Well, my head's inside. March 18, 2010 4:03 PM Subscribe
The thread about that Tropicana ad post that got deleted.
Somebody's gonna MeTa this one, might as well be me.
I don't actually have any objection to the reason for deletion, but I am curious how it's made in situations like this. The FPP was straightforward enough, presented in a mostly unbiased way, without editorializing. It was an interesting topic. Not Tropicana Blue, either.
If Bartonius hadn't posted a link to the Facebook page in his Twitter account (which was republished automatically on his MeFi profile), there wouldn't have been an issue. I'm left with the impression that it wasn't a matter of a bad FPP, but simply that its poster didn't cover his tracks very well to hide the fact that he has an opinion on the matter. Should every Mefite who posts an FPP take measures to avoid saying anything else about the topic anywhere on the internet?
Somebody's gonna MeTa this one, might as well be me.
I don't actually have any objection to the reason for deletion, but I am curious how it's made in situations like this. The FPP was straightforward enough, presented in a mostly unbiased way, without editorializing. It was an interesting topic. Not Tropicana Blue, either.
If Bartonius hadn't posted a link to the Facebook page in his Twitter account (which was republished automatically on his MeFi profile), there wouldn't have been an issue. I'm left with the impression that it wasn't a matter of a bad FPP, but simply that its poster didn't cover his tracks very well to hide the fact that he has an opinion on the matter. Should every Mefite who posts an FPP take measures to avoid saying anything else about the topic anywhere on the internet?
I was sorry to see it go. I learned some things about diarrhea, including variant spellings.
posted by found missing at 4:09 PM on March 18, 2010
posted by found missing at 4:09 PM on March 18, 2010
Should every Mefite who posts an FPP take measures to avoid saying anything else about the topic anywhere on the internet?
I wouldn't go that far, but certainly there's something to be said about (a) not using the front page for what may be your own personal argument/advocacy inclination in general and (b) not proceeding to carry an active interaction elsewhere to the site to continue the argument or anything like that.
People are bound to have opinions about the things they post about, and finding a line between allowing for that but not letting mefi be a platform for advocacy or argumentation is sometimes tricky. Generally, folks shouldn't make posts about disputes they're already wrapped up in, or make mefi part of some sort of discursive barhopping outing, if you will.
This was a weird one, and I don't think Bartonius meant harm nor to pull a fast one on anybody, but as a foundation for a post it's problematic enough that we'd be likely to kill just about any post made under similar circumstances.
but simply that its poster didn't cover his tracks
As with all things, it's impossible for us to know when someone is doing something like this but is careful enough to slip under the radar, as they have by definition slipped under the radar. That doesn't mean that we're okay with it, or that we're going to not act on the ones we do catch on the principle that we can't be 100% about it.
posted by cortex (staff) at 4:12 PM on March 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
I wouldn't go that far, but certainly there's something to be said about (a) not using the front page for what may be your own personal argument/advocacy inclination in general and (b) not proceeding to carry an active interaction elsewhere to the site to continue the argument or anything like that.
People are bound to have opinions about the things they post about, and finding a line between allowing for that but not letting mefi be a platform for advocacy or argumentation is sometimes tricky. Generally, folks shouldn't make posts about disputes they're already wrapped up in, or make mefi part of some sort of discursive barhopping outing, if you will.
This was a weird one, and I don't think Bartonius meant harm nor to pull a fast one on anybody, but as a foundation for a post it's problematic enough that we'd be likely to kill just about any post made under similar circumstances.
but simply that its poster didn't cover his tracks
As with all things, it's impossible for us to know when someone is doing something like this but is careful enough to slip under the radar, as they have by definition slipped under the radar. That doesn't mean that we're okay with it, or that we're going to not act on the ones we do catch on the principle that we can't be 100% about it.
posted by cortex (staff) at 4:12 PM on March 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
Let me tell you about some free orange juice coupons.
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 4:12 PM on March 18, 2010 [8 favorites]
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 4:12 PM on March 18, 2010 [8 favorites]
Using an argument on the topic as one of the meat links in an FPP seems fine to me.
Being a part of that pre-existing argument and still using it as a meat link for an FPP seems like some weird bastard-child of self-linking and editorializing.
I didn't notice the Facebook link, but that makes perfect sense to me as reasons for deleting the thread. Somebody else using the exact same links, or the same person finding a link to replace that one in which they did not play a role, that all also seems fine to me.
posted by paisley henosis at 4:15 PM on March 18, 2010 [3 favorites]
Being a part of that pre-existing argument and still using it as a meat link for an FPP seems like some weird bastard-child of self-linking and editorializing.
