Comments on: New York Times Columnist Thomas Friedman Gets Pie In Face At Brown University

By: pacatrue

pacatrue — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 09:17:52 +0000

I'm just not sure why people concerned about the environment are all up in arms about Friedman. My little office break room has one Friedman article posted which is about the Green Generation and nothing but advocacy for environmental issues.

By: runasim

runasim — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 08:56:01 +0000

I've never understood the humor in pie throwing, or in food fights, for that matter.
Parhaps that's because my parents taught me to treat food with respect, as something life sustaining that shouldn't be taken for granted. (I grew up during and post war years, when food was a serious consideration.)
Maybe I'm just a prig when it comes to food, but I just don't get it.

I must say that I'm sick and tired of the instantaneous right vs left reacitons.. In a nation with a long history of assasinated predidents and other public figures, school shootings on a regualr basis and death threats whenever a controversy hits the news, pies being lobbed in the air don't seem to justify high levels of outrage, in my book.
Is it somehow more fair and polite to issue death threats to Rev. wright,, judges associated with the Terry Schiavo case and politicians who don't make decisions the way some people woudl like?

A little perspective, please.

By: ryan

ryan — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 06:56:40 +0000

HappySurge – nice post. Made me smile, particularly the “I myself am never angry with pie in my hands. I only think 'wow, I have a pie in my hands'.” bit, which is probably a universal truth. Who doesn't like pie?

With regards to the incident being discussed, the Left is badly in need of some examples of how to gain attention for a cause. The Vietnam War didn't end because of Woodstock, but the “protest as a solution” tactic has still been the Left's predominant approach since the 1960's. Meanwhile the Right has more consistently engaged in very targeted, specific campaigns – think of all of the various Washington “Think Tanks”, as just one example – and despite their minority status has generally been much more successful in crafting policy and generating change.

By: HappySurge

HappySurge — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 05:24:18 +0000

Austin, stop, it's not right-left. Clearly the issue here is the weight of the pies and their containers, and the fact that environmental activists have no particular sense of humor. If you're going to hit somebody in the face with a pie, the best way to do it is with a soft dough pie with plenty of creme, perhaps even in an edible pan, and aftewards, to give them a pie to hit you in the face with. These envirocrats clearly lacked the basic fundamental leanings of decency, manners and humors, and the sense to know which should be disregarded and which shouldn't.

I would like to point out, however, that both pies were likely made in ovens which require electricity usually provided in homes, and their separate ingredients sold in stores which usually require power, heating, cooling, and distribution, and driving there to get them, and thusly also requires upper level management building, routing services, and so on and so forth. That pie-facing wasn't environmentally conscious in the least.

So not only are they shoddy people, they're also HIPPOCRATS! ((*hypocrites, am i rite?)

But seriously, way too much anger. Nobody who has pie in their hands should ever be that angry or running that fast.

I myself am never angry with pie in my hands. I only think 'wow, I have a pie in my hands'. And I only throw it at someone if I'd be willing to like it off their face, and perhaps, as retribution, their shoes.

By: AustinRoth

AustinRoth — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 04:48:37 +0000

It seems it is never a crime for those from the peace-loving Left to assault those on the Right (cause they had it coming for doubleplus bad thoughtcrimes), but if someone on the Right even says something nasty about someone on the Left, it is a hate-crime, and they should lose their jobs, and maybe even be jailed.

By: Marlowecan

Marlowecan — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 02:56:42 +0000

Another classic from Joe. I have often wondered how unpleasant it is to get hit in the face with a pie...especially thrown from a distance. The Stooges were masters of the art, of course.

Joe Gandelman said: "not funny at all but is done in a way so that it resembles an assault. And it is dealt with (correctly) that way by the legal system"

I gather from the Huffington Post link that the police aren't doing anything, and no one else is pressing charges. While I agree this is assault...clearly it is not being taken seriously as such.

Also interesting the number of comments at Huffington praising this, and saying Friedman got off nicely. Sad that.

The Stooges have the perfect solution, I believe. The students who did this should be forced to themselves be subject to being pied.

Of course, their defenders would declare that a violation of their human rights, I should imagine.

But at least then these pie-throwers would get their desserts...nyuk...nyuk...nyuk....