Dan said to John:
You'll have to forgive me, but if a friendship ended on account of what someone
wrote on an Internet discussion site, then that friendship wasn't all strong to
begin with. I mean, come on. Blaming dmb for that?
dmb says:
It does seem pretty ridiculous to blame me for your loss, John. I'm nothing but
words on a computer screen but friends are flesh and blood creatures who look
you in the eye. How could printed words from a stranger effect anything like a
real friendship? The whole idea that you could still hold a grudge about
something like that is hardly even plausible. It sounds like a flimsy, made-up
excuse.
John said:
... issue #2, and issue #3 is that dmb has desired my exclusion from this list
for a long, long time and made it very clear how little he likes or respects me.
dmb says:
You're inventing more flimsy excuses. I've never even hinted at getting you
banned or excluded. I've only excluded myself from talking to you about
Absolute Idealism simply because you don't know what Absolute Idealism is. What
sane person would want to debate anything with anybody under those
circumstances? If that's why you feel disrespected, then read a book about it
or something. If you want respect in a discussion group, then don't use words
you don't understand and don't advocate philosophies until you can articulate
them. Didn't your momma ever tell you that respect is earned? You gotta know
that it can't be got by demanding it. (Unless you're a rapper.)
And your "solution" to this has been to "needle" me, which is "so much fun"
that you can't resist? Oh. So that's why it seems like you're always playing
some bullshit game that makes no sense: because you are. I guess that chapter
should be called "Ignorance and Old Grudges" or something. That is definitely
not the way to needle anyone or get respect. Clown is a good word for the
impression it makes. If there is word, I can't think of it. Like other clowns,
you instinctively know it's not serious and it's not real. Traditionally, the
whole clown aesthetic is supposed to be a humorous distortion of what's real
and serious but lately his distortions have become unsettling, disturbing and
even threatening. Now the clown is featured in horror movies and black comedy.
Sideshow Bob, for example, and the clown hired by the e-trade baby. Not that
this shift in the culture has anything to do with you, John. I'm just clowning
around.
But seriously, you're a bad clown. Give it up. You're not funny or scary or
otherwise interesting to watch. Why not take off those big floppy shoes for a
while? People are likely to take you more seriously when you're not riding the
tiny trike or sucking on the giant baby bottle. Put the giant red nose down on
the ground and back away slowly. Now turn, start walking and don't look back.
Or just commit yourself to it fully and join the circus. You could befriend the
bearded lady. Maybe she'll invite you back to her dressing room for cocktails.
Clowns aren't inherently bad. They're great at kids' birthday parties or when
you're having group sex. They'd even work in a discussion group IF the group
discussion was about clowns or clowning techniques or something like that. But
a clown in this context? Not so much. Bringing a clown to philosophy discussion
is like bringing a bowling ball to a golf course. They're both funny because
they're so inappropriate, because they're so unfit
for the task. I mean it would be funny to literally bring a clown. Upon his
entrance, the costume would get a laugh and it bring everybody down to earth.
It would probably be a better meeting as a result. But if he juggles and honks
too long, he'll ruin it. If he's getting in the way instead of helping of
energizing and nobody's amused, then they all know he's lousy clown.
The clown union is going to hear about this, John. You mark my words. They take
this sort of thing very seriously. When they find out what a clown you've been,
waht a disgrace to the profession,... Well, I hate say what'll happen. Let's
just say those guys don't clown around.
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