend to think he was relieved. I don't think he saw becoming the president as his own destiny as much as other people saw that in him.
posted by krinklyfig at 4:12 PM on June 1, 2010

First the Keith and the Girl separation announcement and now this...

WHAT no way. Wha happa?!
posted by the littlest brussels sprout at 4:28 PM on June 1, 2010

So Al has been getting his climate warmed elsewhere. Not surprising -- that's how life goes in Washington and Hollywood, and he had feet planted in both worlds. Double jeopardy!
posted by PlanoTX at 4:32 PM on June 1, 2010

divorce can be a sad & brutal thing; it can also be 'a mutual and mutually supportive decision ... following a process of long and careful consideration.' i.e., it's not always the end of the world, as some are positing here.

i doubt that zappa would have really cared either way, but i suspect he would have leaned toward some satisfaction if it was the former rather than the latter.

So, you suspect that Zappa would have taken satisfaction if the Gore separation were "a sad & brutal thing"? We differ. If you are right, or to the extent you're expressing your own wishes, we also would differ as to whether this is just, though perhaps I shouldn't have said that only an asshole would have such a view.

To answer your question, I am keenly familiar with the Gore-Zappa disagreement. Zappa was a very effective advocate for his view, which is fairly close to my own -- though I thought he overstated the harm and understated the utility of labeling.
posted by Clyde Mnestra at 4:33 PM on June 1, 2010

So, do you think Tipper is dating?
posted by briank at 4:41 PM on June 1, 2010

What was Tipper's public reaction, if any, to Zappa's death?
posted by Spatch at 4:43 PM on June 1, 2010

It's just as sad as Bradley Whitford and Jane Kaczmarek splitting up.

Total fucking derail here:

At first I thought you meant Brad Whitford of Aerosmith and some super-model I never heard of, but thank god Wikipedia set me straight.

Having said that, I reflected on Ms. Kaczmarek's cool last name. I grew up near Detroit with tons of Zabkiewiczes, Schmanskis, and Petatrowskis. None of them moved down here to North Carolina. I'm currently unattached and for a winsome second thought "I'd like a girlfriend with a cool Polish last name." But I'll be okay, I got a couple of fudge bars in the freezer, and I have a big day at work tomorrow. I'll be fine, thanks everybody.

Sorry to hear about Al and Tipper. I hope they both end being happy and can go through this with a modicum of dignity and privacy.
posted by marxchivist at 4:47 PM on June 1, 2010

So, you suspect that Zappa would have taken satisfaction if the Gore separation were "a sad & brutal thing"?

i suspect he really wouldn't have cared either way.
posted by msconduct at 4:47 PM on June 1, 2010

Will be sad but unsurprised to see him marrying someone much younger within a year (someone he's already having a relationship with, probably) and having a second family at sixty-whatever.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 4:50 PM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

(Slightly o/t but marxchivist, when I moved to NC I had a nice little -ski maiden name and was asked on more than one occasion how long I had been in America... a far cry from Chicago where three syllables and basic phonetic pronunciation made mine one of the easier names.)
posted by Sweetie Darling at 4:53 PM on June 1, 2010

Slavic names are awesome.
posted by Pope Guilty at 5:01 PM on June 1, 2010

This is a sore spot for me, but I always feel bad for the adult children. I'm sure part of the thinking is that they are grown now and this isn't about them. But this kind of thing is painful, regardless of the age. I'd be crushed if my parents split, and I'm a grown man.
posted by SpacemanStix at 5:05 PM on June 1, 2010

First the Keith and the Girl separation announcement and now this...

WHAT no way. Wha happa?!

They announced on Friday's show (#1190, "A Whole New World") that they're broken up- and have been for a year and half! Had to keep it quiet to avoid losing the advance on their relationship book!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 5:11 PM on June 1, 2010

Slavic names are awesome.

Having spent half my life spelling and re-spelling my Slavic surname for other people, I have to disagree.
posted by the littlest brussels sprout at 5:12 PM on June 1, 2010

ThePinkSuperhero -- That's insane. I really couldn't tell. (Maybe it will be revealed as a big Danny Lobell-esque bit...)
posted by the littlest brussels sprout at 5:17 PM on June 1, 2010

I think they were waiting for the kids to die of old age.

