George Orwell, in the essay "Politics and the English Language," criticized pretentious doublespeak and technobabble that numb the consciousness and hide political power plays. Judith Butler defends the "nuanced" prose of her fellow postmodernists as necessary to convey the complexity of their thoughts. Stephen Roney contrasts the two and concludes that Buffer et al. depend on obscure language to shield them from clear and persuasive arguments challenging the privileged academic positions they occupy. (Contains 23 notes.)