[Insert Weird Al version of Beat It here]

February 25, 2011 11:31 AM

Could we not do the HOW DARE YOU BE INTERESTED IN THE SUBJECT OF THIS THREAD WHEN CHILDREN ARE STARVING WHEREVER IT IS THAT THEY ARE STARVING!!! thing, as per this thread? Cheers.
posted by Artw to Etiquette/Policy at 11:31 AM (146 comments total)

If you insist.
posted by Faint of Butt at 11:36 AM on February 25, 2011 [7 favorites]

Oh, Christ. All I said was that the guy's an asshole wasting resources on shit that we don't need. Chalk it up to class envy if it makes you feel better when you're heating your own home Replicator to 1.21 gigawatts or whatever to make indescribably delicious french fries. Sorry I hit a nerve.

Mods, can you erase my previous comments so I can make a benign observation like "this is a very interesting practice," please?
posted by Mayor Curley at 11:37 AM on February 25, 2011 [4 favorites]

Like I said, I hope you're similarly outraged at everything else on this site that doesn't directly address the problems of obesity, inequality, and resource dependence. God forbid people should spend their own money on whatever they want.
posted by proj at 11:38 AM on February 25, 2011 [5 favorites]

Also, not really knowing anything about you, I'm still pretty sure many of your hobbies would be considered "rich guy hobbies" to most of the world.
posted by proj at 11:39 AM on February 25, 2011 [5 favorites]

I'd flag and leave it to the mods, but it is the exact same fight that happened the first time around. Which is dull and repetitive.

Coming into a thread to say that it sucks is in poor faith, especially when people show no sign of having read the linked posts.

Cooking doesn't usually get people so heated, so I'm assuming it's entirely the guy's unrelated career that causes all of the trouble.

Anyway, whatever, I just wish we could have dialogue and not be jerks to each other. ;)
posted by Stagger Lee at 11:41 AM on February 25, 2011

Dude, it's just a website.
posted by carsonb at 11:43 AM on February 25, 2011

This thread is worth it just for this: Cooking doesn't usually get people so heated.
posted by Mister_A at 11:46 AM on February 25, 2011 [23 favorites]

While I generally agree with the Mayor on things, and have not looked at the thread in question, "posting in a thread just to say that the topic is uninteresting or shouldn't be talked about" and its subset "posting to tell everyone there's more important things to be concerned about and I hope you're as concerned with them as you are with this" are as aggravating to me as "incorrectly referring to Godwin's Law as the mention of Nazis meaning your 'side' of the argument has 'lost'."
posted by jtron at 11:47 AM on February 25, 2011 [5 favorites]

I was more bothered/confused by the patent thing.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 11:49 AM on February 25, 2011

Cooking doesn't usually get people so heated

I think you're doing it wrong.
posted by mysterpigg at 11:49 AM on February 25, 2011 [5 favorites]

I'm glad for this thread, if only that I got to see this fabulous burn:

We could call them Mayor Curley fries.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 11:50 AM on February 25, 2011 [4 favorites]

Maybe someone should start a thread about who this guy is, and why everyone hates him. Then the could rage in an on topic forum!
posted by Stagger Lee at 11:50 AM on February 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

Could we please not do the HOW DARE YOU HAVE OPINIONS DIFFERENT THAN MINE thing in general? Cheers.
posted by entropicamericana at 11:50 AM on February 25, 2011 [11 favorites]

I think you're doing it wrong.

Mmmmm, longpork.
posted by entropicamericana at 11:51 AM on February 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

Wait. Is it the GRARing hour already? I'm on central time.
posted by crackingdes at 11:58 AM on February 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

Oy.
posted by rtha at 12:01 PM on February 25, 2011

It's five o'clock GRARing hour somewhere
posted by octothorpe at 12:02 PM on February 25, 2011 [3 favorites]

I read the thread. I thought Mayor Curley was a giant asshole.

I was not overly surprised - not because of anything in particular having to do with Mayor Curley, but just because it's Metafilter and it's something to do with Microsoft and Microsoft is on an ever-growing list of things that Metafilter doesn't do well.

The guy made a french fry - if you're not interested, you can at least be civil.
posted by kbanas at 12:05 PM on February 25, 2011 [5 favorites]

I think we should shut down metafilter until every child has enough Mayor Curley fries to eat.
posted by 2bucksplus at 12:06 PM on February 25, 2011 [7 favorites]

I hope HE gets turned into french fries with with that ultrasonic, nuclear whatever-the-fuck it is. And fed to poor people.

Mayor Curley, your schtick is getting old. See: threadshitting thread from a few days ago.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 12:09 PM on February 25, 2011 [21 favorites]

Ignore it, works on and for me.
posted by clavdivs at 12:10 PM on February 25, 2011 [4 favorites]

And fed to poor people.

