metaphorically describes the process of dismantling someone's argument in a debate by addressing each flaw systematically, akin to the painful but meticulous process of a Brazilian wax. It aims to critique a person's position while allowing them to retain some dignity. It's a vivid analogy emphasising the thoroughness of the rebuttal
Despite John knowing better and admitting he got it wrong, he decided to double-down leading to his colleague resorting to a giving him an Intellectual Brazilian by dismantling his entire argument in successive social media posts.
by Drbezphd January 11, 2024
"Intellectual Brazilian” (Dr Urie Bezuidenhout, 2023), this phrase is used in a debate between scholars or specialists where one of them takes a disingenuous stance, despite credible evidence presented in the discussion. The other person then rebukes them, piece by piece, for their indefensible and dogmatic position, almost like exacting death by a thousand cuts. The analogy to a Brazilian wax is that, just like a Brazilian is intended to make the person look good, it is preceded by a painful experience when successive wax strips are ripped off sensitive areas of the recipient's skin. Instead of admitting that they were wrong earlier, they have their argument painfully dismantled in small pieces by the person exacting the "Intellectual Brazilian." The primary aim of this phrase is to maintain a recipient with some dignity at the end, which is considerably better than receiving an intellectual death by a thousand cuts.
The author that doggedly dismissed evidence to the contrary, was given an Intellectual Brazilian over multiple days by an expert in a terse and almost-humiliating fashion.
by Drbezphd January 04, 2024