The Punctuation of Satire: A Critical Analysis of Nick Gillespie s Rant: The Decline of the English Speaking Peoples

Transcription

1 Vacca 1 Jennifer Vacca Instructor Vacca English February 2012 Word Count: 1,604 The Punctuation of Satire: A Critical Analysis of Nick Gillespie s Rant: The Decline of the English Speaking Peoples So it turns out ranting and raving is an excellent vehicle to chastise the government and media who would seek to enforce an English-only United States. The pairing alone, only next to United, is oxymoron enough; however, writer Nick Gillespie prefers the full onslaught of a satirical charge. In his 2006 article, Rant: The Decline of the English Speaking Peoples, Gillespie tackles stereotypes of immigration and the alleged necessity for a mono-language nation. At first glance, Rant may appear to be the literal rantings of an offensive, prejudiced fanatic. Plunge deeper beneath these layers of vitriol, though, and Rant actually reveals itself as a carefully crafted satire that parodies the sentiments of the supporters of an English-only America. Like all satires, Gillespie aims to ridicule and expose hypocrisy. On the surface of Rant, Gillespie bashes the Statue of Liberty, whines about foreign food, praises right-wingers George W. Bush, Anne Coulter and Tom Tancredo for their bravery and intelligence, laments the disloyalty of Irish flags on St. Patrick s Day, and calls his grandfather an ingrate for working and childrearing versus learning the English language. The tone is often crude, informal, and offensive. As a reader approaches the last line wherein Gillespie advises the bilingual to tell their elders, to learn English or get the hell out of the Land of Opportunity, the reader may feel that Gillespie is somewhat of a jerk. However, the

2 Vacca 2 reader should consider the original publication and audience for this piece before making a snap judgment. Rant appeared in the July 2006 issue of Reason magazine. The political bent of the publication, which is self-proclaimed libertarian, indicates that Gillespie is most likely not serious when he rues that the United States does not have a state religion (par. 5). Gillespie, the current editor in chief of Reason.com and Reason.tv, possesses not only political acumen but also a penchant for irreverence. He has contributed to a number of the most credible U.S. media outlets including The New York Times, National Public Radio, The Wall Street Journal and CNN ( Nick Gillespie ). Yet, one of his most recent posts on Reason is humorously entitled Why Geezers Are the True Enemy of the Occupy Movement. Furthermore, in his Reason.com bio, a quote from the Washington Post provides a brief, though telling, description of the writer: Which monthly magazine editor argues that the spread of pornography is a victory for free expression? And that drugs from marijuana to heroin should not only be legalized, but using them occasionally is just fine? And is also quite comfortable with gay marriage? The answer is Nick Gillespie, libertarian and doctor of literature This would indicate that the libertarian s harsh portrait of the immigrant and the offense of Spanish-speakers is not his perspective, but an attempt to ridicule those that would harbor such negative attitudes. In this sense, one must be mindful to not read Rant on a literal level; instead, one is left with the task to untangle the layers of subterfuge. While Gillespie utilizes many strategies to build his satire, his stylized use of punctuation and format offer the sarcastic cues to decipher his meaning: those that seek an English-only United States are ignorant hypocrites.

3 Vacca 3 Syntax can add just as much tone to a piece as word choice. Even punctuation and format can be open to connotative meaning and multiple interpretations. For instance, Gillespie opens his piece with So it turns out it s muy important Muy, the Spanish for very, is italicized. It immediately catches the reader s eye for two reasons: the italicized format and the foreign word. However, how many readers could ve scanned right by this without even catching the Spanish? How many readers lost Gillespie s meaning if they know zero Spanish? In short, it hardly affects the reader s understanding. Is it purely italicized because it is a foreign word? Perhaps. However, a writer may also use italics to stress or emphasize. Incidentally, the word means very, an adjective adding stress or emphasis to its subject. Had this line been in English So it turns out it s very important that the reader would instantly register the redundancy to both use the word very and italicize it. Immediately, it becomes hyperbolic, excessive. In this case, as the reader moves along, he would realize it would be done so to flip its meaning, that the very is read with a sarcastic tone. In other words, It is NOT important Put back in Spanish, the simple italicized word now represents and brings even more context to the piece; it instantly sets the satirical elements in motion. As the satire continues, the reader must manage both the literal layer of the article and the true intention of the author. Gillespie offers some help to guide his readers: the aside. Gillespie manages this not exactly with cupping his hands to one side as a comedian would, but with the grammatical equivalent: parenthesis. There are six moments where Gillespie employs this device. In every one, they are meant to deliver a punch. For instance, in paragraph two, after Gillespie thanks the 9/11 bombers for turning American energies on the greatest crisis the influx of Spanish speakers from across the Mexican border, he adds in parenthesis: (Forgive our slowness, but all too many of us descended from immigrants.). On the literal level, this

