DUMBTH and the PIGRANT

Steve Allen was an American talk-show host, comedian, and a TV personality. That last term refers to a raconteur who could turn up most anywhere...an awards show, quiz show or most any event that might need a witty, light-hearted host or guest.

Steve also made films, wrote music and musicals, appeared on stage and, wrote a LOT of books. One of them was this one.

He coined a word for the dumbing down of the culture. OK, not such a clever word, but a useful one. That it hasn't become as famous as "fap" or "twerk" isn't too surprising. If it's used at all, it's prefaced by "Steve Allen called it..."

One of the kindest of men, he, like Joan Rivers, had a surprising, swift death. You could argue it was the best kind...you go quick and painlessly. Like Joan, Steve could've survived to senility, infirmity or worse. You wonder if, ultimately, his demise was for the best. In his case, he got bumped by a car. The driver was of course shocked, and sorry it was THE famous Steve Allen, but Steve apparently waved it off as nothing serious. A while later, he went to his son's house, decided to lie down and rest...and he died.

Steve had no idea he had suffered some kind of internal hemorrhage and was literally bleeding to death on the inside.

He was becoming more conservative in his old age, and if he was around now, wouldn't he have coined MORE words besides DUMBTH? I think so. How would Steve have characterized DUMBTH's stupid, obnoxious cousin? As a PIGRANT?

That's a person who is a combination of arrogance and pig-headed self-entitlement.

We see that a lot now. The PIGRANT is not just a pig, and not just arrogant...as an alloy of both, he or she is proud of it. There's an ego to it. You might tell off someone arrogant and they might shut up. You might even be able to put a self-entitled pig in his place. But the PIGRANT? The PIGRANT will get in your face as if he's defending the second amendment. He's got a RIGHT not only to his opinions, but to be rude and insulting, too.

He'll push is way to the front of the line and point a finger and say, "I've got things to do, buddy...YOU can wait." He'll yell at the waiter or waitress because HE is a customer and HE is always right. He'll talk over the actors in the theater or on the screen because what he's saying is obviously more important or otherwise he'd be paying attention.

Randy Newman characterized the PIGRANT in his song "My Life is Good," and Saturday Night Live once had a series of sketches featuring two PIGRANTS, who were simply called "Two A'Holes." But A'holes is pretty general, as is "douchebags" or "Yuppie scum." After all, the PIGRANT can be a 7 year-old brat as easily as a 30-something Master of his Own Domain. The PIGRANT can reply to your request for manners with an incredulous, "What-ever" or a Jersey Shore "Tough!" or a jeering "You can NOT be SERIOUS." The important thing is to let you know that for whatever reason...money, fame, social "class" or just plain selfish entitlement, you must GRANT the PIG whatever he or she wants, and bow to the PIGRANT while you do it.

And yes, this applies to the superior-thinking atheist, the wild-eyed radical Islam loon, or a member of the Chosen People. They can ALL be PIGRANTS. Oy oy OINK.