Tennis Ace Isner September 9, 2011 12:09 PM   Subscribe

MeFite John Isner is playing well at the U.S. Open. He just took the third set from Andy Murray with a 139 mph ace. Murray is up 2 sets to 1, but I would love to see Isner win this match. How about you guys? Let's cheer him on.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium to MetaFilter-Related at 12:09 PM (138 comments total) 2 users marked this as a favorite

Rah rah Isner!
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 12:13 PM on September 9, 2011


Thanks for the support, bro, it means a lot to me.
posted by John Isner at 12:14 PM on September 9, 2011 [36 favorites]


This is cool! We're rooting for you, John!
posted by LN at 12:14 PM on September 9, 2011


Yay! Go John!
posted by headnsouth at 12:15 PM on September 9, 2011


Go! You multi-tasker, you.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 12:16 PM on September 9, 2011 [1 favorite]


I feel like I'm really getting my steam back, so I'm gonna play the next game with my eyes closed and yodeling, see if I can't get inside Murray's head a little.
posted by John Isner at 12:16 PM on September 9, 2011 [18 favorites]


Oh I get it, this thread must be a re-run.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 12:18 PM on September 9, 2011


Can I safely ignore this thread for two days and come back for its conclusion on Sunday?
posted by SpiffyRob at 12:20 PM on September 9, 2011 [2 favorites]


What is this I don't even
posted by cashman at 12:27 PM on September 9, 2011 [3 favorites]


GO ISNER GO GO GO! YOU'RE REAL RICH NOT PO PO PO!!!
posted by slogger at 12:29 PM on September 9, 2011 [2 favorites]


Oh wow, I had no idea John Isner had registered here.

Good luck John, following on the BBC website now :)
posted by Infinite Jest at 12:32 PM on September 9, 2011


Oh hey, awesome! I like it when stuff like this happens. Play hard, make us proud!
posted by iamkimiam at 12:33 PM on September 9, 2011


Right now, John Isner of the USA and Nicolas Mahut of France are engaged in the longest professional tennis match of all-time [live blog]. As of this posting, they are into the fifth set of their first round match at Wimbledon, where the score is knotted 37-37. The match has been going for more than seven hours and has broken all previous records of tennis match length.

So *you're* that guy.

Good luck!
posted by KokuRyu at 12:35 PM on September 9, 2011


Wait, are there really people think the John Isner account is the actual John Isner Tennis Guy, or am I being trolled?
posted by dersins at 12:39 PM on September 9, 2011 [7 favorites]


| .                       |
THWACK
|                       . |
THWACK
| .                       |
THWACK
|                       . |
THWACK
| .                       |
THWACK
|                         |      .
GO ISNER!
posted by griphus at 12:40 PM on September 9, 2011 [4 favorites]


You haven't seen him twiddling on his iPhone during breaks between sets, dersins? That's when he's posting to MetaTalk.
posted by carsonb at 12:41 PM on September 9, 2011


         _    O_/
    o  (#)==_/\
              /\/
             / 
posted by The Whelk at 12:41 PM on September 9, 2011 [7 favorites]


I'm too worried that I'll reveal either my gullibility or my cynicism to comment.
posted by OmieWise at 12:41 PM on September 9, 2011 [24 favorites]


Live feed from the game
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 12:43 PM on September 9, 2011 [5 favorites]


Christ, I think I just went in my shorts a little. They don't warn you about this at Junior Tennis Camp.
posted by John Isner at 12:44 PM on September 9, 2011 [2 favorites]


that was quite a fall by murray.
posted by nadawi at 12:45 PM on September 9, 2011


"So, how do we know who's Isner? If he was an imitation, a perfect imitation, how would you know it was really him?"
posted by cashman at 12:48 PM on September 9, 2011 [1 favorite]


that guardian liveblog was basically the greatest thing ever.
posted by elizardbits at 12:48 PM on September 9, 2011


The Guardian is liveblogging the Murray match. I doubt it'll be as legendary as the Mahut-bout, but it's being done by Rob Smyth, who's one the best sports writers out there.
posted by Kattullus at 12:54 PM on September 9, 2011


needs more zombies and existential darkness.
posted by elizardbits at 12:55 PM on September 9, 2011


Tennis: The Dark Descent
posted by The Whelk at 12:59 PM on September 9, 2011 [1 favorite]


Live feed from the game

I laughed and laughed and laughed!
posted by The Deej at 1:09 PM on September 9, 2011


"George Clooney has a few words for you naysayers."

