If you read this site because you find my insights on law or the horror of institutionalized corporate life amusing, I have a recommendation for you – www.Bitterlawyer.com. There are loads of websites out there satirizing law firm life, but I haven’t found one with the quality of writing and production these guys bring to the program.
The law firm life doesn’t lend itself to humor. You have to pull that out, dig a few layers to mine the absurdity at the heart of thing – those subtle, carnival-of-dysfunction aspects that make every day in a firm feel like a real-life episode of Arrested Development. The guys at Bitterlawyer do exactly that, and then some. From their articles to their webisodes, Living the Dream, the site is easily one of the best sources of law-related comedy on the web.
I did a piece with them today called “The Seven Species of Legal Website Troll” Pretty self-explanatory. We dissect seven common types of commenters who flame, argue with and irritate everyone around them on some of the larger law-related websites on the internet. The targets are geared to lawyers and law students, but I think most of them are universally recognizable – law-themed variations of the general irritants who infect message boards and comment fields all over the web.
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I don’t want to sound like one of the “trolls,” but that read like a really bad Cracked article. But then again, this is the only law blog I read so take it for what it’s worth. Anyway, just finished the book and loved it. Congrats.
-Mike
PL: Thanks. On the other issue, I like Cracked. There’s some funny shit there.
“.3 – Misc. Research re: Penske suit” — you a funny man.
Bitter Lawyer is an interesting site — why haven’t I heard of it before? Some of the writing looks familiar. Mutual imaginary friends?
Oh, and B&N finally had your book in stock, so I picked it up the other day. I can’t believe I didn’t make the acknowlegements, you fucker.
PL: Making fun of the Orientals, are we? And you wonder why I couldn’t put you in the acknowledgments? They’re going to drag your gin-addled ass from the corner office like Marge Schott if you keep this up.
BL’s a new outfit. Totally new, so far as I know. Nice guys.
Phila,
As a 4 year reader, HHIFA owner and a first time commenter: please let’s have another story and not a website plug / Pennsylvania photojournalist essay.
– Kyle
PL: Let’s just say I’m juggling a lot of things right now.
The Pennsyltucky thing isn’t just a photojournalist essay, by the way. It goes somewhere. Not sure exactly, but it gets there.
I also have to mix it up a bit. I don’t want to get self-derivative.
rather mediocre stuff. I counsel against collaboration. I note once again your blog not named to the AmLaw Top 100 Legal Blogs. Those guys are such Myrons.
PL: In fairness, I’m not a Blawg. And really, neither is Bitterlawyer. That’s why we wound up collaborating. I think high quality content like their videos is the future of the net. Not saying anything new there, of course, but I don’t see too many outfits writing and producing as crisply as those guys do.
I’ve been thinking long and hard about this and I think the thing you need to really put this book over the top is a great publicity stunt! I mean heck it worked for Hemmingway… he staged that whole “WWII” gag just to promote sales of Sun Also Rises…
So, in a similar vein as your “Doktor Bob” segements, I think it’s critical that you fight the “4 oz. to Freedom” guy as soon as possible.
You/that dude, in the playground 3:00. Weinerdog… I’m going to go post on his blog and tell him you want to fight him, it’s so on!
PIZZA! PIZZA!
PL: “Welcome to the Dollhouse”? You want the guy to rape me?
You would like that, you sick fuck.
You got that one mixed up with “3:00 High.”
By the way, Solondz’s best flick is “Happiness.” Watch the unedited version. Trust me.
Hey Phila, finally found the time to read through your book and loved it! Was just wondering if you were ever going to do a story on your wife, how you met her or why she would ever date your sorry self :P Think it would make an interesting read, especially if she had some input in it.
PL: I met her years before, as the book explains. Our first interaction was in a fraternity house. Quite drunk, she and friend woke my roommate and I, turned on the stereo and started dancing with my roommate. I sat up in my loft and watched the pair of crazy chicks dancing with my buddy. I’ll never forget it for two reasons. Years later, when she and I got together, the thing we fought about most is my lack of dancing skill. Secondly, the song they were dancing to was AC/DC’s “Squealer,” a rather lurid track at the end of “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.” Odd thing to hear in a house where you never heard anything but Allmans, Dead or Traffic, and an even stranger song to dance to. A lot my memories are hazy. That’s crystal clear. Same as the memory of the first time I ran into her years later.