Rebirth of the old incivility
Gavin McGimpsey
Issue date: 4/30/09 Section: Opinion
Decades before the generic scumbags and generally annoying jerks of our age, there came into being a varied, motley, but, after all, natural American Troll. Perhaps the phantom of an overly serious society will once more bring about the resurgence of an audacious tradition in human social interaction. Such is the objective and goal of the newly formed Ann H. Coulter Society of Kenyon College.
The roots of the American Troll lie as far back as whatever authorities I can appeal to, so I don't have to defend my position as such. George Carlin, Howard Stern, Sacha Baron Cohen, Adolph Hitler, Fred Phelps, Bill O'Reilly, Tom Cruise, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Richard Dawkins, Don Imus, Michael Moore and, of course, the wonderful Ms. Coulter herself, all serve as models of trollishness. Opposed to self-importance, pomposity, overweening cockiness and general social order, these trolls are heroes of the intelligentsia.
Fortunately, Kenyon is fairly immune to these despicable traits. And even where they do exist, they are balanced out by an active, if small, troll community. Most frequently, they appear in infamous "all-student email wars," prodding others on with insults such as "pinko commie" or bandying about terms like "racist" or "feminazi." They can also be found in so-called "respectable" publications, creating much-needed discussion about black peoples' laziness and love of fried chicken.
Praise the Lord for these noble souls! Were they not present, with their magniloquent, orotund bombast, galvanizing us towards new intellectual pastures, unbounded by practicality, common sense or even attainability, where could we, as liberal arts students, be inspired to develop? This discourse is true freedom (a key value of dedicated trolls-after all, without freedom of speech, how could they disregard community standards with impunity?), and we must recognize the brave men who advance freedom over all else. Especially civility. Or articulate thought.
Ultimately, "self-sacrificing" is the only term that can do justice to these trollish community members. Their suicidal outbursts, far from petty attention-seeking or childish, masturbatory swipes at a culture they voluntarily take part in, are honorable contributions to intelligent, rational discussion. The kamikaze nature of their missives, provoking us at the cost of our mutual esteem, must be seen for what it truly is: not an expression of folly or imprudence, but an esoteric Millsian incitement of our evaluative capabilities. Were we not faced with these challenges, and forced to cursorily dismiss them, our standing as an intellectual community would remain unconvincing.
Perhaps I speak too highly. In fact, all of us, as participants in this discourse, share the common ground of Kenyon College's campus. All of us can aspire to contribute highly to the education of our peers, both personally and intellectually. Each student brings a unique and equally valuable set of traits, skills and beliefs, and we can undeniably agree that all contributions are welcome. But I invite you, O Kenyon College Community members, to join us in the most equal of all free expression. The purpose of the Ann H. Coulter society is plainly stated: we are here to ride upon the growing drift of a culture that positively will not endure the notion that other people are ever deserving of any respect whatsoever.
The roots of the American Troll lie as far back as whatever authorities I can appeal to, so I don't have to defend my position as such. George Carlin, Howard Stern, Sacha Baron Cohen, Adolph Hitler, Fred Phelps, Bill O'Reilly, Tom Cruise, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Richard Dawkins, Don Imus, Michael Moore and, of course, the wonderful Ms. Coulter herself, all serve as models of trollishness. Opposed to self-importance, pomposity, overweening cockiness and general social order, these trolls are heroes of the intelligentsia.
Fortunately, Kenyon is fairly immune to these despicable traits. And even where they do exist, they are balanced out by an active, if small, troll community. Most frequently, they appear in infamous "all-student email wars," prodding others on with insults such as "pinko commie" or bandying about terms like "racist" or "feminazi." They can also be found in so-called "respectable" publications, creating much-needed discussion about black peoples' laziness and love of fried chicken.
Praise the Lord for these noble souls! Were they not present, with their magniloquent, orotund bombast, galvanizing us towards new intellectual pastures, unbounded by practicality, common sense or even attainability, where could we, as liberal arts students, be inspired to develop? This discourse is true freedom (a key value of dedicated trolls-after all, without freedom of speech, how could they disregard community standards with impunity?), and we must recognize the brave men who advance freedom over all else. Especially civility. Or articulate thought.
Ultimately, "self-sacrificing" is the only term that can do justice to these trollish community members. Their suicidal outbursts, far from petty attention-seeking or childish, masturbatory swipes at a culture they voluntarily take part in, are honorable contributions to intelligent, rational discussion. The kamikaze nature of their missives, provoking us at the cost of our mutual esteem, must be seen for what it truly is: not an expression of folly or imprudence, but an esoteric Millsian incitement of our evaluative capabilities. Were we not faced with these challenges, and forced to cursorily dismiss them, our standing as an intellectual community would remain unconvincing.
Perhaps I speak too highly. In fact, all of us, as participants in this discourse, share the common ground of Kenyon College's campus. All of us can aspire to contribute highly to the education of our peers, both personally and intellectually. Each student brings a unique and equally valuable set of traits, skills and beliefs, and we can undeniably agree that all contributions are welcome. But I invite you, O Kenyon College Community members, to join us in the most equal of all free expression. The purpose of the Ann H. Coulter society is plainly stated: we are here to ride upon the growing drift of a culture that positively will not endure the notion that other people are ever deserving of any respect whatsoever.
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