Is George here?
posted by "Doctor" Terence Malick at 1:10 PM on September 9, 2011


I hope it's Elizabeth George. I do so love an Inspector Lynley mystery!
posted by mintcake! at 1:12 PM on September 9, 2011 [2 favorites]


I'm the real Christopher L. Jorgensen. That's about all I am certain of. You people should question this.
posted by cjorgensen at 1:20 PM on September 9, 2011 [1 favorite]


Christ, I think I just went in my shorts a little. They don't warn you about this at Junior Tennis Camp.

Advantage: Isner
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:34 PM on September 9, 2011


elizardbits: "that guardian liveblog was basically the greatest thing ever."

Featuring Xan Brooks blogging his own nervous breakdown. :D
7.30pm: Let it end, let it end, it's 46-all. It was funny when it was 16-all and it was creepy when it was 26-all. But this is pure purgatory and there is still no end in sight. John Isner has just struck his 90th ace. Nicolas Mahut, poor, enfeebled Nicolas Mahut, has only hit 72. Maybe we should just decide it on the number of aces struck? Give the game to Isner and then we can all crawl into our graves.

7.45pm: What happens if we steal their rackets? If we steal their rackets, the zombies can no longer hit their aces and thump their backhands and keep us all prisoner on Court 18. I'm shocked that this is only occurring to me now. Will nobody run onto the court and steal their rackets? Are they all too scared of the zombies' clutching claws and gore-stained teeth? Steal their rackets and we can all go home. Who's with me? Steal their rackets and then run for the tube.

It's 48-48. What further incentive do you need?

8pm: Don't look now but I think the cow-hide has officially expired. John Isner stands at the baseline. He is facing the right way but he is no longer moving and the string-bag of offal peppers him with aces left and right to bring the score to 50-50. But Cow Hide is still facing the right way and that says something. And he is still vertical, and that says something too. What it says, unfortunately, is that the match is not quite over yet.

8.05pm: In the stands, a woman is laughing. She laughs long and hard and her laugh is the sort of ghastly yodel you normally hear in antique horror movies about Victorian insane asylums. "Wa-la-ha-la-wah," she goes. "Wa-la-ha-la-ha-la!" Will nobody drag her out? Call in the goons in white coats. Get this woman to a lobotomy!

Mahut is serving to make it 51-51. Wouldn't you know it, he does. He makes it to 51-51, finishing up with an ace.

8.20pm: Wow, is that really the time? I must go home; can't think what's kept me. Wa-ha-la-ha-la-ha-la!

posted by zarq at 1:35 PM on September 9, 2011 [7 favorites]


I watched part of that long ass match, it was exhausting.
posted by Ad hominem at 2:04 PM on September 9, 2011


Ha, I had no idea! My girlfriend is a bigger tennis fan than I am, but I knew Isner's name from the longest match thing. Now I finally have someone to root for!
posted by klangklangston at 2:06 PM on September 9, 2011


As proof John needs to hold up a copy of today's front page on the teevee. Then we'll know if it's realy.
posted by Think_Long at 2:20 PM on September 9, 2011


wow, if I just did a little bit of research, I'd see how disprovable this sock puppet actually is.

Sigh, back to another day of ordinary bullshit.
posted by Think_Long at 2:25 PM on September 9, 2011


Oh, sorry, this is just a sock puppet joke. Apologies all.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:27 PM on September 9, 2011 [3 favorites]


I was under the impression that folks knew that it wasn't really John's account.

Mahut set it up as a joke to celebrate his fiftieth ace of the match.
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:42 PM on September 9, 2011 [8 favorites]


I'm a double-blind sockuppet, shhh.
posted by The Whelk at 2:48 PM on September 9, 2011


Dammit, I was so excited.
posted by Phire at 2:54 PM on September 9, 2011


I'm a triple-blind sockpuppet.

