[EDIT (2/12/19 10:21am): Since posting this piece, Bill Metzger has officially responded, giving the old “I’m sorry you were offended” non-apology and saying that the piece was a work of parody on toxic reactionaries, additionally saying that the anger towards it is “shooting the messenger”. Indeed, the article seems to be part of “Los Testigos de Cerveza”, a series of vignettes that details the travels and exploits of four beer-loving friends. It should be noted, however, that nowhere in the paper or in the information about the series does it state that it is a work of parody or fiction.
I’m not sure Metzger understands what parody or satire actually are. In order for it to work, you need to show a clear indication that you ARE performing parody, the target of which should also clearly be defined. None of that was present here and frankly, even if it was, it’s the type of lazy, annoying, and downright disappointing writing that has no place on the front page of a regional newspaper about beer. A paper, I should add, that distributes within an industry that already has a troubling relationship with women along with people of colour and LGBTQ+ folks. Additionally I have word that this isn’t the first time Metzger has written something along these lines and in my personal experience, voices like that come from somewhere inside the author.
My feelings and reactions to Bill Metzger’s piece below remains the same. Throw crap like this back into the sea. -R ]
[EDIT (2/13/19 12:46pm): There has been some speculation that the overall creepiness of Bill Metzger’s piece was a one-off gaffe that is out of character. As Beer Writer, Author, and personality Alan McLeod pointed out on his Twitter account, Metzger has been doing this for some time, with some additional racist tropes thrown in. Separate sources who know the paper confirm this.]
[EDIT (2/15/19 12:17pm): Jeeeez, these updates keep coming. Last one. Following the fallout after his non-apology, including Yankee Brew News announcing that they are ending their relationship with the Brewing News family of papers along with other papers Mid-Atlantic Brewing News and American brewer, Forbes Magazine beer columnist Tara Nurin confirms that Bill Metzger has announced his resignation from Great Lakes Brewing News and the Brewing News family of papers. As he was the owner of GLBN, the fate of that particular paper remains unclear.]
Folks, I have to be honest with you here.
This post isn’t going to talk too much about beer, but it’s something related to the beer world. Primarily one of the many things wrong with it in regards to its treatment of women.
No no, this isn’t going to be talking about a sexist label or a really bad PR gaffe in which a rape joke was made.
This is a special kind of trainwreck.
Today I’m going to guide you through some excerpts from the February/March issue of Great Lakes Brewing News, a regional beer news publication that has no connection to Ohio’s Great Lakes Brewing Co. or Ontario’s Great Lakes Brewery. It’s actually part of a family, which includes Mid-Atlantic Brewing News, Southern Brewing News, and Yankee Brew News among others. You can find their other affiliations here.
On the front page of Great Lakes Brewing News, and in several pages throughout, is a piece by the publisher Bill Metzger.
Bill here wrote a fairly lengthy piece on the topic of his journeys bar hopping around Scotland and highlighting his appreciation for Real Ale (also known as Cask Ale).
Sounds innocent enough, right? Well. Before we begin, here are a couple of online reviews of the piece.
And a special mention from the really good folks at Muddy York Brewing, who had the rotten luck of sharing a front page on the right with this piece.
That’s right, folks. He managed to take a piece about cask ale and turn it into a whiny, self-indulgent, sexist, heavily misogynist, and creepy as hell work. In fact he did this so expertly that it actually broke my brain and I need to break it down and go over most of the particularly offensive quotes with you all because if I don’t I’m going to keep thinking about it until I have a brain aneurysm.
Alright. Let’s start with the very first sentence of the article.
“Like most men, I struggle with my my primal self.”
Oh boy, strap in folks, because we know exactly where this is going.
“It’s genetic. Put in Freudian terms, the battle between my id and my superego can be epic. And in the age of #metoo, the dilemma has grown.”
Alright, so far we’ve got a very Jordan Peterson vibe in which genetics, psychology, and feminism are to blame for shitty behaviour. Let’s see how far he goes with it.
