Tucker Max, Miss Vermont, and Judge Diana
Here’s a really wacky story about a really wacky guy and the really wacky girl he was dating for a while, and the really wacky judge who issued an order telling the first he couldn’t write things, even true things, about the second on his web site. From the New York Times: Internet battle raises questions about the First Amendment.
To fullly appreciate the wackiness, you’ll need to read the pre-restrained version of the party of the first part’s web site. Which, conveniently, you can do using Google’s cache (at least for the moment): The Miss Vermont Story. You’ll probably also want to check out Miss Vermont’s web page: http://www.katyjohnson.com/.
A couple of observations: First, the judge obviously went way too far in restraining the ex-boyfriend’s speech. I guess it’s like business-method patents: if something takes place on the Internet, the technically challenged assume it is something completely new, not subject to the old rules. But it is subject to the old rules; speech is still speech, and telling someone he can’t tell the truth about his life and his experiences is bogus.
Second, Katy Johnson and Tucker Max were made for each other. Both of them are using the Web as a forum for promoting their weird, twisted versions of how they’d like others to see them (and to promote books they’ve written based on that twisted reality). For Katy, it’s about her chastity, and sobriety, and her blonde, wholesome, chirpy goodness. For Tucker, it’s a chance to strut proudly on a stage of his own imagining, where everyone is agog at his incredible powers to seduce, to charm, to bedazzle with amusing anecdotes, to treat women as vessels for his seed, and to get really drunk and throw up on himself.
The reality comes through best when the outside observer can compare each of their accounts with the other. Which, sadly, the judge has said she’s not going to allow.
Thanks to Danthar for the links.
June 7th, 2003 at 5:54 pm
Uh oh…
Someone Talked!
“In addition to publishing all the legal documents filed in the case, Annoy.com, after much consideration, has also published the original account of Tucker Max’s relationship with Katy Johnson. We are not affiliated nor associated with Mr. Max in any way. Our visceral aversion to careless and unconstitutional prior restraints by Judges prompted our decision.”
http://www.annoy.com/features/doc.html?DocumentID=100495
June 9th, 2003 at 3:28 pm
This is one of the biggest, most successful hoaxes in recent memory. I can’t believe everyone is buying into it…
These two megalomaniacs cooked up this scheme to promote each other ala WWF/Oprah style, and by golly, the press took it hook line and sinker.
Investigative reporting is a thing of the past, and these two clowns know that what is good for the dog is good for the tail as well. Make a garbage story, cook up a bogus lawsuit, and people will publish it to boost your exposure AND sell papers – it’s as simple as that. Jayson Blair? He was good for the industry… as long as he didn’t get caught, which is exactly what is NOT supposed to happen, and, in fact, rarely does.
June 9th, 2003 at 3:57 pm
Actually, that makes a certain amount of sense. Do you have any URLs of places claiming it’s a hoax (other than this page, now)?
June 11th, 2003 at 12:42 am
I dont know about it being a hoax, but I see sites like this one begging to be sued. They have the original page up (mirrored on their site)PLUS a boatload of slander. Crazy.
June 11th, 2003 at 12:44 am
Sorry, the link I meant to post was:
http://www.messedup.net
Thats the site begging to be sued. Look at that disgusting article they have up there.