Not only do I not know I'm him, and I don't know I'm him, but we don't know we don't have a sockpuppet and are in fact using the same account. Shhh.
posted by Salvor Hardin at 2:56 PM on September 9, 2011


No. No. It's HIM. With his little blueberr-thingy-whatsit. We're a serious crowd. No sockpuppy jokes here, no no. [cries a little]
posted by Namlit at 2:57 PM on September 9, 2011


Y'all are cute.
posted by functionequalsform at 3:00 PM on September 9, 2011 [1 favorite]


Am I a user dreaming he is a sock puppet or a sock puppet dreaming he is a user...
posted by The Whelk at 3:04 PM on September 9, 2011


IN NON TOTAL DISAPPOINTMENT NEWS: Ivo Karlovic, the only tennis player claiming to be taller than John Isner (a hulking tomb of a man at 6'9) has a really hilarious twitter. Also Andy Roddick's is pretty funny/humble, and he sometimes talks about farts.
posted by Juicy Avenger at 3:10 PM on September 9, 2011


Boy, do I have bad news for some of you...
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:15 PM on September 9, 2011 [1 favorite]


It's not really raining?
posted by Juicy Avenger at 3:16 PM on September 9, 2011 [2 favorites]


The night was moist.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:17 PM on September 9, 2011 [2 favorites]


Well he did run into the lake to get that sword.
posted by The Whelk at 3:21 PM on September 9, 2011 [1 favorite]


Well, someone's been surely raining on our parade. I flagged Cortex's input as "derail"; couldn't bear it.
posted by Namlit at 3:22 PM on September 9, 2011


CELEBRITY JOKE ACCOUNTS ARE A LITTLE TIRED NO
posted by HENRY ROLLINS at 3:25 PM on September 9, 2011 [10 favorites]


I am exactly who I say I am.
posted by The Favorites Fairy at 3:35 PM on September 9, 2011 [3 favorites]


When do I get to rah rah for Shakespeare's next play?
posted by Elmore at 3:51 PM on September 9, 2011


I just favorited The Favorites Fairy. Am I gonna expode?
posted by villanelles at dawn at 4:00 PM on September 9, 2011


I want to believe that George Clooney is a genuine account. I also wish Asavage would come back.
posted by humanfont at 4:07 PM on September 9, 2011


I'm a savage. What's up?
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 4:13 PM on September 9, 2011


No. No. It's HIM. With his little blueberr-thingy-whatsit. We're a serious crowd. No sockpuppy jokes here, no no. [cries a little]

Yeah I was going to post here complaining about emotional turmoil after being trolled by the mods.
But then I thought - so what, it was funny, why start a debate about minutiae.
But then I remembered what metatalk is for.

*debates minutiae*
posted by memebake at 4:20 PM on September 9, 2011 [1 favorite]


being trolled by the mods.

Not me man, I'm just a gullible rube who can't keep track of famous people.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 4:23 PM on September 9, 2011 [5 favorites]


The coolest celebrity posters use an alias of some kind, I believe.
posted by gnome de plume at 4:25 PM on September 9, 2011


The smoothest celebrity posters are anti-aliased.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 4:31 PM on September 9, 2011 [6 favorites]


Yeah I was going to post here complaining about emotional turmoil after being trolled by the mods.

Shit, how do you think I feel?
posted by John Isner at 4:38 PM on September 9, 2011 [3 favorites]


Aces!
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 4:39 PM on September 9, 2011


We should do a whip-round and buy Henry a properly working keyboard.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 4:45 PM on September 9, 2011


Don’t let haters get me off my grind
Whip my hair, if I know I’ll be fine
Except I don't have much hair
Guess I'll just SHOUT AND GLARE!!!

SHOUT AND GLARE!!!
SHOUT AND GLARE!!!
SHOUT AND GLARE!!!
I SHOUT AND GLARE!!!
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 5:06 PM on September 9, 2011 [1 favorite]


Man, I had a great "IS THIS JUST REAL LIFE or IS THIS JUST FANTASY" joke I was gonna use, but I thought of it at work and didn't think to post it until just now and now I find out it's just a joke and there isn't really a real famous celebrity tennis star on my Metafilter and now I'm sad and need a nap.
posted by elmer benson at 5:47 PM on September 9, 2011


I am calling this post for the day on account of darkness.
posted by Dr. Zira at 5:48 PM on September 9, 2011


We have that baseball player guy though, so there's that!
posted by Think_Long at 5:52 PM on September 9, 2011


