Forum / The Metapuckish Press Conference (in case you missed it)

  • Nuclearman2_1_.thumb
    Christian Bell
    Jan 20, 08:41pm

    (Transcript of press conference announcing the new Fictionaut group, Metapuckish, and the Q&A that followed)

    Christian Bell: Ahem. Oh, hi, thanks for coming. Christian Bell here. I'm not usually one to do this, and I'll admit the top hat and coattails are a little bit non-99%ish of me, but here I am! Anyway, I'm here to announce a new group here at Fictionaut, which you are all free to join. As for what the group is about, I'll just read the description from the group site [intense clearing of throat, with what sounds like a prolonged sequence of hairball coughing, followed by even more intense clearing of throat, followed by a drop to the floor for a series of pushups]:

    <i>At Metapuckish, we encourage all forms of literary hijinks and shenanigans. Metafiction, of course, in all its varieties, but also, within Fictionaut, playing around with story tags, using comments to continue stories, and a general sense of playfulness using whatever tools and features are available.

    Have you ever changed your profile name? Written a story that's a send-up or an extension of someone else's story? Been guilty of "cheap meta sensationalism taken to its most subtle limits" (a quote from James Lloyd Davis's comment on my piece, "I'm Not Charlie Sheen"). If so, you're home!

    Whatever tomfoolery you indulge in under the guise of Metapuckish, please always adhere to Fictionaut's Terms and Conditions (http://www.fictionaut.com/terms) [here, Bell only said "www dot fictionaut dot com slash terms" and for some reason used air quotes], as we always do (okay, there was that one time we didn't—we're eternally apologetic). And never, ever forget to notify your doctor if you have a you-know-what that lasts longer than four hours.</i>

    So, there you have it. So far, five hearty souls in addition to myself have joined. A tumblr has also been set up, but I must say I'm not sure what to do with it yet and feel like I was pressured by the Fictionaut group set-up application to supply a website.

    Okay, now I'll field questions. I'll start with the guy in the cape and mask in the back row.

    [Due to a technical malfunction, the "Q" part of the Q&A was not audible and therefore we couldn't transcribe it.]

    Q: [inaudible]
    A (Christian Bell): Well, I don't think we'd really be against that, per se. I mean, you know, sight unseen and all that. Of course, we'd have to see more of that to really, you know, make a judgment or make any sort of, you know, determination. Um, do you have it with you?

    Bell: Um, you in the middle, white beard.
    Q: [inaudible]
    A: Well, we had nothing to do with the commenting blackout yesterday. We're into shenanigans and tomfoolery and hijinks and all that but we're not hackers. I should say that some of us may be hackers, but as a philosophy, Metapuckish doesn't endorse hacking. Not that we know of any hacking activities occurring here or anywhere else or, um, who's next?

    Bell: Um, you back there in the corner. You look familiar—Erle something or other? Are you sure?
    Q: [inaudible]
    A: Well, it's a combination of metafiction and Puck from <i>A Midsummer's Night Dream</i>. There's some sort of software called MetaPuck, so we added the "ish."

    Bell: Next, let's see--the lady on the left decked out in fatigues and jackboots.
    Q: [inaudible]
    A: Yeah, ha ha, I've sorted of retired from doing those stories. My profile pic is a doctored picture of him. Have you heard anything about what he's doing lately? Yeah, me either.

    Bell: Guy in the front row who may or may not look like me.
    Q: [inaudible]
    A: Mr. Estevez, I'm not sure if the restraining order still applies if you come to my presser and sit in the front row. I mean, should I go out and talk by the dumpsters?

    Bell: You right here. Gorilla mask, green tie.
    Q: [inaudible]
    A: Holy shit, have you seen their front four? I'd definitely take them with the points.

    Bell: Got to go, everyone. It's Friday and there's work to do, golf to be played, and parole officers to check in with. Toodles!

  • Author_photo.thumb
    James Lloyd Davis
    Jan 21, 02:41am

    I like to watch.

    Is this on You Tube?

  • Mosaic_man_marcus.thumb
    Marcus Speh
    Jan 21, 06:30pm

    Of course this is on YouTube. Isn't everything? Here's a movie I made during a recent stay in the Czech Republic involving a car chase, cheesy music, several changes of vehicles, lots of European landscape, subtle product placements, and the smart black suit for which I'm known all over the world, which I own.

  • Mosaic_man_marcus.thumb
    Marcus Speh
    Jan 21, 06:31pm

    sorry...movie is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Le97GMpwpuo">here</a>.

  • Nuclearman2_1_.thumb
    Christian Bell
    Jan 23, 03:48pm

    YouTube? What's that? Sounds metafictional...

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