“The pendulum has swung too far. One aggressive move and a man’s career can derail. I feel the walls closing around me, my room to move shrinking. My instincts to bed every woman I see are reducing from a king-sized mattress to a cot, the size of which I only remember from a tour in Iraq. Today’s rules put men like me in the equivalent of a feminazi re-education program instead of ceding to my genetic makeup and behaving like the great seducer, Don Juan.”
Okay.
So.
Where to begin here.
Firstly, THIS IS THE OPENER FOR AN ARTICLE ABOUT CASK BEER. It’s not some reddit post for incels or MRAs, this is a (very, very long) piece that talks about cask beer, but as you’ll see in a bit, it’s scattered with Metzger’s moments where he just HAS to discuss how very very horny he is and how good he is at having sex.
Right, now onto the #MeToo concerns. I’d like to note that, in regards to the movement, the only men who have had their “careers derailed” have been men who have sexually harassed or assaulted women. To put in more understandable terms, men who have given women unwanted sexual attention and/or raped them. If Metzger is concerned that his “aggressive moves” on women will impact his career, I think he should be taking a serious look at his moves and understand that, despite his virility, women don’t want that shit. At all.
And if we’re talking about this genetics nonsense that he’s using to justify his behaviours, it should also be noted that one of the genetic elements that humans have been gifted with is a sense of making ethical determinations or taking measures to prevent naturally occurring things. For instance, we know the causes of extreme winds but we don’t just let the wind destroy our buildings because that’s just how the world works and gosh, what can you do. We make stronger buildings.
The naturalistic fallacy dictates that just because something is “natural” that doesn’t mean that it is ethically “good”. Sexual desires are a completely natural thing. But so too is the ability to not act on those desires in certain circumstances because it’s ethically wrong. So half-baked genetic theory isn’t responsible for shitty behaviour and if you feel trapped by feminists, then you must really like being shitty to women. So spare me that primal self crap, you pompous jackass.
Anyways. Onwards.
“I’m not boasting here, but there are times when I’ve given the legendary womanizer a run for his money, especially in the days of internet dating.”
WE GET IT, BILL. YOU LIKE TO FUCK.
“With the 1980s decay of England’s coal industry and the subsequent loss of jobs, Whitley Bay had become a seasonal tourist resort. Since we were there to meet locals, December was a good month and I pushed the thoughts of bikini-clad babes on the boardwalk from my thoughts and settled in to enjoy the beer.”
Bill, dude, I have to know why you felt good throwing that bikini-clad babes remark in there.
“Real ale is also generally lower in alcohol, with most examples hovering around 4% alcohol by volume (ABV). This enables the drinker to consume more. While inevitably getting a little squiffy from the alcohol, he won’t get so spannered that he loses his shoes on the way home, something that happened to me on my last trip to Germany after too many liters of rauchbier.”
Okay. There we go. Talkin’ about cask beer. We’re learning something!
“A lower alcohol is also beneficial in performing for a woman, something I’m genetically designed to do.”
…
…
…I…
Alright, ladies, not only does our man here like to fuck, he needs to tell you, in this article about cask beer in a regional beer newsletter that he publishes, that’s he’s also damned good at it because of genetics. I think I speak for all women with the famous Leonardo DiCaprio quote: “You had my curiosity, but now you have my attention!”. Swoon.
Anyways, so at this point in the story there are two beer novice women in his group and they don’t seem particularly keen on cask beer, which is understandable to him because they come from an area where it’s not as common.
“Add that to the fact that despite its artisanal beer boom, the UK holds the dubious distinction of having the lowest percentage of female beer drinkers in the world.”
This article that is literally titled “British women now among top drinkers in the world” refutes that claim, but okay.
“My thinking on this is that women need a higher level of alcohol to overcome the social restrictions on their primal selves. After all, women have the need-to-breed gene, too.”
I would remark on how incredibly asinine this is, but immediately after this bit is a corker.
“And excess consumption can ruin a diet. I know the dietary restrictions well; if I didn’t drink beer, I’d be ripped and wouldn’t have to rely on my wit to accomplish the reproductive drive.”
