In defense of: Hating #WHATSHOULDWECALLWASHU
Surely you’ve seen them. Someone posts a link from the popular website #WHATSHOULDWECALLME on someone else’s Facebook wall. It’s a seemingly universal action with a clever GIF, or animated photo, attached to it. For example, “WHEN YOURE THE ONLY ONE OF YOUR ROOMMATES WHOS DRUNK” and a GIF of Jemaine from “Flight of the Conchords” dancing. This led to a website exclusively for seemingly universal Wash. U. actions: #WHATSHOULDWECALLWASHU.
This is really getting out of hand. HOW DO I PUT THIS GENTLY, #WHATSHOULDWECALLME, #WHATSHOULDWECALLMEMAYBE. THEY’RE BECOMING THE NEW MEME AND MAKING ME WRITE IN ALL CAPS, AND IT MAKES ME REALLY UPSET.
I joined the Tumblr community my senior year of high school, about two years ago. What showed up on my dash during those golden days were pretty pictures, inspirational and relatable quotes for my teenage angst, and personal ramblings from a select few friends who didn’t have any other outlet. I found out about—and was able to help—friends with major depression and anxiety disorders. Tumblr was a place where the weird kids had an outlet and where everyone was collaborative and supportive in creative works and personal struggles. Now? Only trolls. Trolls everywhere. The Tumblr that I know and love is gone.
The issues I have specifically with #WHATSHOULDWECALLWASHU are that a) some of them apply only to a very specific set of Wash. U. students and b) some of them are a bit racist (A Mexican shower? Really?). While I’m sure these weren’t meant to be malicious, the posters need to be aware that Wash. U. is a diverse community.
“But, Kara,” everyone says, “If you don’t want to see these posts, don’t follow them.”
But they’re everywhere. Some Tumblrs have great posts but will occasionally reblog something really asinine (myself sometimes included). Outside of this realm, however, you still have Twitter and Facebook. You can’t escape! The once-safe haven of Tumblr has been infiltrated by simpletons. And Facebook is completely dominated by the reposting of links.
Given, I’m not completely against #WHATSHOULDWECALLWASHU. Some of them are true and pretty funny. Extra meal points? Of course you go to Ibby’s. The collection of GIFs posted is pretty fantastic, and I’m waiting for the Coldplay squirrel to make an appearance. But the students need to tone it down. Maybe only post one a day, rather than twenty. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing.
The frequent use of caps lock certainly makes this easy and fun to read!
BAAAhahahaa @Molly “I find every post extremely poignant.” Come on now. I know us Wash U kids tend to lack a li’l bit of depth but, in the words of whateverthepuck owl, O Rly? Love that it takes an article on #whatshouldwecallwhatevs to get you folks heated in defense of culture. Kinda like how it took Bristol Palin to launch us into mass protests (instead of, like, things that matter, or whatever). Whatevs though, I’m just as apathetic as you…this is just me being cynical.
Anyway, do you, Kara Gordon. My only advice would be to get out of this so-called-work-hard-play-hard-animal-house-wannabe school as fast as you can (and maybe edit yr articles better next time, but you know, who am i to judge.) As one angsty/outcasty soul (who used to straight up play rpgs on neopets [there now, see why this post is anonymous?]) to another, im tellin you, GTFO NOW.
<3. lol smiley face.
All the people lobbing the author with “try having a life” and “nooo omg that tumblr is funny” and “chill” — take some of your own medicine and chill out. Unless you have never ranted about something you found obnoxious that others have not found so, you don’t really have a leg to stand on. Even better, follow your own advice about not clicking on things you don’t like and leave this article. Cheers!
I agree with much of what has been posted so far. Just because you don’t like to have fun doesn’t mean you should whine about those who do. I find every post extremely poignant to my WashU experience as I’m sure many other students do. If you were to create a blog about your boring angsty life and it went viral, I’m sure I’d have no interest in reading it either. Stop complaining.
P.S. I, too, am an avid tumblr user and follow many thought provoking and beautiful blogs. But I also enjoy laughing and reminiscing about my college experience. You should try it sometime.
It’s unfortunate that this embarrassment of a column ended up running on the website for posterity…
As a side note, I too long for the “golden days”–back when I thought that no one would ever use their longevity on tumblr as a point of pride.
Studylife sucks. We are a top 15 university but we have a terrible paper? Why is that?
