Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Advice from One Weblog Award Winner to Another


Today's Lesson: When a crutch becomes so transparent it calls attention to the weakness of the writing instead of the scope of the topic.

Subject: The profligate abuse of the "OMG can you believe...?" indignant question.

Example:
"And can we therefore put to rest any notion that Gingrich is a conservative in any meaningful way He's one of the most radical of radicals to ever seek the office as the nominee of a major party."

Analysis: This crutch shows up so frequently in your writing, Andrew, the sheer weight of it's overuse begs an entirely different question: "To whom are you addressing these questions?"

  • To the air?

  • To your fellow Apostates who all seem to have their "Come to Jesus" epiphanies regarding the true, monstrous nature of the loathsome cause they have served so loyally for so long about five minutes after the wingnut welfare checks stop flowing?

  • The larger Conservative community who know this all perfectly well but don't give a shit because they made their pact with the Devil before you were in long pants?

  • Or the Vile Liberals who are shown, once again, to have been maddeningly right all along?

Yours in Christ,

driftglass

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