64°
Thanks to this column, I achieved a very modern and telling pseudo-fame. The upshot? I can’t wait to slink back into obscurity.
Here’s the deal: I wrote in this space an article mocking the privileged souls of Westchester and Connecticut, knee-jerk detractors of Occupy Wall Street. I made the suggestion — satiric not earnest -- that titans of suburbia hold demonstrations in their own cul-de-sacs for injustices like exorbitant parking fees at their local high-end mall before the real protests storm their way.
Occupy Wall Street has a lot of strengths, but was apparently a bit lacking, at least for the time, in the way of humor. They pounced, accusing me first in the comments section here of all manner of idiocy and insensitivity toward their cause, a cause I was, ironically, trumpeting.
Then they pulled out the big guns. And trained them on me with a humorous vengeance.
First came the Memes. For the uninitiated, Memes are wildly popular doctored photographs. An anonymous and mischievous soul will take a photo of someone they aim to flog and either Photoshop it into a humorous situation, or add a mocking caption. Last week, Memes of the police officer who pepper sprayed peacefully demonstrating college students went viral, with the disgraced campus cop digitally inserted into classic artworks, causally assaulting legendary painted figures with his pepper spray canister.
They didn’t go high art with me. Instead, pouncing on the name of this column (not my choice), they posted my column photo, labeling it “Repressed Suburban Father” and added captions like: “Lectures Kids on the Dangers of Marijuana….Still a Little High From Earlier.”
Next came a fake Twitter handle (now deleted), the ultimate in modern meta-mockery.
In the end, I got off easy when it comes to the drive-by intellectualism of our age. Used to be, readers had the sense with newspapers that you couldn't breach the castle wall. Few believed someone who wrote an article would get their missive, let alone reply to it. Now? Readers share every passing thought and journalists respond. Some complain that we’ve fallen into an open season with anonymous posters of internet comments firing off volleys of rage. That’s a lamentable turn, but when the discourse, as in this case, is leavened with humor—well, that simply adds to the patter in the public square. We all emerge better off.
But next time, could you at least use a less dorky photo?
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Marek Fuchs is the author of "A Cold-Blooded Business," the true story of a murderer, from Westchester, who almost got away with it. His upcoming book on volunteer firefighting across America, “Local Heroes,” is due out in 2012. He wrote The New York Times' "County Lines" column about life in Westchester for six years and teaches non-fiction writing at Sarah Lawrence College, in Bronxville. He also serves as a volunteer firefighter. You can contact Marek through his website: www.marekfuchs.com or on Twitter: @MarekFuchs.
Comments (6)
My friends and I stopped reading your moaning about fatherhood (i guess you call them articles) a while ago. But this one caught my interest. I thought, wow maybe he gets it, maybe he has seen how people don't really appreciate the way he makes fathers seem self centered and bothered by parenthood. Maybe he has seen how he comes across as entitled and whiny, Surely there will be an apology in here. But no,.. Its just about poor you, lets feel bad for the guy who gloats about not wanting to be with his kids, lets all have a pity party for the guy who makes bad stereotypes of fathers his mantra. When will you get it, that MOST fathers are not like you, that those Memes (not sure how successful they are cause I haven't seen them) were meant to tell you something. Maybe instead of bemoaning the peoples use of anonymity to say what they feel, you embrace the fact that you are getting feedback, and change your style to what your readers are looking for. A wise person once told me, "If you're not willing to be changed by what someone is telling you, you're not really listening"
Adelard, you write [A wise person once told me, "If you're not willing to be changed by what someone is telling you, you're not really listening" ] Really? So if I don't do what someone suggests that I'm not listening. If they tell me to jump off a bridge and I don't do it, I'm not listening? Everyone that I know, except middle of the roader's, march to their own drummer and make up their own minds.
Now as to the [use of anonymity] real people use their real names. So easy to snipe when you don't have to, isn't it?
Yes, Francis (it's always nice to attach a name to a thought) I tend to agree. In a lot of our public--and private--discourse today, there seems to be a sense that if you don't agree, you must not be listening. But in a free society and civilized world, we can certainly listen and legitimately disagree. Best Wishes, Marek
For someone who loathes my writing, you sure seem to tune in a lot. Anyhow, I totally agree with you--I'm God awful. Speak to you next week. Best Wishes, Marek
Mark Fuch's has penned a thoughtful piece. My observation is that, for editors and columnists who have always wanted more response from readers, be careful what you wish for. Now liberated from the cost of a postage stamp, reacting readers can instantly and caustically use "Comment" instead of "Letters to the Editor." They (ok, we) can then use the power of their social media connections to create a virtual 'flash-mob' to 'occupy' the attention of their posses, and can wave doctored images as virtual signs of protest, creating the soundbites - no, site-bites (my term) - that get the media's attention. Come to think of it, we readers are part the media. Like it, or not.
Thanks for your kind words. And I think it's a matter of saving the nickel on postage and anonymity that lets loose the lesser angels of human nature. In many cases it has been be-careful-what you wish for in terms of reader engagement. But as long as the passion is kept civil or, alternately, the disparagement humorous, the world emerges a more talkative and better place. Best Wishes, Marek