February 02, 2005

Lawyers + Blogs = What's on TV?

The resemblance between the Ecosystem Top 10 and my personal "Ten Blogs I Try Very Hard Not to Read Because I'm So Awfully Awfully Sorry Whenever I Do" list grows daily. It is as though the Ecosystem were reading my mind only to disagree with its contents completely. Please: Share the stupidity and marvel at a recent example of something I desperately needed never to read:

This should be fun, but, frankly, I'm getting tired of investing my time in responding to baseless libels by the Star Tribune.
THEN DON'T, retard.

See how simple that was?

Nothing says "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss" like a bunch of blogging bozos crying to the world because that mean girl over there called them names. It's just a little bit reminiscent of deranged Texan talking heads spluttering about being smeared by the well-funded right-wing blogging machine--except that watching the Texan have a meltdown is waaaaayyy more entertaining, not to mention more educational. You learn a new folksy expression every time!

Remember when you all busted Dan Rather and CBS for passing off a Microsoft Word document as a typewritten 1970s-era document? Remember how you were all, "In your FACE, CBS!" and "Suck it, Gunga Dan!" . . . ? Remember how you were all like convinced that Big Media was the Berlin wall and you were the happy little Germans with picks and hammers? Remember that? Yes. Well. Did you think you earned the media's undying love and respect with that behavior, or what? Because you seem to be communicating now from some universe where the more scorn you heap on a group of people, the more they love you, and that universe and this one do not coincide.

If Big Bad Evil Liberal Media is pissed off at you, boys, consider it a compliment on a job well done. Then, grow a pair and SHUT UP. Most of us always suspected the legal profession drew its members from those kids in school who never could stop narcing out their classmates, no matter how many times their heads were shoved in the toilet . . . but some of you are proving it.

Posted by Ilyka at February 2, 2005 10:36 PM in hell is other people
Comments

Lord knows I'm always game for a blog effigy, but I don't get this one. If a blogger feels he's been unfairly criticized, why shouldn't he use his forum to respond?

Posted by: Allah at February 2, 2005 11:16 PM

Since I'm not really using my forum for anything anymore, smart OR dumb, I would have some nerve telling anyone else what they should or shouldn't do with their blogs. But good God, does it ever make for some boring reading.

And the word "baseless" just bugs me. If a criticism's really "baseless," odds are it'll eventually be judged as such. Or do we not believe in the ability of readers to formulate their own opinions anymore?

Posted by: ilyka at February 2, 2005 11:57 PM

I totally agree -- with her last paragraph, that is. (Camille J. Gage, the author of the "mean" article, I mean).

But, as my wont, I see this as an opportunity for someone to start up a "Baseless Heresay Post O' The Day" schtick. Because, you know, I don't take any of this shit seriously.

Who'll fact-check the bloggers, she asks? Why, other bloggers, of course.

Duh.

Posted by: Margi at February 3, 2005 07:17 AM

Ilyka:

I couldn't agree more.

This is, of course, a matter of personal taste. Bloggers can do whatever they want on their own forums. But if you're asking me (and no one is), a single attack rates - maybe - one response. Maybe.

Anything more than that gets tiresome...FAST.

And ever since RatherGate, I have detected rapid ego-bloat in the blogosphere. We're in danger of becoming that which we mock mercilessly. We can make all the same mistakes they do, and if we start believing our own BS and taking ourselves too fricking seriously that's exactly what will happen.

People do this for different reasons and more power to them. But wouldn't it be nice if it were about the writing, not scoring points on the media? I wish we could get back to that. Schadenfreude is fun, but as a steady diet I can't say I recommend it.

Posted by: Cassandra at February 5, 2005 12:50 PM