best mission thus far, “suicide jumper”. along w/ boing boing, improv everywhere has been my #1 favourite link.

Cale, you need to consider our very particular social, historical, political, and geographic situation if you desire an effective/interesting/fun “happening.” What might have served as a thrilling critique of societal mores in New York seven years ago might be completely irrelevant to our present situation here in Washington. Now, the mission of BYT, as I see it, is to promote a kind of nightlife scene in DC and define and articulate an elite social class of pretty, young, hip urbanites. That mission is certainly subject to critique — the Marxian critique would be that you have forsaken any politics and completely submitted yourself to capitalist decadence — but let us take it for granted for the moment. Your target would be the stale, conservative culture of DC, or perhaps the dumb hedonism that one might encounter on a weekend night on 18th Street in Adams Morgan. I think it would be to your benefit to attack the Philistinism of the latter example. How might that be accomplished in a staged happening? I would suggest a hipster takeover of an establishment traditionally reserved for yuppies or Philistines, like Adams Mill or Millie & Al’s in Adams Morgan. Set a date and time, and take over the place for the night. What do you think of that, Cale?

God, you karl’s are more bitchingly gay than bitchy gays.

karl m. -
“I like a fun dance night, a night out on the town, and I even enjoy checking out the pretty people on the scene. Of course I have some shame for this”

why do you feel shame for THAT?? that is just strange.

you are wasting your time and energy on something that has no real, lasting effect on society instead of using that capable brain of yours to voice your opinion elsewhere on issues that matter. the issues you SEEM to care about. that is where your shame should lie.

and where are all these pretty people you are talking about that byt exclusively photographs? i see just people - some attractive, some not so attractive, all having a good time, unlike you.

and yes, maybe you should look elsewhere for politics. how long did it take you to figure that out? do you write in the comment section of a sports website about how they suck at covering the arts?

hot karl - please kill yourself immediately if not sooner. you are a danger to society.

“hot karl - please kill yourself immediately if not sooner. you are a danger to society.”

Pretty much the sentiment I’d expect from a bro dude who shops at Abercrombie and does keg stands, which is what you are in different clothing. I was going to punk and hardcore shows 15 years ago; where the fuck were you? It’s not like I’m some disgruntled “normal” person (or however you dweebs refer to what you perceive to be non-underground types). You don’t like that I’m calling you out for being herd-following sheep (unoriginal at that), so you tell me to kill myself. Nice. I hope to god you are in your very early 20s, or you are really pathetic.

Cale, I have this very AA debate with my girlfriend. (Coincidentally, we also sometimes argue over whether she drinks too much.) She sees no problem with the advertising, likes the clothes, and it’s “guilt-free” since it’s not produced in some Third-World sweatshop. I do have a problem with the advertising, but that doesn’t really distinguish AA from other clothing advertising, since they all do the same thing, AA is just better at it. And, I would argue, the Made-in-the-USA thing has more to do with marketing to a particular “enlightened” group than a moral concern over exploited labor (correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that AA put the kibosh on an AA employee labor union, and of course, it’s big business).

Re: “shaped like I have an eating disorder.” OK, I know you’re kidding, sort of, but of course you’re sort of not kidding, which is a little disturbing. It’s attractive to be skinny to an unhealthy degree precisely because that’s the image that’s sold to us in commercial images. Also, ironically, I suppose it’s something of a subtle protest against bloated American consumerism. For the latter reason it is embraced justifyibly; for the former reason it is conformed to sadly.

BYT: DC’s flab police. You never rest.

hot karl, you aren’t “calling me out” for anything and i never jumped on any bandwagon. nice guess on who i am, though. you act like there is one very exclusive type of person on here, like everyone is exactly the same. i think you’re sad. and why this whole thing upset you so much in the first place is really, really bizarre.

