as it turns out, Pieter has cats and isn’t afraid of going on solo dates
October 9, 2018 9:01 AM   Subscribe

 
Jason, just in time for the Halloween season. Someone linked me a ton of these this morning before I had any context, so thanks hurdy gurdy girl for delivering the context!
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 9:06 AM on October 9, 2018 [6 favorites]


Somebody add #thanktoberfest to this post because I am thankful for this silly story. And I vote.
posted by rogerrogerwhatsyourrvectorvicto at 9:14 AM on October 9, 2018 [13 favorites]


I would give a lot to know this woman's true thought and decision making process that resulted in that tweet.
posted by LastOfHisKind at 9:20 AM on October 9, 2018 [28 favorites]


Now I want a wombat.
posted by Frowner at 9:20 AM on October 9, 2018 [11 favorites]


My god, that orange cat is a fat bastard! I love him.
posted by sciatrix at 9:20 AM on October 9, 2018 [17 favorites]


Obviously someone did this for Gritty, and it is right and perfect: Twitter link
posted by kalimac at 9:20 AM on October 9, 2018 [23 favorites]


I would give a lot to know this woman's true thought and decision making process that resulted in that tweet.

I'm guessing it involved prescription drugs and Fox News.
posted by entropicamericana at 9:23 AM on October 9, 2018 [33 favorites]


"I’ve since learned that becoming internet famous is the best way [to] force people to look at pictures of your cats. So here we go"
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 9:23 AM on October 9, 2018 [38 favorites]


all this and bonus cat pics!!
posted by supermedusa at 9:28 AM on October 9, 2018 [3 favorites]


Parodies of dumb tweets can only go so far in these dumb times, and that’s really not very far at all, but the kitties really make this.
posted by Artw at 9:28 AM on October 9, 2018 [7 favorites]


I’m not afraid to go on solo dates regardless of the political climate. But I’m equally willing to go on a date with another person as well.
posted by TedW at 9:28 AM on October 9, 2018 [69 favorites]


This is a story about a woman who was so angry she misrepresented her son on Twitter, and that son has become a viral hero. It's virality splitting a family right down the middle, which feels both pretty old and pretty new, and something that popular culture is going to be unable to handle well. Angry, dumb tweets do not need defenders, but I hope everything works out for them. (It's also to think of the son as stepping into the draft as a deliberate tactic to take heat off of his Mom.) A mess, a mess, a mess.
posted by Going To Maine at 9:34 AM on October 9, 2018 [18 favorites]


The big lesson that I took from all this is that the Twitter handle "Thatwasmymom" was still available this close to the end of the year 2018.
posted by wenestvedt at 9:37 AM on October 9, 2018 [56 favorites]


Don't talk to me or this political straw man version of my son ever again.
posted by tobascodagama at 9:38 AM on October 9, 2018 [84 favorites]


Parodies of dumb tweets can only go so far in these dumb times, and that’s really not very far at all, but the kitties really make this.

I did like the kitties (of course!) but for me what makes it is the son's good humour and clear statement that he is a feminist ally and staunch supporter of #MeToo. I was expecting that the story would be mostly mockery of the original tweet and either silence or defensiveness from the son. I was very pleasantly surprised.

Even though I think the mom was very wrong to use her son's image without his permission to promote an agenda he clearly doesn't believe in, I was impressed by how he was very gentle in his condemnation of her and her agenda, while making it extremely clear he is a feminist ally.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 9:40 AM on October 9, 2018 [134 favorites]


Doesn't having a child kind of give you perpetual rights to images of said child? I think it's in the contract the baby hands you after being born. If not there are a few photos my mother keeps that I need to send a cease and desist about before the next time I bring a new girlfriend to meet her.
posted by GoblinHoney at 9:45 AM on October 9, 2018 [9 favorites]


As one Tweeter said, Thanksgiving at that house is going to be lit.

This made my day.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:52 AM on October 9, 2018 [26 favorites]


As one Tweeter said, Thanksgiving at that house is going to be lit.

