Regarding the insults directed at Michael

I drop in here every once in a while just to see what's bubbling up—sometimes there's actually something worth reading, though more often than not, it’s just a circus of people hurling insults at one another. And then, predictably, the bans start flying.

It really makes you wonder, though: what actually constitutes "insulting" on a forum like this? Who gets to play judge and jury when someone crosses the line? Does the person feeling insulted have to step up and report it, or is it left to a moderator's discretion to decide if things have gone too far? We supposedly went over this recently, but honestly, the whole thing still feels incredibly murky to me.

Besides, a major site like this—acting as a public medium—has to carry itself with some level of responsibility. It needs to play by the rules and stay within legal boundaries, otherwise, they're looking at real consequences, fines, or even lawsuits...

Take, for example, the Nestlé subforum, where the section titled Stand by Me says: "(Non)Alcoholic Drinks - Don't expect Mladen Grdović at your table."
Isn't that just a blatant, textbook insult directed right at a specific individual who clearly struggles with alcohol issues? It's hitting him by name and all.

🤷

Hahahaha... honestly, just take a quick look at the New York Times if you want to see a collection of insults and psychiatric diagnoses—mostly aimed at the President, though nobody is safe from the vitriol.

Grace White66 said:I mean, isn't that just a blatant, head-to-toe insult aimed directly at a guy who clearly struggles with drinking?

🤷

Some guy constantly bragging in the local papers about how much he can drink and all the trouble he gets into?

Look, it’s been sitting there for at least a year and a half—well before I even joined Gordon Ramsay—and nobody has ever said a word about it until now. 🤷

Honestly, it doesn't mean anything to me personally. So, if you guys think you can come up with a better description (feel free to hash it out in the private chats if you're really feeling it), just let me know and we'll swap it out.

Simple as that.

Grace White66 said:Well...

On the Nestlé forum, specifically under the Stand by Me sub-forum, there's a thread titled: "(Non)Alcoholic Drinks - Don't expect Mladen Grdović at your table
. Isn't that just a blatant, head-on insult aimed directly at a guy who clearly struggles with alcohol?

🤷

Please, if someone actually suggested that Grdović doesn't drink—or wouldn't even touch a glass—he'd take that as a massive insult. Meanwhile, the fact that the man drives while wasted and swerves all over the road is apparently just his baseline state of being...

Grace White66 said:Regarding the Nestlé forums, specifically under the Stand by Me subforum titled: (Non)Alcoholic Drinks - Don't expect Mladen Grdović at your table
Isn't that just a blatant, direct insult aimed right at a man who clearly struggles with alcohol issues?

🤷

That was actually my personal suggestion for the subforum title when we first launched it over on Nestlé.
But I must insist there is absolutely no intention to offend—he is a genuinely likable guy who might get a bit cranky now and then, and he certainly ends up at the dinner table himself
and that phrase was simply the description for the PDF file—you can expect everything regarding (non)alcoholic beverages (though, okay, perhaps not Grdović sitting at the table!).

I recall a time when Mladen Grdović performed out in Santa Monica—he showed up so incredibly intoxicated that he could barely remain upright,
so he just ended up lying right there on the floor, singing 🙂
. Word is the crowd was having an absolute blast, though I wasn't actually there to witness it myself...
🤷

I honestly can't wrap my head around people who feel the need to insult everyone they encounter, especially when they're so quick to slap all sorts of negative labels on everyone else in the community 😕
Perhaps it would be more productive if they focused on some personal growth first, rather than trying to overhaul the people and circumstances in their immediate or distant surroundings 🤔

Michael doesn't have any issues with drinking; he’s perfectly fine

Nathan Turner3 said:Honestly, it doesn't mean anything to me personally, and it isn't meant to represent anything specific, so if you guys come up with a better way to phrase it (feel free to hash it out over on the Nestlé chat if you're really feeling the urge), just let me know and we can swap it out.

Simple as that.

Aaron Harris2 said:But there’s absolutely no insult intended here—not at all! He's a genuinely nice guy who just gets a little grumpy sometimes, and he might even end up being served at a dinner party—
and that was actually the description for the PDF—you can expect to read everything about the world of booze (though, okay, maybe don't expect to see Grdović sitting at your dinner table!).

Look, I think Nathan Turner3 and Aaron Harris2 have covered it perfectly. The subtitle was written as a total joke, purely for laughs, without any mean spirit behind it whatsoever.

Eric Hernandez said:Mladen doesn't have an issue with alcohol; he's totally fine.

🤣

It’s funny, sure, but please, let's not turn this thread into a massive debate, please.

Look, I think everyone here already gets what the issue is regarding the bay, but I still feel it’s just wrong—plain and simple—to see him mentioned in such a condescending tone in some pamphlet like "Just Say No." 🤷

Honestly, I couldn't care less about Grdović personally. It's really not my business at all. 🤣 I'm not exactly the type of person who gets offended easily—quite the opposite, actually.

It’s just a bizarre paradox to me. On one hand, you aren't allowed to call someone stupid, an alcoholic, or a lowlife, nor can you suggest that religious people have a diminished capacity for critical thinking... yet, in a "subheading," there’s this rather tasteless mockery of a man struggling with alcohol—regardless of how much he's publicly admitted to it or made a fool of himself. It strikes me as incredibly strange if none of the "leaders" in this field see anything problematic about that.

As far as I'm concerned, it's all the same. 😁
Thanks for listening.

Grace White66 said:Well, I think it's pretty obvious to everyone what the issue is with the pond, but I still feel like it’s just wrong to bring him up in such a condescending way in something like a "Just Say No" brochure. 🤷

But look, this wasn't put together just to make fun of Smith. Seriously, if you guys have fresh ideas, please toss them into the chat—no big deal at all. If you come up with something actually interesting and better than what we have, we'll happily switch it out. 🙂