Well here is my take. We’re in a period where there is no ‘textbook’ written on social media or tech reporting or anything like that. Some of us are fortunate enough to be a part of the shaping of and doing away with ’social’ media and blogging/social sites becoming considered real media. With sites like utterz, twitter, qik, ustream, etc pretty soon we can report on news faster than tv reporters can get their crews out to the story. That is fucking exciting!

I completely get the mockery you made of Shel using puppets. But truth is, I appreciate his his awkward camera zooming in and out, his heavy breathing. If I could watch Anderson Cooper learning how to become a better reporter I would find that fascinating. I can appreciate the ‘flaws’ you point out in his interviews and his style and I am sure he can appreciate your criticisms. But they aren’t constructive. For regular people not so tuned in who stumble across all this they aren’t going to ‘get’ what you are doing. They are going to see a respectable figure being made a mockery of and think that this is what Shel Isreal is about.

Can’t you see past your agenda to realize that? BTW I don’t tune into tech reporting to see puppets, I tune in bc I am truly interested in the subject. If you really want to see what entertaining puppets are, check out Wondershowzen. If you want to see good tech reporting that isn’t boring, watch G4 TV. Do your reports with your puppets like that. Otherwise all you are doing is dubbing interviews over videos of puppets. Write some original material of your own, and mix it with your critical commentary and usage of other people’s sound bytes.

That’s my 2 cents take it or leave it.

By Adam Gershenabuam on Apr 9, 2008

I’ll leave it.

By Dave Johnston on Apr 9, 2008

What the fuck are you talking about? Look, I get it, you’re in California, I’ve been there, I too saw the beautiful sun and started thinking everything had to do with God, and Love, and the Stars, and some false notion of the bigger picture…until I came home. But you’re a megaphone and a cardboard placard away from a streetcorner and an ‘end of the world’ rant. There’s nothing transcendental about puppets. Or any of this. Chill the hell out…

By Seth E on Apr 9, 2008

with all this arrington shit going on, you really hurt my feelings bro. forget orlando.

By Ted Murphy on Apr 9, 2008

pass the bong, loren.

By snoop on Apr 9, 2008

not interested in this. bring back the puppet.

By michael arrington on Apr 9, 2008

@Michael Arrington

You mean these only ones I can find not taken off the net):
http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=2875554

By Adam Gershenabuam on Apr 9, 2008

Above is fake Ted Murphy : ) Funny though.

By Ted Murphy on Apr 9, 2008

Can someone please translate this video for those of us that don’t speak gibberish?

The Shel Israel obsession has gone from amusing, to stalkerish, to sad and pathetic.

By the way, is there anyone you don’t owe a ton of money to? Apparently you’ve been borrowing money from people and never paying it back since high school. Move out of your sister’s basement and get a job already you bum. You don’t have any clients.

By Shel Israel's Lawyer on Apr 9, 2008

hey loren, what happened to you and michelleoshen.com ? haven’t seen you together in awhile.

By chuck3d on Apr 9, 2008

This is a little fucking ridiculous, is it not? A man and his puppets have a bunch of people whipped into a navel gazing frenzy.

Let me break this down for all the Short Busses out there who try to analyze this 2.0 crap to death.

Loren is a business man. Albeit an unconventional one, but a businessman just the same. He’s garnering a lot of attention which he can use as a springboard for other things. I’m sure people are ‘tweeting’ him like crazy about this and that and “what this all mean” “What are you doing?” etc. He’s sucked everybody in, and he’s entertaining, and it works. That’s all it is. He’s not splitting the atom, for the love of Christ.

I figured this out, and I barely know the guy. I hope I never become a Web2 “expert”, because I don’t think a hockey helmet would look that good on me.

Shove your Techmeme straight up your Fast company, and blow me.

I feel better now.

By Art Lindsey III on Apr 9, 2008

Arrington is having a an identity crisis! and since he wants to play the bad-boy he needs a partner…and that’s where you come into the picture. He gets his pet and you get the Arrington stamp of approval…Win-Win.

*But you already know that;)

P.S: The puppet thing is over…move on.

