Westboro Baptist Church vs. Foo Fighters
September 18, 2011 6:44 AM Subscribe
If ever a band demonstrated a sense of humor, it's the Foo Fighters. Watch them decide to take on the Westboro Baptist Church in a manner that completely confuses them. When the Westboro Baptist Church decided to picket a Foo Fighters concert, the Foo Fighters happily entertained then with a new tune, "Keep it Clean."
A Wikipedia link or even a previously would be more fitting.
posted by jeffen at 7:02 AM on September 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by jeffen at 7:02 AM on September 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
That was pretty brilliant. The vocals are a bit muffled, so I googled around for the lyrics:
Keep it clean, my mama said keep it clean
Driving all night, got a hankering for something
Think I'm in the mood for some hot-man muffins
Mmmm, sounds so fine, yes indeed
Keep it clean, my daddy said keep it clean
Ain't looking for a fight, ain't looking for trouble
Howdy Mr. Right have you met Mr. Bubble
Hey, put 'er there, ain't she sweet.
Rubbin' and a-lovin' and a-scrubbin' and a-truckin'
Maybe if we're lucky just a little bear huggin'
Know what I mean, keep it clean
posted by Gordafarin at 7:05 AM on September 18, 2011 [14 favorites]
Keep it clean, my mama said keep it clean
Driving all night, got a hankering for something
Think I'm in the mood for some hot-man muffins
Mmmm, sounds so fine, yes indeed
Keep it clean, my daddy said keep it clean
Ain't looking for a fight, ain't looking for trouble
Howdy Mr. Right have you met Mr. Bubble
Hey, put 'er there, ain't she sweet.
Rubbin' and a-lovin' and a-scrubbin' and a-truckin'
Maybe if we're lucky just a little bear huggin'
Know what I mean, keep it clean
posted by Gordafarin at 7:05 AM on September 18, 2011 [14 favorites]
I love how all five of 'em walk out of the handicapped stall as if they'd just finished a big ol' truck stop butt fuck*
*"Truck Stop Butt Fuck" is an actual song. I heard it on a CD back in the 90s, before .mp3s. I cannot find it anywhere on the interwebs. I've never truly trusted the 'net because of my inability to find this song.
posted by PapaLobo at 7:13 AM on September 18, 2011 [18 favorites]
*"Truck Stop Butt Fuck" is an actual song. I heard it on a CD back in the 90s, before .mp3s. I cannot find it anywhere on the interwebs. I've never truly trusted the 'net because of my inability to find this song.
posted by PapaLobo at 7:13 AM on September 18, 2011 [18 favorites]
Does anyone remember the Simpson's Treehouse of Horrors episode where all of the Springfield's ad mascots came to life and started destroying the town? The solution to getting rid of them was for the townspeople to ignore them until they fell over and died from lack of attention.
Sometimes I fantasize about that working on the Westboro Baptist Church.
posted by Alison at 7:14 AM on September 18, 2011 [35 favorites]
Sometimes I fantasize about that working on the Westboro Baptist Church.
posted by Alison at 7:14 AM on September 18, 2011 [35 favorites]
The solution to getting rid of them was for the townspeople to ignore them until they fell over and died from lack of attention. That's my strategy for dealing with the drama queen who used to be Governor of Alaska.
posted by theora55 at 7:23 AM on September 18, 2011 [12 favorites]
posted by theora55 at 7:23 AM on September 18, 2011 [12 favorites]
The solution to getting rid of them was for the townspeople to ignore them until they fell over and died from lack of attention.
This works well in fiction. In real life, not so much.
posted by tspae at 7:24 AM on September 18, 2011 [4 favorites]
This works well in fiction. In real life, not so much.
posted by tspae at 7:24 AM on September 18, 2011 [4 favorites]
The solution to getting rid of them was for the townspeople to ignore them until they fell over and died from lack of attention.
This works well in fiction. In real life, not so much.
That's because we haven't really tried it yet with the WBC, Sarah Palin et al. Gving them any attention at all is granting them some legitimacy.
posted by triggerfinger at 7:28 AM on September 18, 2011 [6 favorites]
This works well in fiction. In real life, not so much.
That's because we haven't really tried it yet with the WBC, Sarah Palin et al. Gving them any attention at all is granting them some legitimacy.
posted by triggerfinger at 7:28 AM on September 18, 2011 [6 favorites]
this song is an extension of their Hot Buns promo they made for this tour. watch here (nsfw, includes dave grohl man ass!)
posted by Mach5 at 7:29 AM on September 18, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by Mach5 at 7:29 AM on September 18, 2011 [4 favorites]
Mocking the friendless Westboro Baptist Church as a marketing stunt is the sort of thing that explains that while I like some of Foo Fighters' music, I really can't groove to it.
posted by three blind mice at 7:30 AM on September 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by three blind mice at 7:30 AM on September 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
That's because we haven't really tried it yet with the WBC, Sarah Palin et al. Gving them any attention at all is granting them some legitimacy.
