Box in a suitcase

The hoodie / blazer combo is the best way to tell the world "I got a stylist to tell me how to look hip."

It really depresses me when people try to come up with an "appropriate" style for places where they are worried they won't look cool enough. It's like watching a frat guy try to dress goth for a nightclub.

J Allard already had his own style, but someone decided he needed to be cool if he was going to be the face of Xbox. It says so much about Microsoft.

Father Adelir Antonio de Capri, a priest from Brazil, disappeared in late April while trying to set a record flying suspended by helium balloons. It was a charity stunt, and one which went tragically wrong, most likely due to poor planning on the priest's part.

His body was found on July 4th, and with the news that his last transmission was a plea for help using his GPS, gadget blog Gizmodo decided it was time for some fun.

Gizmodo editor Jesus Diaz wrote a posting titled Flying Priest Found Dead in the Atlantic, God Positioning System Still Missing, accompanied by a picture of some party balloons floating in the water and the caption "oh my the fact that I was alive one second ago" (a catchphrase from Teen Girl Squad).
The whole post took a lighthearted tone, with phrases like "not much of el Padre has been found," and "another potential winner for the Darwin Awards."

Many commenters pointed out that this was a disrespectful and tasteless way to treat a man's death, but instead of considering that he might have stepped over the line, perhaps even that he should apologize, Diaz simply stated "nothing disrespectful here" in response.

I took the time to write to Gizmodo, something I normally wouldn't bother with, but this time, it seemed worthwhile.

My email to Gizmodo:

Today's post about the priest whose body was found was so tasteless and immature, I couldn't believe what I was reading.

I've been reading Gizmodo for years, and I really enjoy taking breaks from my day to follow what I've found to be one of the funniest and most informative blogs on the web. That's why I feel upset enough to write an email letting you know just how disturbed I was by the article, as well as Jesus' assertions in the comments that he wasn't saying anything disrespectful or wrong.

This isn't one of those "you've offended me" emails that Vice or Maddox would take as a badge of honor. I'm not offended, and you shouldn't try to be Vice Magazine.

I'm just disappointed that you decided that someone's death, a terrifying death that no one deserves, even if he's committed such grave sins as failing to learn to use a GPS, is funny. He's not even buried yet, his family and friends are still mourning him, and you treat it like a great way to have some laffs and sell some ads.

I don't know what to say. It just seems so out of character, so low. It feels wrong now even to read Gizmodo.

If you're not ashamed of publishing that, and not worried about how this man's loved ones must feel, then my impression of your site was wrong all along.

Yours,
Jayson Elliot (commenter name - permissionmag)

And Jesus' reply:

Nothing is offensive about that post or the one that preceded it. All the contrary. It doesn't make fun of Father De Carli. It just states the facts, period.

j.

Again, either refusal to see what he had done, or a complete inability to understand. I wrote a reply, pointing out that had it been someone in the tech community, such as James Kim, they would never take such a tone.

There's nothing tasteless about a picture of a bunch of party balloons in the water and a comedy catchphrase from Homestar Runner when you're talking about someone who just died? "Darwin Awards?" Because he made one fatal mistake, that makes him a figure of fun? Would you feel comfortable with Father De Carli's family and friends seeing what you've posted?

Can you imagine if someone had run a similar article when James Kim had died? Please try and show a little maturity and class.

Jayson

The reply? No reply. Just a banhammer at Gizmodo, so that my account can no longer be used to post comments.

It's a shame, but then, I suppose Gizmodo has given up on trying to play catch-up with Engadget, and is going to go for the "edgy upstart" badge instead.

Oh well, taking Gizmodo reading out of my daily routine ought to give me a bit more time for productive things instead. Not much of a loss.