Somebody please tell me that I read this wrong. I was searching for a biography of Ayn Rand and found this. I had to read it three times to make sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me.
Huh?
Yay, I’ve been transported to an alternate universe!
*sound of shotgun cartridge being chambered*
Bring on the apocalypse!
In other words, yes, that is a crock.
eh?
Yeah, where’s my shotgun!
That is supposed to be “funny”-it is a “satire”.
I don’t find it funny at all.
If you click “home” and read the introduction to the website, everything (if it hadn’t already) becomes clear.
So, we were satirizing the satire? How bourgeois.
I was searching for a biography of Ayn Rand and found this.
Have you read the following two?
Mary Ann and Charles Sures, Facets of Ayn Rand.
Jeff Britting, Ayn Rand.
Both should be available through The Ayn Rand Bookstore.
Did you look for biographies there first?
As designated moderator for the Basic Questions forum, I would like to remind posters in this thread that Forum Rules prohibit posts that merely express agreement or disagreement. Please state your reasons for your positions.
MODERATOR, BASIC QUESTIONS
Somebody please tell me that I read this wrong. I was searching for a biography of Ayn Rand and found this. I had to read it three times to make sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me.
…
It’s definitely a joke. I just can’t understand what the point is. Did the author have malicious intent? Even if they meant no harm, it’s really not that funny.
It’s definitely a joke. I just can’t understand what the point is. Did the author have malicious intent? Even if they meant no harm, it’s really not that funny.
If it’s a joke, there should be at least a line on that page that says so. Otherwise, someone may actually believe the stuff written there.
Even if it is a joke, it’s NOT funny! It is insulting at best.
As it is, the author of that page is listing two of the most famous of Ayn Rand’s novels, and lying about its content (not to mention lying about her life!). I’m actually thinking that this could be a form of violation of copyright laws or the rights of the author (Ayn Rand).
If it’s a joke, there should be at least a line on that page that says so. Otherwise, someone may actually believe the stuff written there.
Well you didn’t actually get there through the front door. (http://home.tiac.net/~cri/index.html) If you had, then you would have read this:
"This site isn’t hot; it isn’t cool; it’s, well, it’s sort of tepid, a cross between an e-zine and an intellectual rubbish heap. "
"This website is dedicated to the proposition that all people are created irretrievable, that they are naturally endowed, and to the last word, however belated. "
“This is a large site with a lot of crap, er, fine material in it. It is organized as a monthly e-zine with a table of contents for each month. …”
I thought it was funny.
Craig
I thought it was funny.
Craig
The link offered in the first post is an attack on Ayn Rand. Do you find that to be “funny” as well?
If so, why? If not, do you see that, when you tolerate the bilge you quoted in your full post above, you are sanctioning an attack on Ayn Rand?
BASIC QUESTIONS MODERATOR
Somebody please tell me that I read this wrong. I was searching for a biography of Ayn Rand and found this. I had to read it three times to make sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me.
Why did you believe that your eyes might be “playing tricks on” you?
Wasn’t it obvious in the first paragraph or so that this linked material is an attack on Ayn Rand?
Do you approve of or disapprove of the material you have publicized here?
BASIC QUESTIONS MODERATOR
The link offered in the first post is an attack on Ayn Rand. Do you find that to be “funny” as well?
If so, why? If not, do you see that, when you tolerate the bilge you quoted in your full post above, you are sanctioning an attack on Ayn Rand?
BASIC QUESTIONS MODERATOR
No, I’m afraid I don’t view it as an attack. I thought it was funny. I don’t know what type of humor one would call that, but I do believe that one cannot rationally describe humor. I see no harm in laughing at oneself from time to time.
Sincerely,
Craig Haynie (Houston)
No, I’m afraid I don’t view it as an attack. I thought it was funny. I don’t know what type of humor one would call that, but I do believe that one cannot rationally describe humor. I see no harm in laughing at oneself from time to time.
Craig,
Are you an Objectivist?
How much Objectivism have you studied?
How much do you agree with?
Once you have answered these questions, to set a context, I will have one or two more about some of your comments.
BASIC QUESTIONS MODERATOR
but I do believe that one cannot rationally describe humor.
Ayn Rand did.
