Barb
Carpe Scrotum
Poe's Law - RationalWiki
![lol :lol: :lol:](/styles/smilies/lol.gif)
![lol :lol: :lol:](/styles/smilies/lol.gif)
![lol :lol: :lol:](/styles/smilies/lol.gif)
![lol :lol: :lol:](/styles/smilies/lol.gif)
Discuss
Poe's Law is an axiom suggesting that it's difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish between parodies of religious or other fundamentalism and its genuine proponents, since they both seem equally insane. For example, some conservatives consider noted homophobe Fred Phelps to be so over-the-top that they argue he's a "deep cover liberal" trying to discredit more mainstream homophobes.
![lol :lol: :lol:](/styles/smilies/lol.gif)
![lol :lol: :lol:](/styles/smilies/lol.gif)
![lol :lol: :lol:](/styles/smilies/lol.gif)
Poe Paradox
The Poe Paradox is a further corollary to Poe's Law that results from an unhealthy level of paranoia. It states that:
In any fundamentalist group, a paradox exists where any new person (or idea) sufficiently fundamentalist to be accepted by the group is likely to be so ridiculous that they risk being rejected as a parodist (or parody).
The term was first used by RationalWiki editor and now respected blogger The Lay Scientist to describe an apparent paradox in the management of editing rights at Conservapedia:
"Any new member of the CP project who's not as conservative as them is liable to be chucked out. However, any new member who is as conservative as them is in serious danger of being called a parodist, and chucked out. Is this the first living example of a Poe Paradox?"[7]
![lol :lol: :lol:](/styles/smilies/lol.gif)
Discuss