The other day I was happily surprised to see that I had gotten quite a few comments over the course of the morning. Like any blogger, comments make me happy. They make me feel that I’m not just talking to myself, though perhaps I am at times. In any event, I rushed over to my admin panel to see what someone had taken the time to say.
The first few comments were the type that just make you smile. Happy holiday wishes from friends and fellow bloggers. A “great job” on a recipe I had posted and one or two pieces of comment spam that the filters had caught. (I have a plugin for that now, but I plan on adding that info to its own page soon, so I won’t detail it here.) The last three comments are the purpose for this post, and had me sitting open mouthed for several minutes before I could even manage to tell my wife about them.
Please note that these comments were posted on my article on Sandra Lee, written in July of 2007. This article has been one of the most viewed on CbsoP since it was published. Though I’ll admit myself that the tone was a bit a little sort of could have been completely derogatory, most people just seem to get that my bobblehead posts are mostly in fun, and not personal attacks on the Food Network Celebrities themselves. (How can I personally attack someone I’ve never met? I write about persona’s that are presented publicly, not that person specifically. For all I know, they should be sainted.)
This person obviously didn’t get it. Her comments to me were enraged, derogatory and full of… Shall we say, less than polite language. She attacked me personally, with emotion and passion, challenging my right to have said anything against Miss Lee at all. If that wasn’t enough, she attacked readers of this blog in the same manner, with foul language and a complete lack of respect, by name. In the end, editing the language of the comments would have rendered them gibberish and they were deleted.
I will not name names here. The point of this entry is not to stir up another war. The point is this. If you choose to disagree with something I or my readers have written here, please feel free to do so. I expected people to disagree with that entry. I expect people to disagree with any/all of the bobblehead entries, both those already written and those to come. But if you are going to take the time to post a comment that objects to what has been written here, please take the time to do so with the following points in mind:
- Any comment that uses foul or derogatory language, racial slurs or direct insults pointed at any reader of this blog will simply never be published. These folks were kind enough to leave their opinions here and I will not have them challenged or insulted in that manner. As a matter of fact, it’s a good way to get you placed on my banned list.
- If your command of the English language stops with the use of four letter words as adjectives or adverbs, you can pretty much assume I’ll delete your comment before anyone sees it. I know for a fact that I have readers under the age of 18, and a few of those readers are from backgrounds that would find your language offensive. This is a family oriented blog. If you feel the need to use language like that, go to MySpace and use that type of language on the other L33t-speakers, they’ll laugh along with you because Mom and Dad can’t hear.
- Attacks against myself personally will not be posted unless written by the person I wrote the article about. If Miss Lee, Miss Ray or Miss De Laurentis would like to comment, then they have the right to direct comments at me personally, you do not. You may however feel free to disagree with what I’ve written. I’m a fair guy, I will accept the comment, I’ll listen and I’ll reply if I feel it to be necessary, it’s only fair that I should do so.
Having state all this, it’s time I went and looked for something food-ish to do. I’ve got a stack of recipes I need to get to, and there are still a few things about the site design I want to tweak.
Have a nice day, Y’all!
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Category : Personal Ramblings
Many bloggers are facing this same issue, and hooray for you for speaking out. The consensus seems to be, “It’s my blog, and I’ll publish or not publish whichever comments I wish to.” I too do not want my readers subjected to the nasty, racist, sexist, and vicious spam comments that occasionally get past the Typepad spam filter. I’ve resisted going to comment moderation, but of course that’s the next step.
Is there anything else that evokes a more passionate response than criticism of food? Outside of football and religion? Of course, it’s playoff season, so those are one and the same in my house :)
Aunt Sandy has quite a following – there’s obviously a market for that kind of stuff, else she wouldn’t have a 10 cookbooks for sale. But not everyone wants to eat crepes made from flour tortillas.
I, too, won’t subject readers to a person’s inappropriate rage. I also won’t give them a platform for attention. Those types of comments are deleted within 5 minutes. If you can’t respond to something with wit, humor, or intelligence, please don’t hit “submit comment.”
