MeFi in the Philadelphia Daily News

February 28, 2003 8:46 PM

Yesterday's Mr. Rogers thread was cited, unkindly, I thought, by the Philadelphia Daily News in a FP story on Rogers' death.

Minutes after his death, chat began on the typically snarky Web site Metafilter.com...

I actually did not find the thread atypical at all, given the subject matter, and the subject matter was not atypical either. The writer was April Adamson -- let her know if you agree (or not).
posted by luser to MetaFilter-related at 8:46 PM (60 comments total)

I actually posted a similar comment to the tail end of the thread, but it's more appropriate here.
posted by luser at 8:47 PM on February 28, 2003

I didn't even know Snarky was a real word!!!
posted by Stan Chin at 8:50 PM on February 28, 2003

MetaFilter: Typically Snarky
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 8:51 PM on February 28, 2003

Maybe she was comparing the Fred Rogers thread to some of the more heated political/Iraq theads? Then Rogers thread would then seem quite tame.
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 8:54 PM on February 28, 2003

I don't think anything even related to something "snarky" needs to be mentioned in an obit. Just talk about what a great guy he is, don't waste time saying that cranky people on a website liked him too.

And I'm having trouble finding the relevance of the MeFi reference. I understand why they quoted local folks, but does the average Philadephian care what some geeks on a website had to say about his death? If Ms. Adamson felt that the internet community's reaction was significant, why not cite other discussion sites' mentions of Mr. Rogers' death?

Just seems out of place in the article. Meh.
posted by katieinshoes at 8:55 PM on February 28, 2003

dude: it's all about the webloggers.

soon people will be asking me for my opinion on drilling for oil in alaska.

(for the record, i don't think alaska should be a state. buncha damn hippies. damn beautiful hippies.)
posted by fishfucker at 9:02 PM on February 28, 2003

Maybe the author reads MeFi regularly? Could explain why she would make such an effort to use it as a reference. Sounds like a reach, but...
posted by JaxJaggywires at 9:16 PM on February 28, 2003

>dude: it's all about the webloggers.

Yep. Soon those cable news shows will have a rickety card table set up off to the side for bloggers to sit at. Every so often the host will yell, "What do the bloggers think?" Then we'll peel ourselves away from our laptops (of course we'll be doing a live 'I'm on TV' mega blog at the same time) and say something snarky, typical, or just crazy.
posted by skallas at 9:19 PM on February 28, 2003

ha!
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 9:30 PM on February 28, 2003

Yeesh...here's yet another "let's get the MeFi mob after 'x'" MeTa post. Enough with the editorials and constant finger pointing. Someone who gets published doesn't like MeFi. So what?
posted by BlueTrain at 9:33 PM on February 28, 2003

You're over-reacting, bluetrain. No one is lighting torches or sharpening pitchforks. But ultimately, you're right. So what?

I suggest that if anyone does decide to contact the reporter, for the sake of Metafilter, please attempt to sound more intelligent than a 6 year old throwing a temper tantrum.
posted by crunchland at 9:51 PM on February 28, 2003

.
posted by Stan Chin at 9:59 PM on February 28, 2003

muahahaha!
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 10:16 PM on February 28, 2003

.
That is really superb!
posted by riffola at 10:17 PM on February 28, 2003

Ha! Nice one, Stan Chin.
posted by furiousthought at 10:28 PM on February 28, 2003

(Stan, that was hilarious.)

Now, what exactly are we upset about? A single adjective? Good lord people. At any rate, it seems the use of snarky was just an attempt to sound "with it." The quotes pulled from the thread were fine, and showed respect to Mr. R.

I really and truly have no idea what's got people's panties/boxers/briefs in a twist. There are plenty of perfectly good religions out there already--there's no need to turn MeFi into another one. Though I did hear a certain Member Number One will absolve your sins if you ask nicely.
posted by _sirmissalot_ at 10:40 PM on February 28, 2003

sirmissalot,

Haughey for Pope
posted by matteo at 10:56 PM on February 28, 2003

Calling Metafilter "snarky" isn't wrong, especially when it comes to how celebrities and public figures are usually discussed on the site, and most members here would probably freely describe themselves as cynics. The writer was just pointing out that even this somewhat unlikely crowd was touched by the man's death.

If anyone finds that worth an email campaign, I'm astonished. And afraid.
posted by taz at 11:02 PM on February 28, 2003

Yeah, though it was a strange reference for a Mr Rogers story, it's accurate, and she sounds like she's "down" with the lingo.

