gerbils and gay men ?
Doug Sewell
If you haven't heard the legend, DON'T ASK.
Seriously, there was an article about this very topic in a recent
issue of the Advocate magazine, denouncing it as urban legend. The
author referred to a professor that has studied various urban legends
(his name's been mentioned here, I just don't have it handy).
--
Doug
G. Wolfe Woodbury
>
>Well how's this for a well documented urban legend:
>
>My girlfriend said that a friend of hers is the wife of the doctor
>that treated RG in the hospital. I have no information on RG's sexual
>preference however.
That is NOT documentation. If your girfriend can give you the
name of the doctor and that doctor will comment publicly on the
"incident", then it is documented.
As reported it is nothing more than the usual "friend of a
friend" bullsh*t.
--
G. Wolfe Woodbury @ The Wolves Den UNIX, Durham NC
UUCP: ...dukcds!wolves!wolfe ...mcnc!wolves!wolfe [use the maps!]
Domain: wolfe%wol...@mcnc.mcnc.org wolfe%wol...@cs.duke.edu
[The line eater is a boojum snark! ] <standard disclaimers apply>
mnyk...@cc.helsinki.fi
.Stuff on R.Gere having a gerbil removed from his rectum deleted..
> That is NOT documentation. If your girfriend can give you the
> name of the doctor and that doctor will comment publicly on the
> "incident", then it is documented.
professional ethics, something the medical community condemns stongly (I
hope)?
In general, hospital stories will always remain suspect for the above reason.
--
Matti Nyk{nen
CS Student at Helsinki U, Finland
email: mnyk...@cc.helsinki.FI
The best opinions available; get them while they're hot!
Doug Sewell
by Catherine Seipp, on p.56 of the 7/3/90 issue (the one with Jesse
Helms on front). Here's the high points.
The folklorist mentioned in the article was Jan Harold Brunvand, at
Univ. of Utah in Salt Lake City. He documented it in "The Mexican
Pet" in 1985, calling the story "The Colo-Rectal Mouse".
Seipp tells of first hearing the story at a Beverly Hills dinner party.
The topic changed from AIDS to gay men to 'gerbiling'. (She also noted
that there were no gays or lesbians present at this party).
Later she says:
Now the story has been revived, via a flurry of fax activity, in
a version that centers around a certain male movie star whose stagnant
career has been revived with a current hit movie. The assumption,
of course, is that the overly handsome actor is secretly gay, although
curiously, those in the know insist he's actually straight. The
lawyers won't allow me to say who it is, but it doesn't matter,
because you all know anyway.
She tells of doctored movie ads, "ASPCA files suit against [name of
actor]" and other "proof" circulating via copier and fax machine.
She cited Joseph Goodwin of Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., who
noted "maybe this time [it came] from the gay community trying to out
this actor." [Goodwin has written a book of gay urban folklore, "More
Man Than You'll Ever Be", according to Seipp].
She also tells of a woman wanting to start a Gerbil Protection Society
and register all gerbil sales (actually, gerbil sales are illegal in
California), and a report of a TV weatherman pressured to resign because
of gerbil rumors.
Seipp closes with a very solid explanation of just how impossible it
is for this to actually take place, due to gerbil nature and human
anatomy, and that the roots are generally due to fear and/or hatred
of homosexuals.
In explaining the concept of 'urban folklore', she also mentioned the
'drying the cat/poodle in the microwave', 'taking home a starving little
chihuahua that is actually a rabid/plague-infected mexican sewer-rat',
'the roommate with ether, condoms, and KY' and other friend-of-a-friend-
told-me stories.
--
Doug
Brian Utterback
>
>Well how's this for a well documented urban legend:
>
>My girlfriend said that a friend of hers is the wife of the doctor
>that treated RG in the hospital. I have no information on RG's sexual
>preference however.
That's the same as *UNDOCUMENTED*! Let's look a little closer:
"My girlFRIEND said that a FRIEND of hers is the WIFE of the DOCTOR"...
Translated: Friend of a Friend of the Wife of the Eyewitness, i.e.
Friend of a Friend of a Friend. Were talking about a FOAFOAF.
Now if the Doctor would care to post, then I will listen.
