Comments on: Poll #1: The Award Name

By: peter

peter — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 08:47:09 +0000

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By: Ambrose%9

Ambrose%9 — Sun, 24 May 2009 21:40:25 +0000

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By: Dillion

Dillion — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 03:17:42 +0000

Is there a way to become a content writer for the site?

By: Affiliate

Affiliate — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 20:23:15 +0000

I’ve never given this a try, but I think it’s about time I do.

By: Danny Bloom

Danny Bloom — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 04:28:46 +0000

All good comments above. However, given that we now know that the Bush admin regularly fed anti-French talking points to the right wing columnists and radio people, this Freedom Fries thing was a Bush concocation, and we should not use it, even in ridicule I feel. However, this is just my opinion, and I will go along with whatever NAME for the award that the webmaster chooses. I think the most important thing to consider is how the NAME will be perceived by the media, not by those of us here. Let’s see what unfolds….

again, good discussion above, everyone!

By: Miquelon

Miquelon — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:55:48 +0000

I would tend to agree Cyrano, it will not backfire if we give the award to a part-time French Basher, someone who thought he / she could get away with it and would rather not be reminded of their comment(s) –

I will be putting the first nominations together shortly, but I might also have two nominations per category : (a) popular award (b) editorial award ?

By: Cyrano

Cyrano — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:36:53 +0000

Concerning what Danny says (#3 & #4) no, “freedom fry award” will not backfire, but “francophobe award” will, because the real die hard francophobes will be proud to get a “francophobe award”! They’ll say “So what, I AM a francophobe!”. Whereas no one wants to get a “freedom fry award”, and be reminded of how idiotic they are (for having come up with “freedom fries” in the first place).

Sorry if my comment comes a little late.

By: Cyrano

Cyrano — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:23:57 +0000

I find it kind of funny that when you google for "freedom fry award" (the name I voted for btw) you come across this page http://www.billingsgazette.com/newdex.php?display=rednews/2005/05/20/build/nation/65-star-wars_v.inc An article written in 2005! :)

By: Miquelon

Miquelon — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 13:32:04 +0000

The poll has now closed. We didn't get a clear majority choice but a relative majority for "The Freedom Fry Award".

The Freedom Fry Award (48%, 32 Votes)
The Francophobe Award (32%, 21 Votes)
The Frenchies (8%, 5 Votes)
Freedy the Freedom Fry Award (6%, 4 Votes)
The Gallophobe Award (6%, 4 Votes)

By: André Wernesson

André Wernesson — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:22:57 +0000

May I add one small consideration in favor of “The Freedom Fry Award” and against “the Francophobe award” — it’s the “phobe” thing. It’s very in style lately, it basically consists in thinking that anyone who doesn’t think like one, the “phobe” in question, is obviously sick, and with a couple pills he’ll be just like us.

I’m not defending the bashers here, but I doubt these people suffer from a phobia. I think they’re assholes, period.

By: Miquelon

Miquelon — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 18:31:36 +0000

Here we go again – see new item on front page. Carcassonne – Funny stuff for Danziger.

By: André Wernesson

André Wernesson — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:02:22 +0000

This is for Barney:

http://www.historicalstockphotos.com/details/photo/407_ulysses_s_grant_on_a_trapeze.html

OK, so here we’ve got this fine, fine example of late 19th century political cartoons, about our buddy Ulysses S Grant.

Now before we start objecting here that he’s cool because he’s portrayed as a cool trapezist or something, let’s have a look at his attributes: The president is obviously making a tremendous strain to make his whole shennanigan work — hanging onto different rings and bars such as “whiskey” and “third term” and especially, “corruption”, with a whole multitude of tiny, ridiculous carnies (his chamber members) weighing down the whole, absurd, fragile construction of state Grant has made.

Now, let’s not say this is uneffective! The ridicule, the absurdness, so plainly exposed, make it impossible to object that “This isn’t a comedy marathon; this is making corruption funny! We’re talking about a drunkard who’s spending the taxpayer’s money irresponsibly, not some cool trapezist!”

This one is even less subtle: http://www.historicalstockphotos.com/details/photo/409_ulysses_s_grant_cartoon.html

Grant is portrayed as a hobo followed by some stray dogs (his cabinet members).

Does funny exclude effective? Au contraire!

By: André Wernesson

André Wernesson — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 08:52:02 +0000

“So I nominate Brian Moore for this award !”

May I second that. The Britons always, no matter what, have managed to make their bashing more venomous, more offensive, more hateful. The Americans try, but lack that special touch.

By: André Wernesson

André Wernesson — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 08:50:33 +0000

Look, it’s like political caricatures. You may make a caricature to denounce something which you think a certain party or politician did wrong. And it’s funny. Of course, the said politician won’t find it funny. Perhaps, neither will his party colleagues, or his die-hard factionneers. But anyone who isn’t biased will grasp it, and understand how ridiculous that politician was.

According to your reasonning, there should be no political caricatures in the papers, only grim copperplate engravings portraying the horror of what they did!

By: André Wernesson

André Wernesson — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 08:46:53 +0000

Barney, you’re getting it all wrong!

“I don’t want to humor people who think my little boy stinks and is a coward and are doing everyhting they can so their own boy believe it.
It’s not a comedy rally. It’s a struggle against bigotry and injustice.”

Me neither! Remember, we’re laughing AT the bashers, not WITH them!

The fact is, if it’s people who already are anti-French, chances are, no matter how we present it, they’ll stick to their wretched ideas.

But we must win ourselves those sane people who DON’T — and the best way is not to “accuse” them (which is never appreciated) but to be more “with” them.