# Robin Williams quote a personal insult? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 30, 2016, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-williams-quote-a-personal-insult/773460 "2016-11-30T16:00:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-williams-quote-a-personal-insult/773460/41 "2016-12-01T14:20:54Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > So we’ve yet to have any freaking explanation on how referencing the sensation of ‘living over a meth lab’ as a characterization can possibly be construed as a PERSONAL insult. I offered one in post #21. It doesn’t HAVE to be an insult, but it certainly COULD HAVE BEEN. > [@](#): > > Not seeing how your admitted misinterpretation changes it’s actual meaning. He didn’t admit to a misinterpretation. There are different ways to interpret it. > [@](#): > > If mods write notes for everything someone misinterprets they’re gonna be awful busy, dontcha think? It was not “misinterpreted”. The interoperation was unclear. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-williams-quote-a-personal-insult/773460/42 "2016-12-01T14:30:46Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I offered one in post #21. It doesn’t HAVE to be an insult, but it certainly COULD HAVE BEEN. But that gets back to the point made by **Elbows** , **Muffin** and me - before a mod note is issued for an insult, shouldn’t it be clear it was an insult? I’m still having trouble seeing why it was considered a personal insult. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-williams-quote-a-personal-insult/773460/43 "2016-12-01T15:45:19Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > But that gets back to the point made by **Elbows** , **Muffin** and me - before a mod note is issued for an insult, shouldn’t it be clear it was an insult? I’m still having trouble seeing why it was considered a personal insult. No. How is the mod supposed to know how it was intended? Ands as **tom** noted, a post phrased in a joking manner is not a get-out-of-jail-free card. What’s to stop someone from intending the joke to be an insult, but then later swearing it was just a joke? I don’t expect the mods to be mind readers. It’s been explained multiple times how it can be seen as an insult. Explaining it one more time is probably not going to help. All I can say is, imagine you had never hear this before. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-williams-quote-a-personal-insult/773460/44 "2016-12-01T15:55:20Z")
Question for those who didn’t know it was a quote, but then assumed a certain reading of it… what was your reaction to Robin Williams’ name at the end? Because if I had no idea what the poster was talking about, then saw his name at the bottom, I’d go look it up to see what in the hell they were talking about. Because wouldn’t it be just a tad odd to figure it was an insult without any evidence? Especially since it was just the one line. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-williams-quote-a-personal-insult/773460/45 "2016-12-01T16:19:52Z")
Even if **you** found it offensive, it was not ‘hurled’, it was not personal, and in no way was it an attack! Good Lord! ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-williams-quote-a-personal-insult/773460/46 "2016-12-01T16:28:07Z")
> [@joyfool](#): > > Question for those who didn’t know it was a quote, but then assumed a certain reading of it… what was your reaction to Robin Williams’ name at the end? Because if I had no idea what the poster was talking about, then saw his name at the bottom, I’d go look it up to see what in the hell they were talking about. Because wouldn’t it be just a tad odd to figure it was an insult without any evidence? Especially since it was just the one line. I didn’t care enough to follow up on the Robin Williams mention. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-williams-quote-a-personal-insult/773460/47 "2016-12-01T16:42:40Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > No. How is the mod supposed to know how it was intended? > … > It’s been explained multiple times how it can be seen as an insult. Explaining it one more time is probably not going to help. All I can say is, imagine you had never hear this before. It’s also been explained multiple times how it can be seen as not an insult. Is the rule now "Don’t post anything that _may_ be considered an insult? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-williams-quote-a-personal-insult/773460/48 "2016-12-01T17:56:20Z")
> [@joyfool](#): > > Question for those who didn’t know it was a quote, but then assumed a certain reading of it… what was your reaction to Robin Williams’ name at the end? Because if I had no idea what the poster was talking about, then saw his name at the bottom, I’d go look it up to see what in the hell they were talking about. Because wouldn’t it be just a tad odd to figure it was an insult without any evidence? Especially since it was just the one line. My reaction is that you can’t use a quote as a way to get around the rule against insults. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-williams-quote-a-personal-insult/773460/49 "2016-12-01T17:58:24Z")
Here’s the thing- it wasnt a Warning. Yes, it could have been meant as a insult or not. So it was a Note. In cases where the insult is not clear, a Note is the right thing. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-williams-quote-a-personal-insult/773460/50 "2016-12-01T18:03:40Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > It’s also been explained multiple times how it can be seen as not an insult. > > Is the rule now "Don’t post anything that _may_ be considered an insult? We’ve had many debates about whether “X” is an really an insult or not. That is often going to be an issue, joke or no joke. Which is probably why no warning was issued, just a mod note was given. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-williams-quote-a-personal-insult/773460/51 "2016-12-01T18:09:40Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > My reaction is that you can’t use a quote as a way to get around the rule against insults. But, at least to me and some others, it was obviously not an insult. And if I thought it might be, I’d find it utterly bizarre to assume it was one if I couldn’t even be arsed to double check to make sure it was. Certainly if I was then going go laud / defend it as such. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-williams-quote-a-personal-insult/773460/52 "2016-12-01T18:30:28Z")
