bq. Every day, though, I see in the faces of men around me the longing that led me to the reservoir that night, and every day I shudder at the thought that one of them could have been sent to further my indoctrination. I turn away from their stares, I do not return their kind words, and I petition people in power to recognize the grotesque threat among us.
“Matthew Cheney”:http://mumpsimus.blogspot.com/2005/06/indoctrination.html stakes a strong claim for the office of Elder Tentacled Abomination in the Order of the Shrill.
{ 13 comments }
Barry 06.10.05 at 11:50 am
That was very nice. Was it unaltered from the original?
bi 06.10.05 at 12:10 pm
About the _other_ Matthew, here’s another nice piece of, um, fiction.
Billings 06.10.05 at 10:49 pm
But. . .but . . . isn’t satire supposed to be funny?
bigd504 06.10.05 at 10:58 pm
Is the award for Elder Tentacled Abomination presented with a flaming hot pink star on a puce ribbon?
ry 06.11.05 at 3:02 am
It would’ve been interesting, except that I grew up in Orange County(behind the Orange Curtain as those raised in Berkeley used to tell me), did sex ed there, and let me tell you we didn’t just do abstinance education in high school. That set the screed alarm off(real buzzkill if you’re trying to enjoy a piece of fiction).
Plus: oh yes, look at those who disagree as H.P. Lovecraft abominations lurking in the dark. How deep. How enlightened. Sigh.
Good chuckle if you can get past the screed-ness(and I might have too if it wasn’t for the OC bit).
moni 06.11.05 at 5:33 am
I’m thick and confused… It is satire, isn’t it?
Please someone answer in earnest :)
Barry 06.11.05 at 7:24 am
ry,
The article asserts that view to Republicans. And considering the remarks and laws emanating from their leadership, that’s a fair view.
Uncle Kvetch 06.11.05 at 7:46 am
Plus: oh yes, look at those who disagree as H.P. Lovecraft abominations lurking in the dark.
RY, I thought the whole point was that “those who disagree” most certainly regard me, by virtue of the fact that I love someone of my own gender, as little more than an abomination in the dark–definitely not as a fully fledged citizen deserving equal rights and protections under the law. And they want public policy to reflect that view. Given these facts, I hardly think any line was crossed here.
Winston Smith 06.11.05 at 12:12 pm
Oh, look, it’s gotta be satire (satyre?). ‘Course, it says something about the state of the debate that it’s not immediately clear whether it is or not…
ry 06.11.05 at 6:30 pm
Uncle, is that the case or is that what you hear in a rather self-reinforcing circle of like minded individuals?
So what if people don’t like what you do and why does that immediately lead to robbing one of their humanity and citizenship? YOu cannot vote Uncle? There aren’t laws that protect you from work place/housing discrimination? How is that any less a level of protection that I as a hetero male get?
It definately crosses the line in that it is part and parcel of the trend that defines ‘evil’ down. Anything we don’t like immediately gets compared and likened to the greatest evils of human history(Holocaust, Fascism, Salem Witch Trials, The Terror of the French Rev, etc). It furthers the demonization, the robbing of opponents of anything remotely human, in the hopes of seizing ‘moral high ground’.
Essentially this ‘satire’ makes the point that everyone who was born or grew up in a region is a ‘rethuglican’ or ‘theocon’ simply for having been born there(isn’t that rather a sign of bigotry? Or is it okay to be a bigot for the ‘right causes’?).
Like I said afore: if you can get past these rather LARGE elements it’s a funny bit. But it IS a great example of the level of discourse nowdays(‘You’re an evil slumbich.’ “No, you’re an evil slumbich.” “No, you’re an evil slumbich.” ad infinitum).
Billings 06.11.05 at 6:54 pm
Oh, I didn’t pick up on the self pity. I understand now.
Jack 06.12.05 at 2:40 am
Ry, I think you are jumping the gun. Read the piece and say what you feel then. You’ll find out who are supposed to be bewitched cultists in the post.
I’d like to know what you think of the quote to which the piece is a response. I think it is a good target for your reasonable concerns about the cheapening of rhetoric.
billings, surely you ought to be funny?
Uncle Kvetch 06.12.05 at 10:53 am
Uncle, is that the case or is that what you hear in a rather self-reinforcing circle of like minded individuals?
I never thought of it that way before, RY. I now see that Rick Santorum isn’t actually a US Senator, but rather a figment of my overheated imagination. Thanks for clearing that up.
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