By zxspectrum on Apr 9, 2008

“Loren is a businessman”? Don’t you have to actually DO business before you can call yourself a businessman? Babysitting for your sister’s kids and living in her basement and mooching money off of her and everyone else while ranting incessantly about everyone that actually has a job isn’t business. It’s drivel.

By Shel Israel's Lawyer on Apr 9, 2008

And an owl…!!!

By zxspectrum on Apr 9, 2008

I’m surprised you had enough money to fly to California. Someone must have bought you the ticket because if you had that kind of money you would have spent it all on pot and smoked it in about a day.

By Shel Israel's Lawyer on Apr 9, 2008

Too bad the guy that got killed by Caltrain Monday morning wasn’t you. I was kind of hoping Arrington wised up and tossed you on the tracks in front of the baby bullet.

By Shel Israel's Lawyer on Apr 9, 2008

In an awkward silent agreement the whole time. I almost had a tear in my eye… then: “and an owl.” Fucking brilliant!!! I laughed my ass off in such an abrupt outburst that I made my infant daughter cry. Which, at the end of the day, is pretty fucking hilarious. Great video, man. Thanks.

By Matt on Apr 9, 2008

Bottom line: Everyone stop being pussies and enjoy the ride (and the owls).

By Josh on Apr 9, 2008

You’ve change the game so much already, look forward to seeing whats next.

“Shel Isreal’s Lawyer” you seem like a real tool.

By sean percival on Apr 9, 2008

It takes a tool to fix something broken. It takes a real tool to fix something really broken.

By Shel Israel's Lawyer on Apr 9, 2008

Hey Art Lindsey III (I so want a fucking III in my name)…

You’re exactly right.

But don’t tell anybody. You’re going to ruin it for everybody.

By Dave Johnston on Apr 9, 2008

Here’s the deal. You give Shel all the money you make from using his name and we call it even.

By Shel Israel's Italian Lawyer on Apr 9, 2008

Yep…it’s been a fun week (or three), but lets move on. Loren, you have talent, you’re building a following, and people are beginning to notice.

I’ve enjoyed everything thus far and hope you can turn this momentum into something good - and sustainable.

Good luck!

By Brett on Apr 9, 2008

This is FASCINATING Loren.

ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING.

Glad to see someone BEHAVING themselves! Keep this up or imma BLOCK BLOCK BLOCK YOU.

By Cooper Mor on Apr 9, 2008

Meet the rest of the Shel Israel Israelis. http://tinyurl.com/4yvhoj

By Shel Israel's Israeli Lawyer on Apr 9, 2008

@brett: turn it in to something cool?? it already is something cool, hence the “following”.. as you put it. (of which you are seemingly noticing for the first time… I think he’s been popular for a while… sometimes it seems like forever, ugh! just kidding, Loren.)

By Matt on Apr 10, 2008

“It takes a tool to fix something broken. It takes a real tool to fix something really broken.”

The sad part is, I’d be willing to bet money you thought that was a poignant thing to say. You know, a wise man once told me “the funny thing about stupid people is they all think they’re geniuses”

Having had some time to test his theory I have to say it’s one of the truest statement I’ve ever heard.

On Loren’s original video, all I can say is that I personally wait with Bated breath for the first appearance of the Owen Thomas puppet. You know it’s going to be epic!

By Tom on Apr 10, 2008

This is neither a compliment nor a slam… just an observation.

Loren reminds me of Robert De Niro’s character in Cape Fear.

Scary and interesting to watch - hard to stop watching.

By John Atkinson on Apr 10, 2008

Love the talent Loren. The big picture is this. You are saying what everyone else is thinking. Scoble is an idiot and Shel sucks. Enough said. Arrington is a celebrity and why not fly out do bongs and snort some lines and use his platform. The question is are you his puppet or is he yours.

Sweet.

Your the real deal and it’s great entertainment

By California Dreamer on Apr 10, 2008

ROFL, bravo!

By Jeff McNeill on Apr 10, 2008

This is how the puppets should ride… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjJsitebBe0 Oh, and how about one for me?

By Guy Kawasaki on Apr 10, 2008

Loren, I can’t believe this show (life/show/life, who cares?) is going better and better.
You’re doing your best. Go on man, go on and rock!

