Carnival of the Vanities Redux (Wizbang)

The Carnival of the Vanities, a weekly listing celebration of bloggers self-selected best work, is now over two years old. Over time traditions and norms that hosts are expected to conform to have evolved. Here's a list of expectations off the top of my head

Hosting the Carnival is not like writing a blog post or a short story; conceptually it's much closer to writing a press release than traditional blog writing. As with all press releases, always put a positive spin on things...

This weeks host, Socialist Eurofag (as he is known in his own comment section) at yeah whatever, telegraphed his intentions to ignore the expected civility of the Carnival in his announcement last week.

Everyone is welcome on a strictly nondiscriminatory basis, although I will be ferociously rude about you if you are a/ a dumb rightwing regressive Yank, b/ a dumb Yank, c/ a Yank, d/ illiterate. Only kidding!

Except he wasn't really kidding...

Laurence Simon has this to say about the 134th edition of the Carnival:

There have been times when the weekly caretakers of the Carnival of the Vanities have demonstrated a lack of respect for the traditions and ceremony of the office, presenting the content with fairness and without malice. However, rare is the time when the one entrusted with carrying the burden has done nothing less than drop it in the mud and stomp on it.

I declare Dr. Zen to be a Blogheretic, and they must be cast out! Ground into the dirt! Burned from the Book of the Holy!

Rather than just complaining, Lair actually writes a more proper version, called Carnival of the Vanities #134 - Avignon Edition. Go read it now...

Maybe this is why so many enjoy hosting the Bonfire of the Vanities, where bloggers submit their worst posts and the host is encouraged to mock them...

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Comments (14)

Thanks for laying this out ... (Below threshold)

1. Posted by Buckley F. Williams | April 14, 2005 1:07 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Buckley F. Williams:

Thanks for laying this out clearly. I know many people were pretty pissed off about the whole affair.

Posted on April 14, 2005 13:07

I am hosting the COTV next ... (Below threshold)

2. Posted by Nick | April 14, 2005 1:51 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Nick:

I am hosting the COTV next week, and was also wondering about the "traditions." I was leaning towards including only posts which were, by my subjective standards, good but it seems from your post that all submissions should be included. Upon further reflection, I think that inclusion of all submissions is probably the best thing to do, as it allows the reader to decide what is good and what isn't.

If anyone has any further suggestions, please email me and let me know.

Posted on April 14, 2005 13:51

I hope my <a href="http://s... (Below threshold)

3. Posted by Sharp as a Marble | April 14, 2005 2:05 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Sharp as a Marble:

I hope my intentional breaking of the rules was within the boundaries of good taste. Everyone seemed to get a kick out of it and my mocking was done in jest.

Posted on April 14, 2005 14:05

Sharpie- (as usual) you get... (Below threshold)

4. Posted by Paul | April 14, 2005 2:29 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Paul:

Sharpie- (as usual) you get it.

If it is a roast it is humor... That wasn't a roast.

BTW it should be proclaimed throughout all the land, Laurence Simon rocks.

Posted on April 14, 2005 14:29

Laurence asked others to jo... (Below threshold)

5. Posted by sortapundit | April 14, 2005 2:39 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

sortapundit:

Laurence asked others to join him in rewriting the Carnival. I wonder, if there are enough takers, who will be the first wag to round them up in a Carnival of the Carnival of the Vanities.

Posted on April 14, 2005 14:39

I would actually like to se... (Below threshold)

6. Posted by Tom | April 14, 2005 3:47 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Tom:

I would actually like to see a Special Olympics of the Vanities.

The idea would be that you let the most hateful, snide, cakesniffy liberal gleefully snark all over people's posts. Then he is both figuratively and literally eviscerated by the hordes of sane bloggers waiting in the wings.

Posted on April 14, 2005 15:47

I did it out of love for th... (Below threshold)

7. Posted by Laurence Simon | April 14, 2005 4:14 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Laurence Simon:

I did it out of love for the medium. Zen shows no respect or love for the medium he pollutes and denigrates.

I don't care if Reynolds links. In fact, I would rather he didn't. This wasn't done for an Instalanche. This was done to set things right.

The only reward I seek is that people continue the tradition and demonstrate that unlike the MSM, bloggers can round up their own best in a democratic, fair, and friendly way.

Posted on April 14, 2005 16:14

Must be the week for carniv... (Below threshold)

8. Posted by Mad Anthony | April 14, 2005 5:41 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Mad Anthony:

Must be the week for carnival exclusions. There has been a little bit of a controversy at the carnival of the capitalists over this week's host deciding to throw out half the entries.

I think carnivals are a great opportunity to let lesser-known bloggers get attention, and I don't like when people get cut. And yes, I say that because I am a "lesser-known blogger"

Posted on April 14, 2005 17:41

The only thing more fun tha... (Below threshold)

9. Posted by Dr Zen | April 14, 2005 8:46 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Dr Zen:

The only thing more fun than smacking the racist prick is watching his whiny associates snivel about it. You might expect a round of applause for any old shit that you post, geezer, but the truth rules on Yeah Whatever. Laters.

Posted on April 14, 2005 20:46

I think he likes you, Paul.... (Below threshold)

10. Posted by Laurence Simon | April 14, 2005 10:29 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

I think he likes you, Paul.

Posted on April 14, 2005 22:29

Dr. Dumbass:RACIST... (Below threshold)

11. Posted by Beth | April 15, 2005 2:29 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Beth:

Dr. Dumbass:

RACIST? Get off the pipe, wanker. There's nothing racist about IFOC--YOU are the racist. Truth on your site? For whom, Skinheads? Nazis? Islamofascists? Stalinists? Which "truth"?

Don't even bother answering. You don't deserve an audience, and I won't be listening/reading.

Posted on April 15, 2005 02:29

Um... actually, I *do* enga... (Below threshold)

12. Posted by Laurence Simon | April 15, 2005 10:22 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Um... actually, I *do* engage in a bit of racism now and then. I mean, let's face it... the Condi crack in the Barney picture could be construed as as one.

When does a race-based joke become racist? When it's told by someone who isn't that race. Double-standard, but it's the prevailing standard of the times.

But when I last checked, Palestinians weren't a race. Just a political fabrication as an extention of the war of attrition and genocide by the regional Arab populations.

Posted on April 15, 2005 10:22

Did Beth just make Dr. Zen'... (Below threshold)

13. Posted by Am I A Pundit Now? | April 15, 2005 6:05 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Am I A Pundit Now?:

Did Beth just make Dr. Zen's point there?

Posted on April 15, 2005 18:05

Above all else I want the t... (Below threshold)

14. Posted by Father Luke | December 9, 2005 8:36 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Father Luke:

Above all else I want the truth.

Three cheers for Dr. Zen:

Hip Hipp Horray!

Okay,
Father Luke

Posted on December 9, 2005 20:36

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