I feel bad for the kids, but I think we have this idea perpetuated by Hollywood that "And they lived happily ever after" is an inevitability, specifically, marriage until death. The inherent expectation that things are all supposed to work out, even with both parties exerting their best efforts is simply untrue in many cases. To stay together under some circumstances is a willful act of emotional destruction to both parties.

Now the Gores get to have a new adventure. Maybe both of them will fall in love with other great people that all of the children will like! I hope that is the case. The Gores and at least half of their children presumably had many, many years of some sort of positive stability in their lives which is more than a lot of children get in this world. I do hope no philandering is involved though, because I think that could possibly leave a lot more scar tissue. And maybe it's just me, but I'm really getting tired of leaders I like engaging in extra-marital dalliances. I know these things happen, but it's beginning to give me the red ass.
posted by CarsonDyle at 5:47 PM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

I mean, after 20 or 30 years, you'd think you'd know a person pretty much 100% and couldn't be surprised.

Maybe that's the problem. "What are you doing today Al?" "Lecturing and then I've got a cameo on 30 Rock, same as always. You?" "I'm getting to work on this bottle of absinthe, naturally." "Well, kisses." "Kisses."
posted by turgid dahlia at 6:11 PM on June 1, 2010

Why is this of any import whatsoever to anyone?
posted by drogien at 6:27 PM on June 1, 2010

This just lacks the meat of a good political scandal, as there's no hypocrisy or skulduggery. They're two consenting adults doing what they agree is best for both of them, and even as an American, I have trouble getting upset over that.

Aren't we due for another gay sex Republican scandal by now? I mean, "HE WAS MOVING MY LUGGAGE!" is starting to get just a little bit old.
posted by mccarty.tim at 6:40 PM on June 1, 2010

A to the L to the G-O-R-E

I’m sweeter than candy, faster than a grand prix

A twister outa Tennessee, headin’ for the G-O-P

Coz it’s time for a dose of the vitamin G

I’m the Veep goin’ deep, gonna leap to a sweep

But wake up, don’t ya fret it just yet

A-G’s got props, I invented the internet
posted by uncanny hengeman at 7:44 PM on June 1, 2010

It's actually Lazar and Dragan but I spell them like that for comedy reasons. Tobor is Robot spelt backwards which is why that one is cool.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 7:48 PM on June 1, 2010

Since they changed the divorce laws in Japan to allow divorced women a cut of their husband's pension, divorces shot up. In fact, a lot of women waited specifically until the day the law went into effect. Since the change, there's been a good amount of talk in Japan about retired husbands essentially being in the way. For forty years or so, the husband has worked, say, six days a week, and worked late for most of those days. The wife has developed her own life, with friends, hobbies, possibly work, and resents suddenly having a shiftless layabout in her way when she's actually quite busy. A whole cottage industry has popped up, with books, classes, and support groups for retired Japanese men, teaching them basic things like cooking, doing laundry, and trying to actually be nice to their wife.

I can easily see something like this happening with the Gore's. Al Gore is pretty far from retired, but I imagine he's home a lot more often now. I'd say it's a shame they're splitting up, but I don't think it is, really. They say it's mutual, and more than likely, they'll both be happier now. In fact, good for them for being willing to split up, rather than stay together because of public opinion.
posted by Ghidorah at 7:48 PM on June 1, 2010

ThePinkSuperhero -- That's insane. I really couldn't tell. (Maybe it will be revealed as a big Danny Lobell-esque bit...)

Heh, that's what everyone was thinking... but so far, it seems to be real :(
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:56 PM on June 1, 2010

Er, do people at that level of power and influence "live together" in the way you and I think of it? I think once you've been the Vice-President your life no longer resembles the average.
--The Whelk

Yeah I hear that they give you bullet proof underwear and a jet pack after you've been Vice President.
posted by eye of newt at 8:05 PM on June 1, 2010

And Tobor should actually be Tibor and much to my chagrin I noticed I missed a line from Jib Jab's Al Gore lyrics so I'll just shut up now.

Except to add that Slobodan is also a very cool Slavic name.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 8:16 PM on June 1, 2010

Yeah I hear that they give you bullet proof underwear and a jet pack after you've been Vice President.

I think the levels of Bidness and public exposure and travel and security and money and whatnot would warp said life away from what a normal couple would get by a long shot but whatevers.
posted by The Whelk at 9:07 PM on June 1, 2010

Yeah I hear that they give you bullet proof underwear and a jet pack after you've been Vice President.

