Happy Valley Photo Essay

[_schreech]

Just in case any of you were wondering if Willy had his tongue in Danny's arse:

[_Kishkumen]

Just in case any of you were wondering...

Maybe they will have a good laugh over all of this TIME business over lunch.

[_Kishkumen]

I see what you mean, Reverend. I've often wondered why certain apologists haven't made a stronger effort to go back and have some of their earlier online behavior erased and/or edited. For example, I don't understand why Prof. Hamblin's K-word-laced rant is still right there, available for all to see over at FAIR. I don't understand why these guys haven't asked Stan Barker to yank a lot of that SHIELDS stuff. I mean, if they're will to "stop the presses" in order to clear "Metcalfe is Butthead" out of the FARMS Review, you'd think they'd see nothing wrong in trying to go back and set things straight in places where it's a lot easier to do so.

Ah, yes, but this brings the knowledge to a much broader readership, at least potentially.

[_Simon Belmont]

...it's really the entirety of his behavior coupled with the multi-decade context of his past actions that contributed to my labeling this a "nuclear-grade meltdown." Merely taking one quote in order to show the "meltdown" would be like asking someone to bring a cup of sea water in order to show the extent of the Atlantic Ocean.

But you said

It's right there, among all the comments, Simon. Have fun reading!

So which is it? Does the "nuclear-grade meltdown" and "vicious gang attack" exist in the TIME article for the Happy Valley Photo Essay, or doesn't it?

Huh. Yeah, I saw that, but thought that it was just another day at the office for Dr. P. Maybe he should post a link to his Amazon reviews and Wish List, so that everyone can ridicule it in the same manner that he responded to the photo essay?

Yeah, maybe he should have. Since his "nuclear-grade meltdown" comments were so harsh, right?

I suppose the mediocrity of Mr. Shumway's photographs would be easier to forgive if it weren't for the intellectual pretentiousness of the accompanying article. I mean, Wow. Like, umm, he read Friedrich Nietzsche (note the correct spelling) and Jean-Paul Sartre and Erich Fromm at sixteen? So did I. In California. And now I'm a believing Mormon academic.

And Mormons can't watch television on Sundays? What's with those Tabernacle Choir broadcasts on Sunday mornings, then? And those other Church-produced Sunday television programs on Church history and the like? And we shouldn't visit friends on Sundays? What???

Nonsense.

That's so terribly harsh! How did the author survive such a vicious gang attack?

In other words, he got it wrong, but that's okay because, having left many years ago, he doesn't know much. Well, fine. We can be charitable, but he's still wrong.

OH MY! How harsh! Suggesting that someone is wrong? The horror!

There were other errors, too, but I thought that mentioning them would be overkill. As it is, I pretty mildly pointed out a couple of errors in the article and expressed my honest reaction to the photographs

Errors? HOW DARE HE suggest that there were ERRORS! This is so "nuclear-grade" it's not even funny!

I'm struck by the fact that you (reflexively?) assume that my reaction to the photographs was merely "reflexive" (as if, unlike you, I'm equipped with little more than a spinal column), that I disdain "anything that isn't relentlessly positive about the LDS church," that not finding the photographs very impressive is ipso facto "petulant" and "condescending," and that "non-Mormons" constitute some sort of robotic univocal monolith by virtue of the sheer negative fact that they're not Mormons.

WHAT AN INSULT! How horribly evil! This vicious gang attack will not stand! How dare he suggest someone doesn't have a spinal column!

(incidentally, Scratch, remember the things you've said about DCP: "very deep character flaw," "Deeply dishonest individual," Human dung heap," "Very, very sick," "Pathologically sick," "One of the most evil and degenerate people the church has ever produced," etc. etc. etc.)

I don't actually have any strong feelings about the photographs, one way or the other. They don't offend me, but they don't seem particularly remarkable in any other way, either. (Am I permitted to respond to them that way?) I thought the little essay somewhat pretentious, and not overly accurate. (Is it permissible to say that?)

HOW DARE he not have any strong feelings! This is definitely a nuclear-grade meltdown style attack! How dare he express his mild opinion!

There are a few more DCP comments, but these are the most nuclear-grade-meltdown worthy that I could find. can you believe this guy? How dare he blow up like that! DCP's comments are almost exactly like Chernobyl and Three Mile Island.

[_Doctor Scratch]

Wow, Simon. You seem unhinged.

[_sock puppet]

Just in case any of you were wondering if Willy had his tongue in Danny's arse:

Truly online high-fiving. Where's Simon's old photo of nerds high-fiving? It would be so appropo right about now.

[_sock puppet]

...it's really the entirety of his behavior coupled with the multi-decade context of his past actions that contributed to my labeling this a "nuclear-grade meltdown." Merely taking one quote in order to show the "meltdown" would be like asking someone to bring a cup of sea water in order to show the extent of the Atlantic Ocean.

But you said

It's right there, among all the comments, Simon. Have fun reading!

So which is it? Does the "nuclear-grade meltdown" and "vicious gang attack" exist in the TIME article for the Happy Valley Photo Essay, or doesn't it?

Huh. Yeah, I saw that, but thought that it was just another day at the office for Dr. P. Maybe he should post a link to his Amazon reviews and Wish List, so that everyone can ridicule it in the same manner that he responded to the photo essay?