Can't we just post more excerpts of that great Guardian live blog?
posted by arcticseal at 5:52 PM on September 9, 2011


CELEBRITY JOKE ACCOUNTS ARE A LITTLE TIRED NO
posted by HENRY ROLLINS


Rollins would fit in perfectly here.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 5:56 PM on September 9, 2011


I'm waiting for baby jessamyn to weigh in.
posted by The Deej at 6:02 PM on September 9, 2011


I'm waiting for the Shadout Mapes to weigh in.
posted by Dr. Zira at 6:22 PM on September 9, 2011


And in the red corner...
posted by zamboni at 6:26 PM on September 9, 2011


The night was moist.

And the moon was yellow
And the leaves came tumbling down.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 6:39 PM on September 9, 2011


Hold it - naive old guy here - but is that really John Isner - cause that would be too cool for words.

The guy who played the longest match ever at Wimbledon, they guy who serves like a fucking howizter, they guy (along with Mardy Fish) who carry the torch of American men's tennis forward - is it it really you?

At the risk if being foolish - congrats on a great run at the US Open.
posted by helmutdog at 7:28 PM on September 9, 2011


Does American men's tennis have a torch? Maybe a very strong flashlight.
posted by villanelles at dawn at 7:58 PM on September 9, 2011


Man back in my day Mefites weren't so incredibly gullible.

--President Obama
posted by graventy at 8:09 PM on September 9, 2011


Does American men's tennis have a torch? Maybe a very strong flashlight.

You are likely to be eaten by a clue.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 8:10 PM on September 9, 2011 [1 favorite]


What is the policy for someone, maybe even a celeb, claiming their name. Let's say the real John Isner showed up, and wanted his name for himself as well as any post previously made under his name scrubbed.
posted by Ad hominem at 8:56 PM on September 9, 2011


No policy. In twelve years it's never happened.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:02 PM on September 9, 2011 [1 favorite]


I think we should have a celebrity snowflake policy. Sort of like a red velvet line to expedite celebrity flameouts, to get celebs plates of beans and pancakes whenever they want and one of those star things that Jessamyn has but in front of their name.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:06 PM on September 9, 2011



Thanks for the support, Ad hominem, it means a lot to me.

posted by John Isner Verified Account at 12:14 PM on September 9 [+] [!]
















posted by babbyʼ); Drop table users; -- at 9:32 PM on September 9, 2011 [1 favorite]


Coolio, I smell ya.
posted by Ad hominem at 9:43 PM on September 9, 2011 [1 favorite]


Actual celebrities signing up after their name has been taken are encouraged to sign up instead as e.g. "John Isner, Esquire", though that system may be somewhat more complicated under certain circumstances.
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:54 PM on September 9, 2011 [1 favorite]


HRH Poopy McStinkyfinger Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland, Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Royal Knight Companion of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of Bath, Member of the Order of Merit, Knight of the Order of Australia, Companion of the Queen's Service Order, Member of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, Aide-de-Camp to Her Majesty
posted by Ad hominem at 10:07 PM on September 9, 2011


What would Google plus say?
posted by infini at 10:27 PM on September 9, 2011


I don't *get* the idea about sockuppets myself.
posted by The Bizzaro Whelk at 11:17 PM on September 9, 2011 [1 favorite]


we are owls
posted by The Owls at 11:18 PM on September 9, 2011


I love you all, without malice or judgement, all shall be Favorited until all men are free......
posted by The Favorites Fairy at 11:21 PM on September 9, 2011


Can't we close this up then?

Not until we at least approach the record for longest running MeTa ever, we won't. John wouldn't have it any other way...
posted by rollbiz at 11:26 PM on September 9, 2011


I could just go around every member starting with #1
posted by hugbucket at 11:32 PM on September 9, 2011


If anyone has hidden gem must watch movie recommendations that are on netflix instant drop them in my askme. I will liveblog the movies I watch in this thread, we can keep it rolling for months. Since it is metafilter related it is kosher.
posted by Ad hominem at 11:39 PM on September 9, 2011


do you ..believe in me?
posted by The Favorites Fairy at 11:40 PM on September 9, 2011


CLAP YOUR HANDS!
posted by The Favorites Fairy at 11:41 PM on September 9, 2011


Hells yeah started my first recomendation. We get a little post WW 2 Jimmy Stewart in Call Northside 777.