Right. So. Women don’t drink much (they do) because they need more alcohol to let their primal self be unchained from society (A very troubling way of saying “get so drunk that they will sleep with anyone”) and they need to watch their intake lest they become overweight. So…”women don’t drink much because they need lots of booze to get horny and that’s bad for their weight”. That’s what he’s saying.
That’s what a real human being thinks in 2019.
I don’t want to live on this planet anymore.
That assertion broke my brain so much, that I can’t even come up with anything funny to say about his wit, which helps him accomplish his “reproductive drive” which is the grossest possible way of saying sex ever.
Moving on, here’s a portion titled “Scottish Manliness”.
“Scotland’s history is a metaphor for what I’m trying to say about the male being. The country’s history is rife with the exploits of manly men raiding villages and ravaging (Robin’s note: for all confused, that means raping) maidens, then retreating to their castles to guzzle ale.”
Right. So. Very horny for the Scots and we seem to have a set idea of what he regards as the epitome of manliness.
“Called Scots even then, their clans were so manly that as early as 142 A.D. the Roman emperor at the time built a wall to keep them out.”
So, this is one piece of history sure, and I’m not going to deny that Scotland, like most of the world, was a patriarchal society back then. It definitely was. But this build up of the manly exploits of the manly scots seems to, perhaps by intention or ignorance, forget about the women of the british region, both in history and mythology. Wherefore is the tale of Scáthach, legendary Scottish warrior woman and martial arts teacher who trained the Ulster hero Cú Chulainn in the ways of combat? Or Boudica, Queen of the Iceni, who led a futile but brave uprising against the Roman Empire’s occupying forces around AD 61 (while, it should be noted, invoking the war goddess Andraste), saying “Let us show them that they are hares and foxes trying to rule over dogs and wolves”.
You can romanticize the strength of men in ancient times all you want, but don’t you dare forget about the women standing up and fighting.
Right, moving on to the final piece here, thank christ.
“As my lack of contact with the group lengthened I grew worried. One can only tour the holiday stalls around Glasgow for so long, dodging the German made sausages and kiddie rides before growing bored. Had my offer to the novices of a hot shower been taken the wrong way? Both were females who I would have banged, but concern with how I dealt with my primal self shouldn’t have played a role. The shower was located outside the bedroom, behind a closed door.”
So wait. The only reason he wouldn’t have made an attempt to seduce them is because the shower wasn’t near the bed? Or is he showing us that he can restrain his primal urges so well? Bill, please get back to me to clarify.
And there you have it, folks.
I…don’t know what to say to all of that. It should go without saying that a paper which is meant to show readers local news regarding breweries and events should have no place for way too many words on a sad, angry man’s sexual introspection and rage at “feminazis”, a word that isn’t even appropriate in society let alone a publication that wants to take itself seriously.
It should go without saying that, when talking about real ale in Scotland, that the writer would know that bragging about their sexual virility and urges should stay as far away from the article as possible. Hell, I know very few people that would want to hear that from a stranger, let alone read about it in a paper that literally has nothing to do with the subject.
All of this should go without saying, but here we are.
I really hope that the people who think sexism isn’t as prominent in the beer world as women claim it to be will read this and think that maybe, just maybe, we’re not making this stuff up. Bill Metzger is apparently a very intelligent and highly regarded beer writer and yet he wrote this piece of trash, looked over it, and saw nothing wrong with it. There was no introspection on his actions or critical thinking of his own thoughts when it came towards women and that’s the height of male privilege because I wager he has never had to do these things.
This was a special kind of stupid, but only because it was written and published. Too many women know too many sad, angry, and incredibly mediocre men like Metzger. And they aren’t just in the beer world, they are everywhere.
I’m happy that so many people, men as well as women and non-binary folks, are as appalled by reading this as I was and are saying something about it. As for what to do…well, should you feel the need to say something, here is the contact info for the author of this piece, as well as the paper’s Editor:
Bill Metzger – Publisher
bill@brewingnews.com
Mark Garland – Editor
mark@brewingnews.com
And here is a list of their advertisers as well, in case you’re the type to let them know.
And if you are a brewery who, like Muddy York, was featured or will be featured in future editions of the paper, I’d strongly suggest having a think over how you feel about that.
