1 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: Smart Welcome back. My name is Jamie Loftus, and this 2 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:22,760 Speaker 1: is my year in Mensa, my limited run podcast series 3 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:26,320 Speaker 1: about what the title is, my year in the American 4 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 1: branch of the High i Q Menta Society. If this 5 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 1: is your first time listening, I strongly encourage you to 6 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: go back to episode one. If you don't, that's up 7 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:37,160 Speaker 1: to you. But you might feel a little lost, and 8 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 1: everyone already feels so lost, and I don't want that 9 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:42,319 Speaker 1: for you, so I go back to episode one. If 10 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: you listen to episode one, Welcome back, smarty Pants. You 11 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 1: made it. I'll do my little disclaimer as I start 12 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:53,400 Speaker 1: the music. Bed Oh, that's a fun one. Who wrote it? 13 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 1: You'll find out at the end. At the time of 14 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 1: this recording, I haven't picked one yet, But that's just 15 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:04,399 Speaker 1: the magic of production, isn't it? Um? Okay? This is 16 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 1: a true story told from my perspective, based on notes 17 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:11,120 Speaker 1: and writings and interviews that I've done over the past 18 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:14,360 Speaker 1: year plus in this organization, and all of the names 19 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 1: have been changed. And with that, let's get the moving 20 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 1: forward in time page tourney sound effect going, because we're 21 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:26,679 Speaker 1: going back to July four and it is still day 22 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 1: one of the mensa annual gathering. So people at the 23 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: annual gathering generally came here to do one of two things. 24 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: Go to boring talks about nothing during the day, or 25 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: get blackout drunk at night. And I decide I'm here, 26 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:46,200 Speaker 1: I'm going to try to do both. And trying to 27 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:47,920 Speaker 1: find a lunch table to sit at on the first 28 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:50,640 Speaker 1: day of the a g is like as terrible and 29 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 1: traumatizing as freshman year in high school. And I play 30 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 1: it just as safe as I did back then, and 31 00:01:56,400 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 1: I choose a table called pet lovers. Pet lovers be 32 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 1: mean to me, right right. I meet a couple of 33 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 1: very nice women over the advertised corn chowder and caesar salad. Gross. 34 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 1: I meet a grandmother in a celestial silk shirt who 35 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:13,920 Speaker 1: talks about her granddaughter's interest in science. I mean a 36 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 1: single woman with a cat. I mean mother who is 37 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: deeply invested in what she can't repeat enough are extremely 38 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:24,240 Speaker 1: gifted Sons. Sure someone should start a band called the 39 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 1: Extremely Gifted Sons. The food, as mentions are repeating in 40 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 1: hushed tones throughout this weekend, is very bad. But I'm 41 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:34,840 Speaker 1: trying to make conversation, and so I turned to the mother, 42 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 1: who is extremely gifted son is like staring her down 43 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: from across the room, and I say, you know, it's funny. 44 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:45,920 Speaker 1: Did you know that mensa means stupid in Spanish? And 45 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 1: she looks at me incredulously, like I've just thrown the 46 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 1: caesar salad up into my hand and baby birded it 47 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 1: back into my own muff And she says, no, it doesn't. 48 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: And the grandmother in the celestial silk is like laughing 49 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:02,120 Speaker 1: into her lemonade, and she says, it means table in Latin, 50 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 1: but also it means stupid. As So I look across 51 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:10,399 Speaker 1: the cafeteria, which is affectionately called hospitality in this same 52 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:13,239 Speaker 1: room will eventually have an open bar that is open 53 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:15,639 Speaker 1: well into the night, and I try to figure out 54 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 1: who's here, who am I dealing with? And while yes, 55 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 1: the vast majority of the gathering and the organization is 56 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 1: old and white, there was more diversity in gender and 57 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 1: race and political thought in the younger section of Mensa 58 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:30,440 Speaker 1: than I had expected. There's by no means parody in 59 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:32,920 Speaker 1: the organization. But I will say I found myself to 60 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 1: be initially hated and reviled by a fairly wide array 61 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 1: of people with a wide variety of hug dots. This 62 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 1: is important. The mention hug dot system is one of 63 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 1: the only truly ingenious concepts that I came across at 64 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 1: the annual gathering. Is how it works. Using a colored 65 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 1: dot stuck to your name tag. A menicin is asked 66 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 1: upon registration to select a color based on what they 67 00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:00,400 Speaker 1: would like to worthlessly indicate is their level of physical 68 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 1: comfort with strangers. So green dot means all hugs welcome, unhinged, 69 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: yellow means ask before hugging the norm, red means no 70 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 1: hugs at all, and blue means I'm single. And aside 71 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:21,080 Speaker 1: from the fact that it's open season on single people 72 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 1: under this system, I do like it. My social anxiety 73 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:27,039 Speaker 1: has gotta hand it to him. It's a damn good system, 74 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:29,760 Speaker 1: the hug dot system. Even though I think single people 75 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:32,920 Speaker 1: should be able to choose whether people look them or not. 76 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:35,360 Speaker 1: I was like, what the blue one just says fun? 77 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 1: Like does that mean fuck me? I don't understand, But 78 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:40,040 Speaker 1: I'm into the system and I choose a yellow dot 79 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:43,520 Speaker 1: because I'm game. I want to be here. But what's 80 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:46,520 Speaker 1: more important to navigating the weekend than the hug dots 81 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 1: are the ribbons that attending medicines hang beneath their name tags, 82 00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:53,920 Speaker 1: and some people have a row of ribbons that extend 83 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 1: over a foot long. I only have one. It's a 84 00:04:56,839 --> 00:05:00,000 Speaker 1: bright yellow ribbon that says new member beside my yellow 85 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:02,240 Speaker 1: hugg dot. But most of the people who approached me 86 00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 1: over the weekend are wearing a red ribbon that has 87 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 1: labeled Hosier, and this indicates that they are an active 88 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:12,280 Speaker 1: member of the Firehouse group, just as a reminder. American 89 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:17,560 Speaker 1: MENSA Firehouse is an unmoderated, closed mental sponsored Facebook group 90 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 1: that has a pretty storied history of targeting, bullying, and 91 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:24,680 Speaker 1: harassing people they disagree with. Coincidentally, it is also the 92 