Why is there book club but no movie club.
posted by Ad hominem at 12:02 AM on September 10, 2011


We need proper authorised accounts. This "sockpuppetry" is damaging. Real names only I think. If you've nothing to hide, then why would you hide behind a FALSE name.
posted by Boris Johnson at 12:13 AM on September 10, 2011 [2 favorites]


Great, now I've got "Eisner On The Go" stuck in my head and it's pretty dreary and I don't really know enough about tennis to make uo new lyrics for "Isner On The Go".
posted by maryr at 12:28 AM on September 10, 2011 [1 favorite]


God that moose, yeah. I sent it around to all sorts of friends and family. Fact is, (and I should know, it happened only a few miles from here) they do come in the gardens and eat the apples and get dizzy in their heads, it isn't made up. I have pics to prove it (self-link, obviously). Silly beasts.
posted by Namlit at 12:32 AM on September 10, 2011


Meta Talk on a weekend: The moose that got drunk then stuck in a tree
posted by infini at 1:55 AM on September 10, 2011 [1 favorite]


Balls. Come on, Andy! Oh, you did, I see. Suck it, yanks!
posted by Decani at 4:24 AM on September 10, 2011


Never mind that, let's talk rugby.
posted by arcticseal at 5:20 AM on September 10, 2011


Anyone got a decent link to the Tonga vs. NZ haka sound off?
posted by infini at 6:23 AM on September 10, 2011

8.05pm: In the stands, a woman is laughing. She laughs long and hard and her laugh is the sort of ghastly yodel you normally hear in antique horror movies about Victorian insane asylums. "Wa-la-ha-la-wah," she goes. "Wa-la-ha-la-ha-la!" Will nobody drag her out? Call in the goons in white coats. Get this woman to a lobotomy!
Is there a video of this anywhere? I really want to hear what this woman's laugh sounded like, although I guess I can imagine.
Next you'll tell me that wasn't really Paris Hilton.
What!?!?
posted by Paris Hilton at 6:31 AM on September 10, 2011


Sockpuppet? What's a sock puppet?
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 7:15 AM on September 10, 2011


For the record, I really don't appreciate being duped this way.
posted by Melismata at 8:30 AM on September 10, 2011


How would you prefer to be duped?
posted by Kwine at 8:38 AM on September 10, 2011


For the record, I really don't appreciate being duped this way.

You wouldn't have liked the post I was thinking about doing tomorrow, then. I dropped the idea when I found the topic had already been covered here. (My above-the-fold text: "Never forget what happened on September 11.")
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 9:11 AM on September 10, 2011


it takes two clicks to become un-duped. a passing glance at his recent activity shows this to be a joke account. that is, of course, unless you believe that someone engaged in the longest tennis match saw a post about themselves on metafilter and signed up for an account and commented 3 times while actively playing in that match.
posted by nadawi at 9:28 AM on September 10, 2011 [1 favorite]


That said, if this sort of thing becomes a thing, we'll ask people politely to knock it off.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:35 AM on September 10, 2011 [2 favorites]


Spoiler: It's very hard to knock off The Thing due to the fact that it imitates its victims so well.
posted by gman at 9:52 AM on September 10, 2011 [4 favorites]


they do come in the gardens and eat the apples and get dizzy in their heads

We've been obsessively* re-watching The Wire here, and somehow this description of Swedish moose activity spoke to me in Bubbles' voice as I read it.


* Two episodes a night. It affects normal life, eventually.
posted by oneirodynia at 10:08 AM on September 10, 2011


Much appreciated, jessamyn. Thanks.
posted by Melismata at 10:08 AM on September 10, 2011


I just hope to come to a point in my life where I can blow $5 on a joke account.
posted by Think_Long at 10:50 AM on September 10, 2011 [1 favorite]


I was hoping we had our own Disco Hayes, but no. I don't know which illusions of mine have been shattered, but some illusion has.
posted by not_on_display at 11:09 AM on September 10, 2011


Do you know how incredibly DUMB it sounds to be all, "Yeah, I read MetaFilter...it's cool, I think you'd like it. Just the other day there was this post on the subsite called MetaTalk (that's neat too...it's all arguing and metacommentary and injokes and shit) about the tennis guy John Isner and how he's a MeFite (that's the term MetaFilter people use to refer to themselves...yeah, I don't know either). Anyways, there's this thread and all these MeFites cheering him on. I wished him luck. Such a small world. Isn't that neat?"