Nah, he can just thank his mom for scoring him a ton of dates.
posted by mstokes650 at 9:57 AM on October 9, 2018 [18 favorites]


Obviously someone did this for Gritty, and it is right and perfect: Twitter link

I am so here for Gritty.
posted by nikaspark at 10:00 AM on October 9, 2018 [10 favorites]


These are stressful times and I’ll take my laughs where I can get them if someone chooses to put themselves out there. I thought the son’s response was perfect and sweet, a wonderful balm.
posted by bleep at 10:01 AM on October 9, 2018 [7 favorites]


What's so beautiful about this is his recreation of the original sailor-boy picture. His smile and everything about it (and his Twitter handle) just says, "Yeah, my mom said a dumb thing, but I ain't mad about it. Just wanted to let you know that what she said is nonsense. I believe women and am not afraid of them."

I think Thanksgiving's gonna be okay.
posted by straight at 10:02 AM on October 9, 2018 [50 favorites]


One article pointed out that this is an example of the extremely rare Reverse Milkshake Duck.
posted by kyrademon at 10:09 AM on October 9, 2018 [175 favorites]


The most valuable lesson here, as we enter into the holiday seasons, is that if you can safely do so, you should definitely call out your shitty relatives.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:10 AM on October 9, 2018 [42 favorites]


Yeah, I think so too, straight. Something tells me this isn't the first time he and his brother have had to correct their mom on something: "That was my Mom. Sometimes the people we love do things that hurt us without realizing it. Let’s turn this around. I respect and #BelieveWomen. I never have and never will support #HimToo. I’m a proud Navy vet, Cat Dad and Ally. Also, Twitter, your meme game is on point."
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 10:11 AM on October 9, 2018 [7 favorites]


i won’t go on solo dates due to the current climate of solo shooting first
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:15 AM on October 9, 2018 [71 favorites]


The other lesson is that so much of what Fox News is telling your grandparents is such laughably obvious bullshit fearmongering that a simple, "Look, I'm not afraid of what they're telling you to be afraid of" might be one of the more productive ways to respond.
posted by straight at 10:16 AM on October 9, 2018 [47 favorites]


I also love how campy the original photo is.
posted by eirias at 10:18 AM on October 9, 2018 [7 favorites]


what i think of when i hear solo dates
posted by palindromic at 10:20 AM on October 9, 2018


Before Pieter joined Twitter, his brother jumped into the fray last night to clear a few things up and defend Pieter's good name. Someone asked him when he realized his mom was crazy and he said "She was sent to a mental hospital when I was 10." Reportedly, one brother -- not sure if same -- also drove over to the mom's house to delete her Twitter, lol. I get the feeling managing mom's behavior is a common thread in their lives, but it's really good the brothers have each other, and they seem like very kind, reasonable, good-humored guys.
posted by the turtle's teeth at 10:21 AM on October 9, 2018 [50 favorites]


This tweet made me find the whole thing not quite as funny.
Jon Hanson (@DancinJonHanson)
10/8/18, 22:36
⁦‪@TvvitterlessJ‬⁩ I was about 10 when she was literally put in a mental hospital. Serious.
posted by zamboni at 10:22 AM on October 9, 2018 [16 favorites]


It's such a great relief to have even just this one social media thing turn out okay for a change.
posted by briank at 10:25 AM on October 9, 2018 [3 favorites]


I also love how campy the original photo is.

Yeah I did not think #metoo would be the reason he wasn’t going on dates with women
posted by schadenfrau at 10:25 AM on October 9, 2018 [80 favorites]


I'm also fascinated by the fact that I am now sorry for a man who was falsely accused. Life is weird. (I realize it is not the same at all, it's just a funny twist.)
posted by sockermom at 10:25 AM on October 9, 2018 [7 favorites]


One article pointed out that this is an example of the extremely rare Reverse Milkshake Duck.

haha, yay! the bad thing on the internet is actually good and positive

Reportedly, one brother -- not sure if same -- also drove over to the mom's house to delete her Twitter, lol.

hey hold on now I'm not sure that's necessary

‪I was about 10 when she was literally put in a mental hospital. Serious.

god dammit
posted by prize bull octorok at 10:26 AM on October 9, 2018 [20 favorites]


This tweet made me find the whole thing not quite as funny.

