Ace of Spades HQ

February 27, 2007

Eric Alterman Wants A "Council Of Bloggers" To Patrol For Bad Blogger-Citizenship
— Ace

Which is dumb, but that's not why I'm linking this.

It's for this homophobic attack on Andrew Sullivan:

Alterman complains that bloggers mix too much about their personal lives into their political opinions, as if they think the personal information bolsters the argument: "Tom Paine didn't say 'Common Sense' is a good idea because I'm such a hip guy." But of course, Tom Paine would have blogged, and he probably would have come across as a cool guy, and we would perceive that as bolstering his argument.
Eric is especially perturbed by Andrew Sullivan's personal revelations, notably his description of curling up with his boyfriend in bed on Valentine's Day.

And Sullivan didn't even actually say that! The homophobe Alterman just took a brief post about "being in love" on Valentine's Day and read into it "curling up with his boyfriend in bed!"

I'd accuse Alterman of gay bashing, but I really think he's got too big an ego to allow such self-excortiation.

One thing I agree with: The personal stuff on blogs? I know a lot of people consider blogs to be partly a personal journal, but I've always had a major "ick" reaction to that. Not just Sullivan's beagles, boyfriend, and bronchitis stuff, but personal stuff from anyone.

Who cares?

I try to avoid that myself under the "who cares" principle.

I guess a lot of people do care, but it always seemed like oversharing to me.

Eric Alterman Is High-Pitch Eric?

I don't know if Eric Alterman is that high pitched, but he sure does sound effeminate and screechy when he talks.

Maybe he butches up for his occasional media appearances.

Thanks to Phinn for the pic.

The Conspiracy Widens: "HEY! I'm not widening, you Jew!"

Posted by: Ace at 06:43 PM | Comments (82)
Post contains 313 words, total size 2 kb.

1 Ace feel free to tell us when you pop a zit or whatever.

I don't mind an occasional personal bit as long as it is done in moderation and not to get a specific reaction. If anything is it comforting to see a bit of human side. Not too much or we'll roll our eyes, but a little is ok.

Posted by: Village Idiot at February 27, 2007 06:48 PM (zoBWw)

2 So, Ace was where on February 14?

Posted by: Enquiring Mind at February 27, 2007 06:52 PM (Yn8HA)

3 It's cool, ace. You don't have to explicitly "share" the details of your personal life. We may be morons, but we are morons who can read between the lines and ask the important questions, like:

"Now, why would ace be doing research about genital warts?"

We understand, dude.

Posted by: DaveS at February 27, 2007 06:53 PM (6DuOs)

4 First, thank you for giving something else to talk about other than VDs.

Anyway, Yeah, I see two scenarios, the "council" is laughed out of existence immediately, or gains some foothold or prominence and becomes someones personal sledgehammer, whether to use against others, or as a partisan one.

Posted by: Sinistar at February 27, 2007 06:54 PM (oHd6r)

There's a place for personal blogging, for sure. But to mix it in with politica or world opinion or whatever is like mixing coffee and tea. Ick!

There's lots of o-so-personal blogs out there, or LiveJournal, or whatever. I'm glad Ace keeps it seperated, except for the occasional hint about Value-Rite Vodka and Llamas.

Posted by: 5Cats at February 27, 2007 06:54 PM (cVijR)

6 You know this is sorta of like, asking felons to have a councle of felons to patrol for felons.

Somebody is going to get shanked, is all I can say.

Posted by: sithson at February 27, 2007 06:55 PM (lIsCq)

7 >>>So, Ace was where on February 14?

What are you, a cop?

Let's just say it's none of your business, and it's none of Eric Alterman's either.

Posted by: ace at February 27, 2007 06:56 PM (+u1X0)

8 Isn't Eric Alterman the one who looks like High Pitch Eric from Howard Stern?

Posted by: Bart at February 27, 2007 06:58 PM (lEN/z)

9 I bet Ace has a Livejournal and Myspace with bad poetry and self photos where he combed that giant Tribble on his head over his eye.

Posted by: Sinistar at February 27, 2007 06:58 PM (oHd6r)

10 11:58 was totally an excuse to make a Tribble joke...

Posted by: Sinistar at February 27, 2007 07:00 PM (oHd6r)

11 Yeah, well, you did get a positive reaction on sharing the panic attack stuff.

Posted by: someone at February 27, 2007 07:03 PM (I/t4f)

12 Well I didn't hear about any hobo deaths in Boston on Valentine's Day, so I think it's safe to assume that Ace was at home. Then again, I don't live in the Boston media market anymore, so you never know.