And on a personal level, I’d like to say that Bill Metzger’s words are not welcome here. The beer community is filled with good people and we’re trying to make it as welcoming as possible. We don’t need this bullshit MRA crap to further widen the gender divide.
As the Scots would say, Mr. Metzger, “Get it right up ye”.
The Thirsty Wench 
Great piece. Thank you for blowing this up. I mean, um. Oh never mind. Just, thank you!
It’s amazing how some are so eager to exploit their ignorance, and wave a flag as if they discovered the next Satan ! Ha, the article is based on the fictional travels of a beer explorer, from the mind of the author, NOT the authors mind., Sure reading into this can lead one to believe this is from a bad person, but it’s actually the people who read it WANT it to be from a bad person so they can feel superior, oh and I suggest a large group out there needs have a beer, relax, and look at yourself for a change!
Hey Vinny, please see my edit to the piece at the top of the page. No one cares if it’s parody as it has absolutely no place here.
Daaaaamn Robin! I couldn’t make it past the first two paragraphs of his “article”, let alone the whole thing! Damn good breakdown on everything that’s wrong with his piece. Sure it’s possible to write an anti-sexism piece from the point of view of a sexist man, but whooo boy did Metzger miss the mark on that one. 😐
Thank you. I write about beer, drink beer, love beer and this attitude is not okay. I saw this last night and immediately worried that we’d get the “come on girls!”, “it’s free speech!1!11!”, “IT’S JUST A JOKE VAGINA OWNERS!”. That this was my worry troubles me. Imagine MY surprise to see the support from women and men. YAY!
A few years ago another (male) beer writer quoted the ol’ “I like my beer like I like my violence, domestic”. I got shouted down by the misogyny and the “free speech/just a joke” bullshit. A few women even jumped in the fray to say how awesomely funny the statement is. I can honestly say that I think the reaction would be different today. That makes my cold, dead heart hum.
This scathing review is another steaming pile of excrement written by someone who is picking and choosing which straw men they would prefer to burn at the moment. If you really believed the beer world was this great “inclusive” community, you would tolerate and accept this guy’s writing. Otherwise, you better start burning books like “There Better Be Beer in Hell” which tell true stories of misogyny. Not this fictitious nonsense.
lol k
Thank goodness we have Richie here to tell us about the real misogyny!
Dear Richie.
No. Just no.
The world has moved on. We no longer have to “tolerate or accept” this shit. Hun, I know it’s hard, but it really is past time for you to evolve.
Okay. Fair enough. Not sure exactly what you mean by “evolve,” though. Not sure who or what I am supposed to evolve into. First off, I have three daughters, and if any of them referred to themselves as a “wench” I would advise them to be a little higher-minded then that, especially when considering the etymology of such a word. That aside, how has the world “moved on?” Moved on from what? It might be hard for you to believe, but I actually found the article offensive and creepy. That said, in years past, when I have found things similar to this article offensive, I’ve been accused of being a prude. In so many words, I have been told to “get with the program.” SO, I suppose you could say I’ve always had a hard time “evolving” and “getting with the times.” For that reason, I must admit, it’s quite difficult and confusing for me to follow any logic with blog posts like this. Are the people upset with this article currently boycotting the advertisers of shows like the Howard Stern Show? I doubt it. Not to pick on Howard Stern. He was just the first one to come to mind.
Oh well, I guess we all have to choose our battles. Anyway, my original reaction to your blog post was a bit harsh, and for that I apologize. I’m sure you are a decent human being, and I feel no animus towards you. if you and I met in a bar, and we didn’t know one another, I bet we could at least agree on a good beer, and that’s good enough for me. Cheers!
Thank you. Am messaging all the advertisers now.
Yet another oversensitive lesbian feminist… Ironic name for a blog based on how peepee hurt you are over this.
“peepee hurt” lol are you eight years-old?
No but you are based on your blog. Put it in terms you could understand but clearly whooooshed right over you.
Ooooo biting insult, sir! You got me! I don’t know how I’ll ever recover from this!
