Social news site Reddit has been lauded as a potentially revolutionary platform for citizen journalism.
The jewel in the citizen-journalism crown? Reddit’s live question and answer section, r/IAmA, where sundry people, both famous and ordinary, let redditors pepper them with questions.
With over a half-million subscribers, the section sees thousands of threads a week. Good luck keeping track of them. That’s why we want to bring you the top seven posts (seven is our lucky number) from r/IAmA each week, as voted by redditors themselves (for the complete list, check here).
A note on terminology: AMA stands for “ask me anything,” while “IAMA” is simply “I am a.”
This week’s highlight’s include rapper Aesop Rock; a man who’s been technically dead twice; and Buffalo Bills’ tight end Scott Chandler. We also learned how eating a hamburger is deadly for some people, and that the effects of the Tourette’s Syndrome go deeper than just repetitive ticks or vocal outbursts.
It was miscellaneous, random, and educational. In other words, it was a typical week in Reddit AMAs. Here the top seven from this week, with a select question and answer from each.
1. IAmA Aesop Rock AMA (rapper Aesop rock).
Q: “Wikipedia defines your music as new ground/alternative hip-hop. If you were going to classify your own music under a heading, where would you put yours?”—somedelightfulmoron.
A:“I rap. I make rap.”
Q: “What films were you inspired by when you made the game? It was so unique, but there were clearly lots of story concepts inspired by some of the greats.”—alleni.
A: “There weren’t necessarily a lot of specific film inspirations on my part as a writer but I grew up watching fantasy films like The Dark Crystal, The Neverending Story, Conan: The Barbarian, Krull, and so on, and I think the sensibilities of these types of films were subconscious influences of mine.”
3. IAmA Tight End for the Buffalo Bills, Scott Chandler, Ask Me Almost Anything
Q: “Who’s the best TE in the league today, in your opinion?”—wtfinternet.
A: “Witten is the most complete to me…so many guys now with amazing athleticism are changing the way the position is being played though and there is beginning to be a ton of talented guys who will challenge for that top spot”
Background: “I was taking heavy doses of ibuprofen (doctor prescribed) prescribed for severe headaches and running related stiffness. The ibuprofen eventually created an ulcer that eventually tore. It was a scary series of events.”
Q: “What did you see when you died?”—Redditsays.
A: “I saw myself vomit blood all over the monitor and my sister slide down the wall bawling and my mother run out of the room. I saw black, but could still hear the scuffle and urgent yells of ‘CODE RED! CODE RED!” but I saw nothing, at first. Eventually as they were giving me a transfusion, I had incredibly surreal dreams. That transfusion was the easily the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced.” (Click here for an elaboration on the dreams).
5. As Requested, I was on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, AMA
Q: “How big of a jump in property taxes?”—naaahham.
A: “I really don’t know too much about the tax side of things, my dad handled all that stuff. However, I can say that the show is very cognizant of this and never intentionally put people in a situation they can’t handle.”
6. IAMA 19 year old with Tourette Syndrome AKA Tourettes AMA [ I have proof, if needed ]
Q: “so why are you not honest with people about your condition? Wouldn’t it be easier and less exhaustive to tell people ‘i have this problem…”—yummily
7. If I eat a hamburger it will destroy my brain:AMA
Background: “I have a genetic disorder called PKU, and quite literally if I eat a hamburger or anything with a high amount of protein in it. It will destroy my brain.”
Q: “What about beer? Does your disease keep you from drinking?”—wcc3.
A: ”Beer does have a small amount of the amino acid in it, but it is a small amount. Worse effects from the alcohol itself. Also the calories from it are important as I get mabye 800 to 1000 calories a day because I have no desire to eat.”
Photo of Aesop Rock