This is unnecessarily dismissive to poor vegans and vegetarians, you oppressor.
posted by elizardbits at 12:15 PM on February 25, 2011 [9 favorites]

People are dying in Libya and you all are arguing about freedom fries? tut tut
posted by Ardiril at 12:17 PM on February 25, 2011

More importantly, regarding the Malor and Mutant salt and pepper shakers, which one is which?
posted by perhapses at 12:18 PM on February 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

Cooking doesn't usually get people so heated.

To Serve Man ... unless, IT'S A COOKBOOK!
posted by joe lisboa at 12:20 PM on February 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

I am the overworked and now very tired GRARmonster, so I'm gonna go take a nap now.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:20 PM on February 25, 2011

DID I HEAR SOMEONE SAY GRARASAURUS?

NO? OH WELL AS LONG AS I'M HERE RARRRGH STOMP STOMP CHOMP ETC
posted by IjonTichy at 12:28 PM on February 25, 2011 [16 favorites]

but just because it's Metafilter and it's something to do with Microsoft and Microsoft is on an ever-growing list of things that Metafilter doesn't do well.

The fact that people vigorously disagree about something, and make statements of those disagreements in a thread, does not amount to "not doing it well." What is the standard for doing a topic well? Achieving transcendent consensus within 5-10 comments, then harmoniously endorsing that consensus for the rest of the thread?
posted by rkent at 12:32 PM on February 25, 2011 [12 favorites]

I did this once. And ended up apologizing. It's one of those weird things that is true but is basically like questioning why everybody is wearing clothes.
posted by cashman at 12:32 PM on February 25, 2011 [3 favorites]

I'M A GRARODACTYL

NEEEEEEEEYEROWWWWWW

I MAKE JET NOISES FOR SOME REASON.
posted by kagredon at 12:41 PM on February 25, 2011 [26 favorites]

How do I get a schtick? I want a schtick. I want a schtick to call my own.
posted by shakespeherian at 12:44 PM on February 25, 2011

Could we please not have this thread? I'm trying to strangle a force-fed goose here.
posted by Decani at 12:44 PM on February 25, 2011 [8 favorites]

rkent: Good Lord, I hope not. I do think that there are certain topics that certain people on Metafilter doesn't do well, but I think we're a long way away from all differences of opinion going away. A really long way. For whatever reasons certain topics cause certain people to be completely unreasonable. But I still feel that's better, on average, than it has been in the past.

But maybe I'm just not reading as much.

The biggest problem, as I see it, is when certain people don't do ANY topic that involves disagreement well (in other words, not being an ass); if folks find people disagreeing with them so impossible to deal with that they can't help but be OTT assholes when it happens, I'd like to recommend that maybe Metafilter isn't for them. I'd typically be sorry to see anybody go, but if they are having that type of problem, no matter how valuable their other contributions to the ongoing dialogue might be, this place would be better off without them until they learn to cope.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:44 PM on February 25, 2011

My shtick is being nice to everybody and only saying positive things and making friends so don't steal it asshole.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 12:45 PM on February 25, 2011 [17 favorites]

Allan Sherman knew how to do a schtick without its getting old.
posted by Rory Marinich at 12:46 PM on February 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

Can I have a gimmick instead? That's easier to type.
posted by shakespeherian at 12:47 PM on February 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

OCT-A-GON! OCT-A-GON!
posted by Joe Beese at 12:51 PM on February 25, 2011 [4 favorites]

It's one of those weird things that is true but is basically like questioning why everybody is wearing clothes.

It's 33 degrees Fahrenheit where I am, which is why I'm wearing clothes. Also raining.

This kind of question seems SO MINDBLOWING when you're 14 and reading Kurt Vonnegut for the first time, but it gets pretty old pretty quickly. Especially when one learns that every single culture in the world has its own set of cultural mores, and the cultural mores of the industrialized world (at least in terms of "enjoying food" and "wearing clothing and decorating one's body") are a variation on every other culture's mores, no worse and no better.

Yes, global inequities of consumption are a huge problem, as is waste in the industrialized world, but do we really have to do this in every thread? Because we could do it in every thread that isn't specifically about keeping poor people from starving and dying.

HEY, HERE'S A COOL NEW MOVIE

How can you watch a movie when people are starving and dying in Sudan?

HERE'S AN INTERESTING PHILOSOPHICAL ARTICLE RECENTLY TRANSLATED FROM SERBIAN

Philosophy doesn't matter while people are starving and dying in Haiti.

LOOK AT THESE PEOPLE IN KAZAKHSTAN WHO INVENTED A REALLY TINY SOLAR-POWERED WATER PUMP

Well, sure, but will it keep people from starving and dying in Appalachia?


