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Fark vs. Florida

December 19, 2006 at 9:34 AM | 4 Comments

Update: Damn. Those Farkers can bring a server to its knees. Think we got it licked now. Sorry for the down time Enjoy.


According to the Sun-Sentinel, Florida tourism officials want to more than double the amount they get from the state for marketing Florida tourism. Their claim: $24.6 million ain't gonna cut it--it is time to take it up a notch over at Visit Florida.

Florida currently earmarks 15.75% of the $2 a day surcharge on rental cars to funding Visit Florida, which mainly runs the website (and other marketing efforts) of Visit Florida. Only Hawaii, Illinois, Texas and Pennsylvania spend more on tourism than Florida, according to a Travel Industry Association 2004-05 comparison.

Apparently, FLA tourism slipped 2.4% in the third quarter of this year. Why? Who knows, but maybe the folks at Fark.com, a popular website where users categorize and comment on wacky news, have something to do with this.

Because the site has turned making fun of the state into a sport, "Florida" has become its own category on Fark, next to tags such as "asinine," "ironic," and "stupid." Farkers currently tag approximately two out of the fifty stories they post daily as "Florida," and the stories themselves don't exactly scream "Visit Us."

Sure enough, Farkers dog eared the Sun-Sentinel story on Florida's tourism spend increase, and in the very first comment, Farker TheSignPost responds to Florida's possible budget increase by saying:

Then we shall redouble our efforts!

From there, as usual, the debate rages in comments--Florida evil or visit worthy:

Commenters who stay away from FLA

·The Cubans and Mexicans can have it. Please take down the American flag.

·Probably the tourists aren't coming to Florida all that much because developers have managed to plow under most of the scenic areas.

·The clear air is often foggy with a polluted haze, the long, lonely and beautiful strips of seashore and rivers are crammed with homes, boats and trash and the 'quaint' rustic cities are over crowded.

Commenters who think FLA is worth the trip

·The women here are by far the hottest in any state,anyone who has been here can attest to that.

·You morons will still show up in droves. Driving slow in the left lane and pointing at ridiculous shiat. And quit wearing those Disney mouse ears in public. Stay home and keep the IQ of both states higher.

·Still do not understand all the Fl haters. I guess cause we can jump on a cruise, go scuba diving, boating, deep sea fishing, jet skiing, have hot chicks at the nude beach, can basically do anything and everything under the sun or moon,have great night life etc... yeah guess if I lived in a place where the highlight was hanging out, drinking beer by a dirty lake I'd been mad at Florida as well.

Visit Florida could do a lot worse than using some of the positive comments as idea kernels for their 2007 marketing campaign.

COMMENT

Related Stories:
· Florida tourism officials want more [Sun-Sentinel.com]
· Florida tourism officials want to double their taxpayer-funded budget [Fark.com]

Where: FL, United States

: / / /

Author Photo: markj by markj

4 Comments

Return to » Fark vs. Florida

  1. imhookdonnfonix

    Jaunted Member
    December 19, 2006 at 5:46 PM




    Actually, it's because Floridians are, well, slow

    ...don't forget about ignorant, too.  Before I became jaded with life, I moved from Seattle to Gainesville to have a fresh start on things; new place, new people, etc.  Before living there, I didn't consider Florida part of the 'dirty south' (thinking more along the lines of Miami... hot days and hot girls with hardly anything on), but after living there, I realized that its people are a direct mix of Atlanta and Texas.  Or, as I call it, stupid on way too many levels.  You're right about the women; they're absolutely gorgeous.  Unfortunately, the novelty wears out she says something really stupid... again.  Then she pukes on you and passes out.  Fun.

    What else?  "Southern hospitality" is a fucking farce.  They're nice to your face, but talk shit behind your back.  Let's see...too many stereotypical black people, too many stereotypical old people, too many stereotypical Cubans/Mexicans and definitely too many retarded hicks.  

    Concerning Fark, this mix seems to deliver an astounding number of unbelievable/retarded situations that are deemed newsworthy.  Trust me, that stuff just isn't normal.  Or right.  Which leads me to say...

    Welcome to Florida, enjoy your stay...just don't stay too long or else you'll become stupid, too.

  1. farker101

    Jaunted Member
    December 19, 2006 at 7:19 PM




    I LOVE FARK

    How can you possibly be mad at a credible news site for reporting events as they happen. Would you rather wait for people to visit for some drunk redneck to stab you with a samurai sword? I think that would put a bigger dent in tourism than telling people about what happens in a state. Maybe the problem is not from without, maye the problem is from within. Maybe Florida should stop spending so much money on advertising itself and start a deportation program. Take all the retarded hicks and old people and send them to somewhere far away. Or better yet take the money and build them an island. An island free from logic and reason. Maybe then the old people will kill the rednecks and the rednecks will kill the old people and all of your problems will be solved. Seriosly. Build an island and then sink it while it's filed with inbred trash and fruit stand murdering, senile seniors.

  1. WriterSue

    Jaunted Member
    December 19, 2006 at 10:59 PM




    What?!?

    Okay, so Fark is single-handedly blamed for the fact that Florida is full of illegal aliens and rednecks, all with way too much time on their hands?!  Give me a break.  Truth be told, I like Florida.  I'm not going to base my vacation plans on what Fark says (even if I read it every day).  Just saying that implies that you think most people who would have vacationed in Florida are mouth-breathing bottom feeders.  Give vacationers and Fark fans a little more credit.  

  1. markj

    Jaunted
    December 20, 2006 at 2:34 PM




    Love The Fark

    ...just a funny coincidence with the tourism stuff, that's all.  Actually the story was just an excuse to run that kick ass graphic we made.

    "Would you rather wait for people to visit for some drunk redneck to stab you with a samurai sword?"

    Hmm.  Tough call.  I think if the samurai sword incident was reported on Fark and then tourism dropped our heads would explode.

    "Okay, so Fark is single-handedly blamed for the fact that Florida is full of illegal aliens and rednecks, all with way too much time on their hands?!"

    Not single handedly, tourist attractions like fake bin Laden executions just don't draw like they use to.

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