Your Asshat of the Week: Perez Hilton

Before we get to the results of this week's poll a moment of seriousness. Our asshat nominees this time out sparked an intense debate amongst our readers, and I wanted to address some of the comments that expressed shock and dismay that we would ever include a gossip blogger in the same voting category as a religious leader who uses violence to suppress the political will of the people of Iran. If I understand the concerns correctly, some readers felt doing so absurdly inflates Perez Hilton's importance while simultaneously diminishing in scope Khamenei's despotism.

Those concerns are valid ones, and we certainly want to recognize that our silly weekly asshat crown would, had he won it, hardly have done justice to Khamenei's crimes against humanity. Even before this latest election fraud, the Iranian government's record on human rights has been horrific, including even the execution of gay teenagers by hanging.

Obviously, no one on the staff or amongst our readers could seriously equate Hilton's misbehavior with a political despot as accomplished as Iran's supreme leader. But this is primarily a gay pop culture and entertainment site, so it is perhaps no surprise that Hilton and other, minor, pop culture figures might figure prominently in our asshat of the week contest.

That being said, I personally, and I'm sure many of our readers, are looking for ways (however symbolic) to express solidarity and concern for the people of Iran.

Photo credit: Getty Images

But now, the results of this week's asshat contest.....

Results: Brace yourselves, Perez Hilton won the damn thing with nearly two-thirds of the vote. Khamenei was the only other nominee to even register, taking 30%.

The most common write-in candidate this week was All of the Above.

We'll be back with another Smackdown on Wednesday, when your votes will determine which blowhard, homophobe, harridan and/or self-righteous harpie will inherit the Asshat crown next week. Feel like nominating anyone? Please share in the comments!

Photo credit: Getty Images