AskMe is not the proper venue for resolving your petty vendettas. October 19, 2004 9:53 AM Subscribe
Mayor Curley takes a perfectly innocuous, neutral question which was getting some interesting responses and turns it into a NYC vs Boston grudge match. AskMe is not the proper venue for resolving your petty vendettas and urban insecurities. That's what the blue is for.
Do people create MeTa threads just so they can be indignant about something?
read MeTa much?
but yeah, signal, a little too sensitive for your own good maybe. give Mayor Curley a slap and move on.
posted by Miles Long at 10:18 AM on October 19, 2004
read MeTa much?
but yeah, signal, a little too sensitive for your own good maybe. give Mayor Curley a slap and move on.
posted by Miles Long at 10:18 AM on October 19, 2004
Before the pile-on begins:
1. It's not a neutral question. It was " Do you live in your nation's largest city? Do you feel like you are on a totally different planet when you leave?" The insinuation is "Are people in London or Paris as taken with their city as I am with mine?" If it was neutral, it would have asked Do you live in a large city? Do you have trouble adjusting when you leave it?
2. I did not (as in "never did") disparage the city of New York. Some folks talked badly of my home city, but that was not in response to my belittling New York's qualities. I specifically argued about the attitude that a subset of people have that they're the cultural elite by nature of their NYC zip code. That's it.
3. Hummus is a complete nincompoop. After I mentioned bagels as a lightweight, irrelevant thing that actual New Yorkers have used to admonish other cities, s/he actually used it. I won't apologize for insinuating that s/he is retarded because it will take some convincing to prove to me that it's not true. S/he was also the first person to actively disparage an entire city in the thread. I did not stoop to returning fire in that direction.
4. I didn't ever say that Boston is better. I think the city that you favor is just a matter of choice and for the most part non-quantifiable. I cited Boston because someone from Boston (who clearly wasn't any more invited to the party than I was) replied anyway. I also cited Cleveland and Philadelphia, but it was clear that I was arguing for everyone who isn't a New York hipster.
posted by Mayor Curley at 10:18 AM on October 19, 2004
1. It's not a neutral question. It was " Do you live in your nation's largest city? Do you feel like you are on a totally different planet when you leave?" The insinuation is "Are people in London or Paris as taken with their city as I am with mine?" If it was neutral, it would have asked Do you live in a large city? Do you have trouble adjusting when you leave it?
2. I did not (as in "never did") disparage the city of New York. Some folks talked badly of my home city, but that was not in response to my belittling New York's qualities. I specifically argued about the attitude that a subset of people have that they're the cultural elite by nature of their NYC zip code. That's it.
3. Hummus is a complete nincompoop. After I mentioned bagels as a lightweight, irrelevant thing that actual New Yorkers have used to admonish other cities, s/he actually used it. I won't apologize for insinuating that s/he is retarded because it will take some convincing to prove to me that it's not true. S/he was also the first person to actively disparage an entire city in the thread. I did not stoop to returning fire in that direction.
4. I didn't ever say that Boston is better. I think the city that you favor is just a matter of choice and for the most part non-quantifiable. I cited Boston because someone from Boston (who clearly wasn't any more invited to the party than I was) replied anyway. I also cited Cleveland and Philadelphia, but it was clear that I was arguing for everyone who isn't a New York hipster.
posted by Mayor Curley at 10:18 AM on October 19, 2004
Signal, I’m sure it was based on things I’ve said before. Some people here think I’m a pretentious, elitist snob (though not the ones who’ve met me, interestingly enough). Anyway, that’s my own fault. I’ll try to do a better job of taking it into account in the future.
posted by dame at 10:19 AM on October 19, 2004
posted by dame at 10:19 AM on October 19, 2004
Should we just retitle MetaTalk "The Parade of Wounded Sensibilities"?
I thought that the purpose of the Gray was to talk about a) bugs, b) etiquette and policy questions--in that order.
It seems that it's become "Waaahh!! So-and-so said something I didn't like!!!!!!" Central.
posted by Sidhedevil at 10:21 AM on October 19, 2004
I thought that the purpose of the Gray was to talk about a) bugs, b) etiquette and policy questions--in that order.
It seems that it's become "Waaahh!! So-and-so said something I didn't like!!!!!!" Central.
posted by Sidhedevil at 10:21 AM on October 19, 2004
Besides, everyone knows that Montreal bagels are better than those poofy NY so-called "bagels" anyway.
posted by bonehead at 10:23 AM on October 19, 2004
posted by bonehead at 10:23 AM on October 19, 2004
Pretentious, elitist snobs are the new stoned slackers.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 10:26 AM on October 19, 2004
posted by mr_crash_davis at 10:26 AM on October 19, 2004
Montreal does, indeed, have bagels that are better than those at the hallowed H&H or any other NYC in-spot. On the other hand, you can't find a good bialy in Montreal for love or money, so one often has to soothe the pain with more smoked meat.
posted by Sidhedevil at 10:28 AM on October 19, 2004
posted by Sidhedevil at 10:28 AM on October 19, 2004
I think narrow questions usually get the best results (ie best answers) in AskMeFi.
dame's question was definitely conductive to a chatty thread. and conversations can sometimes get snarky around here. and yes, the Mayor -- who can at times be quite cutting -- has admitted he has a chip on his shoulder.
and he loves his city. nothing wrong about that
posted by matteo at 10:37 AM on October 19, 2004
dame's question was definitely conductive to a chatty thread. and conversations can sometimes get snarky around here. and yes, the Mayor -- who can at times be quite cutting -- has admitted he has a chip on his shoulder.
and he loves his city. nothing wrong about that
posted by matteo at 10:37 AM on October 19, 2004
Actually, M.C.'s comments added some flavor to an otherwise vague, lame, predictable, 'looking for an essay subject' type question. I mean c'mon, what type of answers did you expect from that question other than the obvious ones that were posted ? In my opinion a lot of comments from M.C. started with the New York thing and evolved into a 'What the fuck kinda question is that' with a big roll of the eyes. And justly so.
posted by repoman at 10:46 AM on October 19, 2004
posted by repoman at 10:46 AM on October 19, 2004
Mayor Curley, to address your points:
1. YOU are the one (and pretty much the only one) who seems to have an issue with the phrasing of the question. Everyone else seems to have managed just fine. Don't project your wounded pride onto the poster.
2. Christ, man, that's a weak argument. That "subset of people have that they're the cultural elite by nature of their NYC zip code" was introduced, out of the blue, by you, and then applied ad hominem to anyone who disagreed with you. It's nothing more than a thinly-veiled attack on the city in general.
3. Uh, you brought up the bagels pre-emptively. Don't cry because someone took it and ran with it. And saying "I won't apologize for insinuating that s/he is retarded because it will take some convincing to prove to me that it's not true" is a new low.
4. Again, you pre-emptively bagged on Beantown while snarking endlessly about New Yorkers. You were asking for it.
posted by mkultra at 10:52 AM on October 19, 2004
1. YOU are the one (and pretty much the only one) who seems to have an issue with the phrasing of the question. Everyone else seems to have managed just fine. Don't project your wounded pride onto the poster.
