I was wondering if you would ever do this. Well Played.

Can't I just EECB Denton?

:)

Only if they take my concerns seriously

Finally. I don't think I am getting my money's worth of advice here.

"For the love of gods, bring back Carey & Chris?"

Gawker Media is taking it seriously.

So if we get ridiculously poor customer service from Gawker, will Consumerist still help out or give advice on how to deal with the bastards?

Gina's there, and that makes me feel better.

@Trai_Dep: Excellent idea! :D

So when male editors make light of rape, will someone actually respond or just ignore it?

This is kind of... odd.

Shouldn't we just call the Gawker executives on their home phones?

@little stripes: Didn't you say "You pigs are disgusting. I'm done with gawker." in that other thread?
[consumerist.com]

Say it with me in your best brokeback mountian voice - "Gawker, I cant quit you!"

@little stripes: Word. Maybe someone will respond with "rape jokes aren't against Consumerist rules."

@Tmoney02: I will admit I responded in anger. But I was hoping when I did send in a well-mannered, professional complaint, I'd get a response. Surprise, surprise, I did not. Looks like they aren't even "taking it seriously."

@Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->: But where is Moderator Roz? Did she get the axe too?

@little stripes: Or maybe we like that this blog takes the liberties slang and other colloquialisms that other outlets don't use. Yep, occasionally they will run upon the trigger word for one or two uptight commentors, but it does keep the rest of us less sensitive to political correctness coming back.

Then again, maybe we could have a bland version of the Consumerist, too. Could be called the Corporatist or something, where the writer will always talk in generic corporate pleasantries and avoid harsh language or inflammatory suggestions. By avoiding stories where either party may be at too much fault, and avoiding all that harsh slang, there is no doubt us commentors would bicker less. The Corporatist can even tell you that they will take your suggestions and concerns very seriously, if it makes you happy.

@Trai_Dep: I third that motion!

@Riddar: Oh, come on. Using rape so flippantly is unprofessional and just plain disgusting. It's interesting that Gawker is horrible at customer service, eh? I mean, isn't that what consumerist is all about? Decent service? And yet...whenever I've made a complaint, I SURPRISE! never get a fucking response.

@Riddar: I'm probably one of the more politically incorrect people out there whose conversations and jokes would make the things said in the article in question sound like polite speech.

Thing is, there's a time and a place for things like that. It's one thing to act that way amongst friends and in places where there's no way in hell that anyone else could overhear. It's entirely different to use language like that to sensationalize a story to garner a few more pageviews.

This is a slightly mainstream blog, not the somethingawful forums. The people who are offended are not uptight people who need to "lighten up," but people who have a legitimate beef that so far has been ignored or dismissed as irrelevant.

@Real Cheese Flavor: EXACTLY. I'm fucking tired of being told to "lighten up" when people are rude, inconsiderate, UNPROFESSIONAL, and can't even respond to complaints from their readers.

I actually had occasion to use this the other day, and it was pretty simple and super helpful. Two thumbs up.

@little stripes: So are you bringing it up? Because I totally want to know what their response is.

@little stripes: I'm waiting for the story about a guy with a high APR that Ben decides, in all his professional wisdom, to title "Man gets lynched by his credit card company".

But I guess it'll get page views, and that's all that matters to them these days.

Y'all: I'm happy that Gawker media has a convenient way to contact them with concerns and complaints. That is always good business practice.

That being said: As we've just seen, this blog operates with a tiny staff. Do we really want them constantly responding to our ruffled feathers -- legitimate complaints included -- instead of digging up more dirt on bad businesses that we actually fork over our money to on a daily basis?

I think we need to get our priorities clear before we go bashing a relatively small organization. That being said: rape jokes are always wrong. :-)

@Sarah Vivelafat McCain Palin: I haven't yet, but I may later. I'm having issues with the internets right now. The internets hate me today.

@glacier206: Telling, innit, that everyone got all up and arms over the "Dumb N***" post, but rape? Oh, who cares about silly rape! We're just too SENSITIVE!

@little stripes: they got up in (not and) arms about the receipt, not the post itself. can't type today.

Wow. One company, in one quarter, lost more than Latvia's yearly GDP.

@downwithmonstercable: whoops wrong story :P

Remember to contact the executives of Gawker media ONLY after all avenues have been exhausted. They will be more likely to respond if you are polite and courteous.

