“Parrot Talk”

A term that has lately been making the rounds is “parrot talk.”   Parrot talk is today’s label for the standardized speech that has replaced spontaneous conversation – phrases such as “Have a nice day,” “How may I help you,” “Welcome to WalMart” [or wherever], and all the other choreographed newspeak that people now automatically utter nowadays.  This is especially true in places like restaurants, where the words are pre-picked for employees to say:  “Hi, ‘you guys’ [to men and women alike], my name’s ‘So-and-so’; I’m your server.’’ [“waiter” and “waitress,” and “ladies” and “gentlemen,” you know, are now verboten, because they’re too “gender-specific”].  And the words are pre-picked for them because they are, in fact, required to say them.  In fact, it’s actually part of their “job description.”

The term “parrot talk” is an apt one, because it suggests mindless talk, i.e., talk that requires no rational thinking – like that of a parrot, which talks purely by mimicry -- not because it understands what it’s saying.  And the reason that many people now speak this “mindless talk” is that they have become “parrots” of sorts -- “dumbed down” to the point where they cannot speak in anything other than pre-rehearsed, choreographed lingo.  This, of course, is due in large part to the “boob tube” (TV) and the other mass media, which do peoples’ thinking for them.  “Experts” like “Dr. Phil,” “Dr. Oz.” and a whole host of other talk-show jockeys and “expert commentators” have sprung up to tell all of us what to think and say.  It has, in fact, spread to all facets of our society, with just about everybody “getting in on the act.”  And, of course, nowhere is this more apparent than at the cult centers, with their self-appointed “experts on everything.”  At SGG, they are “theologians,” “liturgists,” “Latinists” – you name it – except that they’re bogus.  In reality, they’re experts on NOTHING.

One really excellent point made recently by Pistrina Liturgica (click here for article) was about the SGG cult-masters’ “mawkish characterization of the Mother of God: it sounds as though the cult masters learned their Mariology from a backward maiden-aunt who never reached the fourth grade.”  Indeed, at Dannie and Tony’s SGG, Mariology – real Mariology – is non-existent.  But it doesn’t stop there: they are, in fact, deficient in knowledge of ALL of the other “-ologies” that real priests are supposed to learn.  (The same deficiency applies at the MHT and CMRI “seminaries”).  Not only that, but they are woefully deficient in just about every category of real Catholicism – especially Catholic morality.  They are, again, experts on NOTHING.

Dannie and Tony are – as they’ve demonstrated so many times -- nothing more than pompous, empty-headed blowhards who instead offer copious quantities of “ecclesiastical buzzwords” and syrupy sentimentality that they try to pass off as “Catholicism,” but which are totally devoid of substance.  Phrases such as “Immaculate heart of Mary,” “Holy Sacrifice of the Mass,” “Sacred Heart of Jesus,” “”Our Lady of (pick a place)” are sprinkled liberally throughout Dannie’s sermons (and his Bishop’s(?) Corner) with reckless abandon.  But as for real morality and real Catholic thinking, there isn’t any. What the cult-masters are giving their flocks is nothing more than ecclesiastical parrot talk.

And their culties, in turn, could be termed parrot listeners, because they mindlessly accept (and repeat) everything that Dannie and Tony say -- and accept it all at face value, “no questions asked.”  For them, Dannie’s sanctimonious pap passes for “holiness.”  And his unwarranted (and unnecessary) over-use of words like triduum and “men’s schola” passes for “Latin proficiency.”  At SGG, syrupy phrases like “immaculate heart of Mary” pass for “Mariology,” and the use of archaic rubrics¹ (that no longer have any relevancy) passes for “Liturgical expertise.”  And, as always, Dannie’s “dolly dress-up” processions and extravaganzas pass for “real Catholicism.” 

But none of this IS Catholicism.  It is, instead, a cruel caricature of it.  As we’ve pointed out so many times, it’s all cosmetics.  If Dannie were really serious about real Catholicism and real Catholic morality, he would never have countenanced the blatant immorality² of the 2009 SGG school scandals, nor would he have tried to cover it all up -- nor would he have “parroted” phony Tony’s depraved position on Schiavo.  And if he and Tony are such great “Latinists” and “liturgists,” why did they botch so miserably every attempt they made in those areas: “Ordo 2016,” SGG’s “calendar,” Tony’s hapless attempts at “scholarship”  (such as WHH), etc., etc., etc.    The fact is, these two boobs have failed miserably in everything Catholic – because they are NOT Catholic.

They are simply parasitic charlatans, preying on the gullible – and all for the purpose of material gain.  And, with classic cult tactics, they have done it: manipulating their followers -- plying them with pious parrot talk (mixed with fear tactics) to scare them into thinking that SGG is their “only hope for salvation” – and then cajoling them into submission.  Perhaps one day their “parrots” – er, parishioners – will wake up, and stop parroting what their cult-masters say.  Perhaps one day they will stop “towing the ‘parrot’ party line” (and letting the cult-masters do their thinking for them), and start thinking for themselves.  Perhaps one day they will wake up and see Dannie and Tony for what they are: a couple of imposters, draining them of their cash while simultaneously endangering their souls, and then reject these frauds – and LEAVE.  But meanwhile, until they get up the courage to do that, they can at least “jump-start” the process by tightening their purse-strings – that is, by STARVING THE BEAST.

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¹ Dannie once “waxed poetic” in one of his Bishop’s Corners (mentioned in its footnote) about a “Praegustatio” rubric.  It’s an archaic rubric that the Church (wisely) discontinued, for it consists of one of the Mass’s MC’s tasting the altar wine (before it is consecrated) to make sure that it’s not poison.  (Well, perhaps Dannie had good reason for resurrecting that rubric!  And we also wonder if he uses one of his lackeys for his “food taster” as well – for similar reasons!)

² Dannie and Tony were warned almost a year in advance about the scandalous goings-on at SGG by one of their parishioners (who was also a teacher there at the time).  The teacher told them about the immoral behavior going on between one of the SGG principal’s son’s and one of the school’s female students (the girl got pregnant by him).  He also warned them about the principal’s sons watching porn and animal torture videos on the school computer.  Dannie and Tony ignored his warnings.  Then, on Christmas Eve 2008, said parishioner, frustrated by his futile attempts to get Dannie to acknowledge what was going on, e-mailed him about it.

Dannie replied by banning the man from the property, and then proceeded to conduct a thorough character assassination of the man.  He was characterized as being “unstable” and being a “failure.”  (See “School Dazed Revisited 2” article for more detail.)  A few years later, there was even a rumor started that he was toting an AK-47 rifle (see article) and was going to terrorize that year’s SGG parish picnic!  Of course, this was pure fabrication.  And, eventually, the man’s accusations (about the SGG scandals) were borne out in fact; and Dannie and Tony’s efforts to vilify him all came to naught.