Posted by: Shivv at February 27, 2007 07:04 PM (QhWHP)

13 Never know shivv, he coulda gone on a field trip.

Posted by: Sinistar at February 27, 2007 07:05 PM (oHd6r)

14 Dude, you're SOOO ripping on me right now, aren't you?

Fuck, I already told you why I don't write about cool shit anymore-- The Man would kill me and bury me in a desert hole with extra lime.

So what do I write about? How much love sucks, with or without HPV. Oh, and how a human leg isn't supposed to bend this way.

Alien legs? Sure-- but that's only in Charlie Sheen's movies.

Cheers,
Dave at Garfield Ridge

Posted by: Dave at Garfield Ridge at February 27, 2007 07:06 PM (kc9zT)

15 "Eric is especially perturbed by Andrew Sullivan's personal revelations, notably his description of curling up with his boyfriend in bed on Valentine's Day. '

well that sounds kinda gay

Posted by: dfhgfdhgfhj at February 27, 2007 07:10 PM (OEbrS)

16 Patterico's got a post up asking readers to recommend scotch. I was going to recommend Valu-Rite and sign your name to it, but figured that come the revolution, sock puppets might be shot. By Alterman. Right-wing ones, anyway.

Posted by: km at February 27, 2007 07:12 PM (/sxOl)

17 I know that's not the definition of a sock puppet, but I don't know what you call it. Fraud or something, probably.

Posted by: km at February 27, 2007 07:14 PM (/sxOl)

18 Nothing personal. Nothing personal?

So wait, the AoS lifestyle is not actually practiced by Ace. I'm crushed.

I was counting on my Valu-Rite stock to get me through these tough times.

Posted by: Emperor of Icecream at February 27, 2007 07:17 PM (eGCIB)

19 I try to avoid that myself

Yeah, like those hobos strangled themselves?

Posted by: VRWC Agent at February 27, 2007 07:28 PM (Z3AmO)

20 Surely I'm not the first to raise this point (Am I?):

Eric Alterman

High Pitch Eric

I report, you decide.

Posted by: Bart at February 27, 2007 07:32 PM (lEN/z)

21 Isn't Alterman a homo? And why is Ace so obsessed with gay men?

Posted by: at February 27, 2007 07:37 PM (zjWeF)

22 Damn, he really does look like High Pitch Eric....

Posted by: Sinistar at February 27, 2007 07:37 PM (oHd6r)

23 I forget all of the details, but didn't some of the righty blogs propose a sort of guidelines and a cose of conduct back last year? I think it had to do with agreeing not to slander people and post opponents' personal information (I think this was in the wake of DU posting Malkin's home address). I also recall the Kossacks shiat all over the proposal and fired it back in the faces of the righty blogs.

I find it amusing now that a writer at one of the top lefty blogs is proposing sorta the same thing.

Posted by: eddiebear at February 27, 2007 07:38 PM (vuppY)

24 I think I have worms in my ass.

Oh, is that too personal?

Forget i mentioned it.

Ace, my fellow MassInmate, be of good cheer. Eric Alterman does not exist. He is a phantom, a ghost, a mirage, a spectre, a shadow, a wisp of nothing.

Posted by: eman at February 27, 2007 07:39 PM (FWrFx)

25 Someone please tell that douche Eric Alterman that there already is a blogger's council.

Posted by: Watcher at February 27, 2007 07:46 PM (bPXvA)

26 Ok, I'm not a homophobe, but it creeps me out when ace talks about curling up with his boyfriend in bed on valentine's day and tickling his behind.

Posted by: at February 27, 2007 07:46 PM (H826O)

27 Would anyone be surprised if Ace came out of the closet for real? And if so, which one of you morons would ace be most likely to hook up with?

Posted by: at February 27, 2007 07:49 PM (zjWeF)

28 Would anyone be surprised if Ace came out of the closet for real?

Larwyn might. Or, maybe not.

Posted by: wiserbud at February 27, 2007 08:02 PM (56ssE)

29 Fuck Eric Alterman and the horse he rode in on.

Posted by: Purple Avenger at February 27, 2007 08:16 PM (dHUp4)

30 Bloggers Council or Free Market?
Even Fox puts up a Brittany head shaver story in between the real pertinent stories. It's like professional projection with a good cover,Or not in Brittnay's case.

Posted by: mbruce at February 27, 2007 08:17 PM (LLCm9)

31 I've said it before and I'll say it again:

Alterman
Alter kocker
All fakachte
So we mocked ya...

