Blaming the Praiseworthy; Praising the Blameworthy

By one of those quaint and curious coincidences, I came across three criticisms of apparently unrelated things, a novel, a dance video, and a literary manifesto, which betrayed to my recoiling gaze the moral vertigo distinctive of the modern age. I saw the pattern connected the unrelated incidents.

The first was a criticism of my own work.

It would be uncouth of me, indeed it would be insubordinate, to argue to a disappointed customer; and I do not intend my remarks here to be read in that light. Your humble author failed to please and amuse, and there the matter rests. I would not be so bold as to mention the matter at all, save that the anonymous critic inadvertently revealed one of the crucial clues to unlock the savage mystery of modernity.

I cannot repeat in this space the whole of the critique, since it is peppered with the boring vulgarities which sound so strong and manly to dull souls, but will instead extract the single sentence of interest to us here. Speaking of my heroine, the space princess Rania, of COUNT TO A TRILLION:

“Your beautiful anime space virgin waifu was the creepiest part of your stupid story.”

I am not current with Otaku (fanboy) slang. Various online urban dictionaries provided for my want.

“WAIFU: A term coined by Otaku for their 2D significant others; predominantly anime and video game characters. A Waifu, in contrast to a harem, is the love between one man and his one and only Waifu. You treat your Waifu with the utmost respect and courtesy….”

The example of respect and courtesy given (which I am not at liberty to quote) is that the fanboy does not commit the sin of Onan while gazing at the image of his idolatry. That is what passes for respect in the modern day.

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Originally published at John C. Wright's Journal. Please leave any comments there.