epidemic

August 25, 2005 9:11 AM

Greta got a blog. Greta Van Susteren is blogging now, or at least posting articles on foxnews.com and using the word 'blog' in the process. You can read her thoughts on the grave epidemic of missing white women this country faces!
posted by delmoi (64 comments total)

It's actually not uncommon for the "journalists" to write an article to be posted on FoxNews.com. However, foxnews is just exhibiting that they don't understand the difference between 'blog' and 'journal'.

Greta should get an LJ and whine about white girls over there.
posted by Plinko at 9:18 AM on August 25, 2005

Is there where we talk about how bad Faux News is; how its a right wing hack machine? Or is this where we talk about how we care about crime being commited against some stupid rich white women; there is, after all, other crime that occurs, so this one shouldn't get attention.

Or is this where we talk about how meaningless the term blog is? I like that topic. Blog now appears to mean "any effort at journalism on the internet."
posted by dios at 9:20 AM on August 25, 2005

[insert pedantic comment here]
posted by Plinko at 9:23 AM on August 25, 2005

Missing persons cases involving juveniles might have reached 'epidemic' proportions ("The number of missing persons reported to law enforcement has increased from 154, 341 in 1982 to 876,213 in 2000. That is an increase of 468%."), but focusing on just one girl because she's wholesome & attractive isn't really addressing the larger problem. In fact, it distorts the problem, making disappearances like Holloway's appear misleadingly rare.

Van Susteren is a hack of all trades these days.
posted by dhoyt at 9:24 AM on August 25, 2005

I will agree Van Sustern stinks. Thought to be honest, I haven't seen her and didn't know she had a show. I thought she had her 15 minutes with the O.J. case.
posted by dios at 9:26 AM on August 25, 2005

They can't handle a blog. Can you imagine how much lefty bile would flow in?
posted by caddis at 9:26 AM on August 25, 2005

What is the difference in a log and a journal? According to my dictionary journal means a ship's log.
posted by Pollomacho at 9:27 AM on August 25, 2005

That's not a blog, it's not even a journal or anything like journalism, it's an opinion column. (And a badly written and stupid one.) The difference, as I'm sure most Mefites know, is that "blog" is a contraction of "web log" and is built from links to other sites. Maybe someone should send her the URL of the original blog so she can see an example? (Though anti-semitism is optional.)
posted by davy at 9:27 AM on August 25, 2005

Gretafilter?
posted by tpl1212 at 9:30 AM on August 25, 2005

Is there where we talk about how bad Faux News is; how its a right wing hack machine? Or is this where we talk about how we care about crime being commited against some stupid rich white women; there is, after all, other crime that occurs, so this one shouldn't get attention.

No, it's where we give you a giant group hug and drive out the evil spirits with the power of love.
posted by biffa at 9:31 AM on August 25, 2005

The other week, I joked to my girlfriend about setting up www.notwhitebutmissing.org as a website. I think I may actually do it...
posted by mkultra at 9:33 AM on August 25, 2005

Wait, wait...

"...Their ink and space could be put to better use than criticizing those helping the families and the police. I wish they would help — we have an epidemic..."

If this is what she thinks shouldn't she be typing only about this topic and not the meta criticism of this topic?

I've heard of, but never paid attention to this women. The first time I do pay attention, she contradicts herself in her first paragraph.

Isn't there anything better to talk about?
posted by 517 at 9:35 AM on August 25, 2005

Well Pollomacho, let's see: to quote the Wikipedia article, "A journal (through French from late Latin diurnalis, daily) is a daily record of events or business. A private journal is usually an elaborated diary. When applied to a newspaper or other periodical the word is strictly used of one published each day" -- so Greta's effort might technically be a journal by that definition. At the end of that Wikipedia article it says "The term "journal" is used, in business, for a book in which an account of transactions is kept previous to a transfer to the ledger (see bookkeeping), and also as an equivalent to a ship's log, as a record of the daily run, observations, weather changes, etc.", which things strike me as subsidiary, derivative, secondary slop-overs.