Actually, if you look at the papers of other schools, I think you’ll find that Studlife isn’t that bad by comparison. This just happens to be one shitty article that probably ran because there was nothing to fill its place, because it kept getting pushed out of the way to make room for something else, and someone felt bad, or because it was a last minute rush because they needed to fill the section.
Now, as to your question, Studlife is only as good as the people involved in it. If you think you can make it better, by all means join up.
I’m appalled at the quality of this article. Doesn’t Studlife have editors? How did this make it in? I don’t usually read Cadenza, and this is the first article from the section I’ve read in ages. Wow. It’s just so amateur; I feel like I’m reading a shoddy high school paper.
Will you marry me Kara Gordon?
this article is not only poorly written but downright ridiculous. the tumblr is hilarious, the author might be the ONLY person who feels this way.
amen. like sorry not everyone at wash u is a loser
haha WashU a diverse community? that is a load of BS
I love using my free speech rights to put down other people for expressing themselves too, Kara. You and Georgie should learn to be positive for once.
So…you like to make inane complaints about things most people enjoy (or ignore). You must be such a pleasant person.
Absolute hipster article, are you serious about an enormous public website being a safe haven? People are just trying to have fun and relax in the very stressful environment that is WashU. Stop trying to be controversial and let people have their fun.
Websites are always adapting to its users. Sorry not everyone wants tumblr to be “a place where the weird kids ha(ve) an outlet.” Most of the gifs are funny and obviously not every post is going to appeal to every student because, like you said, Wash U is a very diverse community.
go away, hatters gonna hate
I, too, am an alum, and I find the site highly relevant and HILARIOUS! It sounds like you are still rolling in that teenage angst you referred to. Embrace your college years, yo!
That time I was a WashU student and saw all the craziness going on around me, I was just like… UGGGGGGH! Now that I’ve graduated and see all that craziness happening to other people, I’m just like LOOOOOL!
a) “some of them apply only to a very specific set of Wash. U. students”
Wait, are you actually complaining because not every single thing applies to you? Seriously?
b) some of them are a bit racist (A Mexican shower? Really?).
I didn’t see the mexican shower one but agree that it’s a shitty term to use. But one is not some.
I understand and agree with what the author is saying here, as another person who uses Tumblr beyond clicking on links that are pasted onto Facebook (though I won’t comment on Tumblr beyond what is pertinent to this particular blog). The first few times I saw #whatshouldwecallwashu posted onto Facebook, I laughed and was genuinely surprised and intrigued that WashU people were coming up with things that were actually…amusing. I enjoyed flipping through the blog because the general sentiments matched the humor I enjoy – cynical commentary on how lame WashU and stereotypical things and people at WashU can be. But of course, after a few days, the posts were everywhere on Facebook, and the submissions weren’t as funny, and were just more…WashU. The majority of the current posts aren’t funny because they’re 1) just not clever 2)poorly matched to the GIF’s and 3) everywhere. Part of what’s cool about Tumblr in my opinion is that it’s not Facebook, and so seeing everyone commenting over and over about how “OMG THIS IS JUST LIKE ME AND YOU HAHAHAHAHA #WHATSHOULDWECALLWASHU IS THE BEST” just adds to how not funny all of this has become. I think part of what Kara is trying to say is that maybe the curators of the tumblr should choose a couple genuinely funny posts each day rather than the few dozen boring submissions that have inundated the site as of late.
No one is forcing you to click on the link. If you don’t like it, don’t click on it. Simple as that
The only real complaint against whatshouldwecallwashu I’m seeing here is “waaa, I was on tumblr before it was cool.”
I absolutely love #WHATSHOULDWECALLWASHU! It is funny, poignant, and just plain awesome. Loosen up. You sound like what you really hate is Tumblr. As an alumna of Wash U, I can relate to most of the entries, and even if I can’t, they are still funny.
haters gon’ hate. you hater you. Also they put a new one up just for you…
this is the reason I will never be able to fully relate to so many of my alma mater’s students. This tumblr perfectly encapsulated a slice of wustl social life and yet invariably the resentful stud life columnist comes out and rails against it. I mean, really?? cmon. OK, if you spent saturday nights playing board games at whispers, maybe the site doesn’t reflect your reality. But don’t begrudge others for creating a site that reflects the reality of a large swath of the wu community. And by the way I have no problem with you spending your sat nights at whispers, just as you should have no problem with people spending their saturdays wasted at duffys.
on 2nd thought, Tuesdays wasted a Duffys. Saturdays were more loop oriented in my day.