The official 'Dons and Dirtbags' thread.

[RobinFinderson]

i have a submission:



(hilariously, the name of the file from google images for this is "gollum1.jpg")

I like CMBF's reasoning, but I still take the other position:

Bill is the Don -- I'd rather watch Bill than Chrissy Mathews any day of the week. He has a huge head (both literally and figuratively) that makes me laugh, and the things he said about a falafel/luffa are funnier than anything that Maher has ever done.

Maher -- If he were funny, I might be able to overlook his asinine views on autism/vaccination. Unfortunately the guy is dim and unfunny. His Religulous was a big steaming pile, and it sickens me to see his guests schill for it on his show (most recently Julian Schnabel, who is an artist and director who I really admire, but ugghhh.... he thinks Religulous was great).

[oxcoug]

I've got one. But I'm going with three images, adjusting the rules slightly. I would argue that there are two douches and one don.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

I like CMBF's reasoning, but I still take the other position:

Bill is the Don -- I'd rather watch Bill than Chrissy Mathews any day of the week. He has a huge head (both literally and figuratively) that makes me laugh, and the things he said about a falafel/luffa are funnier than anything that Maher has ever done.

Maher -- If he were funny, I might be able to overlook his asinine views on autism/vaccination. Unfortunately the guy is dim and unfunny. His Religulous was a big steaming pile, and it sickens me to see his guests schill for it on his show (most recently Julian Schnabel, who is an artist and director who I really admire, but ugghhh.... he thinks Religulous was great).

I don't watch Maher, I think he's an offensive guy overall. I think it is utterly and completely inappropriate to ever refer to any female with the c-word. He should have lost his gig over that one.

With that said, I think Islam is a pathology that controls/wrecks the lives of the billion people or so that live in Muslim countries. The inability of the left to recognize this is not good. If an Islamic country ever had the war-making ability that Germany once had, I think that country would eventually do the exact same thing that Germany did. It's not a lack of will, rather one of ability.

Of course, with that said, Islam itself is its own worst enemy in this regard. Western scientists figured out the nuke about 70 years ago and Iran still hasn't caught up. While Europe, East Asia, North America and even South America all produce their fair share of technological innovation, the Islamic world is painfully behind and will continue to do so given the limitations placed on it by Islam.

[RobinFinderson]

I've got one. But I'm going with three images, adjusting the rules slightly. I would argue that there are two douches and one don.

Hmmm... if it were just berlosconi and sarkozy this would be easy -- sarkozy is the don and berlosconi is the douche, based only on the choices they made in pursuing extramarital affairs. But when you toss in cameron I'm forced to triangulate and figure out what the three have in common (other than being heads of state), and then I have to try to crawl into 'oxy-world' to figure out what you might be thinking, and the best I have is a guess: Cameron = Don. Berlosconi and Sarkozy = douchebags.

The main reason for this conclusion is that Cameron just seems too level-headed and moderate to be a douche, and the other two are vainglorious windbags by comparison.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

couldn't think of an adequate substitute? I consider the 'd-bag' insult to be among the coarsest phrases one could utter. Does this game have a point other than to coarsen (an already fairly coarse) political dialog?

Just wondering out loud.

cheers.

At the beginning of CUF there was a movement to use the term "roll of toilet paper" instead. I might have been the only one that was involved, but it was a movement.

[YOhio]

At the beginning of CUF there was a movement to use the term "roll of toilet paper" instead. I might have been the only one that was involved, but it was a movement.

Someone also started a clean insults thread, but the turkeys on this board continued to wallow in vulgarity.

[oxcoug]

Hmmm... if it were just berlosconi and sarkozy this would be easy -- sarkozy is the don and berlosconi is the douche, based only on the choices they made in pursuing extramarital affairs. But when you toss in cameron I'm forced to triangulate and figure out what the three have in common (other than being heads of state), and then I have to try to crawl into 'oxy-world' to figure out what you might be thinking, and the best I have is a guess: Cameron = Don. Berlosconi and Sarkozy = douchebags.