Posted by: richard mcenroe at February 27, 2007 08:23 PM (g9oTA)

32 Thanks, baby.

Posted by: Andrew Sullivan at February 27, 2007 08:30 PM (vrIec)

33 We're going to be hearing much more personal stuff from blogs, as the current generation becomes involved in politics and their late night drunken escapades they wrote about on their blogs are uncovered by the opposition. The Edwards stuff was just the tip of the iceberg.

Posted by: John Norris Brown at February 27, 2007 08:47 PM (7LyAa)

34 The fact that lefty's listen to eric alterman is one more piece of data supporting my hypothesis.

Lefty's are fucking retarded, (especially eric alterman)

Posted by: Wickedpinto at February 27, 2007 09:16 PM (QTv8u)

35 Let's take the Hypothesis that there was to be a Blogger's Council.

What would be the Constitution of it?

Who would be the Chair?

Who would be the Enforcer of it's Edicts?

Who will get me another beer?

Posted by: Speller at February 27, 2007 09:18 PM (Sbnuy)

36 Speller, if Frontline has anything to do with it, it will look pretty fucking retarded.

I'm re-watching tonights "frontline" which is complete shit, well, it has good stuff, but it's "framed" in a way that makes the entire show complete shit.

Posted by: Wickedpinto at February 27, 2007 09:24 PM (QTv8u)

37 Yeah, well, you did get a positive reaction on sharing the panic attack stuff.

No, effin shit. When I first found this blog, I thought it was the personal journal of a tweeked out serial killer. Think, Henry -- Portrait of. (great movie, by the way)

I was hooked.

And I thought -- Ick, very loudly. Ick factor is part of the AoS lifestyle. It has to be.

I know more about you and certain other slimy types that frequent this place than I know about half of my siblings.

The fact that I'm the only cool guy in the entire place has it's allure as well. My idea of working out is NOT sucking the guts out of a Twinkie. And, I have a compooter job so I kant be to dumb.

That's the neat thing about the blogosphere, I can be a really hot, cool guy and you guys can't even tell. (No, Bart. You can't IM me any more.)

We've got tribbles, ewoks and Slublogs.

Not to mention a crazy evil horse.

How personal do you not want to be?

Posted by: mesablue at February 27, 2007 09:30 PM (DzeyU)

38 "framed" in a way that makes the entire show complete shit."

Ah yes WP, it's the old 'put enough glitter in the drek and the gullible will think it's all gold routine'.

I'm famililiar with that marketing technique.
Up here in the Great White North they call it politics.

I stopped watching TV in the spring of 2000.

I get all of my current events from the innernut.
I hear that TV is all about commies and fags now.

Posted by: Speller at February 27, 2007 09:38 PM (Sbnuy)

39 Speller,

The funny thing is that they busted their asses to give lefty's the credit for the strom thurmond thing (which was actually a conservative purge of themself) and then to turn conservatives into fanatics against dan rather ( a common commentor during the program) but pretty much every significant act other than "the power of the blogs" which focuses on KOS, all of the blogger references of successful actions are actually BLOGGERS for the "right."

FUCKING tards.

Posted by: Wickedpinto at February 27, 2007 09:44 PM (QTv8u)

40 Yup, Wickedpinto. The right will always rule the blogosphere for the same reason they rule talk radio.
We OWN the facts.

El Cubos can always spin but it'll always come back to bite them on the body part they love so much they hide their heads there.

Posted by: S at February 27, 2007 09:59 PM (Sbnuy)

41 "We've got tribbles, We've got ewoks.
Not to mention a crazy evil horse."

We got Nice Debs, We got RWSparkles.
We've got sock puppets and spellers.

And Ace the host likes to play with midget Thai trannies...

Hmm, hmm, hmm, I love this blog.

-- The new Toby Keith

Posted by: Former Lurker at February 27, 2007 10:08 PM (Xm4xl)

42 Beth:
"WTF am I, chopped livah?
Er, don't answer that..."

Didn't mean to leave you out - I'll try and remember to include you next time.

Oh - I can't get to your blog from work so I don't know if it's shitty or not. If I remember, I'll try to visit when I go home this morning.

Posted by: Former Lurker at February 28, 2007 03:31 AM (Xm4xl)

43 Personal blogging is stupid, pointless, and unfortunately prolific. But there's no need for some council to punish personal bloggers. Low traffic stats takes care of that.

Posted by: John at February 28, 2007 04:03 AM (2JTlJ)

44 Oh, great. I strip all the personal stuff out of my blog, all I got left is weasel drawings and banjo tunes. And even I couldn't take much of that. Not sober, anyhow.

