Remember - Good Satire Punches Up Like The Bubbles in Beer
February 17, 2019 10:39 PM   Subscribe

In a time of a worrisome craft beer market, a worse niche beer publication market and the recent accusations of sexual assault against the CEO of Ohio's Actual Brewing, Bill Metzger, the longtime owner and publisher of the Buffalo based Brewing News chain of monthly brewing newspapers wrote an article on Scottish Cask Ale for the Great Lake's Brewing News (not to be confused with Great Lakes Brewing and their flagship Edmund Fitzgerald Porter ). After "promotion" from Worst Beer Blog (dedicated to calling out asinine and crappy behavior in the brewing world), the article was not well received to say the least even by the Scottish (with many advertisers/breweries pulling ads and at least one employee resigning in protest) . With cries of satire being rejected after an "apology" (and some questionable history being dug up), papers in the chain are going independent and Metzger is divesting himself of the remaining properties. (And the annual IPA Competition is cancelled because of breweries pulling entries) Is this another step for a maturing industry to move away from it's troubling past, even for a field that's been said to be 99% asshole free? (and don't look now - unionization, too!)
posted by drewbage1847 (29 comments total) 8 users marked this as a favorite
 
Which link has the story?
posted by cincinnatus c at 1:29 AM on February 18, 2019 [11 favorites]


The link for Scottish Cask Ale has the article which caused all the ruckus. It's... quite a thing to read.
posted by hippybear at 2:33 AM on February 18, 2019 [2 favorites]


A quick skim reveals both “feminazi” and “perform for a woman” (n.b., not on a musical instrument), and I bailed.

WTF, beer guys!? Why so awful? MeFi’s own drewbage is a fine guy, good scientist, and entertaining writer & speaker. Why are people like this gasbag still granted any air?

I recall that a MeFite was doing a podcast all about women in brewing: that’s who should be getting subscriptions, not this creaky old fossil from The Before Times.
posted by wenestvedt at 3:23 AM on February 18, 2019 [2 favorites]


You don't even have to skim deep -- the cask ale article starts out in a way that is like a mountain of red flags lit on fire and then topped with another mountain-sized red flag.

The actual opening line:

"Like most men, I struggle with my primal self. It’s genetic."

No no no no no no no no no no. Fuck you. Fuck you so much. You do not speak for men, you do not speak for me. Shut up and literally never speak in public again. Just. Fuck. You.

(it then immediately name-checks #metoo and says "the pendulum has swung too far").
posted by tocts at 5:01 AM on February 18, 2019 [17 favorites]


> … even by the Scottish

What's that supposed to mean? Are we supposed to be in favour?

That's one shite article.
posted by scruss at 5:15 AM on February 18, 2019 [5 favorites]


You know what's funny? I like ale because it's low in alcohol and not very carbonated. I'm a small woman with limited alcohol tolerance, and bubbles hurt my mouth. I sometimes get cool-girl points for drinking the darkest, sludgiest ale, but I like it because I'm a lightweight with sensory issues. So I hate to break it to you, my dudes, but you may be drinking a girlie drink.

It is amazing to me how many fun things can be ruined by toxic masculinity. (Hopefully not ruined in this instance, but certainly harmed.)
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 5:31 AM on February 18, 2019 [4 favorites]


That was a really gross article that managed to say quite a lot about the author and very little about the beer. I don’t buy for a second that it was satire, either.
posted by wintermind at 6:09 AM on February 18, 2019 [2 favorites]


“Nowhere in this piece is there an endorsement of misogyny nor hatred. It is a simple parody of a disgusting attitude that I have seen often. We have been publishing the occasional piece that does anger people as some topics seem too toxic to discuss rationally. And it most certainly does not reflect my views; those who actually know me beyond a few articles written and/or published know that much.”
This is one of Metzger’s statements on the controversy. Absent is any explanation of why he thought satire would be a good way to address a very sensitive topic. In fact, I would argue that the article fails to adequately discuss either beer or problems of sexism in the craft brewing industry. In addition to lacking sound judgement, he’s a poor writer. But I’m sure the industry will go on without his “leadership”, few things are dependent on one person for their success.
posted by wintermind at 6:22 AM on February 18, 2019


I recall that a MeFite was doing a podcast all about women in brewing: that’s who should be getting subscriptions, not this creaky old fossil from The Before Times.