I didn't notice the Facebook link, but that makes perfect sense to me as reasons for deleting the thread. Somebody else using the exact same links, or the same person finding a link to replace that one in which they did not play a role, that all also seems fine to me.
posted by paisley henosis at 4:15 PM on March 18, 2010 [3 favorites]
The suckiest thing about this is the thread seemed to be going ok. Oh well. It'll still make SpliceToday.
posted by cjorgensen at 4:16 PM on March 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by cjorgensen at 4:16 PM on March 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
Oh, I missed the link to the Facebook thread right in the FPP. Yeah, that makes it considerably shadier.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 4:19 PM on March 18, 2010
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 4:19 PM on March 18, 2010
Oh, that ad's nothing. You should see the Arcticana seal oil one where they block out the sun over Florida for six months.
posted by Sys Rq at 4:23 PM on March 18, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by Sys Rq at 4:23 PM on March 18, 2010 [3 favorites]
Since we're talking about advertising: does anyone else think Sherwin Williams's "Cover the Earth" advertising campaign is really sinister?
posted by Think_Long at 4:29 PM on March 18, 2010 [11 favorites]
posted by Think_Long at 4:29 PM on March 18, 2010 [11 favorites]
Yes, and we're not alone. I remember some old cartoon (Popeye?) that used a very obvious parody of it as a metaphor for evil taking over the world. I think it was a Nazi octopus in place of the paint.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 4:37 PM on March 18, 2010
posted by Kirth Gerson at 4:37 PM on March 18, 2010
does anyone else think Sherwin Williams's "Cover the Earth" advertising campaign is really sinister?
I personally see it as a refreshingly honest statement of intention from a corporation. Really, isn't that the goal of any business?
posted by carsonb at 4:37 PM on March 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
I personally see it as a refreshingly honest statement of intention from a corporation. Really, isn't that the goal of any business?
posted by carsonb at 4:37 PM on March 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
I missed the link to the Facebook thread right in the FPP. Yeah, that makes it considerably shadier.
Also useless to me - don't you need an account to access it? I also have to use a proxy from here which I did but only to find a sign-up page, so might be a technical problem my end. But if not and if we don't like registering a throwaway email for a news site, joining a full-on social network to read one discussion seems a big ask.
posted by Abiezer at 4:39 PM on March 18, 2010
Also useless to me - don't you need an account to access it? I also have to use a proxy from here which I did but only to find a sign-up page, so might be a technical problem my end. But if not and if we don't like registering a throwaway email for a news site, joining a full-on social network to read one discussion seems a big ask.
posted by Abiezer at 4:39 PM on March 18, 2010
I used to hate the goddamned Prius commercials where the entire face of the earth is covered with happy, singing children in cheap plant costumes as if Anne Geddes had recreated the Wizard of Oz with aborted fetuses. You know the one. Fucking nightmare.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 4:39 PM on March 18, 2010 [5 favorites]
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 4:39 PM on March 18, 2010 [5 favorites]
Ah. I didn't realize it was a really old slogan, I've only just noticed the recent advertisements which seem really out of touch. It all makes so much sense now.
posted by Think_Long at 4:40 PM on March 18, 2010
posted by Think_Long at 4:40 PM on March 18, 2010
found missing: I learned some things about diarrhea, including variant spellings.
Down in Africa, Red Riding Hood only eats apples.
posted by Petrot at 4:40 PM on March 18, 2010 [3 favorites]
Down in Africa, Red Riding Hood only eats apples.
posted by Petrot at 4:40 PM on March 18, 2010 [3 favorites]
Thing_Long
Exactly! I just noticed that logo the other day and it's been bothering me ever since. Talk about a severely outdated and brutally honest logo.
posted by cloeburner at 4:41 PM on March 18, 2010
Exactly! I just noticed that logo the other day and it's been bothering me ever since. Talk about a severely outdated and brutally honest logo.
posted by cloeburner at 4:41 PM on March 18, 2010
The Sherwin-Williams thing, previously on AskMe.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 4:41 PM on March 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Kirth Gerson at 4:41 PM on March 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
Should every Mefite who posts an FPP take measures to avoid saying anything else about the topic anywhere on the internet?
Usually, in their FPP, yes. Or rather don't link to yourself arguing the topic elsewhere. And facebook links aren't great in any case.
