Mark Twain Verses the NFL

Mark Twain Verses the NFL
By David Glenn Cox


“Shakespeare is dead, Chaucer is dead, and I’m not feeling too good myself!” Mark Twain

With such statements Mark Twain was proclaiming that his ego knew no bounds. Yet to know this greatest man of American letters is to know that he was at the same time forever self-deprecating. “I remember when I was young man studying for the gallows.”

Twain spent his career lampooning sacred American cows and defending the weak and powerless. His scathing attacks on organized religion, contrasted with his ardent defense of Satan, made Twain, in his day, a controversial figure.

“I have no special regard for Satan, but I can at least claim that I have no prejudice against him. It may even be that I lean a little his way, on account of his not having a fair show. All religions issue bibles against him, and say the most injurious things about him, but we never hear his side. We have none but evidence for the prosecution and yet we have rendered the verdict. To my mind, this is irregular. It is un-English. It is un-American; it is French.”

Twain was never shy. Despite his protestations of dislike for interviews and photographers, he missed very few of either. “Yes, you are right -- I am a moralist in disguise; it gets me into heaps of trouble when I go thrashing around in political questions.”

If Twain had been a part of an investment group to buy an NFL franchise, would the NFL have decided in his favor? Most definitely not! Twain was the Rush Limbaugh of his day; he was an entertainer, a sawdust philosopher and pundit. But Twain never backed down from the words which he spoke. He never mealy mouthed or claimed that he was a persecuted victim, even when indeed he was. That was part of Twain's moral greatness; he made his outrageous statements to make us look at ourselves. Framed and couched in innocence, they were ambushes with the intent of a murderous attack upon our beliefs.

“In religion and politics people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination, from authorities who have not themselves examined the questions at issue but have taken them at second-hand from other non-examiners, whose opinions about them were not worth a brass farthing.”

The primary difference between Limbaugh and Twain is that Twain always included himself when he criticized America’s failures. Limbaugh holds himself above the fray like a ghost or cherub watching the events from up on high. He sees himself as value's judge and jury. “I shall not often meddle with politics, because we have a political Editor who is already excellent and only needs to serve a term or two in the penitentiary to be perfect.”

Both men used their pulpits to amass fortunes, but Rush is only an actor. You get the impression that he doesn’t really believe half of what he says but says these things for attention and shock value. If you read enough Twain you see a man who through his writings is pursuing a psychoanalytic evaluation of his own personality, and that of his country. He loved humankind but lost patience with our failings. He loved America and described its rich multi-faceted society. In his masterpiece “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” Twain paints the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in American prose.

Every word is intentional and placed where the master directs it will do the most good. It is a book about freedom and the failure of American reconstruction. The only free men in the entire book are the runaway slave Jim and the poor white trash boy Huck. The book was not received well; librarians pulled it from their shelves for “rough grammar.” Even today the argument goes on about Twain’s use and over use of the “N” word. The character of Jim is the first African American ever written about as a full human being. Jim is the hero; he cares for Huck like he was his own child.

Huck battles his conscience, fighting the societal-imposed stereotypes and Huck casts them all down and declares, “All right then, I’ll go to hell!” Huck chooses his friend over society and Twain is saying that it is America that can go to hell! Huck says, “I got to thinking that he was most free and who was to blame for it.” In nineteenth-century America that makes Limbaugh’s comments about Halfrican American and Donovan McNabb seem mere piffle. Twain disguised his contempt for America’s failures in the body of a little boy, for if a grown man said such things he might have been pulled limb from limb.

His repeated use of the “N” word was purposeful and intentional; it was a term used by the ignorant characters in the book. It was Twain using a literary device to say, "Now you look here America, you look at yourself and look hard. Look who is calling the innocent and oppressed such vile names, slave holders, religious bigots, bankers, judges, policemen and the ignorant among the general public." Twain was trying to make us look at ourselves and some don’t see themselves yet, over a hundred years later.

“I have always preached...If the humor came of its own accord and uninvited, I have allowed it a place in my sermon, but I was not writing the sermon for the sake of humor. I should have written the sermon just the same whether any humor applied for admission or not.”

There are many similarities between Limbaugh and Twain, but there are also a great many differences that disqualify Limbaugh from even being compared in the same light to Twain. Twain rebuked us and lampooned us, poked fun at our follies and called us fools when we were fools because he was seeking to bring out our better nature. To laugh at us and we all laugh together and maybe learn to be better.

Limbaugh just wants us to agree with him. Twain would be disallowed an NFL franchise because of what he said about America and Americans. Limbaugh was disallowed for what he says about America, as well, but for the opposite reason.

“But the truth is, that when a Library expels a book of mine and leaves an unexpurgated Bible lying around where unprotected youth and age can get hold of it, the deep unconscious irony of it delights me and doesn't anger me.”

“To arrive at a just estimate of a renowned man's character, one must judge it by the standards of his time, not ours.”

NT

Limbaugh is a one trick pony -- blasting his mouth. Twain will live forever through his writing.

