Very Serious People, Serious People, Very Serious Person (or VSP) is a sarcastically derogatory phrase given to pundits who are viewed as having respectable, conventional opinions but are actually wrong and foolish. Coined by Atrios, the term has since been used and popularized by Paul Krugman.
The term is generally used by liberal bloggers.[1]
Origin and meaning edit
The phrase is generally considered to be coined by Atrios in 2010[3][4] but has been seen as early as 2007 by Kevin Drum.[1] Atrios originally used it to mean "The idiotic assholes who rule us," in response to a video of Senator Alan Simpson with regards to the Bowles-Simpson Commission.[5] The phrase has since been used by Paul Krugman to mean pundits that hold respected opinions but "keep demanding utterly foolish policies."[3]
Steve Benen has summarized the phrase as such:
The VSP is one of those Washington insiders that the political establishment respects and listens to, despite the fact that the person is (a) nearly always wrong; (b) habitually dishonest; or (c) both.[2]
Usage edit
While often used to attack pundits that promote austerity during the 2007–2012 global financial crisis,[3][6] it can also include pundits who hold opinions on foreign policy,[1] structural unemployment,[7] Bond vigilantes,[8] the proposed Paul Ryan Budget[9] and Occupy Wall Street.[10]
People thought to be Very Serious edit
Among pundits considered to be Very Serious People are New York Times columnists Thomas Friedman[1] and David Brooks.[3] Among others are Carly Fiorina,[11] Fareed Zakaria,[12] and Michael O'Hanlon.[1] As well, congressman Paul Ryan has been called "the quintessential Very Serious Person" or has been strongly associated with other VSPs.[2]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d e Kevin Drumm, The Washington Monthly
- ^ a b c The opposite of seriousness," Steve Benen
- ^ a b c d "The New York Times Sponsors Deficit Reduction Week", NYTimes eXaminer
- ^ "Very Serious Question," Paul Krugman
- ^ "Very Serious People"
- ^ "Paul Krugman: Austerity Is So Wrong!" The Daily Beast
- ^ Paul Krugman,"Structure of Excuses" New York Times
- ^ "Why The "Very Serious People" Have It All Wrong," Business Insider
- ^ "Paul Ryan's Crowning Achievement," The Washington Monthly
- ^ "Occupy Wall Street Gets What the 'Very Serious People' Have Missed for 30 Years," CEPR
- ^ "We're Doomed," Paul Krugman
- ^ "Daily Kos:Fareed Zakaria is a Very Serious Person"