First there were the Knights Who Say Ni! (below). Now we have the problem of the lawyers who say Meep! After reading the recent publications over the decision of the principal of Danvers High School banning students from saying the word “Meep,” Entertainment lawyer Theodora Michaels decided to act and wrote a letter using the four-letter word to Principal Thomas Murray, who comes across as a high school version of Dean Vernon Wormer from Animal House. She was immediately reported to the police for investigation by the school.
Murray stumbled on a conspiracy on Facebook where he learned that kids in the Danvers High School in Massachusetts intended to say “Meep!” in school — mimicking the lab assistant to Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Beaker, of “The Muppet Show.”
Meep is actually in the dictionary which defines it as “whatever you want it to mean.” Murray, however, did not want it in his school and banned it — sending an automated call to parents warning that any student using “Meep!” could be suspended. His minions had uncovered a plot for students to do a “mass meep” in one part of the school.
That is when Michaels decided to nail her letter to the Internet door like a Meepish Martin Luther.
Here is the entire letter:
An open letter to Principal Murray of Danvers High School (MA):
Meep.
Sincerely,
Theodora Michaels
She says that the response was fast and furious: “Yesterday I received a reply email from Assistant Principal Mark Strout, which said (in full) “Your E-mail has been forwarded to the Danvers Police Department.”
I am pretty sure that Meep is not a form of hate speech, even under the Muppet criminal code. Methinks that Murray doth protest too much.
For her account of the controversy, click here.
While I think the administration could have handled the ‘meep’ situation better, and, that Insider could have left perjoratives like bimbo out, and, that I agree that simply banning the word will not address underlying issues, I do think this could be a case of coordinated bullying.
Perhaps there is a student in school who looks like Beaker and is teased by students saying ‘meep’ at him each time he’s passed in the hall. In that case, ‘meep’ has been elevated to a slur and should be dealt with in the same way as any other curse word. That said, dealing with the situation must also address the underlying issue of targeted cruelty, if that is indeed the case.
However, if it is simply a case of Muppet-imitating mischievousness, then the students should meep on.
I think the best thing that came out of what the very brave attorney did was that the Danvers Police Dept issued a statement saying that it is okay for us non-student meepers to email the word, “meep.”
I’m not attorney, but I think this is a huge development in free speech law, isn’t it?
Meep
Insider doesnt really get it…
The rain of feces didn’t truly start until the over-reaction of notifying the police about a simple little one word email.
Then the pile on started.
Step one, stop digging.
Vince–
I don’t care where it came from–it’s still a classic!
Thanks, Elaine, but I hasten to add that I just pasted it up from an email from a friend.
Gyges–
I understand the points you make. Where I live marching bands aren’t big. No pirate ships or Stars Wars Deep Space Nine.
I can’t say that it’s still true today–but I do know that years ago the Danvers music support group definitely helped to support the band financially.
roflol, Vince.
Meep indeed. As a general rule, you’re not supposed to ask a question in court you don’t know the answer to but this is a valuable lesson about assumptions and multiple answers to singular questions.
Vince–
That’s a classic!
File under “Lawyers who should have said meep:
If you ever testify in court, you might wish you
could have been as sharp as this policeman. He
was being cross-examined by a defense attorney
during a felony trial. The lawyer was trying to
undermine the police officer’s credibility…
Q:
‘Officer — did you see my client fleeing the
scene?’
A:
‘No sir. But I subsequently observed a person
matching the description of the offender,
running several blocks away.’
Q:
‘Officer — who provided this description?’
A:
‘The officer who responded to the
scene.’
Q:
‘A fellow officer provided the description of
this so-called offender. Do you trust your
fellow officers?’
A:
‘Yes, sir. With my life.’
Q:
‘With your life? Let me ask you this then
officer. Do you have a room where you change
your clothes in preparation for your daily
duties?’
A:
‘Yes sir, we do!’
Q:
‘And do you have a locker in the room?’
A:
‘Yes sir, I do.’
Q:
‘And do you have a lock on your locker?’
A:
‘Yes sir.’
Q:
‘Now why is it, officer, if you trust your
fellow officers with your life, you find it
necessary to lock your locker in a room you
share with these same officers?’
A:
‘You see, sir — we share the building with the
court complex, and sometimes lawyers have been
known to walk through that room.’