Tuesday, March 30, 2010

OC Editorial Board: Self-Hating Citizen Employees?

I was sent this editorial from someone who thought it would amuse me. Indeed. I can't figure out if it's self-satire, subversion of the OC, subversion of the Likudnik Lobby, or just honest imbecility. I mean we're talking about an editorial which quotes Wikipedia on Fowler's university fraternity affiliation: what kind of argument is that? Taking the man and not the ball is bad, but to be so inept is funny. I mean, citing one's university and fraternity from decades ago invalidates one's argument how, exactly? Who knew the OC hated McGill and fraternities so much - someone should tell some of the McGill alumni who work for the OC. And calling the racist far-right extremist Barry Rubin an "eminent Middle East scholar" is a nice touch, satire-wise. More like "notorious hatemongering crank". Ask those who work in the field of Middle Eastern affairs what they think of Rubin. They'll probably laugh, and say something gently dismissive, or use other words, but scholar is not one of them, nor eminent.

On the surface the thing reads like a hysterical teenage Likudnik rant, written in a Unabomber-like cabin, fist clenched around a crayon, tinfoil hat breathing divine guidance into the unfairly misunderstood prophet-writer's mind, as he sips his own celestial pee for sustenance. Being so over-the-top and funny it must be self-satire. Given some of the cranks at the OC, the writer was probably mindful he had to seem to support a Likudnik position, so he chose to do so in a way that would be so crazed as to best satirise Likudniks, and the OC. It's really quite daring, seen from that perspective. I mean, if one was to take it seriously, it would mean the OC was even more of an open joke than it already is, by all accounts. No, this is definitely the work of one or more self-hating OC employees, who wanted to subvert the OC & Likudniks. I feel their pain, and enjoy their subtle humour. Well played. My only suggestion for next time would be to have the papers printed with watermarks such that one gets the impression there are actual drool marks in the middle of such satiric screeds. Otherwise, beauty job.

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