i was never that into Prairie Home Companion either

[ironymaiden]

sometimes, a friend with Asperger's will ask for explication of jokes on lj. today, i need some help.

Garrison Keillor has this piece in Salon. the first paragraph or so made sense to me, and then we were into some kind of twilight zone. (especially since the author is on his third marriage and is obviously not living the lifestyle he seems to be advocating.) is this supposed to be funny? or is it just as hateful as it seems? please explain.

Comments

[scarlettina.livejournal.com]

OMG, it's satire! Keillor is such a notorious liberal that it would take only unfamiliarity with his style and his politics to interpret it otherwise. His point with this piece is that children are the most important thing, regardless of their parents' genders. I can't believe you'd disagree with that idea.

[mrdorbin.livejournal.com]

I agree with the point, but he could have made it without offensive stereotypes (campy performers and tiny dogs) and covering demands (back off or you won't really be taken seriously as a parent). Even in jest, these aren't things I would be comfortable with a good friend saying around me, much less someone I've never even met.

[ironymaiden]

what he said.

i was getting a strong thread of enforcing conformity, and subsuming self completely to engage in parenting. i don't agree with that idea. i find it completely repellent.

and tone it down. i know who the guy is, and i was still confused, which is why i asked. i am reminded of this post about how satire requires signals to the reader. obviously i'm not receiving the ones Keillor is supposed to be sending.

[refractednotion.livejournal.com]

I pretty sure the message is less about enforcing conformity than about telling parents they need to set their own BS aside in deference to their children's BS.