Subtext and Liberals
Bloggingheads.tv has a great conversation between Daniel Larison of the American Conservative and Eli Lake of the lamented New York Sun, on the tactic among liberals to draw hidden meanings from McCain ads (e.g.; the celebrity ad with Britney and Paris-white-women-paired with a picture of Obama) and things supposedly said at McCain rallies.
I think the conversation is important because as Eli Lake says, it tends to demolish the “plain meaning” of speech, or at least the speech coming from conservatives. If every comment uttered by conservatives is deemed racially suspect, then it makes it hard, if not impossible, for conservatives to honestly criticize Obama on any issue.
But maybe that’s the whole point: to stop conservatives from speaking. I don’t know.
Anyway, give it a listen.
5 Responses to “Subtext and Liberals”
When it doesn't exist, refer to something else as “code” for what doesn't exist.
Magic!
When beer ads try and associate beautiful women with men who guzzle beer, and I point that out, am I making a semiotic critique or simply stating the obvious?
That has nothing to do with _bogus_ charges of racism, such as the preemptive pre-conclusions we've already been given (as warnings) about anyone who votes for McCain (i.e., against Obama).
As to guzzling beer, when I guzzle beer, that's all that you see. Nothing additional. [sad look]
My honest opinion? I think Larison and Lake have far too much time on their hands.
[...] Daniel Larison of the American Conservative and Eli Lake of the New York Sun spoke with each other on Bloggingheads about the tendency of some Obama supporters to find something ‘racist’ in every word uttered by conservatives. It’s an interesting conversation, watch it at TMV . [...]