Monday, June 18, 2007
Language Trix II
[This originally appeared over at The Tony Clifton Experience on August 29 of 2006 under the topic of Euphemisms. I thought readers of Benjibopper might also enjoy it.]
It was a case of extremists v. moderates
or extreme radicals v. fence-sitting nosepickers
or fundamentalist divisionaries v. stagnant cancer
Meanwhile the boys at the box-office were manufacturing
a new cool that would chill the root-out-all-adversaries
neighbourhood bullies and hippify
the stodgy peaceniks refusing to take sides
Everyone else either pro-life or pro-choice
never anti anything, nevermind pro-the-right-to-choose-life
or reject pain or oppose the slaughter of innocence by millions
because if you don't stand for something you'll fall for anything so
pick your damn sore spot and start bitching would you?
We have a wide selection of causes you have your choice
between Jews for Jesus
privatization of the market
liberation of the vegetarians
genericization of the war on drugs
Don't get me started on the list of wars you can support we got the:
war on poverty
war on tax fraud
war on large game poaching
war on the remnants of the cold war
war on the left
war on the right
war on terror
war on dictatorship
The list goes on and of course you have the war on war itself
and the boys in the language lab are hard at work sloganeering
for whomsoever can afford their services so if you seek a career
in the public service and you have a knack with subtle put-downs
you can perhaps be the chosen white to solve the age-old adage
of the spectrum-tipping nutters v. the smack dab middle ho-humming wimps.
It was a case of extremists v. moderates
or extreme radicals v. fence-sitting nosepickers
or fundamentalist divisionaries v. stagnant cancer
Meanwhile the boys at the box-office were manufacturing
a new cool that would chill the root-out-all-adversaries
neighbourhood bullies and hippify
the stodgy peaceniks refusing to take sides
Everyone else either pro-life or pro-choice
never anti anything, nevermind pro-the-right-to-choose-life
or reject pain or oppose the slaughter of innocence by millions
because if you don't stand for something you'll fall for anything so
pick your damn sore spot and start bitching would you?
We have a wide selection of causes you have your choice
between Jews for Jesus
privatization of the market
liberation of the vegetarians
genericization of the war on drugs
Don't get me started on the list of wars you can support we got the:
war on poverty
war on tax fraud
war on large game poaching
war on the remnants of the cold war
war on the left
war on the right
war on terror
war on dictatorship
The list goes on and of course you have the war on war itself
and the boys in the language lab are hard at work sloganeering
for whomsoever can afford their services so if you seek a career
in the public service and you have a knack with subtle put-downs
you can perhaps be the chosen white to solve the age-old adage
of the spectrum-tipping nutters v. the smack dab middle ho-humming wimps.
Labels: 2006, finland, Poetry, politics
Comments:
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Ah, the clash of culture, what better way to go out and quickly build a mass produced identity for oneself?
# posted by 
: 8:44 PM
: 8:44 PM
thanks crash, my pleasure.
trev, not so much about clash of culture as clash of ideologies. but either way, your point is a good one - identity is easier when someone else creates it for you.
trev, not so much about clash of culture as clash of ideologies. but either way, your point is a good one - identity is easier when someone else creates it for you.
Thank you so very much for sharing! That's awesome!
And to me, it wasn't so much about the clash of ideologies as it was the power of language. Whomever controls the language, controls the spin..manipulating it all to say with connoctation what can't always be said in written form and still sport the guise of fairness..
Yes, I said guise!
And to me, it wasn't so much about the clash of ideologies as it was the power of language. Whomever controls the language, controls the spin..manipulating it all to say with connoctation what can't always be said in written form and still sport the guise of fairness..
Yes, I said guise!
Haha, it made me laugh so hard, I nearly fell off the chair!
Not sure if that was intended, but still.
Not sure if that was intended, but still.
IKEA is the bomb! Abt 70% of my furniture are bought in IKEA and I've built them muself..
so if I fall of the chair, it doesn't ahve to be cuz I'm laughing so hard as hart.. ehum
so if I fall of the chair, it doesn't ahve to be cuz I'm laughing so hard as hart.. ehum
I enjoy explaining to the pro life crowd that, since they support capital punishment, they are pro death. That ususlly befuddles them. :-)
Interesting post.
Interesting post.
I consider it a clash of cultures. It seems like there are two major cultures occupying the same space, anyway. Ideologies suggests an exchange of ideas, rather than a thumping of dogmas.
# posted by : 6:53 PM
: 6:53 PM
It's all about the spin, isn't it? "If you don't stand for something you'll fall for anything."
BTW, does everyone know who Tony Clifton was? I love Tony Clifton.
BTW, does everyone know who Tony Clifton was? I love Tony Clifton.
thanks claire, indeed, it is about that too.
HOD: careful! chairs are dangerous.
Ultra and CD: I've can in all honesty say I have never been to an idea.
Tomcat: but if one is pro-choice does he not support the right to choose to kill?
Trevor: How about clash of fundamentalisms? unfortunately ideologies ofter supercede ideas in the longrun.
Josie: yes, it is. and yes, surely everyone knows tony clifton. surely. and he's still around somewhere, surely.
HOD: careful! chairs are dangerous.
Ultra and CD: I've can in all honesty say I have never been to an idea.
Tomcat: but if one is pro-choice does he not support the right to choose to kill?
Trevor: How about clash of fundamentalisms? unfortunately ideologies ofter supercede ideas in the longrun.
Josie: yes, it is. and yes, surely everyone knows tony clifton. surely. and he's still around somewhere, surely.
Sorry it took me so long to get here. You very aptly described the reason why I don't look at too much of the news, except NPR
A good pace on this poem that fit the subject, it's hectic and teaming with great words that grab your attention, just like the sloganeers you mentioned try to do. I like the choose your own good fight list. That is so saddly American. Good poem.
Sign me up for the right amount of money my wife will be a receptionist for any side...as for myself, well i am retired from sloganeering but I still have a penchant for the subtle antipro everything that has a fence to sit on.
Peace
TWM
Peace
TWM
Thanks Benjibopper
I do kind of take responding a tad on the serious side. Too bad I don't proof them for spelling errors! But this is a good poem. When you write a lot of poetry, you start to think and talk in poetics--which is fine for a poet, but not for every day life. People just kind of look at you weird.
But then again, that too is a nice side affect. You have the poetic voice down, too. Inventive and original.
I do kind of take responding a tad on the serious side. Too bad I don't proof them for spelling errors! But this is a good poem. When you write a lot of poetry, you start to think and talk in poetics--which is fine for a poet, but not for every day life. People just kind of look at you weird.
But then again, that too is a nice side affect. You have the poetic voice down, too. Inventive and original.
TWM: with that level of ambiguity I bet you had a hell of a career.
Eric, thoughtful feedback is always appreciated here. ok, compliments are too.
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Eric, thoughtful feedback is always appreciated here. ok, compliments are too.
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