You may have noticed that Papa, aka Awesome Dude, sometimes leaves slightly right of Genghis Khan comments on my blog. Basically calling for a reverse Jihad against Muslims and suspecting everyone of anti-Semitism.
It’s caused a real dilemma for me, because if it were anyone but my papa, I’d delete the shit out of those comments and then get on the cross about the trolls who are ruining my blog for everyone with their invective.
But Awesome Dude is my papa.
And he knows where I live.
So one day, after a particularly impressive display, I responded to Papa in the comments and let everyone know that I do not share his views and that this Golden Delicious does indeed fall far from the tree.
Papa retaliated.
Because whenever I call him now, he says, “Hello, Golden Delicious!” It’s almost as though he’s mocking me.
Papa left an extreme comment on my last post, and I called him again and asked him again to not leave comments on my blog. And he said something to the effect that he didn’t think that I was serious, but I heard some King Learish how sharper than a serpent’s tooth overtones.
“I’m serious,” I told him. “Your comments are offensive.”
He said he understood. He said he’d just affix a yellow Star of David to his shirt and sit quietly by his computer.
So, I turn it to you.
Should I block papa?
Should I delete his comments?
Should I afford him the freedom of speech that he fled the Soviet Union for?
I pre-consulted with reader and wise commenter Peajaye and his solution was to make a No Jews Are Allowed To Comment comment policy. Which seems very Final Solution to me, but I’m not an expert.
Guide me, fair blog readers!
One year ago ...
- See Something, Say Something - 2010
{ 50 comments… read them below or add one }
In Soviet Russia, blog comments offensively on you!
Twitter: vboykis
September 14, 2010 at 9:24 pm
Tell Awesome dude to channel his commenting to foxnews.com and sem40.ru, where he will find the rest of my family. You’re welcome.
Twitter: SheSuggests
September 14, 2010 at 10:08 pm
Oh snap.
Twitter: FairlyOddMother
September 14, 2010 at 9:29 pm
Sigh. You’ve made me all wistful for my dad who would probably be leaving right-wing, pro Rush Limbaugh comments all over my blog and freaking me the hell out. In fact he used to tell people, proudly, that he was “just right of Attila the Hun”.
So as someone whose papa has gone on to that great box of soot in the ground, I’d let Awesome Dude have his space. And perhaps encourage him to start his own blog. Then, he’s sure to get enough commenters to keep him way too busy to read your blog anymore.
Twitter: kalisah
September 14, 2010 at 9:30 pm
I think it’s good to let blog comments be organic…they are what they are, let them come what they be. Now, if another commenter gets into a row with your dad online, I would just add a comment that says, “pssst…you’re arguing with my dad and he’s crazy so you can’t win.” I often have to do that with my facebook comments since I have some friends with brain damage and they often get into comment wars with my non-brain-damaged friends. Really. And I have to send a note to my smart friend to say, “You’re arguing with someone who’s brain damaged. Probably better to let it go.”
I have to say that your Papa is actually pretty Awesome. He often does have a point. I’d say let him keep commenting. He’s really amusing. Plus it’s kinda nice you have a papa to leave a comment.
Twitter: danasfeast
September 14, 2010 at 9:41 pm
My Dad and your Dad would be fast pals. I say, let him have at it.
When did everyone get so uptight about being offended? Don’t take it so personally, Marinka. Let your dad have his say and those offended can deal with their “offendedness”. I love your blog though I don’t share your political views. World peace isn’t riding on your shoulders so don’t let other’s opinions rattle you. Easier said than done, I know. Just hoped to encourage you……..
Twitter: neilochka
September 14, 2010 at 9:55 pm
Why shouldn’t he comment? Who are you, Putin? KGB? Restricting free flow of information? I say this blog is completely one-sided and you should let him write an editorial expressing the other side of the story at least once a week. It would also be funny if he included baby photos of you.
Twitter: vboykis
September 15, 2010 at 9:37 am
Can I like this comment somehow?