\*Q: “Can you come to Canada so I can hug you? I love you for naming your daughter Zelda.” Williams’ response: “I will be there as soon as I can! You have to give me a more specific location, you are a big country. You are the kindest country in the world. You are like a really nice apartment over a meth lab.”\* Is “the meth lab” supposed to be “things Americans say” or “Americans” or all of the above or…? It could be either or something else. Why anyone thinks it’s “obvious” is beyond me. ---
**Author:** ![Corner\_Case](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/corner_case/32/234_2.png) [@Corner\_Case](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corner_Case)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-williams-quote-a-personal-insult/773460/53 "2016-12-01T19:01:28Z")
What I find bizarre is that **Grey** added the line “Like living over a meth lab” and that anyone would think that was _not_ a comment - on poster or post; mild or strong; joking or serious. And since it had to be a comment, I didn’t think comparison to a meth lab was supposed to be congratulatory - but maybe that’s just me. I didn’t take the time to discern further because I thought it was funny and didn’t think it would cause any serious emotional scaring or attempts at suicide. Why in the world do we add comments to our posts if not to, you know, say things? If it wasn’t an insult, what was it supposed to convey? Praise? Solidarity? A request? Maybe it was insulting the Free World’s attempt to rape Communism and failing disgracefully to do so? Maybe it was saying that living over a meth lab makes it easier to get drugs? Or at least a contact high? ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-williams-quote-a-personal-insult/773460/54 "2016-12-01T20:37:35Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > \*Q: “Can you come to Canada so I can hug you? I love you for naming your daughter Zelda.” > > Williams’ response: “I will be there as soon as I can! You have to give me a more specific location, you are a big country. You are the kindest country in the world. You are like a really nice apartment over a meth lab.”\* > > Is “the meth lab” supposed to be “things Americans say” or “Americans” or all of the above or…? It could be either or something else. Why anyone thinks it’s “obvious” is beyond me. I’m happy to answer that, John, but after staying out of this til now I just want to say a few things to try to establish a larger context that might add some useful perspective. It seems to me that fully appreciating the exchange requires not only knowing that it was a Robin Williams quote, but knowing a little about Trudeau, too. I’m not specifically addressing this to you but to everyone who’s having difficulty understanding what was meant. At the beginning of that thread I commented on the fact that “the bright and accomplished progressive young people [that Trudeau] had appointed were a stark contrast to the old-school reactionaries that were typical of [the previous PM]”. In a related thread I posted a picture of them walking to the Parliament buildings on the first day after the swearing-in, with the comment “There are autumn leaves in the background but, call me an old sap, looking at all those bright young people – and remembering what we had before – I feel like calling it ‘springtime in Canada’.” Here’s where I’m going with this. To many Canadians Trudeau is a refreshing icon of progressive renewal and positive politics, one who has become associated with the phrase “sunny ways” that I believe he first used in his post-election victory speech. So when an American says “you can keep him”, the typical reaction would be “yes, thank you, I believe we will”. But when that poster then goes on to call Trudeau “a disgrace to the Free World” and throws in a dig about “praising communism” (Trudeau did no such thing) and “lets this continent become more Islamic with those refugees” – expressing the kind of regressive divisiveness that would not be welcome in Canada – one is inclined to point out that the inclusiveness and generally peaceable quality of life in Canada is actually a pretty good thing. The Robin Williams quote expresses exactly that sentiment. It was his hyperbolic way of saying “you are like a really nice apartment over a great big place that’s sometimes not so nice”. Yes, “meth lab” is a loaded phrase with lots of nasty implications, but in the original context, it just makes it funny precisely because it’s so wildly hyperbolic. Should **Grey** have been clearer about the fact that this was a quote, and what it was supposed to mean? I’ll let you guys continue to micro-analyze it. But to my mind, the above is what was meant, and why it was said. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-williams-quote-a-personal-insult/773460/55 "2016-12-01T21:29:58Z")
There really isn’t much to micro-analyze. Grey basically said “you remind me of that joke that the U.S. is like a meth lab”. It was pretty obviously meant to be a slam. The only dubious micro-analyzing is trying to frame it as some sociological comment on the different political atmospheres of the two countries. Yeah, that’s what Williams was doing - because he wasn’t addressing a specific comment. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-williams-quote-a-personal-insult/773460/56 "2016-12-01T22:54:24Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Fly, be free! Why are you insulting eggs? ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-williams-quote-a-personal-insult/773460/57 "2016-12-01T23:16:37Z")
Lilliputian! ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-williams-quote-a-personal-insult/773460/58 "2016-12-01T23:30:35Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Grey basically said “you remind me of that joke that the U.S. is like a meth lab”. Actually it was closer to “that post reminds me of that joke that living over the US is like living a meth lab”. Again, the object of dismissal was the post, not the poster. Apparently that’s the same thing now. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2016, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-williams-quote-a-personal-insult/773460/59 "2016-12-01T23:39:16Z")
I wasn’t familiar with the Robin Williams quote, and figured that the comment implied the post was made by somebody high on meth. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-williams-quote-a-personal-insult/773460/60 "2016-12-02T00:28:30Z")
> [@Grey](#): > > Actually it was closer to “that post reminds me of that joke that living over the US is like living a meth lab”. Again, the object of dismissal was the post, not the poster. How is anyone supposed to know that? There are people in meth labs, you know. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-williams-quote-a-personal-insult/773460.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robin-williams-quote-a-personal-insult/773460.md?page=4)