National Review Writer Shredded For Declaring Aretha Franklin’s Vocals Don’t Match Kelly Clarkson’s
I take no pleasure in reporting this, but National Review contributing columnist Dan McLaughlin — better known online as “the baseball crank” — back with another Galaxy brain-level take.
In light of the passing of iconic soul singer Aretha Franklin, McLaughlin penned an obituary for the National Review claiming that Franklin is actually not as talented as Kelly Clarkson and Linda Ronstadt.
“I might not rate her as the single greatest female vocalist of the rock era,” McLaughlin wrote today. “Kelly Clarkson and Linda Ronstadt come to mind as more versatile across musical genres and more varied in their emotional resonances.”
This absurd take from McLaughlin — one that was published just after the death of Franklin, no less — further cemented the columnist’s status online as “the baseball crank.” The meme — which references McLaughlin’s Twitter handle @baseballcrank, his New York Mets mascot themed avatar, and generally ridiculous opinions — was created by the popular leftist podcast Chapo Trap House, and was meant to mock conservatives in the NeverTrump movement.
“The baseball crank avatar … it’s just, the anguished rictus of the Republican anti-Trump people,” Chapo Trap House host Will Menaker said. “Whenever I see anybody bitching and moaning on the right about Trump’s ascendancy, I just imagine their face taking on that horrified Boschian nightmare agony of the Baseball Crank.”
While “the baseball crank” meme has faded in relevancy since the 2016 election, McLaughlin still routinely publishes outrageous takes in National Review that are frequently dunked on by Twitter users.
Behold the latest roasting of “the baseball crank” below:
lol, just saw the National Review obituary for Aretha Franklin that went out of it’s way to say she wasn’t as good as Kelly Clarkson or Linda Ronstadt pic.twitter.com/4xLEYeLirE
— Nathan McDermott (@natemcdermott) August 17, 2018
I don’t have the words to describe how beautiful and perfect it is that The Baseball Crank wrote an obituary for Aretha Franklin in the National Review where he states that Kelly Clarkson was a better singer
— Will?Menaker (@willmenaker) August 17, 2018
National Review opposed civil rights legislation, and this is still top-5 whitest sentences it has ever published. https://t.co/CWOoIY8WT0
— George Zornick (@gzornick) August 17, 2018
Not a joke: National Review says Aretha Franklin was pretty good, but she was no Kelly Clarkson! https://t.co/eW5GVBq88M pic.twitter.com/6UTom9BAVp
— Ian Samuel (@isamuel) August 17, 2018
Of course it’s the fucking baseball crank https://t.co/QyscKoaEg2
— Asawin Suebsaeng (@swin24) August 17, 2018
— Ashley Feinberg (@ashleyfeinberg) August 17, 2018
OH MY GOD WAIT IT GETS BETTER pic.twitter.com/B8byOkW7d1
— Ashley Feinberg (@ashleyfeinberg) August 17, 2018
Baseball Crank strikes again. https://t.co/Hg6z3GAfsJ
— haunted lowlife dog (@zandywithaz) August 17, 2018
This is, and I’m not kidding, written by the Baseball Crank. https://t.co/CCixRutWPj
— Ryan Thibodaux (@NotMrTibbs) August 17, 2018
oh, this is by dan mclaughlin, baseball crank. makes sense. https://t.co/EDOXpxMBnb
— Noah Berlatsky (@nberlat) August 17, 2018
According to the cultured geniuses at National Review… Kelly Clarkson was a better vocalist than Aretha Franklin pic.twitter.com/yecxMl73UZ
— Andrew Kirell (@AndrewKirell) August 17, 2018
mfw you rank kelly clarkson ahead of aretha franklin pic.twitter.com/buKgfJXqvE
— Tom Kludt (@TomKludt) August 17, 2018
LOL: “I might not rate [Aretha Franklin] as the single greatest female vocalist of the rock era — Kelly Clarkson and Linda Ronstadt come to mind as more versatile across musical genres and more varied in their emotional resonances…” https://t.co/uKgm6xlP1e
— Zack Stanton (@zackstanton) August 17, 2018
Kelly Clarkson won the original American Idol with an Aretha Franklin song. https://t.co/wyFlI8FZGR
— Jacqui Cheng (@ejacqui) August 17, 2018
[image via screengrab]
