OT: 'pitiful' vs 'pathetic'

[Feuilletonist]

My friends and I were listening to some song on the radio and had a
debate on whether the song was pitiful or pathetic.

One guy claimed that pitiful and pathetic meant the same thing.
Another said pitiful is worse than pathetic while another said vice
versa.

I personally think labeling something as pitiful is worse because it
means the work in question is so bad it deserves pity whereas a merely
pathetic work can be dismissed and forgotten; we need not feel sorry
for the artist in question.

so what do you think?

1. is 'pitiful' synonymous with 'pathetic'?

2. which is worse? being pitiful or pathetic?

3. demonstrate how a book or movie is worse by being either pitiful or
pathetic.

[Jay G]

Post by Feuilletonist
so what do you think?
1. is 'pitiful' synonymous with 'pathetic'?

Yes.

from dictionary.com:

pa·thet·ic ( P ) adj.
1. Arousing or capable of arousing sympathetic
sadness and compassion.
2. Arousing or capable of arousing scornful pity.

-Jay

[unknown]

***@hotmail.com, <***@posting.google.com>,
said,

Post by Feuilletonist
My friends and I were listening to some song on the radio and had a
debate on whether the song was pitiful or pathetic.
One guy claimed that pitiful and pathetic meant the same thing.
Another said pitiful is worse than pathetic while another said vice
versa.
I personally think labeling something as pitiful is worse because it
means the work in question is so bad it deserves pity whereas a merely
pathetic work can be dismissed and forgotten; we need not feel sorry
for the artist in question.
so what do you think?
1. is 'pitiful' synonymous with 'pathetic'?
2. which is worse? being pitiful or pathetic?
3. demonstrate how a book or movie is worse by being either pitiful or
pathetic.

Well, in the Summer Semantic Games that politicians love to play, I would
have to vote for "pathetic" as being worse than "pitiful".

Now let's think about it. If something is pitiful, you pity it, meaning you
feel sorry for it or some remorse for it. But pathetic is just plain bad.

Pitiful implies someone is bad despite his best efforts, but pathetic implies
he's bad because he doesn't care or try.

In conclusion, I would rather someone call me pitiful than pathetic.

[Rich Clancey]

In rec.arts.books verbrennung <verbrennung@> wrote:
+ Well, in the Summer Semantic Games that politicians love to play, I would
+ have to vote for "pathetic" as being worse than "pitiful".
+ Now let's think about it. If something is pitiful, you pity it, meaning you
+ feel sorry for it or some remorse for it. But pathetic is just plain bad.
+ Pitiful implies someone is bad despite his best efforts, but pathetic implies
+ he's bad because he doesn't care or try.
+ In conclusion, I would rather someone call me pitiful than pathetic.

And what about Bathos? Is that worse than Pathos? Would being
called bathetic be worse than being called pathetic?


[actually, they sound like two of the Three Musketeers]

[Lewis Mammel]

Post by unknown
Now let's think about it. If something is pitiful, you pity it, meaning you
feel sorry for it or some remorse for it. But pathetic is just plain bad.

This is exactly why "pitiful" is a worse, or more extrems, designation
than "pathetic". The latter stands merely as a judgment, whereas the
former implies it excites actual emotion. It has crossed a threshold.

Lew Mammel, Jr.

[Rob Kelk]

On 13 Aug 2003 16:28:03 -0700, ***@hotmail.com (Feuilletonist)
wrote:

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Post by Feuilletonist
so what do you think?

I think you should look the two words up in a dictionary.

And please stop with the incessant cross-posts, for God's sake!

(followups set to rec.arts.movies.past-films only, as that appears to be
this wannabe-troll's homegroup)

<snip>