I mean, we get it. We get it. Every second I am spending sitting in my comfortable house with my lights on using my computer, I am contributing to global inequities in resource consumption. And so are we all. So let's work on the motes in our own eyes, yes?
posted by Sidhedevil at 12:53 PM on February 25, 2011 [28 favorites]

Didn't really seem like Mayor's comment was that big a deal. I mean, you know, before we had a MeTa about it. Maybe I'm crazy.
posted by penduluum at 12:53 PM on February 25, 2011 [8 favorites]

I mean, the industrialized world's cultural mores are worse in that one of the mores is "Keep buying more stuff and throwing it away," because that puts pressure on the entire world's ecosystems and food systems and what-not, but the simple act of wearing clothes is something every culture does.

The tie is no better than the penis gourd, but it is also no worse.
posted by Sidhedevil at 12:55 PM on February 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

The tie is no better than the penis gourd, but it is also no worse.

And before anyone asks, no. They are not interchangeable.
posted by Sidhedevil at 12:56 PM on February 25, 2011 [6 favorites]

Mayor Curley, your schtick is getting old. See: threadshitting thread from a few days ago.

Which part of the threadshitting Metatalk thread was shtick? The part where I expressed an opinion about general attitudes here, and some people agreed with me and made further points about it? If my schtick is merely being contentious about certain issues, I assure you that it's not a schtick.

Now if you'll excuse me, the General Dynamics people are here to deliver some kitchen equipment.
posted by Mayor Curley at 12:57 PM on February 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

PEOPLE ARE STARVING AND DYING IN APPALACHIA‽‽‽‽‽
posted by shakespeherian at 12:57 PM on February 25, 2011

The fact that people vigorously disagree about something, and make statements of those disagreements in a thread, does not amount to "not doing it well."

It's the difference between "Your understanding of Thing X is utterly wrong for this articulately stated reason" and "The mere fact that someone has made a post about Thing X makes me so angry that..." and then people screaming as they flee from Grarosaurus.
posted by Joe Beese at 12:58 PM on February 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

Hey I was gone for awhile has someone already made the GRARMAGEDDON joke?

don't wanna clooooose my eyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyes
don't wanna faaaaaall asleeeeeeeeep
posted by shakespeherian at 1:01 PM on February 25, 2011 [3 favorites]

Well, this MeTa sent me back to a thread I had briefly looked at. I had clicked the link to the Wired story, thought, "Oh, no, more detailed and expensive gastro-porn", and clicked away again.

But now I can see that people in the thread have pulled out some nifty stuff, like one hour chicken stock, so I've favourited it and will look at it and the linked articles later. So thanks, um, everybody?
posted by maudlin at 1:01 PM on February 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

I think that was the goal of this MeTa.
posted by shakespeherian at 1:04 PM on February 25, 2011

Didn't really seem like Mayor's comment was that big a deal. I mean, you know, before we had a MeTa about it. Maybe I'm crazy.

As a previous poster pointed out, the "patent troll" discussion is a bigger, more agressive derail.
...but this one looks more indictable out of context than that one does.
posted by Stagger Lee at 1:05 PM on February 25, 2011

I thought the goal of this MeTa was to get Weird Al songs stuck in my head.

(like a surgeon, presently.)
posted by elizardbits at 1:06 PM on February 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

I wish I had some kind of Greasemonkey extension to de-smirk comments.
posted by proj at 1:07 PM on February 25, 2011

Far as I can tell, Mayor Curley is the least of the offenders, to the point that I wouldn't even call him an offender in that thread. The attempted threadjackshit was in the very first thread -- complaining that foodies are a drag on resources (while not something I agree with) is far more topical than dismissively yelling "patent troll!"
posted by Etrigan at 1:08 PM on February 25, 2011 [3 favorites]

Actually the goal of this thread was to raise awareness of the plight of Tibet, but it wasn't conveyed well.
posted by shakespeherian at 1:09 PM on February 25, 2011 [3 favorites]

Well, now I feel guilty. Maybe I can make myself a nice fish curry and feel better.
posted by maudlin at 1:16 PM on February 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

PEOPLE ARE STARVING AND DYING IN APPALACHIA‽‽‽‽‽

Yes. Budget cuts (particularly in Kentucky and Ohio) mean that more than 50% of the population in the areas generally defined as "Appalachia" are experiencing food insecurity, with 30% of households with children reporting hunger, and malnutrition indicated as a factor in an increasing number of deaths of adults over 65.