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:28,400 Speaker 1: most active area in all of MENSA. Some additions to 93 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:31,000 Speaker 1: the ribbon that as Hosier are ribbons that say things 94 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:35,159 Speaker 1: like Firehouse, boobs and bacon, and the occasional one that 95 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 1: just says perverse. There's also a designated Firehouse table in 96 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:42,840 Speaker 1: the cafeteria, which is labeled with a cartoon of an 97 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:46,280 Speaker 1: owl with its head on fire. Some people use their 98 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:49,280 Speaker 1: ribbons to announce where they're from or or their preferred pronouns, 99 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:52,479 Speaker 1: but you'll find most ribbons have the comedic limitations of 100 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:55,279 Speaker 1: a clearance rack at Spencer's gift in the mid two thousands, 101 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 1: and as the day goes on, I find myself growing 102 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:02,680 Speaker 1: increasingly paranoid of my interactions with people who have the 103 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:05,600 Speaker 1: hoser red ribbons. I go to a different talk, and 104 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 1: as a lecturer wearing a Bazinga shirt discusses the future 105 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 1: of artificial intelligence, I'm scanning the audience for red ribbons. 106 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 1: And while I sit through a discussion about the various 107 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 1: ways to use your cute children at business meetings to 108 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:22,359 Speaker 1: persuade sales. What I'm looking through the audience for red ribbons. 109 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:25,240 Speaker 1: And as I sit in the debate room watching civil, 110 00:06:25,279 --> 00:06:28,840 Speaker 1: if occasionally alarming discussions about hot button issues where the 111 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:32,360 Speaker 1: winner is weirdly voted on by having the best speaker's 112 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:35,520 Speaker 1: face against the wall as if there's a firing squad, 113 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:38,479 Speaker 1: I am scanning the room for red ribbons. In the 114 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:42,039 Speaker 1: debate room, I hear a wide variety of arguments about race, 115 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 1: climate change, and religion, some of which I agree with, 116 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:47,160 Speaker 1: as some of which is some of the most regressive 117 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:49,360 Speaker 1: scary shit I've heard in a while. I go to 118 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:53,920 Speaker 1: a talk called Television humor evolution or devolution. Very old 119 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 1: college professors regaled a packed room with some of the 120 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:01,479 Speaker 1: most incredible misinformation that I have to share with you. 121 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:03,560 Speaker 1: It's not relevant to the podcast, but I would have 122 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:05,159 Speaker 1: to let you know what these people said because it 123 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:07,560 Speaker 1: doesn't make any sense and it made me laugh. Throwing 124 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:13,480 Speaker 1: some goofy music. Okay, television humor evolution or devolution, Okay, 125 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:16,200 Speaker 1: here's one of my favorite ones. For the edginess of 126 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:19,520 Speaker 1: vulgarity of South Park is all the more shocking because 127 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 1: the lines are spoken by quote unquote children. Why quote unquote. 128 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:27,920 Speaker 1: Seth McFarland is known for playing Cartman and many others. 129 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:30,840 Speaker 1: He is not on the show. We have to ask ourselves. 130 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 1: Is n C I G S a comedy as well? 131 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 1: And then a couple of sides later that lab technician 132 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 1: she's goffe and that's a light mooteeth. She's very, very gone. 133 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 1: With Shakespearean comedies, the women can only be uppity in 134 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 1: the first act and by the last act they've been tamed. 135 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 1: There's also this like long meandering argument that Charlie Sheen 136 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:54,600 Speaker 1: was removed from Two and a Half Men for quote 137 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:58,880 Speaker 1: unquote sexual problems. But then one of the professors was like, well, 138 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:02,080 Speaker 1: his character on the show also had sexual problems, so 139 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:05,480 Speaker 1: the show wasn't funny. After he left, there was one 140 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:10,320 Speaker 1: slide that just said www dot Everybody Loves ray dot com, 141 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:12,960 Speaker 1: which you should check it out. It's a really good 142 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:17,120 Speaker 1: Like Angel Fire fans site for Everybody Loves Raymond, Animated 143 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:22,000 Speaker 1: sitcoms automatically create distance. This is why Family Guy two 144 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:24,520 Speaker 1: thousand and twelve is allowed to be so vulgar as 145 00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:29,240 Speaker 1: the stories are told about the dysfunctional Griffons. Okay, ending tangent, 146 00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 1: but I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did. 147 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:35,400 Speaker 1: So this talk is followed by the equally punishing oh no, 148 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:40,000 Speaker 1: we gotta do different goofy music mensa joke Off, whose 149 00:08:40,040 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 1: moderator explains that humor is to quote disarmed others unquote, 150 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:47,000 Speaker 1: as well as to reflect quote shared experience where we 151 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:51,559 Speaker 1: are in our development and sexual selection parentheses. Women sell 152 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:55,240 Speaker 1: like men that show wit unquote the most mensa ship 153 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:57,720 Speaker 1: I've ever heard in my life. But the joke off 154 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:00,679 Speaker 1: basically functions as an open mic and since are welcome 155 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:02,959 Speaker 1: to the front of the room to perform in categories 156 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:06,640 Speaker 1: like old people jokes, light bulb jokes, jokes about professions, 157 00:09:06,679 --> 00:09:09,560 Speaker 1: and political jokes, a topic that everyone in the room 158 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:13,240 Speaker 1: agrees as best to not even attempt. There are a 159 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:17,120 Speaker 1: number of speakers who throughout the weekend are noticeably jarred 160 00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 1: by the political divisions in the room and the joke 161 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 1: off moderator. I hate that I have to say joke off. 162 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:27,640 Speaker 1: The joke off moderator looks genuinely surprised when his kind 163 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:30,960 Speaker 1: of low hanging fruit Trump University joke gets a couple 164 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:34,680 Speaker 1: of groans from the audience, and he says, really, and 165 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:37,880 Speaker 1: another member just shouts out, don't boil the moon, and 166 00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:40,480 Speaker 1: others are kind of muttering in agreement, and so the 167 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:43,400 Speaker 1: moderator shrugs and is a little confused, but he says 168 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:46,760 Speaker 1: we'll move on. And by the time the final debate 169 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:49,440 Speaker 1: room I go to that day closes, which is on 170 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:54,600 Speaker 1: reproductive rights that featured an intense, anxiety inducing spar between 171 00:09:54,679 --> 00:09:58,439 Speaker 1: a liberal woman and an extremely pro life teenager, it's 172 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:01,320 Speaker 1: already past eleven at night. And two who I will 173 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:03,920 Speaker 1: remind you is the first friend I make at the 174 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:07,400 Speaker 1: MENSA Annual Convention and the second most blocked member of 175 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 1: American MENSA Firehouse, me being the first. Thank you so much. 176 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 1: And two and I ran into each other again at 177 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:15,640 Speaker 1: the final debate, and he knows exactly where all the 178 00:10:15,679 --> 00:10:18,560 Speaker 1: parties are on the fourth and fifth floor of the hotel. 