Had the
Princess post been made on CB, it would have likely ignited a firestorm.
On a largely empty/deserted message board, it does not lead to very much conflagration, but still has had more hits than normal.
Why?
1) It takes on an unanswered question, that in some ways is taboo--why do BYU fans not adore Max Hall?
2) It makes a case, using provocative and evocative language. It is memorable.
3) It captures truth that is not easily dismissed.
Repeatedly writing these kinds of things is sometimes referred to as "trolling." The problem is that trolling means that the language is untrue and insincere. And that is just not the case. If I get accused of trolling, I merely ask, point to what I have said that is trolling, because it is what I think. Which brings me to an important point.
You can only do this effectively if you truly believe what you are saying.
Again, some people call it trolling. I call it talent. I call it original content. I call it the gem in an otherwise indistinguishable trash pile. And the trash floats and revolves around these gems, with chaos and dance, and anger and laughter. It's the symbiosis of the provocateur and his audience.
Truth is tiring. For both the teller and audience. So we return to our old tired ways of comforting lies. And really, that is what I consider the shame of the murder of Mike Waters. The lynching.
For every door that closes, another opens. Maybe more than one. It's trite, but true. Even when it is death. Whether literal or figurative. In Act 2, the provocateur grows up.