That would be Kitteh. Looks like she has 54 episodes out so far.
posted by Secret Sparrow at 6:27 AM on February 18, 2019 [9 favorites]


Metzger doesn't issue a carefully phrased statement that approximates "I'm sorry you were offended." He literally says: "I'm sorry you were offended."

I have to wonder whether some of the small brewers happily telling his publication to fuck off are also working out any frustrations they might have had having to deal with Metzger as effectively the news and PR middleman for breweries in their regions. Somebody that hateful about women is usually not going to display better character when they have the opportunity to choose between egalitarianism and petty tyranny.
posted by at by at 6:30 AM on February 18, 2019 [3 favorites]


Thanks for this post, drewbage1847; it's one of the things I love most about MeFi - learning about sharp stories in worlds I'm interested in but only tangentially connected to.

I feel bad for the brewers, writers and editors who just had their world upended by this jerk, but also for all the women who've almost certainly been hurt by his attitude, which we're only now seeing openly, over the years.
posted by mediareport at 7:38 AM on February 18, 2019 [1 favorite]


I love the part deep in the article about serial sexual assaulter, Fred Lee, of Actual Brewing, where women business owners in his community (and allies) decline to stock his beer. This is one thing that men need to grapple with, the very simple consequences of being a dirtbag in this new world order where women have a tiny slice of the economic privilege pie.
posted by amanda at 7:50 AM on February 18, 2019 [5 favorites]


Damn, this takedown by The Thirsty Wench linked in one of the links is brutal, pulling out the worst bits from the article and tearing them apart one by one. The bit about legendary Scottish female warriors is particularly on point.
posted by mediareport at 7:54 AM on February 18, 2019 [4 favorites]


Due to her experiences, Witkowski, who was once passionate about the brewing industry, no longer has an interest in pursuing a career in it.
posted by amanda at 7:58 AM on February 18, 2019 [2 favorites]


Yeah, the contrast between the women's stories in the awful Actual Brewing harassment story amanda just quoted and the whinging "but men can't get laid now!" crap Metzger pulled is so strikingly clear it should become a textbook case.
posted by mediareport at 8:13 AM on February 18, 2019 [2 favorites]


I always found the Los Testigos de Cerveza articles made me uncomfortable but this article pissed me off right from the first paragraph. Christ, What An Asshole! was never more apropos.
posted by tommasz at 8:33 AM on February 18, 2019 [1 favorite]


not to be confused with Great Lakes Brewing and their flagship Edmund Fitzgerald Porter

Also not to be confused with Toronto’s Great Lakes Brewery and their flagship Canuck Pale Ale.

I’m glad to see that there have been some real consequences for this asshat. It’s a hopeful sign that we’re moving away from craft bro-ing, even if there still a ways to go.
posted by rodlymight at 9:13 AM on February 18, 2019 [2 favorites]


This reminds me of the movie reviews of Harry Knowles, in that there was literally no reason whatsoever to approach this topic, let alone do ... that. This was the world’s most avoidable mistake.
posted by Countess Elena at 1:08 PM on February 18, 2019 [2 favorites]


Goddamn, I hope it's satire because, like wenestvedt, I couldn't even get past the first few paragraphs. It's bad, satire or no. If this dude actually truly believes it is satire then I think he's got some unresolved issues to figure out.

The responses in The Thirsty Wench's piece at least give me some hope. I found "I pumped date rape pills into a mouldy leather fanny pack and then asked the fanny pack to write about cask ale. Here's what happened" especially amusing.

...I like it because I'm a lightweight with sensory issues. So I hate to break it to you, my dudes, but you may be drinking a girlie drink.

ArbitraryAndCapricious are you into sour beers? They tend to be lower in alcohol content and there's a wide variety of flavor profiles even within the range of what can be called "sour" (and apologies if you're way ahead of me and already super knowledgeable about all this stuff--I wasn't sure from your comment). My wife likes them a lot for this reason...as do I, a dude. Sometimes you'll get super-duper over the top sour stuff but I find that lately breweries are aiming for more balance compared to when sours first started to be a thing.

But back to the point at hand: if good beer = girlie drink then sign me up for more girlie drink. Honestly one of the reasons I love beer the most is because I feel like it is (or at least should be) the ultimate egalitarian booze. Anyone can make it, there's a ton of variety so hopefully most anyone can find something they like within the truly astounding range of styles that is out there, family-friendly taprooms are pretty common all over the U.S. these days, and beer tends to be relatively cheap. Beer should be enjoyed together and it should be for all of us to both make and consume. Beer for all!

