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The New Best Way to Counter-Attack: Trolling
A few days ago, I posted about the five ways people respond to political and media attacks. I used malicious falsehoods against Georgia’s new election reform law, and Governor Brian Kemp’s response, as a primary example.
Well, there is a sixth. Actually, it’s just a tactic to deny an attack, but it mixes “Way #1” – an outright denial – with “Way #4,” attacking the credibility of your accuser. And both Canadian psychologist and author Dr. Jordan Peterson and Georgia Republican State Representative Wes Cantrell have demonstrated it beautifully this past week.
Trolling your accuser. Let us consult the Cambridge Dictionary for a definition.
Let’s start with Dr. Peterson’s brilliant example of the week. It has nothing to do with the Georgia election law, while Rep. Cantrell’s does. But like most everything Dr. Peterson writes, podcasts, or utters, it is highly instructive.
Dr. Peterson was surprised to discover that, apparently, a new supervillain in a Marvel series featuring Captain America highly resembles. . . Dr. Jordan Peterson. I’ll let the Washington Examiner set the table.
“Canadian psychologist and professor Jordan Peterson said he was ‘shocked’ by an apparent ‘parody’ of himself in a recent issue of Marvel’s Captain America, where he is seemingly depicted as the villain Red Skull.
“Peterson shared images via Twitter on Monday of Volume nine, No. 28 from the comic, authored by Ta-Nehisi Coates, who appears to lampoon talking points made by Peterson, including a parody title of his self-help book 12 Rules for Life, dubbing it as the villain Red Skull’s ‘10 Rules For Life.’
“Phrases such as ‘the feminist trap’ and ‘chaos and order’ appear next to an illustration of Red Skull, while the narrative of the comic centers on the villain attempting to radicalize young men by telling them: ‘what they’ve always longed to hear … That they’re secretly great. That the whole world is against them. That if they’re men, they’ll fight back. And bingo – that’s their purpose. That’s what they’ll live for. And that’s what they’ll die for.’
“In his first book, released in 2018, 12 Rules for Life, Peterson outlined rudimentary concepts such as ‘Stand up straight with your shoulders back,’ or ‘Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world.’ Recently, the clinical psychologist released a sequel called Beyond Order, which lays out 12 additional life rules.
“Peterson has often been associated as an anti-politically correct figure in academia and has acknowledged his mostly male audience. Fans of his work often seek truth and insight in philosophy through the medium of the psychologist’s long list of free online lectures and podcasts.”
How did Dr. Peterson respond? By owning it. He and his supporters crafted brilliant memes, many featuring depictions of Marvel’s evil Nazi-like villain, “Red Skull” (“Hail Hydra!”), brilliantly portrayed by the actor Ross Marquand in the Marvel movie (I originally thought it was Hugo Weaving) with some of Peterson’s most famous quotes. He even ran a poll of which famous bits of advice – Rules for Life – that he should use.
There’s more.
And what a great way to help promote his latest book, “Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life.”
And then we have Rep. Cantrell. Obviously, many of us were upset at the blatant mischaracterization of, and outright lying about Georgia’s election reform law. Led by President Biden himself, it culminated in Major League Baseball’s descent into wokedom by moving the annual All-Star game from Atlanta to Denver, which features election laws about as “restrictive” to Georgia’s.
Rep. Cantrell took the time to check out the election laws in Joe Biden’s home state of Delaware, and those of New York. Especially after Senate Democratic Leader referred to Georgia’s law as “racist voter suppression.”
I’ll let his Facebook post tell the story. You can watch his video by visiting his page.
In recent days, President Biden called the new Georgia Election Integrity law un-American, sick, pernicious & Jim Crow on steroids.
In light of this, today I am announcing my intentions to file legislation to address his concerns.
The bill will be called “The President Joe Biden Jim Crow on Steroids Voting Act.” Since President Biden seems to be very concerned about our laws here in Georgia, this bill will make Georgia’s voting laws identical to those of his home state of Delaware.
As a result, it will have 5 key features:
1. Instead of having up to 19 days of early voting in Georgia, we will have ZERO days of early voting JUST LIKE DELAWARE!
2. Instead of having no excuse absentee voting in Georgia, you will have to have the excuse of being sick or disabled to vote absentee JUST LIKE DELAWARE!
3. Instead of having plenty of secure drop boxes in Georgia, there will be no drop boxes JUST LIKE DELAWARE!
4. Instead of being able to get drink/food from a non-poll worker outside of the 150 foot buffer & drink from a poll worker within the barrier in Georgia, it will be illegal to receive anything of value while standing in line to vote JUST LIKE DELAWARE!