“I was going to punk and hardcore shows 15 years ago; where the fuck were you?” hahahaha! wow, you’re cool.

it would probably be better if we took this exchange elsewhere as to not subject these people to such jackassery. here you go: gifbmpjpg@hotmail.com

karl m. you spelled ‘justifiably’ wrong. not that it matters. you are crazy and way too concerned with this stuff. i think i might be going too far with the responses myself, but i can’t help it cuz it’s kind of entertaining to see just how silly people like you can be. cale is skinny because of his metabolism like me, ya fat bastard (i was kidding about the fat b part, but i was on a roll). you think too much. sometimes things just are what they are; cale is skinny, you are a pseudo intellectual.

and dan - “these hiptser types are the type of people that got their asses kicked kicked at hardcore and punk shows for the last 15 years.” what, are you some kind of tough guy? i laugh at you. i laugh right in your tough guy face.

eduardo is taking things a bit seriously.

Having an arguement on the internet is like competing in the special olympics -EVEN IF YOU WIN YOU’RE STILL RETARDED

if you don’t wear pants, you don’t need game.

it’s true.

I think Eduardo Ignasio is right…I see photos of uglies and non-uglies on BYT. Cale fits both…sometimes he’s ugly and sometimes he’s non-ugly, depending on the boa.

This entire thread is gay.

Regardless, the drop trou on the Metro thing is going to fail with fewer than 10 people participating.

woah - whoa! i really don’t care, it’s just entertaining and i’m amazed at how people got so upset about the metro thing. my repsonses basically were only to tell them how damn silly (and retarded) i thought they were being.

dan - you said a stupid thing. that is why i commented to you directly. read your first post a few times and tell me what it proves. you’re not tough.

marty - “i’m hung like the future, maybe that’s why i don’t mind so much.” lol! awesome.

hot karl - your dad should have used a condom.

time for my nap…

poo-poo on anyone that poo-poos on people having fun

time for my afternoon dump…

Yay…we have a new CRAZIE!!!

Idea:
If you have an overwhelming distaste or some moral beef with this website, devote your time to enjoying and being a part of something that makes sense to you, instead of a being bystander on a website that doesn’t cater to your personal sense of valid, coverage-worthy culture.
This site isn’t the only aesthetic representative that DC has, and its not for everyone. I can understand taking issue with an article’s content, but if you just don’t like whats on here, period, then come on, find something else to be INTO. Its simple, effective and it sends the right kind of message, because the message you’re sending now is that you have a ton of spare time and are reading this over and over.

the internet is serious business

Wow, such anger! And I’ve been called fat, the greatest insult in hipsterdom, even though none of you has a clue what my body-mass index is. Ha. Hot Karl, whatever the source of your anger (dumped by a hipster chick?), it seems that you have some sort of ax to grind with the hip of DC. But then, who wouldn’t be annoyed by an elite social class of any sort? They define themselves by their neat clothes, skinny, pretty bodies, and whatever music they happen to be into at the moment. That which fails to meet the criteria is met with scorn. Hot Karl, perhaps you fail to meet some of those criteria? If not, your anger should not be at hipsters in particular but elite social classes in general, which all operate in the same way, just with a different set of aesthetic criteria. So, you should be a Marxist like me, and have distaste for the entire structure of hierarchical social class, in general.

One amusing thing about hipsters is their persistant ridicule of “white trash” (I think a white-trash-themed dance night is coming up, actually), which is the working class that, unlike them, fails to achieve that aesthetic required to belong to their class. Of course, the working class hasn’t the time or education to do that, because they’ve been systematically denied it because of their subordinate socio-economic position, but never mind that, the hipsters still delight in ridiculing them — hence the “ironic” mustache or mullet that wouldn’t really be all that out-of-place on a white working class guy.

Karl M., my friend, I think my scorn for these people is that their schtick is so hackneyed and worn out. I was actually expecting one of them to accuse me of not being “cool” enough to be “down” with them, but they have not done so yet, but you have touched on the issue. Such is not the case, and I actually have to plead guilty to owning a closet full of designer work clothes as well as jeans that I probably paid a bit too much for; I am thin and work out constantly; I do not look down on label clothing with scorn. I will leave you with your distaste for capitalism and social classes with the utmost respect. Thing is, if I wanted to be the coolest hipster kid, I could easily do it by throwing on a Stryper t shirt and wearing tiny running shorts with cowboy boots. My distaste for this whole scene is that it is so boring and so easy to pull off.

