This morning I found a strange message in my notifications on Twitter:
@DavidFutrelle Uncovers, the unrecoverable about MRAs in his own little feeble mind. Has he ever said anything good about MRAs? Anything?
— Attila L. Vinczer (@AttilaVinczer) July 15, 2014
Mr. Vinczer followed up this perplexing tweet with a bunch more insinuating that I’m a “hack,” a “pathological liar,” a “criminal,” and so on — as well as some links to what he apparently sees as “dirt” about me. (More on the latter in a moment.)
Apparently Vinczer — the “Activia Director” for men’s rights hate site A Voice for Men and the son of the genius who designed that AVFM commemorative coin — was stung by my gentle criticism of his father’s coin-designing skills.
So he has decided to dox me, apparently going as far as hiring a private detective to look into my allegedly sordid life.
PI will confirm, every living and non living fact about you. Enjoy your soon to be elevated infamous public status.
— Attila L. Vinczer (@AttilaVinczer) July 15, 2014
So far his doxing of me is not going very well, in that the “dirt” he has dug up about me is either wildly inaccurate, not particularly “infamous”– or not information about me, specifically, at all.
His most serious not-quite accusation: That I’m a criminal. His proof? He’s dug up a 2008 arrest record for some other guy named David Futrelle, roughly a decade older than me, with a different middle initial, and living nearly 900 miles away from me. This man — frankly, he seems like an embarrassment to all of us David Futrelles — was charged with the crime of “possessing stolen goods.”
Who is @DavidFutrelle ? A criminal? http://t.co/FNBy7eNoCt
— Attila L. Vinczer (@AttilaVinczer) July 15, 2014
In case anyone is wondering, I’ve never been arrested. Except once, by campus police, for participating in a sit-in protesting apartheid. (The charges were later dropped.)
The other, er, “information” Attila has dug up is, while actually related to me and not to some other guy, is just a teensy bit inaccurate.
NOTE: There is no city named AMFOHARE, Illinois, nor do any real telephone numbers in the US start with 555.
He has also managed to figure out that I have (gasp!) practiced journalism.
@Alvhun Wow. You have determined that I once wrote a piece for The American Prospect. I don't live in their offices in DC, though, FYI.
— David Futrelle (@DavidFutrelle) July 15, 2014
And he’s suggested that I might be, er, the Antichrist:
@DavidFutrelle is infatuated with #mrm with heavy leaning on AVFM. Could @DavidFutrelle be the Antichrist or just a cheap antagonist wannabe
— Attila L. Vinczer (@AttilaVinczer) July 15, 2014
But two can play at this game. So I have begun digging up information about this Attila guy. And what I have discovered so far is shocking.
He’s been pretty cagey so far about his career as Number One Hun.
And neither will I.
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: Attila Vinczer is not actually the “Activia Director” of AVFM. He is the “Activism Director.” Activia is yogurt that makes you poop, allegedly. He is also not Attila the Hun, as far as I know.
I’ve been wondering what the hell Activia was.
What tossers these guys are.
Watching Vinczer try to dox you is kind of like watching a train crash into a sunset or something. It’s terrible, but you can’t look away.
My actual real PIs have taken an actual real photo of this “David Futrelle”s neighbourhood
On another note, the worst thing about it is that he probably views himself as some kind of mastermind genius or something.
Wow. That’s just s little bit desperate on their part.
Has Vinczer ever said anything good about you? Anything?
just a little*
Curse you, typos!
Viscaria, I thought David lived here.
serrana, I’m hearing those cats:
I’m David!
No, I am David!
I can’t help myself
Of course, Atilla left out the most important piece of information: David is not only a criminal from Illinois, he’s also several hundred people in the comment section!
He’d probably have a way easier time digging up all the places articles you’ve written, and who you wrote them for, if he looked at the part of your personal website that lists them.
No one has yet been able to officially confirm that this “David Futrelle” is not actually the real alien basis for the Alf TV show. Coincidence??
David Futrelle once dressed up as a woman to cross teh Atlantic more cheaply. The boat sank. Coincidence?
http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/lily-may-futrelle.html
How the hell did the PI not find out that David is a whole bunch of ferrets and cats? O_o
My Gaul Janissaries were very interested in this mans personal information…
“This man — frankly, he seems like an embarrassment to all of us David Futrelles…”
Long time listener, first time caller – I did a little spit-take upon reading that line. It gave me a bit of a chuckle, which tends to happen when I read your blog. Thank you.
Is it just me, or does that guy look like the villain from a 1980s action movie?
He’s about as inept as one, anyway
He’s set a PI to ‘dig up the dirt’ on you? Hahahahaha!
Darnit, all my Antichrist jokes are in-jokes from Slacktivist. Poo.
At least Mr. Vinczer is canny and knows better than to come over here and beg us to get in touch with David, he might be in trouble, I’m not saying he did anything, but wow is he in trouble.
I love the “as far as I know” disclaimer on the Attila the Hun claim. That’s just a perfect ending punctuation for this foolishness.
I had figured Dave Futrelle was from CATmandu. It seems obvious when you think about it.
What the hell is a “non living fact”? David, do you have those? I don’t have those.
Attila: “Bullseye”
LOL
I love that you’re playing the AVFM game of making “accusations” in the form of a question and then not biting when he tries to prompt you to say something defamatory. GOOD STRATEGY. Because did I ever mention that Attila claims to have 25 personal lawsuits in progress? I kid you not.
I’m confused about living versus non living facts. If he’s trying to find out facts about David’s life, what would non living facts even be? Also, facts aren’t living things in the first place.
Man, I’d hate to be a PI. I imagine most of the jobs you get are shit like this.
RE: serrana
What the hell is a “non living fact”?
Ask Hades. Dude’s gotta ton of ’em!