Proposed Corollary to Godwin's Law

[Sunny_Daze]

I’m noticing an increase in the usage of certain terms, to the extent that I am now proposing a corollary to Godwin’s Law to account for modern terrors.

If Hillary Clinton is introduced into a thread or debate that has nothing to do with Hillary Clinton, I hereby declare that thread Godwinized.

I’m getting really tired of hearing “Clinton” or “Hillary” every time someone runs out of arguments and wants to pivot to their new version of the ultimate evil.

Any other people, beliefs, or topics that you believe should also get a corollary?

[Alley_Dweller]

@Sunny_Daze

If Hillary Clinton is introduced into a thread or debate that has nothing to do with Hillary Clinton, I hereby declare that thread Godwinized.

No, I call a fowl on that play. quack.

If you need to do that, at least create a new name for it and see if it catches on.

[buddha_david]

Hillarized?

Rodhambottomed?

[jtur88]

I thought that had already happened with Obama.

[buddha_david]

@jtur88

I thought that had already happened with Obama.

That’s so 2016, get with the times.

[septimus]

Benghaziized ?

[madsircool]

Hitleryed?

[Gatopescado]

You know who I would have voted for before Hillary?

[Senegoid]

Godwin’s Law is called that because it was proposed by Godwin.

So, per our OP, when a thread is trainwrecked by gratuitous reference to Hillary Clinton, we should say it got Sunnydazed.

[Alley_Dweller]

@Senegoid

Godwin’s Law is called that because it was proposed by Godwin.

So, per our OP, when a thread is trainwrecked by gratuitous reference to Hillary Clinton, we should say it got Sunnydazed.

Sounds good to me.

[Pleonast]

The contemporary memes are “Thanks, Obama!” and “But her emails!”.

[Derleth]

@Derleth

Godwin’s Law isn’t a law as much as an observation.

It’s the observation that when one or both sides are resorting to literally the most inflammatory insults they can think of, the discussion is over and it’s now just a shouting match. He just used “Nazis” as a convenient example of a group which was, in his mind, universally loathed in his social context. In other contexts, it could be “gays” or “Christians” or “Muslims” or “cishets” or any other identifiable category.

The group doesn’t matter. The intense vitriol matters.

So mentioning Clinton, or Obama, or anyone else in the same fashion is already Godwin’s Law as it was originally intended.

[Kent_Clark]

You know who else used to like to make new rules?

But there’s always someone waiting to interject something political and hyperbolic into any conversation:

Clinton
Obama
Trump
the religious right
Atheists
Muslims
Immigrants

If we call Godwin’s Law on everything, then we’ll have Godwinized Godwin!

[Asuka]

I think the most appropriate modern Godwins law is when you make any argument and the reply is “Well would you rather Hillary/Trump/Republicans/Democrats be in power?!” since it makes the entire conversation into an “You’re either with us or against us” thing.

[Darren_Garrison]

You know who else proposes corollaries to Godwin’s Law?

[John_Mace]

@Darren_Garrison

You know who else proposes corollaries to Godwin’s Law?

Mrs. Godwin?

[Sunny_Daze]

@kunilou

You know who else used to like to make new rules?

Bill Maher?

@Derleth

So mentioning Clinton, or Obama, or anyone else in the same fashion is already Godwin’s Law as it was originally intended.

I had understood that to be true, but a quick scan last night didn’t lead me right to what I wanted, so I didn’t include it in the OP. Thank you for posting.

I am sure there are a lot of other terms that fall into this bucket. I’ve been thinking about the Clinton one for a while. Yesterday police shootings came up in one of the LV threads, which is what really pushed me over to starting this thread. I think Clinton gets the first nod from me just because of the sheer scale of when it happens now. Everything is her fault, or her cabal is behind it. Gets old and usually has no connection to the actual topic at hand.

[jtur88]

@buddha_david

That’s so 2016, get with the times.

So. Somebody says something occurring in 2017 is something new, it is so 2016 to say it is not new?

[Loach]

@Darren_Garrison

You know who else proposes corollaries to Godwin’s Law?

Brush with fame time. A friend of mine posted something Godwiny on Facebook and I threw in a silly “You know who else…” comment. The next comment was from Michael Godwin. I haven’t realized he was friends with my old high school friend.