Remember that crazy religion professor that proclaimed soccer was contributing to the downfall of America? Well, he claims the piece was satire. I'd like to ask those of you out there whether you agree it was satire and whether it was good satire if it was, was it good satire? If it was, he got us, but I have my doubts about his intended targets and his original intent.
Anyway, our friends at Avoiding the Drop managed to convince Mr. Webb to watch his first professional soccer match, Sounders v. Red Bull, and write about his experience for them in their First Timers series (which is a brilliant idea we wish we had thought of). Well done, I say, well done.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Quick Throw: Was It Really Satire?
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11 comments:
Thanks for the link, guys!
Based on the conversations I had with him, I think it was satire...it didn't work, but I think it's what he was trying for. The thing he wrote for us has some entertaining moments, too.
I heard he cheated and never actually watched the match. He just read my liveblog
When you think about it, he didn't know there was a league in the U.S., which also means he hasn't had to deal with Beckham. Sometimes a life of ignorance is bliss, eh?
@Mag: Great piece. Like the site as well. Good job.
Apparently my correspondance with the guy didn't dent the impression that it was serious. As I said at Avoiding the Drop, I wish I had thought of the "watch a game" idea as well.
By the way, here's my post after getting his response:
http://matchfitusa.blogspot.com/2009/03/stephen-webb-speaks-to-match-fit-usa.html
@Jason D: I read your interview...I just don't really buy all of his arguments. It seems like a lot of post facto reasoning on his part.
"It was only satire" is becoming the "I was only following orders" of the 21st century.
I think the piece was satire that doesn't play with soccer fans at all because it's stuff that's way too close to things that we actually hear from legitimate sources who aren't kidding all the time. He doesn't take it far enough for soccer fans to question he's motives, which makes it not work.
I think, though, that he's a theology and philosophy professor who probably isn't connected in any way, shape, or form to the community that would be most offended by this; assuming it's satire, he most likely never really considered the soccer fans feelings on the matter. So from that standpoint, I can understand the "it's satire that didn't work" point.
I'm also a little biased, because he was really into helping us out and seemed to really enjoy corresponding about it; even if it wasn't satire at first, we were impressed that he'd both spend time even responding to our e-mails and take the time to do something that, most likely, he'll never really do again.
and that is why it wasn't satire. he didn't know his intended audience. if it was satire, his words and arguments would have been directed at the ridiculousness of soccer fans and not the ridiculousness of people using a sport to decry the downfall of America and how that sport is anti-Christian.
it was a matter of his target audience. he could never have intended to target soccer fans because he knows nothing about soccer or its fans, as he has since admitted. to make a salient point about soccer fans he would first have to understand them and the sport and then be able to make the leap to a satire.
I agree with you, except I don't think we were his target audience; I think his established circle of academic and social critics was, and soccer was just used to prove a point to them. His problem came when people he didn't know or (frankly) care about picked up on it.
Thanks for the link, lads. Since you gents are going to liveblog the USMNT match tonight, I'll direct people here. It was going to be touch and go for me to be able to do it any way.
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