Smoot the Satirist

[_Kishkumen]

i would prefer Smoot to jack off in private next time.

This reminds me of Old Will Schryver calling the denizens of MDB Circle Jerks.

[_SteelHead]

I like the irony of point 1.

[_Kishkumen]

I like the irony of point 1.

Yep. I think Stephen would admit that is the case.

[_Maksutov]

I would like to extend a warm hand of fellowship to Stephen Smoot, who with his recent blog post, "How to Be a Successful Millennial Ex-Mormon (A Guide for Beginners)," has joined the ranks of Mormon satirists.

See: http://www.plonialmonimormon.com/2015/10/how-to-be-successful-millennial-ex.html

Overall, I would have to admit that I was impressed and entertained by Young Smoot's efforts. He managed to capture and package together a collection of some of the most common foibles of "Millennial Ex-Mormons" or, more generally, disaffected and ex-LDS folk, who populate the Internet with their complaints about the LDS Church.

Here are some highlights (many of which apply equally well to the ranks of amateur apologists):

1. Remember, all of your ideological opponents are acting in bad faith

Rule number one of any ideological warfare is the delegitimization of your opponent. For your new purposes, that means delegitimizing faithful Mormons (or, as you're hereby required to pejoratively call them, "TBM"s or "true believing Mormons") as insincere, conniving, avarice-soaked, unscrupulous, brainwashed, emotionally-stunted idiots who only continue to believe in the face of the CES Letter because of social or monetary reward.

2. Don't think too hard about this stuff. After all, homework is for squares

One trick the TBM apologist typically tries to pull is to encourage you to do some reading and research beyond the CES Letter and Mormon Stories podcasts.

4. Root out conspiracy (even where it doesn't exist)

We live in a dangerous world where dangerous forces are lurking in every corner. No institution, however, is more dangerous than TSCC. You must, therefore, quickly learn to implicitly trust those authorities who, out of their sense of moral duty to the good of humanity, have infiltrated the nefarious cabal of TSCC and have returned to Reddit to (anonymously, of course) report their findings. No time to waste seeing if the person's claimed identity as President Monson's personal assistant's cousin is legit. You have those poor wretches in the pews to save from the clutches of The Brethren.

All of this was quite fun, and I think it manages to lampoon fairly well many of the characteristics of MDB culture, depending upon the target.

Young Smoot is still young in this business, however, and he is finding his footing. One thing I have noticed about his persona is his tendency to ape his hero, DCP. Unfortunately this applies equally well to his ill-advised use of images of minorities. In section #2, where Smoot pokes fun at Millennial Ex-Mormons for being too lazy to read the scholarship that would validate, or at least render plausible, the truth claims of the LDS Church, Young Smoot chooses the image of an urban black woman to give voice to the laziness of Millennial Ex-Mormons. The meme's message reads: "Ain't Nobody Got Time For That."

You can see it for yourself in his blog entry:

http://www.plonialmonimormon.com/2015/10/how-to-be-successful-millennial-ex.html

My advice to Young Smoot would be to keep all of the other great material and jettison this unfortunate choice of memes. Yes, you may get some chuckles from people who are racist but apparently don't understand all that racism involves, or really what the word means, but I ask you, "Is it worth being pegged as a racist yourself?"

The clear answer is, "No."

It's the same kind of sophisticated har-har that Ann Coulter specializes in.

Hey, if these DCP fanboys want to high five each other over their stunning victories over Ritner, Jenkins, Coe and centuries of science, they might as well do it where we can make fun of them.

[_Kishkumen]

It's the same kind of sophisticated har-har that Ann Coulter specializes in.

Nice observation, Maksutov. I definitely see the influence of Ann Coulter in there. That's a shame really. It does help explain the failings of this first attempt.

[_DarkHelmet]

I do like his fits of anger in the comments section: "You don't know what the hell you're talking about" and "Again, for your sake, just shut your ignorant mouth." He's a spunky pup.

Yes, he is. He's like a kid in the old west that kicks open the saloon door and starts firing shots while hootin' and hollerin'. I just read his comments with a smile. There's a good chance he'll be writing his exit story on RFM within the next few years after he runs out of ammo and he's lying on the saloon floor riddled with bullets.

[_grindael]

Smoot didn't like my recent blog article about him, obviously. http://mormonitemusings.com/2015/10/09/ ... scapegoat/ I must have struck a nerve. But he sums up his approach nicely though, in his comments below,

It's a troll or be trolled world out there on the Internet, after all.

Ol' Phony Maroni seems to be a perfect fit for FAIRMORMON, eh?

[_Kishkumen]

Smoot didn't like my recent blog article about him, obviously. http://mormonitemusings.com/2015/10/09/ ... scapegoat/ I must have struck a nerve. But he sums up his approach nicely though, in his comments below,

It's a troll or be trolled world out there on the Internet, after all.

Ol' Phony Maroni seems to be a perfect fit for FAIRMORMON, eh?

Huh! Thanks, grindael. I as unaware of the details behind this drama.

[_grindael]

Huh! Thanks, grindael. I as unaware of the details behind this drama.

I'm not positive, but he mentions Orwell, and I used that analogy in an article directed at Kevin Christensen. Noting his vexation at my doing so, I had some fun answering him by using it some more, here. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=39597

Mopology (or DoubleThink) is a fine art to those who practice it. Unlike the laissez-faire attitude of those who would never contemplate embracing it, those who clasp DoubleThink to their bosoms as a modus operandi do so with the best of intentions, because they simply cannot help themselves. Perhaps it is the ingrained Corporate mentality. Then again, it may be attributed to the feelings of brotherhood that arise through their apologia and Corporate Membership. They claim, then disclaim, then disclaim some more. They affirm authority, then deny it in subtle ways. They defend policy, then question it as they follow the whims of Corporate Leadership. They obfuscate, then explicate, full of certitudes but at the same time advocating uncertainty. They accuse others of what they practice as they exculpate themselves from all responsibility. They believe the lie, as all lies lead to “the truth”, which is itself a lie. This is Mopology, a vibrant part of the Mormon community: the defenders of the Corporate Priesthood.

The saga continues…

[_honorentheos]

Proving satire is not inherently clever. Unless the second tier up (down?) of mirroring the thing being satirized in almost every point was intentional. In which case, brilliant.