[days pass]

"Yeah, turns out that wasn't John Isner. I'm a dork, sorry. But MetaFilter is still cool, I think you'd like it."

"Uh, I gotta go..."
posted by iamkimiam at 11:11 AM on September 10, 2011 [8 favorites]


John Isn'ter.
posted by Edogy at 11:18 AM on September 10, 2011 [1 favorite]


You can't tell normals about what is going down on the Internet. Whenever anyone IRL asks me about computers or the Internet I just shout "how would I know ...Nerd!" throw sand in their eyes to temporarily blind them and run away.
posted by Ad hominem at 11:41 AM on September 10, 2011 [3 favorites]


Don't bring Internet stuff into the real world!

it takes two clicks to become un-duped.

It doesn't even take that. It takes the realization that John Isner was highly unlikely to be reading Metatalk while simultaneously playing in the tennis match mentioned in the post.
posted by dirigibleman at 11:53 AM on September 10, 2011


Well Breaking Bad seasons 1-3 just hit netflix instant, so I'll be gone for 26.5 hours. Txt me if anything happens on the Internet I need to be aware of.
posted by Ad hominem at 12:05 PM on September 10, 2011


That said, if this sort of thing becomes a thing, we'll ask people politely to knock it off.

In fairness, I would be genuinely surprised if the creator of the Isner account ever intended anyone to think it was the real, actual Isner.
posted by dersins at 12:12 PM on September 10, 2011


Yeah, to be totally clear about it, it's one of my rare joke socks and maybe the only ever to come out of retirement after the initial obviously jokey context it was born in. It was either trot it out for a few jokes or just close this thread as soon as I saw it, but it was a silly Friday afternoon moment.

The weirdness of the fooling with people aspect is why I don't make a tenth of the sockpuppet jokes I might, even with the stuff that's pretty blatantly obvious (and the account's comment history, before and during this thread, was intentionally implausible), and this wasn't something I coordinated with w-g p on. If anyone is feeling disenchanted, my bad, I just really enjoyed the hell out of that epic tennis match.
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:06 PM on September 10, 2011 [1 favorite]


It doesn't even take that. It takes the realization that John Isner was highly unlikely to be reading Metatalk while simultaneously playing in the tennis match mentioned in the post.

I don't get this comment. I read MeTa all the time when I'm at work. Why would Isner be any different?
posted by Infinite Jest at 1:09 PM on September 10, 2011 [1 favorite]


cortex: Yeah, to be totally clear about it, it's one of my rare joke socks and maybe the only ever to come out of retirement after the initial obviously jokey context it was born in.

I've never actually noticed you on this website, but as a mod stated above, it better not become a thing and you should probably knock it off.
posted by gman at 1:13 PM on September 10, 2011 [5 favorites]


Yeah, to be totally clear about it, it's one of my rare joke socks and maybe the only ever to come out of retirement after the initial obviously jokey context it was born in.

Ho ho ho, this story has taken an interesting twist. I'm calling this 'tennisgate'. Someone put it up on the wiki - and someone else should get outraged about this right quick. SCANDALOUS.
posted by Think_Long at 1:44 PM on September 10, 2011


FWIW, the banana joke had me laughing out loud. cortex' corprophilic humor isn't as shitty as most folks'.
posted by carsonb at 3:33 PM on September 10, 2011


Being credulous is not a right.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 4:21 PM on September 10, 2011 [1 favorite]


If you thought hal_c_on got under your skin wait till i start making all sorts of celebrity accounts. I wonder if "DF Wallace" could say something as a "joke sock".

Oh, hal_c_on, you're such a gadfly.
posted by dersins at 5:24 PM on September 10, 2011


Sorry, you contributed nothing by speaking

Speaking of sock puppets, hal_c_on, there are two of them you definitely need to meet. You have a lot in common.
posted by dersins at 12:13 AM on September 11, 2011


George Takei was on Howard Stern a few years ago. Stern got a Schwarzeneggar impersonator to tak about gay marriage with Takei, and Takei really thought it was him. It was revealed to Takei that it was an obvious fake, but only after the conversation went off the tracks. Later in the show (it's a long show) Takei was confronted with another impersonator claiming to be the actual Schwarzennegar. Takei fell for it a second time. Stern and crew laughed at Takei's stupidity.