179 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:22,080 Speaker 1: It is time to go to the parties now. Because 180 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:26,520 Speaker 1: it's MENSA. The party system is also needlessly complicated. All 181 00:10:26,559 --> 00:10:28,400 Speaker 1: of the parties that I go to on this night 182 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:32,800 Speaker 1: are advertised within the Men's Arising Annual Gathering pamphlet that 183 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:34,800 Speaker 1: we're given on our way into the Sheraton on the 184 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:37,480 Speaker 1: first day, and most are divided by s I G 185 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:40,920 Speaker 1: s or special interest groups. So there's the Boomer Suite, 186 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:43,280 Speaker 1: which is next to the Gay s I G Suite, 187 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:45,480 Speaker 1: which is across from the gen X Sweet, which is 188 00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:47,839 Speaker 1: across from the gen Y Sweet, and that's where I'll 189 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:50,600 Speaker 1: spend most of my time. And why MENSA does not 190 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:53,800 Speaker 1: recognize the term millennials is unclear to me. They call 191 00:10:53,840 --> 00:10:57,480 Speaker 1: it gen y whatever. There's also a Firehouse Suite, and 192 00:10:57,559 --> 00:10:59,640 Speaker 1: that's the only party I hear of happening on the 193 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:02,520 Speaker 1: fifth war And that makes sense because there's two thousand 194 00:11:02,520 --> 00:11:05,520 Speaker 1: members of the Firehouse Group and their membership comprises a 195 00:11:05,559 --> 00:11:08,600 Speaker 1: pretty large amount of people who are in attendance at 196 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:11,520 Speaker 1: the annual gathering. But at first two and I go 197 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:14,360 Speaker 1: to the gen Wy Sweet and and it's honestly pretty fine. 198 00:11:14,480 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 1: A woman I met in a hotel room under very 199 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:19,199 Speaker 1: confusing circumstances that I will explain to you in a 200 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:22,040 Speaker 1: future episode. She recognizes me and she gives me a 201 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:23,800 Speaker 1: big hog and she and her husband appear to be 202 00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:26,680 Speaker 1: the organizers of the suite and they're actually from my area. 203 00:11:27,040 --> 00:11:29,280 Speaker 1: So she's quick to introduce me to all the other 204 00:11:29,320 --> 00:11:32,720 Speaker 1: youngish medicines, and they're all pretty welcoming and curious as 205 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 1: I'm nervously compulsively refilling my cup with the cheap KEG 206 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:38,320 Speaker 1: beer that's there. And there is this feeling that I'm 207 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:41,960 Speaker 1: like retroactively attending every party I didn't get invited to 208 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:44,480 Speaker 1: when I was a teenager, and no way to source this, 209 00:11:44,559 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 1: but it doesn't seem like I'm the only one that 210 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:48,560 Speaker 1: feels that way. And it's at this party that I 211 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 1: realized just how many people associate controversy with me, because 212 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:56,679 Speaker 1: at all times I have to wear a badge with 213 00:11:56,679 --> 00:11:59,880 Speaker 1: my full name on it, which sucks. At the party, 214 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:04,360 Speaker 1: I'm approached by multiple people who cautiously ask me, how's 215 00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:06,959 Speaker 1: your a G going? Is it different than you expected, 216 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:10,440 Speaker 1: how I'm enjoying myself. What maybe decided to come if 217 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:13,320 Speaker 1: I was going to be writing about the experience. And 218 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:15,440 Speaker 1: I get pretty good at answering this question on my 219 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:17,480 Speaker 1: first night, which is lucky because I will have to 220 00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:20,319 Speaker 1: answer it several hundred times in the days to come. 221 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:23,080 Speaker 1: And it's here that I kind of give the reflective 222 00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:25,600 Speaker 1: reply that I take with me through the rest of 223 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:28,680 Speaker 1: the annual gathering, which is some variation on what people 224 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:30,880 Speaker 1: told me. I wasn't giving mensa a chance in my pieces, 225 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:33,199 Speaker 1: so I took so and so up on the invitation 226 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 1: to come, and here I am. Hi. The organizer's husband 227 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:39,000 Speaker 1: comes up to me and asks me how it's going, 228 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:42,440 Speaker 1: before mentioning we have a mutual friend. He's very friendly, 229 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:45,360 Speaker 1: and I'm later informed that he's had me blocked online 230 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:48,400 Speaker 1: for months. Someone else comes up to me and says, shit, 231 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:51,320 Speaker 1: love this. And I don't know this guy right now, 232 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:54,439 Speaker 1: but he's really going to dominate the toga party tomorrow night. 233 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:58,199 Speaker 1: One man in particular, who holds a high position in 234 00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:01,000 Speaker 1: American medicine. Who am going to call? Joey corners me 235 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:04,640 Speaker 1: near the cooler keg where I am still nervously drinking 236 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:09,079 Speaker 1: and Joey is a very gregarious and kind of intense guy, so, 237 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 1: like many other people I meet, he asked me the 238 00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:14,439 Speaker 1: standard line of conscious questioning, and I give my standard 239 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:18,560 Speaker 1: cautious answer, and he's repeating that regurgitative defense of the 240 00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:21,719 Speaker 1: Firehouse group, which is say it with me. They're the 241 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:25,120 Speaker 1: nicest people in real life, nothing like they are in line. 242 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:29,080 Speaker 1: So this conversation continues for about twenty minutes of intense 243 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:32,360 Speaker 1: eye contact until Two finds me in the dark shuffle 244 00:13:32,559 --> 00:13:35,200 Speaker 1: of the gen Y suite and says, dude, what was 245 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:37,120 Speaker 1: Joey talking to you about? For so long? I was 246 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:39,280 Speaker 1: getting worried I have to yell in his ear to 247 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:41,439 Speaker 1: be heard, And I say, I don't know. He asked 248 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:43,880 Speaker 1: me about why I'm here and how nice the Firehouse 249 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:45,960 Speaker 1: people are in real life. I have no idea who 250 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:49,679 Speaker 1: he is, and Two just starts laughing. Joey was one 251 00:13:49,679 --> 00:13:52,640 Speaker 1: of the guys leading the charge against you in Firehouse. 252 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:55,480 Speaker 1: He works for MENSA. He knows you don't know who 253 00:13:55,480 --> 00:13:58,840 Speaker 1: he is, okay, And like, no, I'm not okay. And 254 00:13:58,920 --> 00:14:02,360 Speaker 1: this happens multiple both times in my time and MENSA. 