In “The Art of Fiction”, she states:
“Humor is a metaphysical negation. We regard as funny that which contradicts reality: the incongruous and the grotesque…” (Rand, 165).
And then further on, and more importantly:
"What you find funny depends on what you want to negate. It is proper to laugh at evil (the literary form of which is satire) or at the negligible. But to laugh at the good is vicious. If you laugh at any value that suddenly shows feet of clay, such as in the example of the dignified gentleman slipping on a banana peel, you are laughing at the validity of values as such.” (Rand, 166).
I suggest you read Chapter 11, starting on page 165.
I also am curious to know-do you value Ayn Rand? Or is she negligible in your values?
I didn’t find it funny at all. I found it rather disgusting. In particular,
Slum City of the Mind This site is best viewed with a bottle of scotch.
was on the home page. Chemical destruction of the mind and mind-destoying literature all in one sitting. The irritating thing is, the author of the article probably had some basic knowledge of what Ayn Rand thought about religion, since he chose to satirize her in that way.
She uses the metaphor of the mythical Atlas to argue that it is the role of worldly endeavours to support the Church just as Atlas supported the heavens on his shoulders. In Atlas Shrugged she argues that Capitalism, a veritable giant reaching the heavens - literally these days - has shrugged off its duty of supporting the Church and, in consequence, the heavens are crashing down, which is to say that public morality is decaying for lack of support.
I need a puking smiley. It isn’t funny to mock things you value. This isn’t humor, it’s a collection of lies.
Craig,
Are you an Objectivist?
How much Objectivism have you studied?
How much do you agree with?
Well I thought I was an Objectivist. I’ve been studying her philosophy for about 17 years. But apparently, by the standards of those here, I am not. Moreover, I didn’t realize that Ayn Rand had an opinion on humor.
Also, note this: I don’t care to offend, but I didn’t think that being in complete agreement with Ayn Rand was a precondition for using this forum. As I understand it now, after exchanging emails with the moderator, someone who does not agree with everything encompassed by the term ‘Objectivism’, should only be using the forum to ask questions and gain knowledge. I don’t think I can gain much knowledge simply by asking questions. I need to be able to post my ideas and have other people shoot them down, and tell me why I’m wrong. But if posting my own ideas is not allowed here, if those ideas contradiction something that Ayn Rand said, then I don’t think I can use the forum in a meaningful way.
I’ve only been posting here about a week, so I’m sorry I have to leave. But to answer some of the questions directed to me on this topic, let me just say that Ayn Rand is my idol, and has been for a very long time. However I think it’s absurd that Ayn Rand would dedicate Atlas Shrugged to supporting the Church, and I find the absurd quite humorous.
Sincerely,
Craig
Well I thought I was an Objectivist. I’ve been studying her philosophy for about 17 years. But apparently, by the standards of those here, I am not. Moreover, I didn’t realize that Ayn Rand had an opinion on humor.
Also, note this: I don’t care to offend, but I didn’t think that being in complete agreement with Ayn Rand was a precondition for using this forum. As I understand it now, after exchanging emails with the moderator, someone who does not agree with everything encompassed by the term ‘Objectivism’, should only be using the forum to ask questions and gain knowledge. I don’t think I can gain much knowledge simply by asking questions. I need to be able to post my ideas and have other people shoot them down, and tell me why I’m wrong. But if posting my own ideas is not allowed here, if those ideas contradiction something that Ayn Rand said, then I don’t think I can use the forum in a meaningful way.
I’ve only been posting here about a week, so I’m sorry I have to leave. But to answer some of the questions directed to me on this topic, let me just say that Ayn Rand is my idol, and has been for a very long time. However I think it’s absurd that Ayn Rand would dedicate Atlas Shrugged to supporting the Church, and I find the absurd quite humorous.
Sincerely,
Craig
Why do you think have to leave? I don’t think you have said anything in this thread that is out of line. I agree with you that I would not classify the “article” linked as an attack. It was not funny, but that’s another issue.
Somebody please tell me that I read this wrong. I was searching for a biography of Ayn Rand and found this. I had to read it three times to make sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me.
I don’t know what to say about that. It is not my view that Ayn Rand supported the church or even believed in God.