The main reason for this conclusion is that Cameron just seems too level-headed and moderate to be a douche, and the other two are vainglorious windbags by comparison.

Yeah I thought that would be a twist - I actually kind of think all three are douches. But I've never witnessed Cameron having an original thought in a setting that impressed with any depth of intellect. His years of pretentiously biking to work, wearing hoodies, and self-seriously furrowing his brow about polar bears also cemented him in douche territory.

I think he's more LIKABLE than Sarkozy but...

Sarkozy I give a leg up on the non-douche title because the guy has actually made difficult and confident decisions in asserting the moral superiority of Western culture and individualism over the multi-culti bullshit relativism.

Which, knowing you Robin, I'm certain doesn't clear him of allegations of advanced douchebaggery.

[Commando]

First of all, props for this thread. Great idea, a lot of fun so far.

Second, I take the opposite tact of SG in contemplation of how offensive the word Douchebag is. I don't think it's all that offensive at all. It does sting a little, but I don't think it's as unpalatable of a mention as other hygiene products like tampon or something, and it's slightly vulgar, but not profane and something you could probably get away with saying in the MTC without getting too sideways of a glance.

[UtahDan]

couldn't think of an adequate substitute? I consider the 'd-bag' insult to be among the coarsest phrases one could utter. Does this game have a point other than to coarsen (an already fairly coarse) political dialog?

Just wondering out loud.

cheers.

I had the same thought, and it is not to pick on Robin because lots of other people here say it. I think what got me to stop saying it was someone of the fairer sex (maybe Marsupial?) telling me that she thought it was incredible crass and offensive.

Robin, if you can think of a synonym and are so inclined, I will gladly change the thread title for you.

[Donuthole]

I had the same thought, and it is not to pick on Robin because lots of other people here say it. I think what got me to stop saying it was someone of the fairer sex (maybe Marsupial?) telling me that she thought it was incredible crass and offensive.

Robin, if you can think of a synonym and are so inclined, I will gladly change the thread title for you.

I propose "Dons and Dimwits". Either that or "Dons and Dongs".

[Art Vandelay]

couldn't think of an adequate substitute? I consider the 'd-bag' insult to be among the coarsest phrases one could utter. Does this game have a point other than to coarsen (an already fairly coarse) political dialog?

Just wondering out loud.

cheers.

I've never been comfortable with the phrase, though I did once mention it.

[Commando]

I propose "Dons and Dimwits". Either that or "Dons and Dongs".

If we can't have douchbag, I elect the latter suggestion. Well done.

[UtahDan]

I propose "Dons and Dimwits". Either that or "Dons and Dongs".

How about "dunces."

[old_gregg]

how about douche nozzle? is that more appropriate?

[RobinFinderson]

Just my thoughts on the 'douche' discussion -- I can understand why the board might not want the word in the title of the thread. This is supposed to be an amusement, and if it helps more people to feel comfortable not having that word pop up any time someone things of an entry, then I can understand that.

As to the word itself, there might have been a small part of me that once agreed with SG and UD, but that part must have died and shriveled up long ago, because any more I find the word very amusing. The word is incredibly gross, and more than a bit crass, but it isn't racist/sexist/homophobic. I think it is pretty funny that such a gross word has become so widely popular.

Moreover, the word has come to have a unique meaning, which is why it is so hard to think of an alternative. For example:

A Dirtbag is someone you wouldn't trust around your daughter. Pretty much all dirtbags are douchebags, but not all douchebags are dirtbags.

Dirtbag:


Douchebag:


Dunces and Dimwits are people of low intelligence. Unfortunately, many douchebags are VERY intelligent, and have in fact achieved a level of self-awareness high enough to push their douchebaggery into the realm of 'evil.'

My first choice for title change would be 'D-Bags.'
My second choice would be 'Dongs,' which is just as crass, imo, but comes the closest to sharing the meaning of the word 'douchebag.'
'Dimwits' is a distant third, since it has a significantly different meaning.
'Dirtbags' is a subcategory of douchebags, and feels a bit too restraining, but I would accept it as a fourth choice.