Did… Did he just use the “I know you are but what am I” defense???
Hit him back with “I’m rubber and you’re glue!”
Hey “BJ”. I’m a 43 year old male or, in your mind, also an oversensitive lesbian feminist. Glad you found the time to read Robin’s blog. Take care.
damn that multitude of overly sensitive lesbians that you clearly know well and hang out with! Damn them all!
“Females.” Ferengi, go home!
Robin,
Love your approach to the article. You’re absolutely right on this. Even if if was written in the opposite spectrum (women have the need to breed gene too), for instance. If it was written by a woman about men, I would probably still find it just as offensive as I would find it in the poorest possible taste. I really do hate stuff like this. Being in Houston, and watching over 70 breweries pop up in the last few years, only 4 or 5 are owned by women, and this doesn’t help bring them into our brewing clubs, or welcome them to the craft bars. Anyways, thanks for pointing this out, and making light of it. Publications like this need to focus on the beer. Save your parody for the stage, or on some sort of internet radio station/podcast where you can make jokes while explaining they’re jokes.
WOW. I had only heard about this GLBN article because my brewer friends issued a press release that they would no longer work with this company. A quick Reddit search led me to your article. WHOA. Parody or not, his words are flat-out offensive. THANK YOU for taking the time to write your thoughts about the piece. Women everywhere appreciate it.
So the days of getting a girl you just met drunk and taking her out back for a a good rodgering in the alley are done? I mean it wasn’t like she was your sister, or daughter or best friend and she wanted it. What is the world coming too when a man can’t force himself on an inebriated woman. That’s my id talking. Or is that my superego? I didn’t pay attention in psych class. Had a hot woman professor and I just daydreamed about banging her during office hours. Anyway, back to my point. Or brag about how he wants to do this because he’s good at it. I’m about fed up with the PC bullshit. If I want to tell a chick she’s hot and make unwanted sexual advances, why shouldn’t I? If she doesn’t like then she should probably get over herself or she’s a lesbo.
And Richie, be sure to invite the members of the Aryan nation and NAMBLA to your next bottle share. You know, so people can hear their vile and horrendous bag of monkey shit opinions, for inclusion’s sake.
This had an editor?! An editor read that and thought, hmmmmm, what can make this rolling diatribe worse? More mysogny? More bad historical facts? Nope! Chop it up and spread it across multiple pages like a horrifying treasure hunt.
I was appaled by this when I read it, knowing that there is an actual “Editor” at “work” on this publication, and they let that through in its entirety, has utterly bamboozled me. I never use that word, but I thought it apt in this case. I know the guy runs the page, but come on, the editor should have put his foot down when stuff like this comes up, surely?
I must say none of this surprises me. I worked for him and his business partner. Smh
He did nothing to help when his partner at gene McCarthy’s was harassing my wife,and said nothing when Matt conron fired her after I spoke up.i hope they finally get the attention they deserve!
I unfortunately read the scathing review prior to the full piece. I finally had the opportunity to read the full piece and found nothing awful about it. It was obviously fiction and a continuation of a fiction based vignette about a bunch of male beer enthusiasts… The ideas brought forward, I feel in my humble opinion, were a characteration of the inner thoughts of an “alpha male” in today’s society… I am not saying they are right or wrong… Buy I find no harm in exploring the views of those they may not agree with the popular narrative. I do not think any ill harm was meant… I know the writer personally… This was fiction… And not have being intimately familiar with previous installments in this publication, I can only assume the regular readers accepted it for what it was… A story… A fictional story that may have brought about the ire of those who’s skin is very thin… Rub some dirt on it…
*fart noises*
Over in Oregon, we just dedicate whole issues of our beer magazines towards giving Women a voice in the brewing industry, but I guess to each their own. http://files.oregonbeergrowler.com/OBG_0517/
“I’m offended from an opinion piece!” Here’s a tip…just don’t read it! Your hurt feelings are avoided! You know, the man has a right to write about anything he wants. Just like you have a right to get offended about anything someone writes. You went out of your way and wrote an article that was 5 times longer than his entire article/blog about how you’re offended. What’s worse:..his opinion piece that people CHOSE to get offended about or your opinion piece that purposely went after him, his brand, the people surrounding his brand that may or may not agree with what he wrote that will be affected by your piece and others’ backlash? You aimed to destruct here and make people lose money. You aimed to “hate” (that word you love to use when you play victim) on HIM and HIS company and affiliates. Did HE do that? Was his aim to purposely go after people and try to ruin them like you’re doing? NO!
