I have never met a derivative of the word "fuck" that I didn't love. Someone used to do a standup routine about it. It's fucking hilarious.
I like to call it the "swiss army knife" of words. It's a multi-use tool.
I curse in front of my kids. I'm not proud of it. I just do. I've not thought much of it. I never bought into issuing a blanket edict: Don't use that BAD word. No word is inherently bad. Teach them context, I'd tell the better half when I first posited my idea of not "banning" words outright in our household.
"You take the call from their principal then," she'd reply, "This is your baby." Fair enough.
I WANT to teach my kids about the power of language. I don't want to take some of the most powerful tools available away from them for no discernible reason, other than "society" says so.
In other words, if I hit my thumb with hammer and yell, "EEOOWWWWW, MOTHER FUCKER!" ...
That's a far cry from "Go to your room, motherfucker!"
My kids will know the difference.
(Trust me, this relates to blogging. On the flip.)
So you can imagine my delight with the advent of the blog. Talk about unfiltered bliss! It's like a Henry Miller novel, updated daily. Raw. Unfiltered. It's not TV. It's HBO.
Fuck yes!
...But a funny thing happened this morning on my way to taking my rightful place seated at the right-hand of the Crown Princess of Curse, her Highness Maryscott OConnor ...
Last night I posted a diary on the "lost $9 billion" by L. Paul. Amazingly, the diary caught wind and managed to crack the coveted recommended list. Number one, with a bullet!
Heartened by that development (only the second time in my career as a KOS diarist, I might add) I forwarded the link to some friends that are not Kossacks, but who are part of an ongoing email "loop." (Well one is a kossack, but none of the others, although another did register today. Yah!) For the most part, they are guys (all men) from all parts of the political spectrum, but for the most part, they are on our side. None blog.
What follows are some portions of our email coorespondence regarding my diary. I went through the whole range of emotion as this discussion unfolded via email, and felt I made a pretty good argument about the relevance of blogs and diaries, defending my style and my substance.
But as I thought about it, They made some good points:
--Who is our audience?
--What is our purpose here?
--Does rampant profanity, which I think can make a diary lively and urgent and -- goddamnit! -- expressive of an important emotions, such as outrage, actually UNDERCUT our larger goal, whatever that may be?
In any event, here's an inside unfiltered "look" at the thoughts of a few non-bloggers on the nature of blogs, at least as viewed through my admittedly entirely UNREPRESENTATIVE diary (all comments reprinted with permission):
Here's the first email I rec'd this morning after alerting them to the diary last night:
Meats,
Hazzy, I read some of your blog. Your points may be salient but unless your looking for the backslap from those that already agree with you, why don't you simply
eliminate the name calling and spend the effort to show how important the progams were that are being cut. Your argument would then appear less prejudiced and have a better opportunity of retaining the attention of "on the fence" readers.
"The poor, weak and infirmed" Who the hell are the weak and are they the same as the poor and infirmed? Wasted words don't make your point, they waste time. Why not break it down a bit more and describe the programs, their success and why they should continue in place of or in addition to other programs?
What is the 150 mil. to a talent research program? What is your the goal of your blog? Who are your trying to reach or influence?
Here was my reasoned and thoughtful response. (Incidentally, for reasons beyond explanation, we always address our emails in this loop to "meats." A lot of us used to play baseball. And we all have juvenile nicknames.):
Meats,
ADABA, in the words of Al Swearengen: Here's my counter offer to your counter: Go fuck yourself!
--I'm trying to INFORM people, ADABA: 9 Billion dollars was STOLEN and there's not a fucking republican in the world who gives a shit. Do you get that??? Meanwhile, Bush is cutting education programs and conservation programs and whateverthefuckall. That was the POINT of the fucking blog. (It's called pointing out the craven depths of the hypocrisy of this administration.)
