So who is Joe the Plumber, really?
He's "that guy" -- "you know that guy" who ... well, just watch the clip:
"We all know that guy."
* Actually, he may be a plumber, but he's unlicensed, and I wanted to use "real(ly)" three times in the heading. But is it such a big deal for a plumber not to be licensed? Uh, yeah.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Not a real plumber,* not a real war correspondent, and not really named Joe
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
The sad part in all of this is as the persona of a "regular Joe" that he took on, he found himself in a privileged position to share a unique perspective. Pajamas Media took a gamble and welcomed him into their ranks (setting aside what you may think of their Conservative correspondets) with the idea that he may present a view that is both sound reporting and intelligent opinion. Instead he has shown himself as lacking perspective, as being imperceptive, and as he describes the idea of war correspondence, asinine. I couldn't sit through all of Rick Sanchez's "that guy" litany; he made his point quite clear quite quickly.
I'm not sure I like the dig about him and his plumbing (it's gotten old), but he's no journalist. Samuel Wurzelbacher is way out of his league.
How is it that he isn't really named Joe? Joe is an accepted diminutive of Joseph. Joseph is his middle name. Many people (my brother included) go by the diminutive of their middle name. Surely you can do more than ape the assinine ravings of Andrew Sullivan.
As to your other points: If you are going to be such a stickler for whether or not he is a licensed plumber, you should be equally pissy about whether or not he is a licensed journalist. He isn't. But neither is any other journalist in this country.
So, you are wrong about his name, and wrong in your points about his profession(s). Other than that, great post. I bet you're the whitest person in your cafe!
If you are going to be such a stickler for whether or not he is a licensed plumber, you should be equally pissy about whether or not he is a licensed journalist. He isn't. But neither is any other journalist in this country.
I take it you didn't click the link at the end of the post?
I second Jay C.'s observations, by the way, and especially want to ditto the first sentence's sentiment.
Outis: I think you would do very well in the role of citizenjournalist (I certainly would have hired you as a stringer, in a heartbeat), though I must confess a shadow of a doubt arises if, in fact, you think Wurzelbacher's cut out for the job or, in fact, is doing a good one.
Post a Comment