255 00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:04,720 Speaker 1: Someone is very nice to my face, and I later 256 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:08,000 Speaker 1: find out that they have said horrible things online and 257 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:11,719 Speaker 1: have blocked me for months. It is a crazy making thing, 258 00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:15,280 Speaker 1: and I'm starting to feel a little disoriented and dizzy, 259 00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:17,360 Speaker 1: and I'm a little drunk, and I lose track of 260 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:19,560 Speaker 1: two as he goes over to flirt with someone on 261 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 1: the other side of the party. And around this point 262 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:25,360 Speaker 1: I decide I'm going to leave. There's no way I'm 263 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:27,240 Speaker 1: going to go up to the firehouse suite this late 264 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:30,960 Speaker 1: in the night, and the combination of shitty cafeteria food 265 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:34,680 Speaker 1: and for anxiety beers in rapid succession is just making 266 00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:37,480 Speaker 1: me feel awful. So I go to the bathroom. I 267 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:39,480 Speaker 1: take a couple of notes, and I text my boyfriend 268 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 1: to let him know that I'm okay, because he wanted 269 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:43,920 Speaker 1: to be at the MENSA Annual Gathering. But it's not 270 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:48,160 Speaker 1: a couple's retreat. It's the MENSA Annual Gathering, bitch, and 271 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:51,360 Speaker 1: I feel positive that going any less than alone would 272 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:54,840 Speaker 1: result in extreme backlash. I leave the bathroom and a 273 00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:58,240 Speaker 1: few how's your age goings Later, I emerged from the 274 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:00,920 Speaker 1: gen Y Sweet into the hallway where people are sort 275 00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:05,480 Speaker 1: of oscillating between board games and drunken conversations. And unfortunately 276 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:06,840 Speaker 1: for me, and I don't even make it to the 277 00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:09,680 Speaker 1: elevator before someone else stops me. This is a guy 278 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:12,040 Speaker 1: in his forties and he approaches me with a smile 279 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:14,680 Speaker 1: as well as blocking my exit. At this point, it's 280 00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:18,160 Speaker 1: past midnight and it's still somehow ninety degrees out. He says, 281 00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:21,360 Speaker 1: I'm familiar with your work, and I start to brace 282 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:24,720 Speaker 1: myself for what I think is this inevitable direct confrontation 283 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:27,520 Speaker 1: until I look down at his name tag no red ribbon, 284 00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:30,440 Speaker 1: and then he kind of laughs a little bit and says, no, no, 285 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:33,040 Speaker 1: I mean I like it. And it's not until I 286 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:38,000 Speaker 1: hear myself like exhale that I realized I look scared. 287 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:41,840 Speaker 1: And this is a fact that is corroborated by several 288 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:44,400 Speaker 1: members of Firehouse and the group after the event is over. 289 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:49,360 Speaker 1: I look scared, and I say really, and he says yeah, 290 00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:52,440 Speaker 1: there's a whole hold on and it's becoming clear to 291 00:15:52,480 --> 00:15:53,960 Speaker 1: me that I'm not going to be able to leave 292 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:57,200 Speaker 1: anytime soon. And he beckons over a few other people 293 00:15:57,200 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 1: who are closer to my age and says, this is Jamie. 294 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:03,400 Speaker 1: She came. The others are laughing and drinking their beer, 295 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:05,960 Speaker 1: and one gives me a high five. One of the 296 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:08,840 Speaker 1: guys says, Oh, we've been waiting for something like that 297 00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:11,080 Speaker 1: to happen. It's been years of them doing all that. 298 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:13,920 Speaker 1: Are you going up to firehouse? And even hearing it 299 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:15,880 Speaker 1: just makes me tense up a little bit. There's a 300 00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:18,280 Speaker 1: few red ribbon guys near the elevators and they're about 301 00:16:18,280 --> 00:16:21,640 Speaker 1: to head upstairs, and I say, I don't think tonight. 302 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 1: But the guys who like my articles are kind of 303 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:25,960 Speaker 1: pushing it, and they say, oh, we'll come up with you. 304 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:29,720 Speaker 1: It'll be fine, you'll be safe. I'm kind of thinking, like, no, 305 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:32,760 Speaker 1: I've seen a horror movie before. But the moment he 306 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:35,880 Speaker 1: says that, I know that I'm going to go because 307 00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:39,840 Speaker 1: I promised myself that I would give them medicines a chance, 308 00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:42,960 Speaker 1: and I wasn't going to take a seven hour greyhound 309 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:45,760 Speaker 1: bus trip to not do that. I mean, and of 310 00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:48,400 Speaker 1: course this is just my perspective. I'm sure my best 311 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:50,760 Speaker 1: friend would tell you that I'm addicted to putting myself 312 00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:53,360 Speaker 1: in harm's away for reasons that I should speak to 313 00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:57,680 Speaker 1: a therapist about. But the point is that I closed 314 00:16:57,680 --> 00:17:02,160 Speaker 1: the uber app and I opt in to the firehouse 315 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:05,760 Speaker 1: hang and there's still one lingering red ribbon hoser near 316 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:08,679 Speaker 1: the elevator. When the four so people and I finally 317 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:10,840 Speaker 1: get to the elevator to go the opposite way that 318 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 1: I was planning, I'm going to call this guy Patrick, 319 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:16,320 Speaker 1: and he stops me very gently and says, hey, are 320 00:17:16,359 --> 00:17:18,679 Speaker 1: you are the guys in with cuts them off and 321 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:21,320 Speaker 1: says not to bother us because we're going up to firehouse. 322 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:24,880 Speaker 1: Patrick is visibly uncomfortable at this news, and I stumble 323 00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:27,520 Speaker 1: over my words, half drunkenly, trying to assure him that 324 00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:29,360 Speaker 1: I'm not going to, you know, go up there and 325 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:31,840 Speaker 1: cause a scene. And he raises his eyebrows and he 326 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:34,680 Speaker 1: thinks about that for a second and says it's alliance, 327 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:39,160 Speaker 1: then proceed with caution. And people in horror movies don't 328 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:42,560 Speaker 1: usually get quite this many warnings. That would just be 329 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:44,879 Speaker 1: bad writing. But I'm feeling a little pressure to go 330 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:47,760 Speaker 1: up and I've already sort of steeled myself to do it, 331 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:50,560 Speaker 1: so I say okay, thank you, and the few people 332 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:54,040 Speaker 1: and with seem a little annoyed, and Patrick shrugs and says, 333 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:57,919 Speaker 1: I don't think you've been barred from it, but you know, 334 00:17:58,440 --> 00:18:00,879 Speaker 1: I'm just saying it's alliance to and I'm feeling a 335 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:03,439 Speaker 1: little defensive, and I say, well, I feel like the 336 00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:06,200 Speaker 1: way I entered the organization was in such a bizarre way, 337 00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:09,520 Speaker 1: and and I'm launching into what feels like prepared statements 338 00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:12,880 Speaker 1: after only twelve out of my planned sixty hours day 339 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:16,520 Speaker 1: is over. The screenshots is what got people. But it's upstairs. 