This is a bit of insider blogosphere baseball, so if you aren't into it, that is perfectly okay. But to my friends over at Trooper York's place this one is for you.
There is a bit of a shake up going on at Althouse right now. Ann had a small dust up with Dr. Helen and Glenn Reynolds (who of course has been one of Ann's biggest supporters over the years). Glenn's response seemed pretty mild and courteous: Ann is a thoughtful and open-minded and smart woman, but at some level I feel like she doesn’t really get it. Actually that is very generous by Glenn Reynolds. When some of her commentators pointed this out, however, panic set in over at Meadhouse. In a Charles Johnson like move, Ann and Meade have shut down comments completely (at least temporarily) and are banning many of their long term commentators.
Now I occasionally comment here about an Ann Althouse post, but I rarely comment on the posts directly. I also rarely read the comments there so I do not know what is going on (nor do I care for the most part).
But then I got recently tipped off that Meade was accusing an old Althouse commentator Fred4Pres of being some troll commentator "President MomJeans." I have no idea who Mom Jeans is (and I have been told that commentator also posts as some offensive troll "Whore of the Internet")[I have been told that is incorrect], but I know neither are Fred4Pres. So what prompted Meade's accusation? Damn if I know. Fred4Pres has not commented over at Althouse for almost two years.
But given Meade's July 5, 2013 post, Fred4Pres returned and commented over there in response. Before Meade goes and purges them all here are some screen captures:
No apology was forthcoming to Fred4Pres from Meade. And I know there is no evidence to support any of Meade's accusations about Fred4Pres being MomJeans (it must have been some speculation on his part, which he was wrong about). But that is how Meade operates, rather than just apologize for a mistake he escalates things and make them far worse.
EBL has nothing to do with MomJeans or any other sock puppet trolls on Althouse. If I am going to criticize Ann and Meade, I can do it right here. And I admit, I have teased her in the past:
For the life of me, I do not understand the over reaction over there, but she and Meade should seriously leave me out of it. And leave Fred4Pres out of it too.
Some Macho Response/Crack Emcee posts:
Let's all thank Ann Althouse
Instapundit stands up to Althouse...
Ann Althouse is a bitch (and everyone should know it)
Fumbling around the the dark (as seen in the light of day)
Ann Althouse's Blog is now coming apart at the seams...
Update:
Ann and Meade are open for limited business for comments:
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| Ann Althouse: Box wine crazy and... |
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| Amy Bouzaglo: Bat Shit Crazy |
There is a bit of a shake up going on at Althouse right now. Ann had a small dust up with Dr. Helen and Glenn Reynolds (who of course has been one of Ann's biggest supporters over the years). Glenn's response seemed pretty mild and courteous: Ann is a thoughtful and open-minded and smart woman, but at some level I feel like she doesn’t really get it. Actually that is very generous by Glenn Reynolds. When some of her commentators pointed this out, however, panic set in over at Meadhouse. In a Charles Johnson like move, Ann and Meade have shut down comments completely (at least temporarily) and are banning many of their long term commentators.
Now I occasionally comment here about an Ann Althouse post, but I rarely comment on the posts directly. I also rarely read the comments there so I do not know what is going on (nor do I care for the most part).
But then I got recently tipped off that Meade was accusing an old Althouse commentator Fred4Pres of being some troll commentator "President MomJeans." I have no idea who Mom Jeans is (
But given Meade's July 5, 2013 post, Fred4Pres returned and commented over there in response. Before Meade goes and purges them all here are some screen captures:
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| Link to comment |
[EBL had a post too, but Meade deleted it]
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| Link to comment |
No apology was forthcoming to Fred4Pres from Meade. And I know there is no evidence to support any of Meade's accusations about Fred4Pres being MomJeans (it must have been some speculation on his part, which he was wrong about). But that is how Meade operates, rather than just apologize for a mistake he escalates things and make them far worse.
EBL has nothing to do with MomJeans or any other sock puppet trolls on Althouse. If I am going to criticize Ann and Meade, I can do it right here. And I admit, I have teased her in the past:
 |
| I think my hair is more fabulous than Ann's, but that is my opinion! |
Some Macho Response/Crack Emcee posts:
Let's all thank Ann Althouse
Instapundit stands up to Althouse...
Ann Althouse is a bitch (and everyone should know it)
Fumbling around the the dark (as seen in the light of day)
Ann Althouse's Blog is now coming apart at the seams...
Update:
Ann and Meade are open for limited business for comments:
Meanwhile Ann suggest this story is a metaphor. She is right, Ann and Meade are the tigers (well more neutered Wisconsin house cats than tigers), spinning around the tree until they turn into butter. As for the valuable heartwood, that is what the commentators used to create. Until she drove them away.
