Of course, you'll be sedated first.
April 22, 2019 8:40 AM Subscribe
In mid-February a strange flyer was found in the Fairmount / Brewerytown section of Philadelphia. A Reddit user asked if anyone else had seen it and the Internet lost its mind.
Memes were made. A new subreddit was formed. Songs were written. With less than a week to go, everyone is wondering what will happen on April 27th.
It’ll probably be a bunch of Internet people hanging out and grilling in an empty lot but who knows? Don't worry, the police are aware of the situation.
People have used the viral momentum to raise money for local homeless and mental health charities. A local craft brewery is craft brewery-ing a special beer for the occasion and donating some of the proceeds.
It’ll probably be a bunch of Internet people hanging out and grilling in an empty lot but who knows? Don't worry, the police are aware of the situation.
People have used the viral momentum to raise money for local homeless and mental health charities. A local craft brewery is craft brewery-ing a special beer for the occasion and donating some of the proceeds.
This post was deleted for the following reason: Hey, by "more context" I definitely didn't mean "exactly the same tone but with one more line added". Sorry if that was unclear. -- restless_nomad
It did. I asked the mods if I could rework the post and they said yes as long as it had more context. Hopefully this one does.
posted by Diskeater at 8:53 AM on April 22, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by Diskeater at 8:53 AM on April 22, 2019 [4 favorites]
Looks like something cooked up by one of those markov chain random text generators.
posted by panama joe at 8:59 AM on April 22, 2019
posted by panama joe at 8:59 AM on April 22, 2019
The flyer is indeed fascinating.
And the phrasing definitely has a distinctive cadence that my untrained ear associates with schizophrenia and similar conditions.
And it's tricky to know how to respond to that sense of fascination, without turning (possible) mental illness into a curiosity or a sideshow.
I get why locals are treating this as a lark – the letter is a mysterious, improbable, intriguing thing, and it's easy to fall into "celebration of the weird" mode. (God knows that I'm all about celebrating some weirdness.)
But if I were a local, I might be disinclined to participate in that. (But I'll read about it afterward, to find out what happens at the scheduled date and time.)
posted by escape from the potato planet at 9:02 AM on April 22, 2019 [4 favorites]
And the phrasing definitely has a distinctive cadence that my untrained ear associates with schizophrenia and similar conditions.
And it's tricky to know how to respond to that sense of fascination, without turning (possible) mental illness into a curiosity or a sideshow.
I get why locals are treating this as a lark – the letter is a mysterious, improbable, intriguing thing, and it's easy to fall into "celebration of the weird" mode. (God knows that I'm all about celebrating some weirdness.)
But if I were a local, I might be disinclined to participate in that. (But I'll read about it afterward, to find out what happens at the scheduled date and time.)
posted by escape from the potato planet at 9:02 AM on April 22, 2019 [4 favorites]
I wonder if the creator of the flyer is aware of the hubbub.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 9:02 AM on April 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by escape from the potato planet at 9:02 AM on April 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
This is what happens when SCP-2200 escapes containment
posted by Skwirl at 9:06 AM on April 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by Skwirl at 9:06 AM on April 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
I was going to be out of town that weekend, but maybe I will stay to attend this meeting. It's just a few blocks away. If nothing happens, at least there is some terrific Jamaican food across the street.
posted by caddis at 9:11 AM on April 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by caddis at 9:11 AM on April 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
Best case scenario, tons of people show, the writer does not, and an impromptu dance party breaks out. Which will of course be live streamed for the rest of us.
Fingers crossed!
posted by greermahoney at 9:12 AM on April 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
Fingers crossed!
posted by greermahoney at 9:12 AM on April 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
Ovaltine release party.
posted by tobascodagama at 9:16 AM on April 22, 2019 [7 favorites]
posted by tobascodagama at 9:16 AM on April 22, 2019 [7 favorites]
This is relevant to my interests as I live very close to the furnace party site. I totally forgot that it was this weekend! 10/10 will attend.
posted by grumpybear69 at 9:24 AM on April 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by grumpybear69 at 9:24 AM on April 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
With some of our own attending, we need Metafilter Live to be enabled, ASAP.
posted by beagle at 9:29 AM on April 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by beagle at 9:29 AM on April 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
Hey, I just watched that episode of Farscape recently.
Also it seems like the original flyer was a person talking about their delusions. They're not uncommon if you've ever spent time in a decently large city, and nothing about this one seems particularly noteworthy. Getting 100 people together to feed into it is at least cruel.
posted by codacorolla at 9:32 AM on April 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
Also it seems like the original flyer was a person talking about their delusions. They're not uncommon if you've ever spent time in a decently large city, and nothing about this one seems particularly noteworthy. Getting 100 people together to feed into it is at least cruel.
posted by codacorolla at 9:32 AM on April 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
Flying spaghetti monster bless humans for their dark humor. But in this climate, is anyone else creeped out by an invitation to go in a furnace?
At the very least, yes, it does sound like something uttered by a person with mental issues. So if it is a marketing thing, I hope the internet gives 'em hell.
That serious rant said, I LOL'd at the memes.
posted by NorthernLite at 9:33 AM on April 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
At the very least, yes, it does sound like something uttered by a person with mental issues. So if it is a marketing thing, I hope the internet gives 'em hell.
