6 ms·

Personal opinion of course, but even if you don't like The Oatmeal, a comparison to Buzzfeed isn't really appropriate, they're very different animals. One's a c

Personal opinion of course, but even if you don't like The Oatmeal, a comparison to Buzzfeed isn't really appropriate, they're very different animals. One's a comic written, drawn and published by a guy, the other is a couple of lists interspersed with gifs, then lazily rehashed weeks later.

jarcane 11y ago
Read some of the stuff he and others have written in the past about his process. Even the subject matter is selected based on virality more than anything. You really think it's coincidence that all his comics seem to be about whatever is an instant meme on reddit this week? Nobody ever went broke on the internet by running cats and bacon into the ground.
- hullo 11y ago
  Now I don't read the oatmeal so am not really qualified to comment on its content, but what you just described (content based on timely matters) seems like the very definition of the editorial cartoons I grew up reading. I imagine there are a large variety of non-contemporaneous comics one could also read on the web if it's not to one's liking.
- giltleaf 11y ago
  Can you link to some of that stuff?
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- waqf 11y ago
  And even the bacon phenomenon was marketing-driven: http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2014-10-06/bacon-why-americas-favorite-food-mania-happened http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2014-10-06/bacon-why-am...
furyofantares 11y ago
Actually, buzzfeed has some good long form content
- pavel_lishin 11y ago
  I've noticed that, and been surprised every time. It's like finding a diamond at the bottom of a dive bar urinal.
  - tricolon 11y ago
    It's not all that surprising once you know about their efforts: http://www.buzzfeed.com/mathonan/come-fly-with-us#.pqdmg3WRE http://www.buzzfeed.com/mathonan/come-fly-with-us#.pqdmg3WRE http://www.journalism.columbia.edu/page/1109-buzzfeed-news-columbia-journalism-school-investigative-reporting-fellowship-for-journalists-of-color/8 http://www.journalism.columbia.edu/page/1109-buzzfeed-news-c...

jarcane 11y ago

Read some of the stuff he and others have written in the past about his process. Even the subject matter is selected based on virality more than anything. You really think it's coincidence that all his comics seem to be about whatever is an instant meme on reddit this week? Nobody ever went broke on the internet by running cats and bacon into the ground.

hullo 11y ago
Now I don't read the oatmeal so am not really qualified to comment on its content, but what you just described (content based on timely matters) seems like the very definition of the editorial cartoons I grew up reading. I imagine there are a large variety of non-contemporaneous comics one could also read on the web if it's not to one's liking.
giltleaf 11y ago
Can you link to some of that stuff?
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
waqf 11y ago
And even the bacon phenomenon was marketing-driven: http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2014-10-06/bacon-why-americas-favorite-food-mania-happened http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2014-10-06/bacon-why-am...

furyofantares 11y ago

Actually, buzzfeed has some good long form content

pavel_lishin 11y ago
I've noticed that, and been surprised every time. It's like finding a diamond at the bottom of a dive bar urinal.
- tricolon 11y ago
  It's not all that surprising once you know about their efforts: http://www.buzzfeed.com/mathonan/come-fly-with-us#.pqdmg3WRE http://www.buzzfeed.com/mathonan/come-fly-with-us#.pqdmg3WRE http://www.journalism.columbia.edu/page/1109-buzzfeed-news-columbia-journalism-school-investigative-reporting-fellowship-for-journalists-of-color/8 http://www.journalism.columbia.edu/page/1109-buzzfeed-news-c...