Nobody ever thought her tweet was funny, though - it was wrong and it was hurtful. Even if she has a history of mental illness, that doesn't change.
posted by mosst at 10:26 AM on October 9, 2018 [10 favorites]


And regardless of her mental health, the biggest villain here was always Fox and the other conservative media that are feeding her that crap.
posted by straight at 10:29 AM on October 9, 2018 [44 favorites]


Oh, yes, lots of emotional ping-pong in what I originally thought was a funny story. They seem like good guys.
posted by Ziggy500 at 10:30 AM on October 9, 2018 [2 favorites]


god dammit

It's the rare reverse milkshake duck sitting on a dead goat.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 10:31 AM on October 9, 2018 [29 favorites]


Nobody ever thought her tweet was funny, though
On Monday, the best and funniest thing on the internet was a post from “BlueStarNavyMom3,”

posted by zamboni at 10:45 AM on October 9, 2018


From the headlines elsewhere, I'd thought she was sharing her son's personal #MeToo story (and changing the hashtag to highlight that assault can happen to a "him, too") without his go-ahead. Even knowing otherwise now, thanks to this FPP and these comments, the weirdest feeling of relief persists. The last couple of years may have completely warped my brain.

Her kids seem to have turned out well. And now I know more about wombat scale, that will be useful.
posted by Iris Gambol at 10:52 AM on October 9, 2018 [5 favorites]


At least I now know the original story. My FB page was suddenly flooded with the Buffalo Bill Silence of the Lambs takeoff on this, and I didn't understand it at all, and kinda afraid to dig deeper. Thanks, OP!
posted by Capt. Renault at 10:59 AM on October 9, 2018 [3 favorites]


Now that I know the backstory of the mom's mental illness, the more I admire the graciousness with which Pieter handled the whole thing. Can't be easy to become internet famous for something so against your principles, and want to disavow yourself of it but without throwing the person with mental illness to the wolves. Well done sir.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 11:08 AM on October 9, 2018 [59 favorites]


As I have posted on basically every high- and medium-profile Trumpist's Twitter timeline recently:

Stop. Weaponizing. Other. People's. Service.

I mean, I follow a lot of other vets on Twitter, many of whom I disagree with profoundly and have learned to tune out. But the "I AM A VET" crowd pales next to the "I AM A VET'S MOM" and "I KNOW A BUNCH OF DELTA FORCE DUDES" crowd for "...THEREFORE YOU MUST RESPECT MY PERSONAL OPINION" takes.
posted by Etrigan at 11:10 AM on October 9, 2018 [79 favorites]


I suspect actual veterans know enough veterans personally for it to sink in that someone can be both a veteran and a dumb-ass.
posted by RobotHero at 11:16 AM on October 9, 2018 [25 favorites]


Back when there was an Army Wives TV show, I dreamt and begged the stars that it should be about that subculture of Military Relatives, no actual soldiers at all (like the children on Everybody Loves Raymond). Alas, it was not.
posted by rhizome at 11:17 AM on October 9, 2018


I just can't believe anyone would go for #HimToo when #HeToo is right there.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 11:20 AM on October 9, 2018 [7 favorites]


P.S. As a Veteran I don't just know someone can be a veteran and a dumbass. I know someone can be active duty, graduated from the most academically challenging program the military has to offer, and be such a monumental dumbass that they invent new forms of stupidity on a daily basis. The fact dumbasses might be related to or personally know a vet doesn't even register.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 11:23 AM on October 9, 2018 [30 favorites]


Doesn't having a child kind of give you perpetual rights to images of said child?
I feel the need to clarify that this is ABSOLUTELY NOT true.

With limited exceptions, by the time you're an adult, your parents have no more right to screw around with your life than any random stranger does. This person crossed some pretty serious boundaries, and it sounds a lot like her sons have explained those boundaries to her on many occasions. They're reacting with far more charity and grace than most people in this situation would.

