Oddly Enough Blog
News, but not the serious kind
Did you SEE that dude hit the cement?
Email 
Print
I have trouble figuring out why some things are news. Readers know I’m confused about why we keep shooting identical photos of Madonna and her car in dozens of cities, as though we’ve never seen it before.
Then there’s this French so-called “daredevil” who climbs skyscrapers all over the world. Today he climbed a Petronas tower in Malaysia and was taken into police custody, which usually happens. Then, a couple of weeks later, he’s at it again, scaling a building somewhere else, only to wind up in custody again.
Why can’t this guy – let’s call him “Irritating Jackass” – be put on a list to keep him out of countries where he plans to break the law? Can’t they permanently attach a 200-pound weight to his ankle, or use crop-dusters to spray a sheen of grease on their tallest spires?
And I don’t understand why we have more than 300 photos, countless stories and video reports on his exploits, as if each one is news.
I propose a moratorium on coverage of this boor. No more photos, video or stories until the day we can work the words “Irritating Jackass” and “splat” into the headline. Now THAT, I would cover!
Join the Oddly Enough blog network
Follow this blog on Twitter at rbasler
Above: French climber known as “Spiderman” stands on the tip of the Malaysia’s landmark Petronas Twin Towers after scaling it in Kuala Lumpur, September 1, 2009. REUTERS/Zainal Abd Halim
Right: Pedestrians pause on the sidewalk to watch as French climber climbs the Italia building in downtown Sao Paulo in a 2008 file photo. The climber successfully scaled the building on his second attempt in a week, after being arrested by police on Sunday while he began to climb. REUTERS/Rickey Rogers
Comments RSSPost Your Comment
-
Author Profile
-
I agree, let’s call for a moratorium on such coverage.
Spread the word.
I dare him to do that in the middle of a thunderstorm.
what a feat… you sir are the jackass
Give me a break….
he climbs the worlds tallest building and you type up some bulls*@# on your laptop. that’s funny that you think HE’S the jackass. i guess you want people to pay attention to YOU.
Laptop? Shows how much you know. I used a desktop for that item.
This moratorium is not working.
Spread the word.
You’re right, Bill. That’s because it seems some people are interested in this guy. I wish they’d just go subscribe to “Irritating Jackass” magazine….
Congratulations, you wrote an article expressing your annoyance at people paying this man attention.
Next you might address the serious issue of people in the media producing useless, hugely opinionated articles.
It can be an auto-bio…
Ironic you think he’s the irritating jackass.
Ah, if only people understood the difference between a blog, which is supposed to be full of opinionated bull (especially this one, which frequently has opinions on bulls and people who poke them with sticks) and a real news article. Sad, isn’t it?
Thanks for the support, Beth, but I’m here to give the folks what they want.
If they like daredevil climbers, I’m heading for the top of the 7-Eleven on our street. I have a small step ladder that will just about get me to gutter-level of the one-story building, I think.
“Top ‘o’ the world, Ma! Top ‘o’ the world!”
You go, Bob, you go. Just make sure someone’s there to take pictures when the police haul you off … with any luck, before you need the ambulance!
Some people just don’t understand the subtleties of irony and sarcasm.
You’re so right, Bill, and irony and sarcasm are the building blocks of a healthy lifestyle.
Hey in a thunderstorm he’d be standing on one foot with a one iron in his hand! I mean this guys not totally crazy! He knows not even God can hit a one iron!
i DARE you to climb that 7-Eleven!
Take pictures
It’d make my day.
Looks like something exploded in the comments machine when I tried to post this the first time. I apologize if it shows up twice.
Thank you Beth for reminding everyone that this is a blog, and should therefore be treated as such! I hope that the people who take this as serious news are not people who vote.
Keep the crap coming Mr. Basler!
Fairplay to the guy if he wonts to climb such a tall building.
Rather him than me any day!