# WTC: Flame me, but that was really horrific awsome... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 18, 2001, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-flame-me-but-that-was-really-horrific-awsome/82315 "2001-09-18T02:27:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-flame-me-but-that-was-really-horrific-awsome/82315/1 "2001-09-18T02:27:00Z")
It’s been a week now, which is maybe not long enough. It’s a tragedy, I feel really bad for anyone who has relatives, friends, etc. But, … Leaving out the tragedy, that was really something. The whole slamming into the building, fireball, plane coming through the building. If you saw that in a movie, you’d go ‘whoa’! I don’t think Hollywood could do this as well as reality. And then the building collapses. And today, I read that they found one of the hijackers passports three blocks away! So, if you got a close up of the building, you could probably see a hijacker get launched right out of the cockpit and splat into the side of another building or the ground. So he could have been conscious throughout and felt like he was flying. I hope he felt the splat. Also, there was the story of one of the passengers on the Pittsburgh flight. Apparently, a former athlete, coach whose favorite saying was “Let’s roll!” And his wife said she was pretty sure that he said that before he charged the hijackers. That, my friends, is courage. That is a hero - not these sappy pro athletes who get paid millions for playing some kids game and they make them heroes. And apparently, there were several people right with the “Let’s Roll” guy. That takes guts. Before you flame me, ask yourself how many times you watched the videos and if, when you heard that the buildings collapsed, you couldn’t wait to see it. I couldn’t wait, partially out of curiousity and partly just to see it. To add to my crimes, I also thought that the Challenger explosion was (beautiful is not the right word, but…) ---
**Author:** ![BingoBurringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/43a26b/32.png) [@BingoBurringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BingoBurringo)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-flame-me-but-that-was-really-horrific-awsome/82315/2 "2001-09-18T03:12:45Z")
Someone alert Spoofe about this post, so he has something better to do than screech at me for awhile. ---
**Author:** ![Sylkyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Sylkyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylkyn)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-flame-me-but-that-was-really-horrific-awsome/82315/3 "2001-09-18T03:40:02Z")
I think the feeling or whatever it is you’re referring to might be the way people react to traffic accidents: you don’t want to watch, but you just have to…that sort of thing. But once was more than enough for me. Every time it has come on and I’ve had the misfortune to be close enough to a television to actually see it, I have cried. Not just once or twice, but every single time, I have _cried_. Then I turn away from it, long before they show the towers disintergrating into rocks on the streets below. And the word “beautiful” would never have occurred to me. “Gut wrenching”, "mind shattering, “devastating”, “horrific”, yes, all those words occurred to me, and still do. Of course, I don’t rubberneck at traffic accidents either. Oh, and about the movie thing you mentioned: This wasn’t a movie. Might have looked like it should be in a movie (and in different ways it has been a dozen or more times) but it was real life. Nobody could yell, CUT! PRINT! THAT’S A WRAP! Then everybody get up and go home. Nope, this was nothing like any movie I’ve ever seen. I never want to see anything like it again, movie or otherwise. I’m only being nice because this isn’t the pit…I think it is headed there, though. But you’ve got some serious issues here, dude. I get the feeling your eyes were gleaming when you posted this. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-flame-me-but-that-was-really-horrific-awsome/82315/4 "2001-09-18T03:42:30Z")
Do I have to _tell_ you where I’m moving this thread? I thought not. ---
**Author:** ![Monkeypants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Monkeypants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monkeypants)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-flame-me-but-that-was-really-horrific-awsome/82315/5 "2001-09-18T03:52:13Z")
> [@](#): > > Before you flame me, ask yourself how many times you watched the videos and if, when you heard that the buildings collapsed, you couldn’t wait to see it. I couldn’t wait, partially out of curiousity and partly just to see it. I saw the second collapse in person, so I didn’t have to wait to see it. And I knew at the time that hundreds if not thousands of people died in the collapse. It turns out I knew three or four. It’s ok if in the privacy of your own home you think to yourself that the attack really put Hollywood F/X to shame, but I, for one, don’t want to hear it. I already miss these people. Think before you post. ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-flame-me-but-that-was-really-horrific-awsome/82315/6 "2001-09-18T03:53:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Great Gazoo \* > **Before you flame me, ask yourself how many times you watched the videos and if, when you heard that the buildings collapsed, you couldn’t wait to see it. I couldn’t wait, partially out of curiousity and partly just to see it.** Who says Americans are desensitized to violence? **Great Gazoo** do you forget everytime when you see this that people died? People are burning, being crushed, falling to their deaths. _Real_ people, not stuntmen doing their jobs. Families are destroyed, people’s lives abrubtly extinguished without so much as a chance to say good-bye to loved ones. Next time you see this, don’t just look at the screen as if it’s a trailer for Schwartzenegger’s next film, but _think_ about what that destruction means. It means a father will be absent from his child’s next birthday party. It means a wife’s next anniversary will be a day of pain. It means a mother will never kiss her kids goodnight again. It holds no fascination for me to see the mass murder of so many people over and over again. ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-flame-me-but-that-was-really-horrific-awsome/82315/7 "2001-09-18T03:56:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Crunchy Frog \* > **Next time you see this, don’t just look at the screen as if it’s a trailer for Schwartzenegger’s next film, but _think_ about what that destruction means. It means a father will be absent from his child’s next birthday party. It means a wife’s next anniversary will be a day of pain. It means a mother will never kiss her kids goodnight again.** And I meant to add, think about people who’ve been touched by this tragedy who may be reading your insenstive words about how you find this, at some base level, entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-flame-me-but-that-was-really-horrific-awsome/82315/8 "2001-09-18T04:01:54Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m only being nice because this isn’t the pit…I think it is headed there, though. But you’ve got some serious issues here, dude. I get the feeling your eyes were gleaming when you posted this. \*\* Nah, nothing like that. No erotic dreams of car crashes, etc. I guess I’m just able to step back from the reality of it faster than most people. Like it or not, this will be a movie, and you will probably see it. Also, the Challenger disaster has shown up in a lot of art works in major museums. I am not the only one who thinks that was (beautiful is still the wrong word, but I don’t have a good word for it. Sorry.) And, please, no amateur psychology. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-flame-me-but-that-was-really-horrific-awsome/82315/9 "2001-09-18T04:04:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monkeypants \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > Before you flame me, ask yourself how many times you watched the videos and if, when you heard that the buildings collapsed, you couldn’t wait to see it. I couldn’t wait, partially out of curiousity and partly just to see it. > > I saw the second collapse in person, so I didn’t have to wait to see it. And I knew at the time that hundreds if not thousands of people died in the collapse. It turns out I knew three or four. It’s ok if in the privacy of your own home you think to yourself that the attack really put Hollywood F/X to shame, but I, for one, don’t want to hear it. I already miss these people. Think before you post. \*\* Did you flame the people who did the joke thread?? I didn’t think so. ---
**Author:** ![Monkeypants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Monkeypants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monkeypants)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-flame-me-but-that-was-really-horrific-awsome/82315/10 "2001-09-18T04:07:51Z")
Humor is a way to deal with grief. Some jokes are clever, some are not. Yet after reading all of those, none of them struck me as saying that the author/poster felt no grief or remorse. That’s how your post struck me. Also, I didn’t technically “flame” you. I think I was pretty gentle, considering the circumstances, in indicating to you that I don’t want to see a post like that. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-flame-me-but-that-was-really-horrific-awsome/82315/11 "2001-09-18T04:08:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Great Gazoo \* > \*\* > And, please, no amateur psychology. \*\* None would do any good. Professionals would have a hard time with this. ---