And 517, we could always discuss the fact that the marquee tag is broken but the blink tag still works.
posted by davy at 9:40 AM on August 25, 2005

Dude, no picture? That chick is hot!
posted by ToasT at 9:43 AM on August 25, 2005

Yes... that definitely is an op-Ed piece. Journal or Blog it is not.

I do, however, empathize with Ms. Holloway's parents. The loss of a child is a terrible thing, especially when foul play is involved. Though Greta (can I call you Greta?) is completely missing the point. No one would be making jokes about this (I'm surprised she omitted the Daily Show), had the coverage not been so disproportionate. Being marginally attractive, young, white, from a decent family should not buy you media time. Plenty of children/young adults go missing every day (ugly, poor, minorites and white trash) and are merely quoted as statistics during the nine-hour broadcasts involving people like Ms. Holloway.

Whether or not she contributed to her disappearance and possible death, I think that the fact remains that she was/is pretty, white, and well-off should not make her or her family the target of anyone's rancor. I know that if I had an attractive child who went missing, I would welcome the media's over coverage and (objectively) tiresome news saturation of this crime, regardless of my views on the media, as it's "personal" now.

So.. I'm fine with calling Greta a stupid fucktard, but I can, to a point, agree with her view that this is not a laughing matter. However, I'll guiltily laugh anyway, as some of the jokes are pretty damn funny.
posted by Debaser626 at 9:44 AM on August 25, 2005

Half a world away, he vanished without a trace. What really happened to Andy Lathrop?

The potential start of an epidemic of missing white boys...

It is so dangerous to leave America and go abroad, isn't it?
posted by funambulist at 9:44 AM on August 25, 2005

Gretafilter?
posted by tpl1212 at 9:30 AM PST on August 25 [!]


Awesome....
posted by Debaser626 at 9:47 AM on August 25, 2005

Again, what's the point of this link? I flagged it. But I am curious what the topic is? Of the three or four I could envision, we have already exhausted those discussions.
Not sure what this FPP was supposed to convey.
posted by dios at 9:48 AM on August 25, 2005

An excuse to use blink? Sweet.
posted by 517 at 9:51 AM on August 25, 2005

They can't handle a blog. Can you imagine how much lefty bile would flow in?

C'mon caddis. Surely they encourage dialog by posting:
"Send your thoughts and comments to: [e-mail]" I picture Greta furiously refreshing her inbox every 15 seconds just chomping at the bit to "get it on" with us lefties.

Stop being so negative!
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 9:52 AM on August 25, 2005

The point is to make fun of Greta. I am not sure that makes a good post, but she sure is looking pretty funny these days.
posted by caddis at 9:52 AM on August 25, 2005

"Since I don't golf, it would be silly for me to do an hour on Tiger Woods in a tournament, or an hour on the Masters (although I do think the fact women are excluded from the Augusta National Golf Club membership is a great topic for me and I think I have done it."

What does that mean? She thinks she's done a story on the Augusta club but isn't sure?
posted by piers at 9:59 AM on August 25, 2005

The point is to make fun of Greta.
read her thoughts on ... missing white women

I'm all for that, but nowhere in that article could I find the word "white". Or "Black" for that matter. Think I better go back and search for "coloured"?
posted by CynicalKnight at 10:00 AM on August 25, 2005

I met Greta once. Long story short, that meeting ended with her say, "See this? I want you to wreck it."
posted by 517 at 10:03 AM on August 25, 2005

ing
posted by 517 at 10:04 AM on August 25, 2005

I met Greta once. Long story short, that meeting ended with her say, "See this? I want you to wreck it."

Were you her plastic surgeon?
posted by dhoyt at 10:11 AM on August 25, 2005

Is it just me, or did that whole thing just come off as just plain mean-spirited? My quick summary is:
1: Costas isn't qualified to do real news anyway.
2: Relatives of missing persons appreciate it.
3: All the critics are just jealous because we get ratings.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 10:18 AM on August 25, 2005

Van Susteren's interview with Bill Clinton makes for very interesting reading (transcript)
posted by PenguinBukkake at 10:21 AM on August 25, 2005

just chomping at the bit

That's champing, champ.
posted by StickyCarpet at 10:36 AM on August 25, 2005

Is there where we talk about how bad Faux News is; how its a right wing hack machine?

