Phoenix 14 got what they wanted in regard to the previous post (which you'll notice has disappeared), so the issue is a moot point. But, if you're actually interested as to why and how the post was constructed, do click below.
The previous post seems to have incited a whole bunch of fury (and blessed traffic to the blog!), so let's just clarify a few things regarding the post to clear the air a bit. In retrospect, perhaps I should have put a big banner above the post to display it as a sardonic little chunk intended not as some serious evaluation of Phoenix 14's worth or ethical standards, but just to poke some hyperbolic fun at our fellow Elon media outlet. This blog has previously pointed out the most egregious error to hit the opinions section of late, what with the whole communist mishap, by poking some fun at the situation and making light of the whole deal.
When Phoenix 14 (which is regularly watched in the Pendulum office during production nights) popped up with their barbecue segment that was oddly similar to the story and video that we were working on, and that I had personally helped spearhead, it seemed to be an instance ripe for a parody-laden picking. The pirate angle? Lifted from all of the pirate news, seaborne or via the Internet, that's been hitting the airwaves. The picture? I mean, it is the first thing that pops up on Google Images, which is admittedly pretty amusing. The drag queen thing? C'mon, it's a comment that's so preposterous that it can't be taken seriously.
The mention of Randy Gyllenhaal has raised quite a few hackles, and in retrospect, a reference to some anonymous person would have been the more tactful thing to do. The calling out of Randy is birthed not from deep-seated malice, but rather a reflection of his own standing with Phoenix 14 on the campus. The guy's got talent, he's superb on camera, and the Pendulum office was unanimous in its praise of his story on the Tea Party protests, because it looked and felt not like a production out of a university, but instead out of a full-fledged news agency. Randy for many is the figurehead of Phoenix 14, due to his talents and successes in front of and behind the camera. It, during the quick brainstorming period for the post, seemed like the right thing to do so make a hyperbolic reference to the guy who is arguably Phoenix 14's best asset, he's the closest thing to a public figure the broadcast has.
It's also important to note that this blog is, and has been since its inception, a reflection of my own opinions and satirical take on a number of issues. Look back on the previous posts, while at times informative, this site is mostly a collection of sarcastic thoughts on world affairs, a more relaxed companion to the at-times stiff and unapologetically serious subject matter of the opinions section in the paper. My name is attached to the posts that I write, so the statements, if taken out of the context of hyperbolic humor based upon something that seemed too close to be a coincidence (apparently Phoenix 14's story was part of a helping hand lent to a senior seminar project, or something of the sort, do correct me if I'm wrong.) don't reflect on the attitudes or overall consensus of the Pendulum's staff in its entirety.
Just to reiterate, the post was intended to be merely a humorous reaction to a bizarre coincidence, Randy was mentioned because he's the big cheese over a Phoenix 14 (deservedly so) and the opinions are my own. Besides, there's plenty of room to knock my own work around, and I'm more than open to any criticisms or sarcastic jabs anyone might have.