Posted by: S. Weasel at February 28, 2007 04:57 AM (MecJo)

45 So is that why you always delete my comments where I describe my mad, passionate session with one of Greenwald's socks and a jar of Vasoline?

Posted by: CockLikeAhorse at February 28, 2007 05:50 AM (YMJWB)

46 I tried to stay away from the personal, but everybody kept asking about the pool.

I am a giver.

Posted by: Dave in Texas at February 28, 2007 05:51 AM (pzen5)

47 My New Year's resolution was to stop reading Altercation. So far, I've kept the resolution, and I feel 100% better for it.

Posted by: gp at February 28, 2007 05:57 AM (B9rV2)

48 Think, Henry -- Portrait of. (great movie, by the way)

mesablue,

You have GOT to be kidding, right? It wasn't supposed to be a serious movie, was it? I mean, that movie was laugh-out-loud bad. Or is that what made it great for you? Seriously. Could not stop laughing.

Posted by: at February 28, 2007 06:14 AM (GFaLW)

49 11:14 was me.

Posted by: Rocketeer at February 28, 2007 06:14 AM (GFaLW)

50 I don't include personal information in my blog. Not because I am secretive, but because I understand that the majority of the people either don't care or don't want to know.

Besides...I'm sure my wife would hate for me to provide my readers with details on our weekends and valentines day affairs.

But for those of you that do happen upon my blog and read it i'll be sure to let you know when my cat takes a dump. You know....to mix things up a bit.

Seferas aka Darkmouse aka Kite

Posted by: Seferas-H. at February 28, 2007 06:21 AM (fdeNn)

51 OK, here's the side-by-side comparison of Eric Alterman and High Pitch Eric from the Howard Stern show. Alterman's photo was flipped so they were facing the same direction.

Freaky.

Posted by: Phinn at February 28, 2007 06:33 AM (DiZv6)

52 "The fact that I'm the only cool guy in the entire place has it's allure as well."

If by "cool" you mean "room temperature."

MesaBlue, in his mind: valued AoS regular

MesaBlue in reality: Sullivan-Anka hobo love child

Posted by: Emperor of Icecream at February 28, 2007 06:33 AM (eGCIB)

So, you're telling me posts about toenail clippings and earwax aren't going to draw the readers?

'Scuse me while I go edit some posts...

Having had a former blog that contained a lot of the personal goings on, I can tell you that it turned from fun to work once I actually got a couple of dozen readers. Keeping up to date on them and keeping them informed on me was exhausting. I finally just went dark and just recently decided to start over with a new nom de net without all the personal stuff.

And yes, I recognize the irony of this comment.

Posted by: some schlub at February 28, 2007 06:41 AM (QGY37)

54 One thing I agree with: The personal stuff on blogs? I know a lot of people consider blogs to be partly a personal journal, but I've always had a major "ick" reaction to that.

I got started reading this moron blog about the same time that you told us about walking your cat in the park with an extention cord and turning the tables on those two Puerto Rican boys.

I remember thinking, "Dude, I want to party with you."

Posted by: Sticky B at February 28, 2007 06:45 AM (rWWLr)

55 Yeah guys I know that story was fiction. And damned fine fiction too...........in a Cheap Porno Novel/Quenton Tarantino flick sort of a way.

Posted by: Sticky B at February 28, 2007 06:49 AM (rWWLr)

56 Here's a better version of the Eric Alterman-High Pitch comparison.

There's something going on here, fellas. A scandal of Greenwaldian proportions? Too soon to tell.

Posted by: Phinn at February 28, 2007 06:50 AM (DiZv6)

57 Could they be long lost brothers, Phinn?

Posted by: Bart at February 28, 2007 06:55 AM (Kd22Q)

While there is a limit to how much personal stuff should be on a political blog, a certain amount is important. I mean, I don't really care if you bought a new pair of shoes yesterday. That has nothing to do with the War on Terror. However, certain personal things do matter.

For instance, suppose Andrew Sullivan never revealed that he was gay. All that you knew about him was that he was allegedly conservative. His arguments for gay marraige would carry a different weight in people's minds. It would appear that he was an outspoken conservative who really supported it which would be important. However, knowing that he is gay totally changes the impportance of his position. It becomes self-serving, if you will. He benefits personally from the legalization of gay marraige.

In a sense, this is the same argument as we see when we discuss media bias. We don't care if a segment of he media is biased one way or the other, just admit it. Tell us that your opinion is shaded by your beliefs and we will take that into consideration. Hiding biases only makes people suspicious.

Posted by: Steve L. at February 28, 2007 07:00 AM (hpZf2)

Ace,

You bitch.