The problem is getting the news media the message, and getting them to act on it. Unfortunately, crazy people are always good for ratings.
posted by JHarris at 7:42 AM on September 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
The problem is getting the news media the message, and getting them to act on it. Unfortunately, crazy people are always good for ratings.
posted by JHarris at 7:42 AM on September 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Is linking to the WBC's website strictly necessary? Does anybody not know who they are by now?
posted by ardgedee at 7:47 AM on September 18, 2011
posted by ardgedee at 7:47 AM on September 18, 2011
Mod note: nixed the WBC link, we all know who they are and they don't need any more traffic/attention
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:57 AM on September 18, 2011 [32 favorites]
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:57 AM on September 18, 2011 [32 favorites]
I wonder where the non-crazy Baptists who live in Westboro go to church.
posted by swift at 8:10 AM on September 18, 2011 [8 favorites]
posted by swift at 8:10 AM on September 18, 2011 [8 favorites]
The song is amusing and all, but the WBC people don't seem to be fazed or confused by it.
posted by kenko at 8:19 AM on September 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by kenko at 8:19 AM on September 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Publicly arguing about not giving attention to X is deeply ironic in ways which people who make that argument seem utterly oblivious to. Furthermore, the "just ignore them" tactic is, and always has been, a loser. Yelling "just ignore them" louder doesn't work either.
Savage mockery may not be the ultimate solution, but it has its compensations.
I've always favored the "educate the public about X" tactic because once you've clued in enough people, they'll see X and go "Oh, those bozos" and then go about their business. Because the reality is boring and sordid.
Unless "those bozos" are dangerous (like neo-nazi skinheads) and then just kick the crap out of them when the chance arises. The only mob action I ever enjoyed was when a riot drove the skinheads out of our neighborhood. Those that didn't flee went to jail.
I'm still waiting for the perfect comeuppance to be visited upon WBC. It's a chink in my pessimism that I can keep hoping for this.
In the meantime, I enjoyed the dawning comprehension on the WBC troll's faces that they had been played. One of the WBC guys looks really irked. Earlier, he was grooving to the tune. Heh.
posted by warbaby at 8:22 AM on September 18, 2011 [4 favorites]
Savage mockery may not be the ultimate solution, but it has its compensations.
I've always favored the "educate the public about X" tactic because once you've clued in enough people, they'll see X and go "Oh, those bozos" and then go about their business. Because the reality is boring and sordid.
Unless "those bozos" are dangerous (like neo-nazi skinheads) and then just kick the crap out of them when the chance arises. The only mob action I ever enjoyed was when a riot drove the skinheads out of our neighborhood. Those that didn't flee went to jail.
I'm still waiting for the perfect comeuppance to be visited upon WBC. It's a chink in my pessimism that I can keep hoping for this.
In the meantime, I enjoyed the dawning comprehension on the WBC troll's faces that they had been played. One of the WBC guys looks really irked. Earlier, he was grooving to the tune. Heh.
posted by warbaby at 8:22 AM on September 18, 2011 [4 favorites]
That's my strategy for dealing with the drama queen who used to be Governor of Alaska.
You can't ignore Sarah Palin, because then she'll be able to get the police box. Is that what you want?
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 8:28 AM on September 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
You can't ignore Sarah Palin, because then she'll be able to get the police box. Is that what you want?
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 8:28 AM on September 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
I like the FFs. But this stunt struck me as highly self-satisfied, and prone to grow the audience directly abutting (haw!) the WBC. One song, a smirk, they drive away, and look at who's left standing. Who got played?
FWIW, I'm not sure about the that-which-must-not-be-linked approach to the WBC exercised on this post, though I would have preferred that the post lack it in the first place.
posted by Clyde Mnestra at 8:31 AM on September 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
FWIW, I'm not sure about the that-which-must-not-be-linked approach to the WBC exercised on this post, though I would have preferred that the post lack it in the first place.
posted by Clyde Mnestra at 8:31 AM on September 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'm a little confused by all the, well, "young" people on the WBC's side protesting this. I thought you had your generic cultish/lawyer types doing the protesting, what's with all the college aged kids? The kids themselves don't even appear to be taking their own signs seriously in the way this is shot.
posted by cavalier at 8:32 AM on September 18, 2011
posted by cavalier at 8:32 AM on September 18, 2011
That's because we haven't really tried it yet with the WBC, Sarah Palin et al. Gving them any attention at all is granting them some legitimacy.
The problem is getting the news media the message, and getting them to act on it. Unfortunately, crazy people are always good for ratings.
Actually, JHarris, the problem is human nature.
We rubberneck. We gossip. If the neighbors start screaming and yelling, we listen in. If a nutjob runs outside naked and rubs dog doodoo in his hair, we watch in timorous fascination.
