While Glenn's regular use of the adjective "vapid" to describe the writings of the mainstream media is a completely apt descrption, he needs to insert a little variation into his narrative or else he's creating his own google bomb. If you google greenwald vapid, you get about 20,000 hits. An occasional post without "vapid", using instead some equally valid synonym such as "insipid", "pointless", "inane", "lifeless", or "tiresome", probably wouldn't damage the thrust of Glenn's prose and might even make it less predictable and, heaven forbid, "vapid".
On the other hand, perhaps Glenn intends for "vapid" to become a signature word, so that "vapid press coverage" is automatically associated with Greenwald much as Carthago delenda est calls to mind Cato the Elder. If so, he's well on his way.
(Update 4/6/08): Never mind. I've just read Glenn's post on the AP fluff piece on AG Mukasey and there really is no other word for it than vAPid.
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Perhaps it could be a "brand," but instead of vapid press coverage (which might sound like it's describing Glenn), how about coverage of vapid press? Or commentary on vapid press coverage...
;~)
Well, that's my point (I think). One doesn't want the mouth breathers to be able to say "the word most associated with Greenwald is 'vapid'." Doesn't really matter if 'vapid' is his comment on the press rather than the press's opinion of Glenn. Out of context quotations are their specialty. Well, one of their specialties. Their real specialty is non sequitur observations based on out of context quotations. [Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.]
I've since noticed it used more than once in Glenn's new book, too.
Perhaps it's time for a post about synonyms for vapid?
After today's post I do expect the Spanish Inquisition. The description there was straight out of the Spain chapter of Michener's The Source.
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