Home > Thinking Right > Archives > 2006 > November > 13
Monday, November 13, 2006
Blogging real
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Something about blogging is like an in-flight conversation with a person you’ll never again see. It invites confessions. Herewith, then, are some about blogging and me.
After six months, I am struck by how much of it is improvisational theater. People play roles. Often I think contributors, and liberals in particular, are effecting the voices they despise, projecting themselves to be bigots or religious fanatics, for example, because to their ear that’s the way conservatives talk, especially social conseratives. We aren’t and we don’t. Southerners, though, having heard the accent-in-parody throughout our lives, develop a finely-tuned ear — and eye —for the real deal. The gay marriage debate produced an unusually heavy volume of pretenders.
A lot of name-calling occurs in the blogosphere, too. I’ll admit that some of it is pretty creative and entertaining — invective the way it used to be before political correctness de-flowered public people of originality, lest they trip up and say somthing like “handicapped” instead of “disabled” or “differently abled.” Anyway, it’s hard for today’s blogosphere invective to top some of history’s masters. Who could forget reading about Virginian John B. Randolph’s characterization of his fellow Congressman, Henry Clay of Kentucky: “This being, so brilliant yet so corrupt, which, like a rotten mackerel by moonlight, shined and stunk.” A duel followed. (Disallowed on this blog, or flowing from exchanges on it.) Or earlier, British politician John Wilkes’ response to the Earl of Sandwich’s prediction that Wilkes would die on the gallows or of venereal disease. “That depends, my lord,” replied Wilkes, “whether I embrace your principles or your mistress.” (The exchange is also attributed to others; Thinking Right can’t even know for certain who posts now, much less who tossed an original barb then.)
As for the names liberals call me here and elsewhere — wingnut, right-wing loon, goose-stepping fascist and the like —have no worry. I have an older and bigger brother who was both inventive with names and positioned to apply them by brute force. And I’ve been married for the better part of 40 years, so all of my shortcomings have been noted with great insight, comprehensive analysis, and all subjected to a strictly supervised rehabilitation regimen. So flail away. But don’t expect “do-do head” to send me to therapy or convert me to liberalism. My brother started there.
Today’s questions, housekeeping of sorts, has to do with the blog, the conversation and the tone. What do you look for here? What would you like to lose? And do the games others play amuse or turn you off?
