I posted this article because I have been thinking a lot about cancel culture, and how it applies to writers I love. Mencken, despite his obvious and serious flaws, has provided me with hours of entertainment. When I need a break from the world there is something about his writing that puts me in a good mood. Of course he was a product of his time, but his casual racism and anti semitism is offensive. I tend to overlook or ignore it, because there is something about his intelligence, humor, and sense of humanity that makes me doubt his prejudices are real. Maybe I'm being overly generous.
Anyway, this article captures Mencken, both good and bad. I don't know if any stackers have opinions about him.
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96 sats \ 2 replies \ @0xbitcoiner 30 Jul
While I share the sentiment against racist and anti-Semitic actions, I believe in a more nuanced approach than outright cancellation. I advocate for discerning the positive contributions and separating them from the harmful.
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107 sats \ 0 replies \ @Undisciplined 30 Jul
I have a similar view, but a little different. I judge historical figures on how they stood out from their surroundings. If they were particularly good or bad in some way, I consider that noteworthy, but I largely ignore the ways in which they were ordinary for their time.
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53 sats \ 0 replies \ @siggy47 OP 30 Jul
I agree, but there is a huge difference between words and actions. Mencken, at least in my opinion, was a curmudgeon more than anything else.
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283 sats \ 3 replies \ @Coinsreporter 31 Jul
For me, the best explanation of Mencken’s work was that he wanted to be like Friedrich Nietzsche. Mencken imitated Nietzsche’s basic concepts (despite differences on minutia). Here are the basics:
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Nietzsche was an elitist, and an outspoken opponent of any belief in God, organized religion, populist politics and Democracy — a system in which inferior men dominate their superiors. Mencken was 100% behind that thinking.
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Nietzsche suggested that War is good because it’s fresh air — it honestly faces the basic facts of life, namely, violence and death. When peacetime goes on too long, a nation becomes like an old maid. Mencken was 100% behind that thinking.
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Nietzsche was an atheist who publicly reviled organized religion — mainly Christianity — most especially Christian fundamentalism. Mencken was 100% behind that thinking, as shown by his famous coverage of the 1925 “Scopes Monkey Trial,” as he named it.
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Nietzsche claimed that a few strong men were born to rule the majority, who are weaklings. Every nation produces a few people of obvious superiority — an elite made by Nature — an Aristocracy made by Nature. Mencken was 100% behind that thinking.
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Nietzsche claimed that these superior men are regularly persecuted by their own nations, through systems like Democracy. Mencken was 100% behind that thinking.
Mencken read all of Nietzsche's works in the original German. Mencken was the first writer in English language to write a book about Nietzsche's works, i.e. The Philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche (1907) Mencken was 27, and Nietzsche had just died seven years ago by then.
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21 sats \ 0 replies \ @Bell_curve 31 Jul
very informative, thanks for sharing
Nietsche died in 1899 or 1900, perfect timing
God is dead!
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32 sats \ 1 reply \ @siggy47 OP 31 Jul
Excellent reply. You taught me a lot.
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75 sats \ 0 replies \ @Coinsreporter 31 Jul
Thanks you so much. You're being very modest here. You're already very learned man! 🙏🙏
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54 sats \ 2 replies \ @Bell_curve 30 Jul
From Brave search AIl...
H.L. Mencken was a prominent American journalist, critic, and satirist who wielded significant influence on U.S. literature and culture in the early 20th century. Born in 1880, Mencken was known for his scathing critiques of American life, politics, and society, as well as his advocacy for intellectual freedom and individualism.
Critique of American Culture
Mencken was a fierce critic of American provincialism, puritanism, and prudery. He believed that the country's cultural and intellectual landscape was dominated by mediocrity, hypocrisy, and conformity. He famously wrote that the South was particularly afflicted by cultural decay, labeling it the "Sahara of the Bozart" in his 1917 essay. This critique sparked a literary movement known as the Southern Renaissance, as young writers sought to revitalize Southern literature.
