An Embarassingly Cheap Chuckle: or, Mocking the Afflicted
Note the dates.
Balbulican, Dec. 27 2008:
Neo, I think, is another matter. We need a name for that kind of site – blogs that consist of little more than:
- links to and excerpts from other like-minded blogs;
- single-sentence commentaries that amount, essentially to “Duh…FUCK YEAH!”;
- a kind of rudimentary, puerile, vulgar aggression, heavy on bravado and light on grammar or style, reminiscent of the most unpleasant kid you can remember from high school (think Biff in Back to the Future, but fouler mouthed and without the endearing qualities);
- above all, an absolute absence of actual discussion or exchange of ideas – the blogger resolutely acts as a troll in his own comments section, shutting down anything resembling adult talk.I’m glad these folks are blogging – it’s better for society than having them out there beating up seniors for pocket change or actually engaged in real-world social or political change. But it does make one wonder why they bother. They’re not looking for or offering insight, so it’s not about the subtance: there’s no style or wit, so it’s not the pleasure of writing. As near as I can figure, they draw some kind of validation for a marginal world view from the exercise. Sentinel and Right Girl, two seriously troubled people, clearly draw comfort from the fact that there are people out there willing to take them seriously, and maybe that’s what keeps bloggers like Neo going.
I’m glad this guy and his profane crew are blogging – it’s better for society than them out there beating up seniors for pocket change or actually engaging in real-world social or political change. They’re not looking for or offering insight, so it’s not about the substance: there’s no style or wit, so it’s not the pleasure of writing. As near as I can figure, they draw some kind of validation for a marginal world view from the exercise…
- single sentence commentaries that amount, essentially to “Duh…Fuck yeah, these Cons.”
- a kind of rudimentary, puerile, vulgar aggression, heavy on profanity and light on grammar, reminiscent of the most unpleasant kid you can remember from high school(think Biff in Back to the Future but fouler mouthed and without the endearing qualities)
- and above all, an absolute absence or exchange of ideas – the Boy resolutely acts as a troll in his own comments section shutting down anything resembling adult talk.
From Mahmood, at Halls of Macadamia, 8:01 AM, April 15, 2009:
You know KEVron, if you like my nic “mahmood” so much you don’t have to steal it, just ask and I’ll let you borrow it, as long as you bring it back in good(oi vey) condition…sheeesh, these proggy people always helping themselves to other folk’s stuff.
Well, I’m must tickled Mahmood thought the line was good enough to steal and post uncredited. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I suppose plagiarism must be the sincerest form of imititation.
Awesome.
Flattery is the sincerest form of plagiarism
my ears are burning.
KEvron
That’s pretty funny, Balb, cuz if I’d run across that unwarned, I’d have thought, “Wow … when did Mahmood suddenly learn to write? Like, with adverbs and adjectives and grammar and everything?”
Thanks for clearing that up.
CC, I had exactly that reaction when I met my Doppelganger-prose at Patrick’s – If he can actually write coherently, why DOESN’T he? It wasn’t until the reference to Biff and Back to the Future that I twigged. Pretty funny.
But Alison, is sincerity the most plagiarized flattery of form?
Balb:
Nice catch. Very nice catch. I recall that exact-same frisson when I opened my Ottawa Citizen a few years ago to read the column of a man who had attacked both me and my union on numerous occasions, and found myself staring at an article I’d written myself in a union newsletter.
I sent a short note to the editor about it. The columnist phoned me, almost in tears, wanting to know why I hadn’t called him first [!] and then cooked up a story that he’d dumped my article onto his hard-drive for future reference and it had been mistakenly published. I must lack the killer instinct, because he’d actually done some editing of the article as it appeared, but I took no further action. He went on to torment the PSAC for several more years.
Was it Larry O’Brien?
But I want a job tormenting the PSAC. What classification would that be?
No, a miserable fellow named Frank Howard.
Sorry, there are no vacancies at the moment.
As a reader of feminist blogs critical of Conservative fiscal policy, I’ve always thought that Palaedianism was the sincerest thorn of Flaherty.
CC, I had exactly that reaction when I met my Doppelganger-prose at Patrick’s – If he can actually write coherently, why DOESN’T he?
Oh, that must have been fun: “Hmm. Yes…yes…cogent…accurate…articulate. Hang on a sec… Hey. I wrote that!”
What’s particularly entertaining is that Mahmood, in shamelessly ripping off balbulican, fucks things up spectacularly.
First, there’s his puzzling reference to me as “the Boy,” a nickname he’s bestowed on me and which he thinks represents some sort of devastating smackdown, or something. Not surprisingly, everyone else is simply bewildered since they have no idea what it’s supposed to mean.
But the best part is where he mindlessly copies balb’s criticism of Neo himself:
a criticism that applies perfectly to the stalkerish Neo who patrols his own comments section, ruthlessly insulting any dissension, but which has nothing to do with how I run my comments section, which is open to anyone with a registered blogger ID and from which I never delete any comments except from those idiots who descend into pure harassment and annoyance.
Yeah, Mahmood is a funny guy — a dishonest plagiarist who, somehow, thinks he’s funny. It’s almost painful to watch. I’m guessing he’s 12 years old.
Interestingly, I have only really seen him at five sites – Jago’s, Nexus, Louise’s, Right Girl’s, and Neo’s. Jago you can actually talk to, and with Patrick, I must admit, I’ve had two very entertaining and civil discussions; but the other three seem absolutely committed to ensuring that NOTHING resembling discussion happens on their site. They are their own most persistent trolls, and Mahmood fits right in, a sort of low-budget, incoherent Loki. As I noted in the quote so kindly given new life by Mahmood, I honestly don’t get why they bother, except that they somehow need the validation of knowing that people are reading them.
Oh, and I don’t get “the Boy” thing either.
Maybe they think he’s black.
Well, of course he is. But…oh, I see what you mean. Why, those RACISTS!
Yup. Pretty disgusting. 1950, Alabama, here they come…
I thought it referred to Bart of “The Simpsons”, who Homer continually refers to as “The Boy”. Given Homer’s role and Bart’s, I think CC should be flattered.
Good catch.
[...] be… or not Over at StageLeft, Babulican spots his own but slightly altered words at another blog, and nails a [...]
Dat Mahmood. He one prettty fart smeller.
Good one, Dr. Balbulican.
Tanks, Shmo. Great post you got up on it, too.
ooooohhhh *snap*
Heh Balbull, wasn’t that whole plagiarizing thingy soo FELLATIOTASTIC!…oops, I think I plagiarized FELLATIOTASTIC!…heh.
I don’t get it mahmood.
Shorter Throbbin opines…
“I don’t get it mahmood.”
that’s cuz you’re a dumb cunt…whoa, plagiarizin’.
I’m so deeply embarassed…
Not your fault, T. It followed me home.
No, you can’t keep it.