Saturday, May 15, 2010

Resurrecting Culture 11? Or, How Faux-Righty Conor Friedersdorf Gets Media Attention

It's be hard to believe that "pomo" conservative opinion outlets would have much of a chance in the current environment, but hardline leftists love to entertain the thought. See Washington Monthly's, "Culture Shock: What happened when one conservative Web site ventured outside the movement bubble" (via Memeorandum). The piece pays special attention to longstanding faux-conservative and online attention-hog Conor Friedersdorf. The essay dismisses mainstream conservative websites (like Big Hollywood) as ignorant of the youth culture and afraid to break out of the right-wing cocoon. What's funny, of course, is that folks on the right aren't fooled by Friedersdorf-types who aren't conservative and who in fact push far left-wing policies and ideological programs. The "Culture Shock" piece is also stuck in a 2008 mindset, wherein Bush-fatigue, Obamania, and John McCain's political campaign disaster virtually guaranteed a Democratic victory. That moment is long passed. If Culture 11 is able to round up money for a comeback it won't be a reflection of demands for a more eclectic conservatism. Anyone can find that at The Daily Dish or the pretentiously ignorant League of Ordinary Gentlemen. In other words, these folks are epic fail. Conor Friedersdorf is a special case of Andrew Sullivan myrmidonism that's simply Democratic Party cheerleading by any other name. Besides, as Robert Stacy McCain notes:

This is becoming a familiar pattern for conservatives who want to waste a double buttload of cash:

  1. Create a new Web site;
  2. Promise something innovative and different; and
  3. Most of all, don’t call Stacy McCain.

Because I don’t anything about “making conservatism fun, light-hearted and accessible.”

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