Thus, whacko screaming monkeys, from the WBC to Palin to Michelle Bachman to Glenn Beck get attention. It's not the media's fault that people want to see the crazy. They're just meeting the requests (in "eyeballs") of their audience.
Blame your entire species.
posted by IAmBroom at 8:33 AM on September 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
The problem is getting the news media the message, and getting them to act on it. Unfortunately, crazy people are always good for ratings.
Actually, JHarris, the problem is human nature.
We rubberneck. We gossip. If the neighbors start screaming and yelling, we listen in. If a nutjob runs outside naked and rubs dog doodoo in his hair, we watch in timorous fascination.
Thus, whacko screaming monkeys, from the WBC to Palin to Michelle Bachman to Glenn Beck get attention. It's not the media's fault that people want to see the crazy. They're just meeting the requests (in "eyeballs") of their audience.
Blame your entire species.
posted by IAmBroom at 8:33 AM on September 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
I can't tell most Foo songs apart. I sure as hell can't tell you what album any of them comes from. They aren't stretching the bounds of music or making enduring classic songs. But godDAMN are they having fun, and not that idiotic stereotypical rock-star "fun" that degrades people or damages property. They never complain about fame or the road. And that makes me like them so much more than the passel of whiny bastards who think they're more important than last year's batch of whiny bastards who didn't redefine music either. Rock on, Dave et al. Rock the fuck on.
posted by Etrigan at 8:36 AM on September 18, 2011 [18 favorites]
posted by Etrigan at 8:36 AM on September 18, 2011 [18 favorites]
WBC: The most gastronomically sated under-bridge dwelling creature in history.
posted by gwint at 8:42 AM on September 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by gwint at 8:42 AM on September 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
I've never truly trusted the 'net because of my inability to find this song.
Get read to get your trust on, dude, because the band was called Brutilicus Maximus. They've been around for over 20 years and they have two self-produced albums.
posted by bpm140 at 8:43 AM on September 18, 2011 [9 favorites]
Get read to get your trust on, dude, because the band was called Brutilicus Maximus. They've been around for over 20 years and they have two self-produced albums.
posted by bpm140 at 8:43 AM on September 18, 2011 [9 favorites]
These guys have been doing these protests since 1991... who ever heard or cared about them then? I think ignoring them was doing a great job of marginalizing them.
posted by scrowdid at 8:45 AM on September 18, 2011
posted by scrowdid at 8:45 AM on September 18, 2011
LOL, I sent him a link too.
Metafilter: the place to find Truck Stop Butt Fucks.
posted by tyllwin at 8:47 AM on September 18, 2011 [34 favorites]
Metafilter: the place to find Truck Stop Butt Fucks.
posted by tyllwin at 8:47 AM on September 18, 2011 [34 favorites]
*"Truck Stop Butt Fuck" is an actual song. I heard it on a CD back in the 90s, before .mp3s. I cannot find it anywhere on the interwebs. I've never truly trusted the 'net because of my inability to find this song.
posted by PapaLobo
Truck Stop Butt Fuck By California band Brutililicus Maximus
posted by longsleeves at 8:49 AM on September 18, 2011 [7 favorites]
posted by PapaLobo
Truck Stop Butt Fuck By California band Brutililicus Maximus
posted by longsleeves at 8:49 AM on September 18, 2011 [7 favorites]
I'm a little confused by all the, well, "young" people on the WBC's side protesting this. I thought you had your generic cultish/lawyer types doing the protesting, what's with all the college aged kids? The kids themselves don't even appear to be taking their own signs seriously in the way this is shot.
The entire "church" is basically one big extended family group, and most of the protesters are indeed kids, and do indeed not really seem very into it.
posted by padraigin at 8:50 AM on September 18, 2011
The entire "church" is basically one big extended family group, and most of the protesters are indeed kids, and do indeed not really seem very into it.
posted by padraigin at 8:50 AM on September 18, 2011
I love you guys. I'll buy you all breakfast.
At the nearest Flying J's.
posted by PapaLobo at 8:52 AM on September 18, 2011 [8 favorites]
At the nearest Flying J's.
posted by PapaLobo at 8:52 AM on September 18, 2011 [8 favorites]
[nixed the WBC link, we all know who they are and they don't need any more traffic/attention]
If we keep this up, pretty soon they'll have no corporate sponsors left. I heard Pepsi are getting twitchy now that people are boycotting the site.
posted by howfar at 8:57 AM on September 18, 2011
If we keep this up, pretty soon they'll have no corporate sponsors left. I heard Pepsi are getting twitchy now that people are boycotting the site.
posted by howfar at 8:57 AM on September 18, 2011
The flutter-tonguing on the 'bone is what makes "Truck Stop Butt Fuck" a masterpiece.
posted by kenko at 9:01 AM on September 18, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by kenko at 9:01 AM on September 18, 2011 [4 favorites]
Pat Smear is with the Foo Fighters now?