2. Christ, man, that's a weak argument. That "subset of people have that they're the cultural elite by nature of their NYC zip code" was introduced, out of the blue, by you, and then applied ad hominem to anyone who disagreed with you. It's nothing more than a thinly-veiled attack on the city in general.
3. Uh, you brought up the bagels pre-emptively. Don't cry because someone took it and ran with it. And saying "I won't apologize for insinuating that s/he is retarded because it will take some convincing to prove to me that it's not true" is a new low.
4. Again, you pre-emptively bagged on Beantown while snarking endlessly about New Yorkers. You were asking for it.
posted by mkultra at 10:52 AM on October 19, 2004
1. There are five people in the original thread and two here saying it was a crap question, most agreeing that it was not just bad but snotty. So your second time saying "you're all alone on this" is no more convincing than the first.
2. Here's where your chip and your shoulder come into the argument. Everything I said was in reference to elitist hipsters-- you spread it to all 8 million people residing in New York because it was your subset I poked at.
3. I brought them up pre-emptively to demonstrate what kind of (stupid) criteria I've heard the expensive coffee-and-black glasses crowd dismiss other cities with that and its obviously a ludicrous criterium. hummus did indeed run with it, making hummus equally ludicrous. I would also like to reiterate that hummus used the word "cesspool" to describe my city and I haven't said an unkind word about your actual city.
4. I dismissed Boston because that was the first city mentioned that was supposed to be excluded from the elite discussion. And it doesn't follow that because I called it provincial facetiously that it then becomes fine to go beyond that, and in earnest.
Lastly, I haven't done any whining, the way that most people describe it. It's a convenient way to dismiss, sure, but it doesn't apply here. But at least by suggesting I'm a "baby," you've put yourself in no position to take exception to my use of "retarded." We're both standing on the playground, pal. But you're the one doing it in a black turtleneck over an indie-rock t-shirt.
posted by Mayor Curley at 11:09 AM on October 19, 2004
2. Here's where your chip and your shoulder come into the argument. Everything I said was in reference to elitist hipsters-- you spread it to all 8 million people residing in New York because it was your subset I poked at.
3. I brought them up pre-emptively to demonstrate what kind of (stupid) criteria I've heard the expensive coffee-and-black glasses crowd dismiss other cities with that and its obviously a ludicrous criterium. hummus did indeed run with it, making hummus equally ludicrous. I would also like to reiterate that hummus used the word "cesspool" to describe my city and I haven't said an unkind word about your actual city.
4. I dismissed Boston because that was the first city mentioned that was supposed to be excluded from the elite discussion. And it doesn't follow that because I called it provincial facetiously that it then becomes fine to go beyond that, and in earnest.
Lastly, I haven't done any whining, the way that most people describe it. It's a convenient way to dismiss, sure, but it doesn't apply here. But at least by suggesting I'm a "baby," you've put yourself in no position to take exception to my use of "retarded." We're both standing on the playground, pal. But you're the one doing it in a black turtleneck over an indie-rock t-shirt.
posted by Mayor Curley at 11:09 AM on October 19, 2004
for what it's worth, the question struck me more or less exactly like it struck MC.
just sayin' is all.
posted by crush-onastick at 11:17 AM on October 19, 2004
just sayin' is all.
posted by crush-onastick at 11:17 AM on October 19, 2004
MC, this ain't AmericaFilter, so the question - as phrased - didn't refer solely to NYC. Your swift response was based in an assumption, which I'm gonna do now too: I bet you & dame have had a spat in the past, which coloured your response.
Why bring that into Ask.Me, which is specificaly about helpful answers to interesting questions? Admittedly, dame's question barely meets the only 'guideline' ("ask your question if you feel it is important"), but really - your interpretation was not the only one.
posted by dash_slot- at 11:19 AM on October 19, 2004
Why bring that into Ask.Me, which is specificaly about helpful answers to interesting questions? Admittedly, dame's question barely meets the only 'guideline' ("ask your question if you feel it is important"), but really - your interpretation was not the only one.
posted by dash_slot- at 11:19 AM on October 19, 2004
yerfatma, it's a ska band. With more members than fans. But I won't say the name because I don't want people to know about them and wreck it.
dash_slot-- As far as I know, I've never had any interaction with dame aside from possibly posting in the same thread as she has.
And you're right. It's not Americafilter. The person posing the question wanted to know if those elitist attitudes were shared by the perceived cultural elite of major nations. Rest assured that she didn't care if an Uzbek had trouble adjusting to life outside Tashkent.
posted by Mayor Curley at 11:25 AM on October 19, 2004
dash_slot-- As far as I know, I've never had any interaction with dame aside from possibly posting in the same thread as she has.
And you're right. It's not Americafilter. The person posing the question wanted to know if those elitist attitudes were shared by the perceived cultural elite of major nations. Rest assured that she didn't care if an Uzbek had trouble adjusting to life outside Tashkent.
posted by Mayor Curley at 11:25 AM on October 19, 2004
That's an irrelevancy: it woulda applied to London v. the UK, and every other city/nation which Mefites live in.
Mind you, it still is a crap question.
posted by dash_slot- at 11:30 AM on October 19, 2004
Mind you, it still is a crap question.
posted by dash_slot- at 11:30 AM on October 19, 2004
For what it's worth, I think that a lot of the crap that came out of the thread (which I expected from the moment I first read it, with no comments) could have been diffused if the poster had asked about those who live in "a big city" as opposed to "your country's largest city." A little sensitivity on the part of some? Sure, but a little sparring over a somwhat loaded question is expected.
posted by adampsyche at 11:39 AM on October 19, 2004
posted by adampsyche at 11:39 AM on October 19, 2004
But I won't say the name because I don't want people to know about them and wreck it.
i hate this attitude. 'so-and-so was much better before everybody started liking them.' Fuck that noise. Ask the band. I'll bet they'd love some new fans.
i love ska. i really, honestly do. will you tell me the band's name, or do i have to pass a 'coolness test'?
elitist.
posted by Miles Long at 11:40 AM on October 19, 2004
i hate this attitude. 'so-and-so was much better before everybody started liking them.' Fuck that noise. Ask the band. I'll bet they'd love some new fans.
i love ska. i really, honestly do. will you tell me the band's name, or do i have to pass a 'coolness test'?
elitist.
posted by Miles Long at 11:40 AM on October 19, 2004
I see nothing particularly necessary about this callout, but I see absolutely nothing elitist or snotty about that AskMe question. Hardcore city dwellers do live in a bubble. I've seen gay people flip out and start glancing over their shoulders for gay-bashers as soon as they're outside SF. It's a genuine phenomenon. What's wrong with asking for some opinions/experiences/advice on the subject? I think you need to switch to decaf, Mayor, if you see your immediately hostile splash into that thread as an overdue challenge to egregious elitism. You crapped in it, and you crapped in it right away.
posted by scarabic at 11:49 AM on October 19, 2004
posted by scarabic at 11:49 AM on October 19, 2004
I love new york. And I don't like MC's wholesale thread hijack. But I've heard too many absurdly pretentious, world-ignorant remarks by new yorkers to pretend he doesn't have a point.
posted by Tlogmer at 12:01 PM on October 19, 2004
posted by Tlogmer at 12:01 PM on October 19, 2004
Rest assured that she didn't care if an Uzbek had trouble adjusting to life outside Tashkent.