Well, maybe not kids I guess
posted by dubitable at 1:09 PM on February 18, 2019 [3 favorites]


… even by the Scottish

What's that supposed to mean? Are we supposed to be in favour?


That got an eyebrow raise here too, and I'm not Scottish.
posted by deadwax at 1:27 PM on February 18, 2019


Remember - Good Satire Punches Up Like The Bubbles in Beer
Umm.
posted by kickingtheground at 2:06 PM on February 18, 2019 [1 favorite]


Olde Frothingslosh was the "pale, stale ale with the foam on the bottom." (another ad slogan was "pale stale ale for the pale stale male") Enough said.
posted by oneswellfoop at 3:06 PM on February 18, 2019


In the linked bit for "99% asshole free" that assertion is qualified like this, emphasis mine:

The craft beer community (other than a few trademark infringement tiffs here and there) tends to genuinely root for their brethren and live with a "there's plenty enough to go around" attitude that has led to ginormous growth, spurred innovation and lead to some excellent collaborations.

So, you know. They are not assholes...to other men. Right. We got that.
posted by amanda at 3:13 PM on February 18, 2019 [2 favorites]


I honestly do think that anybody who took that piece seriously really does have a busted satire detector. Which condition is pretty much endemic in an era where so much official policy has become indistinguishable from satire, but even so.

Not saying it's good satire, or necessary satire, or appropriate or well-judged satire. But when a piece packs every reactionary cliche into its first paragraph, one after the other boom boom boom boom with no letup whatsoever, it's clear to me at least that its intent is parodic.

Not even Peterson would attempt an opening like that without some kind of folksy and/or pseudo-intellectual glurge to dilute it in.

I know nothing of Bill Metzger. Never read any of his output before. He might, for all I know, be the world's worst misogynist. But it seems to me that coming to that view on the basis of this article primarily is jumping the gun.

Cloth-eared and tone deaf, sure. But nowhere near evil enough to be worth taking the heat off anybody who actually holds any of the views that this tedious, superfluous and particularly blunt attempt at a skewer fails to pierce. File this one under tries-too-hard.
posted by flabdablet at 6:44 PM on February 18, 2019


Brewing News should have rejected it, not because it's offensive but because the writing is so insufferably dull.
posted by flabdablet at 6:47 PM on February 18, 2019


Well, you're right about that. It is an insufferable, shite piece of writing. I suspect he wrote it while drinking and oh-so-amused at his own wit and whimsy. But if it's satire then I suspect it's a satire of himself. Meaning, he's poking fun at what people around him are saying about him. Which may mean that there's a contingent of people who are either directly saying to him, "Hey, this bullshit you're pulling needs to stop" or he's simply feeling the heat of the cultural conversation. He heard someone say "stupid" and he raised his hand. He's identifying with the white, male, aggrieved underdog who despite having some measure of success and regard just doesn't seem to have the ability to self-reflect let alone behave appropriately in the first place. And it's a badge of honor! And he thinks all his readers are in on it.

That's my most charitable read.
posted by amanda at 8:25 AM on February 19, 2019 [3 favorites]


It's also true that this kind of thing has been present in his writing for years. As folks involved with the magazine have pointed out, it goes back to at least 2007.
posted by mediareport at 12:55 PM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]


"99% asshole free"

I would question that statement, its a bit to rosy considering how many labels of beer I still see in the aisle that take a page from Heavy Metal or a RatFink drawing.

That would also depend on more visible micro-brews like Rogue Ale cleaning up their act when it comes to how they treat their employees, such as this delightful CL post for an IT role.
posted by MiltonRandKalman at 2:45 PM on February 19, 2019 [2 favorites]


> Brewing News should have rejected it, not because it's offensive but because the writing is so insufferably dull.

Metzger was not only the author, he was also the editor and publisher. He didn't have to submit to anybody.

As for whether this is satire (exclusive of qualifications), see some of the other examples of his writing cited in the FPP's links. The guy might be exaggerating the strength of his sentiments through his inept notion of how gonzo journalism is supposed to sound, but he is by no means satirizing them.
posted by at by at 11:30 AM on February 21, 2019 [1 favorite]


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