Put another way, we'd like you to post things here that you think would interest the people here. It's entirely possible that this was one of those things. However, we often see people who have a very strong opinion on a topic come here to use MeFi as an advocacy platform for their topic in a "sign my petition" sort of way. This isn't great. I have no opinion at all about this topic or this post, but our hope is that people come to MeFi to bring good things here, not just track arguments over from other sites.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 4:42 PM on March 18, 2010
Usually, in their FPP, yes. Or rather don't link to yourself arguing the topic elsewhere. And facebook links aren't great in any case.
Put another way, we'd like you to post things here that you think would interest the people here. It's entirely possible that this was one of those things. However, we often see people who have a very strong opinion on a topic come here to use MeFi as an advocacy platform for their topic in a "sign my petition" sort of way. This isn't great. I have no opinion at all about this topic or this post, but our hope is that people come to MeFi to bring good things here, not just track arguments over from other sites.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 4:42 PM on March 18, 2010
I thought it was offensive that the people who didn't bring a glass to the free OJ handout had to make their own shit-glass. Apocryphal or not, I'm gonna remember that story forever.
posted by BrotherCaine at 4:43 PM on March 18, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by BrotherCaine at 4:43 PM on March 18, 2010 [4 favorites]
Editorializing in a link is still editorializing.
posted by BrotherCaine at 4:44 PM on March 18, 2010
posted by BrotherCaine at 4:44 PM on March 18, 2010
I had an opinion about this until I read BrotherCaine's comment, now it's all just hilarity.
posted by Max Power at 5:02 PM on March 18, 2010
posted by Max Power at 5:02 PM on March 18, 2010
Let me tell you about some free orange juice coupons.
Errrr... I've... seen things you people wouldn't believe? Sun in Inuvik in mid-March. I've seen Tropicana glitter in the glasses near the promotion booth. All these... moments, will be lost in time, like... deleted threads. Time to die.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 5:03 PM on March 18, 2010 [3 favorites]
Errrr... I've... seen things you people wouldn't believe? Sun in Inuvik in mid-March. I've seen Tropicana glitter in the glasses near the promotion booth. All these... moments, will be lost in time, like... deleted threads. Time to die.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 5:03 PM on March 18, 2010 [3 favorites]
I was on Bartonius's side until I saw that he used the word "hegemony" in his comment on Facebook. And unless we're playing Buzzword Bingo, that's just not something I can get behind.
posted by kate blank at 5:29 PM on March 18, 2010
posted by kate blank at 5:29 PM on March 18, 2010
How much of a stake you can personally have in something has always been a little bit of a mystery to me. A lot of the people I've made Metafilter posts about in the past are people I know now. So I'm never quite sure where the line is.
posted by roll truck roll at 5:30 PM on March 18, 2010
posted by roll truck roll at 5:30 PM on March 18, 2010
found missing: "I learned some things about diarrhea, including variant spellings"
For a second there, I thought you were talking about shitpocalypse.
posted by Joe Beese at 5:34 PM on March 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
For a second there, I thought you were talking about shitpocalypse.
posted by Joe Beese at 5:34 PM on March 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
It's Raining Florence Henderson: "I used to hate the goddamned Prius commercials where the entire face of the earth is covered with happy, singing children in cheap plant costumes as if Anne Geddes had recreated the Wizard of Oz with aborted fetuses. You know the one. Fucking nightmare"
That thing was godawful. It made me hope the car would swerve out of control and create a mime free car sized strip.
posted by Babblesort at 6:25 PM on March 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
That thing was godawful. It made me hope the car would swerve out of control and create a mime free car sized strip.
posted by Babblesort at 6:25 PM on March 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
The FPP was straightforward enough, presented in a mostly unbiased way, without editorializing... its poster didn't cover his tracks very well to hide the fact that he has an opinion on the matter.
The title of the post was "How about a nice glass of cultural hegemony?".
posted by inconsequentialist at 6:32 PM on March 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
The title of the post was "How about a nice glass of cultural hegemony?".
posted by inconsequentialist at 6:32 PM on March 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
I love the smell of cultural hegemony in the morning it tastes like... orange juice.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 6:45 PM on March 18, 2010
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 6:45 PM on March 18, 2010
does anyone else think Sherwin Williams's "Cover the Earth" advertising campaign is really sinister?