That serious rant said, I LOL'd at the memes.
posted by NorthernLite at 9:33 AM on April 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
I'll also be Do Attending the event with some friends. We also plan on stopping by Le Cat Cafe because KITTENS.
posted by Diskeater at 9:34 AM on April 22, 2019
posted by Diskeater at 9:34 AM on April 22, 2019
> ...the phrasing definitely has a distinctive cadence that my untrained ear associates with schizophrenia and similar conditions. And it's tricky to know how to respond to that sense of fascination, without turning (possible) mental illness into a curiosity or a sideshow.
I encountered "parapoetics" a bunch of years ago in reference to the surprising and pleasing accidents in English prose written by nonnative speakers. I like applying it to text like this because it captures the interestingness of a text without having to medicalize or other its author. (As well as because it evokes the term 'pataphysics, which also explores the intersection of ernestness and possibly-unintentional play)
posted by ardgedee at 9:49 AM on April 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
I encountered "parapoetics" a bunch of years ago in reference to the surprising and pleasing accidents in English prose written by nonnative speakers. I like applying it to text like this because it captures the interestingness of a text without having to medicalize or other its author. (As well as because it evokes the term 'pataphysics, which also explores the intersection of ernestness and possibly-unintentional play)
posted by ardgedee at 9:49 AM on April 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
If this was found in the Echo Park/Silver Lake part of Los Angeles, I could guarantee it was actually "clever" marketing for some dumbass EDM DJ, because 100% of the strange flyers I came across were always for dumbass EDM DJs.
I don't know much about the Fairmount / Brewerytown section of Philadelphia, but I'm going to say that this is going to be "clever" marketing for a dumbass EDM DJ more likely than not.
posted by sideshow at 10:01 AM on April 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
I don't know much about the Fairmount / Brewerytown section of Philadelphia, but I'm going to say that this is going to be "clever" marketing for a dumbass EDM DJ more likely than not.
posted by sideshow at 10:01 AM on April 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
Metafilter: of course, you'll be sedated first.
posted by Hairy Lobster at 10:29 AM on April 22, 2019 [6 favorites]
posted by Hairy Lobster at 10:29 AM on April 22, 2019 [6 favorites]
If all of this is just a huge stunt to unveil a big iron statue of Gritty, I will be even more in awe.
posted by Mchelly at 11:10 AM on April 22, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by Mchelly at 11:10 AM on April 22, 2019 [4 favorites]
Getting 100 people together to feed into it is at least cruel.
The internet, for all the marvelous advancements it has fostered in our generation, remains a place that also enables the very worst aspects of our collective humanity. Or in this case, lack thereof.
Mental disabilities are a real thing and for some of us they are debilitating, and a circle-jerk to have a laugh at the expense of someone with one because "hey I don't have that problem doesn't that make me so much better of a person?" This isn't just excusable adolescent behavior. This is a bunch of snide adults that are indulging in truly sinister and evil behavior.
Think how you would act around someone with downs syndrome at a bus stop in public with plenty of people around to watch you. Imitate their gaping gaze on the world? Make some noises and hit your chest with a curled up hand?
Yet doing basically the same thing at stranger's expense on the internet, behind the safety of a terminal? Even Metafilter barely bats an eye. Shame on us. Karma for this is going to be a bitch well deserved.
posted by allkindsoftime at 11:43 AM on April 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
The internet, for all the marvelous advancements it has fostered in our generation, remains a place that also enables the very worst aspects of our collective humanity. Or in this case, lack thereof.
Mental disabilities are a real thing and for some of us they are debilitating, and a circle-jerk to have a laugh at the expense of someone with one because "hey I don't have that problem doesn't that make me so much better of a person?" This isn't just excusable adolescent behavior. This is a bunch of snide adults that are indulging in truly sinister and evil behavior.
Think how you would act around someone with downs syndrome at a bus stop in public with plenty of people around to watch you. Imitate their gaping gaze on the world? Make some noises and hit your chest with a curled up hand?
Yet doing basically the same thing at stranger's expense on the internet, behind the safety of a terminal? Even Metafilter barely bats an eye. Shame on us. Karma for this is going to be a bitch well deserved.
posted by allkindsoftime at 11:43 AM on April 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
I hope that someone planning to attend is themselves, or is bringing along, at least one mental health professional of some substantial kind. It seems likely to me that a bunch of folks will show up from the internet and find that they are meeting a person who is mentally disabled--and if so, having several dozen (or more, who knows) people actually show up in response to their delusional invitation would probably not be good for their mental health.
(Of course, everyone may show and find out it's some kind of prank, but that seems less likely to me. Just hoping someone will think ahead to plan for this particular possible outcome, to help ensure that--if there is indeed a person in need waiting at that lot--that need is met.)
posted by LooseFilter at 11:57 AM on April 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
(Of course, everyone may show and find out it's some kind of prank, but that seems less likely to me. Just hoping someone will think ahead to plan for this particular possible outcome, to help ensure that--if there is indeed a person in need waiting at that lot--that need is met.)
posted by LooseFilter at 11:57 AM on April 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
You know what we called it in the public library when we found one of these?
Tuesday.
posted by Halloween Jack at 12:06 PM on April 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
Tuesday.
posted by Halloween Jack at 12:06 PM on April 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
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posted by tavella at 8:52 AM on April 22, 2019 [2 favorites]