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Paradox: It Takes Longer for Things to Sink into an Empty Head
09/09/2002

Jeff Jarvis comments and links to a petty, self-absorbed, parochial, stupid, and downright mean column by some heartless wench named Jill Stewart in LA. Here's the accompanying cartoon:

The scary part is that this cartoon represents what Stewart is encouraging! But let me substantiate my charges.

1. Petty and self-absorbed:

But a year of this play-acting is more than enough, already. ... At the same time, the audience is acting just as deplorably. God, the treacle and carrying on from perfect strangers as the first anniversary draws near.

"Gosh, people! When are you going to turn your attention back to me and the things that I think are important? I don't even care about people I know! How can you rubes care about complete strangers... sometimes even in another time zone?"

2. Parochial and stupid:

I conducted an unofficial survey of friends and acquaintances on this subject, the kind of people I'd talk about it with over drinks. And a surprising number agreed with me.

Parochial because she thinks that her little clique is anything other than uniformly spiteful about attention paid to others. Stupid because she's surprised!

3. Downright mean:

Indeed, I say without shame to America's ever-growing, increasingly troubling and loudly throbbing Cult of Nine Eleven, "For God sakes, get a grip!"

Get a grip, people, before this unholy rapture gets its grip on you.

I'd get upset at her, but I suspect her vitriol is an indication of her absolute terror that her and her stock of ludicrous, superficial ideas and beliefs are slipping into the utter irrelevancy that they should never have left. Who says California is an ahead-of-the-curve trendsetter? I sincerely hope not, and I sincerely think not.

Posted by Justin Katz @ 12:09 AM EST



2 comments


You're an idiot. Take everything out of context, blame the illustrator, do anything you can to make the author appear heartless. She isn't. She's arguing for a greater sense that we belong in the world, and more attention to those concerns. But of course you patriots wouldn't understand that concept.

David @ 09/12/2002 04:38 PM EST


Well, gee, thanks for the thoughtful criticism, David.

First, I've written about why we ought to care more about our own... if you want to get a broader idea of where I stand.

Second, Ms. Stewart blew off the idea that it matters that this was not a natural calamity, which allowed her to decline to even address that it does, indeed, represent a whole new genre of tragedy in the modern world.

Third, the U.S. is the #1 giver of aid around the world, even with respect to natural disasters, and if we agonized over every one we'd be a terribly morbid people.

Fourth, even given her opinions, some of which have some merit (I'll admit), her decision to disregard, entirely, the probable (even if faulty) opinions and emotions of readers suggests that she is not merely "arguing for a greater sense that we belong in the world."

I stand by what I've written, and I could write more. However, I suspect you anti-patriots wouldn't give it proper consideration, anyway.

Justin Katz @ 09/12/2002 05:12 PM EST