I can't see it without thinking about this Onion article.
posted by jackflaps at 6:55 PM on March 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
I can't see it without thinking about this Onion article.
posted by jackflaps at 6:55 PM on March 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'll have a glass of cultural hegemony, and the righteous indignation special. Oh, and a side order of religious intolerance, with the evolution-denial dressing.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:00 PM on March 18, 2010
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:00 PM on March 18, 2010
Pass the hegemon the right hand side.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 7:07 PM on March 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 7:07 PM on March 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
The song in that Prius commercial makes me want to blow my head off.
posted by dead cousin ted at 7:11 PM on March 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by dead cousin ted at 7:11 PM on March 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
I prefer my callouts freshly-squeezed, not from concentrate.
posted by armage at 7:24 PM on March 18, 2010
posted by armage at 7:24 PM on March 18, 2010
For ages I thought Uncanny Hengeman's name was Uncanny Hegemon.
This seemed like the place to put that.
posted by Dormant Gorilla at 7:41 PM on March 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
This seemed like the place to put that.
posted by Dormant Gorilla at 7:41 PM on March 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
I guess we're back to bashing the sun then, eh? How many suns does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
Four, cause they're so dang stupid!
posted by Mister_A at 7:45 PM on March 18, 2010
Four, cause they're so dang stupid!
posted by Mister_A at 7:45 PM on March 18, 2010
That would be stupid. You wouldn't think the sun would need a lightbulb. Stupid sun!
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 7:48 PM on March 18, 2010
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 7:48 PM on March 18, 2010
I like Simply Orange better than Tropicana.
posted by box at 7:54 PM on March 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by box at 7:54 PM on March 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
IRFH- how the hell else do you expect the poor sun to be able to read at night?
posted by Dormant Gorilla at 8:07 PM on March 18, 2010
posted by Dormant Gorilla at 8:07 PM on March 18, 2010
IRFH gets the joke. The fact that these four suns are trying to change a bulb underscores their stupidity.
posted by Mister_A at 8:09 PM on March 18, 2010
posted by Mister_A at 8:09 PM on March 18, 2010
Hey, did you hear about the ethnic, national, religious, or social group known principally for its stupidity?
They had trouble getting volunteers for the first personned landing on the sun, until they explained that the landing would take place at night! HAWHAWHAW! Those dang old members of that ethnic, national, religious, or social group known principally for its stupidity!
posted by Mister_A at 8:12 PM on March 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
They had trouble getting volunteers for the first personned landing on the sun, until they explained that the landing would take place at night! HAWHAWHAW! Those dang old members of that ethnic, national, religious, or social group known principally for its stupidity!
posted by Mister_A at 8:12 PM on March 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
I started buying OJ from concentrate because it's cheaper and probably better for the environment overall (? not sure but probably, what with the concentrating it for transport) and mixing the pitchers reminds me of my childhood. And then the other day I went to my sister's house and drank like a half-gallon of Tropicana because it was so damn delicious. I'd gotten used to it when it was what I drank regularly.
posted by palliser at 8:16 PM on March 18, 2010
posted by palliser at 8:16 PM on March 18, 2010
Since we're talking about advertising: does anyone else think Sherwin Williams's "Cover the Earth" advertising campaign is really sinister?
*Cough*
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 8:18 PM on March 18, 2010
*Cough*
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 8:18 PM on March 18, 2010
Since the dawn of time man has dreamed of blotting out the sun.
posted by Babblesort at 8:58 PM on March 18, 2010
posted by Babblesort at 8:58 PM on March 18, 2010
Why isn't there a Pokemon named Hegemon?
posted by amyms at 9:30 PM on March 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by amyms at 9:30 PM on March 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
I imagine Agent Sherwin sticking his hand in my brain and the candy red tide washes over my face and when I wake up, I'm the same as him. And we all go on together to paint the Earth, but not before laying down a judicious coat or two of primer.
posted by XMLicious at 11:20 PM on March 18, 2010
posted by XMLicious at 11:20 PM on March 18, 2010
Little known fact: whale blubber is rich in vitamin C.
That's why real Inuits drink Red bull and not 12 dollar half gallons of OJ.
posted by fourcheesemac at 11:21 PM on March 18, 2010
That's why real Inuits drink Red bull and not 12 dollar half gallons of OJ.
posted by fourcheesemac at 11:21 PM on March 18, 2010
I don't care much for the taste of Tropicana or other carton OJs. In terms of taste, I'd rank the options:
1) fresh squeezed OJ
2) OJ from concentrate
3) OJ from a carton
4) Whatever the hell the stuff is that the airlines claim is OJ
posted by Chrysostom at 5:49 AM on March 19, 2010
1) fresh squeezed OJ
2) OJ from concentrate
3) OJ from a carton
4) Whatever the hell the stuff is that the airlines claim is OJ
posted by Chrysostom at 5:49 AM on March 19, 2010
Oh well. It'll still make SpliceToday.
