Sorry, We Are All Plagiarists

Maureen Dowd plagiarized. Goodness gracious, let's take her out back to the woodshed and make her repent.

Wait, let's not. We all plagiarize. I've read now a half dozen articles about Dowd's plagiarism. Every one of them mentioned the irony of how Dowd exposed Biden's plagiarism way back when, and boy isn't that the biggest of life's ironies? Trouble is that each of these articles went on to point out how the world has a funny way of forgiving plagiarists. Biden did end up vice president, you might remember. Sorry, scribes, but the trafficking of cliches is a greater sin than the lifting of someone else's copy.

Everyone plagiarizes. Stephen Marche just wrote a brilliant essay in Esquire about what our love of conspiracy theories and secretive organizations says about our culture. The thing is, I had the exact same idea last fall. Did I ever try to get my idea published? No, but surely he read my mind and stole my idea, even though I've never met the man. Isn't that plagiarism?

Oh, and my sister is a plagiarist, too (sorry, sis). Yes, in a packed car a few Christmases back, she recounted a tale from her college years when Meatloaf, during those down years when Meatloaf had no Top 40 hits and was playing liberal arts college campuses, was seen sitting in her university student center, head down, forlorn. Her friend, seeing the washed-up singer sitting there by himself, was torn over what to do. He decided to do what any good Jesuit student would do: He opened the door and yelled, "Meatloaf, you suck!"

It's a funny story. The trouble is, it happened to my friend Mike's older brother. She has probably told that tale so many times she just assumed it was her own. Which is fine. Who cares if it happened to Mike or my sister? The important thing is that Meatloaf sucks.

Op-ed writing is about the dissemination of opinions and ideas. Maureen Dowd does not hold a monopoly on fresh commentary (thank, god) but does hold probably the most prestigious slice of real estate in the media world. Should she name her sources? In an ideal world where column inches don't matter, yes, but I don't want to read an op-ed full of "according to"-s and "says my good New Republic friend"-s. I assume not every opinion she has is her own. So why is it such a shocker to learn she may borrow from time to time?

I say borrow away. I'll be the first to send Dowd some ideas percolating upstairs for her to use. And I don't give a damn if she sources or quotes me. Because at the end of the day, it's the originality of the idea that matters, not the ego of the idea's source.

Comments

[tomancones]

how could a columnist for the Times think they could copy and ENTIRE paragraph and get away with it?

[Genna]

The media spends its time exposing politicians and other people who catch their attention. No mercy is shown to the family or the friends when they are affected by the spotlight and scrutiny.

When it comes time to sanction one of your own for the behavior, you have an excuse. Why should the media continue to wack the Congress on its collective heads for ethical lapses when the Congress refuses to force one of its members to account when the media can't do it for its own? It makes no sense.

[ProperGanda]

Making an excuse for this woman is wrong. Just because you happen to agree with her politics makes it OK. I do not think that she should be fired for what she did, and I do think it was an honest mistake. But this article is whats wrong with america. Justifying a mistake is ok because she is a left winger. I can guarantee that if this was a conservative columnist, there would be no such article. There would be claims of getting ideas from the billion dollar corporations that lie and spread their misinformation. Politial parties are gangs. They all stick up for eachother, and when the other side does something wrong, they go out on their high horse and act mightier than thou

[greeneink]

It really wasn't a big deal until Rev Dr Martin (Michael) Luther King Jr. got accused of it. LOL!!!

[badwalrus]

OMFG! Even little Bobby Zimmerman appears guilty http://www.vancouversun.com/Entertainment/Dylan+poem+actually+Hank+Snow+song/1612883/story.html

What a world...

[bryan-a]

Wow - folks it appears I had a previous comment blocked because I suggested Mr. Beehner should not be allowed to teach writing if he thinks plagiarism is acceptable. I thought it was a well reasoned, inoffensive comment - let me try again.

Lionel - write what you want, how you want, but if you think plagiarism is acceptable it is my humble opinion you should not be allowed to teach the craft of writing.

Thank you.

[MosheDayanHero]

"Sorry, We Are All Plagiarists"
Mr. Beechner, is this a confession?
The editors and lawyers at the publications you submit articles to would have to look at it with more care.

[goodfaith]

Obviously, it was a mistake. The point is she shouldn't have had such schadenfreude with the Joe Biden thing. It's a lot easier to accidentally plagiarize during a heated debate than in a print article that is "googled obsessively" to avoid same.

[Clavis]

Mr. Beehner, you are a symptom of what is wrong with journalism today. Go collect your paycheck.

[langej]

All art is theft.

This is so obvious that I will not even cite the source.

PS: Science: ditto

[jojojo]

Call me Ishmael.

Now is the winter of our discontents.

It was best of times. It was the worst of times.

Wow, I'm a great writer, huh?

[Laura McBride]

I wonder how many have heard that there are no new thoughts in the universe? No matter what you think, either someone has thought it before, or someone else is thinking it right now. Since we live in "quantum soup," where thoughts migrate faster than our money to the banks' bailout funds, it would be odd if more than one person didn't have the same thought at virtually the same time. Of course, JK Rowling, who shut down one of her biggest fans for supposedly plagiarizing some of her thoughts (which she had "plagiarized" from a dozen writers who went before her) thinks she is the only person who EVER thought about wizards and such. (And yes, I think she's reprehensible, and her attempt to own thought has made me vow never to read any of her works or watch any movies made from them ever again.) The Maureen Down flap is yet another tempest in a teacup. Beehner has it right; purveying thoughts, even warmed over wittingly or unwittingly, is what communication is built upon. If that were not so, we should all stop reading, and thinking ..oh, sorry....most of us already have.

[MacQ]

You honestly don't know the difference between having the same idea as someone else, and cutting and pasting their exact words into your article as if you wrote them?
Shame.

[yodaveg]

At the end of the day, it's the originality of the idea that matters, not the ego of the idea's source.

[bryan-a]

That's as clear as mud. Are you defending Lionel? If so you are way off base - people have a right to receive credit for their work and "at the end of the day" they also have a right to receive compensation for their work- taken to its logical conclusion plagiarism ultimately effects the income of the writer.

[yodaveg]

No, I was simply plagiarizing Lionel's last line for what I was hoping was comic effect. However, I do agree with him to the extent that borrowing is the coin of the realm. This explains all the lookalike TV, movies, music and books out there. I am all for protecting authors' rights, which are ultimately economic. But originality is what makes being an author satisfying in non-pecuniary ways.

[Bethab]

Does anyone actually read Maureeen Dowd anymore?

[Pallekenl]

Apart from the fact that plagiarism is legally, morally and ethically WRONG, it's also a matter of respect. Respect for someone else's idea's, their work and their talent. If you plagiarise someone's work, apparantly you find value in it. How can you not then respect the author of said work and give them credit for it?
Besides, if the shoe was on the other foot and someone had plagiarised Ms. Dowd, she'd probably be tearing them down publically! And I can't imagine Lionel Beehner would feel much differently...