Journalistic Career
Mencken was a prominent editor and writer for several influential magazines, including the Smart Set and the American Mercury. He was known for his biting wit, sharp satire, and fearless criticism of politics, religion, and social norms. His writing style was characterized by its clarity, precision, and humor, earning him a wide readership and admiration from many notable writers, including James Joyce, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Langston Hughes.
Influence on American Literature
Mencken played a crucial role in shaping American literary taste and style. He championed modernist and experimental writing, introducing American readers to European avant-garde authors like Joyce and Gertrude Stein. His magazines provided a platform for emerging writers, including Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, and Dorothy Parker.
Personal Life and Legacy
Mencken's personal life was marked by controversy and scandal, including his numerous love affairs and his marriage to Sara Haardt, whom he adored despite her terminal illness. He remained a prominent figure until his death in 1956, leaving behind a legacy as one of America's most influential and provocative writers.
Notable Quotes
"Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard."
"The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos."
- "For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong."
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21 sats \ 1 reply \ @siggy47 OP 30 Jul
That's a damn good summary.
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54 sats \ 0 replies \ @Bell_curve 30 Jul
I have been impressed with Brave browser, search and AI
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54 sats \ 4 replies \ @Bell_curve 30 Jul
Homo Boobiens
Genius or sage of Baltimore
About Nebraska, my home state, he had made himself very clear: “I don’t give a damn.”
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21 sats \ 1 reply \ @siggy47 OP 30 Jul
I assume you're not a big FDR admirer. Mencken was not impressed with the New Deal.
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54 sats \ 0 replies \ @Bell_curve 30 Jul
You assume correctly
I think it's safe to say that I am not a "riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma"
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0 sats \ 1 reply \ @Bell_curve 30 Jul
As for his anti-Semitism, Mencken routinely identified his peers as “clever” Jews or “highly dubious” Jews or, in the case of the Annenbergs in Philadelphia, “low-grade Jews.”
Clever
Highly dubious
Low-grade
Carson Vaughan is overplaying the anti-Semitic card
Have you heard the descriptions of Bibi Netanyahu?
https://x.com/carsonvaughan
"I did not forgive Mencken. I did accept him. And in acknowledging his many flaws, I was able to move past them, stirred by a bigot to rejoin the movement against bigotry." Utterly nauseating statement
"This should have been the end, but then, in January of last year, two masked gunmen forced their way into the offices of Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical weekly often accused of bigotry itself, and opened fire in the name of Allah. Twelve deaths. Eleven injuries. Because Charlie Hebdo relentlessly satirized the prophet Muhammad, because the magazine routinely practiced its right to offend, and because both shooters were Islamists, the first wave of pundits called the massacre an attack on free speech. The second wave agreed, though less resolutely, questioning the moral efficacy of a publication that would intentionally print sacrilege in the age of extremism. Regardless, millions worldwide raised their pencils in solidarity. Je suis Charlie."
Author spends more time criticizing Charlie Hebdo for being offensive, makes zero judgment about the 2 masked gunmen Islamists. Quite a stark contrast from a few paragraphs when he discusses Michael Brown and Ferguson. How do you say Hands up, don't shoot in French?
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54 sats \ 0 replies \ @Bell_curve 30 Jul
"But those who question the efficacy of satire often do so on the grounds that its target will invariably miss the point in a way that reinforces existing stereotypes."
Stereotypes exist for a reason because most stereotypes are true and rarely become outdated.
"More than once, Charlie Hebdo and H. L. Mencken have missed the mark."
Poor choice of words, the irony! And he is blaming the victims. Adding insult to injury to homicide.
In Menken’s view, democracy was nothing if not a performance art.
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54 sats \ 0 replies \ @Satosora 30 Jul
I think it is wrong for us to judge people for their flaws from years past.
In that time and age, it was more okay.
Now as a culture, we have grown to not accept that.
I think we should enjoy it for what it is worth.
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