Sorry, I'm all booked up today. Tomorrow... not looking so good either.
posted by splice at 7:04 AM on March 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
Sorry, I'm all booked up today. Tomorrow... not looking so good either.
posted by splice at 7:04 AM on March 19, 2010 [1 favorite]
...where the entire face of the earth is covered with happy, singing children in cheap plant costumes...
I had toyed with the idea of taking the existing footage, and compositing myself, via the magic of chroma-key, into the background, doing some yard maintenance with a weed-wacker, but I became lazy and never got around to it.
Which is a pity, because it would have been completely horrific, and therefore funny.
posted by quin at 8:05 AM on March 19, 2010 [2 favorites]
I had toyed with the idea of taking the existing footage, and compositing myself, via the magic of chroma-key, into the background, doing some yard maintenance with a weed-wacker, but I became lazy and never got around to it.
Which is a pity, because it would have been completely horrific, and therefore funny.
posted by quin at 8:05 AM on March 19, 2010 [2 favorites]
I drink orange juice almost every morning, because I live in Florida and THAT'S THE LAW. Tropicana is the deliciousness, people.
Don't even think about giving me that McD fake orangey crap.
posted by misha at 9:34 AM on March 19, 2010
Don't even think about giving me that McD fake orangey crap.
posted by misha at 9:34 AM on March 19, 2010
...doing some yard maintenance with a weed-wacker...
If someone decides to take this idea and run with it, be sure and use a gas-powered strimmer, thereby conflating the advocacy for conspicuous oil consumption with advocacy for child murder. Ta-da: Propaganda!
posted by Sys Rq at 9:59 AM on March 19, 2010
If someone decides to take this idea and run with it, be sure and use a gas-powered strimmer, thereby conflating the advocacy for conspicuous oil consumption with advocacy for child murder. Ta-da: Propaganda!
posted by Sys Rq at 9:59 AM on March 19, 2010
In terms of taste, I'd rank the options...
agreed, with a last place addition of the Donald Duck in the can that Mom made us drink when on family camping trips. Which tasted like can. Ick.
And first place goes to Tang-- the camping ambrosia permitted before Mom found the DD foulness. Loves me some Tang, y'all.
posted by travertina at 2:37 PM on March 19, 2010
agreed, with a last place addition of the Donald Duck in the can that Mom made us drink when on family camping trips. Which tasted like can. Ick.
And first place goes to Tang-- the camping ambrosia permitted before Mom found the DD foulness. Loves me some Tang, y'all.
posted by travertina at 2:37 PM on March 19, 2010
I had read through the post. It turns out that orange juice has a long standing reputation as a source of evil in Arctic communities:
Early Arctic explorers recognized the value of adopting the traditional Inuit diet of raw or boiled fish and meat, with only occasional ground plants and berries. Those who could not or would not endure the change fell victim to malnutrition. Scurvy, caused by a deficiency of vitamin C, was observed in the Arctic for the first time among white explorers and trappers who persistently ate “southern” foods. Ironically, the intrusion of southern white culture into northern communities led to the inevitable adoption of processed foods by the Inuit. This, combined with the consolidation of small hunting communities into large villages from which there may be little access to native foods, has gradually resulted in a decline in nutritional status among the Inuitposted by rongorongo at 3:21 PM on March 19, 2010
The song in that Prius commercial makes me want to blow my head off.
I actually just killed a small bird because of the song in the Tropicana commercial.
sorry.
posted by philip-random at 4:46 PM on March 19, 2010
I actually just killed a small bird because of the song in the Tropicana commercial.
sorry.
posted by philip-random at 4:46 PM on March 19, 2010
Marketing? Heh, my guess is that Tropicana is recruiting.
posted by madamjujujive at 5:54 PM on March 19, 2010
posted by madamjujujive at 5:54 PM on March 19, 2010
I love the smell of cultural hegemony in the morning it tastes like... orange juice.
Edwyn Collins....unavailable for comment.
posted by gimonca at 6:43 PM on March 19, 2010
Edwyn Collins....unavailable for comment.
posted by gimonca at 6:43 PM on March 19, 2010
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posted by ColdChef at 4:07 PM on March 18, 2010