What you did here was WAY worse than what he did because of the motive behind it. He had no clear or obvious motive behind his writing to offend anyone. YOU DID! You should be ashamed. I’m sure you’ll justify it by saying you did what was right, huh? But in reality, you did much worse and because you got some people agreeing with you, you think what you did was justified. You have a right to your opinion in your blog just like that man has an opinion in his blog. If he wants to write about strippers at a strip club he visited on his journey to taste beer and his opinion on how nasty they looked, then he has right to. Just like you have a right to start reading it, recognize that it’s not something you want to read, and STOP reading it. If this is what you do, then you have a LOOONG list of stuff to get offended about that will be never ending because there are a lot of opinion pieces out there. Remember, there are 7billion+ people in the world. All with different views about everything, so if you spend your time getting offended about everything and working with people and supporting them to campaign against them because you disagree with what they have to say, then soon we will all be walking on egg shells with nothing to say because we won’t want to offend people like you who CHOSE to play the victim to get attention constantly. Grow the fuck up, be an adult, and recognize that not everyone thinks like you. Jesus! People like you need their own island so you can live in your own happy little place where you ban words that trigger people and everyone is welcome to play victim. Quit trying to force change and accept that people think differently than you. You may think it’s wrong and people may agree, but guess what?! People ALSO agree with the other person, so you HAVE to accept that. If you think his words are disgusting and they offend you, then DON’T READ IT! Don’t go out of your way and make a fuss about it. It’s pathetic that you waste your time getting all worked up about stuff like this when you can choose to do other things that make you happy. What’s your motivation for doing this? I’m curious? Do you wake up everyday and think “I’m going find something to get offended about and put it to them! I’m going to break it down and assume that person understands everything that I understand and assume their motives behind it! Fuck yea! I’m doing God’s work!” Get over yourself. You’re not a hero and you’re no where close to it. You probably entertain more people that laugh at you getting offended than people who agree with you. You were probably the annoying kid that never stopped talking and everyone gave up on telling to stfu because it never worked. You just kept talking. So what did you do? You started a blog to search for people crazy enough to agree with you because out of 7billion+ people, they are out there. But again, most of your readers are probably people entertained by the fact that you chose to get offended enough to write about it in detail. YOU SELF-ACCLAIMED WENCH!
Hey there. You wrote nearly 1000 words and I’m not going to read anymore than the five I already did.
But looks like someone is pretty damned offended. Follow your own advice there, snowflake.
[Robin’s note: Just a reminder that any more comments you make, I’ll just delete or edit them like I did this one, snowflake]
Gosh dang, you’re right! Here I was telling you to stop being offended when really it was…ME who was getting offended! I’ll get off the computer promptly and rethink my life!
Thank you so much!
Oh god my anus! My anus is prolapsing! Send help! Oh god noooo
Oooooooh god the pain. It’s so horrible. Meredith! I’m glad you can’t see me as I am now, with this prolapsed anus and vomit crusted shirt. And the smell, Meredith! Urine everywhere!
Any more?
Here’s a tip… just don’t read it!
*holds a copy of “Mein Kampf*
‘If you think his words are disgusting and they offend you, then DON’T READ IT!”
Thank you!!! People CHOOSE to read something that offends them and lash out, but expect no one to be like..”well, then why did you keep reading it? Why didn’t you just…stop reading it if it was offending you?”
Offended people: Did you just not expect anyone to figure you out? It’s obvious you chose to keep reading it and keep getting offended JUST SO you could bitch about it. Use that energy and do something that ACTUALLY benefits someone. Shit, use that energy and go better yourself because you have issues if you keep choosing to expose yourself to stuff that offends you constantly.
