Monday, May 21, 2007

I Was Wrong About Rudy

In my earlier post about Res Ipsa Loquitor’s discussion of the difference between a douchebag and an asshole, I failed to pick up on the concept that the two descriptors are not mutually exclusive. You can have a douchebag who is not an asshole (a vanilla douchebag, let’s call him), a douchebag who is also an asshole (a douchebag with a swirl), or just an asshole.

The key characteristics of a douchebag are a high degree of cluelessness and an inflated sense of self importance. The clueless egomaniac can also be malevolent and qualify for classification as an asshole. GW Bush, for example, is a douchebag with a swirl.

This follow up post was inspired by some discussions I had over the weekend about the appropriate classification of Rudy Guiliani. I had him down as a straight asshole, archetypal even, but some long time New Yorkers have convinced me that he is not as smart as his boosters suggest and that he is among the most egomaniacal of politicians. He probably believes the fascistic claptrap that he spews forth and is, therefore, a douchebag with a swirl. I stand corrected.

1 comment:

Steve Scott said...

Soft serve frozen yogurt comes with a built-in swirl on top because of the shape of the dispenser nozzle. But there's always an option of sprinkles on top. Does RG come with sprinkles on top, or is he like the yogurt at chain stores that have the option of mix-ins?