--This corruption is killing this country. I'm sorry if you think this is just same 'ol, same 'ol. It isn't, in my opinion. You know, it heartend me so much to hear you're doing work for Children's Hospital, but can be such a disengenuous fuckwad when it comes to politics! FTR: What do YOU think about $9,000,000,000.00 that has just vanished into thin air? Do you give a shit? Or is it just, hey, they all do it. ... I'm so tired of the "he said/she said" defense. Here's an idea ADABA: Try to EDUCATE yourself. ... Let me tell you something else: The articles that Howd and I send to the loop, that's just the TIP of the Iceberg. Do you get it? We're not sending every goddamn thing we see to you guys, only the most JUICY! Beleive me, if I sent a 1/10th of what I see going on, you'd be getting a friggin' loop every 5 minutes!
--You want an alternative plan? Here's one: STOP THE FUCKING CORRUPTION. Stop STEALING from the American people. Stop LYING to the American people. STOP paying off JOURNALISTS to pimp your programs. STOP trying to take over the fucking world. Start acting like you give a shit about your country and not just your PARTY and lining the pockets of your cronies.
--That's my idea. Stop that shit, and the rest will follow.
--Incidentally, as far as "name calling" and "wasted words" feel free to get an account and write a nice detailed blog, offering examples and whatnot. Let me know, and I'll recommend it. But to get on the list -- to get READ -- you're gunna need more than just me, meat.
--Thanks for reading, though. I appreciate it.
We really love each other. Truly. As this "looper" is one of the more contrarians in the group, I assumed that was the end of it. I was wrong:
Meats,
Must concur with Adaba. Hazzy, you make great points but you need to clean it up, get rid of the Deadwood comparison (although very good for
the blog), make it a little shorter and then send to newspapers as a viewpoint. Maybe even look into getting a small article in Reader's
Digest or something of the ilk. Noting the programs that are getting cut that equal 9 Billion is something a Reader's Digest could use in the "That's Outragous" section.
Agree with ADABA? WTF? At this point I realized that my "boys" didn't understand the medium, so I attempted to inform them:
Meats.
Stick, what you're talking about -- and I guess ADABA as well -- is something different from an online blog. You're talking about writing a newspaper article, which is a different medium altogether, with a totally different audience.
Seriously, I get your points, but getting any notice in a very competitive blogoshere is very tough. Trust me. Here's how the process works at KOS:
There is a KOS community of some 44,000 registered users. Those are just people who have registered and, having done so, have the right to comment on blogs, write their own diaries, and rate comments. (This doesn't include just readers, such as yourself and ADABA. Howd, me and Kim are all registered users.)
The "front page" is the main part of the blog where the blog's owner Markos and some of his "trusted users" post to. A few of them also have the right to "elevate" diaries, such as mine, to the front page, if they want. (Very tough to get and sort of a "who you know" deal, me thinks, for the most part.)
Regular users, like me, can write a diary and post it. At that point, it gets posted to the "recent diaries" column, which displays the blog title and username, in a box to the lower right of the blog. As new people post diaries, yours moves down the list. It's a simple hierarchy of last posted on top. As each new diary gets posted, yours goes lower and lower on the list. The new diaries list is 50 long -- although the default display is only 10 -- once 50 other diaries are posted after yours, it's GONE to never surface again. In practice, you pretty much need to be noticed w/in I'd say 20 or so diaries. there's a lot of luck involved. If you post a diary and w/in 5 minutes 4 other diaries post, you're suddenly down to 5th on the list. (BTW, most diaries aren't nearly as involved as the one's I've forwarded to you. You can literally, "post" a one-sentence diary, although it's frowned upon, and that'll push a diary that someone's worked on for 2 hours down the list.
In any event, if your diary manages to gets read, by any of the 44,000 users, they have the option to "recommend" the diary. If enough people "recommend it," it moves up into a coveted spot in the "Recommended diaries" column, which is also to the right and ABOVE the "recent diaries" list. I'm not sure how the "recommend" option works, but they have some tracking software and it's done automatically, based on recommendations.
Here's the rub: If you can't get on that recommended list, your diary is DEAD. Like this one I wrote, which I really liked, but it died an inauspicious death, receiving only 14 comments and about 15 recs. (For comparison, the one you read has rec'd about 175 recs.)
href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/2/26/234117/174"
(The old diaries remain in the archives and people can read them, they just never do.)
