Iqra’i

Conor Friedersdorf may have threatened to steal my microphone, but I’d like to point out that in quoting and straw-manning me his post actually had the opposite effect: spreading my thoughts greater distances than they would otherwise have covered.

That said, I clearly don’t mean to say that “any action or performance is justified merely because of its physical medium.” It’s just that unlike, say, Ezra Klein (who does the best job I’ve seen of illuminating the hazards involved), I don’t see pie as a particularly violent or inappropriate form of protest. Friedersdorf’s claim that throwing pies contains “less content” than speech only makes sense if you measure content in terms of verbal nuance; I’d wager it certainly got more people to think about Friedman’s global reputation and actual value than a few halfhearted shouted slogans would have. (In fact, of course, they did throw pamphlets in addition to pie, and most bloggers haven’t mentioned the pamphlets; I rest my case.)

And if Friedersdorf is right that “prominent speakers aren’t going to address college audiences if there is a likelihood that they’ll get a pie in the face,” we need to breed our public intellectuals to be less wimpy. The verbal criticism they take from their peers on a regular basis is far worse, so their fear of pie in particular must come down either to expecting that they can expect reverence in a public-speaking setting (not only incorrect but fairly elitist: “the poor rubes can’t say anything that would challenge me“) or their frustration at getting pie on their suits. (Which is also unacceptable because most of them don’t seem to own suits worth the care.)

As far as the public debate and subsequent mic-stealing hijinks are concerned? Bring it on, Friedersdorf. I know the place. You set the date. May the best interpretive ballet win.