Since last Friday’s revelation that a Catholic group, outraged by Fells Point’s Ale Mary’s (1939 Fleet St.) usage of religious artifacts as vessels for chugging delicious ales, the story seems to have spread from blog to blog, to the Baltimore Sun, and apparently to local TV news as side segments aired all along the East Coast. The group’s numbers have grown to a whopping 850+ members – very close to their goal of 500,000 – with a wide range of members including state Delegate Joe Boteler, a person whose profile picture says “Save a whale, kill a jap,” and various other ladies that love cats.
The discussion of tactics by the group to rescue the ill-begotten chalices ranges from protesting, running in and grabbing things, possibly doodoobagging the front doorstep, and actually calling various distributors (Chimay, for one) in an effort to pressure them into ceasing supply to the bar, effectively killing the business. Neat!
Since the group is open in nature, several individuals have joined the group to serve as moles, spies and counterargument-ers, only to be met with exodus when providing opinions counter to the goal of yelling really loudly about Jesus and Obama.
To whit, a counter group has been formed entitled “500,000 Supporting Free Speech & “Ale Mary’s,” members of which have been monitoring the opposition closely. They’ve also formed a support tweetup next Thursday, and plan on countering the various foot-on-pavement protests that may or may not happen. It’s all a huge, very entertaining, mess.
Enjoy the show while it lasts folks!
You forgot to mention how they only have 850+ members because the moderator of the group said “Help push this thing over 1000! Invite all of your friends whether they like it or not.” — Facebook is all confusing and shit, so most people just don’t know how to leave a group, haha. Poor suckers.
FACEBOOK 2 HAS ACQUIRED ALE MARY’S.
FACEBOOK 2 HAS ACQUIRED THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
FACEBOOK 2 HAS ACQUIRED THE MOVIE ‘PECKER.’
Reading over their event comments, all i can think of is the “Not sure if troll, or just stupid” picture.
I’m 100% on Ale Mary’s side here, but the name of this protest group is pretty weak. This has absolutely nothing to do with free speech.
talk to kate, it was all her idea – I would have gone with “500,000 in support of ROCKING OUT SO HARD UUNNNHHH”
It has everything to so with that. But, if you have suggestions, join the group and make them 🙂
How? No one’s right to free speech is being threatened here. Ale Mary’s has a right to set the theme of their bar as they’d like. The Catholic group has a right to voice their discontent with Ale Mary’s. And those of us who disagree with the Catholics have a right to respond. This is a great example of the exercise of free speech in action.
Again, I’m with you 100% on the substance of your efforts. I just don’t see how this is a free speech issue at all.
I really was going for “We Built This City on Beer and O’s” but I am an old lady LMAO
^^ love
what would happen if some bar opened and used yarmulkes for chip bowls or mezuzahs for chopsticks? i think more people would be outraged. the catholic church’s policies against women are hurtful and stupid but they’ve become an easy target.i think i’d respect ale marys more if they made their mockery of the church clearly political but for them to feign ignorance that religious objects have symbolic meaning or the power to upset believers…yeah, i don’t buy it. if they need controversy to get business, their product must not be that good.
Me and my friends will definitely head down to Ale Mary’s this weekend to get wasted drinking from chalices! I hope mine is the Ark of the Covenant! You choose… wisely.