Twitter: Lancs
September 14, 2010 at 9:59 pm
Tough one…
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good (wo)men to do nothing”
Let him stay, but once you become aware that he’s said something you don’t agree with, treat him EXACTLY the same as you’d treat me if I said something offensive…
For the record, I’d expect you to perhaps delete my comment and perhaps post another comment saying you’d deleted a comment from Lancs because the content was likely to cause offence.
Just because he’s daddy, he should be allowed to “get away with it” – and when he comes complaining that you’d no right to delete, maybe tell him you had a duty to delete or else risk getting your blog removed.
yeah, Neil nailed it. definitely need the baby photos.
I say let Dad be the voice of opposition on your blog. Plus, I do think you dad is awesome, even if I don’t agree with him.
Twitter: HalalaMama
September 14, 2010 at 10:24 pm
If he can accurately do the math involved in his last comment to tell you HOW many people that really is – then maybe he can stay.
If you block him, he will just get another ID like Awesome Jewish Dad and resume. Hold something over his head, like a bucket of hot tar, to keep him from doing it again.
All I know is “get on the cross about trolls who ruin my blog” is the funniest thing I have wad in a long long time, blog-wise. I also realized this is why I read your blog and not many others anymore, because you don’t do that. I’m so tired of bloggers going after “annonymorons”.
In other words, ignore dad. Let him stay. Mentioning that he is dad is enough and makes things even funnier.
I want to know why iPhone spell check replaced my ‘read’ with ‘wad’ . What the he’ll. OMG there it goes again! Stop it!
i say let him stay! i think his comments could provide further blog father, i mean fodder.
Twitter: gdrpempress
September 15, 2010 at 12:04 am
Let the man comment. I know he’s your dad and drives you flippin’ nuts…because parents will bring that out in you.
But, the disclaimer you had said it all.
It adds so much flavor and character and history to your blog. It’s what America is: your opinion.
Let papa speak, it’s why he came to America. Even if it makes you go crazy.
Sorry, I love the man, he gives great blog fodder…warts and all.
I’m on the let Papa speak bandwagon. He’s a kick, we know he’s your dad and I’m over people getting offended today. I like the “help him start his own blog” idea too. We’ll keep him busy for you hon!
Twitter: jonestess
September 15, 2010 at 1:04 am
Perhaps his comments could have an expiration date. Let them be for a set amount of time, then delete.
Let your dad stay! Just pipe up if a commenter who doesn’t know who Awesome Dude is starts getting all fired up.
My dad would leave such LONG and INTENSE and inscrutable comments that they’d be truly entertaining. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to tell him how to find my blog. That’s where you went wrong. 🙂
You’re now starting a tradition of being able to embarrass children on the internet. Keep his comments and then when you start writing inappropriateness all over Ladrinka’s future blog, you’ll have a history of tolerance within the family to back you… it can start along the lines of, “back in my day, my dad said…”
Twitter: ohmommy
September 15, 2010 at 9:27 am
Awesome Dude needs his own blog.
I second that!
Twitter: wendiaarons
September 15, 2010 at 9:31 am
At least he doesn’t Squee.
I’m from the south…we put people like your Daddy front and center at every reunion and get-together! Character! I like him!
I have to side in with the majority. Having lost my dad in 2002, I say cherish the moments. You now have memories to hold to in the future. I enjoy his remarks, and God knows how parents are trained to push our buttons. Push away, Awesome Dude!!!
Twitter: masmom
September 15, 2010 at 9:46 am
Maybe he needs a tublr of ‘Shit Awesome Dad Says’ or maybe not…
Twitter: Mamabirddiaries
September 15, 2010 at 9:59 am
I could not keep my parents from expressing themselves on my blog so I finally told them to go ahead and comment, just do it under a fake name.
Problem solved.
Dear fellow bloggers, I thank you for all your thoughts.
You brought about a big case of severe, acute and may be terminal humility.
If somebody was offended by the way I express my self, please, accept my apologies.
Looking back I just realized that parenting never stops and it never has to, and the children most often do not want to be parented.
It is not for me to decide whether I am a good parent or not.
I am definitely not happy with our current political/social climate and the state of affairs and sometimes it transmits into the words.
I thank you one more time for your kindness.
oh, papa, now I’m all sniffly!