Fooling Takei with an impersonator was a dick move. Making him feel like a fool for even entertaining that it was really Arnie, that was an even bigger dick move. But that was Howard Stern, who is full of dick moves.

Anyways, I also think this whole sock puppet thing was a dick move.

I am used to Metafilter dealing with dick moves with swift justice.
posted by jabberjaw at 3:04 AM on September 11, 2011 [1 favorite]


So, I would not have dug up the old account if I thought I was going to actually be fucking with anybody. In the context of the original thread, at the time, it was absurdly obvious that it was a joke—John Isner was not signing up to Metafilter while in the middle of a televised historic tennis match to make weird off-color comments about said match—and I let that old absurdity inform my decision to try and carry it on in this odd post when I saw it. I tried to make the comments in here knowingly absurd as well (talking about crapping his shorts, threatening to yodel, promptly arriving to call the poster "bro") to make sure it didn't seem like an attempt to mess with heads.

But I carried my own context into it and not everybody had that context, and to some extent at least I misjudged how people would react in this thread when all they knew was someone was claiming that Isner was a mefite and they saw a John Isner account commenting. Stepping outside my own head on this, it's obviously neat when folks from Out There sign up and respond to chatter on the site about whatever they do, and I totally, completely get seeing something like this and getting excited, even only cautiously so, that that's what's going down, and not going sifting through comment history for context or proof/disproof. Nobody should have to feel bad or foolish for being excited about something cool happening where they hang out.

I sincerely apologize to anybody who felt put out by this. That wasn't my intent, I was aiming for good-natured everybody-in-on-it absurdist humor, but intent and effect don't always match up and I can understand feeling burnt by what you didn't think would be shenanigans. Like I said upthread, there's a reason that I'm actually really, really cautious about socky jokes in general, and it's that I specifically don't like making people feel messed with or endorsing that sort of behavior in others.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:37 AM on September 11, 2011 [1 favorite]


So it was the butler all along? Damn!
posted by The Deej at 9:25 AM on September 11, 2011


I really hope no one was put out by this.

And it's awkward when the mods apologize, like watching your dad cry or something.
posted by Think_Long at 11:05 AM on September 11, 2011 [9 favorites]


I always wondered how one ends up accidentally carving one's initials on a moose, but I think this Swedish tree incident does provide beginnings of an explanation.
posted by Anything at 3:21 PM on September 11, 2011


My life is complete, I just the red box of delete show up in real time. Pooh to your mooses (meese?) and sockpuppets!
posted by infini at 6:35 AM on September 12, 2011


And it's awkward when the mods apologize, like watching your dad cry or something.

My dad is an avid crier. He also has a habit of carrying on a conversation with you as he runs to the restroom and leaves the door open. Also, he's a priest, so it wouldn't be all that uncommon to have a conversation with my dad in his clerical collar while he's peeing and crying at the same time.

So this? Not that awkward at all to me.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 8:00 AM on September 12, 2011 [4 favorites]


Consolation prize: Metafilter's Own Fernando Perez (who unfortunately seems to be struggling on the field but continues to be awesome off it...)
posted by EmilyClimbs at 11:45 AM on September 12, 2011


I feel a song coming on.
*cough*

Troy:
I hate every ape I see
From chimpan-a to chimpan-z,
No, you'll never make a monkey out of me.

Oh, my God, I was wrong,
It was cortex all along.
You finally made a monkey...

Ape:
Yes we finally made a monkey...

Troy and Apes:
Yes, you finally made a monkey out of me!

Troy:
I love you, Dr. Zaius!
posted by Dr. Zira at 1:52 PM on September 12, 2011


Wait, how are you on Metatalk and in a musical with Troy McClure at the same time?
posted by ormondsacker at 7:03 PM on September 12, 2011 [1 favorite]


WHOA! The real Dr. Zira is a MeFite!!!!!!!
posted by The Deej at 6:13 AM on September 13, 2011


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