Intersting opinions opined

[Jamie Tainton]

Not necessarily on board, only posting for discussion.
found this blog site, which I believe is written by the infamous Keven Johnson if I'm not mistaken.
http://redstarinthewest.blogspot.com/

[Ken Abrams]

If taken in the spirit it is written quote: "This is a work of satire." it's actually quite humorous and entertaining.

[Jamie Tainton]

I wonder how much of it is satire

[Allan Williams]

Thanks for the read. It was a tad longer than I expected, but interesting all the same.
I have no idea who this bloke is, but I'm assuming he's good.
I agree with Jamie in that the 'satire' label seems a bit of a stretch. I liked it though. It was truthful, honest, and as Ken suggested, ironically amusing in places.
I think there's something in there for everyone from any modelling genre, something that could make many aspects of our hobby far more rewarding and enjoyable.

Allan

[Ken Abrams]

Isn't that exactly what satire is?

Perhaps I'm missing something but I always thought that satire was humor, based in truth. Like when I listened to George Carlin's diatribes on politics and/or religions, it was the facts that he presented humorously that made it funny wasn't it? He wasn't making up fictional story lines to get a laugh, he was pointing out the foolishness of the facts (in his opinions) surrounding those things. When Jay Leno opens his monologue with Tiger Woods jokes, are they not based on the facts? When Conan O'Brien would make fun of then president George Bush, he made fun of actual events but I don't think he actual harbored any ill will towards the man, it was all for laughs.

I was pretty aware when reading this that it was most likely based on actual events, people and places but it wasn't some verbal diarrhea hate blog, full of name calling and other immature behavior. He didn't simply pen a childish rant of cussing and other derogatory nonsense to make others look or feel bad. I thought it was all well thought out and witty, even if based on actuality it was done so in a silly whimsical manner, at least IMO.

*

Even the definition of satire is as follows:

sat⋅ire /ˈsætaɪər/Pronunciation [sat-ahyuhr]
–noun
1. the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc.
2. a literary composition, in verse or prose, in which human folly and vice are held up to scorn, derision, or ridicule.
3. a literary genre comprising such compositions.

Doesn't that pretty much describe what was written, or am I completely missing the point? Feel free to straighten me out on this, I have been known to completely miss the plot altogether before but this is how I saw the article.

[Allan Williams]

Ken, of course you're absolutely right. I've never sought the actual definition of the word 'satire', which in my mind has always been more along the lines of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' than anything so literal as that blog.
Irrespective of that, I don't believe that it was composed simply for laughs, nor do I suppose that many found humour in what I did. There was certainly a very balanced measure of bitterness and despondence in there as well, which i think most who read it would focus on, rather than sit back and view with any objectivity.
I'm not familiar with any of those programs you refer to, but I know what you're saying. The big difference being that those types of programs are aimed at a greater audience, to appeal to the majority, for ratings. This composition was certainly only written with the hope of appealing to few, and it's tone suggests it never so much as harboured the hope of appealing to the majority. Not in the real world anyway.

Allan