No, actually, that was precisely what I was wondering. Also, I hope the Red Sox win. Are there any other assumptions I can help you with?
Anyway, AskMe didn't seem to be terribly busy when I posted & I was curious. That's all. No secret agenda.
posted by dame at 12:13 PM on October 19, 2004
No, actually, that was precisely what I was wondering. Also, I hope the Red Sox win. Are there any other assumptions I can help you with?
Anyway, AskMe didn't seem to be terribly busy when I posted & I was curious. That's all. No secret agenda.
posted by dame at 12:13 PM on October 19, 2004
The problem with NY and Boston rivalry is that we each are absolutely sure we're better than the other--it's always been that way, and probably always will be. It really has nothing to do with hipsters or pretension. (3rd-generation NYer, but with Grandma from Revere Beach, and cousins in Peabody)
psst--Montreal's bagels are awful--way too dense.
posted by amberglow at 12:13 PM on October 19, 2004
psst--Montreal's bagels are awful--way too dense.
posted by amberglow at 12:13 PM on October 19, 2004
I bet the Puritans (in Boston) looked down at the Dutch (NY) in the 1600s, and the Dutch laughed right back at the Puritans.
posted by amberglow at 12:14 PM on October 19, 2004
posted by amberglow at 12:14 PM on October 19, 2004
it's a ska band... But I won't say the name because I don't want people to know about them and wreck it.
How do you wreck a ska band? That's like breaking a broken thing.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 12:22 PM on October 19, 2004
How do you wreck a ska band? That's like breaking a broken thing.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 12:22 PM on October 19, 2004
i hate this attitude. 'so-and-so was much better before everybody started liking them.' Fuck that noise. Ask the band. I'll bet they'd love some new fans.
Whatever. Long before he packed up and started his "new ska sound" in Boston, the lead singer was rocking the punk scene at the Electric Banana, my favorite club in the Village. Don't look for it, it's not there anymore.
posted by mkultra at 12:26 PM on October 19, 2004
Whatever. Long before he packed up and started his "new ska sound" in Boston, the lead singer was rocking the punk scene at the Electric Banana, my favorite club in the Village. Don't look for it, it's not there anymore.
posted by mkultra at 12:26 PM on October 19, 2004
It seems that it's become "Waaahh!! So-and-so said something I didn't like!!!!!!" Central.
People are going to whine, and I'm happy they would rather do it here than on Metafilter or Ask Metafilter.
posted by Mars Saxman at 12:34 PM on October 19, 2004
People are going to whine, and I'm happy they would rather do it here than on Metafilter or Ask Metafilter.
posted by Mars Saxman at 12:34 PM on October 19, 2004
I refuse to have an intelligent conversation with anyone who uses the word "retarded," since, well, that person is obviously not too intelligent.
The word is offensive, M.C. Definitely what I would call a conversation ender.
posted by hummus at 12:38 PM on October 19, 2004
The word is offensive, M.C. Definitely what I would call a conversation ender.
posted by hummus at 12:38 PM on October 19, 2004
You yankees make me laugh. *points, laughs, goes back outside to plant more tulips*
posted by bargle at 12:46 PM on October 19, 2004
posted by bargle at 12:46 PM on October 19, 2004
I refuse to have an intelligent conversation with anyone who uses the word "retarded," since, well, that person is obviously not too intelligent.
The word is offensive, M.C. Definitely what I would call a conversation ender.
I usually say the same thing about "cesspool" in reference to where I live, Captain High Road.
posted by Mayor Curley at 12:50 PM on October 19, 2004
The word is offensive, M.C. Definitely what I would call a conversation ender.
I usually say the same thing about "cesspool" in reference to where I live, Captain High Road.
posted by Mayor Curley at 12:50 PM on October 19, 2004
What a bunch of fucking babies.
I hope you've learned your lesson, Curley. Next time you ought to write "STFU HUMMUS YOU EFFETTE PUSSY!"
posted by Kwantsar at 1:02 PM on October 19, 2004
I hope you've learned your lesson, Curley. Next time you ought to write "STFU HUMMUS YOU EFFETTE PUSSY!"
posted by Kwantsar at 1:02 PM on October 19, 2004
Grandma from Revere Beach
/wishes for funny but non-offensive comment. Finds no matches between column A and B.
posted by yerfatma at 1:06 PM on October 19, 2004
/wishes for funny but non-offensive comment. Finds no matches between column A and B.
posted by yerfatma at 1:06 PM on October 19, 2004
will you tell me the band's name, or do i have to pass a 'coolness test'?
Psst. The band is called "The Death of Irony". They're playing The Squared Circle all last week.
posted by yerfatma at 1:16 PM on October 19, 2004
Psst. The band is called "The Death of Irony". They're playing The Squared Circle all last week.
posted by yerfatma at 1:16 PM on October 19, 2004
I interpreted Mayor Curley's remark to be in flagrant violation of Matt's AskMe guidelines at the bottom of the page. It was snarky and wisecracking, and seemed intended to create noise in the thread rather than to help dame get an answer.
I don't think Matt's guidlines are less applicable just because a MeFite doesn't like a question. AskMe is no place for snarkiness. Either hold your tongue or take it to MeTa, but don't piss all over the AskMe thread. That's just rude.
posted by onlyconnect at 1:37 PM on October 19, 2004
I don't think Matt's guidlines are less applicable just because a MeFite doesn't like a question. AskMe is no place for snarkiness. Either hold your tongue or take it to MeTa, but don't piss all over the AskMe thread. That's just rude.
posted by onlyconnect at 1:37 PM on October 19, 2004
MC, I read the question exactly as you did, raised my eyebrow and snorted indignantly, then had a good laugh when I read your comment. But next time, just let it slide, man. AskMe is worth reading only as long as the signal continues to far outweigh the noise. Otherwise we call it "Ask Slashdot."
posted by Galvatron at 2:15 PM on October 19, 2004
posted by Galvatron at 2:15 PM on October 19, 2004
/wishes for funny but non-offensive comment. Finds no matches between column A and B.
eh, go for it. You'll rot in hell, but hey, it's your choice. I wouldn't tease her even dead. She could make Bubbie look like a piker. ; >
posted by amberglow at 3:01 PM on October 19, 2004
eh, go for it. You'll rot in hell, but hey, it's your choice. I wouldn't tease her even dead. She could make Bubbie look like a piker. ; >
posted by amberglow at 3:01 PM on October 19, 2004
The problem really was with the "nation's largest city" specification. There's a very debatable assumption buried there that, if the poster wanted to address it directly, should have done so.
There's every reason to believe that the effect being asked about is experienced to some degree by most very large city dwellers, not just "the nation's largest city dwellers". Might it be more pronounced for the latter? Maybe. But it probably doesn't have that much to do at all with size, but rather cultural distinctiveness.
