Reported ditching of 200,000 copies is not true, despite obvious merits of the idea
Birtherism and satire do not mix, much like birtherism and sanity.
I learned this lesson the relatively painless way a month ago when this post — purporting to show how birthers used a new collaborative editing feature in Google Maps to prove their point by making Hawaii disappear — resulted in a string of comments that only proved (yet again) that the Internet will believe anything.
Today it’s Esquire’s turn, as one of its writers aimed his satirical prowess at a newly released birther book:
In a stunning development one day after the release of Where’s the Birth Certificate? The Case that Barack Obama is not Eligible to be President, by Dr. Jerome Corsi, World Net Daily Editor and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Farah has announced plans to recall and pulp the entire 200,000 first printing run of the book, as well as announcing an offer to refund the purchase price to anyone who has already bought either a hard copy or electronic download of the book.
It’s not true – none of it — and I might add obviously were it not for the fact that I read about the ruckus the story caused before I read the actual article, so I can’t swear it wouldn’t have fooled me. But ask yourself: Are individuals who are cynical and/or detached from reality enough to write and publish such a book likely to also possess the good sense to sound retreat? And, of much greater importance, are they likely to kiss off all that potential cash?
Farah is being quoted as saying the book is “selling briskly.” I wish I could say I doubted him.
He also is said to be considering “legal options” against Esquire.
Any honest lawyer will tell him he has none and that he should be immensely thankful for the undeserved publicity.
As for me, I will still write satire when the mood strikes.
What I will no longer do is wonder whether there’s a way to do it without fooling some of the people all of the time. There is no way … especially when birthers are involved.
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