Is a link to the Onion never justified?

September 25, 2001 9:17 PM

Sometimes conventional wisdom simply doesn't seem to apply. Or does it?
posted by Marquis to Etiquette/Policy at 9:17 PM (27 comments total)

The Onion is one of the classic no-no sites to link to at MeFi. Everybody's seen it, but newcomers still think it's a discovery, and - agreed - MeFi's had more than its fair share of Onion-related links, as a result. (Doesn't this discussion sound like something from the Onion?) Still, I really appreciated Zurishaddai bringing the new, 11/9/01-related issue to my attention. Judging from the initial comments, so did a great number of people.

Basically, the link brought attention to a really, really notable issue of a well-known magazine. I'm okay with it. ("Exceptional times...") Still, how do other mouthy parties feel? Is a link to the Onion never justified?

(Let's ignore, for a moment, Z's oversights in the domain of grammar, tone, and precise [non-archival] link address he used.)
posted by Marquis at 9:29 PM on September 25, 2001

Hate to be filling this thread up myself, but having done some more archive trawling, I found a recent comment by NortonDC that sums up my feelings exactly:

I think it's fair to object to the posting of [one] particular story, but I'd hope that something truly extraordinary from the Onion was still welcome, especially if it has a jumping off point for a worthwile exchange.
posted by Marquis at 9:34 PM on September 25, 2001

I'm kind of a dick and I think it was alright, just this once; special occasion.
posted by sylloge at 10:26 PM on September 25, 2001

I agree with sylloge, and I am a bigger dick. No, really.
posted by chaz at 11:22 PM on September 25, 2001

I'm a total dick, and I think it was fine just this once, too.

there would have been a more elegant way to do it, for sure, and with more experience he would have done it differently.

but bringing attention to an exceptional issue of any publication--and since it's the onion, I'd add a really, really exceptional issue--is worth my time.
posted by rebeccablood at 11:26 PM on September 25, 2001

What's in Rebecca's Pocket?
posted by sylloge at 12:49 AM on September 26, 2001

You can't be a total dick unless you can make strangers cry and run away. And I did that twice this week in MeTa alone. (You should see the wake of bawling children pets I've left in my personal life.)

Bow down before my dickness!
posted by jpoulos at 6:43 AM on September 26, 2001

Boy, you really are a dick!
posted by Marquis at 6:45 AM on September 26, 2001

And so's Jerry Falwell!
posted by Marquis at 6:51 AM on September 26, 2001

What's in Rebecca's Pocket?

It appears that, at last, we know the answer.

...must... refrain from... jokes.... about... JJG...
posted by anildash at 8:09 AM on September 26, 2001

This thread hurts my feelings, so I'm leaving forever, unless you all immediately tell me how much I'm really wanted here.
posted by Skot at 9:46 AM on September 26, 2001

ha ha skallas! ; )
posted by crasspastor at 9:54 AM on September 26, 2001

> ha ha skallas! ; )   ?!?!

Goddamn it! I was the funny one there. Real subtle too.

Skot, I don't like the tone of your message. It seems like a threat, and that upsets me. Therefore, I am leaving too, unless Matt starts charging $5 for each post an individual makes beyond my new once-per-year limit.

(Also, am I alone in wondering what clavdivs would say about what joeclark would say about MiguelCardoso leaving? Or what?)
posted by sylloge at 1:58 PM on September 26, 2001

How come Skot gets to leave MeFi?

If he leaves MeFi, we'll all leave MeFi. IT'LL BE ANARCHY!
posted by Avogadro at 2:53 PM on September 26, 2001

This is my favorite thread of the last month. Can we just stay here? Is 1011.org available?

Oh, wait, I'm leavin' too.
posted by gleuschk at 5:42 PM on September 26, 2001

For some reason I have wanted to post this lyrics at MeFi or MeTa:

Islands In The Stream
[Written by: Barry Gibb/Maurice Gibb/Robin Gibb]
[Cover: Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton]

Baby, when I met you there was peace unknown
I set out to get you with a fine tooth comb
I was soft inside, there was somethin' going on

You do something to me that I can't explain
Hold me closer and I feel no pain
Every beat of my heart
We got somethin' goin' on

Tender love is blind
It requires a dedication
All this love we feel
Needs no conversation
We ride it together, ah-ah
Makin' love with each other, ah-ah

