Zed's character in this piece (and others) is culturally-specific, so I can see how it would perplex someone from elsewhere. It's easy to imagine veins poppi

Zed's character in this piece (and others) is culturally-specific, so I can see how it would perplex someone from elsewhere. It's easy to imagine veins popping out of his forehead and his face beet-red, but it's actually just a voice for expression, in a "ha-ha, only serious" way. One could think of it like heavy metal music. From the musical output of some bands, one might think they have serious issues, but if you look deeper you might see bright, engaged, and literate folk - perhaps fans of H.P. Lovecraft & Tolkein - adopting exaggerated characters for their own amusement, a little catharsis, and maybe a groupie or two. While it's not my favorite genre, I don't think anybody in Metallica really feels like a mute, paralyzed paraplegic - I just think somebody liked Johnny Got His Gun. I personally think that the world would be a boring place if the only way to make a point was with your hands folded politely in your lap. Sure, it's valuable and effective to do so, but to disallow other modes of expression would be like saying that the only legitimate colors to paint with are pastels. I think Zed is hilarious, but I can see how you might not "get" him. He's a writer. He may not be merely trying to persuade. He might also write to entertain, vent, or just to express.