Metafilter in The Guardian: "She's Dead! Yes!"

April 6, 2002 11:59 AM

"Meanwhile the internet, as always, provided a sceptical alternative to the reverent coverage of the Queen Mother's death. Too sceptical for some, actually: Americans were among those revolted by certain threads on our own Guardian Unlimited website, where conversations began "Queen Mum Snuffs It" and "She's Dead! Yes!" Over at Metafilter one reader commented acidly: 'You have to be pretty sick to get off on the death of a 101-year old woman. But then, they are Guardian readers...' Oooh get you!"

Metafilter mentioned again in today's 'Web Life' section of 'The Guardian' [more inside]
posted by feelinglistless to MetaFilter-related at 11:59 AM (22 comments total)

Just thought someone should thank the writer of the column, Bibi van der Zee for their almost weekly mentions of the site, as though we're the voice of the internet. Gives me a pep every Saturday to see something I'm part of appear in the newspaper. I wonder if Bibi posts here or just lurks ... or any other journalists sniffing about for a story?
posted by feelinglistless at 12:01 PM on April 6, 2002

I love you Bibi! Mwah! Mwah!
posted by aaron at 12:58 PM on April 6, 2002

It would certainly be interesting if Bibi posted here, though becoming a lightning rod for so much partisan sniping can hardly be attractive, given that the received opinion here is that Guardian journalists are somewhere to the left of Karl Marx. Maybe if everyone promised to be nice...
posted by Gaz at 1:10 PM on April 6, 2002

(BTW, what does "Oooh get you!" mean in Britspeak?)
posted by aaron at 1:21 PM on April 6, 2002

I'd tear her to shreads. Metaphorically, mind you. That's the Guardian way: shoot (your mouth off first), ask questions later.

Aside from the guardians of Euro-leftist invective, I'va always wondered if any other journalists/writers lurk/post here anonymously. I've always suspected that NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me! gets half their material from the 'Filter.
posted by evanizer at 1:22 PM on April 6, 2002

"Oooh get you!"

I suppose it's similar to Meow ... it's an acknowledgement of a catty comment...
posted by feelinglistless at 1:27 PM on April 6, 2002

Yeah! Mrowr!
posted by aaron at 1:29 PM on April 6, 2002

There was that young man from The Times who posted here once. Can't remember his name.
posted by Summer at 3:43 PM on April 6, 2002

I always interpreted 'oooh get you' as the camp version of 'who do you think you are?' E.g "Of course I'll be wintering in Antigua" - "Oooh, get you".
posted by Summer at 3:49 PM on April 6, 2002

I think Summer may be nearer the mark. It's an indescribable thing. Like that little bone which sticks out, just before your wrist.
posted by feelinglistless at 4:50 PM on April 6, 2002

Oh well, I'm deeply amused by it either way.
posted by aaron at 5:00 PM on April 6, 2002

I don't have a little bone which sticks out just before my wrist, you despicable mutant.

posted by rodii at 5:40 PM on April 6, 2002

Oooh get you = well la di dah, aren't we special?
posted by iconomy at 7:30 PM on April 6, 2002

Who you calling mutant, Mr. Three Eyes nonmetric?
posted by y2karl at 7:51 PM on April 6, 2002

Also,

given that the received opinion here is that Guardian journalists are somewhere to the left of Karl Marx

given that here, owillis thinks he's a liberal, that's putting it mildly.
posted by y2karl at 7:57 PM on April 6, 2002

It's an indescribable thing. Like that little bone which sticks out, just before your wrist.

Aw, that's describable! That's the ulnar styloid. A Fun Fact to Know and Tell!

rodii, sorry you don't have one. Didn't your mother eat enough pickles when she was pregnant?
posted by Slithy_Tove at 11:14 PM on April 7, 2002

No...no, she didn't. *sobs*
posted by rodii at 11:24 PM on April 7, 2002

My 0,001 euros: Ooh get you! is the modern equivalent of "Oh, listen to him!", meaning "Well you certainly fancy yourself a cut above the rest, don't you?" Depending on your reaction, you can add admiration at the "cheek" of it or despise its pretensiousness, along the lines of "who do you think you are, you big ponce?"

Julian Clary, a gay comedian and gameshow host, is a master of "ooh get you!"
posted by MiguelCardoso at 12:36 AM on April 8, 2002

gaz - 'received opinion here is that Guardian journalists are somewhere to the left of Karl Marx'

funny, isn't it. my guardian reading friend said the same of the office he works in.

posted by asok at 4:39 AM on April 8, 2002

As for whether journalists lurk at MeFi waiting for a story: LA Weekly journalist Judith Lewis grabbed her story idea on modestneeds.com directly from MeFi's front page.
posted by brittney at 12:51 PM on April 9, 2002

Rodii's mom didn't eat enough pickles because she didn't have jonmc there to open the jar.
posted by iconomy at 1:12 PM on April 9, 2002

Lots of journalists are known to frequent FreeRepublic.com, in the hopes that their articles will get posted and then debated (or, if they're unlucky, just ripped apart). So I'm sure it happens here too.
posted by aaron at 8:08 PM on April 9, 2002