--I bring this all up to make this point: It is, as the prez says, HARD work getting recommended. You gots to be somewhat creative, a little "out there" and on topic. So while I see your points, guys, this MEDIUM is a bit more wild. You gotta be blazin' with your guns. I personally love the free-wheeling format, but you can get somewhat unwieldy at times.
In any event, the short answer is: when you blog, you better know your audience.
There, that ought to clear it up. Nope. From Stick again:
Meats,
Hazzy, in his own way Adaba is just trying to say (I think): find a way to get it out to the main public. The F bombs while work great in the loop and blogs don't translate well to the "general public." Most people when they read one curse word beging to think this is a pissed off person and don't read for content. In other words, the rant was perfect for the blog world, now make it for the general public. Again, I stress Reader's Digest. Don't laugh, they print shite like that.
Question: If Harry Reid is so appalled why isn't he getting it out in the public? Or is he trying and I just don't know?
All right now I have to address substance as well. Fuck me:
Meats,
You're right. It's a different audience as my last post explains. But Reid IS trying. That was the whole point of that "hearing." To draw attention to the issue. But if you don't have any oversight authority, or any authority to implement an investigation -- which the Demos don't because ONLY the party in power can do that -- there ain't much you can do. That's why I think this is a winning issue for democrats. Republicans are the only ones with the POWER to investigate this shit, and they ain't doing it. That's the point.
--I hear you guys on the "broader audience" stuff. believe me. If you read my other blog, just emailed, you'll see that I made just such a plea to fellow bloggers. It's a tough nut fellas.
--Incidentally, Stick, feel free to grab that blog and condense it and sent to Reader's Digest. Seriously. I'd appreciate it.
Hazzy out.
Don't ask if I have a job. I do. My conservative (small c) bush-despising lawyer buddy chimes in. This is a classic:
Carnes:
Hazzy, cocksucker, dumbass, fuckwad idiot. What Adaba, and Stick were trying to help you with, dumbass, cocksucker, fuckwad idiot, was what good are you getting that article "published" and "read" by Kos readers? All those fuckers believe exactly what you believe, and what you have taught Howd to believe. Who the hell are you trying to "INFORM" on the Kos readership about the "craven depths of the hypocrisy of this administration?"
It sounds to me you are more about the backslapping, yo' Hazzy you are killing me bullshit then INFORMING anyone. If by your apparent analysis Kos readers are some of the most well informed, then what good is it to send additional "well informed" position blogs to Kos, other than some self gratificatory flogging.
NO Dumbass, cocksucker, fuckwad idiot, if you really wanted to inform you would clean up the article, delete the words that most of society deems unprintable, and seek to publish it some type of forum that provides a leadership not filled with Kosheads. Maybe a forum that may give you some feedback as to why you are right or wrong, not a whole lot of Attaboys, and butt slaps. But let me tell you something, you ain't working for social change playing the organ in front of the church choir.
Ouch. Now I have to defend the medium. This is hard work. Hard work.
Meats,
Again, Meerch, I see that point. Truly I do.
If my boy Stick will do some quick editing, maybe we'll get some readers digest love.
--I also "get" the point about "preaching to the choir," hence, my "call to action" diary that was virtually ignored. But I'd say that even these people, the Kossacks, haven't always "connected the dots." that last diary was meant to connect some dots, draw attention to the Demo oversight hearing, which was crazy and no one knew about, including most kossacks, and to keep the issue alive. I do beleive there is value in that.
But you also have to entertain. If progressives learn anything from the right-wing noise machine, esp. Limbaugh in the early years, it's that you better entertain if you want listeners, or in my case, readers. Part of what I'm doing is trying to build a readership. If people start to look for your byline, eventaully you can start your own blog and you'll have some readers. Beleive me, guys like DIGBY are taken serious. He's as good a writer and thinker that I've read and that includes any columnist you want to name in the corporate media. (Well, except maybe the late, great Mike Royko, my he rest in peace.)
--Look guys. I believe in this medium. It's here to stay and it's only going to get more important. It really is, in my view, a new front in the information war. When you see Jon Stewart mention "the Daily KOS" on his show, you know you're starting to wedge your way into the mainstream.
--I am enjoying this dialogue and I want to apologize for my rant on ADABA. I realize now, I should have took some time to explain what I'm doing and why I think those diaries are important.
