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Dan Savage — the man who redefined “santorum” — weighs in on Rick Santorum’s defeat:
But there’s a smidgen of credit I will take: I did help to make Rick Santorum into a national laughing stock—an international laughing stock (the new definition of “santorum” is known overseas)—with an invaluable assist from Rick Santorum, of course.
There’s a reason why monarchs and despots used to lock up political cartoonists and satirists. Being made to look ridiculous, being turned into the butt of a joke—that’s politically disempowering fairy dust. It’s hard to rule when you’re not taken seriously, and it’s hard to be taken seriously once you’ve been reduced to a punch line. Indeed, the power of satire should never be underestimated.
Absolutely. One-hundred percent agreement. I read somewhere once that the real tragedy for an American is not to die, but to become a laughingstock. (Some of us, like me, have decided to buck the system and simply become jokes early in our lives.)
So what am I trying to say here? Basically, the next time you read a stupid headline joke, don’t get angry. I’m merely trying to take down Boss Tweed.
Rick Santorum [The Slog via Philly Future]
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