340 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:21,320 Speaker 1: So we go up to the party slightly drunken, disorganized, 341 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:24,359 Speaker 1: and for your sake, I sincerely hope that you never 342 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:29,359 Speaker 1: know the feeling of walking into a living, breathing, hostile 343 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:34,800 Speaker 1: comments section. And it's at this point, listener, that I 344 00:18:34,880 --> 00:18:37,399 Speaker 1: have to take you out of this compelling fourth of 345 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:40,040 Speaker 1: July narrative to take you back in time a little bit, 346 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:43,680 Speaker 1: because we really should talk about the screenshots that Patrick 347 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:46,919 Speaker 1: is referring to and the continued argument for why the 348 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:50,359 Speaker 1: denizens of Firehouse choose not to forgive me. For forgiveness 349 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 1: I never really requested, so page turn effect. Instead of 350 00:18:58,320 --> 00:19:01,400 Speaker 1: telling you what the American meant a Firehouse secret Facebook 351 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:03,239 Speaker 1: group is, I will let them tell you what it 352 00:19:03,280 --> 00:19:05,840 Speaker 1: is instead. Via and I wish I were kidding. A 353 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:08,920 Speaker 1: short animation that a member of the group had personally 354 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:12,360 Speaker 1: commissioned in order to dunk on me. It was captioned quote, 355 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:16,280 Speaker 1: I think Jamie Left could benefit from this, but alas 356 00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:22,159 Speaker 1: she's dead to me unquote honestly high drama Shakespearean I 357 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:26,520 Speaker 1: love it. This is what the animated video states, American 358 00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:31,760 Speaker 1: Mensa Firehouse. Many Benson's had ventured into the firehouse. They 359 00:19:31,800 --> 00:19:38,840 Speaker 1: expected mind numbingly academic conversations imagine unicorns romping through meadows. Instead, 360 00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:44,240 Speaker 1: they discovered that Menson's are well opinionated, rude and rough curmudgeons, 361 00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:50,720 Speaker 1: but they are also kind, thoughtful, and generous. Conversations offended, some, 362 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:54,159 Speaker 1: excited others, and in the end we all have the 363 00:19:54,240 --> 00:19:58,600 Speaker 1: same false inshore comings as everyone else. With one difference. 364 00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:03,159 Speaker 1: We were quicker, video and buddier. I wouldn't trade the 365 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:10,679 Speaker 1: group for any other. Oh and boobs always boobs, Oh 366 00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:14,280 Speaker 1: and boobs always boobs. My introduction to this group, as 367 00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:18,080 Speaker 1: it pertains to me, was by receiving a notification that 368 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:20,600 Speaker 1: I had been tagged in a post that contained the 369 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:24,080 Speaker 1: link to the story I had written about getting into mensa, which, 370 00:20:24,119 --> 00:20:26,520 Speaker 1: and I can't say it enough, was called good news. 371 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:29,959 Speaker 1: They let dumb sluts into mensa now the Slaton question. 372 00:20:30,119 --> 00:20:33,320 Speaker 1: Being myself, it was made immediately clear to me that 373 00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:36,040 Speaker 1: they did not care for this dumb slut joke I 374 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:38,520 Speaker 1: made at my own expense. I'd like to share some 375 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:41,560 Speaker 1: of the assorted replies that had already been written by 376 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:45,320 Speaker 1: the time I was tagged. They are I agree that 377 00:20:45,359 --> 00:20:48,720 Speaker 1: she's a dumb cunt oh slut who's too dumb to 378 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:52,440 Speaker 1: tweeze her eyebrows if she joined this group to cause 379 00:20:52,520 --> 00:20:56,040 Speaker 1: trouble for MENSA block her anyone else sent her nudes. 380 00:20:56,119 --> 00:20:59,359 Speaker 1: Yet where is national at a time like this that 381 00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:02,119 Speaker 1: she won't part dissipate in our boom thread and probably 382 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:05,520 Speaker 1: does not even like bacon. Again, I can't stress enough 383 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:10,200 Speaker 1: menicines are not very funny, and aside from my initial 384 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:13,320 Speaker 1: vetting of some right wing memes, this was the first 385 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:16,119 Speaker 1: that I had seen much of anything in the group, 386 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:19,359 Speaker 1: and after receiving the warnings about Firehouse, I had combed 387 00:21:19,359 --> 00:21:21,400 Speaker 1: through some of the posts in the group to confirm 388 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:25,200 Speaker 1: what I had been told. The prominent political leanings described, 389 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:27,520 Speaker 1: and sure enough, what I think are the hallmarks of 390 00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:30,280 Speaker 1: far right groups were all there. From the bad photo 391 00:21:30,359 --> 00:21:34,440 Speaker 1: shops of Alexandria Acasio Cortez, bad faith arguments about bathroom 392 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:38,640 Speaker 1: rights and race, the occasional feminism is cancer and just 393 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:43,760 Speaker 1: general owning the Libs. And like the annual gathering, the 394 00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:46,840 Speaker 1: group is majority white and skewing older, and there is 395 00:21:46,840 --> 00:21:49,439 Speaker 1: a fair amount of disagreement and discussion among members in 396 00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:53,720 Speaker 1: the comments on more hot button American issues. Also president 397 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:58,320 Speaker 1: the group where some inside jokes, updates about members lives, 398 00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:01,800 Speaker 1: requests for advice in certain areas of their lives, and 399 00:22:01,960 --> 00:22:05,560 Speaker 1: generally ranging from people in their thirties to people in 400 00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:08,520 Speaker 1: their late sixties, which is you hate to say it, 401 00:22:08,640 --> 00:22:13,879 Speaker 1: the dreaded parents on Facebook demographic. So screenshot these insulting 402 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:16,439 Speaker 1: replies about my article and I post them to Twitter 403 00:22:16,600 --> 00:22:20,080 Speaker 1: without replying to the Facebook thread and without blocking the 404 00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:23,280 Speaker 1: names out. So I didn't think at that time, and 405 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:26,120 Speaker 1: I still struggle with the idea that people who are 406 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:30,199 Speaker 1: directly insulting and harassing another person warrants a censure of 407 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:32,800 Speaker 1: their names. And I honestly wasn't thinking about it that 408 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:35,159 Speaker 1: hard at the time I posted it. Because here was 409 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:38,200 Speaker 1: this group that I had been explicitly warrant was toxic 410 00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:41,320 Speaker 1: and liked to go after members without prompting going after 411 00:22:41,359 --> 00:22:44,359 Speaker 1: me without prompting. And this is a confusing, kind of 412 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:47,680 Speaker 1: difficult thing to talk about because would it have been 413 00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:50,840 Speaker 1: more ethical to block those names out? Absolutely, and to 414 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:53,800 Speaker 1: any medicine who is listening to this, I would do 415 00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:56,639 Speaker 1: it differently if you were calling me a dumb cunt today, 416 00:22:56,720 --> 00:22:58,480 Speaker 1: I really would. And I don't know if that is 417 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:01,160 Speaker 1: personal growth or refusal to engage, and I don't care 418 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:03,920 Speaker 1: which I know. I would block out the names and 419 00:23:04,119 --> 00:23:06,680 Speaker 1: the few comments, including the boob thread, which we'll get 420 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:09,480 Speaker 1: to that I I posted without centering the names. That 421 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:12,040 Speaker 1: wasn't fair of me, that wasn't any of my fucking business. 422 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:15,120 Speaker 1: And I took down the tweets that included names that 423 00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:18,920 Speaker 1: weren't directly harassing me. The comments directed at me, we're 424 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:21,600 Speaker 1: about par for the course of online harassment I've received 425 00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:24,760 Speaker 1: in the past in many a comments section, but the 426 00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:28,280 Speaker 1: context for it was very different, because this was online 427 00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:30,680 Speaker 1: harassment from people who were supposed to be some of 428 00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:33,000 Speaker 1: the smartest people in the world, and most of them 429 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:35,879 Speaker 1: were at least in their thirties, just hurling j V 430 00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:40,640 Speaker 1: insults at a stranger in a secret Facebook group. And then, 431 00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:43,040 Speaker 1: as promised, there was the bootbread which is a pretty 432 00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:46,320 Speaker 1: cool of MENSA famous effort dating back to where a 433 00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:49,760 Speaker 1: member posted, I want to see some boobs help me out, ladies, 434 00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:54,080 Speaker 1: hashtag boop thread. What followed this comment was twelve hundred 435 00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:57,040 Speaker 1: pictures of various members boobs, which has later moved over 436 00:23:57,080 --> 00:23:59,960 Speaker 1: to a second thread that had five hundred more boob replies. 