Okay, well that last bit sounded a little self-important. I'll take the heat. Finally, the one other "looper" who is also a kossack chimes in. And, damnit, again I'm chastised! Even in defense:
Meats,
As someone who is somewhat familiar with the Kos blog, I can attest that Hazzy getting his diaries up on the "Recommended List" (Number 1 no less!) is a pretty big accomplishment. And a big "Kudos" to our boy is well deserved. So a Big Kudos to bigskiphazzy! (Apologies to Adaba for the gratutious "back slapping")
As for the cussing ... put me with the other grannies out there. I believe his posts can convey the same message without the f-bombs and GDs, even at Kos, but f*ck that is the G*d d*mn way f*cking Hazzy talks and it does get peoples attention ... so ....
But Adaba I am lost as to why you think that Hazzy's post would be better if he gave details about the programs that are going to get cut??? WTF does that have to do with the fact that they "LOST" $9,000,000,000.00. WTF does that have to do with the fact that this was "officially" reported a month ago and yet there is NO calls for a congressional investigation. WTF does that have to do with the fact that NOT ONE, NOT ONE SINGLE Republican Senator came to the hearing. The state I live in has two Republican Senators and neither showed up. This from the state that won't raise taxes no matter what because all we have to do is get rid of the waste, fraud and corruption. Well, if "LOSING" $9,000,000,000.00 isn't enough to warrent their attention then WTF is?
Adaba, I agree that our rants are not going to convince people and that we need a more effective way to communicate. So tell me how do we effectively communicate to you that we, as a country, are getting a light stick up our arse???? Adaba?? Bueller??? Anyone???
Okay, maybe I need to rethink the gratuitious profanities? Finally, Howd drives home the point about one of the MAIN reasons that this KOS Community kicks some serious motherfucking ass:
Meats,
So Adaba and Meerch you asked why it is the Liberals don't simply get up in front of the people and tell them their ideas .... from, where else, a Recommended Kos diary ....
Short story. Dean makes speech at Cornell where he says that if SS is left alone for 30 years benifits would be 80% of what they are today .... This gets read by Robert Novak and goes through the "Republican Translator" and becomes "Dean says ... over the years SS will lose 80% of its benefits." Which in turn gets picked up by the RNC and put on its web page. Nice. I am sure it was just an honest mistake. Honest.
Oh and Hazzy what was that you saw last night on "Hannity and Combs"? Dean saying ".... I hate Republicans and all they do." What a mean hateful, unhinged idiot Dean is ... ah wait there is more? You mean Dean actually said "If we are not to become the party of, "I hate Republicans and all they do", then we must .... " Why oh why then would Fox not play the entire sentence??? Because when I hear the first one I get an entirely different idea of what Dean is saying. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....
A wondering why they hate us,
Howd
So by the end of this thread, I really started thinking about what it is I am trying to accomplish, and to some extent, what WE are trying to accomplish as a community. And my thought is, yes, we ARE trying to reach a greater audience. And to inspire. And inform. And outrage. And yes, there IS a place for a well-placed
Fucker
But just as I recognized the power of profanity -- think about Cheney telling Leahy to "Go Fuck Himself" on the Senate floor. That was POWERFUL precisely because it ISN'T said often. Hell, never. And Cheney never apologized. And the Right loved him for it. And we despised him all the more.
The question, I think, is this: Is it possible to become drunk on profanity and, by doing so, we might help ourselves get a recommendation -- outrage is almost always an effective emotion to tap into -- but we might end up dulling this valuable tool in our creative belt to the point where it carries far less meaning sometime down the line when we REALLY might need it?
Let's face it: I'm not exactly breaking new ground here. It's not like I'm Henry Miller using "cunt" 432 times in a 255-page novel. It's not like I'm Lenny Bruce, going to jail so that bloggers like me can point out with impunity when an administration is rat-fucking us. Hell, Maryscott herself, the queen, kicks the livin' shit out of me anyway on this front.
In some ways, I think I might be undercutting the VERY message that I want my kids to learn: Words have power. Use them wisely.
Respect the medium. I think that's my message to myself. Thanks guys.