2/9/2006
TEN RANDOM THOUGHTS #11
- I’ve not commented on the whole flapdoodle around the cartoon protests. Here’s what I think: There’s a huge difference between using offensive humor to make a point, and when your whole point is simply to be offensive. The test is simple: Is it funny? The Danish cartoons were not funny. The Iranian Holocaust cartoons won’t be funny either. The Flying Spaghetti Monster is almost funny. George Carlin used to be funny. Lewis Black is funny. So is The Colbert Report.
- The problem with the whole Wayne Gretzky affair is not that his wife was gambling. Or that illegal gambling does exist. But the fact that no one involved appears to have gambled on hockey doesn’t make it OK or another example of a victimless crime. The problem is that Gretzky and Tocchet are both in a position where they could be pressured to affect the outcome of a game which people could and probably do bet on. (You obviously can’t force a team to win, but you can put a team in a perfect position to lose. And I imagine this happens a lot more than anyone cares to admit.) The real problem with gambling is that you lose a goodly portion of your bets, which can lead to desperation. And despair drives people to do some pretty weird things. If you were Tocchet and you suddenly found yourself a few hundred thousand in the hole, how would you dig yourself out? You’d probably wind up doing something which compromises the integrity of your game. (There’s no evidence that Tocchet did any such thing; however, who knows where things might have wound up if this ring hadn’t been broken up?) And right now, the NHL doesn’t need that sort of problem. Tocchet and Gretzky both deserve a Force 9 Dope Slap.
- I’m not shocked that it appears Cheney may have greenlit the Plame leak. I won’t be surprised when nothing at all comes of it, either. These days, when it comes to scandal, if nothing happens in seven days, nothing’s going to happen.
- As far as I’m concerned, it’s no big deal that Kelly Clarkson didn’t mention “American Idol” in her Grammy acceptance speech. She has enough of a career now that she can stand on her own merits.
- While not everyone seems to agree, I think “House” is a great TV show. Actually, Weintraub seems to like the show, but doesn’t care for House’s attitude. But patients do lie. What’s a doctor supposed to do? Breaking into cars is probably outside the pale, but what’s wrong with a little tough love when you’re trying to save someone’s life? “House” isn’t about a doctor whose surliness makes him great; it’s about a great doctor who happens to be an annoying jerk. It’s nice to see a TV doc who seems human.
- Even if you’re not into cars, you ought to read Dan Neil’s car reviews in the LA Times. Neil is the first automotive journalist to win a Pulitzer, and he deserves it. No half-hearted manufacturing effort escapes his eye. When he’s good, he’s very good; when he’s bad, he’s hilarious.
- Come on, now, would you really want to listen to Al Michaels and Joe Theismann? I wouldn’t.
- This list needs to wrap up soon because I’ve got to fetch Child 1.0 from school. Blogging may not affect life, but life affects blogging, that’s for sure.
- Dairy Queen is underappreciated.
- The tenth item on this list, though, is severely overappreciated.
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Dude, you’re too close to it to see it, but the FSM is pretty freakin’ hilarious. And the problem with declaring that something’s just offensive for offensive’s sake is that, as with the FSM, one guy’s “almost funny” is ten million peoples’ “freakin’ hilarious”.
Comment by M1EK — 2/9/2006 @ 5:18 pm
You’re probably right, M1EK, I am too close. It’s hard (for me) to tell if they’re just poking fun at ID, or if they’re saying that believing in God makes about as much sense as believing in a FSM.
Calling themselves “Pastafarians,” though, is hilarious. But maybe people in Jamaica don’t agree . . .
Comment by Mark Hasty — 2/9/2006 @ 5:34 pm
Nothing beats a DQ blueberry malt.
Except, of course, a DQ pineapple malt.
Comment by Paul — 2/9/2006 @ 10:30 pm
Mark,
From the outside, they are pretty clearly poking fun at those who are trying to push ID into science class. Not at Christianity.
Comment by M1EK — 2/10/2006 @ 10:50 am
Two comments: First, the Flying Spaghetti Monster is an attack on creationism. The closely-related Invisible Pink Unicorn (PBUH) is the traditional atheist attack on Christianity and other monotheistic religions. The IPU is not inherently funny, but much of the writing about Her is absolutely hilarious as a spoof of scripture and of interdenominational strife. I should go dig some up and link it, but you can probably find it yourself.
Second: the images of Mohammed were intended to make a point. There have been a number of attack in Denmark recently on those who were critical of Islam in one way or another, some of which resulted in deaths. There is a strong notion in Danish society that Islam is not tolerant of free speech. The original cartoons, from what I understand, were a protest against the attempt by Muslims to shut down speech they found objectionable.
Comment by Dave — 2/12/2006 @ 11:02 am
DQ rocks. I live in a rural area where my only fast food options are McD and DQ. DQ gets all of my business. Their FlameThrower burger is excellent.
The wife & I like ‘House’, too.
FSM is amusing–about as amusing as ID–and not much more. The way I see it, you’re either a creationist or you believe it’s all just random chance. The creationists (billions of ‘em) have a wide array of options to consider. Indeed, I’d wager that the non-God-of-Abraham crowd (Hindus, Buddhists, Scientologists, Aboriginals around the world, etc.) outnumber the Jews, Christians and Muslims combined. Maybe it was Martians. Maybe the ancient Greeks were right all along. Who knows? Nobody knows. We all believe (though I guess some might admit to just being stumped by the whole question). What differs is what we believe. IMO, the ‘random chance’ crowd has the most faith.
I like Dave’s “There is a strong notion in Danish society that Islam is not tolerant of free speech.” There should be an award for the understatement of the week around here. Dave–you could have saved yourself a few keystrokes if you had stopped at ‘tolerant’.
Comment by Tom G — 2/14/2006 @ 7:53 pm
I used to like House, but I’ve gotten away from it. The characters are ok, the problem I have is the patients. They always have some ridiculous combination of 7 diseases. Not everyone in the world is Monty Burns.
Comment by Me — 2/20/2006 @ 2:17 pm
I like “House” a lot, but I wish Fox would quit pre-empting it for drek like “American Idol”, which they seem to do three weeks out of four.
And Dan Neil is fantastic. (By the way, there’s a new book out called “Crap Cars.” Saw it in the bookstore, and thought of you.)
Comment by Vidiot — 2/25/2006 @ 2:33 pm
I’ve got that book! I’m working on a review for Blogcritics, if I ever find the time to make it publishable.
There are actually two versions of ‘Crap Cars,’ one American and one British. There aren’t many cars which appear in both books.
Comment by Mark Hasty — 2/25/2006 @ 11:08 pm