So, Dame's question was quite subjective but with the subjectivity cloaked in a pseudo-objectivity. I can only speak for myself, but I'm sure that I would have reacted less negatively to her question if this had not been the case. If she had asked, "When I leave New York, I feel like an alien. Do other people in other cities experience this? Is it particular to the very largest cities, or even to only a nation's largest city?", I'd probably have been a little annoyed at her insularity. But in the same way that I have a writing style that really pushes people's buttons, Dame's pushes mine. The question was disingenuous, possibly giving offense to others, perhaps intentionally giving offense to others, but phrased in such a way that there's plausible deniability. That formula—and Dame's not the only person to write that way—really pushes my buttons.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 3:34 PM on October 19, 2004
There's every reason to believe that the effect being asked about is experienced to some degree by most very large city dwellers, not just "the nation's largest city dwellers". Might it be more pronounced for the latter? Maybe. But it probably doesn't have that much to do at all with size, but rather cultural distinctiveness.
So, Dame's question was quite subjective but with the subjectivity cloaked in a pseudo-objectivity. I can only speak for myself, but I'm sure that I would have reacted less negatively to her question if this had not been the case. If she had asked, "When I leave New York, I feel like an alien. Do other people in other cities experience this? Is it particular to the very largest cities, or even to only a nation's largest city?", I'd probably have been a little annoyed at her insularity. But in the same way that I have a writing style that really pushes people's buttons, Dame's pushes mine. The question was disingenuous, possibly giving offense to others, perhaps intentionally giving offense to others, but phrased in such a way that there's plausible deniability. That formula—and Dame's not the only person to write that way—really pushes my buttons.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 3:34 PM on October 19, 2004
But next time, just let it slide, man. AskMe is worth reading only as long as the signal continues to far outweigh the noise.
Good point and point taken.
amberglow-- I am consistently amazed by the number of jewish people I've met who had grandparents from Revere. Folks from New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. There's something about Revere that caused their grandparents to pack up and move far away to marry. Can't figure out what it is.
That packed cemetery is all that's still visible of a once-thriving community.
posted by Mayor Curley at 3:35 PM on October 19, 2004
Good point and point taken.
amberglow-- I am consistently amazed by the number of jewish people I've met who had grandparents from Revere. Folks from New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. There's something about Revere that caused their grandparents to pack up and move far away to marry. Can't figure out what it is.
That packed cemetery is all that's still visible of a once-thriving community.
posted by Mayor Curley at 3:35 PM on October 19, 2004
I was a) happy to answer the question, and b) kind of delighted by the number of interesting answers from Toronto and Tokyo, among other places.
However, I, too, thought the original question was framed from a place of attitudinous twenty-something-white-college-educated-leftish NewYorkcentrism (there are many people who live in Park Slope or on the Upper West Side who would feel like they were "on another planet" if they went to Bensonhurst or Hollis or Astoria after all).
I have lived in New York (on the Upper West Side, in fact) and in various other places in the world with populations ranging from 1,500 to 2 million, and have visited lots of other places in the world. These experiences have taught me that the "I'm on another planet" sensation isn't a function of geography, it's a function of attitude.
(Except that it's weird when people say "on line" in New York. You stand IN line, not ON line.)
posted by Sidhedevil at 3:57 PM on October 19, 2004
However, I, too, thought the original question was framed from a place of attitudinous twenty-something-white-college-educated-leftish NewYorkcentrism (there are many people who live in Park Slope or on the Upper West Side who would feel like they were "on another planet" if they went to Bensonhurst or Hollis or Astoria after all).
I have lived in New York (on the Upper West Side, in fact) and in various other places in the world with populations ranging from 1,500 to 2 million, and have visited lots of other places in the world. These experiences have taught me that the "I'm on another planet" sensation isn't a function of geography, it's a function of attitude.
(Except that it's weird when people say "on line" in New York. You stand IN line, not ON line.)
posted by Sidhedevil at 3:57 PM on October 19, 2004
And amberglow, you're just plain wrong about the Montreal bagels. They are incredibly good. And when did Yonah Schimmel's become an all-knish bakery? That cuts me to the quick.
posted by Sidhedevil at 4:00 PM on October 19, 2004
posted by Sidhedevil at 4:00 PM on October 19, 2004
However, I, too, thought the original question was framed from a place of attitudinous twenty-something-white-college-educated-leftish NewYorkcentrism ... these experiences have taught me that the "I'm on another planet" sensation isn't a function of geography, it's a function of attitude.
That's awesome! That's so awesome! Thank you for tying together in one comment what I couldn't in two threads.
Offering a beer here is almost cliche, but seriously email me if you're thirsty, and the fiance and I will make the trolley ride in town to treat you to a pint or two. Or a big cone of Brigham's if you don't drink.
posted by Mayor Curley at 4:28 PM on October 19, 2004
That's awesome! That's so awesome! Thank you for tying together in one comment what I couldn't in two threads.
Offering a beer here is almost cliche, but seriously email me if you're thirsty, and the fiance and I will make the trolley ride in town to treat you to a pint or two. Or a big cone of Brigham's if you don't drink.
posted by Mayor Curley at 4:28 PM on October 19, 2004
That should be "fiancee," even though both are acceptable in Massachusetts.
posted by Mayor Curley at 4:29 PM on October 19, 2004
posted by Mayor Curley at 4:29 PM on October 19, 2004
So am I correct in thinking the offense is in the "on another planet" phrasing? If so, I am sorry for offending, but I can't really say it won't happen again, as I don't see why you're so het up about it. I often feel as though I'm on or from another magical effing world. That isn't bad. It's interesting. I like it. If I were always comfortable and at home, what would be the point of going anywhere?
And Bligh, why would I intentionally give offense? Especially when I took care to note it was about superiority but idle curiosity? It's just style. And some people's make my brain bleed too. Glorious diversity.
Amberglow: with you 100 percent on the Montreal "bagel."
On preview: I'm not white. Thanks for assuming some more though. You're doing so well.
posted by dame at 4:31 PM on October 19, 2004
And Bligh, why would I intentionally give offense? Especially when I took care to note it was about superiority but idle curiosity? It's just style. And some people's make my brain bleed too. Glorious diversity.
Amberglow: with you 100 percent on the Montreal "bagel."
On preview: I'm not white. Thanks for assuming some more though. You're doing so well.
posted by dame at 4:31 PM on October 19, 2004
So, Dame's question was quite subjective but with the subjectivity cloaked in a pseudo-objectivity. I can only speak for myself, but I'm sure that I would have reacted less negatively to her question if this had not been the case. If she had asked, "When I leave New York, I feel like an alien. Do other people in other cities experience this? Is it particular to the very largest cities, or even to only a nation's largest city?", I'd probably have been a little annoyed at her insularity. But in the same way that I have a writing style that really pushes people's buttons, Dame's pushes mine. The question was disingenuous, possibly giving offense to others, perhaps intentionally giving offense to others, but phrased in such a way that there's plausible deniability. That formula—and Dame's not the only person to write that way—really pushes my buttons.