When isn't it the time for that on this site?
posted by StrasbourgSecaucus at 10:41 AM on August 25, 2005

Um, OK Sticky, whatever you say.
posted by Pollomacho at 10:42 AM on August 25, 2005

Does the blog mention Xenu?
posted by Mayor Curley at 10:52 AM on August 25, 2005

Pollomacho, I think the original verb was "champing", something to do with the time-period that cliché came from or was popularized in, like we don't say "It is my opinion that she protests too much." But there's no money in it for me, so so what.
posted by davy at 10:58 AM on August 25, 2005

More on the champing vs. chomping debate.

I'm pretty sure that talking about this idiom is only important if the metaphorical horse is white.
posted by thinman at 11:16 AM on August 25, 2005

But honest, kids, I really am a journalist. Really! I can write and everything!
posted by Jazznoisehere at 11:18 AM on August 25, 2005

God, she writes like a fuckin' high schooler. "And the other girls just hate me because I'm beautiful" sorta shit. And c'mon, learn some punctuation.
This is why print journalists make fun of broadcasters: because they're dumb.
(C'mon, Dios, you can make fun of stupid people no matter what side of the political divide they're on...)
posted by klangklangston at 11:21 AM on August 25, 2005

And missing.

You know you beat me in posting that very by about 10 seconds! Good thing I previewed.
posted by Pollomacho at 11:21 AM on August 25, 2005

M-W are whores! Only CHAMPING is acceptable! Burn them!
posted by klangklangston at 11:23 AM on August 25, 2005

Thanks davy for the reminder of robotwisdom.

Still there and still rocks.
posted by nofundy at 11:24 AM on August 25, 2005

Is it just me, or did that whole thing just come off as just plain mean-spirited? My quick summary is:
1: Costas isn't qualified to do real news anyway.

Yeah that whole section on her speculations about why Costas wouldn't host LKL seemed like some kind of backhanded denigration of Costas' journalistic abilities. I'm glad I'm not the only one that noticed that.
posted by quantumetric at 11:26 AM on August 25, 2005

My local paper has decided a blog is closer to a livejournal entry or a newspaper column writing about your personal experience rather than a collection of links with some commentary. I cried a single tear when I found out.
posted by drezdn at 11:50 AM on August 25, 2005

.but Greta claims to be liberal, so this makes everything okay, right? Or is it just more right-wing horseshit. .
posted by mk1gti at 12:04 PM on August 25, 2005

dhoyt, that was perfect! You'd think she could pay a plastic surgeon to wipe that constipated grimace off her manly mug but I guess not.
posted by fenriq at 12:14 PM on August 25, 2005

I know that if I had an attractive child who went missing, I would welcome the media's over coverage and (objectively) tiresome news saturation of this crime, regardless of my views on the media, as it's "personal" now.

Even if it made NO difference whatsoever in whether your adult child were found or not? Even if the media coverage itself damaged your family to the point that marriages broke up and family members committed suicide? Even if the only benefit the media coverage had was to increase ratings and earn more money for the media? Would you really let yourself be horribly used by the media in that way because of a mistaken belief that it would help your adult child?

National TV coverage of missing adults has NO benefit whatsoever. Local and regional TV coverage of child abductions has been useful in the very short term, but not one adult has been found as the result of national media coverage of missing persons. Not one perpetrator has been convicted due to national media coverage. Not one.

However, the media coverage of the Laci Peterson trial did do one thing: it cost the local police so much money due to security matters that they didn't have the money to search for the other six missing persons in Modesto. Tell THEIR familes how useful the media has been.
posted by watsondog at 12:36 PM on August 25, 2005

Cult member Greta Van Sustern is in the news for ambulance chasing the families of the Valujet crash victims.
posted by The Jesse Helms at 1:02 PM on August 25, 2005

In February 2000, Scientologist John Coale wrote a letter to Reed Slatkin on behalf of himself and his wife, Greta Van Sustern, also a Scientologist and current legal affairs correspondent for Fox News.
posted by The Jesse Helms at 1:03 PM on August 25, 2005

I'm totally gonna make out with Greta one day. I just know it.
posted by ford and the prefects at 1:11 PM on August 25, 2005

ewww.
posted by caddis at 1:16 PM on August 25, 2005

I'm totally gonna make out with Greta one day. I just know it.
--------------------
Shave the ass end of your pooch and make out with that. Same thing. . .
posted by mk1gti at 1:48 PM on August 25, 2005

Is there where we talk about how bad Faux News is; how its a right wing hack machine? Or is this where we talk about how we care about crime being commited against some stupid rich white women; there is, after all, other crime that occurs, so this one shouldn't get attention.