As the old saying goes, any press is good press.
posted by mathowie at 11:02 PM on February 28, 2003

Haughey for Pope

When's the next Pope election? 2004? Shit, I don't know if I'll vote for Haughey though--bit of media whore, apparently.

How about fishfucker? I'd really, really, like to see Pope Fishfucker. I'm just sayin'.
posted by _sirmissalot_ at 11:29 PM on February 28, 2003

Snarky: Irritable or short-tempered; irascible. If it's on dictionary.com, that's good enough for me. Pretty justified too, considering similar posts have gotten called out for being an obituary post, or worse (referring to the original comment, not the metatalk thread about it). So it does stand out as being an excellent post lacking in the usual snarktitude.
posted by Gary at 11:55 PM on February 28, 2003

Nothing wrong with being snarky, dammit.

slinks off back behind the curtain...
posted by snarkywench at 11:55 PM on February 28, 2003

MetaFilter has Jumped the Snark!
posted by wendell at 1:44 AM on March 1, 2003

Would the real Miguel please stand up?
posted by hama7 at 3:31 AM on March 1, 2003

*stands up, shakes hands with hama7, pelts Stan Chin with sardines, still in their tins.*
posted by MiguelCardoso at 4:51 AM on March 1, 2003

Doesn't she mean it in the sense that "Wow, even a site that is usually snarky were respectful about this death" (?)

I didn't read the thread, I have never seen the show, but it seems to me like that's what she was saying.

If member here can post about Fark and say something like "This is so unlike Fark" Then others surely can and will do it to us.

It's just someone's opinion.
posted by lucien at 4:59 AM on March 1, 2003

Ha ha! Well done, M.C.!

*realizes face hurts, stomach aches from laughing*
posted by hama7 at 5:03 AM on March 1, 2003

I don't mind the namecheck, here's what bothers me:

"Aw crap," offered one.

"It's a sad day in the neighborhood," wrote someone else.

"I feel so much older right now."

You know, these people have names. They're right under what they wrote. If I wasn't so goddamn lazy (and late to get to Mardi Gras) I'd look up the names. All I'm saying is, if you're going to quote someone, use their name. Even if their name has to do with having sex with a halibut.

(oh, and I love Stan Chin, even though he prefers Mardi Gras in Mobile)
posted by ColdChef at 5:40 AM on March 1, 2003

Stan:

since you have all those sardines now, try this recipe: PASTA CON LE SARDE (Bucatini with Sardines)
posted by matteo at 6:33 AM on March 1, 2003

"She's a witch!!!! Burn her!!!! BURN HER!!!!!"
posted by y6y6y6 at 6:41 AM on March 1, 2003

Even if their name has to do with having sex with a halibut

For ColdChef and Fishfucker I'd suggest a lighter recipe, a classic marinated grilled Halibut or Halibut With Tomato Herb Vinaigrette
For a special occasion, Medaglioni alla Michelangelo (no English version sorry)
posted by matteo at 6:46 AM on March 1, 2003

ColdChef: both "aw crap." and "I feel so much older right now." were uttered by one member in the same comment. "It's a sad day in the neighborhood" was the post title, and appeared in the descriptive text. another proud graduate of the garret school of journalism.
posted by quonsar at 6:49 AM on March 1, 2003

Damn her oily shortcutting hide.
posted by ColdChef at 7:01 AM on March 1, 2003

Matteo: Thanks for the tasty recipes, but fishfucker keeps fucking all the fish before I can cook them up. Damn his oily hide.
posted by ColdChef at 7:02 AM on March 1, 2003

*memo to self:
if invited to dinner at fishfucker's place, by all means pretend to be a strict Vegan, or to be fasting for religious reasons*
posted by matteo at 7:18 AM on March 1, 2003

Racism! The picture of MiguelCardoso is represented by 'wdyt_asian_man'. Since Miguel is from the Iberian Peninsula, and possibly has darker skin than the average American, this does not mean you should just lump him in the 'greasy brown dagos and Asians' pile.
posted by wackybrit at 8:47 AM on March 1, 2003

I'm nonplussed by this post. The reference to MeFi in the article seems perfectly appropriate. "Typically snarky" is an accurate description of MeFi, and it was not only atypical but astounding that there was not a single snark in that thread—in fact, as I was reading it I dashed off an e-mail to a friend (subject line: "Incredible!") about that very fact. (Go read any other thread about a dead person if you doubt me.) There was nothing "unkind" about the reference, and anyone who sends the reporter a nasty e-mail is an unusually brainless sheep. Come on, people, get a life and/or a grip.

Oh, and Stan Chin, that was indeed brilliant!
posted by languagehat at 9:06 AM on March 1, 2003

both "aw crap." and "I feel so much older right now." were uttered by one member in the same comment.