And I see you CHOOSE to read something that offends you and lash out, but don’t expect anyone to be like..”well, then why did you keep reading it? Why didn’t you just…stop reading it if it was offending you?” Did you just not expect anyone to figure you out? It’s obvious you chose to keep reading it and keep getting offended JUST SO you could bitch about it. Use that energy and do something that ACTUALLY benefits someone. Shit, use that energy and go better yourself because you have issues if you keep choosing to write 1000 word comments onto blogs about stuff that offends you constantly.
I’m trying to benefit the blogger by making them realize that this type of behavior is unneeded and that what they did was worse that what they originally were offended about. I’m sick and tired about people bitching about stuff that they could just avoid. They get an army of people and launch campaigns against people who are just giving their opinions in an opinion piece. They’re destructive and it’s not right. I’m not offended at all. I’m just annoyed that the writer would choose to be destructive and do worse than the original article they talked about. I wasn’t trying to hide anything. I was right to the point and wasn’t thinking about anyone figuring me out. Carla, are you mad? Maybe you should start a blog so people can pet you when you’re upset cause you never grew up and learned that shit doesn’t always go your way.
It doesn’t matter. This blogger–and so many others–has no regard or care for the ramifications of what they post. As I mentioned before–even calling this an “article” is pushing it. It’s a long-running fictional series that has been in the paper for as long as I can remember. Instead of even attempting to understand that, everyone just rushed out to make a judgment. Thirty years of work down the drain. It’s pretty unreal.
Thank you for writing this. Based on the myriad breweries who also took offense and called out the original article, I am glad to see that we are not in the minority when finding misogynistic writings (even if they are “meant to be satire”) unacceptable in the beer world. I appreciate your work and your review.
Hi, I’m here for the Gangbang….
Sir, this is a Dairy Queen.
I posted something similar on another blog, but I want to copy/paste here, too:
Yes, this was a parody. I have known Bill forever and this article—which is part of a long-running FICTIONAL series—was a parody.
Was it a bad parody? Yes. Was the apology bad? Yes. Was it worth forcing someone to give up 30 years of work helping to spread the word of good beer? No, I don’t think so.
Anyone who actually knows Bill knows that he is one of the most progressive, pro-gender equality people out there. I’ve attended protests with him (the Women’s March and several LGBTQ marches come to mind) and his personal views have been steadfast.
He makes no money on the paper—all of the ad sales go to publishing costs and paying his employees. He was always happy to break even at the end of the day.
Obviously, there’s nothing I can say to change people’s minds. Everyone came out with their pitchforks and refused to accept any apology (although it could’ve been worded way, way better). To the author of this piece and most of the commenters—congratulations. You got what you wanted. Bill has relinquished his ownership and is fully removing himself from his life’s work.
Hey there, I’m actually going to copy and paste one bit of what you said and alter it slightly:
“Was it a bad parody? Yes. Was the apology bad? Yes. Was it worth him risking his career to continue writing his fiction where such bad “parody” was prominent throughout? No.”
You seem to be under the illusion that the only two results of this could have been Metzger either loses his career or keeps writing Testigos and not some area in-between where he would have apologized and committed to stop writing the stories, stories of which previous ones have contained racist tropes and the exploits of a character called “The Brew Stud”.
There’s a weird mental disconnect in admitting that everything he did was wrong but it’s still the people holding him accountable for it who is to blame.
Robin, you don’t get it. You conflate what he wrote with him as a person. It’s not him.
Again, this has been a long running series. It’s actually addressed a ton of issues, often reflecting on what was currently happening in the world.
You, of course, didn’t even bother doing the slightest amount of research before posting your hit piece. You had no desire to listen to or accept an apology, no matter how it was worded. All you wanted to do was attack, attack, attack.
That’s fine. It really is. It shouldn’t have been published. But clearly, you had no interest in listening to the other side or accepting any apology (or believing it was actually a parody).
So, I say again: congratulations. He’s out, he’s fully relinquished ownership, and he’ll never be part of the paper. You’ve successfully worked to ruin someone’s lifelong hobby (which turned into a business with employees who earn a living off of it).