I mean, yeah, it's in the thousands in the US rather than in the millions, but there are starvation and malnutrition deaths here.
posted by Sidhedevil at 1:16 PM on February 25, 2011 [9 favorites]

Whatever you do, don't ask for the Major Curly fries with special sauce.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:18 PM on February 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

Cooking doesn't usually get people so heated,

Really? I see great portions of GRAR in almost any food related thread. Everybody's doing it wrong - whether they're saving money and not buying organic food licked by unicorns, or they ARE buying unicorn chow and spending TOO MUCH money or they care too much or not enough or they're eating meat or they're not eating meat or they used the word "foodie"...

It's like a GRAR smorgasbord.
posted by sonika at 1:18 PM on February 25, 2011 [4 favorites]

Really? I see great portions of GRAR in almost any food related thread.

You're right of course, but the "heated" comment went over so well that I'm afraid to redact it. If I'd been thinking clearly, it would've been a one liner -- those are always good for cranking up the ol' 'favorited' count.
posted by Stagger Lee at 1:20 PM on February 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

Can we not do the thing wherein we define ourselves as "we," thus implicating innocent bystanders in each others' faults, and just call out whomever is bugging us?
posted by moviehawk at 1:24 PM on February 25, 2011 [3 favorites]

Can we not do the thing wherein we define ourselves as "we," thus implicating innocent bystanders in each others' faults, and just call out whomever is bugging us?

We probably could. But we probably aren't going to. We're just like that, we guess.
posted by Sidhedevil at 1:26 PM on February 25, 2011 [3 favorites]

The fact that people vigorously disagree about something, and make statements of those disagreements in a thread, does not amount to "not doing it well."

I'm pretty tired of the "MetaFilter doesn't do topic X well" construction myself, especially when it refers to a small number of people behaving badly when topic X comes up. Sometimes where the number of people is two, or maybe even only one. Usually, it would more accurately be "a tiny number of MetaFilter users don't do topic X well."

The other thing I don't like about "MetaFilter doesn't do topic X well" is that it is often accompanied by an explicit or implicit consequent that "therefore, we should not discuss topic X." This gives the power to shut down discourse on a particular topic to any minuscule proportion of the membership that is willing to be obnoxious enough.
posted by grouse at 1:26 PM on February 25, 2011 [22 favorites]

Let's just start calling it what it is: Topics that The Whelk doesn't do well.
posted by shakespeherian at 1:29 PM on February 25, 2011

Curley's comment wasn't terrible, and I didn't take it as threadshitting. It's kind of a pain that everyone got all defensive and went to shout him down, but whatevs.

This is kinda MetaTalk: Whoever wins, we all lose.
posted by klangklangston at 1:34 PM on February 25, 2011 [5 favorites]

I have nothing to say except I laughed at the "thinkofthechildren" tag.
posted by John Cohen at 1:36 PM on February 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

God forbid people should spend their own money on whatever they want.

I swear to God I heard that sentence in one of Gaddafi's recent speeches.
posted by klue at 1:36 PM on February 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

Great comparison, thanks.
posted by proj at 1:41 PM on February 25, 2011

Someone should start a haute cuisine movement that harnesses the burning rage of obsessive internet commentators.

This chicken was SLICED TO DEATH WITH THE SHARDS OF A HUNDRED SHATTERED KEYBOARDS and then lightly cooked in BOILING SPITTLE in a pan that was YELLED AT UNTIL IT GLOWED RED and lovingly garnished with ARGH FUCK YOUR MOTHER.
posted by milquetoast at 1:42 PM on February 25, 2011 [35 favorites]

This is kinda MetaTalk: Whoever wins, we all lose.

I think an apt metaphor is something that happened in my home town. A few years ago, they decided to renovate an old art-deco theater that had been abandoned. The renovations had been completed for several years, and it's been host to many classical music concerts, and other fine attractions.

Recently, this beautiful theater was host to something completely different. A cage fighting tournament. They couldn't fit the 8 sides of the cage into the theater, so they had a 6-sided cage. It was sponsored by an Italian food place across the street, and a local bail bonds company. The fighters are all local hooligans with something to prove. I know this because an old facebook friend did the sound for it and posted pictures online.

So imagine a 6 sided cage on a stage in the middle of a beautiful art deco theater, with bloodied local hooligans hitting each other in a quest for local glory. That's what this thread is. I think.
posted by hellojed at 1:49 PM on February 25, 2011 [7 favorites]

We are not amused.
posted by Babblesort at 1:49 PM on February 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

This chicken was SLICED TO DEATH WITH THE SHARDS OF A HUNDRED SHATTERED KEYBOARDS and then lightly cooked in BOILING SPITTLE in a pan that was YELLED AT UNTIL IT GLOWED RED and lovingly garnished with ARGH FUCK YOUR MOTHER.

Ramsay would sue.
posted by Artw at 1:52 PM on February 25, 2011 [3 favorites]

Let's just start calling it what it is: Topics that The Whelk doesn't do well.