437 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:01,520 Speaker 1: And I don't know what else to say about the 438 00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:04,000 Speaker 1: Boobgreat other than I think it's the best part of 439 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:06,280 Speaker 1: the group as long as you're posting your own boobs. 440 00:24:06,320 --> 00:24:08,440 Speaker 1: I shouldn't have outed the boob thread. I should have 441 00:24:08,480 --> 00:24:10,800 Speaker 1: been more thoughtful about that. And I apologize to the 442 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:13,360 Speaker 1: book thread, and I will continue to apologize to the Bootgreat. 443 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:16,840 Speaker 1: I am sorry to the boob thread. I reply to 444 00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:18,800 Speaker 1: a few of the comments to let members know that 445 00:24:18,840 --> 00:24:20,920 Speaker 1: I've seen what they've been writing, and at this point 446 00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:23,280 Speaker 1: I'm kind of still joking about everything. At one point, 447 00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:25,560 Speaker 1: I write hello, thank you for reading the piece, and 448 00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:27,880 Speaker 1: a special shout out to all the olds and the comments, 449 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:30,800 Speaker 1: calling me ugly have a great day, everyone, and one 450 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:35,640 Speaker 1: user replies, welcome to Firehouse. It doesn't get better. Then 451 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:39,080 Speaker 1: comes the strange death threat that to this day, Firehouse 452 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:42,080 Speaker 1: members insist was intended as a joke. I did not 453 00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:44,879 Speaker 1: block out the user's name when posting on Twitter, but 454 00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:49,280 Speaker 1: in everything I've written since I have it reads as followers, Hello, 455 00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:52,600 Speaker 1: Jamie Loftus. You've met the mild mannered organ repairment of MENSA. 456 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:55,040 Speaker 1: Now you have met our criminal element. There are people 457 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:57,440 Speaker 1: here who can really hurt you. In your world, that 458 00:24:57,480 --> 00:25:00,760 Speaker 1: means posting Twitter rents where you're a racist, or fake reviews, 459 00:25:01,080 --> 00:25:04,280 Speaker 1: it means something different here. This is serious. We have 460 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:06,800 Speaker 1: men here who have killed, We have those who have 461 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:11,000 Speaker 1: served time, one who did the unmentionable and fugitive felons. 462 00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:13,159 Speaker 1: There was a woman here who pissed a lot of 463 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:16,280 Speaker 1: us off a few years ago, and now she's dead. Yeah, 464 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:20,280 Speaker 1: you're welcome here. All dues, paid members are but that's all. 465 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:23,440 Speaker 1: No one is looking out for your safety. And could 466 00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:28,000 Speaker 1: this have been a strange joke, sure, But after multiple 467 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:30,440 Speaker 1: warnings about the group and a feel for its attitude 468 00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:33,040 Speaker 1: on a lot of subjects, I didn't feel that I 469 00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:35,919 Speaker 1: could take this as a joke in good faith. So 470 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:38,520 Speaker 1: I posted it to Twitter without the name redacted, and 471 00:25:38,560 --> 00:25:41,159 Speaker 1: woke up the next morning to find that my Twitter 472 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:45,159 Speaker 1: account had been banned for quote violating our rules against 473 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:49,160 Speaker 1: posting violent threats unquote. So just to walk you through 474 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:52,000 Speaker 1: the nightmare that is social media, a band had been 475 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:55,639 Speaker 1: made on my account for posting a threat made against 476 00:25:56,080 --> 00:26:00,399 Speaker 1: me the men since we're getting very tricky. So there's 477 00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:04,600 Speaker 1: a popular assertion that people, specifically women, are quick to 478 00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:08,119 Speaker 1: accuse someone of being whiny or overly sensitive when threatened 479 00:26:08,119 --> 00:26:10,879 Speaker 1: with violence online, whether that's as a joke or not. 480 00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:14,320 Speaker 1: And as often as these arguments come up, they're difficult 481 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:17,760 Speaker 1: for me to understand based on the empirical evidence that 482 00:26:17,840 --> 00:26:22,600 Speaker 1: people follow through on threats like this with with relative frequency. 483 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:25,760 Speaker 1: There has been a disturbing increase in the likelihood of 484 00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:29,919 Speaker 1: people taking threats, even ones made ironically or with coded terms, 485 00:26:30,160 --> 00:26:33,320 Speaker 1: offline and into the real world. Whether we're talking about 486 00:26:33,359 --> 00:26:35,760 Speaker 1: any of the mass shootings that were directly promised and 487 00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:39,480 Speaker 1: foreshadowed on online forums, or racial and religious hate crimes 488 00:26:39,560 --> 00:26:42,480 Speaker 1: encouraged and carried out like at christ Church in New Zealand, 489 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:46,280 Speaker 1: or the still active gamer Gate harassment campaigns that cause 490 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:48,919 Speaker 1: some women to go into hiding, or the increase in 491 00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:53,120 Speaker 1: real life consequences of cyberstalking and cyber bullying. There are 492 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:56,160 Speaker 1: a lot of reasons and examples to treat a threat 493 00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:59,560 Speaker 1: made in a private forum as something to be taken seriously, 494 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:01,960 Speaker 1: and based on what I've seen, and based on a 495 00:27:01,960 --> 00:27:04,280 Speaker 1: lot of the examples I just provided, the idea of 496 00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:08,680 Speaker 1: free speech is a frequently invoked substitute for dangerous or 497 00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:11,480 Speaker 1: threatening speech. And Firehouse, While I am not implying that 498 00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:14,840 Speaker 1: they are criminals, I am implying that the low rumblings 499 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:17,879 Speaker 1: of this exact model were at this time present in 500 00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:24,080 Speaker 1: that group. Okay, So upon logging into Firehouse that morning 501 00:27:24,119 --> 00:27:27,119 Speaker 1: to see where the conversation had gone overnight, I found 502 00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:30,120 Speaker 1: that I could not see much in the group at all. 503 00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:32,680 Speaker 1: And even though I had no Twitter account, if you 504 00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:36,280 Speaker 1: searched my name on Twitter, hashtag would pop up called 505 00:27:36,440 --> 00:27:41,040 Speaker 1: hashtag mensa responds. Here were some of the hashtag mensa response. 506 00:27:41,520 --> 00:27:45,159 Speaker 1: Jamie Loftus has been suspended for attacking our membership without cause. 507 00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:48,720 Speaker 1: She'll be back hoping for more publicity. Will be ready 508 00:27:49,080 --> 00:27:53,560 Speaker 1: hashtag ments of response and attached to this tweet was 509 00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:58,879 Speaker 1: a picture and a quotation from Joseph Grobel's Yes That 510 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:02,919 Speaker 1: Joseph group the Nazi. One Twitter member commented to me 511 00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:06,320 Speaker 1: directly in spite of my suspension. I admire your energy 512 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:09,960 Speaker 1: and dedication gee, to have met all medicines in such 513 00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:13,400 Speaker 1: a short amount of time. So to recap after writing 514 00:28:13,520 --> 00:28:16,920 Speaker 1: a satirical piece calling myself a dump slut and kind 515 00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:18,440 Speaker 1: of riffing on the idea of what I thought of 516 00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:21,960 Speaker 1: MENSA member was members of the secret MENSA Facebook group 517 00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:25,600 Speaker 1: mass insulted then mass blocked me when I shared their 518 00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:29,200 Speaker 1: insults on my Twitter viewed this sharing of threats made 519 00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:32,439 Speaker 1: towards me as a sinister doxing and sabotage of the 520 00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:37,160 Speaker 1: sanctity of an unmoderated group, and in fact, the fact 521 00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:40,200 Speaker 1: that my Twitter account was suspended