If this all sounds foreign to you.... let's just say you're lucky.
posted by schmod at 11:45 AM on October 9, 2018 [25 favorites]


I'm pretty sure this guy isn't dating right now because he's too busy on the road with the touring company of On the Town.
posted by Naberius at 11:47 AM on October 9, 2018 [5 favorites]


"Mom, fear is not the reason I don't go on solo dates with women."
posted by rhizome at 11:58 AM on October 9, 2018 [6 favorites]


It's over a decade since Josh Fruhlinger pointed it out, but it bears repeating that nobody ever says "solo car date".
posted by jackbishop at 12:47 PM on October 9, 2018 [7 favorites]


I just can't believe anyone would go for #HimToo when #HeToo is right there.

I'd bet you $1 that the sort of people who are all-in on #HimToo would find #HeToo too "urban" sounding.
posted by phearlez at 12:50 PM on October 9, 2018 [1 favorite]


I was not aware of this meme until just now thanks to this post, despite being daily on my (carefully curated) twitterverse, and I am incredibly delighted that it basically became an excuse for people to post pictures of their cats.
posted by paisley sheep at 1:24 PM on October 9, 2018 [3 favorites]


Then again when isn't a thing on the internet an excuse for people to post pictures of their cats.
posted by paisley sheep at 1:26 PM on October 9, 2018 [6 favorites]


Happily, my mother cannot tweet, because she she is now legally blind. Some mothers are not mothering. I'm really impressed with how these brothers are handling what must be a difficult situation

(my mother has moved to the extreme left in her isolated and drugged state of life, so she wouldn't harm me personally if she could tweet, but as she has befriended former terrorists, she could harm her self).
posted by mumimor at 1:31 PM on October 9, 2018 [1 favorite]


Today this, yesterday the viral political tweet was Stalin apologia, twitter is wild
posted by vibratory manner of working at 2:03 PM on October 9, 2018 [2 favorites]


Pieter's response and sense of humor is such a welcome response from the toxic shitstorm of misogyny out there. I just don't remember it being quite this bad in my lifetime, when you have the freaking President mocking rape claims. I had to listen to my mom say "well she (Ford) should've known!" and my brother say that her song is "it's my party and I'll cry if I want to". Guess who isn't going home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. And internalized misogyny is so disturbing. I've had my share but my damage wasn't that deep.

Also it seems Pieter and Jon have excellent skills in deescalating family drama that probably comes from learning how to cope with family mental illness at such an early age. Such a graceful response. I have a coworker who's mom is paranoid shizophrenic and man, is he good at dealing with difficult people. Must be a developed survival mechanism.

Also my fave Twitter response was a Guy Fieri meme:
MY son graduated from Flavortown University. He was awarded 3 bangin' fajita poppers. He has been wrongly accused of stealing the last piece of pizza.
posted by GospelofWesleyWillis at 2:12 PM on October 9, 2018 [17 favorites]


I also love how campy the original photo is.

Yeah I did not think #metoo would be the reason he wasn’t going on dates with women


#NoDames
posted by Shatner's Bassoon at 2:21 PM on October 9, 2018 [1 favorite]


hey so I haven't done a deep twitter dive on this but like is Pieter out or are we just making gay sailor jokes for the hell of it here
posted by prize bull octorok at 2:29 PM on October 9, 2018 [23 favorites]


This is a story about a woman who was so angry she misrepresented her son on Twitter, and that son has become a viral hero. It's virality splitting a family right down the middle, which feels both pretty old and pretty new, and something that popular culture is going to be unable to handle well.

I can only hear this being read by Ron Howard with ukulele in the background
posted by polecat at 2:49 PM on October 9, 2018 [5 favorites]


Apparently Pieter is self-reportedly straight, though clearly gay in the archaic dashing/swashbuckling sense of the word.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 2:49 PM on October 9, 2018 [10 favorites]


hey so I haven't done a deep twitter dive on this but like is Pieter out or are we just making gay sailor jokes for the hell of it here

I doubt it's fear even if he's straight or anything else. That sailor photo is indeed hinty, though.