Don't worry, he only rejoined 5 years ago.
posted by howfar at 9:02 AM on September 18, 2011 [3 favorites]
Don't worry, he only rejoined 5 years ago.
posted by howfar at 9:02 AM on September 18, 2011 [3 favorites]
Darby Crash died?
posted by box at 9:07 AM on September 18, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by box at 9:07 AM on September 18, 2011 [3 favorites]
I did not expect "Truck Stop Butt Fuck" to look & sound so much like a deleted scene from PCU.
posted by mintcake! at 9:21 AM on September 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by mintcake! at 9:21 AM on September 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
triggerfinger writes "That's because we haven't really tried it yet with the WBC, Sarah Palin et al. Gving them any attention at all is granting them some legitimacy."
Ignoring them will never work because they get positive feedback from the people who agree with them.
posted by Mitheral at 9:23 AM on September 18, 2011
Ignoring them will never work because they get positive feedback from the people who agree with them.
posted by Mitheral at 9:23 AM on September 18, 2011
Streisand Effect still applies if it's paragons of virtue who want you to ignore agents of sin
posted by LogicalDash at 9:24 AM on September 18, 2011
posted by LogicalDash at 9:24 AM on September 18, 2011
I think the Foo Fighters would approve that this thread is as much about Truck Stop Butt Fuck as it is their reaction to WBC.
And most of the younger people are people I recognise from the Louis Theroux WBC documentaries. They are the children of long-time members, on the whole.
I was in to the FF back in The Colour and the Shape days, and this post reminded me why I liked them so much then. Thanks!
posted by guster4lovers at 10:16 AM on September 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
And most of the younger people are people I recognise from the Louis Theroux WBC documentaries. They are the children of long-time members, on the whole.
I was in to the FF back in The Colour and the Shape days, and this post reminded me why I liked them so much then. Thanks!
posted by guster4lovers at 10:16 AM on September 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
I love this band. Dave Grohl seems like he has a Gozilla size ego, but damn if they aren't great live. And Pat Smear is such a goofy bastard that he counteracts DG's self importance.
My favorite part of this video was the guy snapping pics of a WBC protester, who was yelling at him to the phone out of his face, and the guy taking the pic just calming finishing, and giggling, and then walking away. This is going to be my strategy if I even encounter these people.
posted by Leta at 10:24 AM on September 18, 2011
My favorite part of this video was the guy snapping pics of a WBC protester, who was yelling at him to the phone out of his face, and the guy taking the pic just calming finishing, and giggling, and then walking away. This is going to be my strategy if I even encounter these people.
posted by Leta at 10:24 AM on September 18, 2011
My daughter is almost nine. It bothers me that she will encounter WBC at some point soon though TV or the net, and I will need to explain this pile of garbage. =(
First Amendment, blah blah, lowest 0.01%. It has to be some group, I guess.
posted by andreaazure at 10:24 AM on September 18, 2011
First Amendment, blah blah, lowest 0.01%. It has to be some group, I guess.
posted by andreaazure at 10:24 AM on September 18, 2011
How come the Foo Fighters get to do mega-stadium tours, while I'd never even heard of Brutililicus Maximus before this thread?
There's no justice in this world.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 10:45 AM on September 18, 2011 [3 favorites]
There's no justice in this world.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 10:45 AM on September 18, 2011 [3 favorites]
I like to imagine that Slayer's response to a WBC protest would be to invite all the protesters to the concert and show them the power and majesty of Satan.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 10:59 AM on September 18, 2011 [15 favorites]
posted by BitterOldPunk at 10:59 AM on September 18, 2011 [15 favorites]
I've always liked to imagine Westboro Baptist Church as being a highly-committed group of always-in-character performance artists dedicated to displaying the absolute ugliest of American behavior, so that those people who are on the fence about what to believe and how to act can look at them and say, "Oh... no, not that."
Even if that's not the case, I'd argue that the attention they get already serves this purpose, and therefore except for the funerals they ruin, they are generally a good thing from a utilitarian standpoint.
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 11:16 AM on September 18, 2011 [4 favorites]
Even if that's not the case, I'd argue that the attention they get already serves this purpose, and therefore except for the funerals they ruin, they are generally a good thing from a utilitarian standpoint.
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 11:16 AM on September 18, 2011 [4 favorites]
They don't look completely confused to me. Unless they are confused because they can't understand the lyrics, as I couldn't.
posted by Brocktoon at 11:23 AM on September 18, 2011
posted by Brocktoon at 11:23 AM on September 18, 2011
Sometimes I fantasize about that working on the Westboro Baptist Church.
