DU: Complaint Letter

Got a note from one of our friends at DU:

 

To the proprietor of the 'WuzzaDem' web site:

Dear sir,

I have noticed that your web site features, among other things, what appear to be 'parodies' of discussion threads taken from the Democratic Underground discussion board. 

I believe it was Sid Caesar who once said, "Comedy has to be based on truth."  You probably don't know this, but Mr. Caesar was not just a comedian, he was was an astute observer of the human condition.  The problem with your web site is that your brand of comedy is based on half-truths.  There are, from time to time, people who participate in discussion threads at DU whose political leanings might be considered 'far-left', and whose rhetoric is at times 'over the top', but there are many intellectuals in the reality-based community who take part in these discussions, expressing themselves in a reasoned and thoughtful manner.  I don't see any of their thoughts or opinions represented in your 'parodies'.  Perhaps your readers prefer charicature to realism.  Pity.

It's easy to selectively choose snippets of a conversation, paste them together, and embellish them in such a way that the speaker's intent -  and the context of the conversation itself - is grossly distorted.  I'm not suggesting that this is your intention, but I think your readers would be better served if you were to provide them with material that is more reality-based, and dare I say, progressive.

I look forward to your reply.

My Reply

Dear Socrates,

I believe it was Mark Twain who once said, "There was never yet an uninteresting life. Such a thing is an impossibility."  He died a long time before Al Gore invented the Internet, so he never had a chance to visit DU.  If he had, I'm sure he would have selectively chosen a few snippets of that that statement and pasted them together in a way that that reflected his newfound realization there are a lot of boring people who call themselves 'intellectuals', when all they're really doing is regurgitating hackneyed left-wing cliches that have very little basis in reality.

It's true that not everyone who posts at DU says outright that "Bush/ChimpFace/Smirky is Hitler", or that the George W. Bush and/or the United States Goverment is purposely oppressing and/or killing Muslims, gays, poor people, blah, blah blah.  But I've only seen two other types of posts there:  The ones that led credence to, or at least empower those tin-foil hat conspiracy theories, and the ones that are deleted as soon as the so-called 'moderator' sees them.

In closing, I believe it was Richard Eder who once said, "This sentimental comedy by the Soviet playwright Aleksei Arbuzov is said to have had a great success in its own country. So do fringed lamp shades."

I thought you might like that because it has the word "Soviet" in it.  There's also a joke in there, but I'm sure you got it.

Take care.

His Reply

Sir,

Lenny Bruce once said, "Satire is tragedy plus time."  Perhaps when the day comes that the turbulent and contentious times in which we live have passed, and our "elected" representatives once again represent the citizens of this country, and not themselves and their business associates, then satirizing the opinions of those with the courage to criticize these representatives might actually be considered humorous to some people.  Until that time, you should consider the consequences of your actions.

My Reply

Dude,

Paul Goodman said, "Comedy deflates the sense precisely so that the underlying lubricity and malice may bubble to the surface."  Was that guy a pompous ass or what?  I mean, I don't even know WTF he was trying to say, but then I'm not an anarchist.  Or an 'intellectual'.

Keep on truckin'

His Reply

WuzzaDem Guy,

According to Garrison Keillor, "The funniest line in English is "Get it?" When you say that, everyone chortles."  I think this statement speaks volumes.

'Nuff Said

My Reply

DU Guy,

First of all, Garrison Keillor is a major a$$hole, so I could care less what he says, and secondly, he wouldn't know funny if it bit him in the a$$ (which explains why he thinks "Get it?" is actually funny).  This is why Garrison Keillor is on public radio.

Later

His Reply

All right,

So it sounds like you're not willing to compromise, and that really sucks if you ask me.  I'm trying to be civil, but you're really pi$$ing me off.

Bye

My Reply

Hey,

As Judge Judy once said, "Well, sir, if you sent me a bunch of crazy e-mails like this, I would have taken out a restraining order, too - what are you, some kind of lunatic?" 

Go away.

His Reply

WuzzaDIM,

Typical repuke.  You're so blindly loyal to the Chimp-in-Chief that you don't even realize that your Dear Leader is on the brink of destroying your freedom of speech. Let's see how funny you think it is when the f*cking Brownshirts come after you and close down your little web site.

Zieg Heil, Retard!

My Reply

Hey Asshat,

As Stave Martin once said, "Excuuuuuuse me!"

I've blocked your e-mail address.  Thank for the witty repartee.

Comments

[CavalierX]

ROFL! I just LOVE my hate mail. I see that you do, too. Isn't it hilarious when they start out pretending to be reasonable and intelligent, and dissolve into screaming moonbats when you don't immediately agree with them?

[PlutosDad]

I guess this guy doesn't understand comedy. He's the kind of guy that listens to comedians and says "hey, that is not fair, you did not represent accurately the other side" I bet he's a real hit at parties.

Of course, what he advocates is called "discussion" , not "comedy"

You know else, at my comedy forum, everyone (much better than me, and all liberal) ripped to shreds all those quotes of his.

Wow, you were not even mean to him. You kinda needled him but then he went all psycho. It is really funny. Perfect example of how even his position that "there are sober people at DU" is wrong.

I wish I got more hate mail like that. I only got called a "redneck a@@hole" and that because I defend the military I'm a "mindless advocate of killing any and everything that disagrees with you"

[John from WuzzaDem]

CavalierX - Hate mail is lots of fun, I think I'm doing something wrong when I'm not getting any.

PultosDad - Your site is hilarious, I put you on the blogroll.

[lauraw]

Oh, that is hilarious!
The bit about Garrison Keillor is perfect. I bet you were snickering evilly while you typed it.

The civil tone really degrades after a few volleys doesn't it.

[John from WuzzaDem]

Hey Laura,

Who's Garrison Keillor? Oh yeah, *that* guy.

[fretless]

Too funny.

I think your pen pal was probably Ward Churchill. Sorta sounds like him anyway, in the way he presents himself as really, really smart and really, really well polished in order to hide the fact that he is Really, REALLY crazy.

Skreetching, Howling, Moonbat crazy.

It'd be fun to watch them all implode, if it wasn't so sad. Wait. Nevermind.

It IS fun to watch them all implode.

Have fun. Take care. And good blog! (And great job at Ace's!)

[John from WuzzaDem]

Fretless - thanks.

Ward Churchil - HA!

[Sobek]

Very funny. I love how he demonstrates that not everyone at CU hysterically spouts the "BUSH IS HITLER" line by spouting the "BUSH IS HITLER" line. How can you argue with that?

[John from WuzzaDem]

I don't think it's possible to argue with these guys. OK, maybe it's possible, but it's a waste of time. Shows how much time I have to waste.

[Dave at Garfield Ridge]

To truly appreciate this discussion, one must remember the immortal words of Socrates: "I drank what?"

Cheers,
Dave at Garfield Ridge

[John from WuzzaDem]

See, Dave's just got a way of getting right to the point. I believe it was Steve Martin who once said, "The doctor said, 'First the good news - they're going to name a disease after you.'"

[fat kid]

IS THIS SUPPOSED TO BE FUNNY!??! I DON'T GET IT.

Seriously though, I'm gullible, did that really go down?

If so, this is new favorite post of the day...

[John from WuzzaDem]

Hey Fat Kid,

Of course it's not supposed to be funny. What do you think this is, some kind of site where we laugh at people's handicaps? That would be like laughing at Fidel Castro's injuries, and I'm not that kind of person.

[radar]

The funniest part of that is that after some (slight) mocking you get Mr. DU to spout exactly what he claimed only a few on DU believed - Bush is chimp/Hitler and the "brownshirts" will come and get you. Priceless.