This post started out as a comment, but I'm going to make it into a post. For a discussion of the need to replace haka with a term equally fit for the purpose, see here. IMNSHO, the two best candidates that emerged from Corrente contributors were wankfest and lek. For now, I'm using wankfest, for reasons stated below. Those who prefer the alternative, please read on!
At this point [lambert blushes modestly] I'm something of a subject matter expert on the semiotics of propagating certain words (terms; memes) in the blogosphere.
Now, not every term in the Lexicon is a success, in the sense that not all its terms are in common usage. Propagating a term (word; meme) isn't an exact science, but thinking about the requirements for haka's replacement:
1. The term needs to imply a use case or narrative fragment to which it is applied; W.O.R.M., OFB, indeed haka, aWol (back in the day) and so forth. A term is "good" only if it propagates, and, conversely, there are no good unpropagated words. Both lek and wankfest meet this requirement.
2. The term needs to meet the technical requirements for being easy to blog; ideally, it should be short, so it works in headlines, easy to type, and so on. (WWTSBQ is at the outer edges of this requirement, but it was so clearly needed.) That's why when I shortened Somerby's The Person Who Kidnapped Josh Marshall (TBWKJM) to Whoever Kidnapped Josh Marshall (WKJM) it propagated. Lek is slightly better than Wankfest in this regard.
3. The term needs have good sound: "Haka" is easy to and fun to say. The "k" requirement for teh funny is a subclass of this requirement. Both lek and wankfest are good terms in that regard.
4. Ideally, the term should "conjugate superbly: Both wankfest and lek are excellent in this regard: wankfestspeilhaus, lekkitude, and so forth.
5. Ideally, the term should have existing cultural resonance: Haka has this (from NZ), wankfest has this in overflowing measure ("Wanker of the Day"). Lek fails very badly in this regard, for two reasons: People don't know what lek means.(For some reason, this stricture does not apply to acronyms. People regard them as puzzles to solve, I think.)
6. If the term is appropriated, it must have the right connotations. lek has the connotation of masculine display, but not the additional connotations of futility, and the particularly icky sort of futility, that wankfest does.
Point 6 -- wankery is futile, leking is not*, wankery is icky, leking is not **-- suggests to me that wankery and lekery are trying to occupy slightly different semantic spaces, even though both are about collective masculate display. I'm using wankfest in the context of the Boiz and their behavior in the media, and I'm relating it back (mentally) to the Freeper circlejerks. What I would suggest lek advocates think about is other manifestations of collective masculine behavior and display, perhaps in institutional settings. That's what flipywhig is doing here, I think. This little episode, for example, is probably not a wankfest, could be an example of lekkery. The bourgeios rioters who helped steal election 2000 in Miami were not wankers, since they were not futile. They could well be classified as lekkers. (Suddenly, there's a little more than wordsmithing involved here, eh?)
Translation of points 5 and 6: A term is not easy to propagate if people can't fucking tell what it means. It's not enough simply to put the term in a glossary! If I put "lek" in a headline, for example, and that's all someone with an RSS reader sees, then I'm less likely to get the clickthrough. And I'm also going to have to deal with the "what does lek mean?" comments, and I don't have time for that.
All this said, propagation is a team sport. I don't have a bizarre form of psychogical resistance to lek; it just doesn't meet my requirements at this time.
If those who are enamored of lek want to propagate it, then have at it, say I. May I suggest:
1. Use it inside links: Josh "Lek" Marshall, linking to his article. When people ask you what it means, explain, with more links.
2. Think of a story that its useful in; whatever the next scandal is, use it in comment sections about that scandal
3. Those of you who still have accounts at Kos, and can stand it, use it often there. That's how Unity Pony got propagated, I am convinced.
4. As opposed to the mechanical processes listed in 1-3, give plenty of examples of how easy and powerful it is to use in your own writing. Other writers may then pick it up and propagate it in their turn.
And so on. Have at it! Report back here with frequent progress!
NOTE * Unless you wish to regard all masculine display as futile and icky. That is a topic for another thread.
NOTE ** Is the same as *.
[x] Any (D) in the general. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.[x] Any (D) in the general. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.
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lek my ass...
all sorts of good stuff here
As for propagation...I'm reminded of Arlo Guthrie:
Test the growing power of The Mighty Corrente Building...create the lexicon, start a movement...
You can get any thing you want...
Wrong causality...
Go thou forth and propagate it somewhere. Not here. Let us know how it goes. Stuff goes in the Lexicon after testing, not before (something I've learned over time; that's why a lot of bad terms are there, but I don't want to break links by deleting them).
[x] Any (D) in the general. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi
all over it dude...
See my comment at TalkLeft from last night
looking for 3 part harmony...and all you have to do is to sing along the next time it comes around
it could be a movement...
and what could be a better demonstration of the Mighty Corrente Building than a movement?
I would also humbply submit "fluff" for your consideration
That is even MORE futile than "wank" because there is no "ick" happening there. Plus it conjugates in all sorts of great ways (to fluff, group fluff, fluffer, fluff-fest, fluffer nutter peanut butter sandwich cookie). It's a funny word, that is fun to say and write. Its meaning is juuuust known enough to have that certain "air" of kewl.
