Comments on: If You Can’t Lick ‘Em, Join ‘Em! http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2005/03/30/if-you-cant-lick-em-join-em/ The blog of the mystery writer, screenwriter and CEO of Pajamas Media Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:49:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: freetotem http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2005/03/30/if-you-cant-lick-em-join-em/#comment-43818 freetotem Thu, 31 Mar 2005 19:45:19 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2005/03/30/if-you-cant-lick-em-join-em/#comment-43818 As Utron says, this is merely the same usual suspects saying the same things in a different medium. They think the powerful thing about the blogosphere is not that it has provided the means to break the monopoly of people like them on the installed infrastructure of political expression, but just that people are more interested in computers than TV sets. There is a reason for this. The political Left has a long history of focusing on exteriors (means of production, class systems, power infrastructures, etc.) and ignoring interiors (character, integrity, abilities, work ethic, etc.,) dating back to the time of Rousseau, who thought Man's nature was inherently perfect, but "the system" was screwed up. That is why all their causes and solutions are exterior ones, focusing on "the system" and so on. And that is why, after losing several national elections, they are focused not on the content of their beliefs, but "the message," or how the message is presented, or in this case in which particular medium the message is expressed. They don't get that it is the message that is the problem, because the worldview behind the message is incoherent, self-contradictory and reactionary. Accordingly. they don't realize their views will have just as little credibility and interest on the Internet as they do in all the media they still dominate. As Utron says, this is merely the same usual suspects saying the same things in a different medium. They think the powerful thing about the blogosphere is not that it has provided the means to break the monopoly of people like them on the installed infrastructure of political expression, but just that people are more interested in computers than TV sets. There is a reason for this.

The political Left has a long history of focusing on exteriors (means of production, class systems, power infrastructures, etc.) and ignoring interiors (character, integrity, abilities, work ethic, etc.,) dating back to the time of Rousseau, who thought Man’s nature was inherently perfect, but “the system” was screwed up. That is why all their causes and solutions are exterior ones, focusing on “the system” and so on. And that is why, after losing several national elections, they are focused not on the content of their beliefs, but “the message,” or how the message is presented, or in this case in which particular medium the message is expressed. They don’t get that it is the message that is the problem, because the worldview behind the message is incoherent, self-contradictory and reactionary. Accordingly. they don’t realize their views will have just as little credibility and interest on the Internet as they do in all the media they still dominate.

]]> By: Kyda Sylvester http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2005/03/30/if-you-cant-lick-em-join-em/#comment-43817 Kyda Sylvester Thu, 31 Mar 2005 18:33:47 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2005/03/30/if-you-cant-lick-em-join-em/#comment-43817 Until now, I never deliberately read anything by Tina Brown nor about Tina Brown. I was sure that I'd want to furiously back peddle and restore that status quo but to the contrary I found both articles, unintentionally I'm sure, quite hilarious. Tina Brown equates the blogosphere to the East German secret police. Arianna Huffington thinks the people she seeks to recruit have <i>interesting opinions and fresh takes on the hot stories of the day</i>. (At least she recognizes their limitations as she assures them (us?) that <i>our editorial team will fact-check and turn [their "takes"] into a blog post</i>.) Greg Lindsay (whoever he is) thinks said recruits are the <i>cultural and media elite</i> and that Norman Lear and Gary Hart are <i>blue chip "public intellectuals"</i>. And then there's his final observation: <i>And I'm about to finally find out: Will the return of Tina Brown's diary mean that blogging has grown up, or just gotten old?</i> See what I mean? Hilarious. Until now, I never deliberately read anything by Tina Brown nor about Tina Brown. I was sure that I’d want to furiously back peddle and restore that status quo but to the contrary I found both articles, unintentionally I’m sure, quite hilarious.

Tina Brown equates the blogosphere to the East German secret police.

Arianna Huffington thinks the people she seeks to recruit have interesting opinions and fresh takes on the hot stories of the day. (At least she recognizes their limitations as she assures them (us?) that our editorial team will fact-check and turn [their "takes"] into a blog post.)

Greg Lindsay (whoever he is) thinks said recruits are the cultural and media elite and that Norman Lear and Gary Hart are blue chip “public intellectuals”. And then there’s his final observation: And I’m about to finally find out: Will the return of Tina Brown’s diary mean that blogging has grown up, or just gotten old?

See what I mean? Hilarious.