Sorry to quote in full, but it really was an excellent point EB (really!). Very very true......also (and this isn't an ironic dig at you EB, honestly) I see people use sophistry to give intellectual weight to their opinion because perhaps they don't believe in their opinions enough to strip them down to plain English.
posted by SpaceCadet at 4:37 PM on October 19, 2004
Sorry to quote in full, but it really was an excellent point EB (really!). Very very true......also (and this isn't an ironic dig at you EB, honestly) I see people use sophistry to give intellectual weight to their opinion because perhaps they don't believe in their opinions enough to strip them down to plain English.
posted by SpaceCadet at 4:37 PM on October 19, 2004
it's weird when people say "on line" in New York. You stand IN line, not ON line.
I tend to agree. Annoying regionalism. If you just do some Google searches, though, you can find thousands of instances of this inline.
phrased in such a way that there's plausible deniability
I dunno. I'm no big fan of dame at large, but what I see here is a group of people all reading in the same thing, and then jumping to the conclusion that she must have meant it. There really is absolutely nothing concrete in the question. Nothing. If you want to read in some kind of haughty elitism, and make a mental note to like dame less in the future, fine. If you want to remark on what you perceive to be under the surface, fine. But don't light up torches and march forth upon the thread without something concrete to go on.
/oblivious in CA
posted by scarabic at 4:43 PM on October 19, 2004
I tend to agree. Annoying regionalism. If you just do some Google searches, though, you can find thousands of instances of this inline.
phrased in such a way that there's plausible deniability
I dunno. I'm no big fan of dame at large, but what I see here is a group of people all reading in the same thing, and then jumping to the conclusion that she must have meant it. There really is absolutely nothing concrete in the question. Nothing. If you want to read in some kind of haughty elitism, and make a mental note to like dame less in the future, fine. If you want to remark on what you perceive to be under the surface, fine. But don't light up torches and march forth upon the thread without something concrete to go on.
/oblivious in CA
posted by scarabic at 4:43 PM on October 19, 2004
I refuse to have an intelligent conversation with anyone who uses the word "retarded," since, well, that person is obviously not too intelligent.
I have a retarded uncle. Down's syndrome. Sweet guy, really enjoy visiting him.
But do be sure to never hold a conversation with me again, intelligent or not.
Also, as lame as dame's question was, MC's response was 100x so and with a healthy dose of assholism as well.
posted by five fresh fish at 4:51 PM on October 19, 2004
I have a retarded uncle. Down's syndrome. Sweet guy, really enjoy visiting him.
But do be sure to never hold a conversation with me again, intelligent or not.
Also, as lame as dame's question was, MC's response was 100x so and with a healthy dose of assholism as well.
posted by five fresh fish at 4:51 PM on October 19, 2004
I've heard Revere Beach was The Bronx of Boston back then (the subway line was extended out there at some point, i guess, and people built apartments, and left their "lower east side" or whatever Boston had) so maybe that's why so many people came from there? The Depression sent my grandma's family to NY (to the same apt.bldg. my grandpa was living in with his). : >
Yonah Schimmel's was always all knish (and blinis/blintzes), no? (i prefer street/reg. deli knishes.)
Of course it's "on line." (and at least we don't say "wicked" or "pissah") ; >
posted by amberglow at 4:56 PM on October 19, 2004
Yonah Schimmel's was always all knish (and blinis/blintzes), no? (i prefer street/reg. deli knishes.)
Of course it's "on line." (and at least we don't say "wicked" or "pissah") ; >
posted by amberglow at 4:56 PM on October 19, 2004
New York's all right.... if you like saxaphones.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 4:59 PM on October 19, 2004
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 4:59 PM on October 19, 2004
Can't figure out what it is.
You must not be close enough at low tide.
posted by yerfatma at 5:02 PM on October 19, 2004
You must not be close enough at low tide.
posted by yerfatma at 5:02 PM on October 19, 2004
On preview: I'm not white. Thanks for assuming some more though. You're doing so well.
I'm assuming s/he got the rest of it down accurately, though. Because you would have made a bigger stink if you had more than one adjective to take issue with.
posted by Mayor Curley at 5:57 PM on October 19, 2004
I'm assuming s/he got the rest of it down accurately, though. Because you would have made a bigger stink if you had more than one adjective to take issue with.
posted by Mayor Curley at 5:57 PM on October 19, 2004
They were born in the late seventies. They went to college. They believe in income redistribution. NOW THEY'RE COMING TO EAT YOUR CHILDREN AND MAKE YOU CRY.
posted by dame at 7:45 PM on October 19, 2004
posted by dame at 7:45 PM on October 19, 2004
Bad question. Bad comments. Bad Meta call-out. A display of smallmindedness all around.
Except that it's weird when people say "on line" in New York. You stand IN line, not ON line.
Thank you. Most annoying regionalism ever. Anyone who says this immediately gets taken off of my "take seriously" list.
posted by rushmc at 8:27 PM on October 19, 2004
Except that it's weird when people say "on line" in New York. You stand IN line, not ON line.
Thank you. Most annoying regionalism ever. Anyone who says this immediately gets taken off of my "take seriously" list.
posted by rushmc at 8:27 PM on October 19, 2004
Anyone who says this immediately gets taken off of my "take seriously" list.
Sure, and i bet they're waiting on line for days to get on it. ; >
posted by amberglow at 8:32 PM on October 19, 2004
Sure, and i bet they're waiting on line for days to get on it. ; >
posted by amberglow at 8:32 PM on October 19, 2004
And Bligh, why would I intentionally give offense?
Well, let's not talk about you specifically, but about it generally. It's my observation that there's a writing style (moreso than a speaking style) that seems to me to be deeply passive/aggressive. These folks use the passive voice very often, but with implicit value judgments in their statements. The value judgments rub some people the wrong way (as value judgments often do), but when the writer is confronted about it, they often respond with "that's not what I wrote, you read that into my statement" or similar.
I don't know why this particularly pushes my buttons, but it does. It's deeply related, I think, to the ethos that finds insults to be acceptable if they're witty but not if they're not. If I decide to insult someone, the point is that I'm trying to insult them...not make the insult palatable to an audience. The general idea here is that I dislike covert interpersonal conflict because, to my way of thinking, if you're willing to be in conflict, you should be willing to be accountable for it (and the consequences).
Anyway, over many years of butting heads with the same sort of person over and over again, I've noticed a couple of things. The first is that it's more often than not women that have this writing persona. I have some ideas about that—specifically that it has to do with the very constrained (and mostly covert) modes in which women are allowed to be in conflict in our culture—but they're speculative. The second is that I've come to believe that the people that do this are not aware that they are doing this, at least part or even most of the time. But I guess that's part and parcel with passive/aggressive behavior. That second sentence answers your question.