I am with you again on the ridicule of “white trash” aka the working class. There was a feature here where some people went to a TGI Fridays and, gasp, ATE FOOD! AND DRANK BIG OBNOXIOUS AMERICAN ALCOHOLIC DRINKS THAT WERE BLUE AND GREEN AND STUFF! et cetera. What a biting commentary on American culture, going to a place where “working class” and the uncultured masses consider a nice night out and taking funny pictures. How cute, you ridicule people lacking in opportunity and formal education. And on top of that, hipsters nationwide do it, so you aren’t even being original.

And don’t get me started on hipsters taking pictures of obviously mentally ill homeless people.

Hot Karl, re: “I actually have to plead guilty to owning a closet full of designer work clothes as well as jeans that I probably paid a bit too much for; I am thin and work out constantly; I do not look down on label clothing with scorn.”

It makes me sad to read that Hot Karl, because you’re playing the same game the hipsters are — you’re just in a different social class. There’s a certain breed of hipster, a bit more raw, probably more common to the midwest where I’m from, that doesn’t really play the fashion game so much and is really more punk in essence, and would never wear designer jeans or work out to shape a body. It is THE MAN that demands that you do that so that you’re a good member of your social class, and it sounds like you might be a young upwardly-mobile professional from your description. What happened to your hardcore punk days? Sounds like you’ve sold out, man. Shame, shame. But then, society demands it, in most cases, so we can’t really blame you.

Don’t get me started on working out. My friend, it’s a collossal waste of time. People working out and, especially, jogging, look so ridiculous, it always makes me giggle. Join a soccer league instead and have some fun running around.

Alyssa,
I’m posting anonymously for obvious reasons, but I actually do know a number of the people writing for and associated with this site. I have seen many of their unfriendly faces out too many times, and I am acquaintances with a handful. They really are a vacuous lot. In general it’s like a high school clique. I’m being completely honest.

That said, I really appreciate this site for 2 reasons:
1) entertainment value
2) I know exactly where NOT to hang out based on postings.

My personal beef with the scenesters is that they are unfriendly and judgmental and I also have a problem with people that are “into” things because they think it’s cool. There are a handful of people that byt is associated with putting “creative” stuff out there that is really just awful. DC’s art scene is lacking enough that I try to be supportive when people are at least working, but some of them give new meaning to the word dilettante.

i have never been to any of the byt events, though i know for a fact that anyone is welcome.

i know ONE person at byt and they have not commented on this thread.

i am not a hipster, but i’ve met people who you might consider to be hipsters and they have always been friendly.

if you have gotten dirty looks either:
a) you are paranoid
or
b) you are a bitch

this thread has gotten ridiculous.

if the people who run this site are the jerky, stuck up, elitist, holier-than-thou, too-cool-for-school people that others are claiming they are, i have yet to see it.

the only people who are being nasty, condescending, judgemental, passive aggressive or mean on here are the ones you see commenting above (you know which ones).

there are a few people on here in need of a hug. let’s hug it out, bitches. i’m happy to help. karl? karl? anon? dan? etc..?

Since I last posted at 3:05 PM and now I have been asleep. Hasn’t someone bothered to simply link to the last time someone came on (June-ish? I’m old and my memory fades) and made fun of BYT and then all the defenders argued and then the naysayer argued back so we can just nip this in the bud right now and Marty can keep his title?

But I like Dada…

Damnit. I forgot to finish my thought:

Take the NYE event for example. I called it as sucking. I said I wouldn’t go because it would suck. I made no bones about the fact that I thought the planners could have done much better than “naked sushi.” I was not quiet about lambasting something that I thought was almost as stupid as taking Obama seriously Presidential Candidate…

And guess what? I’ve seen the people involved in that event since then. I didn’t get any negativity from them. In fact the only negative response I got to my many posts on that event was an anonymous one on this board.