]]> By: richard mcenroe http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2005/03/30/if-you-cant-lick-em-join-em/#comment-43816 richard mcenroe Thu, 31 Mar 2005 14:10:16 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2005/03/30/if-you-cant-lick-em-join-em/#comment-43816 Lola ó Can you bite your tongue and still fast? You might need to post something for the good of your soul... Roger ó Of course Tina joined the "Stasi"... that black leather trenchcoat gets the style ho's every time... Lola ó Can you bite your tongue and still fast? You might need to post something for the good of your soul…

Roger ó Of course Tina joined the “Stasi”… that black leather trenchcoat gets the style ho’s every time…

]]> By: David Thomson http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2005/03/30/if-you-cant-lick-em-join-em/#comment-43815 David Thomson Thu, 31 Mar 2005 06:36:53 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2005/03/30/if-you-cant-lick-em-join-em/#comment-43815 ìShe's supposed to be writing a biography of Princess Diana. (Is there even a snippet of information about her that the world doesn't know? If so, does it justify yet another exhaustive peroration on the subject?î Iím going to scream in horror. Princess Diana was essentially a boring individual who married the Prince of Wales. What more do I need to know? She is not worthy of an exhaustive biography. This may sound cruel---but I hope the book fails to earn even one thin dime. ìShe’s supposed to be writing a biography of Princess Diana. (Is there even a snippet of information about her that the world doesn’t know? If so, does it justify yet another exhaustive peroration on the subject?î

Iím going to scream in horror. Princess Diana was essentially a boring individual who married the Prince of Wales. What more do I need to know? She is not worthy of an exhaustive biography. This may sound cruel—but I hope the book fails to earn even one thin dime.

]]> By: PJ http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2005/03/30/if-you-cant-lick-em-join-em/#comment-43814 PJ Thu, 31 Mar 2005 02:28:52 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2005/03/30/if-you-cant-lick-em-join-em/#comment-43814 Tina Brown is an irrelevancy. Tina Brown is an irrelevancy.

]]> By: Roger http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2005/03/30/if-you-cant-lick-em-join-em/#comment-43813 Roger Wed, 30 Mar 2005 22:41:07 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2005/03/30/if-you-cant-lick-em-join-em/#comment-43813 test test

]]> By: Old Dad http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2005/03/30/if-you-cant-lick-em-join-em/#comment-43812 Old Dad Wed, 30 Mar 2005 21:47:15 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2005/03/30/if-you-cant-lick-em-join-em/#comment-43812 You can take Tina out of the tabloids, but you can't take the tabloids out of..... Oh, never mind. You can take Tina out of the tabloids, but you can’t take the tabloids out of…..

Oh, never mind.

]]> By: vegetius http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2005/03/30/if-you-cant-lick-em-join-em/#comment-43811 vegetius Wed, 30 Mar 2005 20:06:30 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2005/03/30/if-you-cant-lick-em-join-em/#comment-43811 Hell, Tina Brown and her ilk never complained about the 'Old Stasi'. Why would a new one bother them? Hell, Tina Brown and her ilk never complained about the ‘Old Stasi’. Why would a new one bother them?

]]> By: Kevin P http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2005/03/30/if-you-cant-lick-em-join-em/#comment-43810 Kevin P Wed, 30 Mar 2005 20:03:33 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2005/03/30/if-you-cant-lick-em-join-em/#comment-43810 Roger: Call a group of people "the new Stasi" and two weeks later join the group. Does anyone else around here have whiplash at the intellectual flip flop.If she calls the repulican right the new theocracy does that mean she will become a Southern Baptist minister soon after. Roger:

Call a group of people “the new Stasi” and two weeks later join the group. Does anyone else around here have whiplash at the intellectual flip flop.If she calls the repulican right the new theocracy does that mean she will become a Southern Baptist minister soon after.

]]> By: utron http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2005/03/30/if-you-cant-lick-em-join-em/#comment-43809 utron Wed, 30 Mar 2005 19:58:49 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2005/03/30/if-you-cant-lick-em-join-em/#comment-43809 Sounds like Old Media content in the shape of New Media. Maybe they'll tart this up in some way the article didn't describe, but right now I suspect Tina and her friends will discover that the blogosphere is less interested in their opinions than they would like to think. Add blogs and blogging to the lengthy list of subjects on which these people really aren't terribly well informed. (Anybody know where James Wolcott ranks on the blog hit-list?) Sounds like Old Media content in the shape of New Media. Maybe they’ll tart this up in some way the article didn’t describe, but right now I suspect Tina and her friends will discover that the blogosphere is less interested in their opinions than they would like to think. Add blogs and blogging to the lengthy list of subjects on which these people really aren’t terribly well informed. (Anybody know where James Wolcott ranks on the blog hit-list?)

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