ZOMG WON'T SOMEBODY THINK OF THE WHELK?!
posted by sonika at 1:55 PM on February 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

I swear to God I heard that sentence in one of Gaddafi's recent speeches.

Ah, Gaddafi. That makes more sense. I read that as Gandhi the first time around.
posted by yeti at 1:59 PM on February 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

I am thinking of The Whelk and in my mind he is eating a delicious buttery croque-monsieur. I have no idea why this is.
posted by elizardbits at 2:00 PM on February 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

I'm actually 100% with Mayor Curley on this one. It actually is pretty messed up, what that guy is doing. It's Modernist in the same way that suburban sprawl is Modernist.

Frankly, if considering more than one angle on a topic you care about gets you all het up, well, maybe MetaFilter isn't for you.
posted by Sys Rq at 2:27 PM on February 25, 2011 [7 favorites]

Mayor Curley, your schtick is getting old. See: threadshitting thread from a few days ago.
posted by jessamyn ★ at 12:09 PM on February 25

I guess Metafilter isn't for jessamyn.
posted by proj at 2:39 PM on February 25, 2011 [3 favorites]

MetaFilter: Apparently, it's not for anybody.
posted by Sidhedevil at 3:00 PM on February 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

So imagine a 6 sided cage on a stage in the middle of a beautiful art deco theater, with bloodied local hooligans hitting each other in a quest for local glory.

That sounds awesome to me. Meetup, anyone?

"Hooligan" was once an anti-Irish slur in the US (the idea being that drunken brawling louts have Irish surnames).

(The above is not at all me saying "And thus you shouldn't use that word!", because I don't think anti-Irish sentiment in the US is A Thing anymore, but me being amused by lexical history.)
posted by Sidhedevil at 3:05 PM on February 25, 2011

Metafilter isn't something Metafilter does well.
posted by overeducated_alligator at 3:06 PM on February 25, 2011 [5 favorites]

@Sidhedevil:

Trust the sidhe to approve of brawling hooligans.
...I'm in as well.
posted by Stagger Lee at 3:12 PM on February 25, 2011

The irony about hooligans is that more often than not, they'd be hauled away in paddy wagons by a totally different Irish stereotype.
posted by Sys Rq at 3:13 PM on February 25, 2011

Is it okay if I don't hate anybody here? I'm going to be rolling up some tortelloni stuffed with pistacho shrimp. I have no intention of including a hint of resentment.
posted by yesster at 4:01 PM on February 25, 2011

Would you believe it? A thread, on the blue no less, where recipes are acceptable! And it gets sent to the Principle's Office.

We can't have fun anymore!
posted by Splunge at 4:17 PM on February 25, 2011

they'd be hauled away in paddy wagons by a totally different Irish stereotype

"Paddy wagon" predates the Hibernification of the New York police force; it's the wagon to drive the drunken Paddies in, not the wagon driven by the blue-uniformed Paddies.
posted by Sidhedevil at 4:17 PM on February 25, 2011

Sidhedevil: " "Paddy wagon" predates the Hibernification of the New York police force; it's the wagon to drive the drunken Paddies in, not the wagon driven by the blue-uniformed Paddies."

Perhaps. But that's just a theory.
posted by zarq at 4:29 PM on February 25, 2011

The tie is no better than the penis gourd, but it is also no worse.

And before anyone asks, no. They are not interchangeable.

Obviously. If your tie slips off I'm hardly going to run around shouting 'You're out of your gourd!' while pointing at your cock am I?
posted by biffa at 4:31 PM on February 25, 2011 [4 favorites]

I am thinking of The Whelk and in my mind he is eating a delicious buttery croque-monsieur. I have no idea why this is.

I don't even like eggs so this is ...(makes circular finger motion) all you.
posted by The Whelk at 4:32 PM on February 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

I'd prefer a list of topics I do well, so I can level up faster

My D key busted and I'm constantly checking to make sure I typed it
posted by The Whelk at 4:35 PM on February 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

You don't like eggs? The Whelk, I thought I knew you! Eggs are seventeen kinds of awesome!
posted by klangklangston at 4:48 PM on February 25, 2011

zarq, I have seen "paddy wagon" in an 1850s text; I'll have to find that and edit that Wikipedia article if I can find a way to do it without it being OR.

I mean, unless someone went back in time to prank me, it predates the Hibernification of the New York police. (And they should have killed Hitler while they were at it!)
posted by Sidhedevil at 5:01 PM on February 25, 2011

Eggs are seventeen kinds of awesome!