Of course parenting never ends. That’s why I keep asking you for money all the time. Also, I’m going to an Obama phone-a-thon next Wednesday, to get call people upstate to get them to vote Democratic in the mid-term elections. Why don’t you join me? It’ll be a real bonding moment for us!
xoxoxo
What? Parenting never stops?! But I only signed up for this shit for eighteen years! Papa, you have ruined my hope of ever having a moment to relax again before I die.
Papa made me sniffly too.
Marinka, I know it’s a year after this post, but dang-diddle, I’d give anything to have a father who wanted to be involved in my life in any way, even if it did drive me nuts. I have been going through the archives of your blog and it’s taking me FORever because I have to read all the comments to see what Awesome Dude has to say!
Listen, if my dad were alive, my blog would be rife with comments about your people and I would constantly be ‘splaining and apologizing. (my mother called him “Archie Bunker”. Heavy sigh.) In the vein of I-miss-my-daddy-even-though-he-was-a-big-fat-racist, I say let Awesome Dude stay. And speak.
I love Awesome Dude for his honesty, humor and intelligence, (wait, those are the same reasons I enjoy your blog!!!!!) I don’t always agree with what he says, but I always appreciate that he has said it. I am truly sick of everyone being so PC that we don’t want to say the Emperor is not wearing any clothes.
Let Awesome Dude stay! I’m along the ‘he needs his own blog with Marinka baby pictures’ line. People get TOO offended TOO eaisly these days. Papa is FUNNY. If you won’t let him stay – he can come to my blog…
Twitter: Peajaye
September 15, 2010 at 12:47 pm
Marinka, you make it sound as if I’m anti-Papa, and I am definitely pro-Popa. Just to clarify to your readers: you had been asking me for suggestions on how to banish your wise and noble father from your blog, and I merely suggested that if you wanted to follow in tradition of Jew-haters like Hitler or Stalin or Gibson (Mel), you could possibly post a no-Jew comment policy.
Papa must stay! He is an awesome dude and pretty hilarious.
Something about 1st Amendment rights blah blah blah. But it is your Blog, so you are allowed to be Dictator-in-Chief. Let him comment – it shows parental support – no matter which way his policy flag flies. My parents ‘might’ be reading what I write, but I’ll never hear about it – whether approve or disapprove (they are actually pro-union/pro-big gov’ies on the left coast – they claim that I was switched at birth with another twin set that was delivered at the hospital same day as my sister and I). My folks prefer to creep in peace. So – count youself as lucky!
Twitter: sunriserants
September 15, 2010 at 1:38 pm
he’s not going to sit quietly by his computer anyways. he loves you to much and wants to play too.
amazingly, my dad is a silent lurker. i never know he’s reading my stuff at all until he brings up some random fact at a later date.
Twitter: Issascrazyworld
September 15, 2010 at 1:48 pm
Personally I think Papa is great. I’d give him the freedom to say what he wants. It’s highly entertaining for the rest of us. 🙂
Keep him!!! People that easily offended need to get over themselves. Having your Father still show interest in your life and want to comment is priceless. Anyway…he makes me laugh!
I definitely vote for letting him stay! Even though I must admit sometimes his comments are over my head!
Family above all except honor.
I also think Papa should stay, plus get himself a blog of his own, like Pauline said.
Also, I think you should go on commenting in response to his own comments. It adds to whatever you’ve written.
I often delete my mother-in-law’s comments on my blog just because she annoys me so I would not be a good source of advice on this topic.
I love your Dad’s comments. He is entitled to speak his mind. This is America and if people don’t want to read his thoughts then don’t!!!!
I’d like you to keep him around, even if only because Awesome Dude’s comments have expanded my otherwise bland and limited vocabulary (“burp of the whore,” anyone?).
I’m kinda terrified about the ‘parenting never ending’ thing that he just said, but otherwise, I’ve liked reading his comments. I think it is kinda cool that you have a relationship with him like you do. He reads, he comments, he has views. And, since you are the daughter, you can roll your eyes as often as you like and we will all get it.
Twitter: missbritt
September 16, 2010 at 10:45 pm
I think you should dedicate an entire page on your blog to be a disclaimer of Awesome dude.
And then threaten to unfollow him on twitter.