I think you have delusions of grandeur if you think that people will hate you because you state an opinion.

Am I the only one that found Marty’s I’m hung like the future both hilarious and perplexing at the same time? Like the future is so bright his dick has to wear sunglasses or what?

Wow you know there’s some BS going on when Michael is the most rational person in a comments section (B.I.S.L.Y.M.)!

Anyway, I wish I could be there but I’ll be getting a tattoo at Fatty’s about 20 yards from where the meet up is. Drat. Pantsoff subway day should be a national holiday.

I mean, am I crazy to think it’s silly to wear the shirt of a band that obviously sucks? If you like them, that’s one thing, but it’s obvious that you’re trying to be absurdist and ironic by wearing the shirt of a crappy band. I suppose that would have some merit if it weren’t played out, but it has been done over and over and is tired. Kind of like screaming at a band to play freebird or throwing up the devil horns at people. It’s just corny, man.

this thread is still going! sweet! is it a record yet?

john, you just made me feel silly. i say man all the time. :/ sometimes i use dude and man in the same sentence. for example: dude, that stryper shirt is tight, man!

karl’s hopes for his ideal social scene of the world have gone to shit and he cries himself to sleep every night thinking about how everyone is just so damn CORNY. i feel sorry for poor karl. there, there, little fella.

You might as well try to justify making an “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” joke. Not going to work. And yes, I wouldn’t have a problem with you wearing a Stryper shirt if you liked that shitty band, and I wouldn’t be offended by your liking bad music (you probably like plenty of shitty twee fag rock anyway). Having bad taste in music is actually not as bad as intentionally listening to bad music or buying merchandise of shitty bands to wear as a “joke” (and paying $50 for a t shirt of one of said bands????)

And why would you BE at an ironic rock show? What is the point of that? That is just terrible. Was it full of people wearing mullet haircuts/wigs, mustaches, dokken t shirts, etc.?

Hot Karl, posting two similar comments three minutes apart from the same IP address doesn’t convince anyone that you are two different people.

Oh, thanks for calling me fag (you actually attributed it to a musical genre as a proxy for myself). Its both cool and classy that you resort to homophobic slurs for anyone who disagrees with you.

Oh wait, did you mean “fag” in an ironic sense? I hope not, because - according to your logic - that would def. not be cool since it has already been done.

“Hot Karl, posting two similar comments three minutes apart from the same IP address doesn’t convince anyone that you are two different people.”

That wasn’t me. If you could check IPs, you would know that. Quit talking out of your stupid ass.

Still…you are calling people fags. Classy.

Hey, cut him a break. Given that he demonstrably cannot read, he got close enough to what I actually said to get a pass.

My friend, do not misconstrue my feeling sorry for your lack of intellectual acumen as an apology. Being sorry for and feeling sorry for are quite discrete.

Whoo, Mary (I’m not calling anyone a “mary,” it’s just an expression) — I completely forgot what story led to this thread by the time I was halfway down the page.

I don’t look like or hang out with people I see featured in photos on this site. I’m a good 10 years older and 30 pounds heavier than the average subject in these pix. So yes, sometimes Sexy Fitsum’s latest set makes me feel old, fat, unhip, and sober. But you know what I generally like about it? People having fun. Lots and lots of fun. Going out with their friends, supporting local bands and DJs, wearing stuff that they like or perhaps what they think they should wear to fit in. I don’t care either way.

If looking at this site pissed me off as much as it seems to other commenters, I wouldn’t come here. It’s not the only source for what’s going on in this city.

And the occasional batshit comment thread aside, what I also like about the site is its positive attitude. I love my city, too. I want to find new things to do, new bands to hear, new places to eat, etc. I’m glad someone is out there digging this stuff up. Do I love everything I see/hear on BYT? Nope, but hey, someone is doing this for me, I don’t pay for it, and I can come and go as I please.

Thanks, BYT for all that you do. And for keeping your calm in the threadstorm.