Only when you can't taste them.
posted by The Whelk at 5:06 PM on February 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

(this allows for salsa and sour cream scrambled eggs)
posted by The Whelk at 5:07 PM on February 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

See Graring hour every week Friday night. Set your watch by it.
posted by humanfont at 5:16 PM on February 25, 2011

Anti-Grar
posted by The Whelk at 5:19 PM on February 25, 2011

I am thinking of The Whelk and in my mind he is eating a delicious buttery croque-monsieur.

I was eating a hot buttery croque monsieur when I came in this thread. I am not The Whelk. Eek.
posted by arcticseal at 5:40 PM on February 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

Oh man, I really want a croque-monsieur now.
posted by homunculus at 5:50 PM on February 25, 2011

There's no eggs on a croque monsieur. That's a croque madame. Croque monsier is a fried ham and cheese sandwich
posted by Hoopo at 6:12 PM on February 25, 2011 [4 favorites]

What kind of eggs you like?
posted by to sir with millipedes at 6:40 PM on February 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

Are we sure that a croque-monsieur isn't a dead Frenchman? Because that's what it sounds like.
posted by brundlefly at 6:56 PM on February 25, 2011

>> The tie is no better than the penis gourd, but it is also no worse.
> And before anyone asks, no. They are not interchangeable.

Dov Charney disagrees.
posted by ryanrs at 7:03 PM on February 25, 2011

Are we sure that a croque-monsieur isn't a dead Frenchman?

Absolutely certain. Dead Frenchmen have eggs on them
posted by Hoopo at 7:10 PM on February 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

Have you tried GRAR butter? They put all the GRARnuts in a 10K RPM laser blender, then put the resulting micro-pixelate GRARdust in a hydraulic centrifuge. It's deliciously absurd!
posted by chairface at 7:18 PM on February 25, 2011

Look, making a cook book (or a set of books, I hope) that weighs 50 lbs and costs $650 is pretty much saying "Oh, you wanna learn how to cook something fancy? Fuck you, enjoy your massive book." The fact that some of the recipes require equipment that's too expensive or time consuming even for people who can afford $650 for a set of cookbooks is pretty bad too. I mean, we're talking about a set of cookbooks that literally required pounds of ink to produce.

The author being a well known asshole (at least amongst tech geeks) does not help.

Imagine if Larry Ellison created a 20 lb, $550, 300 hour DVD set on fiddling -- but, specifically, on the Stradivarius. Do you honestly think most people in the thread would at all focus on the fiddle, or do you think people might just latch onto the fact that the premise was a bit ridiculous, and that Larry Ellison is an asshole?

I think most people on MetaFilter love cooking tips and are very food positive; just look at the general reception of AskMe's related to food. We even occasionally have good things to say about molecular gastronomy. We have threads where people talk about comparing different $80-100 bottles of bourbon. But there does come a point at which too much money is being thrown at food, especially in a world where people are seriously starving and where, at the same time, we're already eating too much.

I think this is part of the reason why I love Julia Child so much. She took this hoity toity thing -- French cooking -- and made it utterly accessible. Anyone with a little bit of patience and the willingness to shell out a tiny bit extra for good ingredients could make really wonderful, elegant food. Her message: "anyone can eat delicious food if they want to". Not true, I suppose -- some people will never even have the spare money to buy a handful of shallots, let along a proper pot to cook them in and a bottle of wine to accompany it. Still, it's a heck of a lot more accessible than being told: "There is a perfect fry out there, but you will never ever taste it, because the equipment and process is forever out of your ability or resources to duplicate." If Julia Child was an open source evangelist, this guy is, well, kind of like a patent troll.
posted by Deathalicious at 11:17 PM on February 25, 2011 [18 favorites]

I'm reminded of the Conan O'Brien thread where people were outraged he wasn't solving the world's problems (particularly Haiti) and how dare he fucking sulk.
posted by juiceCake at 12:57 AM on February 26, 2011

SNARRL is the new GARRR
posted by nola at 1:11 AM on February 26, 2011

I can equally enjoy a topic and enjoy Mayor Curly or anyone else creatively and forcefully expressing how awful it is. Because I'm a grownup.
posted by Space Coyote at 2:07 AM on February 26, 2011 [11 favorites]

Walk schoftly but carry a big schtick.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:21 AM on February 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

make brown rice in the rice cooker at a 3:2 water:rice ratio (for fat, perfect, moist, unburst kernels)
1/4 stick butter in pan over medium low
gently break 6 brown eggs from free-range vegetarian-fed hens into foamy butter
rotate pan over flame until whites are fairly set
serve sunny-side up over the rice, only breaking the yolks with your fork
feeds 2

note: if you don't love eggs you can garnish with salt & pepper, rooster sauce or what have you. or you can just eat it as it is, and expire in delight.
posted by toodleydoodley at 8:00 AM on February 26, 2011 [2 favorites]

SNARRL is the new GARRR

I'm so tired of GRARRR. As with all cute catch-phrases, it functions mostly as an enabler of conformity and reminds me of all the worst aspects of Grade 9.
posted by philip-random at 11:20 AM on February 26, 2011 [5 favorites]

You are a sterling example of individuality. Just like all the others before you.
posted by Splunge at 11:51 AM on February 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

You know, Splunge, if this was Grade 9, I'd feel compelled to destroy you completely with a vicious and eviscerating putdown. But I'm more mature than that now.