Islands in the stream
That is what we are
No one in-between
How can we be wrong
Sail away with me to another world
And we rely on each other, ah-ah
From one lover to another, ah-ah

I can't live without you if the love was gone
Everything is nothin' if you got no one
And you did walk in tonight
Slowly loosen' sight of the real thing

But that won't happen to us and we got no doubt
Too deep in love and we got no way out
And the message is clear
This could be the year for the real thing

No more will you cry
Baby, I will hurt you never
We start and end as one, in love forever
We can ride it together, ah-ah
Makin' love with each other, ah-ah

Islands in the stream
That is what we are
No one in-between
How can we be wrong
Sail away with me to another world
And we rely on each other, ah-ah
From one lover to another, ah-ah

Sail away
Oh, come sail away with me

Islands in the stream
That is what we are
No one in-between
How can we be wrong
Sail away with me to another world
And we rely on each other, ah-ah
From one lover to another, ah-ah

Islands in the stream
That is what we are
No one in-between
How can we be wrong
Sail away with me to another world
And we rely on each other, ah-ah
From one lover to another, ah-ah

posted by tamim at 6:18 PM on September 26, 2001

?!?!

Goddamn it! I was the funny one there. Real subtle too.

Just a stupid inside joke about mispelling between myself and skallas.
posted by crasspastor at 6:38 PM on September 26, 2001

We all really want you here, Skot. No, really.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 7:48 PM on September 26, 2001

Well, I'm sure John Ashcroft and the Big Ear Brigade want all of us here. In fact, I'm not sure any of us could leave. Easier to keep tabs on the rowdy kids if they all play in the same schoolyard. Right Mulder? Hey, Mulder, where are you? You were standing here just a minute ago...oh shit, now I've gone and done it...I've lost my imaginary Mulder...

Where the hell is clavdivs anyway? I miss those out-of-the-blue slaps to my left temporal lobe.

Personally, I'm avoiding confrontation with the Emily Post Patrol until I figger a way to dispatch a Shigella through the ether - up and into the Kritical Kibbitzer's nose...
posted by Opus Dark at 9:25 PM on September 26, 2001

clavdivs has become a beautiful butterfly.
posted by sylloge at 11:39 PM on September 26, 2001

Thanks sylloge. Would've known, had I read any of the metamorph's posts, but my brain auto-filters run-ons - unless they are name brand.
posted by Opus Dark at 1:24 AM on September 27, 2001

Yeah. I just misspelled misspelling and trying to be cute to boot.
ARGHHHHH. . .

What can be said about how idiotic (seriously) I feel about this.

It's like cracking unfunny jokes, though quite funny to yourself. Everybody laughs. You feel cool. Then you realize they were all laughing about something else. Something else you weren't paying attention to in your moment of self importance. The fucking joke's on you you finally figure out. So you keep it quiet. Nobody noticed.

Hard to do so when shit's being archived.

So once again: HaHa I'm an idiot!
posted by crasspastor at 3:40 AM on September 27, 2001

Recent studies have shown that there is no correlation between the ability to spell and intelligence. Or maybe they've shown that there is no correlation between the inability to spell and intelligence. BTW, when one uses a phrase like "ability to spell", does the word "spell" imply "spell correctly"? See cuz a 4-year old can "spell" a word, can't he/she/it? It's just that the wee kid's spelling might be incorrect, right? I mean...

Recent studies have shown that there is no correlation between the ability to write clearly and intelligence, and you can still be really not dumb even if you can't spell nuthin'.

posted by Opus Dark at 3:57 AM on September 27, 2001

A sign of idiocy is also jumping the gun when you know you're soooo right. . .

Only to be a case in point of why you're so wrong!

I'm building myself up through self-deprecation. Leave me alone!
posted by crasspastor at 8:29 AM on September 27, 2001

"I've lost my imaginary Mulder..."

Good Lord. It's the first sci-fi country-western song.



posted by metrocake at 8:08 PM on September 27, 2001

Now I'm going to have

"Woke up this mornin'
My mulder was dey-ed
Someone had killed him
Shot him in the hey-ed"

running through my brain.

Self-medication ahoy!
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 2:54 AM on September 28, 2001

I never drank before I started coming here.
posted by dong_resin at 8:33 PM on September 28, 2001