I kid because I love.
posted by rhizome at 2:50 PM on October 9, 2018 [1 favorite]


Obviously someone did this for Gritty, and it is right and perfect: Twitter link

I love this, but also let us be honest with ourselves: Gritty doesn't date because he is in love with Claude Giroux and spends most of his time posting erotic fantasies about him on Instagram. This is a literal true fact about a marketing campaign in 2018 and not a joke.
posted by a fiendish thingy at 3:07 PM on October 9, 2018 [9 favorites]


A friend asked me the other day whether fandom had gotten hold of Gritty yet. Because I love her, I did a deep dive into AO3 and found Claude/Gritty fanfic. I haven't recovered yet. But yes, this is clearly a Thing. Gritty has a rich and varied personal life and does not lack for dates, apparently.
posted by Stacey at 3:20 PM on October 9, 2018


I love this, but also let us be honest with ourselves: Gritty doesn't date because he is in love with Claude Giroux and spends most of his time posting erotic fantasies about him on Instagram. This is a literal true fact about a marketing campaign in 2018 and not a joke.

Wait

what
posted by sciatrix at 3:36 PM on October 9, 2018 [6 favorites]


GRITTY IS.
posted by Artw at 3:38 PM on October 9, 2018 [3 favorites]


Okay I found the fic in question and thank fuck it's about a thousand words of what smells like trollfic/jokefic/crack by someone who is clearly giggling to herself at the keyboard. You know, the sort of thing fandom does when it's in a cranky sort of mood.

And there's only one.

So far.

The tag hasn't even made it out of freeform status.

please let it stay that way
posted by sciatrix at 3:46 PM on October 9, 2018 [2 favorites]


This makes me appreciate my mom's post on FB more.
posted by gryftir at 3:52 PM on October 9, 2018 [1 favorite]


I am thankful my mother doesn't do Twitter (or politics, at least not openly) because this wouldn't be past her. (Apparently the mom doesn't understand why her son is still single - he says he's too busy.) I did briefly make a themed account for her after she helped me with an article about butter cookies but it didn't take on - phew.
posted by divabat at 4:26 PM on October 9, 2018


Well, I ain't plannin' on goin' on solo dates, because nobody remembered to wake me up before they went-went.

I hadn't realized how long it had been since I had had such a good laugh. Thank you, internet.

Also, I loves that orange kitty! He's marmalarvelous.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 5:11 PM on October 9, 2018 [9 favorites]


hey so I haven't done a deep twitter dive on this but like is Pieter out or are we just making gay sailor jokes for the hell of it here


For the record, I was not making a gay sailor joke so much as a Broadway musical sailor joke.

They are not the same thing!
posted by Naberius at 6:49 PM on October 9, 2018 [8 favorites]


The other lesson is that so much of what Fox News is telling your grandparents is such laughably obvious bullshit fearmongering that a simple, "Look, I'm not afraid of what they're telling you to be afraid of" might be one of the more productive ways to respond.

This is where I'm at with my mum, with Fox replaced with our local Murdoch media. It works-ish but also makes my mother think I take outlandish risks in doing things like catching a crowded tram at 8pm. She questions my sanity as much (more probably) than the media, which is not an ideal outcome.
posted by deadwax at 7:01 PM on October 9, 2018 [1 favorite]


If anyone's interested in women in breweries, he's also put up this:
Please feel free to follow my beautiful amazing best friend @RiveterSarah as she’s working on launching her own incredible brewery that is dedicated to incredible woman


For a first time twitter user, he's doing allyship on the internet spot on.
posted by womb of things to be and tomb of things that were at 7:57 PM on October 9, 2018 [12 favorites]


sciatrix, here are some messages Gritty has posted for/about Claude on his Insta (mostly in stories, so not available anymore):

-Claude wrestling a shark = dreams
-(In a Q&A): Q: Are you excited for Thursday? A: More excited than the first time I met Claude!
-(in response to Claude posting a comment on his Insta): CLAUDE I ALWAYS HAVE TIME FOR YOU
MY BEST FRIEND
-(on his post about being on The Tonight Show): @28cgiroux are you proud?!
-(same post): Hey @questlove! Can you tell Claude how good I am at drums?
-(same post): Thank you @jimmyfallon! I patiently wait until we can do an interview...of me and Claude?
-Someone asked Claude's wife Ryanne if Gritty was invited to their house for holiday dinners and she said "Will he travel to Canada?" and Gritty reposted it with "ABSOLUTELY I WILL!!!! ty so much for the invite lemme know what I can bring - make a mean green bean casserole"

I'd say the shark wrestling one really took it to the next level in terms of psychosexual intensity, but people who know NOTHING ABOUT HOCKEY have looked at a collection of these posts and asked me "what is up with this monster being so thirsty for Claude Giroux? Also who is Claude Giroux?"
posted by a fiendish thingy at 7:59 PM on October 9, 2018 [10 favorites]


For the record, I was not making a gay sailor joke so much as a Broadway musical sailor joke.