No offense to the post of those comments (as I'm sure the feelings were no less sincere), but there were a lot better examples of the sentiment that flowed on the day. She didn't do the thread any justice with those examples.
posted by Witty at 9:08 AM on March 1, 2003

postER, not post... THAT day, not the day. Lord

Damn it, I've been doing that a lot lately. Sorry
posted by Witty at 9:10 AM on March 1, 2003

i hate double negatives, so i'm just minused by this post.
posted by quonsar at 9:23 AM on March 1, 2003

[Thom stands salutes with a shot in the air, takes drink, *gulp* falls backwards laughing as the shot now spirts back out of his mouth, in a nice crescent radius over head]
posted by thomcatspike at 9:41 AM on March 1, 2003

snark, snark, snark, beautiful snark snark....
posted by namespan at 9:48 AM on March 1, 2003

Like we need outsiders pointing out the underpinning of Metafilter...get the hell out of our church you silly little establishment puppet. Who's got the nude photos?
posted by Mack Twain at 10:12 AM on March 1, 2003

The Hunting of the Snark
posted by feelinglistless at 10:31 AM on March 1, 2003

Thousands of weblogs did posts on Mr Rogers's death, and nearly all of them were reverential (most said some version of "It's a sad day in the neighborhood.") I don't understand why a "journalist" would want to point out a few snarky comments, especially in an obit. Tacky and unneccessary.
posted by Shane at 11:26 AM on March 1, 2003

From the article:Metafilter.com, where conversation was somber, downright depressing and in some cases, tearful.

This must be the snark of compassion then.

Shane does your snark, I call the butcher, have a tear?
posted by thomcatspike at 11:35 AM on March 1, 2003

Shane, did you bother reading the article? (Or the thread?) She did not "point out a few snarky comments"; there were no snarky comments to point out. She quoted a few sad comments from "the typically snarky Web site," the point being that this is an unusual thread. If it were just MeFi being MeFi, it wouldn't be news. Man bites dog. Get it?

Quonsar, that was typically brilliant, so I won't call the papers. But I'm glad I wasn't drinking anything when I read it.
posted by languagehat at 11:55 AM on March 1, 2003

Shane, did you bother reading the article? (Or the thread?)

Nope! I did not. I'll go say the Mefi Posting Guidelines ten times for penance.
posted by Shane at 11:57 AM on March 1, 2003

Shane, did you bother reading the article? (Or the thread?)

/me uncorks the Midleton whiskey, grabs two glasses and languagehat's affable elbow and, while pouring and dragging him gently away, whispers:

"Hat, Hat... let me tell you something about Shane..."
posted by MiguelCardoso at 6:21 PM on March 1, 2003

All the above, except what I don't agree with.
posted by Plunge at 6:56 PM on March 1, 2003

"Hat, Hat... let me tell you something about Shane..."
Okay, now the snark is out and about.
posted by Shane at 7:09 PM on March 1, 2003

me uncorks the Midleton whiskey, grabs two glasses and languagehat's affable elbow and, while pouring and dragging him gently away, whispers:

Heh, what I want to know is how you're holding glasses and leading languagehat by the elbow while pouring whiskey at the same time. Miguel really is talented.
posted by Shane at 9:55 PM on March 1, 2003

Prediction: Within nine months, you will hear GW Bush utter "Size of protest — it's like deciding, well, I'm going to decide policy based upon comments at MetaFilter."
posted by gluechunk at 10:39 PM on March 1, 2003

there were no snarky comments to point out.

That's not true. I'm sure I recall a comment saying how his death was great, and that kids can now grow up without it being rammed down their throats that they're 'special' even when they've done nothing of significance.

If I were a less lazy man, I'd even go and find that comment :-P
posted by wackybrit at 1:46 AM on March 2, 2003

Chill out everyone!

She said typically. I think this lends itself to some interpretation.

Interpretation such as: "You guys are normally jerks, but look at this, this thread is really nice. So I thought I'd let everyone know."

Awww... everyone bask in the love.
posted by shepd at 5:32 AM on March 2, 2003

everyone bask in the love.

...Such as it is.
posted by Vidiot at 7:12 AM on March 2, 2003

*basks*
posted by quonsar at 9:31 AM on March 2, 2003

Baskers!
posted by MiguelCardoso at 10:56 AM on March 2, 2003

The inevitable tagline:

Metafilter: everyone bask in the love.
posted by Shane at 11:13 AM on March 2, 2003

Metafilter: The inevitable tagline.

It's filled with ennui.
posted by Fabulon7 at 1:20 PM on March 2, 2003