The danger of sarcasm
I hate coolness. With a hot hate.
Everything I love is anti-cool. I love kindness and thoughtfulness; sincerity and generosity and understanding and warmth – childishness with a passion. Boy, what a dork, huh?
I also care immensely, and if you show you really really care, man, whew, talk about uncool. Wouldn’t be so bad if the only thing a youngamerican cares about anymore wasn’t being cool. Of course that’s been true ever since Elvis made the scene, so it’s not new. That was true in my day, too, and I sold my soul in High School to be cool.
Been paying for it ever since, trying to recover the real me, who was sucked down the cool drain and frozen for eternity. Pretending not to care as the highest virtue…how did this happen?
What brings this up is a guy on Twitter who followed me, called ihatepoetry, or something like that. Didn’t really bother me, since anybody in their right mind these days kinda hates poetry, since it rhymes with poser. But then I checked out his website and was appalled at the venom of his anti-poetry poetry.
He claims to be a comedian, but in my book humor is supposed to make you laugh and feel glad, not turn you suicidal. The cool people (those scoffers and scorners) apparently took this young budding artistic type – since his talent with words shines out of his hellish screeds – and drove him into the dirt with sarcasm before he had a chance to save himself. Judging from his poems I bet he never, ever writes anything meant to be beautiful and uplifting, since if he did he would barf all over himself. Sarcasm has sunk into his bones like Beethoven from A Clockwork Orange. Nothing but demeaning things from him anymore. Destruction, not creation. Abuse, not use.
Sarcasm is death to the open heart of a writer.
Sad again,
LWIII
I’m constantly amazed at how many people never really leave high school. It does leave them, but not the other way around. The mindset lives on, perpetrating their actions, setting their goals.
It’s the norm. Who really tries to see the world as a child, taking everything as a first and abstaining from quick judgments? Not easy, but resolving to is a giant step.
We need virtue with a vengeance.
(OK, that was just to sound coo.. er… I mean, to.. uh…)
I know what you mean Be. At 55 years, I’m still mostly defined by my high school years. Sure would have been nice to know what utter baloney that belief system was at the time. Not that it was all so bad, since I sure loved it at the time, but that it had nothing to do with reality.
No huge fan of virtue, myself, since it’s mostly fake, as I’ve seen it practiced, but true virtue may be attainable, as long as we’re not cool.
Thanks for the comment and the reminder!
LWIII
Well, it depends on what is “reality”. Reality being where the majority of people dwell, those beliefs are quite in sync with it.
Now I like the buddhist idea of “the real nature of things”, and that is a much saner reality, although it can be seen as getting away from what’s real.
I see virtue as the state of constant practice of a value. I have many values, which are on the whole akin to what you referred to as a belief system, but none of them are quite virtues yet. As you said, we can only hope it can be attained! But I much prefer to think that we are what we want to be. We may trip and wander off the main road, but the destination still defines us as long as it is on our minds.
Not sure I believe in reality, since our only experience of the world is through our senses. Who knows what’s really out there? Depends on who you talk to.
Buddhists have a very excellent version of reality, though, so that’s a good one to practice. Thanks again and sure do love your community novel at #abookduct on Twitter. Have a great day!
I agree, and am reminded of a brilliant insight I recently read on author Stephen Pressfield’s blog. The following quote is from “Writing Wednesdays”: An Experiment
“There are many excellent and extremely professional bloggers and their stuff is a pleasure to read. They are making contributions. They’re part of the solution. But I also see no few writers of blogs who are stuck in their own egos. You can tell it from the first sentence, even the first phrase. It’s in their tone of voice. The text reeks of jealousy, pettiness, competitiveness and bile. It’s like the tone academics take when they’re sticking knives in each other’s backs. It has nothing to do with solutions and everything to do with fear, ego and narcissism. They are writing as amateurs. Their aim, though they will deny it even after being waterboarded 283 times, is to advance (or simply preserve) their own egos. I know,because I’ve been in that place. When the happy breakthrough comes for those writers, their work will rise an entire level overnight, then keep rising for levels and levels beyond that.”
Thank you Darrelyn, any quote from Steven Pressfield is one I want to read, since he’s the absolute best at no-nonsense writing advice.
The guy I was talking about wasn’t really a writer though, even though he did write. He was an anti-writer, not so intent on aggrandizing his own ego as in tearing down others.
