Drive By Slander

A slur in passing, usually in a context that precludes an opportunity for rebuttal. Examples:

• Deliberately misspelling the name of a company or product in a suggestive way, especially as part of discussing an unrelated topic. For example, if I were talking about a Windows application, and I deliberately misspelled Windows as ``WinDoze,'' I would be making a slur against Microsoft. Anyone who wanted to rebut this slur would have to change the subject of the conversation, and would be starting out in a defensive position.
• Making a disparaging remark about a politician while talking about something unrelated to politics (``Speaking of politicians, my next song is about stupidity'').

This technique works particularly well when you expect your audience to be sympathetic and respectful of your opinions about the main topic. In such a context, you can say all kinds of implicitly nasty things about other topics, and people will almost always be too polite to say anything.

AmericanCulturalAssumption: Comes from "drive-by shooting", a not-uncommon occurrence in some inner cities where persons are shot from the window of a passing car while minding their own business. In most cases, such shootings are not random--and in many (but certainly not all) cases, the victim is involved in some form of gang activity or criminal enterprise and is shot by rival crooks.

Please remember that slander implies "false accusation" - It's not slander if it is true(Microsoft has a monopoly), or obviously comedy(i.e. Micro$oft Wind0ze). DriveByInsult? would be a better name for what this page describes. Also, slander is spoken, libel is printed.

That's an AmericanCulturalAssumption in itself. Truth is not always an absolute defence, and in any case defamation is still defamation.

Luckily in America truth is an absolute defense. (Usually). Yay FirstAmendment!

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