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gollygee

(22,336 posts)
Wed Jun 1, 2016, 03:49 PM Jun 2016

Bororwitz: Stephen Hawking angers trump supporters with baffling array of long words

(The Borowitz Report is sarcasm, like The Onion, btw.)

http://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/stephen-hawking-angers-trump-supporters-with-baffling-array-of-long-words

Speaking to a television interviewer in London, Hawking called Trump “a demagogue who seems to appeal to the lowest common denominator,” a statement that many Trump supporters believed was intentionally designed to confuse them.

Moments after Hawking made the remark, Google reported a sharp increase in searches for the terms “demagogue,” “denominator,” and “Stephen Hawking.”

“For a so-called genius, this was an epic fail,” Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, said. “If Professor Hawking wants to do some damage, maybe he should try talking in English next time.”

Later in the day, Hawking attempted to clarify his remark about the presumptive Republican Presidential nominee, telling a reporter, “Trump bad man. Real bad man.”

37 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Bororwitz: Stephen Hawking angers trump supporters with baffling array of long words (Original Post) gollygee Jun 2016 OP
GOPers probably thought Hawking was endorsing Trump lol Takket Jun 2016 #1
After reading mercuryblues Jun 2016 #2
Best post award coming your way! Enthusiast Jun 2016 #9
+1000 nt ProudProgressiveNow Jun 2016 #16
I laughed so loud WatchWhatISay Jun 2016 #21
K & R ......that's funny! Wounded Bear Jun 2016 #3
K & R. n/t FSogol Jun 2016 #4
Demagogue, probably has BillyBobBrilliant Jun 2016 #5
Stephen doesn't do 3rd grade Mendocino Jun 2016 #6
My soul aches to live in a world where "big" words matter and big egos don't... Moostache Jun 2016 #7
A colleague of mine said something profound earlier this week. PatrickforO Jun 2016 #30
Now that is funny! Enthusiast Jun 2016 #8
Wtf? Ed Suspicious Jun 2016 #10
Go Stephen.. pangaia Jun 2016 #11
gollygee, recommended, this was fun to read saidsimplesimon Jun 2016 #12
Borowitz is using that REAL quote as a springboard, to launch the NOT so real part. nt 99th_Monkey Jun 2016 #13
Thank you 99th_Monkey saidsimplesimon Jun 2016 #15
This message was self-deleted by its author AllyCat Jun 2016 #22
Bravo! smirkymonkey Jun 2016 #14
stephen, the words in the second comment were still too long. niyad Jun 2016 #17
It's so close to being the truth, though!! n/t ailsagirl Jun 2016 #18
"Trump bad man. Real bad man." longship Jun 2016 #19
I think the point was that each word had only one syllable gollygee Jun 2016 #24
Well, you have a point. longship Jun 2016 #31
grammar BAD! Make Trumpkins think! yurbud Jun 2016 #33
;-) longship Jun 2016 #34
thanks, stephen hawking! hopemountain Jun 2016 #20
Least of least of least common denominator fucking pig mudflap. lonestarnot Jun 2016 #23
"He should try talking in English next time." liberalnarb Jun 2016 #25
I love good satire Gothmog Jun 2016 #26
trump is a true master salesman....i sell tech and in every training i have heard dembotoz Jun 2016 #27
Well, this is what Scott Adams said on Bill Maher. PatrickforO Jun 2016 #29
This is TOO funny. PatrickforO Jun 2016 #28
We're talking long words Lithos Jun 2016 #32
I would do this on purpose to bullies when I was a kid. I'd use words just big enough that they yurbud Jun 2016 #35
One of my FaceBook friends posted this article a few days ago... C Moon Jun 2016 #36
Hillarious from beginning to end. ffr Jun 2016 #37

Takket

(21,421 posts)
1. GOPers probably thought Hawking was endorsing Trump lol
Wed Jun 1, 2016, 03:54 PM
Jun 2016

demagogue: One who gouges a democrat

denominator: A compound word combining dominate and terminator. Hasta la vista, Hillary!