So here's my thing with the WBC: we (and I mean that in the Mefi general consciousness sense) all know it's not a real church, right? According to Fred Phelps' son, it's just Fred and a bunch of fax machines that send out bullshit press releases about how he's going to protest X, Y or Z that weekend. Which means these people who turn out and actually do protest are essentially acting out the fantasies of some sociopathic shut-in from Texas. Rather than ignoring them or confronting them with, "How can you say that?!", I think people should go out en masse and point out these facts and ask, "How does it feel to be so without a life you're acting out the wet dreams of a madman? Where did the wheels fall off for you?"
I can barely get out of bed for events I'm excited to attend; I am so jealous of these people for having this kind of energy. Let's just redirect it. It's not like they're deep thinkers. Where's another Jim Jones when I need him?
posted by yerfatma at 12:15 PM on September 18, 2011
So here's my thing with the WBC: we (and I mean that in the Mefi general consciousness sense) all know it's not a real church, right? According to Fred Phelps' son, it's just Fred and a bunch of fax machines that send out bullshit press releases about how he's going to protest X, Y or Z that weekend. Which means these people who turn out and actually do protest are essentially acting out the fantasies of some sociopathic shut-in from Texas. Rather than ignoring them or confronting them with, "How can you say that?!", I think people should go out en masse and point out these facts and ask, "How does it feel to be so without a life you're acting out the wet dreams of a madman? Where did the wheels fall off for you?"
I can barely get out of bed for events I'm excited to attend; I am so jealous of these people for having this kind of energy. Let's just redirect it. It's not like they're deep thinkers. Where's another Jim Jones when I need him?
posted by yerfatma at 12:15 PM on September 18, 2011
Brocktoon: "They don't look completely confused to me. Unless they are confused because they can't understand the lyrics, as I couldn't."
I think they appear to be flummoxed at the site of the truck rolling up and some hillbillyish gentlemen singing what seems like a cheerful song.
In any case, I'm a fan of the "let's ignore them and maybe they'll go away" attitude, yet I find something silly and delightful and almost joyous with how the FF get up there and sing a silly song.
posted by kinetic at 1:07 PM on September 18, 2011
I think they appear to be flummoxed at the site of the truck rolling up and some hillbillyish gentlemen singing what seems like a cheerful song.
In any case, I'm a fan of the "let's ignore them and maybe they'll go away" attitude, yet I find something silly and delightful and almost joyous with how the FF get up there and sing a silly song.
posted by kinetic at 1:07 PM on September 18, 2011
WBC: Showcasing some of humanity's worst failings since 1955.
posted by Telpethoron at 1:08 PM on September 18, 2011
posted by Telpethoron at 1:08 PM on September 18, 2011
more than that, yerfatma, and this can't be stressed enough: they are a scam. They are professional trolls who know the law very, very well and use it to sue anyone who rises to their bait. That's all they do. Which is why the "giggling cameraphone" method probably is, indeed, the best way to deal with them.
posted by Navelgazer at 1:10 PM on September 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Navelgazer at 1:10 PM on September 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Ah yes, the Foo Fighters.
The same HIV denying Foo Fighters.
The same HIV denying Foo Fighters.
“The multimillion-album-selling alternative rock outfit has thrown its weight behind Alive and Well, an ‘alternative AIDS information group’ that denies any link between HIV and AIDS. In January [2000], Foo Fighters bassist Nate Mendel helped organize a sold-out concert in Hollywood to benefit the group. Foo fans were treated to a speech by Alive and Well founder Christine Maggiore, who believes AIDS may be caused by HIV-related medications, anal sex, stress, and drug use, and implies that people should not get tested for HIV nor take medications to counter the virus. Free copies of Maggiore's self-published book, ‘What If Everything You Thought You Knew About AIDS Was Wrong?,’ in which she declares ‘there is no proof that HIV causes AIDS,’ were also passed out to the concert-goers.”posted by ericb at 1:12 PM on September 18, 2011
Ahh, the old "Foo Fighters are Aids Deniers" chestnut.
I imagine it went something like this:
Member of the band read a book and didn't have the critical thinking skills to see through the BS. Showed the rest of the band and they said "Oh yeah, sure, whatever, man."
Publicist/management was asleep at the wheel and let band get involved. Band has since pulled back but hasn't said anything publicly because they don't want to publicly humiliate their band mate/"brother". Maybe member is still a moron, but he's not allowed to talk about it as a "Foo Fighter" anymore.
Now every time the Foo Fighters are mentioned online, somebody drags up a mistake that a band member made over a decade ago so they can feel smug and superior.
posted by davey_darling at 1:16 PM on September 18, 2011 [11 favorites]
I imagine it went something like this:
Member of the band read a book and didn't have the critical thinking skills to see through the BS. Showed the rest of the band and they said "Oh yeah, sure, whatever, man."
