Know whereof you speak, before you speak

[unixronin]

Or, "It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak up and remove all doubt."

"The New Yorker's Malcolm Gladwell explains how good teeth go bad: 'People without health insurance have bad teeth because, if you're paying for everything out of your own pocket, going to the dentist for a checkup seems like a luxury.'  The British, of course, have socialized medicine, which we guess explains why they have such great teeth." --- James Taranto

I think he's trying (not very effectively) to be sarcastic there.  (The give-away being, of course, that he said something nice about socialized medicine.  In my experience, when Americans, particularly "conservative" ones, say nice things about socialized medicine, it's always meant to be sarcasm.)  Ironically, I should note for the record that I'm a British citizen, I'm currently 45 years old, and I have never in my life had a cavity.  Not one.  Stuff that up your attitude, James Taranto.

Comments

[juuro.livejournal.com]

I've heard it mentioned that the Japanese tooth-blackening fashion had its origins in the naturally decayed teeth of some high notable. Can you confirm or deny this?

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I couldn't confirm that myself, not being a scholar of Japanese history. But it wouldn't surprise me. The fetish of applique "beauty spots" in 16th-18th century Europe is a comparable example, in which a poor attempt to conceal plague scars turned into a mark of high fashion.

Fashion is weird and incomprehensible.

[jilara.livejournal.com]

Actually not plague. Syphillis.