For The Record...
• There are two editors at Consumerist, Ben Popken and John Brownlee. That means if you have a hope, a one and only hope, it's actually two and only hopes. That's twice the hoping power than never before! When emailing, feel free to address us jointly, as both of us read the tips line. This also explains the profligacy of the first person plural.
• The New York State Attorney General's office did not return our request for comment on news of Spitzer going to talk to AOL again. Them: "Are you a reporter?" Us: "Yes, I'm a reporter, for The Consumerist.com." Slippery slope friends, a slip-pe-ry slope.
• We neither are, nor have intention of becoming, class action lawyers, no matter how mean T-Mobile was to you about your "text to chat with sexy singles" fixation. Pick up a phone book.
• We had drinks this week with Mike Krempasky of Edelman PR. Nightline might mention that tonight so, ya know, you heard it here first. We paid for our own pints.
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Comments:
I've always go. "Ben didn't write it? Who the **** else is there?" but you know nothing makes people remember that kinda shit better than a picture of you two smash together having all sorta jollies.
smashed. drunk. wasted.
That isn't a real stenographer. I'm suing.
When addressing Ben and John jointly, I suggest a hearty, "Hey, ConEds!"
This is, of course, short for Consumerist Editors, and is pronounced "con-eds," not "cone-heads." It has nothing to do with New York electric utility Con-Edison or the old SNL Coneheads sketch, although it occured to me that there's something funny about saying "Ben Ackroyd and John Curtin."
Make that "Ben Aykroyd and John Curtin."
OK, just one more.
This is for those who remember the old SNL stuff as well as recent goings on here at Con.com:
John Curtain: How could they fire that Comcast technician when they kept him on hold for 90 minutes? Give the poor slob a break!
Ben Aykroyd: John, you ignorant slut.
Brownlee sort of gets the shaft because we've never seen him and he is thus easier to blame for things. When Joel fired up Consumerist last year, I came to read it because he is teh funny. For awhile there was a Consumerist ad with Joel in Robert Stack-esque pose with trenchcoat.
Then the torch was passed to Mr. Popken and we got to see him as he rode an elevator.
Brownlee? Never seen 'im. Lives in Ireland, has a super smart mom, that's about all we know. Come on, then, Brownlee, let's see that mug. Let's go behind the veil here.
Well, I, for one, am not comfortable with the idea of our Comsumerist Watchdogs getting fucked up in a bar with some sleazy PR types.
Next thing you know, it's sushi off the abdomens of Japanese ladies of dubious virtue, and suggestions that Consumerist.com could be a little nicer to AOL.
No sir, I do not like it.
Give us a little credit, there's no way that two pints would fell us.
Sure, Ben. You can quit anytime, right?. Now if Brownlee had said it....
I feel like I can sometimes distinguish between the two writing styles of the ConEds. Brownlee seems to come up with the more unique or unexpected turns-of-phrase; Popken seems to have a broader outlook and makes more interesting spelling choices. But it's a close call. I think Brownlee writes a lot of the posts--some days it feels like more than half--but his presence is felt less since he adds comments infrequently. I'd like to see more comments from him.
And now, for no apparent reason, I'll now give away the deep dark secret of Consumerist comments:
90% of comments are posted by people who were in the 5th grade with Ben. I pretend to be a guy from Minnesota who's never met him, but I'm really Anne Hathaway.
The ratio is usually Popken 12, Brownlee 6, with Brownlee pitching in a couple more every so often.
How much head did you get with your pints?