February 01, 2008
Tsunami In A Teapot
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Please note: I don't want to encourage anyone to use the term "Tsunami Tuesday." -- I doubt many people will -- because it's ugly-sounding. "Super Duper Tuesday" is a highly superior term, if only because it reminds me of Hersheypark. (Did you know: Hersheypark's new rollercoaster Fahrenheit "was the first ever roller coaster to gather hype through a viral marketing campaign." Put that in a record book!)
The author of the blog post is Sree "Tsunami" Sreenivasan, who is actually a professor at Columbia. He says we shouldn't be upset about previous "Tsunami Tuesday" references, but says we should stop. (He's also tremendously not over the top about his request, to his credit.) And, really, I have to agree with him on this point.
A friend at lunch pointed out we'd never say, "Rudy's campaign fell like the twin towers."
See? Now those are offensive. As is the video at right. Look, I understand avoiding things because you don't want to offend people if you're in charge of a news organization. I understand that maybe some people hear tsunami and go "Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004!" and will for some reason get offended. I know I'm not allowed to make fun of Barbaro on Christmas, oppressed white police officers, the possibility of Ron Paul being assassinated or whatever else you people are calling my boss about this week. But, really? This is worth spending time on and being serious about? (It's clearly worth making jokes about.)
One of the comments on Tsunami's post suggests landslide instead of tsunami. Another comment says, "I agree. I was there. 'Tsunami Tuesday' takes that enormous suffering far too lightly." Well, screw that, I was in Florida during Hurricane Andrew! Dear Carolina Hurricanes: Give me money or I complain to the media.
I guess my real question is: With how much the media blows, couldn't media organizations like Poynter write about actual issues in journalism instead of pointless BS like this?
Ooh, I just came up with another one: Mitt Romney overdosed the television with ads like he was Heath Ledger.
MEDIA WATCH: Using the term "Tsunami Tuesday" [SAJAforum]
"Tsunami Tuesday?" Just Say No! [Poynter]
Posted by D-Mac on February 1, 2008 10:02 AM
Posted to Offensiveness
, Ridiculousness
, Super Duper Tuesday
, Tsunami Tuesday
, Tsunamis
, WTF
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Comments
I don't care what anyone says, sped up clips set to "Yakety Sax" are always hilarious.
Posted by: thope at February 1, 2008 12:08 PM
As soon as I heard it, I knew some pussy would be against Tsunami Tuesday. This from media pundits that routinely talk about someone being "thrown under the bus." What a joke.
Watch out also for references to "cyclone fences" and "hurricane" or "mudslide" drinks. Don't call anyone a "lightning rod" for controversy. LBJ's nickname was "Landslide Lyndon," in reference to the first election he stole (the "landslide" was ironic.) I guess he was insensitive to people buried under a sliding wall of earth.
I will use this term every day between now and Tsunami Tuesday.
Posted by: Kyle at February 1, 2008 12:30 PM
There are really so many. San Jose had a team called the Earthquakes. The drink Irish Car Bomb. Hey, this is fun!
Posted by: dmac at February 1, 2008 12:46 PM
Wait. Isn't Tuesday Mardi Gras, too? Tsunami Hurricane Tuesday!
Posted by: dmac at February 1, 2008 12:48 PM
There's some hotel on Canal St in New Orleans that used to sell a drink called "The Hurricane." I assume they've changed the name by now in order to avoid offending anyone.
Posted by: 207 at February 1, 2008 01:02 PM
I had forgotten about the Irish Car Bomb. This line of reasoning would rule out Kamikazes, too, along with a bunc of drinks. The truly PC would do best to stay away from mixed drinks altogether.
Posted by: Kyle at February 1, 2008 02:17 PM
I've never even heard that term before.
Hurricane Schwartz, CHANGE YOUR NAME! My grandmother died in a hurricane!
See how silly?
Posted by: friendlynerd at February 1, 2008 10:53 AM