Well written response. There are some people that just go absolutely nuts when they read something they don’t completely agree with or attacks their opinions. I’ve personally never understood it, because I like a good well thought out argument with point & counterpoint, and vitriol doesn’t help. As far as Miss Lee though- I cringe everytime I see her, but that’s because I can make a meal completely from scratch in the time it takes her to do her semi-homemade.
I’m afraid if you’re going to blog you have to grow a thick skin.
You have an open forum and that means anyone can say anything they like.
This is not however the same as “freedom of the press”… you can choose to delete any posts you want.
But as for feeling bad or stunned about getting them? Well…. you’ll just have to get over that.
I enjoy when they go completely off on me and my blog and they’ve clearly misunderstood the post. Such as when I reviewed a restaurant and they thought I was talking about some BBQ sauce. Sigh.
I let the nasty comments stand. Why? Because after the dust has settled and reality wanders up, they look like nitwits. Ahhh, good times.
Biggles
Everyone has a right to their opinion but people should do so with respect to others. People that become abusive obviously have a problem…..
Just letting you know – if the comment was left under the pseudonym of Chiffonade then its actually a ‘fake’ comment – I got one of these as well, did a bit of googling and got in touch with the REAL Chiffonade. She’s been dealing with an internet stalker for over the past 3 years who was incensed by some negative comments she herself had made about Sandra Lee on an internet forum and since then has haunted cooking forums and blogs alike posting comments as her.
Well then, sounds like Meathenge needs to do some bashing of S.L. It’s my nature.
Biggles
Go ahead Dr. I know I’ll be doin’ a bit more food network bashing over the course of the next few months. Of course there are hosts on that network that I actually like too, so I’ll be singin’ some praises while I’m at it…
I’v never actually heard of the cook you’re referring to but I laughed at the original post, especially the part about her drinking. I remember watching Julia Child’s when I was younger and thinking, what a lush. I like the food network sometimes. My favorite cook is Paula Deen. Her stuff is so deliciously fatty and she’s a southerner so you know its good.
Sunday afternoon was a lazy, slaggy one. I spent a few hours letting the tv watch me for a while, then I watched it. And after probably 8+ years I actually found something on the food network that didn’t send me spewing. In fact, I said to myself, “Hey, I nearly like this show.” It’s not easy to find a show I don’t hate on that network. But I still stop by every 6 months or so just to see what’s going on. No more emeril.
Just in case you wuz wondering what show I thought didn’t suck, it was 2 Dudes Catering. Funny thing is you really don’t get much cooking information from it, I think it’s more of a comedy?
Biggles
Biggles,
it’s a reality show, from what I understand. Unfortunately I’ve never managed to catch it, but I plan to one of these days
Amazing. I always wonder if those who barf on others’ blogs and run would have the guts to sit down and have a healthy discussion about their shallow, immature opinions. Good come back, Jerry. And I enjoy your comments about the Food Network. Keep it going.
kellypea,
Darlin’, how could I stop? They make it so easy to trash them! I personally think their current management should look closely at the V.P. and decide she’s just not worth the time and or money they have invested in her, and move on…
Just my two cents
I absolutely love this term “bobblehead”!! Having first heard of Sandra Lee some time ago on another blog (Bitchin’ in the Kitchen) and then read what you wrote about her, I’m really relieved that she is not featured on foodtv Canada. At least the Canadian cooks and chefs who are on instead can actually cook (even if they too have their own little annoying traits)
I have just skimmed your posts about foodTV people that I do recognize and I would love to have added comments to various posts, if I’d discovered your blog earlier but it seems wrong to comment so late.
Elizabeth, P.I.T.A. food snob
ejm,
Thanks for leaving this one! I’m glad you liked the place, feel free to pop back in whenever you’d like.
Just for general information, the “Thirteens” are startin up again today, though I must say that this one isn’t near as ruthless as the Sandra post… (But I’ll be getting back to her. Oh… Yes… I… Will…
I tried to leave a comment on your most recent 13, but got a message saying that I had to type in a number (WHAT number? I have javascript enabled… I’m running firefox and as far as I know I have allowed cookies for your site)
-Elizabeth