Laughter and Limbaugh

There are a number of ways to take extremists, in this case blowhard extremists that talk in absolutes by conduct their lives in relativities like the rest of us.

One is to get exasperated, holier than thou, damn angry that they could say those kinds of thing about (insert sensitive subject here). Time to write to the editor, mount a protest, construct well thought out diatribes to counter their polemicist vitriol.

Another is to rationalize it, and accept in any number of frameworks that can neuter its passionate flare. Look at it from a psychological point of view, understand why the standard of Broadcast Excellence is acting the way he is acting, and with a studied detachment, just let it be.

Or spiritualize it. Realize that that everything is needed in this great Spiral of Development. Rush is at a certain post-modern stage, and he has to go through this, as do his ditto-heads, in order to get to a higher level of development.

The problem with these avenues is that they always leave me feeling like Rush has gotten the last laugh. You know, a little tension in the shoulders at the thought of the guy. And, if he's still irritating me, then the observation is valid.

A much more effective approach is to not take him seriously, not in the least. Laughing. Not with him, but at the absurdities of his whole schtick.

Not trying to argue with him on his subject matter - it can and is deconstructed by any number of gifted intellectuals. No, just doing the deadpan and asking him the questions that would get him going, and you laughing inside.

Rushter: "Feminazis are the bane of ..."

Response:

"Rushster, most people that use words like feminazis are really shying away from inner same-sex urges. I'd like to give you the chance to respond, but I really need to hump your leg".

You get the gist of it.

Untenable frameworks that cannot be won by intellectual grappling can easily be toppled - or, better yet, just made irrelevant - by replacing the original timbers with the absurd and seeing how the original architect manages.