Publicist/management was asleep at the wheel and let band get involved. Band has since pulled back but hasn't said anything publicly because they don't want to publicly humiliate their band mate/"brother". Maybe member is still a moron, but he's not allowed to talk about it as a "Foo Fighter" anymore.
Now every time the Foo Fighters are mentioned online, somebody drags up a mistake that a band member made over a decade ago so they can feel smug and superior.
posted by davey_darling at 1:16 PM on September 18, 2011 [11 favorites]
Mod note: folks, acronyms for saying fuck you to each other are still not okay. Maybe try to work that out over email or come back when you're feeling more constructive?
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:26 PM on September 18, 2011
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:26 PM on September 18, 2011
Hardly a small mistake or error in judgment.
"Members of the group 'The Foo Fighters' provided music for a soundtrack of the recent documentary, 'The Other Side of AIDS' which questions whether HIV is the cause of AIDS. The band has spread its message that HIV does not cause AIDS at concerts, and it lists the HIV denial group “Alive and Well” as a worthy cause on its Web site [link now 'dead']"*posted by ericb at 1:35 PM on September 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
"HIV experts are alarmed by the possible impact of the Foo Fighters' embrace of Maggiore's theories on their potentially gullible young fans .... 'When it comes to such a complex health topic, it behooves the band to have really researched what they are endorsing,' says Diane Tanaka, an attending physician at the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, where she works with a large population of high-risk and HIV-infected low-income youth. '(The Foo Fighters) have a big responsibility in terms of (their) public role and the impact that they can have on young people. Is this band willing to take responsibility for a young person engaging in risky, unprotected sex because of information they've gotten from the (Foo Fighters) or from Alive and Well?'
... The Foo Fighters plan additional benefit shows, and have placed a banner ad [link now 'dead'] on their Web site linking to Alive and Well. "*
"Media personality Steven Gray [New Zealand TV presenter] posted the [Westboro protest] video on his website this morning, calling the band 'The Killers'.posted by ericb at 1:43 PM on September 18, 2011
'They need to publicly apologise for what they did,' he says. 'They got a lot of fan and media attention for an idea that was never proved, is still out there with their names in it, and they have never in the last 11 years set the record 'straight' that they were ill-informed.'"*
Ericb, I'm struggling to understand the relevance of the 11-year-old AIDS issue to what happened with the WBC.
posted by subgenius at 1:48 PM on September 18, 2011 [6 favorites]
I'm merely pointing out a previous controversy regarding the band that still irks many people. Adding more information about there background.
posted by ericb at 1:52 PM on September 18, 2011
posted by ericb at 1:52 PM on September 18, 2011
Pajama Slave Dancers, Homo Truck Drivin' Man
Peter Grudzien, White Trash Hillbilly Trick
posted by jonp72 at 2:04 PM on September 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Peter Grudzien, White Trash Hillbilly Trick
posted by jonp72 at 2:04 PM on September 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
The solution to getting rid of them was for the townspeople to ignore them until they fell over and died from lack of attention.
In virtually any Internet discussion I have seen over the past 20 plus years regarding some heinous group of people there is always (at least) one genius who brings up the "let's all ignore it and it will go away!" strategy. I have mostly ignored such master strategists in the game of life but oddly enough they do not seen to go away.
posted by Poet_Lariat at 2:10 PM on September 18, 2011 [6 favorites]
In virtually any Internet discussion I have seen over the past 20 plus years regarding some heinous group of people there is always (at least) one genius who brings up the "let's all ignore it and it will go away!" strategy. I have mostly ignored such master strategists in the game of life but oddly enough they do not seen to go away.
posted by Poet_Lariat at 2:10 PM on September 18, 2011 [6 favorites]
How many times in the last decade has anyone been led to HIV denialism via the Foo Fighters -- not counting the times that started with someone excreting this same old info verbatim into a Foo Fighters thread? Talk about ignore-it-and-it-will-go-away.
posted by Etrigan at 2:43 PM on September 18, 2011
posted by Etrigan at 2:43 PM on September 18, 2011
I'm not the world's biggest Foo Fighters fan, but they're bringing Fucked Up out to Australia and letting them do some sideshows so I gotta love them. Plus they're so gosh-darn good natured.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 4:35 PM on September 18, 2011
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 4:35 PM on September 18, 2011
In virtually any Internet discussion I have seen over the past 20 plus years regarding some heinous group of people there is always (at least) one genius who brings up the "let's all ignore it and it will go away!" strategy.
I am under no illusion that such genius button-pushers like the WBC will go away on their own, but it's fun to think of them as Succubui of human attention and imagine them shriveling like raisins, or popping like balloons, or shattering to pieces without regular nourishment from human eyeballs. The reality is that when they start to get hungry for attention they just shift their tactics a little and generate fresh waves of contempt and derision. I would not be surprised to see them eventually protesting fundraisers for childhood leukemia or picketing elementary school graduations.
