If it Ain't Broke(back) Don't Fix It, Journalist Eyes Publication With Suspicion
Waring, TX- Okay, people. Brace yourselves for this one. Again, let me reiterate, nothing here at The Whimsical World is made up. These events are as factual as I can make them. Today's snippet is no exception. Like I said, brace yourselves. This one takes the cake.
In 2002, I wrote an article for the Angelo State Rampage entitled "Flip Flop: Need I Say More?" I wrote the article after I noticed how many college students wear flip-flops. The article was satiric and very tongue-in-cheek. The funny thing about published articles nowadays is that once they find their way onto the Internet, the author has no idea where said articles will end up. Believe me when I say you have no idea where they will end up.
In 2003, a magazine publisher in Boston read my flip-flop article and liked it. She read the article on about.com, an informational website. I had to email the about.com folks and explain to the them my article was not entirely true. (Made up.) I thought when I explained that the flip-flop was invented by George and Ira Flop that it would be a dead giveaway. Apparently it wasn't. Anyway, because of about.com finding my article, I ended up writing an article for Inventors Digest Magazine. All this from something published in a Division II state school newspaper in West Texas. Kind of makes you wonder who's paying attention. The flip-flop article eventually ended up on collegehumor.com as well as a smattering of other websites less notable. I guess once something is "out there" its circulation becomes exponential in its growth.
Now, to the part that takes the cake. Every so often I google myself. (The doctor said this was normal.) I do so because, as a writer, its fun to see where else I may have popped up. Yesterday, my fragile literary world came crashing down around me. I stumbled across yet another website who had published my flip-flop article (what copyright?). As I perused the blog I was amused by the fact that it was an entire blog dedicated to flip-flops. As I kept reading I got an uneasy feeling. Something wasn't right. No...
Something was dreadfully wrong...
An examination of the blog revealed its purpose was "broken" if you will. I think what really gave it away was the large, well-built man wearing nothing but flip-fops. Yeah. You heard me right. Nothing except a pair of flip flops. I cannot even give you the name of the blog. It just would not be appropriate. I can tell you that the title did involve the words "flip flop" and "erotic."
Now, I and all the staffers here at The Whimiscal World are not into gay-bashing. In fact, our company slogan reads "If you can't kill someone with a blunt object, kill 'em with kindness!" Citing this mantra, I would like to note that the graphic design of the flip-flop blog was exceptional and the erotic pictures of gay men throughout the blog were quite informative and contributed to the flow of my article. In fact, had I known how well homo-erotic photos worked with that article I would have suggested to my editors at The Rampage something of a similar nature when it was originally published in 2002. (I'm sure the university deans would have loved that.) To make matters worse, the authors of the blog even took the time to comment in the form of an editorial note which reads as follows:
"We should not forget our beloved flips and what they mean to us. Here is a whimsical piece-part fiction part proclamation, written by a true flip-flopper,Winston Hall..."
True flip-flopper? My good friend Jonathan conjectured that perhaps "flip-flopper" carried with it a very sinister undertone and totally different meaning. Damn the dichotomous possibilities of the english language!! For the record, I do wear flip-flops....but not like that. If you would like to read the article that started all this here is the link:
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blflipflops.htm?terms=flip+flop+Gershwin
All this having been said I have learned a very important lesson from this event: Big Brother is watching. So are Santa Claus, John Denver and a passel of homo-erotic bloggers. For now, I can only watch and wait and see where else this flip-flop article turns up. It begs some inspection as to how much thought we put into what we publish. I cringe at the thought of how many literary homo-enthusiasts are critiquing my work as we speak...
That's the story of my life...
In 2002, I wrote an article for the Angelo State Rampage entitled "Flip Flop: Need I Say More?" I wrote the article after I noticed how many college students wear flip-flops. The article was satiric and very tongue-in-cheek. The funny thing about published articles nowadays is that once they find their way onto the Internet, the author has no idea where said articles will end up. Believe me when I say you have no idea where they will end up.
In 2003, a magazine publisher in Boston read my flip-flop article and liked it. She read the article on about.com, an informational website. I had to email the about.com folks and explain to the them my article was not entirely true. (Made up.) I thought when I explained that the flip-flop was invented by George and Ira Flop that it would be a dead giveaway. Apparently it wasn't. Anyway, because of about.com finding my article, I ended up writing an article for Inventors Digest Magazine. All this from something published in a Division II state school newspaper in West Texas. Kind of makes you wonder who's paying attention. The flip-flop article eventually ended up on collegehumor.com as well as a smattering of other websites less notable. I guess once something is "out there" its circulation becomes exponential in its growth.
Now, to the part that takes the cake. Every so often I google myself. (The doctor said this was normal.) I do so because, as a writer, its fun to see where else I may have popped up. Yesterday, my fragile literary world came crashing down around me. I stumbled across yet another website who had published my flip-flop article (what copyright?). As I perused the blog I was amused by the fact that it was an entire blog dedicated to flip-flops. As I kept reading I got an uneasy feeling. Something wasn't right. No...
Something was dreadfully wrong...
An examination of the blog revealed its purpose was "broken" if you will. I think what really gave it away was the large, well-built man wearing nothing but flip-fops. Yeah. You heard me right. Nothing except a pair of flip flops. I cannot even give you the name of the blog. It just would not be appropriate. I can tell you that the title did involve the words "flip flop" and "erotic."
Now, I and all the staffers here at The Whimiscal World are not into gay-bashing. In fact, our company slogan reads "If you can't kill someone with a blunt object, kill 'em with kindness!" Citing this mantra, I would like to note that the graphic design of the flip-flop blog was exceptional and the erotic pictures of gay men throughout the blog were quite informative and contributed to the flow of my article. In fact, had I known how well homo-erotic photos worked with that article I would have suggested to my editors at The Rampage something of a similar nature when it was originally published in 2002. (I'm sure the university deans would have loved that.) To make matters worse, the authors of the blog even took the time to comment in the form of an editorial note which reads as follows:
"We should not forget our beloved flips and what they mean to us. Here is a whimsical piece-part fiction part proclamation, written by a true flip-flopper,Winston Hall..."
True flip-flopper? My good friend Jonathan conjectured that perhaps "flip-flopper" carried with it a very sinister undertone and totally different meaning. Damn the dichotomous possibilities of the english language!! For the record, I do wear flip-flops....but not like that. If you would like to read the article that started all this here is the link:
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blflipflops.htm?terms=flip+flop+Gershwin
All this having been said I have learned a very important lesson from this event: Big Brother is watching. So are Santa Claus, John Denver and a passel of homo-erotic bloggers. For now, I can only watch and wait and see where else this flip-flop article turns up. It begs some inspection as to how much thought we put into what we publish. I cringe at the thought of how many literary homo-enthusiasts are critiquing my work as we speak...
That's the story of my life...
posted by Winston A. Hall at 8:12 AM
2 Comments:
Ah Winston.....I knew it all along!!!!
Your site is on top of my favourites - Great work I like it.
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