alternative hippopotamus

progressive cyberdadaism from our nation’s capital

June 7, 2007

Expression of the Day

by AltHippo @ 4:13 pm. Filed under Wilson/Plame

Today’s Expression: “Bathos on Stilts.”

Background: “Bathos is Greek for depth. As used in English it originally referred to a particular type of bad poetry, but it is now used more broadly to cover any ridiculous artwork or performance. More strictly speaking, bathos is unintended humor caused by an incongruous combination of high and low.”

Example: (with added bold for emphasis, and italics for fun)

Though nothing compared to this creepy one signed jointly by Mary Matalin and James Carville. Creepy, because the letter is in only Matalin’s voice (”His wife and my husband share similar political views…my husband…joins me in the sentiments expressed here”). She delivers more yada yada yada (”One of my man enduring and endearing memories of Scooter is of his universal love of families…”; “…which required not only long but also intense and often off-site work at the so-called ‘undisclosed secure locations’…. And when the little ones finally trotted off to bed happy and full of candy and stories, Scooter went back to work, as was always the case, late into the night.”). Really, read the whole thing, especially the paragraph beginning “My lifelong view…”. It’s bathos on stilts. Clemency, she/they conclude, would mitigate the “additional devastation to them and the many other children who love Scooter.”

Notes: Because of the many children who love Scooter, Fred Hiatt is said to be penning an editorial: “Yes, Virginia, There Is an I. Lewis Libby.”

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hip·po·pot·a·mus n. A notion, perhaps distinct from conventional wisdom, that needs to be verified by reality-based scrutiny.

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