(ie: Point taken. You're right. On review, that comment of mine does read like a self-important piece of dismissive ill-will. I apologize to any and all. KEEP ON GRARRING IN THE FREE WORLD!!!)
posted by philip-random at 12:00 PM on February 26, 2011

I'm so tired of GRARRR. As with all cute catch-phrases, it functions mostly as an enabler of conformity and reminds me of all the worst aspects of Grade 9.

You know, Splunge, if this was Grade 9, I'd feel compelled to destroy you completely with a vicious and eviscerating putdown. But I'm more mature than that now.

You know what reminds me most of Grade 9? People claiming such-and-such is so immature.
posted by Sys Rq at 12:06 PM on February 26, 2011 [2 favorites]

SNARRL is the new GARRR

I'm so tired of GRARRR. As with all cute catch-phrases, it functions mostly as an enabler of conformity and reminds me of all the worst aspects of Grade 9.

I blame jessamyn. For special snowflake, too. Not that I am complaining about the latter. But, GRAR--yes. It's way too cute.

Now, I'm not saying she's the originator here--only the prime vector, as the first time I recall seeing either of those expressions were in comments by her.
posted by y2karl at 12:41 PM on February 26, 2011

Special snowflake has nothing to do with me. GRAR is, however, all mine, vectorwise.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:03 PM on February 26, 2011

PATIENT GRAR
posted by The Whelk at 1:10 PM on February 26, 2011

GUYS IF YOU DON'T STOP YELLING ABOUT GRADE 9 I'M GOING TO -- hell, I'm not even going to warn you what's in this link. Click if you dare.
posted by maudlin at 1:26 PM on February 26, 2011

Look, making a cook book (or a set of books, I hope) that weighs 50 lbs and costs $650 is pretty much saying "Oh, you wanna learn how to cook something fancy? Fuck you, enjoy your massive book."

Yep, this.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:42 PM on February 26, 2011

As your attorney, I advise you to have more sex.
posted by Burhanistan at 1:43 PM on February 26, 2011 [2 favorites]

Special snowflake has nothing to do with me. GRAR is, however, all mine, vectorwise.

There was nothing particularly wrong with GRAR until it got picked up by a gazillion others and essentially played to death. Personally, I prefer folks getting creative with their own particular expression of acrimonious, annoyed, bent out of shape, boiling, bugged, burned up, disgruntled, displeased, exasperated, fuming, furious, heated, huffy, incensed, irate, livid, mad, miffed, p.o.'d, peeved, piqued, resentful, riled, scornful, up in arms, wrathful bile about stupid shit.
posted by philip-random at 2:30 PM on February 26, 2011

I like GRAR's early stuff
posted by The Whelk at 2:42 PM on February 26, 2011 [2 favorites]

Eh, every time I go to one of their shows my clothes get covered in fake blood
posted by jtron at 3:05 PM on February 26, 2011 [2 favorites]

GRAR ABOUT GRAR


METAGRAR
posted by overeducated_alligator at 4:01 PM on February 26, 2011 [2 favorites]

Metafilter doesn't do GRAR well THERE I HAVE SAID THE CONTROVERSIAL TRUTH.
posted by kagredon at 4:04 PM on February 26, 2011 [2 favorites]

philip-random: "You know, Splunge, if this was Grade 9, I'd feel compelled to destroy you completely with a vicious and eviscerating putdown. But I'm more mature than that now.

(ie: Point taken. You're right. On review, that comment of mine does read like a self-important piece of dismissive ill-will. I apologize to any and all. KEEP ON GRARRING IN THE FREE WORLD!!!)"

Cool. No real life grarishness intended. Just my stupid way of making a comment. I didn't mean to be flippant. Really.

