Some Advice for the Rotten Appal

It's been over a year since the Rotten Appal's fatal blunder heard 'round the campus and a lot has changed since then. Gay marriage was legalized (and, subsequently, inspired stupidity), Donald Trump became a viable presidential nominee (a separate, unrelated stupidity), and the Rotten Appal managed to settle into a routine that worked. They got into the groove and, honestly, started producing some not-so-shabby work. Which is why this is more painful than it should be.

In a recent article, the Rotten Appal attempted to tackle the issue of catcalling and sexual assault via satire. The article, titled "Catcallers Make Good Points About Hot Bitches", was not well received. Criticized for its clumsy approach to the issue, many felt that the joke careened too far into bad taste and negated its original intention. In other words, it's time for this week's special article:

"Fucking A, Guys; You Were Doing So Well"

This was not handled well. By anyone. Let's get that out of the way first because it's worth pointing out lest we get lost in the "he said, she said" of internet fighting. I don't know where the outrage originated and, quite frankly, it doesn't really matter. The issue lies less with what the article said than how the protestations were responded to. Herein lies my particular gripes: When presented with criticism, the Rotten Appal staff (not a singular entity, I am aware) responded with anger and defensiveness. This baffles me.

As a humor organization, you expect a certain level of daily ire, usually in the form of the offended most recently insulted in an article. These offendees are, typically, oversensitive bedwetters that can't handle someone making fun of the football team or the Greek system. In these cases, it is usually best to respond by saying.....well, nothing. They aren't worth your time. This case, however, is very different. In this case, you have ended up offending the wrong audience, shooting yourself in the proverbial (and, indeed, collective) foot.

What draws the anger of the public is often predictable. Were I to write a blog post about the healing powers of cyanide, I could rest assured that people would take issue. But sometimes, something, be it the writing, visuals or content, just does not click with people and the audience turns on you. As an individual, you can avoid these; as an organization you cannot. As an organization dedicated to creating content for an audience, you have a particular duty to a respectful dialogue. Insulting your readers is not the route to take. I found it particularly disturbing to see Rotten Appal writers responding to their audience with dismissiveness and indifference on their official Facebook page. This belies a level of professionalism I had thought the Rotten Appal was beginning to aspire to.

Look, I get it. You were trying to be funny and start a dialogue about rape culture. That's a mighty fine goal and I am proud that you are trying to use satire to tackle controversial issues. But the joke just didn't work. I know it may have worked in theory, but every writer should know that sometimes something just does not hit the mark. This is typically the part where you suck it up, apologize and try to be better in the future. It's fucking humiliating, I know. It seems like you're giving up, but try to see it as an opportunity to grow and demonstrate that you are, indeed, an organization and not just a club full of dudes writing fart jokes. Because you've evolved past that and people have noticed. We really have. Don't squander that on pride.