Comments on: The Backlash Against The New Yorker Backlash http://www.bloggernews.net/116786 High-quality English language analysis and editorial writing on the news. Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:58:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: The Stiletto http://www.bloggernews.net/116786#comment-419639 The Stiletto Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:45:56 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/116786#comment-419639 Maybe they would have ignored it if The Huffington Post's Rachel Sklar hadn't hyperventilated and made a federal case out of it. If you read her stuff you know she can be funny when she wants to be, so it's amazing that she is so humorless. But them maybe it's her editor who is the funny one. The Stiletto very much appreciates that you find value in what she does, especially since we are not always in agreement. The tone of political discourse has gotten so ugly that your open-mindedness is the exception. Maybe they would have ignored it if The Huffington Post’s Rachel Sklar hadn’t hyperventilated and made a federal case out of it. If you read her stuff you know she can be funny when she wants to be, so it’s amazing that she is so humorless. But them maybe it’s her editor who is the funny one.

The Stiletto very much appreciates that you find value in what she does, especially since we are not always in agreement. The tone of political discourse has gotten so ugly that your open-mindedness is the exception.

]]> By: Mark Mercer http://www.bloggernews.net/116786#comment-419529 Mark Mercer Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:01:11 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/116786#comment-419529 Stiletto--I too wondered why the Obama camp reacted at all to this. They should have stuck to their initial reaction, something to the effect of "We just don't have any response at all to this." As the publicity mounted, along with the pressure to say something, they should have made this work somewhat in their favor by saying that The New Yorker was making the same point Obama has been making--that the attacks about him being a Muslim, etc., etc., are laughable. Taking it so seriously makes him look guilty. I do know from writing a lot of satires (including one here about all the dumb "Anti-Christ" emails) that quite a number of people are strictly concrete thinkers and they just don't get satire. One pseudo-Christian site reprinted my email parody, in its entirety and without permission, and called me a "nut bag." Considering the source, I considered that a compliment worth bragging about. You've hit the nail on the head here, and in fewer words than I've used in my response. We don't always agree, but I always enjoy your writings and your intelligent research and presentation style. Hope you go far, and best of luck to you. --Mark Mercer Stiletto–I too wondered why the Obama camp reacted at all to this. They should have stuck to their initial reaction, something to the effect of “We just don’t have any response at all to this.” As the publicity mounted, along with the pressure to say something, they should have made this work somewhat in their favor by saying that The New Yorker was making the same point Obama has been making–that the attacks about him being a Muslim, etc., etc., are laughable. Taking it so seriously makes him look guilty. I do know from writing a lot of satires (including one here about all the dumb “Anti-Christ” emails) that quite a number of people are strictly concrete thinkers and they just don’t get satire. One pseudo-Christian site reprinted my email parody, in its entirety and without permission, and called me a “nut bag.” Considering the source, I considered that a compliment worth bragging about.

You’ve hit the nail on the head here, and in fewer words than I’ve used in my response. We don’t always agree, but I always enjoy your writings and your intelligent research and presentation style. Hope you go far, and best of luck to you.

–Mark Mercer

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