Actually, I believe this is where you make a comment about the liberal bias of MeFi rather than responding to the actual post.
posted by anapestic at 1:53 PM on August 25, 2005

She looked so, so much better before her plastic surgery. She looked like a real person and had a face with character. In her attempt to look like some Hollywood starlet she ruined her appearance.
posted by caddis at 1:53 PM on August 25, 2005

Actually, I believe this is where you make a comment about the liberal bias of MeFi
-----------------------------------
It would be more accurate to comment about the 'murican flavah of me-fi vs. imaginary flying spaghetti monsters or intelligent design.
posted by mk1gti at 2:18 PM on August 25, 2005

I can't help wondering why noone mentions the circus aspects of this. I suspect if it was my child missing I might at first be happy that the media expressed interest in her disappearance but at what point does the sheer "show-business" of it become insulting. If I were the Holloways I'd be terrified to turn on FOX and would curse any reporter who came to the door. Besides the obvious "white girlmissing" adnauseum of it all why do families lose all of their privacy when a crime occurs? And why do the networks, such as FOX, portray this as a good thing? I find it highly insulting and feel nothing but pity to the families involved for getting sucked up into the maw of the media whores such as Greta and her ilk.
posted by filchyboy at 2:30 PM on August 25, 2005

Shave the ass end of your pooch and make out with that. Same thing.

Listen, it starts out that way but when it's over your realize it was a horri - wait, is this thing on?
posted by CynicalKnight at 3:22 PM on August 25, 2005

She looked so, so much better before her plastic surgery. She looked like a real person and had a face with character. In her attempt to look like some Hollywood starlet she ruined her appearance.
-----------------------------------------------------
How *can* they ruin the Mona Lisa, I tell ya . . . Soldier on, Brave Greta, it's only a matter of time before she opts for a plastic nose like Michael J's . . .
posted by mk1gti at 3:33 PM on August 25, 2005

I've never tried it... blink

Heh!
posted by Balisong at 6:49 PM on August 25, 2005

ing
posted by 517 at 10:04 AM PST on August 25 [!]


Ok, now that I get it, I have Jack and coke out my nose!
posted by Balisong at 6:51 PM on August 25, 2005

Is it because GVS is female that so many posters have commented on her being unattractive?
posted by growli at 9:08 PM on August 25, 2005

He's *female*?
posted by mk1gti at 9:36 PM on August 25, 2005

Meh. She's an okay legal analyst. Crummy journalist, though, but that's not really her role anyway.

And I can't claim to have spent that much time with her, but when I have, she at least treated the staff well. Which goes far with me.
posted by Vidiot at 9:47 PM on August 25, 2005

I find it highly insulting and feel nothing but pity to the families involved for getting sucked up into the maw of the media whores such as Greta and her ilk.

Ms. Twitty and her varous family members are equally bad media/attention whores. Don't take it from me, ask her high-school age son she's left in AL this whole time. I'm sure he feels quite loved and appreciated every night when he turns on the TV.
posted by somethingotherthan at 12:28 AM on August 26, 2005

Is it because GVS is female that so many posters have commented on her being unattractive?

It is because someone wanted to make out with her, and because of her really bad plastic surgery.
posted by caddis at 1:17 AM on August 26, 2005

Look at her go!
posted by drezdn at 7:20 AM on August 26, 2005

Grets is a Scientologist? Who know

I was thinking the other day that "greta van sustren" sounds like a dutch name. I wonder if she's enjoying spending time with "her people" in Aruba?
posted by delmoi at 8:57 AM on August 26, 2005