4 Vacca 4 translates to: unless one is a descendant of a Mayflower passenger, he or she is doomed to ignorance. This also would most likely mean for every reader of this piece, Gillespie has just called them simply put stupid as most readers will not trace their lineage back to the aft of the Mayflower and more likely carry a visa in their purse or would need a poster board to explain their Heinze 57 ancestry (for instance, I am Czech, German, Italian, and Scottish). The content of the parenthetical actually transfers the ignorance of the line to those who might believe the prior, the connection made between 9/11 and the Mexican border. The parenthetical affects a scathing parody of the mono-lingual enthusiasts, mocking in Gillespie s perspective their ignorance. The parenthetical is seen again when Gillespie exposes the hypocrisy of Rep. Tom Tancredo. According to Gillespie, Tancredo was to introduce a constitutional amendment that would declare English the official language of the United States (par. 6). In the parenthetical that follows, Gillespie adds that Tancredo was also an advocate of building a wall between Mexico and the U.S. ; however, Gillespie begins to back pedal, readying for the punch. He concludes in the parenthetical: I hope he ll be more careful checking out the government contractors than he was with the ones who worked on his house Seems they employed illegal immigrants.). Here, the parenthetical again reveals both the ignorance and the hypocrisy of proponents of an English-only America. Lastly, Gillespie utilizes the parenthesis in the seventh paragraph. Here, Gillespie introduces his maternal grandfather, Nicola Guida. As he does so, he writes of Guida s Atlantic crossing and arrival at Ellis Island, (what a polyglot slum that was!). The hyperbolic negativity of the statement especially with the exclamation point underscores a seething sarcasm. Gillespie has ramped up the parody of English-only supporters, taking their mono-

5 Vacca 5 language supremacy to a near unforgivable level. Ellis Island is a badge of triumphant America. Furthermore, in the last two moments of the aside, Gillespie writes: It s one of the great pities of my life that, because I speak no Italian (other than what I picked up via the Godfather movies) and he spoke no English (other than what he picked up via Gunsmoke), I was never able to communicate effectively to him just how un-american he was. The examples Gillespie cites in the parenthetical drive home the melodramatic parody. The Godfather movies follow the mobster Corleone family s assimilation into America as the family struggles to maintain its Old World roots and criminal organization. Gunsmoke, on the other hand, features Marshal Matt Dillon as he brings the law to Dodge City. Not only is it one of the longest running American shows, it is also one of the most beloved and reflective of the American spirit. In this case, Gillespie the English speaker learns (evil Italian) from the criminals. The grandfather learns English from the good guys. In addition, the parenthetical offers a quick moment of irony: a grandpa learning English from his cowboy radio/tv show Gunsmoke is probably the most American behavior of that generation. So it turns out ranting and raving is not exactly what Gillespie conveys in Rant. Instead, the piece is tightly constructed and mocks the rantings of those who would mandate an English-only nation. The author aims to capture the fanatical and prejudicial attitudes of his opponents. This is crafted in many ways, which include his use of punctuation and style. A general audience, whether the argument is well structured or not, might balk at Gillespie s ruthless portrayal of the English-only advocates and ask for a more balanced discussion of the language issue. To point out ignorance and hypocrisy may only be one side of the issue and does not necessarily invalidate the argument for English as the official language. Satire, because of its

6 Vacca 6 many layers, the motivation to expose or mar in some way, can be not only offensive to a general audience, but also difficult to interpret. If one attempts to persuade an audience, satire may be a risky venture. The key is to remember the intentions of the satirist: to ridicule. It is the tradition of the literary finger-wagging and poking fun at one s opponent. In this case, Gillespie certainly succeeds.

7 Vacca 7 Works Cited Gillespie, Nick. Rant: The Decline of the English Speaking Peoples. Reason.com. Reason.com, July Web. 06 June Nick Gillespie. Reason.com. Reason.com, Web. 06 June 2012.