Media Monster

Gene Weingarten: Buzz Bissinger Is A “Pussy”

Two-time Pulitzer winner Gene Weingarten of the Washington Post is one of the most renowned journalists working today, largely because of his interest in, and insight for, what makes people tick. Friday Night Lights author Buzz Bissinger, on the other hand, is known for…anger. So when Weingarten playfully called out Bissinger (with whom he’s apparently friendly) last night for being a “flagrant pussy,” the results were going to be good.

Sure enough, Weingarten’s instincts were right on – once he sent out his tweet, Bissinger couldn’t resist firing back, solidifying Weingarten’s status as one of the most perceptive minds ever to have a pile of poop as their Twitter icon. Bissinger’s first response actually came via a response to someone else:

I can’t take weingarten seriously–man spent much of his life looking like Gene Shalit. Just trying to cash on [sic] on me.

Here’s Weingarten. Here’s Shalit. Point, Buzz.

Bissinger continued:

Weingarten great journalist. But the last time he was funny was the last time he was funny. Still in dead tree biz–how smart can he be?

Weingarten should open comedy club–just as long he never introduces acts. Sit in a corner–laugh at his own jokes–just like always.

Weingarten retorted this morning:

Q: Why would a grown man call himself “Buzz”? A: Bee cause he’s a pussy.

Cute pun, but we think this round of the Twitter battle has to go to Bissinger. The Shalit comment was on point, and he had more variety to his barbs than Weingarten, who was over-reliant on “pussy.”

Still, a world where Buzz Bissinger and Gene Weingarten get into a jokey, miniature online fight is a world in which we want to live, and we can only hope that this will just be the first of many back-and-forths between the two. Because when they’re on, Bissinger and Weingarten are, to put a slight twist on the phrase for which Bissinger might be most famous, full of wit.

H/T Deadspin

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