Oh, so that must've been what was going on with that photo of Dick Cheney - nobody told him that the jetpack wasn't supposed to go inside the underwear.
posted by UbuRoivas at 9:44 PM on June 1, 2010

I think once you've been the Vice-President your life no longer resembles the average.

Yeah I hear that they give you bullet proof underwear and a jet pack after you've been Vice President.

I think the levels of Bidness and public exposure and travel and security and money and whatnot would warp said life away from what a normal couple would get by a long shot but whatevers.
-- The Whelk

You lose the security after six months. And most Vice Presidents are quickly forgotten and probably live fairly mundane, average lives. Al Gore's life was far from average because he was Al Gore, not because he was a Vice President.
posted by eye of newt at 9:45 PM on June 1, 2010

There's an awful lot of comments from people who are sad about this. This doesn't seem logical to me.

Two people I don't know on a personal level, have made a mutual decision that they will be better off apart than staying together. Isn't that a reason to be happy for them, if anything? Not that it's anyone's business....

Perhaps this is about how 'sad' it is that people 'fail' in marriage? Is marriage really a life-long algebra exam?

If your measure of a successful married life is based on how long the marriage lasts... wouldn't Al and Tippy get at least a B+ ?
posted by joz at 9:54 PM on June 1, 2010

Bill and Hillary next.
posted by A189Nut at 11:55 PM on June 1, 2010

Slavic names are awesome.

Having spent half my life spelling and re-spelling my Slavic surname for other people, I have to disagree.

They have awesome first names like Laser and Dragon and Tobor

I once knew an athletic chap by the name of Dragon Nastic. In my mind - only - he secretly wanted to be called "Jim."
posted by MuffinMan at 12:57 AM on June 2, 2010

I sentence all of the people who made Al Gore jokes in this tread to compulsory viewing of Jay Leno's next 10 monologues, in which all of your jokes will be repeated over and over.
posted by Mid at 11:22 AM on June 2, 2010 [1 favorite]

Sweetie Darling: "Will be sad but unsurprised to see him marrying someone much younger within a year (someone he's already having a relationship with, probably) and having a second family at sixty-whatever."

Wait, what? Why will you be sad?
posted by yaymukund at 11:22 AM on June 2, 2010

Did I get all of it? Is there more to say?
Man-Bear-Pig will kill us all!
posted by nomisxid at 12:29 PM on June 2, 2010

I'm with SweetieDarling: he probably found a new, younger Tipper. Somehow they always do, and we can't think anybody's above that sort of thing any more.
posted by jenfullmoon at 4:05 PM on June 2, 2010

It seems classless to speculate about a man betraying his wife without any evidence. It's as likely that they've grown into different people, or the spark's gone out, or they've come across some particular belief or idea that they can't agree on and can't forgive. There's as many reasons for breaking up as there are couples. While I'm fine with mocking them for the things they've done, I'd rather not shit on them by pre-emptively deciding that one or the other is guilty of something there isn't any good reason to suspect they've done.
posted by Pope Guilty at 4:49 PM on June 2, 2010

I think I've posted this here before, but after Zappa spoke in front of Congress, he invited the Gore family back for dinner. They accepted, became fast friends, and he convinced Tipper to stop her PMRC thing, or so the story goes (and note she don't do that no more...)

The recording of Al Gore on Zappa's Porn Wars track is really sweet - he sounds like such a Zappa fanboy - "I know you won't believe this, but I'm your biggest fan."
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 11:05 PM on June 3, 2010 [2 favorites]

And also with Bat Boy, who cares?
posted by Pope Guilty at 12:22 PM on June 15, 2010

Disturbing update from the NY Times.
posted by marsha56 at 1:12 AM on June 24, 2010

The woman “refuses to cooperate with the investigation or even report a crime,” the report states.

...

Detective Mary Wheat, a Portland police spokeswoman, said the woman contacted detectives this month and asked for a copy of her statement. The woman, according to Detective Wheat, said she planned to take her case to the news media.

You know, I hate to be suspicious of a woman who says she was sexually assaulted, but...
posted by Pope Guilty at 1:28 AM on June 24, 2010

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Al Gore, bachelor June 1, 2010 9:54 AM Subscribe

Al Gore, bachelor
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