When Keeping It Real On Twitter Goes Wrong ...

[Uncle.Ruckus]

Alternate title: Jones vs. Scocca IV: The Revenge. This time it's personal.

https://twitter.com/@tomscocca

Is Twitter becoming a net negative because of all this public bickering?

 

[Norrin Radd]

A couple of writers clashing because of their egos and their need to be the smartest, most morally upright man in the room isn't a condemnation of Twitter. Think reasonable people have long since understood, even before the Intertubes, that if you throw an opinion out there, anyone can respond with agreement or disagreement.

Besides, this type of thing can be fun to read. Part of why I love Twitter.

Do agree that comparing Charles Pierce to Mark Twain is cheesy. Prefer to think of him as the first Charles Pierce. Don't think disagreeing with Thompson when he says Pierce is Mark Twain 2012 constitutes an egregious offense.

 

[Uncle.Ruckus]

Right. But it seems like this medium of communication can lead to misunderstandings more than most, since it's not really in real-time.

For those who are wondering (and this is several SJ worlds colliding): Wright Thompson praised a Charlie Pierce column, and called Pierce our generation's Mark Twain. A New York Magazine writer named Stephen Rodrick balked at the comparison. Jones and Rodrick got in a spat. Sanity returned, and both called a cease-fire. Then Scocca gooned his way in as the third man and escalated the situation.

It's just ... beneath all of them. It's beneath everyone, everywhere. At least Jones and Rodrick had the self-awareness to realize it, which is more than I can say for Scocca.

 

[Norrin Radd]

Would argue that at least based on their last public tweets, there wasn't really a peace accord between Jones and Rodrick before Scocca gleefully hopped in to escalate things.

And I'm not sure we on this particular message board can really lament the fact that some dudes are arguing about stupid crap on twitter, and just as it starts to die down, some other bozo hops in with both feet. What's the difference between there and here?

Other than A. real names; and B. Tweets are harder to find once the conversation has continued and move on, and moved down the page.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

Scocca kills me. "You think you're cool? My boss is cooler! My boss is the COOLEST!"

Two other things I found amusing:

-- There was no back and forth there. That was Scocca screeching uninterrupted. Jone just responded with a "+1!" when it was over.

-- I have more Twitter followers than Tom Scocca.

 

[waterytart]

Thompson, Pierce, Rodrick and Jones can all carry on the conversation. Any one of them might stumble off-course, but that will be corrected and the detour will either be amusing or train-wreck fascinating.

Scocca never stops resembling the guy whose 15-year-old sister was deflowered by the 17-year-old Jones.

 

[Zeke12]

Scocca never stops resembling the guy whose 15-year-old sister was deflowered by the 17-year-old Jones.

As usual, the Tart nails it.

 

[Uncle.Ruckus]

I could have gotten the sequence wrong. Never can tell on Twitter. So Scocca was just ranting at Jones unsolicited?

 

[Double Down]

I'll never understand why someone's work getting praised -- like in this instance Wright saying Charlie just killed at the GOP convention as a scathing social critic -- pisses certain people off so badly. I mean, who ****ing cares if someone is getting too much love from their friends on Twitter? It's just so stupid to feel this smart allecky obligation to make sure NO ONE gets praised TOO MUCH that I DON'T LIKE QUITE AS MUCH.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

I could have gotten the sequence wrong. Never can tell on Twitter. So Scocca was just ranting at Jones unsolicited?

Correct. Jones had gotten into it with Rodrick. Scocca jumped in unsolicited to tell Jones how incredibly bitchin' Scocca's boss is.

 

[Norrin Radd]

A few hours ago, Rodrick said he was exchanging texts with Thompson, "so I think we're good." He then said a couple more opinions. Chris Jones' last public tweet about it was something about "yeah, until the next time you rip him on the Internet, like all friends do" and a link to a video I didn't care to watch, so maybe the video explained that he was kidding or something.

Tom Scocca pounced in the last hour or so, hilariously seeking a pound of flesh in a fight that wasn't his.

Just another night on Twitter. I was intrigued by some of the bile. Now I follow two new people.

EDIT: Looks like Scocca was in from the start, with Rodrick retweeting him. My mistake on the earlier read. So I'll credit Scocca with the best line of the whole thing:

""Mark Twain." This is what's nuts about the He-Man Boy Writers' Mutual Admiration Society. Every sandcastle has to be the ****ing Parthenon."

I'll never understand why someone's work getting praised -- like in this instance Wright saying Charlie just killed at the GOP convention as a scathing social critic -- pisses certain people off so badly. I mean, who ****ing cares if someone is getting too much love from their friends on Twitter? It's just so stupid to feel this smart allecky obligation to make sure NO ONE gets praised TOO MUCH that I DON'T LIKE QUITE AS MUCH.

It's not a crime to question comparing a contemporary writer to Mark Twain. Rodrick was pointed, but not a complete ass about it. I happened to agree with him.

Pierce's work from the convention has been great. I didn't see a need for the historical shoutout either, and if you wanna say that I'm somehow attacking Thompson or insulting Pierce, that wouldn't be a correct observation on your part.

Opinions are thrown out. Reasonable people disagree. Even Scocca's little snot bubbles are no reason to go nuclear.

 

[YGBFKM]

The Parthenon line was a good one.

 

[Bubbler]

#firstworldproblems

 

[Azrael]

I suppose the Twain comparison rings hollow if you think of Twain mostly as a novelist or historical figure. But Twain wrote millions of words of sharp political satire on deadline for newspapers, too.

So I'm not sure the comparison is outrageous on its face.

 

[YGBFKM]

Did Twain hate everyone he disagreed with?

 

[YankeeFan]

Did Twain hate everyone he disagreed with?

Yes, but he eventually agreed to be a contributor to Grantland.

 

[Norrin Radd]

Did Twain hate everyone he disagreed with?

Yes, but he eventually agreed to be a contributor to Grantland.

And Arthur Conan Doyle took the gig as ESPN Magazine back page columnist.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

Did Twain hate everyone he disagreed with?

Yes, but he eventually agreed to be a contributor to Grantland.

And Arthur Conan Doyle took the gig as ESPN Magazine back page columnist.

But only after Tommy Craggs turned it down!!!

 

[Versatile]

Chris Jones tweets, of Stephen Rodrick, "Now that he's protected his account, like treasure, I'm afraid the fun has come to an end." But Rodrick's account isn't protected. Does this mean Rodrick blocked Jones? I don't know what it shows someone who you've blocked.

Anyway, I don't think anyone comes across particularly well in this fiasco, though I don't think it damages anyone much either. It appears Rodrick was caught in the middle of the Jones-Tom Scocca crossfire, so maybe he ends up the loser.

 

[Azrael]

Did Twain hate everyone he disagreed with?

Yes, but he eventually agreed to be a contributor to Grantland.

Why assume a political writer/humorist/satirist hates anyone?