I guess they can be appreciated for the way they unite all walks of humanity: bikers, the gay community, fraternity brothers, the Foo Fighters, Sci-Fi fans, and many, many more. But, man, I'm sorry that I spent more that ten minutes thinking about them today.
posted by Alison at 5:29 PM on September 18, 2011
I am under no illusion that such genius button-pushers like the WBC will go away on their own, but it's fun to think of them as Succubui of human attention and imagine them shriveling like raisins, or popping like balloons, or shattering to pieces without regular nourishment from human eyeballs. The reality is that when they start to get hungry for attention they just shift their tactics a little and generate fresh waves of contempt and derision. I would not be surprised to see them eventually protesting fundraisers for childhood leukemia or picketing elementary school graduations.
I guess they can be appreciated for the way they unite all walks of humanity: bikers, the gay community, fraternity brothers, the Foo Fighters, Sci-Fi fans, and many, many more. But, man, I'm sorry that I spent more that ten minutes thinking about them today.
posted by Alison at 5:29 PM on September 18, 2011
I kind of liked it, in that before the band showed up on the truck, the WBC people were getting all the attention they wanted, people trying to debate them, people taking pictures of them. Then the band shows up, and no one is paying any attention to WBC anymore. Kind of a hey, why bother with those assholes over there? We're singing songs about squeaky clean man loving!
And it pretty much worked.
posted by Ghidorah at 6:56 PM on September 18, 2011
And it pretty much worked.
posted by Ghidorah at 6:56 PM on September 18, 2011
we (and I mean that in the Mefi general consciousness sense) all know it's not a real church, right?
Uhhh.. no. I lived a few blocks from the church (compound, rather) and witnessed several people come and go. It's a church with approximately 50-60 members, most of them related to Fred. It probably resembles a cult more than anything, but it goes far beyond Fred and a few fax machines.
And for those people who keep saying that ignoring them doesn't accomplish anything, I have rather mixed feelings. Will it cause them to go away? Probably not. However, engaging them thrills those people to no end. They thrive off the controversy and live to piss people off. They are the most successful trolls in America, and they love it. No amount of debate will change their minds, no confrontation will end with a shred of anything productive. You might as well attempt to convince a tea bagger to love Obama. It's a waste of time and energy. So while ignoring them might not bring about their demise, it sure as hell won't give them any more notoriety, attention, and that ultimate thrill of theirs, knowing that they got under your skin.
Leave these morons alone and stop giving them attention.
posted by secondhand pho at 7:44 PM on September 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Uhhh.. no. I lived a few blocks from the church (compound, rather) and witnessed several people come and go. It's a church with approximately 50-60 members, most of them related to Fred. It probably resembles a cult more than anything, but it goes far beyond Fred and a few fax machines.
And for those people who keep saying that ignoring them doesn't accomplish anything, I have rather mixed feelings. Will it cause them to go away? Probably not. However, engaging them thrills those people to no end. They thrive off the controversy and live to piss people off. They are the most successful trolls in America, and they love it. No amount of debate will change their minds, no confrontation will end with a shred of anything productive. You might as well attempt to convince a tea bagger to love Obama. It's a waste of time and energy. So while ignoring them might not bring about their demise, it sure as hell won't give them any more notoriety, attention, and that ultimate thrill of theirs, knowing that they got under your skin.
Leave these morons alone and stop giving them attention.
posted by secondhand pho at 7:44 PM on September 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
I recently saw Louie Theroux's 'The Most Hated Family In America'. It both almost made me feel sorry for most of the Phelps and kinda made me hate them more'.
Still, gotta admire some righteous trolling, and I suspect that when I get old I'll end up closer to Fred Phelps than Dave Grohl.
I can't tell most Foo songs apart. I sure as hell can't tell you what album any of them comes from. They aren't stretching the bounds of music or making enduring classic songs. But godDAMN are they having fun, and not that idiotic stereotypical rock-star "fun" that degrades people or damages property. They never complain about fame or the road.
this is what I don't like about them sometimes. they're so gosh-darn 'good natured'.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 7:54 PM on September 18, 2011
Still, gotta admire some righteous trolling, and I suspect that when I get old I'll end up closer to Fred Phelps than Dave Grohl.
I can't tell most Foo songs apart. I sure as hell can't tell you what album any of them comes from. They aren't stretching the bounds of music or making enduring classic songs. But godDAMN are they having fun, and not that idiotic stereotypical rock-star "fun" that degrades people or damages property. They never complain about fame or the road.
this is what I don't like about them sometimes. they're so gosh-darn 'good natured'.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 7:54 PM on September 18, 2011
Still, gotta admire some righteous trolling, and I suspect that when I get old I'll end up closer to Fred Phelps than Dave Grohl.
