Hyperbolic Symbolism

I have, once again, been on the warpath over something that has angered me.

Today's dispute was with a writer for the Pro Wrestling Torch newsletter, Pat McNeill.

In the recent issue that arrived at my house on Monday morning Mr. McNeill wrote an article on how the WWE could re-image the Smackdown television show. He went into a lot of detail and made a lot of sense. I did, however, take exception to one sentence that he used in order to emphasise his message.

It related to the set. McNeill claimed that the big metal fist that appeared on the top of the entranceway for the last five years should be taken down. His rationale was the fist was dated. A fair point but when he said that 'the removal of the huge fist from the Smackdown set would be a moment on par with the toppling of Saddam Hussein's statue in Baghdad' I felt it was out of order.

I had to reread the article and then even waited a day or so but the annoyance lingered so I posted on the Pat McNeill Zone on the VIP member section of the Torch message board telling him that I felt the analogy was in poor taste.

My reasoning was that a lot of people died before and after that statue was taken down in the quest for peace and it had no context in the matter he was discussing. I claimed it was hyperbolic symbolism.

I got a smart-assed reply from the writer saying 'I apologise for the hyperbolic symbolism'.

I guess some people refuse to acknowledge when they have been wrong.

Ironcally, it was the same newsletter that recently looked back at their issue from after the 9/11 terror attacks and criticised Stephanie McMahon's comments about how America will come back fighting just like her father did after being indicted on steroid distribution charges.

They argued that the McMahon analogy was too over the top. So what is the difference?