Canada’s Debate

Today I came across yet another Warren Kinsella - Anonymous blogger spat (Mah nish ta’na…) and something amusing struck me regarding the following comment (emphasis mine):

Warren, I’m not mocking Uncle Donald’s demise. Poor Uncle Donald, may the saints preserve him. I might have liked to know more about the guy, but your blog wasn’t about Uncle Donald. The hero was, as usual, you. Poor departed Uncle Donald is barely mentioned in passing. We are left knowing two things about him: (1) He wore a fedora and (2) He’s dead. The rest of the post is all about your heroics. You are not proud of him. He is just a spectator. You are the show. That is typical Warren Kinsella.
So I’m mocking you. You are so mockworthy.
I’m mocking narcissists who use anything to hype themselves, including the deaths of relatives.

Now I’m not going to take a “side” here, but does anyone else find this last sentence ridiculous? What qualifies as “hyping themselves” I wonder? Every blogger who has a tangible connection to their intertube alias “hypes themselves” when they make any reference to their own thoughts, actions or experiences. Just yesterday I talked about my grandmother’s 89th birthday. If I had related a personal anecdote about my interactions with her, would that qualify as self-promotion?

I find it distressing (and distasteful) the way people have a way of chasing personas on the blogosphere. Where does this obsession (not just in this case) come from? Blogs exist to lend people a voice, that is their sole and original purpose. For some, the voice is just a way to engage in some personal expression… for others it is a way to share a message that the author feels is important. Given that everyone who shares their opinions thinks that their own opinions are valuable, why do we question the integrity of people who try to maximize the efficacy of that voice?

If I ever had something important to say, I’d make damn sure that as many people heard it as possible.