**Author:** ![NaSultainne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8797f3/32.png) [@NaSultainne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NaSultainne)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-flame-me-but-that-was-really-horrific-awsome/82315/12 "2001-09-18T04:17:41Z")
Knowing what’s going to happen, watching the plane, with dozens of innocents on board just about to die, no, I find absolutely nothing remotely ‘beautiful’ about it. I get a slugged-in-the-gut feeling. I want to reach through the tv screen and pull that blasted plane back, keep it from happening. I _hate_ the way it feels. I’m sure I always will. How is it you’re able to so distance yourself from the reality of the event? _That_ truly distresses me. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-flame-me-but-that-was-really-horrific-awsome/82315/13 "2001-09-18T04:22:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monkeypants \* > \*\*Humor is a way to deal with grief. Some jokes are clever, some are not. Yet after reading all of those, none of them struck me as saying that the author/poster felt no grief or remorse. That’s how your post struck me. > > Also, I didn’t technically “flame” you. I think I was pretty gentle, considering the circumstances, in indicating to you that I don’t want to see a post like that. \*\* Go back and read the first two sentences of that post. I meant that, and I think you missed that. Maybe some people get over their grief by jokes (I thought most of them were in worse taste than this) and others by the whole enormity, otherworldliness of the event. I will say it again, this was amazing. Horribly amazing, but amazing, nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-flame-me-but-that-was-really-horrific-awsome/82315/14 "2001-09-18T04:24:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Weirddave \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by The Great Gazoo \* > > \*\* > > And, please, no amateur psychology. \*\* > > None would do any good. Professionals would have a hard time with this. \*\* Sorry. I have a hard time taking psychological advice from a guy named Weirddave :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-flame-me-but-that-was-really-horrific-awsome/82315/15 "2001-09-18T04:25:04Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by The Great Gazoo \* > \*\* The whole slamming into the building, fireball, plane coming through the building. If you saw that in a movie, you’d go ‘whoa’! I don’t think Hollywood could do this as well as reality._\* That was the part where a bunch of my friends at Cantor died, I hope instantly but I fear not. Yeah, that was pretty cool. My very first thought was, “how would ILM have done this differently?” > [@](#): > > **And then the building collapses.** Oh, yeah! Where the 300 firefighters died, including 3 from a company I spent time with this very evening. And probably some of the guys from Sandler O’Neil. Oh, and J.D. the cop. Well, at least all of my friends at Morgan and Brown and Wood got out. My friend lost her old boss at Morgan, but that’s OK, right? I mean, it’s not like I met him personally or anything. Free advice for you: If you ever find yourself at a dopefest where I am in attendance, make certain not to introduce yourself. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-flame-me-but-that-was-really-horrific-awsome/82315/16 "2001-09-18T04:26:11Z")
> [@](#): > > None would do any good. Professionals would have a hard time with this. I doubt it. As mentioned, it’s like slowing down to look at a car wreck. Or looking at pictures of cadavers at [rotten.com](http://rotten.com). Morbid fascination. Personally, I find the sight of something as big as the World Trade Center towers simply collapsing to strain what I innately feel is possible. Seeing the firemen’s funerals, the people jumping from the buildings, the injured, and many of the other sights has brought tears to my eyes. While watching the video of the actual collapse, though, the sadness is more abstract, and the sheer physical immenseness of what is happening is what hits me hardest. This is not to say that I don’t grieve for those lost, or that their deaths don’t bother me, just that that one video clip does not emotionally bring that home for me. Not sure why anyone would start a thread to tell others about it, though. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-flame-me-but-that-was-really-horrific-awsome/82315/17 "2001-09-18T04:30:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by manhattan \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > _Originally posted by The Great Gazoo \* > > \*\* The whole slamming into the building, fireball, plane coming through the building. If you saw that in a movie, you’d go ‘whoa’! I don’t think Hollywood could do this as well as reality._\* > > That was the part where a bunch of my friends at Cantor died, I hope instantly but I fear not. Yeah, that was pretty cool. My very first thought was, “how would ILM have done this differently?” > > > [@](#): > > > > **And then the building collapses.