@glacier206: They wonder why they are loosing readers (and staff) when this is their attitude towards complaints.

@little stripes: I know. I read through that whole thread thinking Surely I can't be the only one who sees the hypocrisy in this? The consumerist commenters, despite the new popularity of banning/disemvoweling, continue to behave like a bunch of irrational cranky idiots.

Gee, I hope I don't get raped by bad customer service stories! If I get lynched one more time with dagger-like words stabbing me I'll just die. I don't think I can stand any more holocosting or Barbara Streisanding of my eyes.

@undefined: I did bring up some of the comments to Roz yesterday and basically it was said that it was a bad joke but they weren't against the comment code. The one I specifically mentioned was the comment about dinner/lube. To me it go against the "dont be a jerk" & "hatred" rules.

I told Roz last night I am done here and I have lurked today to see if something else was mentioned but after today I am done.

@undefined: @Applekid: Okay, okay, okay.

I was cool with most of that. But 'Barbara Steisanding'? YOU HAVE GONE TOO FAR.

@kate not the plumber is ready for november: Yeah, the dinner/lube comment was WAY WAY WAY WAY out of line. Aaaand, it is OBVIOUSLY against comment policy. I mean, they are CONSTANTLY saying, "Don't blame the victim! Against comment policy!" And yet ... the editor's flippant rape remark, and the dinner/lube comment AREN'T against policy? REALLY?

This place is a fucking joke. Pathetic.

@Riddar:

I will assume you're talking about me, since I started the discussion, and I'd like to say please don't call me names.

@Real Cheese Flavor:
So much agreed :)

@kate not the plumber is ready for november:

I brought it up too, and she told me rape jokes weren't against the rules at the Consumerist.

...

@little stripes: If rape is a trigger word, then you might as well campaign for it to be removed from common vernacular, period. I'm sure "sexual assault" is perfectly acceptable as a replacement for most news outlets, it also takes longer to say and to type, and carries the chance of changing the impact of the story.

While you're at it, make sure you campaign to have the Gawker network remove all pictures of succulent, fatty comfort food so those in ED recovery aren't triggered, and any reference to drunken behavior is removed for those suffering from alcoholism. Campaign against the word "fuck" and the use of profanity in general.

"Rape" is a word used in many contexts. Because it means something different in your context is not enough reason to ban the word entirely from a website. If you want an apology you will need to ask for one directly. Complaints about a single word aren't going to get you anywhere. In this case, it's only going to make you look like a perpetual victim, and not the survivor you actually are.

@kate not the plumber is ready for november: I also think the whole "It's not against the comments code" justification is a cop-out along the lines of "we're taking it seriously."

It would be one thing if it had been just some fool commenter, but it was a fool editor. And if posts like that aren't against the Gawker Employee Ethics Code, then they need to change the code.

Ben's been going around to all the media outlets pitching various stories and trying to take Consumerist mainstream. Posts like that one will keep it in the realm of little children playing at being adults.

@bria: But! God forbid someone blames victims of credit card fraud or bad customer service. Oh, no, you can never blame the victim in that case. But rape jokes? A-ok!

@Sarah Vivelafat McCain Palin:
That's what Roz, the Consumerist moderator told me

@glacier206:

glacier206, ftw! I agree wholeheartedly.

@Sarah Vivelafat McCain Palin: I have no idea why they're losing readers, but it was my impression they are losing staff because they can't afford to pay them anymore. You know, tanking economy and all.

@glacier206: I didn't even bring up the word in the article to Roz because to me it is wrong but I understand it has other meanings/uses.

I have a problem with the comments allowed in the thread which is why I didn't comment yesterday in the thread about the article.

@BrawlerBarbie:

So... as RedwoodFlyer said, are you a "rape survivor" if you credit card rate was increased against your will?

(direct quote from my personal page:)
"I'm a rape survivor...my credit card rate was increased against my will - according to the dictionary, that makes me a rape survivor."

@BrawlerBarbie:
They're losing staff because Gawker Media is going in a new direction and putting its staff into blogs that actually make money for them. Consumerist can't take ads, so it's kind of a loss leader.

@BrawlerBarbie: You forgot "gay" and "retarded", but +1 all the same.