Why Merlin Mann (Whom I’ve Never Heard of) is a Complete Jackass

Metafilter comment on someone called, “Merlin Mann,” who had been declared a “complete jackass” upthread:

I’ve never heard of the guy, I have no idea who he is, and I’ve certainly never seen anything he’s done. But, personally, I don’t get him.

If he really cared what people who’ve never heard of him thought about the things he may or may not have ever said or done, then he’d have the sense to quit doing hard-to-explain bullshit we’ve never heard of, and just focus on more consistently doing or not doing and saying or not saying things that we’d never like anyway if we’d heard of them (which we haven’t) but which when we DID hear about them (which we won’t) would make it way easier to explain why we don’t like him to people who could care less who either of us is anyway. I mean, I know I do and, consequently, I don’t. Maybe that’s just me, and I’m fine with all of that.

Frankly, even though I’ve never heard of this guy and hate him already, I am so bored with his lack of interest in my boredom, disdain, and lack of interest that I have completely lost any interest in any part of this. Even in my own lack of interest and, to some extent — yes — even in my own boredom with his disdain, in my total lack of interest in his boredom with my disdain, let alone in my utter lack of interest in his disdain for my boredom with his stupid lack of stupid interest.

But, most especially irksome to me — just on a strictly personal level? — as someone who’s never heard of this guy and never liked anything he’s done anyway, I think it’s appalling that he has so little respect for the people who don’t know or care who he is. As a well-known person whom no one’s ever heard of, he has a very real responsibility to show proper respect to the people he damn well knows would hate him if they’d ever heard of him (which they haven’t).

If I’d ever heard of this guy (which I haven’t) I’d say he at least owes us that much. At least.

So, yes. Jackass.

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posted by merlinmann at 10:12 AM on February 8