Sunday, March 12, 2006

Not funny
I thought that the Muqata had an excellent idea. Do spoofs of regular Jewish bloggers. Some were good. The good spoofs were the ones where fans of a blog recreated the blogs recalling the style of the original.
The Purim Mirty's Place was particularly good capturing the style of the original and poking gentle fun of it.
Though, based on the comments, I'm outnumbered (along with Elie's Expositions), the Purim version of Cross Currents was disgraceful. I suppose it may have been mildly amusing but the reference to "Birth of a Nation" changed it from kidding to vicious. I know there are those for whom satire is defined by viciousness, and that there is a market for such an approach. But that doesn't make it funny.
Additionally mocking Cross currents for selectively allowing comments is not fair. Cross currents has a very clear policy that it doesn't intend to publish every single comment. Besides if one objects to what one reads at Cross currents, one still may object elsewhere. What I find cowardly is someone who uses his anonymity to slander others and offers no recourse for amends.
Finally the upside down JIB award was again, not making fun, but an expression of contempt.
I understand satire as well as the next guy, but there are times when satire is not funny and just mean spirited. This was one of them.
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