"Hey Curly Sue! Come look at what this Hawking guy done said about Trump! He says he's gonna gouge and terminate Hillary!"

BillyBobBrilliant

(805 posts)
5. Demagogue, probably has
Wed Jun 1, 2016, 04:49 PM
Jun 2016

something to do with 'demons.' Scared the bejeezus out of 'em.
Denominator - isn't that a mean lady dressed in leather? Evil!

Moostache

(9,895 posts)
7. My soul aches to live in a world where "big" words matter and big egos don't...
Wed Jun 1, 2016, 05:06 PM
Jun 2016

I feel very badly for people who cannot appreciate well-spoken or well-written English beyond the 6th grade level. It is frustrating to see the troglodytes like Lewandowski even mentioned in the same web-site as Stephen Hawking, let alone in the same context.

The world would be a far better place if people tried to expand their vocabulary and empathy as much as they chase after schadenfreude and money. What a wonderful world it would be indeed.

PatrickforO

(14,514 posts)
30. A colleague of mine said something profound earlier this week.
Thu Jun 2, 2016, 10:29 AM
Jun 2016

We had agreed to be interviewed by a couple of undergraduates collecting data for a public project in our area.

When asked what characteristics young people need when preparing for, and then when entering the workplace, she said 'kindness.'

Because, you know, schadenfreude might feel good for a couple of minutes, but genuine kindness - the effects of that can last a lifetime. I was always sickened when, in those old movies, people laughed at someone being whipped through the streets or pilloried. Now, people laugh when more mundane misfortune strikes someone else.

Just remember, schadenfreude fans, next time it COULD be you. You don't want people to laugh and gloat then, do you?

What? You don't want no em-pa-thy? You're going to go watch Dance with the Stars?

Oh.

saidsimplesimon

(7,888 posts)
12. gollygee, recommended, this was fun to read
Wed Jun 1, 2016, 06:30 PM
Jun 2016

The Associated Press and others did report the sentence below as true. Were we punked?

Speaking to a television interviewer in London, Hawking called Trump “a demagogue who seems to appeal to the lowest common denominator,”

Response to saidsimplesimon (Reply #12)

longship

(40,416 posts)
19. "Trump bad man. Real bad man."
Wed Jun 1, 2016, 11:46 PM
Jun 2016

Note: It should be an adverb. "Really bad man."

Nevertheless, great post.

gollygee

(22,336 posts)
24. I think the point was that each word had only one syllable
Thu Jun 2, 2016, 08:30 AM
Jun 2016

And that keeping everything that simple was more important than being grammatically correct.

dembotoz

(16,734 posts)
27. trump is a true master salesman....i sell tech and in every training i have heard
Thu Jun 2, 2016, 09:14 AM
Jun 2016

i am told to communicate at the level of your audience.

if they can not understand you they do not buy


so trump is a very rich and successful businessman who talks directly to his base at a level they like and understand.


make all the jokes you want....its a hell of a combination

PatrickforO

(14,514 posts)
29. Well, this is what Scott Adams said on Bill Maher.
Thu Jun 2, 2016, 10:23 AM
Jun 2016

He said 'the Donald' is almost hypnotic in his ability to use very powerful marketing and sales methods.

So it is indeed a hell of a combination.

Lithos

(26,397 posts)
32. We're talking long words
Thu Jun 2, 2016, 12:17 PM
Jun 2016

Good words, big words,
complete sentences with words
sentences with long words

yurbud

(39,405 posts)
35. I would do this on purpose to bullies when I was a kid. I'd use words just big enough that they
Thu Jun 2, 2016, 12:48 PM
Jun 2016

didn't know them, but small enough so some other kids would.

It didn't always work.

C Moon

(12,188 posts)
36. One of my FaceBook friends posted this article a few days ago...
Thu Jun 2, 2016, 12:51 PM
Jun 2016

and one of his friends, a Trump supporter, said: "He's British. What does he know?"

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