--
Brian Utterback, Millipore Corporation, 75G Wiggins Ave., Bedford Ma. 01730
Work:617-275-9200x8245, Home:603-891-2536
INTERNET:: b...@millipore.millipore.com
UUCP:: {samsung,cg-atla,merk,wang,bu-tyng}!millipore!blu
Lemming
the local newscasters was admitted to the hospital with a gerbil roosting
in a tender spot. Supposedly the gerbil had been shot up with cocaine so
it wouldn't struggle too much going in. The string attached to the gerbil
had come undone, leaving the poor thing stuck.
There was a sick joke going around at the time:
What do Jerry Pennacolli (the guy with the gerbil) and Jim O'Brien (another
newscaster who died skydiving when his parachute didn't open) have in
common?
They both pulled a string and nothing happened.
========================================================================
| Alex Elliott (The Lemming) | A circle is a line which meets |
| BAE...@PSUVM.BITNET | its other end without ending. |
========================================================================
Steve Portigal
>About 5 years ago, there was a story in the Philadelphia area that one of
>the local newscasters was admitted to the hospital with a gerbil roosting
>in a tender spot. Supposedly the gerbil had been shot up with cocaine so
>it wouldn't struggle too much going in. The string attached to the gerbil
>had come undone, leaving the poor thing stuck.
I had also heard of this story, even though I had never heard of the guy
before.
--
Steve Portigal email: ste...@dgp.utoronto.ca snail: Don't bother!
More synthahol -- less talk! {}{}{}{}{}{}{} I am wholly repugnated
"It's hard to work in a group when you're omnipotent" Q - Star Trek: TNG
Steve Robiner
>In article <26...@usc.edu> rob...@oberon.usc.edu (Steve Robiner) writes:
>>
>>Well how's this for a well documented urban legend:
>
>
>"My girlFRIEND said that a FRIEND of hers is the WIFE of the DOCTOR"...
How do I turn up the sarcasm in e-mail? Gimme a break.
=steve=
George D. Nincehelser
>>
>>Well how's this for a well documented urban legend:
>>
>
>That's the same as *UNDOCUMENTED*! Let's look a little closer:
>
>"My girlFRIEND said that a FRIEND of hers is the WIFE of the DOCTOR"...
>
>Translated: Friend of a Friend of the Wife of the Eyewitness, i.e.
> Friend of a Friend of a Friend. Were talking about a FOAFOAF.
Wait a minute! I'm confused! I thought "well documented" urban
legends were supposed to have FOAFOAF references by definition. If
there was proper classical documentation (i.e. everthing could be
verified as true) then it *wouldn't* be an urban legend, right?
Or am I just real confused?
--
/ George D. Nincehelser \ uunet!swbatl!george \
/ / Southwestern Bell Telephone \ Phone: (314) 235-6544 \
/ / / Advanced Technology Laboratory \ Fax: (314) 235-5797 \
/ / / /\ 1010 Pine, St. Louis, MO 63101 \ de asini umbra disceptare \
G. Wolfe Woodbury
>
>In article <1990Jul19.0...@wolves.uucp> I wrote:
>.Stuff on R.Gere having a gerbil removed from his rectum deleted..
>> That is NOT documentation. If your girfriend can give you the
>> name of the doctor and that doctor will comment publicly on the
>> "incident", then it is documented.
>
>If the doctor really TOLD the story, wouldn't that be a breach of
>professional ethics, something the medical community condemns stongly (I
>hope)?
>In general, hospital stories will always remain suspect for the above reason.
The medical ethics would prohibit the doctor from identifying the
person, yes, but there is nothing to prevent the physician from
submitting the case to a medical journal.
In extreme cases, I have seen people claim that the gerbil story was
reported in a journal, they never seem to be able to find the
reference when challenged, and a search of the liturature never finds it
either. [I have checked MedLine!].
Video Magician
> In article <1990Jul19....@millipore.com> b...@millipore.com (Brian Utterback) writes:
>>In article <26...@usc.edu> rob...@oberon.usc.edu (Steve Robiner) writes:
>>>
>>>Well how's this for a well documented urban legend:
>>>
> [URBAN LEGEND DELETED]
>>
>>That's the same as *UNDOCUMENTED*! Let's look a little closer:
>>
>>"My girlFRIEND said that a FRIEND of hers is the WIFE of the DOCTOR"...