became a commonly cited 522 00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:43,120 Speaker 1: piece of evidence that I had in fact done wrong 523 00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:46,200 Speaker 1: by not censoring these names, even though while some would 524 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:49,000 Speaker 1: argue it's unethical, it is not illegal. Even though the 525 00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:51,880 Speaker 1: service reinstated my account and admitted that it was their 526 00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:54,440 Speaker 1: error that I had been banned, and given the trend 527 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:57,760 Speaker 1: of how Twitter suspensions were, my account was most likely 528 00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:02,160 Speaker 1: flagged because the same tweet was reported multiple times by 529 00:29:02,360 --> 00:29:06,000 Speaker 1: you tell Me. Upon my account being reinstated, I removed 530 00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:09,720 Speaker 1: the reference to the MENSA group threat because fair point, 531 00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:12,320 Speaker 1: that's not my business and leave all the insults and 532 00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:15,280 Speaker 1: threats up. And that was important to be because to 533 00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:19,240 Speaker 1: me it was that sweet refrain. Again. Sure, they called 534 00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:23,120 Speaker 1: you ugly and stupid and threatened you unprompted, and they 535 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:26,120 Speaker 1: will react harshly if you attached their name to such 536 00:29:26,120 --> 00:29:28,760 Speaker 1: a comment, but you really just have to get to 537 00:29:28,840 --> 00:29:32,280 Speaker 1: know them. Okay, we're going to jump back into the future. 538 00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:37,400 Speaker 1: We're going to July, day two of my time at 539 00:29:37,400 --> 00:29:42,720 Speaker 1: the MENSA Annual Gathering. Bring not a bit too fine 540 00:29:42,720 --> 00:29:45,200 Speaker 1: a point on it, but I am the Taylor Swift 541 00:29:45,240 --> 00:29:48,880 Speaker 1: of being absolutely hated at the Sheridan in Phoenix. I'm 542 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:52,480 Speaker 1: very good, and so when I wake up, I'm very, 543 00:29:52,600 --> 00:29:56,440 Speaker 1: very hungover. And I listened back to the audio note 544 00:29:56,480 --> 00:29:59,160 Speaker 1: that I recorded upon getting back to my Airbnb the 545 00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:03,200 Speaker 1: previous night, which is just a long, blubbering tangent of 546 00:30:03,240 --> 00:30:06,480 Speaker 1: what had happened throughout the rest of the night. And 547 00:30:06,640 --> 00:30:09,840 Speaker 1: I'm saying things like they wanted to own the libs, 548 00:30:09,880 --> 00:30:12,680 Speaker 1: and I let them own the lips, very pathetic, laughed 549 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:16,640 Speaker 1: at my own jokes, then started crying again. And so yes, 550 00:30:16,920 --> 00:30:21,040 Speaker 1: on night one, I had let MENSA make me cry, 551 00:30:21,480 --> 00:30:23,960 Speaker 1: at least for an hour, and I called my mom 552 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:26,320 Speaker 1: to talk about it, and she says, I think you 553 00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:29,200 Speaker 1: should stay as I'm pouring over my notes from the 554 00:30:29,240 --> 00:30:32,640 Speaker 1: previous night, calculating exactly how long I could stay in 555 00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:36,200 Speaker 1: my bed at the Airbnb before going back the mile 556 00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:39,880 Speaker 1: and a half of degree hell weather that lay between 557 00:30:39,880 --> 00:30:42,880 Speaker 1: me and the Sheraton, and I tell her I cried 558 00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:45,520 Speaker 1: in the game room for forty five minutes last night, 559 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:48,280 Speaker 1: confirming this on the MENSA station area I had bought 560 00:30:48,360 --> 00:30:51,360 Speaker 1: at their ill advised on site gift shop, which sold 561 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:54,720 Speaker 1: everything from office applies to truly hideous T shirts. Some 562 00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:56,960 Speaker 1: of the graphic to sign let me share a fight 563 00:30:57,040 --> 00:30:59,560 Speaker 1: club bar of soap with Mensa carved into the tale 564 00:31:00,520 --> 00:31:05,200 Speaker 1: Deadpool caricature with a throbbing brain labeled brain Pool, the 565 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:08,560 Speaker 1: organization's name in the Marvel funt the World of Warcraft fund, 566 00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:13,760 Speaker 1: and a comic book hero named Mr Manson. My mom says, 567 00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:16,120 Speaker 1: he cried to who. I looked back down at my 568 00:31:16,160 --> 00:31:19,840 Speaker 1: notes for the answer, and that is Tall Guy. Tall 569 00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:22,360 Speaker 1: Guy was with me in the Firehouse suite the previous 570 00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:24,120 Speaker 1: night as well, which was a lucky find in the 571 00:31:24,160 --> 00:31:26,600 Speaker 1: gen Y suite because he was just as confused as 572 00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:29,400 Speaker 1: why they weren't calling it millennial as I was. Coincidentally, 573 00:31:29,440 --> 00:31:31,200 Speaker 1: he lives a few miles away from where I do 574 00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:33,880 Speaker 1: in California, and he's kind of a tech bro turned 575 00:31:33,960 --> 00:31:36,920 Speaker 1: dad who now dabbles in improv and is very nice 576 00:31:36,920 --> 00:31:39,080 Speaker 1: to me in a moment that he doesn't realize that 577 00:31:39,160 --> 00:31:41,240 Speaker 1: I really need someone to be nice to me. When 578 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:43,720 Speaker 1: he saw me last night, he said he dressed perfectly 579 00:31:43,760 --> 00:31:47,280 Speaker 1: for the luaw because the theme was luow is pointing 580 00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:49,400 Speaker 1: to my tied eye shirt and my pink shorts, and 581 00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:52,280 Speaker 1: then he said unless that's how normally dressed, which case 582 00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:55,440 Speaker 1: I apologize, and he's at the Firehouse party to the 583 00:31:55,480 --> 00:31:58,080 Speaker 1: fifth floor of the Sheraton that night was lined with 584 00:31:58,200 --> 00:32:01,680 Speaker 1: Firehouse members, some of whom appeared to vaguely recognize me, 585 00:32:01,760 --> 00:32:03,840 Speaker 1: and others who were too deep in conversation to care. 586 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:06,160 Speaker 1: The group of people I'd come up with entered the 587 00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:08,600 Speaker 1: open Suite, which was as dark as any other party 588 00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:10,720 Speaker 1: we've been to that night, except weirdly for the gen 589 00:32:10,840 --> 00:32:14,440 Speaker 1: X suite, who apparently value iridescent lighting, which was really nice. 590 00:32:14,520 --> 00:32:16,440 Speaker 1: But I can't see in this room that is later 591 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:19,360 Speaker 1: confirmed in photos is a table of drinks, a cardboard 592 00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:21,880 Speaker 1: cut out of Donald Trump and about twenty people whose 593 00:32:21,880 --> 00:32:24,480 Speaker 1: faces I can't make out. Tall guy is either vaguely 594 00:32:24,480 --> 00:32:27,280 Speaker 1: intrigued by why everyone is so interested in someone as 595 00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:30,080 Speaker 1: poorly dressed as me, or is a little worried after 596 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:32,560 Speaker 1: I expressed some of the anxiety I felt in the 597 00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:34,880 Speaker 1: elevator up and so he kind of hangs near by 598 00:32:34,960 --> 00:32:37,920 Speaker 1: me when I'm stopped within ten seconds of entering the room. 599 00:32:38,080 --> 00:32:40,680 Speaker 1: The person stopping me in question is a hosier in 600 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:43,880 Speaker 1: his forties with a column of ribbons attached to his lanyard, 601 00:32:43,920 --> 00:32:45,920 Speaker 1: a type of person that there is a limitless supply 602 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:48,760 Speaker 1: of at this convention. I'll be honest, I know you are. 603 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:51,520 Speaker 1: We're having the same conversation I've had several times this 604 00:32:51,640 --> 00:32:54,040 Speaker 1: night already, but this time we're in the Lions ten. 605 00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:56,440 Speaker 1: There's a lot of people who would say, don't talk 606 00:32:56,440 --> 00:32:59,640 Speaker 1: to Jamie and she thinks we're loser, dumbasses and all 607 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:01,880 Speaker 1: of that. But my position is going to be based 608 00:33:01,920 --> 00:33:04,840 Speaker 1: on our interaction now, and even he will end up 609 00:33:04,840 --> 00:33:08,360 Speaker 1: containing more multitudes than I can possibly handle at this moment, 610 00:33:08,520 --> 00:33:10,440 Speaker 1: because yes, he will ask me in the hallway the 611 00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:13,400 Speaker 1: next day if I was secretly videotaping the entire party, 612 00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:15,600 Speaker 1: but he also appears to be dating the woman who 613 00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:18,960 Speaker 1: expressed the most pro choice opinions in the reproductive rights 614 00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:21,640 Speaker 1: debate I went to that night. Who knows this guy? 615 00:33:21,640 --> 00:33:25,040 