Er, not saying I agree with any of the WBC's views. I oppose homophobia.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 7:54 PM on September 18, 2011
Er, not saying I agree with any of the WBC's views. I oppose homophobia.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 7:54 PM on September 18, 2011
Can you clarify what you did mean by that, LiB?
posted by pseudonymph at 11:58 PM on September 18, 2011
posted by pseudonymph at 11:58 PM on September 18, 2011
secondhand pho: "However, engaging them thrills those people to no end. They thrive off the controversy and live to piss people off...Leave these morons alone and stop giving them attention."
I hesitated about making this post exactly for this reason, and yet I find something...well...charming about the enthusiasm of the Foos as they put on ridiculous outfits, get out there on a rig with hay, pull up right in front of the WBC, and sing what appears to be a happy little ditty about keeping it clean while their song is a salute to all kinds of lovin'.
They're not fighting the trolls; they're taking attention away from them in what I thought was kind of a charming manner.
I also think that confronting the WBC is a wasted and hand-wringing effort and I found such clever genius in the band going out and singing instead.
And it made me laugh, which can't be a bad thing.
posted by kinetic at 3:24 AM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
I hesitated about making this post exactly for this reason, and yet I find something...well...charming about the enthusiasm of the Foos as they put on ridiculous outfits, get out there on a rig with hay, pull up right in front of the WBC, and sing what appears to be a happy little ditty about keeping it clean while their song is a salute to all kinds of lovin'.
They're not fighting the trolls; they're taking attention away from them in what I thought was kind of a charming manner.
I also think that confronting the WBC is a wasted and hand-wringing effort and I found such clever genius in the band going out and singing instead.
And it made me laugh, which can't be a bad thing.
posted by kinetic at 3:24 AM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
Can you clarify what you did mean by that, LiB?
I have no idea. I like angry loudmouths, but I usually defend guys like Hitchens and Harlan Ellison, who actually have talent. It's more about tone than content? I dunno. Whatever it is I'm not proud of it.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 4:29 AM on September 19, 2011
I have no idea. I like angry loudmouths, but I usually defend guys like Hitchens and Harlan Ellison, who actually have talent. It's more about tone than content? I dunno. Whatever it is I'm not proud of it.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 4:29 AM on September 19, 2011
my favorite out-of-context phelps remark
really it fits anywhere
posted by This, of course, alludes to you at 7:21 AM on September 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
really it fits anywhere
posted by This, of course, alludes to you at 7:21 AM on September 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
Pat Smear is with the Foo Fighters now?
Yep, and this caused one of the funnier moments of my ex-boyfriend's life. When Pat Smear joined the Foo Fighters, my XBF was driving himself nuts trying to remember the name of his former band. It finally hit him while he was on the bus going home from work, and he burst out, aloud, with "THE GERMS! THE GERMS! OH, THANK GOD, THE GERMS!"
Everyone on that bus gave him a VERY wide berth, and I'm honestly not sure if ANYONE ever sat next to him again after that.
posted by dlugoczaj at 9:09 AM on September 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
Yep, and this caused one of the funnier moments of my ex-boyfriend's life. When Pat Smear joined the Foo Fighters, my XBF was driving himself nuts trying to remember the name of his former band. It finally hit him while he was on the bus going home from work, and he burst out, aloud, with "THE GERMS! THE GERMS! OH, THANK GOD, THE GERMS!"
Everyone on that bus gave him a VERY wide berth, and I'm honestly not sure if ANYONE ever sat next to him again after that.
posted by dlugoczaj at 9:09 AM on September 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
So how long before you can hire the Westboro Baptist Church to come and protest your event? I'm sure the opportunity to counter protest could sell some tickets.
posted by Sailormom at 12:46 PM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Sailormom at 12:46 PM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
I ran this by a friend of mine, who is a connoisseur of Trucker Music (and "Country gone wrong") and he hooked me up with:
C.B. Savage
which ends rather disappointingly, and is not at all in line with the anecdotes I have gleaned from drivers, hitchhikers, and those little magazines with underdressed construction workers on the cover.
posted by louche mustachio at 1:06 PM on September 19, 2011
C.B. Savage
which ends rather disappointingly, and is not at all in line with the anecdotes I have gleaned from drivers, hitchhikers, and those little magazines with underdressed construction workers on the cover.
posted by louche mustachio at 1:06 PM on September 19, 2011
Dave Grohl seems like he has a Godzilla size ego
You couldn't be more wrong.
posted by XhaustedProphet at 10:36 PM on September 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
You couldn't be more wrong.
posted by XhaustedProphet at 10:36 PM on September 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
I imagine this whole "ignore them and they'll go away" might work if anyone ever actually tried it.
posted by Uther Bentrazor at 3:29 PM on September 20, 2011
posted by Uther Bentrazor at 3:29 PM on September 20, 2011
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posted by Curious Artificer at 6:59 AM on September 18, 2011 [2 favorites]