>>
>>Translated: Friend of a Friend of the Wife of the Eyewitness, i.e.
>> Friend of a Friend of a Friend. Were talking about a FOAFOAF.
>
> Wait a minute! I'm confused! I thought "well documented" urban
> legends were supposed to have FOAFOAF references by definition. If
> there was proper classical documentation (i.e. everthing could be
> verified as true) then it *wouldn't* be an urban legend, right?
>
> Or am I just real confused?
>
Only if you can get a friend of a friend's cousin's stepson's
kindergarten teacher's uncle to verify it through personal hearsay!
Otherwise, you have nothing to worry about!
> --
> / George D. Nincehelser \ uunet!swbatl!george \
> / / Southwestern Bell Telephone \ Phone: (314) 235-6544 \
> / / / Advanced Technology Laboratory \ Fax: (314) 235-5797 \
> / / / /\ 1010 Pine, St. Louis, MO 63101 \ de asini umbra disceptare \
Yours in confusion,
My friend's friend, Me!
Banana Republican
In article <90200.00...@ysub.ysu.edu> DO...@ysub.ysu.edu (Doug Sewell) writes:
<The Advocate article I mentioned earlier was 'The Trouble With Gerbils'
<by Catherine Seipp, on p.56 of the 7/3/90 issue (the one with Jesse
<Helms on front). Here's the high points.
<Seipp closes with a very solid explanation of just how impossible it
<is for this to actually take place, due to gerbil nature and human
<anatomy, and that the roots are generally due to fear and/or hatred
<of homosexuals.
I used to work next door to the San Francisco Aids Foundation admin
office, when it was down on 10th street. Our office administrator went over
one day to work out some sort of parking problem or something. While he
was there, he saw a "safe sex" poster that warned against "gerbiling."
--
________________________________________________________________________________
Jim Jones, jjo...@sco.com Owning a cat is like keeping a tiny Republican
The Santa Cruz Operation for a pet.
Bill Furlow
>in a tender spot. Supposedly the gerbil had been shot up with cocaine so
>What do Jerry Pennacolli (the guy with the gerbil) and Jim O'Brien (another
^^^^^^^^^^
Ok, who speaks Italian? Doesn't Pennacolli mean somthing like pain in
the ass? :-| I'm serious.
Phil Gustafson
"Bummer, man! My keester hurts." Two live chipmunks were removed from his
rectum. After the duct tape was removed, the still-animated [sorry] rodents
were heard to compare "that saw-headed little dork" to "that loud-mouthed duck."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Opinions outside attributed quotations are mine alone.
Satirical material may not be specifically labeled as such.
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| ph...@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG | Phil Gustafson
| (ames|pyramid|vsi1)!zorch!phil | UNIX/Graphics Consultant
| | 1550 Martin Ave., San Jose CA 95126
| | 408/286-1749
moog...@gmail.com
Don Freeman
> Its pitiful how people try to delete history...Im no Author or "Urban foklore" fan..nor am I conspiracy theorist...look for Jim O'brien in Philadelphia news archives...he's the weatherman who was rushed to the hospital BECAUSE THE STRING ON ON HIS GERBIL BROKE...I WATCHED THE NEWS...IT WAS ON 3,6,10,17 and 29 IN THE EARLY 80's IT WAS A HOT STORY FOR AT LEST A MONTH...HE DIED IN 1983 AND THEY MADE HIM A HERO: DELETING HIS GROSS HISTORY...THAT'S WHY THIS ASSHOLE IS CHALLENGING ON THE TERMS OF "DOCUMENTED" HISTORY AND TRYING TO MAKE ONE FEEL AND LOOK STUPID!!! IF ONE CAN'T GET THE NEWS DOCUMENTS:THAN US WHO SEEN THIS NEWS WILL LOOK LIKE CRACKPOTS AND LIRES...PLAN OLD FOLKLORE STORY TELLERS??? THAT'S WHAT OUR REALITY IS TURNED TO??? YALL SHOULD ALL SUCK A BIG DICK WITH YALL MOTHER'S LIPS!!!
>
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