I am as guilty as anyone of saying or doing things that, at the outset, seem harmless and fun, but in retrospect are, in fact, quite horrible. My mouth is bigger than my head, and my keyboard is even bigger. Thus, it is not surprising that I would make a post that would later require amendment.
I am referring to last week’s post entitled ‘Holiday Creep’, which contained a few paragraphs about Norman Rockwell that were better left in the bathroom stall.
There’s few things more devious than the desire to make people laugh. Like anything else misused and overwrought, it can produce dangerous output, expression that is more harmful and damaging than amusing.
My writing style is tinged with a little seriousness, but most of it is actually quite sarcastic and tongue-in-cheek. I’m a rube, and I want my readers to laugh at my work. This was the intent of those paragraphs about Norman Rockwell, wherein I asserted he was at worst a pedophile and at best a devious, schlocky Americana artist. Neither accusation is based in any fact or public knowledge, nor is there much humour in them. This was a deep, deep valley of bad taste, one which I now feel the need to contradict in the strongest terms.
I’d rather not be known as the fellow who accused Norman Rockwell of being a pedophile, nor do I want to be known as the guy who gets people to laugh by masking ugliness as bawdy humour. It was a low sort of thing to do; one which, after reflection and feedback, seems so utterly ridiculous now, I find it hard to believe I actually did it. But I did. And I am sorry that I lacked in respect or tact in this instance.
I do not apologize for my humour, my sarcasm, my rapier cynicism, or my bounding enthusiasm for the cut down. They make me part of who I am, and without them, my writing, I believe, would be weak and uninteresting. However, there is a time and place for them, and there is a boundary which I should heed in future work. This was one that crossed that boundary, and for all my readers, you need to know that I know that it was thoughtless and artless of me to write it.
I hope, in the future, should I exhibit carelessness again (God forbid), you will call me on it. I want to remain honest and forthcoming. If I am not accountable to you, then for whom am I writing? For now, I just ask you to forgive this lapse.
Thanks for understanding.