Moonbat
Encyclopedia
Moonbat is a term used in United States
politics as a political epithet
referring to progressives or leftists
.
" William Safire
, the term was first used by science fiction
author Robert A. Heinlein
in 1947. Heinlein used the term in a 1947 short story, "Space Jockey
," as the name of a rocket spacecraft used for the third step of a the journey from the Earth to the moon. Descriptions of bat-like people on the moon were part of the 1835 Great Moon Hoax
.
A long poem, "The proving of Gennad: a mythological romance" by Landred Lewis (1890), uses the term "moonbat" to refer to unsound ideas, but not specifically political ones.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politics as a political epithet
Epithet
An epithet or byname is a descriptive term accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, divinities, objects, and binomial nomenclature. It is also a descriptive title...
referring to progressives or leftists
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
.
Etymology
According to a 2006 article by New York Times self-described "language mavenMaven
A maven is a trusted expert in a particular field, who seeks to pass knowledge on to others. The word maven comes from Hebrew, via Yiddish, and means one who understands, based on an accumulation of knowledge.-History:...
" William Safire
William Safire
William Lewis Safire was an American author, columnist, journalist and presidential speechwriter....
, the term was first used by science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
author Robert A. Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...
in 1947. Heinlein used the term in a 1947 short story, "Space Jockey
Space Jockey
"Space Jockey" is a science fiction short story by Robert A. Heinlein. Part of his Future History series, it originally appeared in The Saturday Evening Post, April 26, 1947, and was collected in The Green Hills of Earth .The story is set in the near future...
," as the name of a rocket spacecraft used for the third step of a the journey from the Earth to the moon. Descriptions of bat-like people on the moon were part of the 1835 Great Moon Hoax
Great Moon Hoax
"The Great Moon Hoax" refers to a series of six articles that were published in the New York Sun beginning on August 25, 1835, about the supposed discovery of life and even civilization on the Moon...
.
A long poem, "The proving of Gennad: a mythological romance" by Landred Lewis (1890), uses the term "moonbat" to refer to unsound ideas, but not specifically political ones.
Examples of usage
- On March 14, 2000 Jonah GoldbergJonah GoldbergJonah Jacob Goldberg is an American conservative syndicated columnist and author. Goldberg is known for his contributions on politics and culture to , of which he is editor-at-large...
's National ReviewNational ReviewNational Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the...
Online column "Our, *ahem*, FAQ Welcome New Readers" contained the following: "Alas, because Goldberg watches Baywatch everyday and can name the main characters in almost every Marvel comic book from 1976 to 1986, he occasionally makes errors. Far more often, he simply writes things that make readers say, "Is this guy higher than a moonbat?"" - Howie CarrHowie CarrHoward Louis "Howie" Carr, Jr. is an American journalist, author, and conservative radio talk-show host based in Boston with a listening audience rooted in New England.-Radio:...
has used the term a number of times in his column in the Boston HeraldBoston HeraldThe Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
. The earliest known use by Carr was in a Rocky Mountain NewsRocky Mountain NewsThe Rocky Mountain News was a daily newspaper published in Denver, Colorado, United States from April 23, 1859, until February 27, 2009. It was owned by the E. W. Scripps Company from 1926 until its closing. As of March 2006, the Monday-Friday circulation was 255,427...
article on August 8, 1996. At the time, the Japanese clothing brand "MoonBat" was the sponsor of an annual 64 day CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
- New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
ultramarathonUltramarathonAn ultramarathon is any sporting event involving running longer than the traditional marathon length of .There are two types of ultramarathon events: those that cover a specified distance, and events that take place during specified time...
foot race, called the "MoonBat Transcontinental Footrace". In 2008, Carr wrote about the number of "Moonbats" inhabiting the town of Arlington, MassachusettsArlington, MassachusettsArlington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, six miles northwest of Boston. The population was 42,844 at the 2010 census.-History:...
. In response, a group of Arlington residents founded the Menotomy Moonbats to raise money for their local public schools: Menotomy was the historical name for Arlington during the American Revolutionary War.
- Margery EaganMargery EaganMargery Eagan is a long time columnist with the Boston Herald, a talk radio host, and a frequent guest on CNN, ABC, Fox News, and the Imus in the Morning radio show...
, another Herald columnist, used the term several times in 2006 and 2007 to characterize some supporters of Democratic governor Deval PatrickDeval PatrickDeval Laurdine Patrick is the 71st and current Governor of Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, Patrick served as an Assistant United States Attorney General under President Bill Clinton...
.
- Conservative columnistColumnistA columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
and blogBlogA blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
ger Michelle MalkinMichelle MalkinMichelle Malkin is an American conservative blogger, political commentator, and author. Her weekly syndicated column appears in a number of newspapers and websites. She is a Fox News Channel contributor and has been a guest on MSNBC, C-SPAN, and national radio programs...
was quoted in March 2006 by Howard KurtzHoward KurtzHoward "Howie" Alan Kurtz is an American journalist and author with a special focus on the media. He is host of CNN's Reliable Sources program, and Washington bureau chief for The Daily Beast. He is the former media writer for The Washington Post. He has written five books about the media...
as writing, "But now the determined moonbat hordes have exposed multiple instances of what clearly appear to me to be blatant lifting of entire, unique passages by [conservative blogger] Ben DomenechBen DomenechBen Domenech is an American conservative writer and blogger who co-founded the RedState group blog. In March 2006, he was hired to write a conservative blog for washingtonpost.com but resigned after three days amid allegations of plagiarism during his college years...
from other writers," in reference to Domenech's resignation from the Washington Post after evidence of his plagiarism came to light.
- In September 2006, William SafireWilliam SafireWilliam Lewis Safire was an American author, columnist, journalist and presidential speechwriter....
said that "The prevailing put-down of right-wing bloggers is wingnuts; this has recently been countered by the vilification of left-wing partisans who use the Web as moonbats..."
See also
- Wingnut (politics)Wingnut (politics)"Wingnut" is used in United States politics as a political epithet referring to a person who holds extreme political views. According to Merriam-Webster, it is analogous with the word "radical." In American politics, the term is more often aimed at members of the political right than those of the...
- McDonnell XP-67 "Bat", also called the Moonbat