Groucho Marx vs Noam Chomsky

[Bungo the Mungo]

[Your Friendly Neighbourhood Postman]

Noam. For continuous courage to go against received notions, and against the grain in general. For expertly dismantling political spin and lies. And for being, IIRC, one of the five most quoted sources on the whole planet, according to a recent investigation.

(This is not to say that I don't have lots of huggable feelings for dear ol' Groucho, mind.)

[Insouciant Western People]

I find Chomsky a hard character to warm to.

I agree with some of his ideas (especially with regard to the media) and he's obviously a remarkably influential theorist and academic, but his inability to pin the blame for anything on anyone other than the evil western capitalist hegemony gets severely on my wick. And his defence of the Serbs with reference to the conflict in the former Yugoslavia made me feel nauseous.

[Bungo the Mungo]

I find Chomsky a hard character to warm to.

I agree with some of his ideas (especially with regard to the media) and he's obviously a remarkably influential theorist and academic, but his inability to pin the blame for anything on anyone other than the evil western capitalist hegemony gets severely on my wick. And his defence of the Serbs with reference to the conflict in the former Yugoslavia made me feel nauseous.

Agreed. He's a dry, harsh man (altho' I'm sure his fans will point out examples of his humour) and I don't find his interviews interesting partly because of this. There's an arrogance there (same with Žižek, actually)

His theories on language are more my cuppa anyway.

He's the token intellectual for rockers, too - they're all lining up to sing his praises. That's off-putting.

[Thesiger]

And for being, IIRC, one of the five most quoted sources on the whole planet, according to a recent investigation.

WIKI - According to the Arts and Humanities Citation Index in 1992, Chomsky was cited as a source more often than any other living scholar from 1980 to 1992, and was the eighth most cited source overall.


versus

I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception.

I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it.

Behind every successful man is a woman, behind her is his wife.

From the moment I picked your book up until I laid it down, I was convulsed with laughter. Someday I intend reading it.

Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others.

[Bungo the Mungo]

From the moment I picked your book up until I laid it down, I was convulsed with laughter. Someday I intend reading it.

Wonderful.

[Goat Boy]

I find Chomsky a hard character to warm to.

I agree with some of his ideas (especially with regard to the media) and he's obviously a remarkably influential theorist and academic, but his inability to pin the blame for anything on anyone other than the evil western capitalist hegemony gets severely on my wick. And his defence of the Serbs with reference to the conflict in the former Yugoslavia made me feel nauseous.

Agreed. He's a dry, harsh man (altho' I'm sure his fans will point out examples of his humour) and I don't find his interviews interesting partly because of this. There's an arrogance there (same with Žižek, actually)

His theories on language are more my cuppa anyway.

He's the token intellectual for rockers, too - they're all lining up to sing his praises. That's off-putting.

I don't find him arrogant at all and I'm wondering why you do. I do find him a boring speaker though and I certainly wouldn't pay to listen to him.

He's the token intellectual for rockers, too - they're all lining up to sing his praises. That's off-putting

Never heard one 'rocker' mention him ever and even if they did why that be offputting? Cos rockers are thick? I guess he is the most respected and well know left wing intellectual but there's a reason for that.

[Insouciant Western People]

He's the token intellectual for rockers, too - they're all lining up to sing his praises. That's off-putting

Never heard one 'rocker' mention him ever and even if they did why that be offputting?

Thom Yorke mithers on about him a lot.

[Bungo the Mungo]

So does Eddie Vedder.

[Goat Boy]

He's the token intellectual for rockers, too - they're all lining up to sing his praises. That's off-putting

Never heard one 'rocker' mention him ever and even if they did why that be offputting?

Thom Yorke mithers on about him a lot.

I've heard Slash mention him a couple of times as well.

[mission]

I am not really all that conversant with Chomsky's consent-manufacturing shenanigans, but I am aware that his credentials, if you will, as a public intellectual rest upon his theories in linguistics/language acquisition regarding deep structure. I read a throwaway line in some magazine article recently which seemed to suggest he had kind of abandoned/recanted on these theories.