Hugs?
posted by Splunge at 5:48 PM on February 26, 2011

Drugs.
posted by yerfatma at 6:40 PM on February 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

Bugs!
posted by Sys Rq at 6:42 PM on February 26, 2011

Shut the hell up and go play some Dig Dug.
posted by Burhanistan at 6:44 PM on February 26, 2011

I have all the eggplant I need, thank you.
posted by yerfatma at 7:20 PM on February 26, 2011

Fugs!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:26 PM on February 26, 2011

::Shrugs::
posted by Splunge at 8:51 PM on February 26, 2011

Pugs in tugs.
posted by Burhanistan at 8:54 PM on February 26, 2011

LUGs
posted by Splunge at 9:59 PM on February 26, 2011

ZUG
posted by Burhanistan at 10:04 PM on February 26, 2011

I find it fucking depressing that even Mayor Curley's comment -- even wrapping up this vitally important moral truth in the clothing of a short, sharp, in-and-out one-liner gag -- even that was so disgusting and unappealing and uncouth to you assholes that you need it expunged from history. So you can go back to talking about your fucking sous-vide. Fuck.
posted by dontjumplarry at 11:10 PM on February 26, 2011 [2 favorites]

I firebombed a Williams Sonoma if that makes you feel better.
posted by Burhanistan at 11:14 PM on February 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

Mmmm..I just made the most delightful Croque-Monsieur cooked over the heat of a firebombed Williams-Sonoma
posted by Hoopo at 12:04 AM on February 27, 2011

This is how I imagine Mayor Curly when I see his posts.

Also, scrambled eggs + soy sauce = amazing.
posted by NoraReed at 3:41 AM on February 27, 2011 [1 favorite]

Mayor Curley: "All I said was that the guy's an asshole wasting resources on shit that we don't need. "

Modernist cuisine: You're an asshole for wasting resources.
Nick Tahou's garbage plate: Qiute obviously necessary.
posted by Plutor at 8:29 AM on February 27, 2011

Wow. Do you have a cross-referenced file cabinet for all members?

Modernist Cuisine: $625 book about cooking by an asshole
Garbage Plate: $5 of deliciousness served by an asshole

I guess those are totally comparable. Especially now that Nick's has closed their location in the 19th Ward, which catered exclusively to college kids and poor people.
posted by yerfatma at 9:14 AM on February 27, 2011 [1 favorite]

Wow. Do you have a cross-referenced file cabinet for all members?

16 file cabnets per american per month...is that enough?
posted by clavdivs at 9:55 AM on February 27, 2011

Agreed, this is why I hate art books. Monolithic tomes devoted to things some robber Barron probably looted from some church in Europe or facile paint smears by some rich fuck who should be off begging in the street instead of making 20 million dollar diamond encrusted skulls. Wanna see art? Fuck you, this is as close as you will ever get because you aren't one of the lucky 1 percent that can fly all the fuck over and stay in hotels. Don't even mention actual works of art to me, that canvas could have been made into something useful like clothes for the homeless.
posted by Ad hominem at 2:13 PM on February 27, 2011

Late to the party but for an equally last-century reference next to Weird Al, this is sort of what the South Park episode Starvin' Marvin^ was about.

Also, I could go for some braised planked GARRR right about now.
posted by XMLicious at 2:16 PM on February 27, 2011

lucky 1 percent that can fly all the fuck over and stay in hotels.

Are the other 99% of you using hostels?
posted by yerfatma at 3:57 PM on February 27, 2011

The Honey Badger don't care. He just flies all the fuck over and stays in some badass hotels. Can you imagine that? Hotels. Just to see some art works. Gross. Hey, look, there's a robber baron going in slow motion. Oh gross, he's got a diamond encrusted skull. Well, the honey badger doesn't give a

Etc. ad infinitum
posted by Namlit at 4:34 PM on February 27, 2011 [2 favorites]

Sidhedevil: "And they should have killed Hitler while they were at it!"

The problem is that every Hitler-free reality is even worse.
posted by Chrysostom at 2:11 PM on February 28, 2011

Chrysostom: "The problem is that every Hitler-free reality is even worse."

Obligatory.
posted by zarq at 2:13 PM on February 28, 2011 [2 favorites]

Zug zug.
posted by Splunge at 7:18 PM on February 28, 2011

I find it fucking depressing that even Mayor Curley's comment -- even wrapping up this vitally important moral truth in the clothing of a short, sharp, in-and-out one-liner gag -- even that was so disgusting and unappealing and uncouth to you assholes that you need it expunged from history. So you can go back to talking about your fucking sous-vide. Fuck.

Oh yeah, people should definitely not be allowed to have a derail-free thread about something you don't like.

Look, if people are still starving after we've stopped letting Monsanto dictate the crops people may grow, after we've created adequate infrastructure for clean water in the third world, after we've stopped eroding the limited arable land we have with global warming--if people are still starving then, maybe then I'll raise an eyebrow at the molecular gastronomy movement. Until then, I'm not impressed by saying "Some individuals spend a lot of money on food and also other people in the world are starving COINCIDENCE?!?!" as an Important Moral Stance.
posted by kagredon at 7:23 PM on March 1, 2011 [1 favorite]