As we've discussed before, you've expressed a great deal of irritation at the larger portion of the world. Your feelings about New York in contrast to many other places are pretty well known. In that context, it's hard not to see your post as partly an expression of your frustration and hostility. You have a need to express these things, as most of us have a need to express our frustrations. But here you expressed it in a way that supposedly makes it acceptable: as a general question about whether other people feel the same way. Notably, though, you didn't explicitly say that you felt this way. That's really keeping this sentiment—and there's a sentiment being expressed here, there's no doubt about it—at arm's reach.
Mayor Curley and I don't get along at all. But we do share a directness in our expression of irritations and dislikes. I suppose that's why your indirectness seemed risible to both of us.
Of course, there's the counter-argument that somehow indirectness is better in some way, just like witty insults are better in some way. But to my way of thinking, insulting, expressing dislike or contempt, frustration, is inherently aggressive and in some sense violent. Prettying it up in some way is perverse.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 9:05 PM on October 19, 2004
Well, let's not talk about you specifically, but about it generally. It's my observation that there's a writing style (moreso than a speaking style) that seems to me to be deeply passive/aggressive. These folks use the passive voice very often, but with implicit value judgments in their statements. The value judgments rub some people the wrong way (as value judgments often do), but when the writer is confronted about it, they often respond with "that's not what I wrote, you read that into my statement" or similar.
I don't know why this particularly pushes my buttons, but it does. It's deeply related, I think, to the ethos that finds insults to be acceptable if they're witty but not if they're not. If I decide to insult someone, the point is that I'm trying to insult them...not make the insult palatable to an audience. The general idea here is that I dislike covert interpersonal conflict because, to my way of thinking, if you're willing to be in conflict, you should be willing to be accountable for it (and the consequences).
Anyway, over many years of butting heads with the same sort of person over and over again, I've noticed a couple of things. The first is that it's more often than not women that have this writing persona. I have some ideas about that—specifically that it has to do with the very constrained (and mostly covert) modes in which women are allowed to be in conflict in our culture—but they're speculative. The second is that I've come to believe that the people that do this are not aware that they are doing this, at least part or even most of the time. But I guess that's part and parcel with passive/aggressive behavior. That second sentence answers your question.
As we've discussed before, you've expressed a great deal of irritation at the larger portion of the world. Your feelings about New York in contrast to many other places are pretty well known. In that context, it's hard not to see your post as partly an expression of your frustration and hostility. You have a need to express these things, as most of us have a need to express our frustrations. But here you expressed it in a way that supposedly makes it acceptable: as a general question about whether other people feel the same way. Notably, though, you didn't explicitly say that you felt this way. That's really keeping this sentiment—and there's a sentiment being expressed here, there's no doubt about it—at arm's reach.
Mayor Curley and I don't get along at all. But we do share a directness in our expression of irritations and dislikes. I suppose that's why your indirectness seemed risible to both of us.
Of course, there's the counter-argument that somehow indirectness is better in some way, just like witty insults are better in some way. But to my way of thinking, insulting, expressing dislike or contempt, frustration, is inherently aggressive and in some sense violent. Prettying it up in some way is perverse.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 9:05 PM on October 19, 2004
Clearly this whole NYC-v-Boston thing is going to get settled later today, so why don't we all just wait for a sporting event to decide the issue?
posted by yerfatma at 9:29 PM on October 19, 2004
posted by yerfatma at 9:29 PM on October 19, 2004
Clarification: I think I'm oversensitive about what I describe above. And I could also be completely wrong, too. There were explicit value judgments in what I wrote, but I was trying to be careful about them. That's why I used lots of "to my way of thinking" and similar qualifiers.
Hey, you know, I remember Mayor Curley being involved in a big spat here on MeTa last year about Boston and baseball. It's that time of year again?
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 9:45 PM on October 19, 2004
Hey, you know, I remember Mayor Curley being involved in a big spat here on MeTa last year about Boston and baseball. It's that time of year again?
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 9:45 PM on October 19, 2004
GAME SEVEN!!!
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 9:53 PM on October 19, 2004
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 9:53 PM on October 19, 2004
You know, if you see a picture mounted on the wall crooked, do you spit on it or straighten it?
ethylene's final metatalk thread seems relevant here: even if there's a problem with the way a question is phrased, you can answer as if responding to an improved version of it. This is the strategy that makes AskMe most useful, if less fun for those who like arguing and flinging poop.
posted by weston at 9:58 PM on October 19, 2004
ethylene's final metatalk thread seems relevant here: even if there's a problem with the way a question is phrased, you can answer as if responding to an improved version of it. This is the strategy that makes AskMe most useful, if less fun for those who like arguing and flinging poop.
posted by weston at 9:58 PM on October 19, 2004
I was born and raised in NY. I've lived one block from (the original) H and H Bagels and Zabar's. I've had bagels. Kupfel's in Brookline makes a bagel as good as anything H and H can put out. And their whitefish salad is better than Zabar's. And furthermore, go Sox!
posted by TimeFactor at 11:02 PM on October 19, 2004
posted by TimeFactor at 11:02 PM on October 19, 2004
A lot of people out in the Boston/Worcester area, scarabic - and I'm speaking as a current resident.
"wickid pissah!" is quite frequently heard out here.
As for the thread: I was also offended by dame's question. I thought it totally came across as a couched way of writing "Hey let's rag on hicks together and discuss all the ways we're better because we're from New York!"
I should also mention I grew up in New York. This was a bullshit attempt to start a 5 minutes hate against everything that isn't NYC. Fuck the attitude that leads to such phrasings and fuck your need to hold a little parade in your own honor.
posted by Ryvar at 11:19 PM on October 19, 2004
"wickid pissah!" is quite frequently heard out here.
As for the thread: I was also offended by dame's question. I thought it totally came across as a couched way of writing "Hey let's rag on hicks together and discuss all the ways we're better because we're from New York!"
I should also mention I grew up in New York. This was a bullshit attempt to start a 5 minutes hate against everything that isn't NYC. Fuck the attitude that leads to such phrasings and fuck your need to hold a little parade in your own honor.
posted by Ryvar at 11:19 PM on October 19, 2004
Dame was just blabbering, and MC is going to need some ointment for that overjerked knee. The question was insinuating, but most people are elitist, in some way, about something. It's not a fine thing, but it's a pretty common trait, and we see it constantly here in one form or another, so reacting to that is like being offended by the weather. The question as phrased simply wasn't good, the Mayor's barrage wasn't good, and the game is 0-0 going into overtime. I'm an AskMe liberal, but this is great example of what not to do, all the way 'round.
posted by taz at 11:35 PM on October 19, 2004
posted by taz at 11:35 PM on October 19, 2004
the ethos that finds insults to be acceptable if they're witty but not if they're not.
You do realize that that's a pretty appalling attitude?
posted by rushmc at 11:55 PM on October 19, 2004
You do realize that that's a pretty appalling attitude?
posted by rushmc at 11:55 PM on October 19, 2004
Where can I get an inflatable love doll that looks like my city?
Where can I get an inflatable love doll that looks like a bagel?
Where can I get an inflatable love doll that looks like
ME?
posted by Opus Dark at 11:55 PM on October 19, 2004
Where can I get an inflatable love doll that looks like a bagel?