5. Instead of being able to vote in relative quiet in Georgia, your name will be announced outloud (and your party affiliation during a primary) so that your vote can be challenged by anyone in the precinct JUST LIKE DELAWARE!
I look forward to all of my colleagues who voted against our Election Integrity law begging to co-sponsor this legislation with me.
I have some advice for President Biden. Take care of your own home state before you say a word about Georgia. People in glass houses shouldn’t be throwing stones. Either read the bill for yourself or at least get some advisors who will tell you the truth. Congratulations on your 4 Pinocchios from The Washington Post. And you didn’t just spread misinformation once. You did it again and again. Delaware’s voting laws are draconian when compared to Georgia. Until you bring election reform to your home state of Delaware, its probably best that you sit this one out. To use your favorite phrase, “C’mon Man!”
On Saturday, Senator Chuck Schumer decided to weigh in on our new election integrity law by calling it “racist voter suppression.” He invited the MLB to move the All Star Game to New York. Apparently, Senator Schumer doesn’t know the voting laws in his home state which are much more restrictive than Georgia’s.
So in light of Senator Schumer’s concerns, I’m going to also introduce “The Senator Chuck Schumer ‘Racist Voter Suppression’ Voting Act.” This act will make Georgia’s voting laws just like New York’s.
Instead of up to 19 days of early voting, we’ll only have 9 days of early voting JUST LIKE NEW YORK!
Instead of no excuse absentee voting, we will now require an excuse for you to vote absentee JUST LIKE NEW YORK!
These politicians really should take the time to know their home state’s voting regulations before they start criticizing others, especially Georgia.
And finally, yes this is a political stunt. The left pulls political stunts all the time and yet somehow the media takes them seriously. One of my colleagues recently stuck her head inside the bullhorn while a Georgia State Patrol Officer was giving instructions. She then had the audacity to demand an apology – going so far as to say that she wouldn’t leave the Capitol steps until she received one. She failed to keep her commitment as she never received the undeserved apology but she still left the Capitol steps an hour or so later. This same colleague disrespected our Georgia State Patrol Officers again when she refused to follow their instructions & symbolically knocked on a back “exit only” door to the Governor’s office. The officers had no choice but to arrest her which is exactly what she wanted to happen. The media fawned over her & treated her as a martyr instead of calling out her shameful behavior as they should have.
Folks don’t fall for the fake outrage and false narrative. Georgia’s new election integrity law restores voter confidence & security & expands access to voting so that Georgia remains a state where it’s simple to register, easy to vote & hard to cheat.
We all can’t be State Representatives or renowned authors like Dr. Peterson. But we can learn a thing or two from them, especially when attacked on social media. Mocking and trolling are not just new, but regular features on Twitter. Spend any time there, and you’ll see it. Some of it works, some of it doesn’t, and it can be risky because trolling requires the thoughtful use of humor. Humor has a way of exploding in your face, but it can also diffuse a situation very quickly when employed with skill. Keep that in mind.
Published in General
That is a poor, if not outright incorrect, definition.
Trolling should actually be defined as, “the act of posting a message you don’t actually agree with in order to provoke a predicted reaction”. e.g. A Modest Proposal. Classic troll.
The word trolling comes from USENET culture. It’s a fishing reference.
The point is that Internet scolds are as dumb as fish, and the troll is baiting them to prove how utterly predictable they are. Simply insulting someone is insufficient to be considered a troll. That’s just being a jerk.
Extra butter, please.
It’s ironic that both of Jordan Peterson’s most popular memes exist only thanks to failed attacks by malicious leftists–the lobster from a notoriously dishonest interview by Cathy Newman and Red Skull from the racist Ta-Nehisi Coates.
You mean you need to be a Reagan Republican?
The irony to me is that I am often accused of trolling by a few of my fellow Ricochetti when I am doing nothing of the sort. Oh well.
LoL
Would you rather we question your wisdom or your character?
Hugo Weaving played Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger. Ross Marquand reprized the role (as Red Skull/Stonekeeper) in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
You don’t respond to counter arguments. You don’t respond to data presented to you.
Exactly!
I did not know that.
That is so lame.
I hate everything now.
If one is accused of trolling it is best to go along with it because if one is not trolling it means one is posting nonsense unironically.
Hugo had scheduling conflicts, but he had publicly shared prior that he did not want to reprise the character because the makeup was an ordeal. He tried it, he did a good job, but he did not enjoy it or express any feeling of ownership for the character. Personally, I wanted to see the Skull with the Cube go all Mr. Smith and replicate a few thousand times while bending reality. Where’s Neo when you need him?
I would much rather my wisdom being questioned than my character. Character is everything.