Wednesday, June 29, 2011

I Think I Like Twitter

Not that I tweet myself, though I do have an account.  More because it seems to be a honey pot to catch incriminating evidence against people who want to tell one story to their friends, and a completely different one to the world.  People who somehow think that posting something on the internet can be equated somehow to a private conversation.

I don't keep up with Glenn Beck like I used to.  I drop in on him a few times a week, but I miss some details.  And so I missed the "wine spill" incident that Morgan mentioned in an otherwise unrelated blog post.  Which I then took the opportunity to hijack the comment link to talk about that, specifically.

Because I've listened to the guy for several years, and I'm willing to bet that the man is not a liar, and in fact goes out of his way to get his facts straight, and separates his facts from his opinions.

Now I gave Little Miss Yellowtail Chardonay and her friend Lindsey Piscitell (see her letter in the comments) the benefit of the doubt at first.  I figured with people giving him a cold reception and saying things like "We hate conservatives here" ... that maybe it was an accident as she said and Glenn misinterpreted it in this context (even though she herself called it a "happy accident").   In this case it is literally her word against Glenn's, and while I'm inclined to believe Glenn as a direct audience member who's gotten a feel for him over the years -- hey.  Glenn could've gotten it wrong.  It happens.

I started thinking more about why people would be inclined to believe Lindsey over Glenn -- and of course the best answer is because they want to -- much like I wanted to believe Glenn.  But most of the people who just swallowed her story have never heard of Lindsey Piscitell.  I on the other hand have much more than heard of Glenn Beck.  And so had they.  But as I, again, have heard him first hand over a long period of time to give me a good feel for who he is, the only things they "know" about Glenn Beck came from listening to other people talk about Glenn Beck ... and further, only from people whom they are willing to listen to -- talking about Glenn Beck.  (The vast majority of whom have also never listened to Glenn Beck.)   Which de-facto excludes anyone with anything but a negative opinion of Glenn Beck.   So their opinion is in this little self-sequestered bubble, unmoored from any reality other than a lot of people appear to hate Glenn Beck. Most of whom themselves are in their own little self-sequestering bubbles.  Ask them to give you an example of a Glenn Beck lie or Glenn Beck "hate".  A few who have been at this hate game for a long time might know of something very unrelated to politics or race or any other thing they rant about 15 or so years ago before Glenn's awakening and complete personal transformation.

Well it turns out that Lindsey's story doesn't hold much water upon further inspection, thanks to twitter.  Yeah, she was tweeting about her proximity to Glenn Beck, and made a comment F*cking #asshole @glenbeck is siting next to me at Bryant park movie night #getthefuckoutofmycity.  (Even though she herself claims to be from San Francisco.  So I'm not sure why it's any more hers than Glenn's.)

It further turns out that a friend tweeted back a suggestion to spill something on him or kick him in the mouth.   It also turns out THAT person's twitter account was quickly deleted.

On top of that, Lindsey commented on a blog that Glenn's security guards got a little agitated.  In her letter she said that they were just tumbling and doing acrobatics -- so innocent, and she couldn't understand why.  So innocuous.  In her blog comment she said that she held up a sign that said "fascist douchebag" (some of that famous creative "poetry", I'm sure) and pointed at him and took a picture.   Funny she didn't mention that in her letter to New York Magazine.

In another comment on the same blog, a woman asked why Glenn hadn't been chased onto the Staten Island Ferry by a screaming mob with torches and pitchforks.

And little Miss Lindsey replied "We tried as best we could", and referenced photos and an email to someplace called "gawker".  I wonder if we can find that email?

Yeah.  I like twitter.  It keeps people honest, and when it doesn't, it shows that they aren't.

2 comments:

nightfly said...

"We’re a city that thrives on uncertainty and creativity, and like Basquiat or Maplethorpe or Patti Smith, it’s imperative that we pursue our interests atypically and free, the possibility of becoming unhinged at any moment not only anticipated but welcome."

Unless you just want to watch a movie in the park, quietly, with your wife, bothering nobody - and you're near a person who disagrees with you. Then, screw you, hippeh. Their right to become unhinged totally trumps your right to be no bother to anyone around you.

And notice that the guy felt compelled to have bodyguards? AND that he was correct?

Sure, chase him out of "your city" with torches and pitchforks - but while you do that, watch your violent rhetoric!

I can respect the right to think differently and reach a different conclusion, but I find it very hard indeed to respect the refusal to think, and just spit out any gutfeel nonsense that comes along.

Whitehawk said...

I think it's time to start sensitivity training seminars. This is simply a case of ignorance, descrimination and intollerance against conservatives. HA! If only...