Yeah, maybe he should have. Since his "nuclear-grade meltdown" comments were so harsh, right?

I suppose the mediocrity of Mr. Shumway's photographs would be easier to forgive if it weren't for the intellectual pretentiousness of the accompanying article. I mean, Wow. Like, umm, he read Friedrich Nietzsche (note the correct spelling) and Jean-Paul Sartre and Erich Fromm at sixteen? So did I. In California. And now I'm a believing Mormon academic.

And Mormons can't watch television on Sundays? What's with those Tabernacle Choir broadcasts on Sunday mornings, then? And those other Church-produced Sunday television programs on Church history and the like? And we shouldn't visit friends on Sundays? What???

Nonsense.

That's so terribly harsh! How did the author survive such a vicious gang attack?

In other words, he got it wrong, but that's okay because, having left many years ago, he doesn't know much. Well, fine. We can be charitable, but he's still wrong.

OH MY! How harsh! Suggesting that someone is wrong? The horror!

There were other errors, too, but I thought that mentioning them would be overkill. As it is, I pretty mildly pointed out a couple of errors in the article and expressed my honest reaction to the photographs

Errors? HOW DARE HE suggest that there were ERRORS! This is so "nuclear-grade" it's not even funny!

I'm struck by the fact that you (reflexively?) assume that my reaction to the photographs was merely "reflexive" (as if, unlike you, I'm equipped with little more than a spinal column), that I disdain "anything that isn't relentlessly positive about the LDS church," that not finding the photographs very impressive is ipso facto "petulant" and "condescending," and that "non-Mormons" constitute some sort of robotic univocal monolith by virtue of the sheer negative fact that they're not Mormons.

WHAT AN INSULT! How horribly evil! This vicious gang attack will not stand! How dare he suggest someone doesn't have a spinal column!

(incidentally, Scratch, remember the things you've said about DCP: "very deep character flaw," "Deeply dishonest individual," Human dung heap," "Very, very sick," "Pathologically sick," "One of the most evil and degenerate people the church has ever produced," etc. etc. etc.)

I don't actually have any strong feelings about the photographs, one way or the other. They don't offend me, but they don't seem particularly remarkable in any other way, either. (Am I permitted to respond to them that way?) I thought the little essay somewhat pretentious, and not overly accurate. (Is it permissible to say that?)

HOW DARE he not have any strong feelings! This is definitely a nuclear-grade meltdown style attack! How dare he express his mild opinion!

There are a few more DCP comments, but these are the most nuclear-grade-meltdown worthy that I could find. can you believe this guy? How dare he blow up like that! DCP's comments are almost exactly like Chernobyl and Three Mile Island.

Gee, Simon, now it seems you are having a wicked witch-level meltdown.

[_schreech]

...blah, blah, blah....

What is your deal with Mr. Peterson? Are you hoping he will bring you into his inner circle of mopologist goons? Do you want him to give you a big hug? Do you [X-rated content deleted]? If you applied a fraction of the effort you expend defending DP defending your beliefs in Jesus Christ, [personal attack deleted]....Do you have some sort of intimate relationship with Danny? Are you really so desperate and insecure that you need the attention and affirmation of the MI staff? Zeus, you become more pathetic with every post...

[_RockSlider]

Ultimately, the whole thing could have been avoided if Dan had simply said, "Gee, you know--I stand by my opinion of the photos and the essay, but you all are probably right that I could have expressed myself differently." What is so hard about that?

To the normal individual, nothing, but when have you EVER seen Dan admit/show even the slightest signs of being wrong, backing down, or heaven forbid ... apologizing?

Not only can he never be wrong, but to see things said about him, which he views to look badly for him, he is totally obsessed with the need to respond, to set things straight, to put others in line.
Wow … poor Dan … for his mental health and professional well being, the best thing he could do is re-signup here so he has an outlet for this obsession.
Hey Dan, the Church's 12 step program used to accept any addiction … I'm sure there are several meetings in the Provo area … check it out man, you need some help!

[Guest]

HOW DARE he not have any strong feelings! This is definitely a nuclear-grade meltdown style attack! How dare he express his mild opinion!

There are a few more DCP comments, but these are the most nuclear-grade-meltdown worthy that I could find. can you believe this guy? How dare he blow up like that! DCP's comments are almost exactly like Chernobyl and Three Mile Island.

Simon, you are one odd duck. You know, you couldn't have paid me to put my name to Dr. Peterson's comments. I don't care whether "nuclear-grade meltdown" is the appropriate phrase or not. But, for many of us, it would take something big to move us to begin airing that kind of dirty laundry in popular public venue and under our own names. So forgive us for being average folks who find all of this odd, or not being the kind of people who think this is "run of the mill" online behavior for public comments on the website of a major national news source, but we are entitled to find it strange. Some might even think that our reaction was perfectly normal, predictable even.

But, hey, that's OK, there are lots of people in the world. Some, like you, Will, and Dr. Peterson, would happily talk about Scratch, the "Malevolent Stalker," by way of apologia pro sua vita in a national public venue. There are also people who would willingly appear on Jerry Springer and there punch out their lesbian lover's ex-husband or what have you. That may not be the kind of thing I would do, but we can agree that there are those people.