Savage (doesn't) Love: Emerson

*WARNING*
This post contains very raunchy language. Seriously.
Continue reading at your own risk. Seriously.
*WARNING*

From wikipedia:

Savage Love is a syndicated sex-advice column by Dan Savage, appearing weekly in several dozen newspapers, mainly free city papers in the U.S. and Canada, but also newspapers in Europe and Asia.

The openly gay author uses the column as a forum for his strong opinions that often flout "family values"; he often encourages advice-seekers to pursue their fetishes. The tone of the column is humorous, and Savage does not shy away from using profanity.

Savage reacted strongly to United States Senator Rick Santorum's statements about homosexuality in an interview with the Associated Press published April 20, 2003. In the interview, Santorum describes homosexual acts as part of a class of deviant sexual behavior, including incest, polygamy, and bestiality, which he said threaten society and the family. Furthermore Santorum stated that he believed consenting adults do not have a Constitutional right to privacy with respect to sexual acts.

Savage was outraged by these statements. At the suggestion of a reader, Savage challenged his audience to come up with a sex-related definition for the word santorum as a satirical form of political protest for the express purpose of "memorializ[ing] the Santorum scandal […] by attaching his name to a sex act that would make his big, white teeth fall out of his big, empty head".

After Savage published several definitions suggested by readers, a vote was taken among the readers of his column. The winning definition: "the frothy mix of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the byproduct of anal sex" was announced in the June 12, 2003 column.

Fans of Savage (among others) have made a concerted effort to make the newly coined term a part of the English language, setting up a web site for the purpose and employing Google bombing to drive that site to the first result slot for a Google search on "santorum".

At its annual meeting in January 2005, the American Dialect Society selected "santorum" as the "Most Outrageous" word of the year 2004. The Economist magazine referenced "santorum" in a January 5, 2006 blurb about Rick Santorum.

From this week's Georgia Straight:

You promised to "santorumize" a Canadian politician, Dan. It has to be David Emerson, the newly elected Liberal MP from Vancouver who crossed the floor and became a Tory in order to grab a plum cabinet job. Emerson – who campaigned vigorously against the Tories – happily screwed the voters who elected him when the opportunity to satisfy himself was presented. Therefore, I nominate "emerson" as the Canadian "santorum," and propose this meaning: a friend who, while comforting you about your breakup, is screwing your ex behind your back. Or if that isn't gross enough, an "emerson" could be an inner-rectal boil that makes it especially painful to be fucked.
Michael In Toronto

[Savage's response:]

We may have a contender in Emerson – he got more nominations than anyone else – although I do have some reservations.

While his actions merit the santorum treatment, neither of your suggested definitions quite work, MIT. Unlike santorum the substance – something every buttfucker, gay or straight, occasionally encounters – few people are betrayed by their friends in quite the manner you describe and fewer still have inner-rectal boils. Unless people have cause to use the new definition of emerson, MIT, it wouldn't stick. Also, MIT, unlike santorum, which sounds like a medical/Latin name for a substance, "emerson" only sounds like, well, someone's name. That doesn't mean it would be impossible to santorumize his name, just a bit harder.

Folks should feel free to send in other definitions for emerson.


jblue here.. whatever definition is chosen for emerson, here's hoping it becomes as well-known as santorum.