The irony of The Naked Emperor starting something with freethought in its name, after all his recent shenanigans, is mind boggling. It’s like Jeffrey Dahmer wanting to claim he was a vegan.

Ostensibly, the move is presented as having something to do with a change in governance of ScienceBlogs – with National Geographic taking over the helm. With a very straight face, PZ also burbles about free speech, remaining uncompromising, and avoiding possible culture clashes as the reasons for deciding to relocate. What a funny thought – PZ compromising himself… technically, that’s not quite the same as capitulating is it?

The riot act read out in the site’s grand opening is something to behold –

The first law: This is PZ Myers’ blog,  I am the ultimate overlord, and I can be a poopyhead if I want to. Posting here is a privilege granted by me, not a right, and posting privileges can be rescinded at my whim. Do not annoy me, and worst of all, don’t bore me, and we’ll get along fine.

Refreshing honesty. Soon returning to farce again –

The second law: There is no second law.

What follows is a shopping list of offenses punishable by summary execution. And much babble about the bastardised home grown brand of liberalism, braggadocio about incurring the wrath of his loyal and notoriously ruthless commentariat, warnings that you will be laughed at mercilessly, or, the fate worse than death, everyone will think you are a flaming idiot in a groupthink orgy. Lucky for PZ, in a rare display of consistency, his first law precludes the necessity of banning himself immediately.

Why can’t you just keep it simple PZ? Why can’t you just say what you really mean?

Infallibility shall not be questioned. Dissent will not be tolerated.

I’m personally not satisfied about your need to go through all the fuss and bother of relocating, especially since you make the point that National Geographic management is keen to maintain the ScienceBlogs ecosystem as is, without interference or imposition of editorial controls. So your relocation really begs some questions –

  • is it because ScienceBlogs don’t give you quite the degree of totalitarian control you crave?
  • or, the greater ScienceBlogs community now see that the Emperor is indeed naked and are now calling his bullshit for what it is?
  • or, the most delicious possibility, ScienceBlogs itself has asked you to move along quietly for bringing the place into disrepute with your ideological derangement and misandrist freakshow?

I’d also be curious about the final figures on the numbers of groupies you are going to lose – the combined total as a result of the move and your recent catalogue of disgraces. I suspect that number will be so painful that it will forever be classified TOP SECRET.

At least this way, we’ll be able to finally segregate your traffic from the mass of ScienceBlogs in general and see exactly how big a phenomenon you really are on your own. Is this to going to be an anticlimax? A la Skepchick?

Here’s a nice little vid for you – The Ballad of the Naked Emperor. Hope you chuckle the way I did.

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Related blogs –

The Watson Circus – Stick To Science PZ

The Watson Circus – Evidently PZ Has Not Disgraced Himself Sufficiently Yet

PZ Myers: The Elevatorgate Story So Far As Related By Bugs Bunny

PZ Myers and Rebecca Watson: Leadership By Example