About This Site

Figaro rips the innards out of things people say and reveals the rhetorical tricks and pratfalls. For terms and definitions, click here.
(What are figures of speech?)
Ask Figaro a question!

This form does not yet contain any fields.

    « Eat Right, Be a Stick Figure | Main | Plus He Kicked a Dog When He Was Ten »
    Friday
    Aug122005

    Book: Billie Jean Not Jackson’s Lover

    michael-jackson.jpgQuote:  “They should be ashamed.  They’re the ones who let a pedophile go.”  Eleanor Cook, a juror who voted to acquit Michael Jackson and then wrote a book saying he was guilty.

    Term:  antirrhesis  (an ter REE sis), the “Oh, yeah?” argument

    Jackson jurors accuse Cook and another juror of cashing in on the Jackson case.  “They should be ashamed of themselves,” Susan Rentschler told the Reuters news agency.  Cook retaliated with an antirrhesis, a counter-argument that picks up an accuser’s rhetorical grenade and tosses it back. But Cook risks blowing herself up:  the vote to acquit was unanimous.

    Cook claims the foreman threatened to have her expelled from the jury unless she voted with the majority.  That's why she says she "caved."  Well, sure.  It would have killed the book deal!

    Snappy Answer:    “They all should have to sleep over at Neverland.”

     Got a snappier answer?  Email Figaro.

    PrintView Printer Friendly Version

    EmailEmail Article to Friend

    Reader Comments

    There are no comments for this journal entry. To create a new comment, use the form below.

    PostPost a New Comment

    Enter your information below to add a new comment.

    My response is on my own website »
    Author Email (optional):
    Author URL (optional):
    Post:
     
    All HTML will be escaped. Hyperlinks will be created for URLs automatically.