Where can I get an inflatable love doll that looks like
ME?
posted by Opus Dark at 11:55 PM on October 19, 2004
Opus Dark, I have an inflatable love doll that looks like you.
posted by taz at 12:24 AM on October 20, 2004
posted by taz at 12:24 AM on October 20, 2004
You do realize that that's a pretty appalling attitude?
You do realize he was saying he didn't like it, right? Or are you saying it's ok to insult people if you're witty?
posted by Snyder at 1:45 AM on October 20, 2004
You do realize he was saying he didn't like it, right? Or are you saying it's ok to insult people if you're witty?
posted by Snyder at 1:45 AM on October 20, 2004
Hey, you know, I remember Mayor Curley being involved in a big spat here on MeTa last year about Boston and baseball. It's that time of year again?
You're right. I forgot about that. But it was just baseball that time. And with another resident of Boston. This seriously wasn't about baseball.
posted by Mayor Curley at 8:39 AM on October 20, 2004
You're right. I forgot about that. But it was just baseball that time. And with another resident of Boston. This seriously wasn't about baseball.
posted by Mayor Curley at 8:39 AM on October 20, 2004
Who the fuck says that?
People from New England of a certain age. One of the best meet-a-stranger moments of my life was at the Fleet Center sitting behind two lifer Celtic fans. This was when the team was in the doldrums (a long period that isn't over, so let's be more specific and call it 1999. I think. The Celtics won a barn-burner against the late Charlotte Hornets) and there wasn't much interest. My girlfriend and I got to talking to the two of them and they related the story of busting into the Celtics '86 post-championship celebration at some bar and hanging with Bill Walton.
Guy: "That was a real pissah— you know what a pissah is?"
Me: "Of course."
Guy: "You're from New Hampshire, whaddo I know? You coulda thought it was a soda."
The only interesting part is he didn't say "tonic" for "soda".
posted by yerfatma at 8:46 AM on October 20, 2004
People from New England of a certain age. One of the best meet-a-stranger moments of my life was at the Fleet Center sitting behind two lifer Celtic fans. This was when the team was in the doldrums (a long period that isn't over, so let's be more specific and call it 1999. I think. The Celtics won a barn-burner against the late Charlotte Hornets) and there wasn't much interest. My girlfriend and I got to talking to the two of them and they related the story of busting into the Celtics '86 post-championship celebration at some bar and hanging with Bill Walton.
Guy: "That was a real pissah— you know what a pissah is?"
Me: "Of course."
Guy: "You're from New Hampshire, whaddo I know? You coulda thought it was a soda."
The only interesting part is he didn't say "tonic" for "soda".
posted by yerfatma at 8:46 AM on October 20, 2004
You do realize he was saying he didn't like it, right?
Is he? Hmm...even on re-reading his comment, that's not clear to me, but maybe. If so, then nm, as we agree in that case.
posted by rushmc at 8:54 AM on October 20, 2004
Is he? Hmm...even on re-reading his comment, that's not clear to me, but maybe. If so, then nm, as we agree in that case.
posted by rushmc at 8:54 AM on October 20, 2004
It wasn't about superiority or ragging on hicks. For fucks sake. I said that upfront. It was about feeling so very alien on a recent trip that I was surprised. Which would mean I didn't expect it. Which would mean that I don't fancy myself some member of a magical elite bubble; otherwise I wouldn't have been so surprised.
Look, I tried to avoid making the question sound snotty. When I failed, I apologized (even though I was much less of dick than, say, Mayor Curley). If despite all that, you insist on seeing malice, there is really nothing I can do to help.
posted by dame at 9:02 AM on October 20, 2004
Look, I tried to avoid making the question sound snotty. When I failed, I apologized (even though I was much less of dick than, say, Mayor Curley). If despite all that, you insist on seeing malice, there is really nothing I can do to help.
posted by dame at 9:02 AM on October 20, 2004
I didn't mean to remark on your personal ethnic identification, dame, but on the ethnic identification of the attitude I felt that your question expressed.
However, I suppose that "dominant-middle-class-culture" would have been a far more accurate descriptor than "white". So I sit corrected.
posted by Sidhedevil at 9:23 AM on October 20, 2004
However, I suppose that "dominant-middle-class-culture" would have been a far more accurate descriptor than "white". So I sit corrected.
posted by Sidhedevil at 9:23 AM on October 20, 2004
I interpreted Mayor Curley's remark to be in flagrant violation of Matt's AskMe guidelines at the bottom of the page. It was snarky and wisecracking, and seemed intended to create noise in the thread rather than to help dame get an answer.
Sorry, but the spirit of Ask MeFi is not to ask silly questions with no discernable answer. The "I like Blue. What color do you like and why?" and the "why lift the toilet seat?" threads are showing up more and more, and are more of a "flagrant violation" of the Ask MeFi guidelines than MC's alleged transgression. Ask MeFi is increasingly becoming a place to ask inane questions simply to watch the comments pile up and pat oneself on the back from being so clever.
The questions was stupid, the comments were retarded, and I need to take a wicked pissah before lunch. Hmmm, maybe I should post an Ask MeFi question asking where the best place to have lunch in SoDuCi is? ;)
posted by terrapin at 9:37 AM on October 20, 2004
Sorry, but the spirit of Ask MeFi is not to ask silly questions with no discernable answer. The "I like Blue. What color do you like and why?" and the "why lift the toilet seat?" threads are showing up more and more, and are more of a "flagrant violation" of the Ask MeFi guidelines than MC's alleged transgression. Ask MeFi is increasingly becoming a place to ask inane questions simply to watch the comments pile up and pat oneself on the back from being so clever.
The questions was stupid, the comments were retarded, and I need to take a wicked pissah before lunch. Hmmm, maybe I should post an Ask MeFi question asking where the best place to have lunch in SoDuCi is? ;)
posted by terrapin at 9:37 AM on October 20, 2004
Thanks, Sidhedevil; I see what you're getting at. And I appreciate your calm clarification, even if I don't like your original point.
posted by dame at 10:15 AM on October 20, 2004
posted by dame at 10:15 AM on October 20, 2004
terrapin, I think you're saying that it's okay to piss all over an AskMe thread that you don't like. If so, how do you reconcile that with Matt's directive re AskMe threads?
note: Ask MetaFilter is as useful as you make it. Please limit comments to answers or help in finding an answer. Wisecracks don't help people find answers. Thanks.
Is it okay to purposely ignore that directive because you think the thread doesn't belong in AskMe?
I think Mayor Curley should have taken it to MeTa. Instead, he crapped all over the thread, and now we have this thread about Mayor Curley in MeTa, and also a bunch of people who are backslapping Mayor Curley now think it's fine to crap all over AskMe threads if you do it amusingly. This will go a long way towards making AskMe into GrudgeFilter.
BTW, this is the answer to the toilet seat question!
posted by onlyconnect at 10:56 AM on October 20, 2004
note: Ask MetaFilter is as useful as you make it. Please limit comments to answers or help in finding an answer. Wisecracks don't help people find answers. Thanks.
Is it okay to purposely ignore that directive because you think the thread doesn't belong in AskMe?
