The Buzz 12.27.18

YEAR IN REVIEW

Do metrics matter? Either way, here are the 10 most-clicked stories of 2018:

10. “Protesters counter luncheon speech by controversial former Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Carmel,” Sept. 13

9. “Rick Antle, CEO of Tanimura & Antle and agribusiness visionary, dies at 61,” April 16

8. “Tami Huntsman pleads guilty to murdering two children in her care,” Feb. 28

7. “Weston Call, founder of the Big Sur shuttle, dies at 32,” Aug. 21

6. “The second-annual Monterey Peninsula Pride March brightens up Seaside,” July 1

5. “Awaken brings a socially-conscious fashion show to Sand City’s West End Celebration,” Aug. 20

4. “Color, culture and speed during Monterey Car Week,” Aug. 27

3. “Seaside teacher, councilman and reserve officer accidentally discharges weapon in a classroom,” March 13

2. “Large swell pounds Central Coast with huge waves upward of 50 feet,” Dec. 27

1. “Four injured after car crash ignites fire at McDonald’s in Seaside,” June 5

FREE SPEECH

One way to blow up on Twitter: cute mammals. Another way to blow up on Twitter: racist language. Those two crossed paths Dec. 18 when theMonterey Bay Aquarium tweeted a photo of an otter mom with a wide girth, and the caption: “Abby is a thicc girl /What an absolute unit /She c h o n k /Look at the size of this lady /OH LAWD SHE COMIN /Another Internetism!” Only this internetism – which refers to a guide to fat cats – also uses language derived from African American Vernacular English describing black women. A Twitter apology followed on Dec. 19: “If our tweet alienated you, please know that we are deeply sorry, and that we offer our sincerest apologies… We often reference popular memes to talk about the ocean. In this case, the memes used had connotations we were unaware of until now… We need to do better.” It’s the kind of social media disaster that can be averted with a more diverse staff. Kudos to the Aquarium for a smart apology after a misstep, rather than digging in their heels – and inviting followers to learn.

GOOD WEEK / BAD WEEK

GOOD:

Last year, cracks in the bricks at Custom House Plaza in Monterey shut down the beloved annual holiday tradition of Ice Skating by the Bay out of an overabundance of caution until the source of those cracks could be determined. After testing by California State Parks with help from the city, the good news is the cracks weren’t structural so ice skating is back this year, and it’s bigger and better than ever, says rink General Manager Jeff Gerlitz. “We’re glad to be back. The community missed us and we missed them,” he says. The crowds are the largest they’ve seen in the rink’s 11-year history – some days the line has been so long they’ve had to turn people away. The rink is also bigger than before, and Gerlitz says skaters are pleased with the change. It remains open through Jan. 6, running 11am-10pm Monday through Saturday and noon-8pm Sundays and holidays.

BAD:

The Seaside In-N-Out went viral last week – but not in a good way. What’s normally a burger joint with a cult following became the gym forVictoria’s Secret model Kelly Gale, who showed up there with social media channels revved. She proceeded to post Instagram stories of herself eating a pear (“You don’t eat In-N-Out? Me neither”) then jumping rope and doing leg raises out front. When she finishes her workout, a buddy drops off a bag from Smart & Final full of veggies (“Not gonna pretend that I eat here guys cause I don’t”). While there was some love for her on Twitter for a message about health, there was mostly backlash: “How dare you #fatshame others?” one user wrote. “The only thing I got from @KellyGale_ video is that she likes to go to places and eat there without actually ordering their food and thinks body shaming others is cute,” said another.