Tag Archives: satire

A propos of nothing in particular.

Merriam-Webster, my dictionary of choice, defines criticism thusly: the activity of making careful judgments about the good and bad qualities of books, movies, etc.

It also defines satire thusly: : a way of using humor to show that someone or something is foolish, weak, bad, etc.

I consider myself to be open-minded and reasonable. I can take criticism, not only of my own work, but also of my tastes, especially if I sense that the intent is good. If you think that something I like is problematic for reason XYZ, well, maybe I didn’t notice XYZ, and maybe it won’t affect my enjoyment of the thing I like, but at least I know that you are trying to make the world a better place. If you disagree with my on a matter of morality or of ethic, again I may disagree, but I’ll respect your position.

If you make fun of me, and try to make me look like an idiot for my tastes and my opinions, or my work, for that matter, the best you can hope for is that I’ll dismiss you as an idiot. In fact, it doesn’t even matter if it’s me personally: any kind of person who stoops to satire, I dismiss as an idiot, almost as a rule. (I make the occasional exception for Mel Brooks.)