Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Angry or silly American?

An earlier post showing mash-up photos of Barack Obama has upset an anonymous reader. This US citizen is galled by the photo that combines Obama with Osama. Context is everything though as the Obama/Osama photo is contrasted with and Obama/Terminator mash-up. The point I was trying to make was the contrast; some see Obama as hero, some as villian. I didn't think it was unduly critical of Obama and elsewhere I've made clear my respect and admiration for him.

I've been at pains to explain all this in the accompanying thread however my anonymous critic is unsatisfied. There's a point at which, particularly when the rhetoric escalates out of proportion, any and all criticism ceases to be credible. I think my critic crosses that threshold quite early when he suggested I be hanged (second post) and then in a later tirade against all manner of liberal interests. Correcting my grammar annoyed me too - I don't often closely check blog writing, it's meant to be an immediate media - particularly when my critic's own writing was short on some of the basics.

I wonder if the person's genuinely angry or just silly? Clearly little of what I've said's made it through. Sometimes the best defence really is silence. I can't be bothered to defend myself against ravings, time's too short.

2 comments:

Giovanni Tiso said...

It is quite possible to be both. Angry and silly, I mean.

backin15 said...

Indeed. The angrier I get, the silly I look and sound... In this case though the righeous indignation is overplayed, way overplayed.