Speaker 1: And I have a bizarre but civil conversation about my 616 00:33:25,160 --> 00:33:28,320 Speaker 1: status in firehouse for about half hour, and I spend 617 00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:30,800 Speaker 1: most of my time explaining that my intention was never 618 00:33:30,840 --> 00:33:32,560 Speaker 1: to hurt anyone in the group, but to do what 619 00:33:32,640 --> 00:33:35,680 Speaker 1: I thought was pretty clear satire, and he explained that 620 00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:37,840 Speaker 1: that wasn't how most of the people in the room felt. 621 00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:40,320 Speaker 1: Tall Guy was standing beside me throughout most of it, 622 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:44,040 Speaker 1: learning about this schism in real time, and right when 623 00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:45,760 Speaker 1: it looked like I would actually get to talk to 624 00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:48,320 Speaker 1: some people, I started to get a little exasperated. But 625 00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:50,360 Speaker 1: we hear each other out, and tall Guy is looking 626 00:33:50,440 --> 00:33:52,840 Speaker 1: kind of amused, and he looks down to me and 627 00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:56,400 Speaker 1: is like, what did you even do? And I'm getting 628 00:33:56,480 --> 00:33:59,040 Speaker 1: worked up and I'm like nothing, and I feel my 629 00:33:59,120 --> 00:34:02,360 Speaker 1: brain started kind of splinter because the man I'm speaking 630 00:34:02,400 --> 00:34:05,520 Speaker 1: with remains respectful and continues to explain to me what 631 00:34:05,600 --> 00:34:07,440 Speaker 1: has already been explained to me by other men that 632 00:34:07,560 --> 00:34:11,160 Speaker 1: night that I come in pre judging medicines and the screenshots, 633 00:34:11,200 --> 00:34:13,640 Speaker 1: and that being hateful online next to your own name 634 00:34:13,800 --> 00:34:16,120 Speaker 1: didn't mean you were that way in real life. And 635 00:34:16,160 --> 00:34:18,720 Speaker 1: I have no issue with him. But I have heard 636 00:34:18,800 --> 00:34:21,600 Speaker 1: this already, and we're in the middle of rehashing this 637 00:34:21,719 --> 00:34:24,000 Speaker 1: again when the people standing a few feet away with 638 00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:26,520 Speaker 1: their backs to me and what I later understand to 639 00:34:26,560 --> 00:34:29,799 Speaker 1: be protest, start to kind of stir a little bit, 640 00:34:29,920 --> 00:34:32,680 Speaker 1: and one of them breaks away from the pack. This 641 00:34:32,760 --> 00:34:35,120 Speaker 1: is a guy who's maybe in his twenties with a 642 00:34:35,160 --> 00:34:37,960 Speaker 1: short haircut, and he's the first firehouse member to not 643 00:34:38,120 --> 00:34:40,919 Speaker 1: ask me how my ag is going. With wide eyes 644 00:34:40,960 --> 00:34:43,759 Speaker 1: and clenched teeth, he just he opts to just cut 645 00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:47,040 Speaker 1: straight to yelling. You don't want to drop that phone, huh? 646 00:34:47,320 --> 00:34:49,600 Speaker 1: He asks me, and he's reaching out to jostle it 647 00:34:49,640 --> 00:34:51,560 Speaker 1: out of my hand. Or you wouldn't want to drop 648 00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:54,560 Speaker 1: that phone, huh. He storms across the room to ask 649 00:34:54,640 --> 00:34:56,640 Speaker 1: the same thing of the handful of other people who 650 00:34:56,680 --> 00:34:59,160 Speaker 1: walked upstairs with me, turns his name tag around so 651 00:34:59,239 --> 00:35:01,960 Speaker 1: no one can identif by him, and starts accusing people 652 00:35:02,040 --> 00:35:04,920 Speaker 1: that I have just met a videotaping the party on 653 00:35:05,040 --> 00:35:08,520 Speaker 1: my behalf. The beers that I had drank downstairs. I 654 00:35:08,520 --> 00:35:10,920 Speaker 1: am really starting to feel and the man I've been 655 00:35:10,920 --> 00:35:13,839 Speaker 1: talking to for a half hour is pretty apologetic and 656 00:35:13,960 --> 00:35:16,040 Speaker 1: says he doesn't know the person who tried to take 657 00:35:16,080 --> 00:35:18,400 Speaker 1: my phone, and that he'd been getting a strange feeling 658 00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:20,560 Speaker 1: about that guy the entire night, and that he was 659 00:35:20,600 --> 00:35:24,240 Speaker 1: in the service, which doesn't really seem like a fair characterization, 660 00:35:24,320 --> 00:35:27,360 Speaker 1: but go off. And he says to me, your safety 661 00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:31,080 Speaker 1: isn't a question, and I'm pretty close to panicking, but 662 00:35:31,160 --> 00:35:33,239 Speaker 1: I'm saying I know, I know you feel myself kind 663 00:35:33,239 --> 00:35:36,359 Speaker 1: of starting to cry through the conversation, and tall Guy 664 00:35:36,400 --> 00:35:38,360 Speaker 1: asks me if I want to leave, and I nod 665 00:35:38,600 --> 00:35:41,880 Speaker 1: and I say yes and and try to hide the 666 00:35:41,920 --> 00:35:44,040 Speaker 1: fact that my eyes are full, and he clears a 667 00:35:44,040 --> 00:35:46,200 Speaker 1: path for us, and we leave, and the few people 668 00:35:46,239 --> 00:35:48,719 Speaker 1: we came with stay there, and I learned the next 669 00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:50,600 Speaker 1: day that they were yelled at by the same guy 670 00:35:50,640 --> 00:35:53,120 Speaker 1: who tried to take my phone. Tall Guy takes me 671 00:35:53,160 --> 00:35:56,200 Speaker 1: downstairs and we spend the next hour at the first 672 00:35:56,239 --> 00:35:59,480 Speaker 1: floor games room that stays open extra light, and I 673 00:35:59,520 --> 00:36:03,000 Speaker 1: start by sobbing through explaining why the night had gone 674 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:05,759 Speaker 1: the way it had, and Tall Guy was patient with 675 00:36:05,800 --> 00:36:09,080 Speaker 1: me to a degree that baffles me to this moment, 676 00:36:09,280 --> 00:36:12,520 Speaker 1: and he listens to everything I said through my tears 677 00:36:12,560 --> 00:36:15,560 Speaker 1: and phlegm and everything, and he asks why are you 678 00:36:15,600 --> 00:36:18,120 Speaker 1: doing this? Where are you getting out of this? And 679 00:36:18,360 --> 00:36:21,400 Speaker 1: my answers, from what I can remember, are pretty indecisive, 680 00:36:21,520 --> 00:36:23,319 Speaker 1: because in this moment, I don't really know why I 681 00:36:23,320 --> 00:36:25,120 Speaker 1: am here, aside from the fact that I bought the 682 00:36:25,120 --> 00:36:28,280 Speaker 1: ticket five months ago after meeting a senior Firehouse member 683 00:36:28,320 --> 00:36:30,480 Speaker 1: in person for the first time, and I felt like 684 00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:33,400 Speaker 1: she had presented me with this challenge, and maybe she 685 00:36:33,520 --> 00:36:36,080 Speaker 1: was right, and maybe I had nothing to be nervous about. 686 00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:39,239 Speaker 1: But less than a day into this grand idiot experiment, 687 00:36:39,360 --> 00:36:42,799 Speaker 1: I really wish I weren't here. I didn't feel like 688 00:36:42,920 --> 00:36:45,920 Speaker 1: I was in mensa. I felt like I was the mensa, 689 00:36:46,080 --> 00:36:49,560 Speaker 1: the stupid lady who never should have accepted a dare 690 00:36:49,719 --> 00:36:52,520 Speaker 1: from a sentient comments section. But I cry my way 691 00:36:52,520 --> 00:36:56,000 Speaker 1: through this crisis with Tall Guys guidance, and eventually I 692 00:36:56,120 --> 00:36:59,040 Speaker 1: say I need to call an uber. And this makes 693 00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:00,759 Speaker 1: me feel so silly now out, But I did have 694 00:37:00,800 --> 00:37:03,640 Speaker 1: this paranoid flash through my head that maybe Tall Guy 695 00:37:03,840 --> 00:37:06,319 Speaker 1: had been sent by Firehouse to spy on me, and 696 00:37:06,360 --> 00:37:09,080 Speaker 1: this was how bad my state of mind was getting. 697 00:37:09,080 --> 00:37:11,600 Speaker 1: And tall guy was confused and said, you're not staying 698 00:37:11,600 --> 00:37:14,120 Speaker 1: at the hotel and I'm still crying, and I'm like, 699 00:37:14,280 --> 00:37:16,839 Speaker 1: I'm not paid enough for that because I'm not being 700 00:37:16,880 --> 00:37:19,960 Speaker 1: paid to be here. I'm just hurting myself. So that's 701 00:37:20,080 --> 00:37:22,440 Speaker 1: you know, Rittan and ground. It's not in the budget. 702 00:37:22,560 --> 00:37:28,719 Speaker 1: So flash forward to the next morning. I'm recapping this 703 00:37:29,040 --> 00:37:32,160 Speaker 1: for my mom and she says, you should stay. You 704 00:37:32,200 --> 00:37:35,000 Speaker 1: said you get to know them so you'll see it through. Now. 705 00:37:35,080 --> 00:37:37,640 Speaker 1: I have found my mother to be terrible with this 706 00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:41,000 Speaker 1: sort of advice of the time, but that's also sort 707 00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:43,880 Speaker 1: of why I called her, because I know I should stay. 708 00:37:44,080 --> 00:37:47,280 Speaker 1: I'm seven hundred dollars in the hole, I'm very hungover, 709 00:37:47,400 --> 00:37:51,200 Speaker 1: I'm completely miserable and nervous and scared, but I know 710 00:37:51,719 --> 00:37:57,319 Speaker 1: I am staying. And that's episode two of my year 711 00:37:57,440 --> 00:38:00,759 Speaker 1: in mensa. I hope you're enjoying AUNT. If you are, 712 00:38:00,960 --> 00:38:03,160 Speaker 1: feel free to let people know. Thank you so much 713 00:38:03,200 --> 00:38:06,040 Speaker 1: to Sadie Depueve for doing me incredible theme song, and 714 00:38:06,080 --> 00:38:08,760 Speaker 1: thank you to the following people for lending your voice 715 00:38:08,880 --> 00:38:13,640 Speaker 1: to the mentions. They are Caitlin Durante, iff You, Audi Way, 716 00:38:13,880 --> 00:38:19,960 Speaker 1: Miles Gray, Anna Hosnie, Sophie Lichterman, Robert Evans, either Taylor Jacquies, 717 00:38:20,040 --> 00:38:24,120 Speaker 1: Neil Daniel Goodman, and Maggie may Fish. My name is 718 00:38:24,200 --> 00:38:26,200 Speaker 1: Jamie Loftus. You can find me on them wherever you 719 00:38:26,239 --> 00:38:28,960 Speaker 1: want to. Really, we're halfway their baby. See you next 720 00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:35,560 Speaker 1: time on my ear and mentum