The Logical Fallacy's definitions

Valley of Virility

When something is so straight in its manliness that it becomes incredibly gay in the process, usually displayed in a visual metaphor similar to the Uncanny Valley.

"Remember that 'Valley of Virility' thing I once mentioned ? That's where I feel 'Top Gun' lies. It is so straight that it's looped back around to gay."
-- Rantasmo, "Top Gun Needs More Gay"

by The Logical Fallacy November 4, 2017

soft power

The use of slow, pacifistic persuasion to de-escalate a problem, created from a moral righteousness through leadership. Contrast with hard power.

"Andrew Garfield however, offers a 'soft power' version of Spider-Man - he's constantly trying to persuade his enemies to stop their nonsense."
-- The Philosophy of Spider-Man – Wisecrack Edition

by The Logical Fallacy January 7, 2018

Transtextuality

The method by which a text connects itself to another text.

Transtextuality takes on five different forms: Intertext, Metatext, Paratext, Hypertext and Architext.

According to Gérard Genette transtextuality is "all that sets the text in relationship, whether obvious or concealed, with other texts" and it "covers all aspects of a particular text".

by The Logical Fallacy September 2, 2017

Catastrophizing

A psychotherapeutic term for a cognitive distortion where anxiety or depression leads you to infer apocalyptic conclusions from mundane setbacks and anxieties.

Catastrophizing usually comes in a litany of steps that start from a mundane setback all the way to absolute existential hoplessness. For instance:

1. Oh no, I'm going to be late for work.
2. My boss is going to be angry.
3. I'm going to lose my job.
4. I'm not going to be able to get another one.
5. I'm going to be unemployed forever.
6. My family will starve.
7. Oh God, we're all going to die!!!

Each step in the sequence is arguably plausible, but the snowball effect takes it into the realms of absurdity after a while.

by The Logical Fallacy August 19, 2018

American Exceptionalism

A patriotism-based political belief that states that the United States of America is unique or exceptional when compared with the historical development of other countries, and is thus considered better than other countries regardless of context.

More extreme cases of this have led to white-washing of historical events, propaganda and violation of international law under the pretense that "it's not a crime when America does it."

America's greatness, America's exceptional greatness, is not based on that fact that we are the most powerful, most prosperous - and most generous - nation on earth. Rather, those things are the result of American Exceptionalism.
-- Newt Gingrich

by The Logical Fallacy September 23, 2016

Hemingway Defense

Where the stress and work of artistic expression is used to excuse substance abuse, chemical dependencies and other toxic coping-mechanisms.

"I also employed the world-famous Hemingway Defense... which goes something like this: as a writer, I am a very sensitive fellow, but I am also a man, and real men don't give in to their sensitivities. Only sissy-men do that. Therefore I drink. How else can I face the existential horror of it all and continue to work? Besides, come on, I can handle it. A real man always can."
-- Stephen King

by The Logical Fallacy February 17, 2023

Schrödinger's Douchebag

A guy who says offensive things and decides whether he was joking based on the reaction of people around him.

Any website that lacks effective moderation and allows some level of anonymity will, to varying degrees, approxomate 4chan, and be overrun with Schrödinger's Douchebags. Now this type of person defends, for instance, rape-jokes by saying "all humor is inherently punching down because there must be a butt to every joke." He hasn't thought about it. he assumes it's true because he figures "(he's) a smart guy, and whatever (he) assumes is probably right", but he's unfazed if you prove otherwise. There's no shortage of dodgy reasons he might be right and you wrong. He'll just pick another one. What matters is the game continues.

-- Innuendo Studios example of Schrödinger's Douchebag, "The Alt-Right Playbook: The Card Says Moops"

by The Logical Fallacy February 3, 2019