Because the stupid burns like hydrochloric *acid*, man

[earthbelow]

From one of the most noxious and annoying interviews with an author I've yet seen:

"Before Harry Potter, no one was reading."

- Robyn Schneider

Yeah, because *before* Harry Potter, we were all just staring at the page wondering what the funny shapes were, but then Harry Potter said "accio literacy!" and suddenly, we understood written language!

I'm torn between being very annoyed at the supreme amount of teh_st00pid in this and laughing insanely.

In fact, if I were compiling a list of the stupidest quotes ever, this goes somewhere between Barbara Bush's "well, the hurricane worked out great for the homeless of New Orleans" comment and Al Gore's infamous "I invented the internet".

Yeah. This is Inventing the Internet Class Stupid.

I believe this calls for an icon of an angry turtle. And oh, look. I just happen to have one on hand.

Comments

[exiledtimelord.livejournal.com]

Except Al never said he invented the internet.

What he said was that he sponsored some legislation that helped lead to the development of the internet, which is technically true. The whole "I invented the internet" thing is a classic example of if you repeat a lie often enough in politics, it becomes truth.

See? I still defend Democrats every now and then! :)

[denoue-moi.livejournal.com]

During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet. I took the initiative in moving forward a whole range of initiatives that have proven to be important to our country's economic growth and environmental protection, improvements in our educational system.

-Al Gore

[exiledtimelord.livejournal.com]

Exactly my point. "Taking the initiative in creating the Internet" is not the same thing as claiming to have invented it, any more than that statement is a claim to have invented environmental protections.

Context. :)

[thousandpages.livejournal.com]

It's close enough.

If you're gonna defend a Democrat, I don't think Al Gore would be the guy I'd hang my hat on, personally.

:)

- Meg

[thousandpages.livejournal.com]

I dunno about you, but that sorta sounds like "I invented the internet" to me.

- Meg

Accio literacy!

[ladyslvr.livejournal.com]

*giggles uncontrollably*

I found the line about four years of A+ English papers leading to poise and sophistication to be even funnier, cuz, I gotta tell ya, a lot of my students got A+'s on all of their high school English papers, including AP English, and still can't construct a decent sentence.

[denoue-moi.livejournal.com]

Pretty much.

I took the initiative in creating...

I am so putting that on my resumé.

Re: Accio literacy!

[thousandpages.livejournal.com]

I found the line about four years of A+ English papers leading to poise and sophistication to be even funnier, cuz, I gotta tell ya, a lot of my students got A+'s on all of their high school English papers, including AP English, and still can't construct a decent sentence.

I was thinking the same thing. I mean, come on. *High School* English? High school English (no insult to the teachers) does it's job if you can graduate and read your own diploma.

Sometimes, I kinda wanna scream when I hear that people like *this* got a book deal when I know at least ten other unpublished authors, off the top of my head, who's work merits publication and are much smarter people. *sigh*.

I guess we've just proven that life *isn't* fair. But occasionally, it is very funny.

Also: YAY! Wendy is still alive!

- Meg

[thousandpages.livejournal.com]

I know. How frelling cool would that look.

"Took the initiative". That sounds so resume-y.

I think I'm gonna one up Al Gore here. I'm gonna put on my resume, "Took the initiative in inventing the wheel".

I figure Al Gore took the initiative to invent teh_intarweb and got to be Vice President, so if I take the initiative and invent the wheel, who knows?

- Meg

[jennixen.livejournal.com]

Accio literacy!!! *dies laughing*