You never write any more. You don't IM me. And now I see that other Tank, the one you said you were through with, is back.

That's it. It's over. We're through.

Posted by: Israeli Tank at February 28, 2007 07:00 AM (Pkdqo)

60 I didn't even notice that bit of cheesiness Beth, I was too busy laughing about Alterman looking like High Pitch...

Posted by: Sinistar at February 28, 2007 07:17 AM (oHd6r)

61 Why don't we just go straight to the show trials? It'd be a lot more efficient.

Posted by: Mikey NTH at February 28, 2007 07:20 AM (O9Cc8)

It's very strange when you laugh out loud, gag, and cringe at the same time.

That was pretty much my reaction to it as well. Ok, everything but the lol part.

Posted by: Nice Deb at February 28, 2007 07:20 AM (HfGmJ)

63 What's Ace got against Beagles?

Posted by: at February 28, 2007 07:27 AM (zjWeF)

64 As ridiculous as it sounds, I think I'd rather hear about your boring life than your inane, paranoid ramblings

Posted by: Ryan at February 28, 2007 07:30 AM (rTIJo)

65 Is someone forcing you to read AoSHQ, Ryan?

And then forcing you to post comments?

Posted by: Phinn at February 28, 2007 07:39 AM (DiZv6)

66 Are we the first to make the Alterman/High Pitch connection?

Quick, someone with google-fu skilz needs to find out.

Posted by: Bart at February 28, 2007 07:45 AM (lhTiK)

Here's an alert commenter from the Huffington Post, 3/17/06:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-alterman/no-news-is-bad-news_b_17468.html

Posted by: Nice Deb at February 28, 2007 07:51 AM (HfGmJ)

68 "It's very strange when you laugh out loud, gag, and cringe at the same time"

That almost sounds as dangerous as sneezing and farting at the same time. I'm sure equally damaging.

Addition: Yeah, the "freshly made brownies" bit did kinda of give me that "eww" vibe.

Posted by: Seferas-H. at February 28, 2007 07:53 AM (fdeNn)

69 Damn!!! Nice Deb beat me to it.

I quick but she quickah! She is well trained in the arts of Google-Fu.

Kyaa??!!

Posted by: Seferas-H. at February 28, 2007 07:56 AM (fdeNn)

70 Dammit.

Your fu is excellent, Deb.

Posted by: Bart at February 28, 2007 07:59 AM (lhTiK)

71 You misspelled Eric Cartman.

Posted by: Dave at February 28, 2007 07:59 AM (FOxe/)

72 Kyaa??!!

No need to get violent.

Posted by: Bart-hopper at February 28, 2007 08:04 AM (lhTiK)

Thanks, guys.

Kyaa??!! indeed!

Posted by: Nice Deb at February 28, 2007 08:10 AM (HfGmJ)

74 The Eric Alterman-High Pitch-Cartman Conspiracy deepens.

I'm officially creeped out now.

Posted by: Phinn at February 28, 2007 08:27 AM (DiZv6)

75 I like some degree of personality in a political-ish blog. It helps to know where someone's coming from. While I'm sure that many of the antics of the host and commentors are exaggerated and, possibly, fictionalized, they provide an insight into the workings of the moron ... mind, such as it is.

And on that note, will there be any retelling of the AOS monkeyshines in Boston last Sunday night? Was it that boring? I had pictured it as the Ewok victory party scene from RotJ, including the cremation.

Tob

Posted by: Toby928 at February 28, 2007 08:37 AM (ATbKm)

And on that note, will there be any retelling of the AOS monkeyshines in Boston last Sunday night?

Yeah, I'd like to hear the gory details, myself...

Posted by: Nice Deb at February 28, 2007 08:56 AM (HfGmJ)

77 You have GOT to be kidding, right?

Rocket, that was part of it. It was so out there.

I mean, come on. A serial killer with a protege?

There were some great lines in that movie though -- "you gotta change your M.O. I've burned em, chopped em, ground em up and stuck em in luggage." "They can't catch you if they think you're several people."

Posted by: mesablue at February 28, 2007 10:13 AM (DzeyU)

78 ...yeah that was Ann Althouse's response and several commenters on her site. Ooh, he criticized a gay relationship he must be homophobic!!

Hey guess what, when I read a political or issues blog I don't want to read about your trip to Ibzia or the latest gucci purse you bought either. The blogosphere is packed with boring crap about cats and how mean mom is and how miserable yet another teenager's life is and nobody understands. I can skip those because that's what those blogs are about.

When i turn to Belmont Club I don't want to read about his trip to the poconos by the fire with his sweetheart, Valentines day or not.

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