Hitchens Has Defenders

Recently received in my inbox, with last name and email address redacted because I’m nice that way:

From: Tom
Date: Thursday, December 07, 2006 2:28 PM
To: Shakespeare’s Sister
Subject: Response re. Chris Hitchens

Lady (if I might so abuse the term in addressing you),

[Excerpts my post Christopher Hitchens: Minister of Funny.]

It seems to me that your hatred is very deep and real, and more directed at Chris than at a piece of literature. Get a life!

I appreciate women's humor and comediennes as well as men's. True, much of men's humor is sophomoric and sometimes downright demeaning. At the same time some of Chris' comments are also true.

But why get your britches in such a twist? To take such an article so personally or somehow take it as your personal cause to rail against does yourself no favors. Find something better and substantive to tilt your lance at rather than the spinning windmill of some guy just giving us a perspective.

Come on. It's the holidays. Have an egg nog!!!!

Tom’s really opened my eyes. I have to admit what a fool I’ve been, seeing him be so totally right in so many ways:

1. I am not a lady and I am deserving of insult for having strong opinions.

2. I’m in need of "a life" because I dislike people who make sweeping and offensive generalizations about women.

3. I am also in need of "a life" because I carelessly directed my critique not at the article itself, but its author. A big faux pas indeed, but hopefully my lifelessness will serve as an acceptable justification for not understanding Hitchens neither develops nor endorses the ideas in the pieces of literature he produces, but is instead simply a conduit through which they flow from the ether and onto the page.

4. Some of Hitchens’ comments are true; therefore, there is no use in pointing out the ones that aren’t.

5. Being a woman who takes personally an article which maligns all women is silly.

6. Taking an article which maligns all women as my "personal cause" on my personal blog does me no favors. I should probably see what Tom’s causes are and write about those.

7. A prominent male essayist who uses his paid platform in an internationally renowned publication to make sweeping generalizations about women is "some guy just giving us a perspective." I, on the other hand, a smalltime blogger with no name recognition who represents only my own view and interests, should "find something better and substantive" at which to tilt "my lance." (Note: I have a cooter; not a lance.) Hopefully, Tom will find this post more to his liking.

Thanks for the enlightening tips, Tom! I’ll pass on the eggnog, though. I find it a wee bit "cummy."