I think Mayor Curley should have taken it to MeTa. Instead, he crapped all over the thread, and now we have this thread about Mayor Curley in MeTa, and also a bunch of people who are backslapping Mayor Curley now think it's fine to crap all over AskMe threads if you do it amusingly. This will go a long way towards making AskMe into GrudgeFilter.
BTW, this is the answer to the toilet seat question!
posted by onlyconnect at 10:56 AM on October 20, 2004
I very definitely was complaining against the ethos that insults are acceptable if witty. I was comparing it to being insulting in a sly, non-witty, passive/aggressive manner—which I think some people find much more acceptable than direct confrontation.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 1:07 PM on October 20, 2004
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 1:07 PM on October 20, 2004
a bunch of people who are backslapping Mayor Curley now think it's fine to crap all over AskMe threads if you do it amusingly.
I assure you that nobody does ANYTHING just because I did it.
(Except fake fads like pogs and lambada. I started those.)
posted by Mayor Curley at 2:03 PM on October 20, 2004
I assure you that nobody does ANYTHING just because I did it.
(Except fake fads like pogs and lambada. I started those.)
posted by Mayor Curley at 2:03 PM on October 20, 2004
An embroidered insult is a civilized insult. An embellished, refined, nonlinear insult, especially one well-varnished with dispersive entertainment value, is a de-harshed insult; declawed and defanged, it barks, but its tail wags like a haberdasher's finicky whiskbroom; it is a detached, distracted, unfocused insult; and if it yet remains a handful of poo, it is at least a handful of poo enfolded within a conciliative lapping of fragrant deodorizing rose petals.
(Really. C'mere and smell.)
Why one would deliberately calibrate one's personal outrage meter to ignore the palliative persuasions of wit, parody, and sarcasm is a mystery to me. Style is everything. All text is ultimately reducible to a brutish feral scrawl - and who wants to find that at the bottom of a bucket of chicken?
(Taz! Dear girl! I'm shocked! I feel so...colonized...and so plural.)
Opus Dark
Bagel Outreach Mall
42 Whatever Way
Lower Least Side
Funkytown, Earth
posted by Opus Dark at 2:18 PM on October 20, 2004
(Really. C'mere and smell.)
Why one would deliberately calibrate one's personal outrage meter to ignore the palliative persuasions of wit, parody, and sarcasm is a mystery to me. Style is everything. All text is ultimately reducible to a brutish feral scrawl - and who wants to find that at the bottom of a bucket of chicken?
(Taz! Dear girl! I'm shocked! I feel so...colonized...and so plural.)
Opus Dark
Bagel Outreach Mall
42 Whatever Way
Lower Least Side
Funkytown, Earth
posted by Opus Dark at 2:18 PM on October 20, 2004
where can I get an inflatable love doll that looks like quonsar?
[with gratuitous pic of child loving on it]
posted by scarabic at 4:37 PM on October 20, 2004
[with gratuitous pic of child loving on it]
posted by scarabic at 4:37 PM on October 20, 2004
Lambada? You mean "the forgotten dance"?
posted by Sidhedevil at 6:08 PM on October 20, 2004
posted by Sidhedevil at 6:08 PM on October 20, 2004
Mayor, are you the guy responsible for the Macarena too? You bastard!
posted by amberglow at 6:40 PM on October 20, 2004
posted by amberglow at 6:40 PM on October 20, 2004
there's nothing wrong with mayor curley that wouldn't be cured with more fiber in his diet.
thank you. and good night.
posted by pxe2000 at 8:57 PM on October 20, 2004
thank you. and good night.
posted by pxe2000 at 8:57 PM on October 20, 2004
I very definitely was complaining against the ethos that insults are acceptable if witty.
Fair enough. Then the answer to my question is that yes, you DO realize how appalling it is. :)
posted by rushmc at 11:41 PM on October 20, 2004
Fair enough. Then the answer to my question is that yes, you DO realize how appalling it is. :)
posted by rushmc at 11:41 PM on October 20, 2004
"I'm assuming s/he got the rest of it down accurately, though. Because you would have made a bigger stink if you had more than one adjective to take issue with."
What an utter fucktard.
posted by Irontom at 7:05 AM on October 21, 2004
What an utter fucktard.
posted by Irontom at 7:05 AM on October 21, 2004
What an utter fucktard.
You have a big butt and your butt smells and you like to kiss your own butt.
posted by Mayor Curley at 8:37 AM on October 21, 2004
You have a big butt and your butt smells and you like to kiss your own butt.
posted by Mayor Curley at 8:37 AM on October 21, 2004
Uh, Mayor, you're supposed to be feeling better after last night. Why don't you visit the GO SOX! thread over in the blue? It'll improve your mood.
I've met dame, by the way, and she's very nice. I think people should take her at her word about what she meant by her question.
posted by languagehat at 12:30 PM on October 21, 2004
I've met dame, by the way, and she's very nice. I think people should take her at her word about what she meant by her question.
posted by languagehat at 12:30 PM on October 21, 2004
I'm totally over it. Dame's okay in my book-- that post lead to two fun threads.
And now that no one's reading this, I would just like to say that when I wear glasses, they're actually black plastic frames.
posted by Mayor Curley at 2:57 PM on October 21, 2004
And now that no one's reading this, I would just like to say that when I wear glasses, they're actually black plastic frames.
posted by Mayor Curley at 2:57 PM on October 21, 2004
terrapin, I think you're saying that it's okay to piss all over an AskMe thread that you don't like.
That is not the only conclusion to come to, Val. I believe in the crap in, crap out model. If a question is self-serving and vacuous, then the poster should expect people (at least MeFites) to dump in it. I don't agree that anyone *should* dump (or piss) in *any* thread, but posters need to take a step back and ask if they couldn't find the answer* elsewhere. Or more specifically if the question has an answer, and whether they have some agenda like "See, all the people on Ask Metafilter say it is okay for me to leave the toilet seat up, you beeeyotch!" Far too often, the "questions" people are posting would be better if they were posted on their own web site.
* Existential or zen-like questions that do not have definitive answers shouldn't be on AskMefi; they should be on the member's own site.
posted by terrapin at 9:29 AM on October 22, 2004
That is not the only conclusion to come to, Val. I believe in the crap in, crap out model. If a question is self-serving and vacuous, then the poster should expect people (at least MeFites) to dump in it. I don't agree that anyone *should* dump (or piss) in *any* thread, but posters need to take a step back and ask if they couldn't find the answer* elsewhere. Or more specifically if the question has an answer, and whether they have some agenda like "See, all the people on Ask Metafilter say it is okay for me to leave the toilet seat up, you beeeyotch!" Far too often, the "questions" people are posting would be better if they were posted on their own web site.
* Existential or zen-like questions that do not have definitive answers shouldn't be on AskMefi; they should be on the member's own site.
posted by terrapin at 9:29 AM on October 22, 2004
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The thread went on just fine. What's the problem?
Do people create MeTa threads just so they can be indignant about something?
posted by esch at 10:10 AM on October 19, 2004