Anyway YMMV.
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Good night and good riddance!
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I'm not such a bad guy once you get to know me.
Heh
Josh "fluff" Marshall.
Har.
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Good night and good riddance!
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I'm not such a bad guy once you get to know me.
Fluff is taken
Fluff, fluffer... It's a metaphor taken from the world of adult films, q.v.
When a media figure interviews or questions a politician in a staggering and obscenely obsequious manner, that the journalist is said to fluff the politician.
So, it means something quite different from haka, or wankfest, or lek.
[x] Any (D) in the general. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi
Next Lek
I'll pledge to do my part.
I think it's an efficient way to talk about the way the frenzy and the finger-pointing build and build, especially how they radiate and leap from blog to blog, and how much strutting and preening and pseudo-outraged one-upmanship are involved. Bunch of lekking wankers...
go forth and propagate...
I'm doing my part with a h/t to waldenpond ;-)
what the hell
does it mean?
found it
>>Lekking is only seen in a few species of deer, such as the Fallow Deer.
additional advantage, although not futile, bears the relationship to 'fallow' -- as in unused, dormant (subversive, insinuating?) -- with all kinds of alternates like, false, falter, wallow, hollow, fake, and faulty
the birth of a movement...
Let history show That it all began here
but that's a lot to read, which would make things easier once lambert is sufficiently enthused to create a glossary entry. Until then, This is much more succinct and so is this and this too.
Go forth and propagate...
You can get any thing you want...
Lekipedia
Isaac, just about everything you need to know about what "lek" means is in the Wikipedia entry: Lek (mating arena).
Just imagine the lekking birds (or deer, or what have you) are Kos, Josh Marshall, Jon Aravosis, their regulars, etc.
Lek Spotting
Behold the power of the lek.
It seemed to have inspired lots of comments.
how about...peacock?
not sure if it fits all the requirements, but it just occurred to me outta nowhere.
whateshaman go up 2 comments...
Link here where the poster says that not only did Lekkington Post 'ban' him but removed every comment he had made since the beginning of time...nice touch. Glad I have never commented on HuffPo (or registered) to suffer that ignoble fate myself.
kangeroo It's lek
From where I sit...lek is the consensus choice and it appears that several of us have done much to get the ball rolling.
What sealed it for me - and I think lambert too...was the 'lek my ass' comment...too kewl
what does lek mean?
as far as i can tell, it's an albanian unit of currency...? edjumucate me, please. :)
Different use cases
I don't think lek and wankfest are the same at all, and therefore it is not that I support one of the other. They do not substitute.*
What lek really was going for it, because of its single syllable, is the ability to conjugate, as a proponent pointed out -- for example, the brilliant Lekkington Post. (Lek, unlike wankfest, is a replicator, though wankfest is fit for its purpose). Thus, its behavior at the syntactic level -- its promiscuous combinatorial abilities to funk the discourse up -- is mirrored at the semantic level: mating arena (as distinct from wankery which, as is well known, is about masturbation, not mating. Lekking Points Memo.
So, as opposed to a circle of jerkoff artists flinging spooge, we have a collectively populated mating arena, with people fucking each other (over). Very different, both useful. If rootless had any brains, which he does'nt
NOTE * Needless to say, there is no consensus choice. In any case, the Mighty Corrente Building runs on entirely arbitary and opaque principles, not on consensus.
[x] Any (D) in the general. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi
ahem lambert...
far be it for me to want to stuff your words but...
here is where you make the case and when the perfect word came through...you appear to be balking.
I appreciate the arbitrary principles of the Mighty Corrente Building...it's one of it's most enduring charms but hey...I can tell that you know that lek was the best word to come from the collective brainstorming and met all of the requisite needs, conjugates well, alliterates beautifully and has the brilliant strong 'Kuh' sound which is fundamental in the book of humor as written by Mel Brooks.
The movement is happening and all you have to do is sing it the next time it comes around...
Lek Spottings 2 AND 3
I am reporting that over at Lekking Points Memo I have seen an awesome rare double infilektration:
2.
3.
Happy gardening, y'all, planting seeds of lekudzu!
Since you don't answer the points...
... immediately above, you would not be able to "stuff my words" even if you wanted to, being, as you are, non-responsive.
They don't work the same way -- and lek has a lot more applications in a broader area. Good work!
NOTE I'm not sure that counting a repost of a typo in an original post should turn the stats ticker over.
[x] Any (D) in the general. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi
Who, me non-responsive?
If you're addressing me, as for counting or not counting a "repost," as you diminutively call it, each post was assigned its own numbers at WKJM's LPM:
#comment-2781913
&
#comment-2781914.
I have pleaded my case and leave you to draw your own conclusions.
But for what its worth, I acknowledge I feel out of my depth here, so I will accept the final certification of the votes. I humble myself before the mercy of Teh Mighty Corrente, ruler of elektions.