Both men were controversial in their day. The difference is in how they were controversial. Limbaugh whines because the NFL doesn’t want him.
Twain never whined and was far more controversial in his day especially about race.

In short, this author goes to great lengths to find similarities between Limbaugh and Twain and finds only two as I see it. One is that both men are from Missouri and the other is that both men made money commenting on America and American culture. That's about it!

I can find dozens of examples of Americans from the past that would have been rejected by a group like the modern NFL. Grabbing Twain out of the air for a comparison to Limbaugh is not even remotely insightful or interesting.

The author promises that there are a great many similarities between Limbaugh and Twain but neglects to offer them to the reader.

I get it.

For an alternate view: (from Texas I am sad to say) http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/columnists/jennifer_floyd_engel/story/1697353.html

where did I promise that?

They are/where social commentators and they both said outrageous things that upset people.


Both men used their pulpits to amass fortunes, but Rush is only an actor. You get the impression that he doesn’t really believe half of what he says but says these things for attention and shock value. If you read enough Twain you see a man who through his writings is pursuing a psychoanalytic evaluation of his own personality, and that of his country. He loved humankind but lost patience with our failings. He loved America and described its rich multi-faceted society. In his masterpiece “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” Twain paints the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in American prose.

Twain said them to make us think Limbaugh says them to get attention.

His repeated use of the “N” word was purposeful and intentional; it was a term used by the ignorant characters in the book. It was Twain using a literary device to say, "Now you look here America, you look at yourself and look hard. Look who is calling the innocent and oppressed such vile names, slave holders, religious bigots, bankers, judges, policemen and the ignorant among the general public." Twain was trying to make us look at ourselves and some don’t see themselves yet, over a hundred years later.

Who do you think that I was refering to?

"We have none but evidence for the prosecution and yet we have rendered the verdict. To my mind, this is irregular. It is un-English. It is un-American; it is French."

Freedom Fries!

It's a silly premise from the start for that reason alone, but also because of the depth of satire in Twain's message--satire always mocks the speaker, whereas Rush only tries to mock the objects of his comments--the depth of perception--Twain's insights were usually complex, insightful, and original, whereas Rush is just spouting common opinion--and purpose--Twain was challenging people to examine their bigotry and hatred, and their base assumptions, whereas Limbaugh tells his audience to do the opposite.

The NFL (and I'm just sticking with the article's silly premise even though I give it no merit) doesn't reject people because of controversy. Ray Lewis, Michael Vick, Bud Adams, Buddy Ryan, others, are controversial, and while they may be penalized for embarrassing the NFL, they are given their chances. Limbaugh was challenged as an owner by the NFL because he specifically demonstrates a hatred of large segments of its players and audience, and because his brief involvement with the NFL in the past has shown that he can't control his actions and act only as a businessperson. There is reason to fear he will use a role as owner to hurt the NFL because he's done it before as a broadcaster.

Not to mention that the people who put an end to Limbaugh's bid were his business partners, not the NFL. Even they saw that he was bad for business. It was the free market that Limbaugh professes to love in all its glory.

Twain was trying to make us look at ourselves and some don’t see themselves yet, over a hundred years later.

But judging by the standards of our time, Rush just doesn't measure up.

to even have that GREAT American uttered so irreverently with that drug sucking, Dominican boy raping asshole is beyond hubris!!!

Twain was a great man who REPORTED THE NEWS, and even put himself in an amount of danger by journeying to Alaska during the gold rush!
No small, or safe, feat back then!

fat bastard throws a fit if his ciante isn't just right!!!

How DARE mr cock-sucking-piece-of-shit even breathe a HINT of such a great man in even the same sentence, let alone directly compare him to that tub-o-lard bastard!

I myself am hardly petite - so I feel fine calling limpballs what he is.

the living example of the SIN of gluttony!

I added this quote?

“To arrive at a just estimate of a renowned man's character, one must judge it by the standards of his time, not ours.”

Because Twain was a great man and Limbaugh is not.

"Limbaugh just wants us to agree with him. Twain would be disallowed an NFL franchise because of what he said about America and Americans. Limbaugh was disallowed for what he says about America, as well, but for the opposite reason."

Sorry, if you missed the point. 100% my error

...it's Chinatown.

Nice work, as usual.

I needed that!

Of course Limbaugh is dishonest while Twain was painfully truthful; Twain continues to sell books about a century after his death; Limbaugh's books will be forgotten not ten minutes after his radio show leaves the air; and, Twain tilted against the forces that Limbaugh celebrates.

Yet liberals should not short-change Limbaugh's accomplishments. He pioneered syndicated political commentary on AM radio, more or less inventing a genre has had a palpable effect on American political culture as well as the outcome of many elections. In terms of impact on their respective historical eras, Limbaugh arguably has had a more profound impact than Twain.

And with respect to the Philistines who run the National Football league, I think the OP's point of comparison between Limbaugh and Twain is very insightful. When you put on a show like Pro Football that unites urban communities in support of their "teams," you do not want to have a lot of divisive stuff going on.

Kicked and Recommended.