What I’ve noticed about writers’ blogs recently is that the ones offering writing advice don’t even know our language very well. Ran across “you have to peak your reader’s interest” duh and “make sure you cover all your basis” double-duh.
I called them both on it, and the first said sorry for the typo, as if using ‘peak’ for ‘pique’ at least twice in a blog was a typing error and not ignorance. Face up to it, lady. And the second went on about how language changes over time. Neither one took responsibility at all.
To me it points out how writers think it’s okay now to become a writer without even having read enough of the language to become conversant with it. Both errors are from hearing something and not seeing it on the page.
And this is from people who are making their living offering online writing advice.
I got nothing – but lots of hugs for you xo
That’s plenty for me, la! Thanks & a big hug back.
It still is cool to be deeply caring for anyone sharing the same norms and values while not depending on you, financially or attentively or whichever other way you might have to (like the person who is following you). This is good because (1) this way you will never reinforce or confirm any behavior you disagree with (like that person) and (2) you not only can stay yourself but must be, have to be yourself, not to bias the signal from (dis)similarity between you and the (un)liked, (un)followed other.
Well, that sounds cool to me and you, but not sure the mavens of coolness would agree. Not sure we’re allowed to define what coolness is. Darn words.
Thanks for the comment Ron, and have a great weekend!
The story you tell is a very common one all over the world.
Thanks Paul! That makes sense, sicne sarcasm is a social tool used to whip the innocents and those who don’t follow norms back into line. Coolness is king, I guess, no matter what it’s called or where it is.
Enjoy your weekend!
Ah!
This is perhaps the hardest comment on your blog I’ve yet to post as, although I love Poetry, Whimsy, Classics and Philosophy, in truth, I have a sarcastic streak at times.
In my defence, it is usually given out, by way of a defence mechanism and usually when I feel my feathers ruffled or someone playing games with my temperement.
In balance I’m happy to say..I hate it when people who place their heart and soul in a piece of work..is trampled upon by *critics* Ha! Borrowing other peoples watches to tell them the time.
A great advocate of Arts and Artists is Billy Connolly, who also has a sarcastic streak for all things unjust or absurd. I take a tiny amount of comfort in that.
Once again, enjoyed your blog posting, always either entertains, makes me remember something nice long past or makes me examine myself.
Hope my flaws don’t make you judge harshly of me.
Truly Thinking too much today.
Just a thought…..You are great at communicating. Most people who ply their *Acts* beligerently are not.
Communication is a gift…A greater one in your case, as you don’t use your words as weapons..
That man, perhaps, is a verbal assassin…Sniping away, taking pot shots. Guerillas don’t play fair!
Tru
Hey Truly, thanks for the truth. This blog post is one I kind of regret, since hatred is not something I want to spread, even if it’s of being cool. Sarcasm is good sometimes, especially in defense. I’ve been known to be sarcastic as heck, myself. I just hate to see it used against honest mistakes and to belittle weak or stupid people. Also to attack the vulnerable, because an artist is one who purposely becomes vulnerable or uncool, opening her heart on purpose like a child or a moron.
I’m a huge fan of stupid people, for one thing because they’re not cool and also because they aren’t usually smart enough to be sarcastic. They don’t go around trying to make other people feel stupid, because they don’t have the chops.
I love Billy Connolly, but he doesn’t make fun of stupid people. He makse fun of smart people who do stupid things. Smart people can take care of themselves.
Love your phrase ‘borrowing other people’s watches to tell the time’. Spreading anger and hate is wnat I’m supposed to be against. Must have borrowed a pissed-off person’s watch. Ha…okay, I’m pissed off too, I admit it.
Love and Peace and No More Hate,
LWIII
Ha! My sister Pauline, wasn’t smart at all, but the lovliest simplest person..She was loving and forever childlike…Beauty shone from her simplistic view of the world and all it’s inhabitants….She loved people so much, she was assured of their love in return.
A pattern for Humanity is how best to describe her honesty.
Hey Tom Plum…we could all be better people.
I’m working on my sarcasm
)
Truly Hardly Sleeply x
Pauline sounds like a doll, Truly. So glad you had a sis like that. Please don’t work on your sarcasm on my behalf. I can’t imagine you use it on people who can’t defend themselves. Sarcasm is like everything, sometimes it’s good.
The last thing I want is somebody trying to become a better person because of me. I just want people to be themselves. I’m only an idealist where I’m concerned.
soso!