Anyway, Groucho was the guiding light of my early twenties. He gets my vote for most things.

[Zong]

I think Nick has hit the naily thing on the head.

Although Chomsky has some value as a force for good his blaming of everything on the USA/West and even worse, his apologetics in the favour of Milosevic or his denial of the extent of Stalinist crimes (I believe he's one who makes excuses for the collectivisation/famine disaster) mark him as one of the reasons the left drives me utterly mental.....even though I'm kind of on their side. This kneejerk bias is so widespread amongst lefties I know and I never consider it forgivable, never, even if they are close to my politics. I wish only reality was dealt in.

Groucho on the other hand is one of my favourite quotesmiths ever- I don't usually go for his generation of wits either, so extra points.

Is it true he once instructed Freddie Mercury to title the next Queen album "The Greates Hits of the Rolling Stones" when Queen borrowed "A Day at The Races" and "A Night at the Opera" as album titles?

[sloopjohnc]

And for being, IIRC, one of the five most quoted sources on the whole planet, according to a recent investigation.

WIKI - According to the Arts and Humanities Citation Index in 1992, Chomsky was cited as a source more often than any other living scholar from 1980 to 1992, and was the eighth most cited source overall.


versus

I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception.

I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it.

Behind every successful man is a woman, behind her is his wife.

From the moment I picked your book up until I laid it down, I was convulsed with laughter. Someday I intend reading it.

Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others.

You forgot, and I paraphrase, I'd never join any club that asked me to be a member.

I agree with Nick on Chomsky. Groucho in a landslide. In his own way, Groucho was as revolutionary with his comedy, along with his brothers, every bit as much as Chomsky is with his theories.

[BARON CORNY DOG]

Groucho. For continuous courage to go against received notions, and against the grain in general. For expertly dismantling political spin and lies. And for being, IIRC, one of the five most quoted sources on the whole planet, according to a recent investigation.

(This is not to say that I don't have lots of huggable feelings for dear ol' Noam, mind.)

[Your Friendly Neighbourhood Postman]

Noam. For continuous courage to go against received notions, and against the grain in general. For expertly dismantling political spin and lies. And for being, IIRC, one of the five most quoted sources on the whole planet, according to a recent investigation.

(This is not to say that I don't have lots of huggable feelings for dear ol' Groucho, mind.)

I feel a need to amend my post. I did not know the outrageous points of view of Chomsky's that are outlined above; I am more conversant with portions of his scientific work, and I did read some debates he did with politicians and opinion leaders - but these were more of a general nature and not about taking sides with obvious dicators and warmongers.

So: one never ceases to learn.

[Your Friendly Neighbourhood Postman]

Groucho. For continuous courage to go against received notions, and against the grain in general. For expertly dismantling political spin and lies. And for being, IIRC, one of the five most quoted sources on the whole planet, according to a recent investigation.

(This is not to say that I don't have lots of huggable feelings for dear ol' Noam, mind.)

[Bungo the Mungo]

The fact that Groucho is winning probably has more to do with the fact that BCBers prefer to have fun than to engage in political debate.

That's the way I like to see it, anyway.

[Deebank]

The fact that Groucho is winning probably has more to do with the fact that BCBers prefer to have fun than to engage in political debate.

That's the way I like to see it, anyway.

It's always black and white with you!
The two aren't mutually exclusive

[BARON CORNY DOG]

The fact that Groucho is winning probably has more to do with the fact that BCBers prefer to have fun than to engage in political debate.

[Bungo the Mungo]

The fact that Groucho is winning probably has more to do with the fact that BCBers prefer to have fun than to engage in political debate.

That's the way I like to see it, anyway.

It's always black and white with you!
The two aren't mutually exclusive

No, I know, but...



isn't there that thing about intellectuals thinking about sex more often than thick people do? something like that, anyway.