John Hodgman Mentions MetaFilter

November 7, 2018 11:00 PM

Author, actor, avatar of the PC, sometime Daily Show guest, former This American Life contributor, and current internet/podcast/New York Times judge John Hodgman has mentioned (called out?) a particular blue website on his Twitter account. We are a convenient tool to be used in mocking Mitt Romney’s stern disapproval of the political situation:

Whoa. Powerful tweets continue to stack up in opposition to the president! If Trump isn't careful, I bet these portraits of unwavering courage might post something to metafilter next! As the coup de grace, Ben Sasse will whisper his deep concerns into an empty coffee can.

It’s always nice to get mentioned by a famous person, even if only to acknowledge that posts, like all works of art, are useless.
posted by Going To Maine to MetaFilter-Related at 11:00 PM (19 comments total)

The scamp! I felt obliged to reply.
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:01 PM on November 7, 2018 [28 favorites]

Pepsi Blue Wave
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:43 PM on November 7, 2018 [3 favorites]

MeFi's Own™ hodgman
posted by rangefinder 1.4 at 12:11 AM on November 8, 2018 [9 favorites]

I just said in the replies but... what's funny to me is I imagine very few people in politics can post anything.

Once you start to know a few people, posting news from your city becomes difficult. There's always some friend quoted or relevant. Maybe it'd be easier for Republicans though, they're dealing with different media sometimes.

Also, I love when something like this happens, because I'm yet to meet anyone IRL who's heard of MetaFilter. Although I did convince an Honi Soit editor to check us out the other day.
posted by AnhydrousLove at 4:00 AM on November 8, 2018 [5 favorites]

I particularly enjoyed the snipe at Sen. Collins, so it's win-win.
posted by theora55 at 5:54 AM on November 8, 2018 [1 favorite]

Matt and his wife were guests on the Judge John Hodgman podcast a while back and Hodgman mentioned he knew Matt, and I believe they discussed Metafilter briefly.
posted by bondcliff at 6:53 AM on November 8, 2018 [4 favorites]

There is no cabal.
posted by ColdChef at 7:22 AM on November 8, 2018 [24 favorites]

I always imagined that if MetaFilter ever went Skynet and started releasing human body clones of itself out into the world, those clones would look and talk exactly like John Hodgman.
posted by Atom Eyes at 9:39 AM on November 8, 2018 [5 favorites]

Why does ColdChef have a picture with a 13-year-old John Hodgman cosplayer?
posted by Etrigan at 10:33 AM on November 8, 2018 [4 favorites]

It was actually two six year olds in an over sized Daily Show jacket.
posted by bondcliff at 10:41 AM on November 8, 2018 [12 favorites]

This is cool. Also, I don't think it'll ever happen but I'd love to someday be referred to as "MeFi's own...." I know it's a purely vanity thing but I love it when I see that pop up on the blue. It always makes me proud that someone from our community is doing something awesome outside of this place.
posted by Fizz at 11:04 AM on November 8, 2018 [9 favorites]

I remember he initialized each comment.

Like a memo.
posted by clavdivs at 4:10 PM on November 8, 2018 [4 favorites]

all works of art [...] are useless

That is not true.
posted by grumpybear69 at 9:20 AM on November 9, 2018 [1 favorite]

Years ago, at one of his wonderfully enchanting readings which you must one day attend if you have not yet already, I asked John Hodgman to sign a book as "Mefi's Own" and he happily obliged because he is in actuality the majestic stand-up human being he continually works to be.
posted by youarenothere at 9:36 AM on November 9, 2018 [6 favorites]

Hey, this is fun! I interviewed MeFi's own hodgman once. Nice fellow! Hi, hodgman!
posted by Dr. Wu at 4:03 PM on November 9, 2018 [1 favorite]

all works of art [...] are useless

That is not true.

I mean it’s a nearly exact quote of a famous Oscar Wilde line, and I came here to tell Going To Maine that I saw that and appreciated it.

I don’t think I’m alone in seeing a certain kinship in (some of) the schticks used by both Hodgman and Wilde.

So I don’t have a strong point to make here, other than maybe everyone who loves Hodgman and hasn’t read Wilde (and the preface to Dorian Gray) should consider doing so.
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:57 PM on November 9, 2018 [1 favorite]

Hodgman isn't all that. He mugged me once, you know. I was down on the lower east side, back in the late 80's, heading over to Max Fish and he popped out from between two cars, "Do you know the average airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?" and I (at least two and a half sheets to the wind) was like, "...wha?" and then he pulled out this switchblade a fucking shanked me! I spent the night in St.Vincents and the whole thing cost me like a thousand bucks. Fucking Hodgman! Don't let the nice-guy act fool you! Guy's a cold-blooded killer!
posted by From Bklyn at 12:54 AM on November 12, 2018 [6 favorites]

You, too? He killed me twice!
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 7:04 PM on November 14, 2018 [3 favorites]

SEE?! that bastard
posted by From Bklyn at 8:38 AM on November 15, 2018 [2 favorites]