** > > Oh, yeah! Where the 300 firefighters died, including 3 from a company I spent time with this very evening. And probably some of the guys from Sandler O’Neil. Oh, and J.D. the cop. Well, at least all of my friends at Morgan and Brown and Wood got out. My friend lost her old boss at Morgan, but that’s OK, right? I mean, it’s not like I met him personally or anything. > > Free advice for you: If you ever find yourself at a dopefest where I am in attendance, make certain not to introduce yourself. \*\* Now you’re threatening me?? That’s your response?? You should think about that. You also think about why you read a thread that was titled thus. If I was close to this disaster, I would not have even looked at this, unless I wanted to get some anger out at someone. But I am truly sorry for your losses. I think I didn’t make that clear enough at the start. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-flame-me-but-that-was-really-horrific-awsome/82315/18 "2001-09-18T04:34:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by waterj2 \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > None would do any good. Professionals would have a hard time with this. > > I doubt it. As mentioned, it’s like slowing down to look at a car wreck. Or looking at pictures of cadavers at [rotten.com](http://rotten.com). Morbid fascination. > > Personally, I find the sight of something as big as the World Trade Center towers simply collapsing to strain what I innately feel is possible. > > Seeing the firemen’s funerals, the people jumping from the buildings, the injured, and many of the other sights has brought tears to my eyes. While watching the video of the actual collapse, though, the sadness is more abstract, and the sheer physical immenseness of what is happening is what hits me hardest. This is not to say that I don’t grieve for those lost, or that their deaths don’t bother me, just that that one video clip does not emotionally bring that home for me. > > Not sure why anyone would start a thread to tell others about it, though. \*\* Maybe because I didn’t want to think I was the only one. Thanks. When the Challenger disaster happened, everyone agreed with me. I mean everyone. And I had contact with a real cross-section of America. None of those people were close to the action or had relatives, and I do apologize to those people, but I honestly couldn’t imagine any of them actually reading a thread with this title. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-flame-me-but-that-was-really-horrific-awsome/82315/19 "2001-09-18T04:34:53Z")
I think we really have to be careful here. Yes, in a “holy shit, I’ve never seen anything like that before” kind of way, it was a truly original sight to behold. But we can’t forget what happened. I’m really not as bleeding heart as you probably think I am. In fact, I’m not even going to flame the OP, because I think I know the sentiment from which he speaks. But the thing is this – I made the point to someone today … it’s been a week. I don’t think I’ve seen a video of the actual plane crashing into the building since last Wednesday. Every time they show the towers collapsing on TV I sit up and pay attention. I still can’t fully grasp the loss of life and pure destruction that went down. I could probably see those images every hour on the hour for a year and I still wouldn’t fully get it. And since I haven’t seen all of it in almost a week, I feel I’m losing the importance. I mean I almost want to see those shocking images so I don’t forget. So while I understand the cold, detached, “wow look at that”, attitude – I can’t be flippant about it yet. I can’t talk about it without thinking about the hundreds of dead people. I think it’s important to not do that. Although, as I said, I understand it. I know I’m being really wishy-washy here, but I guess I’m just trying to understand both sides of the issue – it was an “awesome” sight to behold (as in I watched it in awe), but the horrificness of it was too overwhelming to view simply as that. Am I making sense? Should I stop drinking for the night? ---
**Author:** ![apotheosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba8739/32.png) [@apotheosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/apotheosis)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-flame-me-but-that-was-really-horrific-awsome/82315/20 "2001-09-18T04:35:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Great Gazoo \* > Go back and read the first two sentences of that post. I meant that, and I think you missed that. > > Maybe some people get over their grief by jokes (I thought most of them were in worse taste than this) and others by the whole enormity, otherworldliness of the event. I will say it again, this was amazing. Horribly amazing, but amazing, nonetheless. \*\* To paraphrase what Monkeypants already said: it’s one thing to think such things. That’s your prerogative. But voicing those sentiments in a public forum, before so many who were directly or indirectly affected by the tragedy? That goes so far beyond tactless that mere words can’t do it justice. Would you gush about how ‘cool’ a traffic accident was around family members of someone killed in that same accident? Buffer it with disclaimers and platitudes all you want. It’s still wrong, and you knew it before you even posted it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-flame-me-but-that-was-really-horrific-awsome/82315.md?page=2)