Had to shut off access to comments on the blog today, because some commenters stank up the joint http://t.co/1iBIrtne9s
— Ann Althouse (@annalthouse) July 7, 2013
Hey Meade just posted here!
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The Macho Response: Althouse: Grovel or I will never call you names again...
Lem's Learning Levity: Why Blog Crashes Have Become More Mundane...nice one!
Lem is on a roll: Althouse Street and the corner of the Arab Spring...
Crack is on a roll too...and Ann...
Update:
I have recently found out who "President Mom Jeans" is in real life and it is not "Whore of the Internet." So I was totally wrong about that and wish to apologize.
ReplyDeleteWell that is good to point out. I know Fred4Pres is not "President Mom Jeans." And EBL is not "President Mom Jeans."
DeleteIt is remarkable how a once-interesting blog has descended into a high-schoolish mess. Post a topic, let people comment, and move along. By taking seriously what anyone who disagrees with you posts, you're simply encouraging a higher level of disagreement.
ReplyDeleteThat is exactly right.
DeleteMeade is just limited. He falsely accused me of being "Mary" when I started this blog. And he was absolutely wrong about that--Mary is some former student of Ann's. I honestly never had a "beef" with Meade and Ann, other than how they treated you and the other commentators back in 2011.
ReplyDeleteAnd they are doing it again. This is a completely self inflicted wound on their part.
I am terrible at reading personalities in comments - so bad that Inga figured out who BZ was about a year before I was informed - INFORMED, mind you - I never did figure it out on my own.
ReplyDeleteAnd, for the record, I am not Bissage. I am, however, Spartacus.
The historical Spartacus, the Kubrick Spartacus, or the Starz Spartacus (who gets to escape and live).
DeleteI'm not unhappy that she's turning off the comments. She wants to go to a system like Andrew Sullivan's, where she and Meade get to hand-pick the adulation that is published. It's going to be just as dull too.
ReplyDeleteHer site really is not that substantive. There are occasionally good articles she links to, but I am more interested in those articles than her take on what she finds. I mostly glance over that.
DeleteHey guys. I've lurked, never posted to your blog EBL, but I will say this much. I never had any animus or hatred for Althouse or Meade. I knew something was brewing over there, I just didn't know what. Then the comment hammer drops and we are told that well was poisoned and her hospitality limits have been reached. Fine, but what I think she forgot was to put on her thick skinned flame suit and go with the flow. What else can you say? In the grand scheme of things, this is meaningless, but it's still to bad that Althouse ended up being a kind of sore winner. Her DOMA cascade was the tell and her 'you're just losers' (to paraphrase) gloat was basically a thumb in the eye of those she'd disagreed with.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome to post here anytime.
DeleteI do not get Meade going on some jihad after two years about Fred4Pres. And when Meade gets called out on it he demands a private email exchange with F4P or EBL.
This is not the first time he has done that. Back when this site started he wanted to engage in some email communications too. I said no. I am happy to discuss anything with them. Back then he though EBL was Mary (which it most certainly is not and any person paying attention could have easily figured out).
Obviously they are paranoid. But while I occasionally do tease them, I do it up front and via posts here. And I have not done anything recently, other than linking a couple of her posts because I liked what she was posting. I have not read her post comments in many months. I am busy posting here.
This episode today is an unforced error by both of them. If they dish it out (like Meade did to Fred4Pres) they should not complain when we dish it right back.
Thank you for the invitation. Honestly, the whole thing is bizarre. I would expect that a blogger of any note would be more willing to accept criticism as well as give it for what they say or do on a public forum like a blog. Apparently the limit for that was reached. However, I did offer my apologies over there for any contribution to making them or anyone else feel ill at ease with my opinions. I did it because I genuinely felt it, but also as an extension of good will that I don't harbor any feelings of ill-will towards 99.9% of people over there. There are roughly 4 commentors over there that I would happily and gladly see spontaneously combust while I stand by the sideline with a can of gasoline to help them out.
DeleteBut hey, that's a fantasy of mine. Either way, something happened, they aren't being really forthcoming with it like I wish they would just come out and say exactly what drove them over the edge. I never like it when people speak around a topic and instead sort of dance at trying to illuminate some hidden meaning out it. Just makes the whole thing shady. I also greatly suspect that Ann does not like having her children attacked and the latest reflections on that on her blog with respect DOMA and SCOTUS kicking down Prop. 8 to the lower california court which in effect upheld the lawsuit to eradicate the majority 52% vote of Californiansby a select few that didn't agree with it. The pushback she got on that was justified, but her 'sore winner' routine rubbed people the wrong way.
