Don’t know if I announced this before. This week’s issue of the Weekly World
News is supposed to have an article on mountain unicycling. The Weekly World
News is one of those tabloids we Americans see at the supermarket, touting
stories of alien babies and George W. Bush is really the son of Elvis.
When originally contacted I was sceptical, so I asked my contact what the
article was going to be about. She sent me a copy of the whole thing. Apparently
it was put together from interviews with George Peck and Brett Bymaster,
probably a few years ago. Then there will be some pictures by me and Jeff Sloan.
I believe I was told it would be this week’s issue, though I don’t remember the
date it’s supposed to show up at the check-out. I’ll keep my eyes out…
Normally I would think that more publicity for MUni is a good thing, but I’m not
sure about this one. Check out http://weeklyworldnews.com/ - this week’s cover
story is that Amelia Erhart has been found alive at age 103 on a South Pacific
island. That’s so funny it’s almost not funny! Or if you prefer, you can read
how Bush is going to resign by August. I think we don’t need publicity for MUni
alongside “articles” like this. People I meet on the trails are already
skeptical enough.
—Nathan
“John Foss” <john_foss@asinet.com> wrote in message news:52CD02C3DAD2D411A3170002A528514206B1F2@SERVER… > Hi all, > > Don’t know if I announced this before. This week’s issue of the Weekly
World > News is supposed to have an article on mountain unicycling. The Weekly
World > News is one of those tabloids we Americans see at the supermarket, touting > stories of alien babies and George W. Bush is really the son of Elvis. > > When originally contacted I was sceptical, so I asked my contact what the > article was going to be about. She sent me a copy of the whole thing. > Apparently it was put together from interviews with George Peck and Brett > Bymaster, probably a few years ago. Then there will be some pictures by me and > Jeff Sloan. > > I believe I was told it would be this week’s issue, though I don’t
remember > the date it’s supposed to show up at the check-out. I’ll keep my eyes
out… > > Stay on top, John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone http://www.unicycling.com > > “I see the light at the end of the tunnel and it isn’t a train.” – California > Governor Gray Davis on the CA energy crisis
My wife bought me a copy of the WWN. I wondered why. She then pointed out the
MUni pic on the cover. Actually, I was quite touched that she had thought of me
and my unicycling.
The article is a good ways on the good side of awful, although short. It quotes
Brymaster and Peck. My only regret is that Kris Holm wasn’t (to my recollection)
highlighted or mentioned. If this is the only WWN you ever buy (I admit to
having bought a few as a gag when I used to brief U. S. Navy aviators on current
events back in the 80’s), I’d recommend it.
Carl Trachte Morenci, Arizona
Nathan Hoover wrote: > > Normally I would think that more publicity for MUni is a good thing, but I’m > not sure about this one. Check out http://weeklyworldnews.com/ - this week’s > cover story is that Amelia Erhart has been found alive at age 103 on a South > Pacific island. That’s so funny it’s almost not funny! Or if you prefer, you > can read how Bush is going to resign by August. I think we don’t need > publicity for MUni alongside “articles” like this. People I meet on the trails > are already skeptical enough. > > —Nathan > > “John Foss” <john_foss@asinet.com> wrote in message > news:52CD02C3DAD2D411A3170002A528514206B1F2@SERVER… > > Hi all, > > > > Don’t know if I announced this before. This week’s issue of the Weekly > World > > News is supposed to have an article on mountain unicycling. The Weekly > World > > News is one of those tabloids we Americans see at the supermarket, touting > > stories of alien babies and George W. Bush is really the son of Elvis. > > > > When originally contacted I was sceptical, so I asked my contact what the > > article was going to be about. She sent me a copy of the whole thing. > > Apparently it was put together from interviews with George Peck and Brett > > Bymaster, probably a few years ago. Then there will be some pictures by me > > and Jeff Sloan. > > > > I believe I was told it would be this week’s issue, though I don’t > remember > > the date it’s supposed to show up at the check-out. I’ll keep my eyes > out… > > > > Stay on top, John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone http://www.unicycling.com > > > > “I see the light at the end of the tunnel and it isn’t a train.” – > > California Governor Gray Davis on the CA energy crisis
> Normally I would think that more publicity for MUni is a good thing, but I’m > not sure about this one. Check out http://weeklyworldnews.com/
Wow! But to me it’s kind of a “coup”. Weekly World News always has the most
outrageous headlines! Always the best one for a laugh at the checkout. That’s
why I insisted that my photos only be used along with accurate information about
unicycling.
And this appears to be the case. If the story that gets run is not the one they
sent me, I will have something to say about it. I will admit I have looked in
this paper before. Much of the interior content is quite normal. I just think
they don’t waste a lot of time checking their sources is all.
This time they did, and were kind of amazed to find that one of the pictures
they asked for was of one of the guys quoted in the article (Brett Bymaster)!
Let’s see if they mention that in a caption or something…
The cover story on the Web site is from a current issue. The MUni article will
be in one that comes after that, maybe the next one or the one after.
> I think we don’t need publicity for MUni alongside “articles” like this. > People I meet on the trails are already skeptical enough.
At least the people on the trails can see that it’s true! But yes, we don’t get
great credibility by being in a tabloid like Weekly World News. But what we do
get is a ton of copies out there, and more people being presented with the idea
of unicycling outside of the circus. That can’t be all bad.
Should I tell Nathan he’s in the picture with Brett too? Maybe not. I hope he’s
not reading this
Stay on top, John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone Roving Tabloid Photographer
