Sunday, May 02, 2010 :::
There are some things in it with which I disagree, and there are other parts of it about which I am too unfamiliar to offer intelligent commentary, and there are yet other parts that I do not understand. That said, this is the best Philippic I've read in a while.
The Philippic is a genre that, historically, has not been as popular as its friendlier cousin, the panegyric. It requires one to argue logically, cogently, and entertainingly, at great length, all the time engaging in sustained and unwavering condemnation, verging on abuse. A Philippic must present evidence of the irremediable corruption and foulness of one's subject, yet in a manner that avoids alienating the audience whom one wishes to convince.
The original Philippic was by Demosthenes and aimed at Philip of Macedon (hence the name). The one linked above is by a blogger and aimed at some singer with a dollar sign in her name.
::: posted by Eric at 12:48 PM
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