The amount of pushback she got may have shocked her, but her contradictory flailing left a lot of people mystified. I suspect it comes from her deep rooted issue with her son(s) being homosexuals and her emotional attachment to that. Also, there were a couple of pointed digs at her possibly never being a grandparent because of it. That would strike heavy on anyone I suppose.
This is obviously not the first time. There was of course the whole "Dirty Dozen" thing back in 2011 which prompted me to start this blog. But this old article from Reason shows that Ann really has issues with being challenged.
DeleteI have not been on Ann's comments in any meaningful way since I started this---but I suspect your conclusions are absolutely true (and I know she does have a few bad apples that tried to mess up things for Trooper York, hence the reason is blog is now private). I am certainly not the sock puppet that Meade suggested (and even though he probably recognizes that now, he will not apologize because he is a coward). But I know this, Ann and Meade are not to be trusted.
Since we all here know each other, let me just say it seems this has been building since New Year's and last night's event didn't surprise me. She's been snapping at too many people when she would otherwise laugh it off.
ReplyDeleteMaybe she's not well - she doesn't look it.
Maybe it's got to do with the "election" or her support for Walker and all the harassment she's gotten from the Lefties.
Whatever it is she needs, I hope she finds it.
Evi L. Bloggerlady
ReplyDeleteJul 6 (2 days ago)
to me
Evi L. Bloggerlady has left a new comment on the post ""If men did this to women, it would be considered ...":
Meade,
I expect an apology. I am not "President Mom Jeans" or "Whores of the Internet" (who apparently is some alterego of Mom Jeans according to some friends of mine).
I stopped posting at Althouse in 2011 and took a break. I am not either of those entities and for you to jump to that conclusion is pure speculation (because it is false and there is no evidence to back up your allegation). So please cut it out.
I am not sure what is going on here, but please leave me out of it (other than acknowledging you made a mistake accusing me).
Thank you.
Now excuse me while I go back to supporting Fred4Pres in 2016.
Is that your apology Meade? Because a real apology should be sincere.
DeleteNo, that is not an apology. But why do you expect an apology? Or is that Fred4Pres who expects an apology? For what? For my mixing up PresidentMomJeans with TrooperYork with BaronVonZemo with EvilBloggerlady? Are those pseudonyms "sincere" as you say? And how does one apologize to a moniker anyway? Sorry, 7th grader self-indulgent adopter of comic book character, I must have hurt your little comic book feelings. Please accept my deepest and most sincere apology.
DeleteAt least Michael Haz and Ed Dutcher have the balls to express themselves under their own adult true names. I respect that. My best working theory for the rest of you is that you operate from a deep sense of shame. And I pity you that.
Meade, Meade, Meade.
DeleteI am glad you acknowledged that Fred4Pres and Evi L. Bloggerlady are not "President Mom Jeans" and that you were wrong. Your apology sucks, but frankly I do not care so much. I just am glad you acknowledged you were wrong.
As for why people post without using their legal names, there are many reasons for it. But shame? What shame would there be?
I would not have posted on this latest Althouse meltdown but for you starting this dust up about Fred4Pres.
As for why people post without using their legal names, there are many reasons for it. But shame? What shame would there be?
DeleteI've stated many times why I use a pseudonym. None of it has to do with shame. Back in the day when I was a licensed securities rep. I didn't want to have my real name on the internet and especially my thoughts associated with politics since that might cause a conflict with some of my clients. I was always very careful to keep politics out of my business life. Now that I'm retired that conflict isn't a problem and considering that 90% or more of the people where I live are really of like minded political leanings it doesn't matter.
The other and MAIN reason to be anonymous was for safety. Having been stalked and threatened in the early days of Usenet by some really psycho people out there and living in a very sparsely populated area it would be very easy for someone who didn't mean me well to find out my physical location if they knew my real name and to harass me and my husband.
This is also the main reason that I would not dream of giving Meade any possibility of access to my name through an email account. I don't think he is a trustworthy person based on the insane and emotional accusations that have been tossed around.
I certainly know I'm ashamed. Anybody worth the oxygen they suck up should be. If I used my real name, people talking to me and wanting my autograph and talking about me, and just wanting to be me would dominate any blog I entered. That's why I use an alias. All the cool people do it.
DeleteOh and... That's all just Oh and...
You shouldn't be surprised dude. Meade can only serve up that weak tea.
ReplyDeleteAnd pancakes.
Heh.
Hey Methadras I have always enjoyed your commentary. I you would like to join my private blog send me a private message on Facebook and I will hook you up.
ReplyDelete.
Oh, thank you for the invite, but I can't send you my facebook info. That's more information than I want out there. Let me consider it or if you have another option I can entertain that. There are too many lunatics out there and I've done a fairly good job of keeping my true super hero identity a secret. :D
Delete