The Importance of Being Earnest II

[Payne]

So Pixie and I are talking about these guys from "Whale Wars", an animal planet show about these Greenpeace+ types, who are docked in Southampton this week and will be visiting our incredibly nice but vegan flatmates for a party on Saturday night. Like any good flatmate (or concerned flat sharer) would do, I decided to watch the first episode of this show.

Now don't get me wrong I like whales. They're good people. However the entire episode that I watch reeked of earnestness. I will watch more, but I think I can only do one at a time. Pixie, oddly enough, feels exactly the same (seldom do our TV tastes converge so well). So it sets us thinking - have we discovered the one thing that defines the soul of PD, where we both think this ultimately comes from?

Think about it:

"PD is a place where those who cannot stand too much earnestness will feel most comfortable."

Is a pretty neat one sentence summation of what I think PD is to everyone else. And all our biggest shit fests break out when someone or other gets too damned earnest about something. We hate The Right and The Left for this. The Fundies and The Dawkins Fanbois. We especially hate it in pinealists and our own.

However, do not read this post wrong - I am not saying to stop being earnest. All I'm saying is it's a pretty powerful weapon round these here parts.

[Doktor Howl]

Being earnest requires a straight face.  That is all I can find wrong with, other than - of course - the sanctimonious preachiness that almost always accompanies it.

No, for me, it's the ghastly grin that reeks of "Now I'll never get this shirt clean.", the hiccupping laughter that sounds like screams to the uninitiated, and the gleam in my eye that says "I ABSOLUTELY cannot stand fanatics; nothing is to horrible for them."

Saints preserve us from those touting a Cause, for they are a bummer at parties.

[Cramulus]

I haven't seen Whale Wars. Can you elaborate a bit on the earnestness? I'm not following...

[Pixie]

I haven't seen Whale Wars. Can you elaborate a bit on the earnestness? I'm not following...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8wnEA2pyio

^this guy

[Balls Wellington]

I really truly believe that hunting whales is incredibly immoral, and yet those turdburglars on Whale Wars manage to make me root for the Japanese fishermen.

And IMO, the Japanese fishermen show an unbelievable amount of restraint. Some fucking hippies threatened the safety of MY ship like that and I would consider it an act of piracy and sink them in a fucking heartbeat.

[Balls Wellington]

And I know that isn't really the point of the thread. I agree with you, Payne, being too earnest about anything is an invitation to be mocked and ridiculed. To me, it implies that someone has reached a point where they've stopped using critical thinking in regards to an issue.

[Payne]

I really truly believe that hunting whales is incredibly immoral, and yet those turdburglars on Whale Wars manage to make me root for the Japanese fishermen.

And IMO, the Japanese fishermen show an unbelievable amount of restraint. Some fucking hippies threatened the safety of MY ship like that and I would consider it an act of piracy and sink them in a fucking heartbeat.

Fucking THIS.

[Payne]

And I know that isn't really the point of the thread. I agree with you, Payne, being too earnest about anything is an invitation to be mocked and ridiculed. To me, it implies that someone has reached a point where they've stopped using critical thinking in regards to an issue.

I don't know if I'm reading too much into this of course, but looking back I really do seem to recall that 95% of PD's bust ups result from someone being too eager to set some kind of standard, believing in it so totally that any means justify the end.

[Triple Zero]

What I get from the Youtube trailer seems kinda pretty cool, except the part where he uses his powers to save the whales.

I'm fairly sure they are, but what happens that specifically makes them turdburglars?

[Cramulus]

Is it that he's really zealous about saving whales? Or that he's really sincere about it?

The guy sounds like a D-Bag but I'm having trouble putting my finger on exactly why. Earnest doesn't strike me as quite the right word. A lot of us are passionate, dedicated, and sincere about certain things, but that isn't douchey in itself. Is it the sort of righteous wind he's sailing?

[Payne]

What I get from the Youtube trailer seems kinda pretty cool, except the part where he uses his powers to save the whales.

I'm fairly sure they are, but what happens that specifically makes them turdburglars?

You really have to watch a full dose of it in one go. He's THAT up for it and single minded every single minute of a 40 odd minute TV show. And everyone else around him is the same.

I think a lot of what they're doing is cool, and yeah I think the "Research" flag under which whaling is done should be ripped away. I'm even all for people taking action themselves.

What I don't like is that it looks like a cult, and no one ever seems to have any real fun.

[Payne]

Is it that he's really zealous about saving whales? Or that he's really sincere about it?

The guy sounds like a D-Bag but I'm having trouble putting my finger on exactly why. Earnest doesn't strike me as quite the right word. A lot of us are passionate, dedicated, and sincere about certain things, but that isn't douchey in itself. Is it the sort of righteous wind he's sailing?

He's passionate, dedicated and sincere, which is good. Except he's turned it all the way up to 11. PERMANANTLY.

[Pixie]

Being earnest requires a straight face.  That is all I can find wrong with, other than - of course - the sanctimonious preachiness that almost always accompanies it.

No, for me, it's the ghastly grin that reeks of "Now I'll never get this shirt clean.", the hiccupping laughter that sounds like screams to the uninitiated, and the gleam in my eye that says "I ABSOLUTELY cannot stand fanatics; nothing is to horrible for them."

Saints preserve us from those touting a Cause, for they are a bummer at parties.

We'll find out if they're a bummer at parties or not on Saturday, because they're coming here. 

[Doktor Howl]

Being earnest requires a straight face.  That is all I can find wrong with, other than - of course - the sanctimonious preachiness that almost always accompanies it.

No, for me, it's the ghastly grin that reeks of "Now I'll never get this shirt clean.", the hiccupping laughter that sounds like screams to the uninitiated, and the gleam in my eye that says "I ABSOLUTELY cannot stand fanatics; nothing is to horrible for them."

Saints preserve us from those touting a Cause, for they are a bummer at parties.

We'll find out if they're a bummer at parties or not on Saturday, because they're coming here. 

That will teach you to hang out with Socially Conscious People™.

[Payne]

Being earnest requires a straight face.  That is all I can find wrong with, other than - of course - the sanctimonious preachiness that almost always accompanies it.

No, for me, it's the ghastly grin that reeks of "Now I'll never get this shirt clean.", the hiccupping laughter that sounds like screams to the uninitiated, and the gleam in my eye that says "I ABSOLUTELY cannot stand fanatics; nothing is to horrible for them."

Saints preserve us from those touting a Cause, for they are a bummer at parties.

We'll find out if they're a bummer at parties or not on Saturday, because they're coming here. 

That will teach you to hang out with Socially Conscious People™.

I live with Vegan Police, who hate the Real Police.

It's an innappropriate use of the backbeat.