My mind immediately went to the Outlaw episode of MST3K, where they're looking through Mike's theatre scrapbook and he's wearing a sailor suit in every play he's been in. (Including Oh, Calcutta!)
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:12 PM on October 9, 2018 [8 favorites]


oh my god, does she know? is this some kind of weirdly thirsty husband swap scenario? how awkward must it be having Thanksgiving dinner and suddenly Gritty shows up with a lumpy casserole and spends the entire meal trying to play footsie with your husband. he seems prone to missing. your guests keep jumping and Gritty is there, his eyeballs jittering ominously down at you, lifeless and somehow undead at the same time. the smiles of your family become fixed rictuses more at home on a skull than on soft lips as Gritty lurches from dish to dish, dropping candied yams and cranberries as he reaches clumsily for each dish in turn. every dish he touches is left in disarray in his wake.

suddenly there it is on your leg: the unpleasant texture of unwashed muppet. it's crawling.

it's barefoot. there is no shoe on what is definitely a foot.

you didn't previously know that Gritty has eight toes, and two of them are oddly long and... prehensile. you aren't sure you wanted to.

your husband notices you jump and looks guilty before edging away. why does he look guilty? what is happening?

the toes creep gently up your knee.

what do you do?

what do you do?
posted by sciatrix at 8:21 PM on October 9, 2018 [18 favorites]




or are we just making gay sailor jokes for the hell of it here

Tbh I thought Pieter was making a gay sailor joke
posted by schadenfrau at 6:52 AM on October 10, 2018 [10 favorites]


If visions of romantic Gritty fanfic dance in your head, Yuletide Challenge signups are open until October 21! (PM me if you need an AO3 invite)
posted by nicebookrack at 8:09 AM on October 10, 2018


Tbh I thought Pieter was making a gay sailor joke

Ditto.
posted by aspersioncast at 9:09 AM on October 10, 2018


Hey! You keep your Marxist hands off Gritty!
Because he's more of an anarcho-syndicalist?
posted by evidenceofabsence at 10:09 AM on October 10, 2018


Splitters vs Gritters.
posted by Artw at 10:20 AM on October 10, 2018 [1 favorite]




How exactly did Gritty take over this thread... *reads back*... OK I think i under... no wait...

*wanders off mumbling incoherently*
posted by cirhosis at 10:41 AM on October 10, 2018 [4 favorites]


a quick gif to explain the Gritty situation

Cute but gaslighty, unless there are subversives in Philly's hockey marketing department.
posted by Going To Maine at 10:53 AM on October 10, 2018


Fandom: “oh god there better not be fic of this frightening pairing”

Also fandom: immediately produces fic of said pairing

Thank you, sciatrix; now the phrase “unwashed muppet” will never leave me.
posted by eirias at 11:03 AM on October 10, 2018 [10 favorites]


Is Gritty actually eligible for Yuletide? It's not like Hockey RPF is anywhere near a small enough fandom on its own merits....
posted by sciatrix at 11:34 AM on October 10, 2018


You could probably wrangle Gritty as a sub fandom, but I think his debut just missed the window for fandom nominations. A tragedy or a small mercy, you decide!
posted by Stacey at 12:38 PM on October 10, 2018 [1 favorite]


I completely missed the Milkshake Duck thing, and assumed that Reverse Milkshake Duck somehow involved ... jumping over a milkshake that had been thrown at you? Or maybe bending backwards to avoid it, like a Neo Matrix bullet dodge?

Then I clicked the link. It's a nice story, but I'm still a little sorry there were no flying milkshakes.
posted by louigi at 7:02 AM on October 11, 2018 [2 favorites]


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