Heh.
I’m still a fan of
I'm still a fan of feague.
Haka
I'm still a fan of haka.
It means something QUITE different from lek or wankfest, both of which are perfectly fine words for other situations.
Regarding the contretemps yesterday over allegedly illegitimate cultural appropriation, how is using a word the same thing as adopting the cultural practice (the actual war-dance)? In using the term, Lambert (or whoever) is not actually dancing and chanting, as far as I know. If he is, please post a video.
Wankfest conjures up the idea of collective masturbatory self-congratulation - of which there is plenty on the intertubes.
Lek seems to me to be a bit closer to haka, in the sense that it involves ritualized displays of masculinity, and consequently intimidation. The lek/lekking is consummated in breeding (fluffing?) for some, disappointment for others,
Haka lacks the sexualized elements, though it is of course masculine.
Collective threat-mongering by the progressive bloghordes seems better captured by the term haka than by lek.
wasn't much to answer in terms of your points...
I don’t think lek and wankfest are the same at all, and therefore it is not that I support one of the other. They do not substitute.*
First off... ANYTHING-fest is an event. It's entirely bound in form and usage whereas lek is like free-range por and travels well. But as for the connotations that they bring to the table prior to alteration by Mighty Corrente Building lexicology, that of course ignore the purpose for the Mighty Corrente Building lexicologists. The ability to define the language of intercourse is heady stuff.
What lek really was going for it, because of its single syllable, is the ability to conjugate, as a proponent pointed out — for example, the brilliant Lekkington Post. (Lek, unlike wankfest, is a replicator, though wankfest is fit for its purpose). Thus, its behavior at the syntactic level — its promiscuous combinatorial abilities to funk the discourse up — is mirrored at the semantic level: mating arena (as distinct from wankery which, as is well known, is about masturbation, not mating. Lekking Points Memo.
I forgot which Woody Allen movie it was but in one of them, he remarks that the good thing about masturbation is at least it is sex with someone that I love.
Lek definition #2 is to assemble in a lek and engage in competitive displays. This wholly and completely meets your requirement that you listed here. (Anything, I think, both grossly testesterone-fuelled, ineffectual, and collective….)
So, as opposed to a circle of jerkoff artists flinging spooge, we have a collectively populated mating arena, with people fucking each other (over). Very different, both useful.
I think you're hung up on the spooge aspect...assemble in a lek and engage in competitive displays is remarkably similar...just lacking the spooge
NOTE * Needless to say, there is no consensus choice. In any case, the Mighty Corrente Building runs on entirely arbitary and opaque principles, not on consensus.
The only consensus apparently lacking is that of the Mighty Corrente Building janitor^H^H^H^H^H proprietor.
hrm, i'm liking lek more and more.
okay, so i suck at witty wordsmithing, but i'm wondering if you guys can do something with this: http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm16/.... it reminded me of something else the OFB likes to do.
Yes, I believe that futility and functionality
are in distinct semantic spaces and that, therefore, a circle-jerk is different in kind from a mating arena. Apparently, you don't. Chacun à son goût.
That said, lek is great all on its own. It solves a bigger problem than I needed to solve.
Go forth and propagate it! Bring back links where others adopt it!
Have I said you shouldn't?
After all, you're lekable enough....
[x] Any (D) in the general. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi
Why use a rifle?
When a shotgun does a much better job at obliterating the target...
I'm doing what I can, where I can to propagate but I'm not trying to force it unnaturally.
After all, you’re lekable enough….
lek my ass
;-)
Both have their place!
Eh? Excellent metaphor.
[x] Any (D) in the general. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi
"Chacun à son goût?"
Who is Chacun and why did you call him a "son of a goat?
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All the high-flown speeches in the world don't amount to a pile of horseshit without being grounded in the mundane machinery of the state- Anglachel
x
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“I don't belong to any organized political party. I'm a Democrat.” - Will Rogers
Which candidate would you lek to have a beer with?
n/t
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All the high-flown speeches in the world don't amount to a pile of horseshit without being grounded in the mundane machinery of the state- Anglachel
x
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“I don't belong to any organized political party. I'm a Democrat.” - Will Rogers
myiq2xu
you're not living up to your handle...I thought that hanging out at the Mighty Corrente Building was supposed to give you savoir-faire not je ne sais quoi
by the way lambert...I thought the French were by nature, elitists
Wasn't savoir-faire the arch-enemy of Klondike Cat?
y yo hablo espanol pero no hablo frances.
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All the high-flown speeches in the world don't amount to a pile of horseshit without being grounded in the mundane machinery of the state- Anglachel
x
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“I don't belong to any organized political party. I'm a Democrat.” - Will Rogers
Si, creo que se dice la verdadera. N/T
We can admit that we're killers ... but we're not going to kill today. That's all it takes! Knowing that we're not going to kill today! ~ Captain James T. Kirk, Stardate 3193.0
We can admit that we’re killers … but we’re not going to kill today. That’s all it takes! ~ Captain James T. Kirk, Stardate 3193.0
1 John 4:18