By Davide Tarasconi on Apr 10, 2008

fatuous-self-righteous, but thinly veiled as a grandiose social media experiment exploration exercise **coughs** (blogo-history apsirations) **chuckles**

arrington - looks like he’s now, finally (aspiring) (for the first time), to hang around w/ cool*

the “experiment” will be taken to its natural extreme (or blogo boredom - which ever comes first)

- Loren (w/ the puppet) will interview Shel (as one big family and make up story) - oh. how we all (laughed)
- arrington will be there technicolor (obv) - w/ a post dressed up as social media experiemnt

bundled gaff - turned Cheap PR Trick

*bully

By roy on Apr 10, 2008

so what is it about michelleoshen.com and you? i heard the rumour that you seperated, and that she is with paul walsh now. any comments on this?

By chuck3d on Apr 10, 2008

@”But don’t tell anybody. You’re going to ruin it for everybody.”

Don’t worry, Dave.

By the time the puppets take over, Loren will have a contract with Mark Cuban.

By Vince Williams on Apr 10, 2008

I never know what I’m going to get when I come to your site and I love that. Keep it up Loren.. Im a new fan and I’m sure there are others out there like me as well.

By Grace Alderson on Apr 10, 2008

Loren - you have mistaken mikes peepee for your moms teet. your a sellout. and you know this.

the joke is on those that appreciated you before the puppet show.

oh well.

By un.valley on Apr 10, 2008

Bad videos about bad videos… have we really slipped SO far???

Loren, man, call it what you will… you’re still riding coattails. Making a name for yourself by making fun of others isn’t really making a name for yourself.

Give it a rest.

By Scott Allen on Apr 11, 2008

Sky Mall is the best.

Loren,

The Shel stuff will get old after a while. So much more noteable figures you can mock that will catapult you further.

Can you please mock TMZ.com, Jefree Star, Tila Tequila, or Perez Hilton?

Otherwise you are pigeonholing yourself as having an obsessive vendetta against Shel.

By Adam Gershenbaum on Apr 11, 2008

Hey, I trust you, just do not fuck with me or I will Troll you..:)

Nice stuff, you know the right direction.

Be careful of the Michael Arrington Troll…

By Igor The Troll on Apr 11, 2008

I really dug the “organic nature” moment in particular. It’s all pretty mutable, to be sure. Keep riding the wave, man… and as long as you keep telling us about it, I’ll listen.

By MsInformation on Apr 11, 2008

Ha! ha! This is great.

By Enric on Apr 12, 2008

So your goal is to become the Wierd Al Yankovich of social media.

Good shtick.

I think Wierd Al did it with more taste - he was able to make fun of people in a friendly-nerd way. Yours is more like a bully - but it seems all part of the act in a very Andy Kaufman way.

Or is this really who you are? A jerk?

Figure it out - and give some hint as to which is the case.

By Digidave on Apr 12, 2008

Hey DigDig, this place is getting Hot. You got a fire extinguisher! Going to need one soon before the Press Flames..:)

By Igor The Troll on Apr 12, 2008

Dude, if you’re gonna be a critic, you have to be able to take criticism too. If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.

Why is it OK for you to do what you’re doing, but not OK for me to see it and speak my opinion?

Silencing the opposition — very social.

I’m not obsessive-compulsive enough (or mean enough) to carry on something like this for weeks on end — I’m not going to come be a constant troll on your site.

I still find your response, well, to put it as nicely as I can, “inconsistent” with your own actions.

By Scott Allen on Apr 12, 2008

Scott Allen, stop Trolling the page. You want to Troll, go find your own place. I am the recident Troll here, so fuck off!

By Igor The Troll on Apr 12, 2008

Loren, I have been editing Wikipedia for 9 months now. Recently I have been blocked and now undergoing mediation process on my talk page. If you want to see the inner working of Wikipedia I welcome you to come take a look at Wikipedia.

I think it will be a very interesting experience and will shed some light on the Dark Side of Wikipedia.

If you or your guest have advice as to Wikipedia and would like to share it with me and the other guests of my blog please post it on my blog.
http://www.igorthetroll.com/blog/wikipedia-igorberger-mediation/

Thank you,
Igor

By Igor The Troll on Apr 17, 2008