And before you say, “He did this to himself,” allow me to add: yes, partially. But it was the collective outrage and amplification that led to the end of this. No apology would’ve worked. He was left with two choices: don’t leave and watch the paper die/a bunch of people go unemployed, or leave.
Good job, Robin. Congrats.
And as an fyi: I absolutely hold Bill accountable. But to your point, there’s a weird mental disconnect with people who express outrage without ANY background knowledge.
Your inability to even attempt to consider this to be fictional, and a desire to go ahead and write a piece clearly designed to destroy a person and not an inappropriate story, absolutely was a part of this.
I am not making excuses for Bill. But someone’s livelihood is ruined over this, and it’s ruined over a fictional story. Yeah, I think the reaction has gone too far.
What a sad story. From all aspects.
I really don’t want to be a part of a beer community where sexist asinine rambligs, even fictional, are acceptable and thought of as funny.
Just the same, I don’t want a community by which a man writing such ill-mannered parody could be attacked in his profession and hobby with such intensity and confident ruthlessness.
All this makes me want to just stop caring. Hardly the goal of anybody who truly intends to propagate tolerance and co-existing without hurting each other. But hey, who does such a thing nowadays…
Maybe don’t write sexist asinine ramblings in the paper you write in as a profession???
But hmmmm yes. Maybe someone who writes stories like “The Brew Stud” and puts them in a local community beer newspaper shouldn’t be held accountable?
http://www.brewingnews.com/brewstud/archive/part002/brewstuda.shtml
And as an fyi: I absolutely hold Bill accountable. But to your point, there’s a weird mental disconnect with people who express outrage without ANY background knowledge.
Your inability to even attempt to consider this to be fictional, and a desire to go ahead and write a piece clearly designed to destroy a person and not an inappropriate story, absolutely was a part of this.
I am not making excuses for Bill. But someone’s livelihood is ruined over this, and it’s ruined over a fictional story. Yeah, I think the reaction has gone too far.
Hey, Holy Crackers, I’m not sure you saw my update on the piece, made when Bill apologized, in which I acknowledged it was a fictional work of parody and still deemed it unacceptable. You seem to feel that once we heard it was fictional we were all to say “Oh, well if it’s FICTIONAL, that’s alright, then”. This is wrong.
Fictional or not, works like this, along with “The Further Adventures of the Brew Stud” ( http://www.brewingnews.com/brewstud/archive/part002/brewstuda.shtml ) do more damage to the local beer community the newspaper was serving than good. In fact, I struggle to see where stories like these have any relevance in what the paper was supposed to be doing.
Additionally, saying “I absolutely hold Bill accountable” while making a case on why he shouldn’t face any accountability is absurd.
Where am I saying he shouldn’t be held accountable?! I’m saying that he shouldn’t have to leave a paper he’s spent 30 years building up into what it is today.
He should be able to actually issue an apology and move on, and not have someone think that his fictional work, no matter how bad, isn’t fiction. Not that it matters to someone like you. Your desire was to destroy him. Congrats. It worked.
You’ve made it pretty clear that you believe this reflects him as a person. Your update is irrelevant because your words are still there.
Very fake fiction has destroyed a very real person. You can keep posting other links but it still won’t change the end result. You make comments that he shouldn’t have published it, and you’re right. But how does anyone get past this when there are people like you making it pretty clear you don’t believe them and will continue to attack?
It’s bad fiction, but Bill isn’t a bad person. You, on the other hand, I can’t say the same for.
People have gone down as part of the #metoo movement, but it’s been for actual things they’ve done. Fiction, no matter how bad, doesn’t fall into that category.
I’m clearly not going to change your mind so I won’t reply anymore, but this has been taken too far.
Later, Dylan.
After hearing about it from friends, and at the round table talk last week, I finally read that “article”. It took me four hours and I felt physically ill the whole time. Thank you for writing a thoughtful deconstruction of the piece. I especially loved the historical references you made 😊
Press is awareness
Good luck to your website
Still thinking about this article, thank you again for exposing the nonsense that is this very article!
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