I'm confused about how to take Bill's apology to unclewest, or unclewest's to him. The point is, this thread is devoted to needling. The ability to construct them with wit, deliver them with subtlety, and then receive them in return without taking umbrage have been the unstated hallmarks of success on this useless thread. But since there have been several occurrences of injured feelings, maybe we should get some of the eggheads from the main thread over here to help us define boundaries.
Nah, that's a bad idea. It'd be boring as hell and we wouldn't read their posts all the way through anyway.
Imo, there are clearly areas that should be off limits, even on the Curmudgeon thread. The problem is that those areas differ from person to person. Sham was offended by my very mild opening parry, but the only way Wedgie would be hurt is if he wasn't targeted and blasted. Some with great skill at the game, like tekboy, actually point out areas where they can be attacked, such as failure at options or fascination with shiny pebbles. In point of fact, even his name, which evokes the image of a slack jawed teenager playing video games, is a joke; there is nothing of the lightweght about him if you consider his academic accomplishments and intellectual prowess, and his "foreign policy wonk" job is deadly serious and of critical importance to the safety of our nation. Others, like the incomporable Id, needle themselves harder than anyone else, clearly signaling the total absence of maliciousness in the devastating attacks that follow. If you asked him his professional opinion, I'd venture to say he'd appraise this curmudgeon stuff as healthy (and then he'd send you a bill for an obscene sum).
In essence, this thread is about comedy. Legendary comics like Newhart and Benny built their careers on self effacing humor and needles. Not everyone "got" them, and entertainers like Gleason had larger followings, but there was a sizeable audience that were intensely loyal to these masters of the dig.
The real meaning behind the final sentence in the thread header, If you can't take the heat, this is the wrong kitchen for you, is that this thread has not been designed for universal appeal. Those who find themselves offended rather than amused should simply change the channel rather than watching a program that they don't enjoy. But before one takes that step, I'd like to point out that the <Private Message> is a great tool to resolve misunderstandings and communicate limits.
For myself, I'm going to reflect on whether I've pushed anyone's buttons too hard or too frequently. But don't expect any public explanations; it totally ruins the joke.
uf@notfeelingverycurmudgeonly.com |
