making somebody ridiculous in font of the public

A typical example could be an article written by László Szabó ("Happening a kriptában" [Happening in the Crypt] in: Népszabadság Dec 16, 1973) in which he summarizes for the "broad public" all the horrifying, condemnable and definitely damaging events and attributes that he found in connection with the crypt-exhibitions in Balatonboglár, which was the most important place for organizing exhibitions and meeting other artists at the time. In his arsenal one can find libel, distortion of information and threat; he describes "these" (i.e. the artists) as crypt-robbers and hooligans, who have orgies in the cemetery, seduce adolescents and incite against socialism; they do not work, are drug addicts and criminals; they work for Szabad Európa Radio, most certainly plagiarize their decadent (epigone?) art from the articles of Western magazines and have antisemitic views: here is the screenplay of the show trials applying all the typical methods and eclectic mixture of unrelated charges - in an article about art. It is not hard to notice how the basic motifs of parables are used: e.g. "good advice", permissive society and the evil artists who misuse their honored position - and the victory of the "good" in the end.

---