Along with such leading lights in the independent nu-media field as Busted Coverage and Sports By Brooks, Boston’s Barstool Sports long ago learned that no one ever went broke underestimated the public’s appetite for generic T&A. Now that Barstool’s David Portnoy (above) has moved into the live entertainment field with The Barstool Blackout Tour (aka “Sea Trash Gone Wild”), a Kenmore Square live date was met with street protests, as described by the Boston Globe’s Travis Anderson :
“We’re down here because we want to let people know that the perpetuation of rape culture is not cool,’’ said Northeastern University junior Anna Siembor, 21, one of the creators of the blog Knockout Barstool, which organized last night’s protest at the nightclub on Lansdowne Street.
Knockout Barstool was created after a posting appeared on Barstool Sports last month signed by El Presidente, Portnoy’s online moniker.
Referring to a recent controversy at the University of Vermont, where a fraternity was sanctioned for circulating a survey asking members who they would like to rape, El Presidente wrote that the matter was being blown out of proportion.
“Just to make friends with the feminists I’d like to reiterate that we don’t condone rape of any kind at our Blackout Parties in mid-January,’’ the posting said. “However if [a] chick passes out, that’s a grey area though.’’
Portnoy could not be reached for comment last night. When the Globe profiled him in the spring, he said that when he posts as El Presidente, he is playing a character in a fantasy world who can have sex with whoever he wants. “But I also have logic,’’ Portnoy said at the time. “I understand that’s not the world we live in.’’
In a posting yesterday afternoon, El Presidente unloaded on the Knockout Barstool group, which had received support from Occupy Boston.
“Do you think the fatzos at KO Boston know that enlisting the wackos at Occupy Boston make them look crazier than they already do?’’ El Presidente wrote. “The people who hate us are just people who hate life, hate fun, hate men, and hate America.’’
Hmm. Here I thought I just hated that moron, most men and America. And rape. And vicious imbeciles who think rape is hilarious. Thought I liked fun.
I hate those things, including fun (ugh, what am I, eight years old?), but I also hate Americans spelling gray “grey.” Unless Broseph Conrad up there was buring some deep Joel Grey reference in that otherwise bitchin’ rape joke, in which case I need to rethink a bunch of things. Also really gratifying in a petty way that this dude looks more or less the way I’d expect him to.
Does he not realize that even if he’s “playing a character” it can still be a shitty character he should be deeply ashamed of? Also I hope the Globe noted the deep, deep sadness that is someone writing as “a character in a fantasy world who can have sex with whoever he wants.”