Greenlighting

The term 'greenlighting' refers to a secret fashion code that sexually promiscuous teenagers use to communicate with each other. Greenlighters wear green shirts with the collar turned up. When they see someone else wearing a green-collar-up shirt, they pull their collar down. This is the secret signal that means 'let's have sex'. The other person then signals their willingness by pulling their collar down, in turn. If they're not willing, they keep their collar up (which is called 'redlighting').

Of course, this secret fashion sex code isn't real. It's a hoax (or rather, an idea for a hoax), dreamed up by some people at WookieFetish.com. The idea was that they were going to fool the media into believing that this practice was really going on... just as the creators of the toothing hoax had done a year or so ago. But unfortunately for the WookieFetish crowd, their hoax got exposed before it had a chance to gain any momentum. Cyrus Farivar (an editor at MacWorld) outed it on his blog and also via a wikipedia entry. In an article on Salon.com Farivar tells how his exposure of the hoax then incurred the wrath of the would-be hoaxers, resulting in a few threatening emails and phone calls.

Actually, it doesn't sound like the WookieFetish people ever really threatened Farivar that much. I remember that after I exposed the 'Great UFO Hoax' being plotted by LUE (actually, I simply reported that it had already been exposed, but that distinction was lost on them) a few of them threatened to send thousands of empty boxes to my house. Strange threat, but nothing ever came of it.

Sex/Romance

Posted on Fri Aug 05, 2005



Comments

This reminds me of a practice some of my friends from the institution used to use, called "Brown-shorting." It was used to keep members of any sex far away. It worked. I think Greenlighting is real.
Posted by booch  on  Fri Aug 05, 2005  at  02:08 PM
I have a feeling the USPS caught on to us.

Needless to say, DHL has NOT. 😉

This incident will be reported.
Posted by The Sponge  on  Fri Aug 05, 2005  at  02:14 PM
Ya know, when the UFO Hoax was posted I added the comment that March 19th was (and in fact, still is) my birthday. Now I can't find my post? Maybe the aliens took it... By the way, I don't own any green shirts but nowI think I'll buy one 😊
Posted by Jeff  on  Fri Aug 05, 2005  at  02:25 PM
Do not expose the UFO Hoax or I will knock on the front door of your house and then run away while giggling!
Posted by uh oh  on  Fri Aug 05, 2005  at  02:49 PM
Too bad those dweebs didn't make good on their threat. You can sell good boxes for maybe a dollar apiece-- especially now, in the summertime, when lots of people are moving, and around Christmas, when people mail lots of packages. Hmm, maybe I could do something to offend them ...
Posted by Big Gary C in Dallas  on  Fri Aug 05, 2005  at  04:44 PM
While the idea for the hoax may have come from WookieFetish.com, most of the man-hours and work put into creating this fake lifestyle and getting the idea into the public was from the Something Awful forums.
Posted by Chris B  on  Fri Aug 05, 2005  at  05:15 PM
Funny thing being, they actually did a CSI episode revolving around 'toothing'... Wouldn't be the first time they did an ep without researching things fully, of course.

Hmmm... Sending lots of empty boxes... BIG ones, with foam peanuts.. This has merit..
Posted by Bobcat  on  Sat Aug 06, 2005  at  10:27 AM
The whole thing falls one its face because it relys on the impossibility of women wanting to have sex with men just for the sheer pleasure of it.

Women do not do that except in cases of mental illness. It's all about money or babies, people!
Posted by DFStuckey  on  Thu Aug 11, 2005  at  03:55 AM
Hey People. I think i should start green-lighting in NZ. I want to start a fashion trend, and i think this sounds like a lot of fun!!
Posted by Shazzzzzza  on  Sat Aug 13, 2005  at  05:58 AM
Shazzzza, don't pretend to be something yo're not, unless you can convincingly pass as that something.

And the idea that female sin NZ would want to have sex with males is so laughable it beggars belief. Ever since the local journalists blew the whistle on the Dept. Of Health's lie about condoms preventing diseases, sex outside marrigae has all but vanished - and IVF has become the method of choice for marrieds, according to my source in the industry.

Still, all power to you Shazzza. Let us know how you get on with the girls, mate.
Posted by DFStuckey  on  Sat Aug 13, 2005  at  06:45 PM
well now i know whats goin on . in australia we get some weird 1/2 assed fashions and ideas ... normally some loony has heard 1/2 a story and adopts it with a twist . when i asked the local kids whats with the collars (any colour shirt here) they all giggled and turned bright red but no one could tell me what it meant . now for the hard one ... the kids at a local school here seem to have a little trend going ... this one involves rolling up one leg of trousers . just one leg but not the other .... anyone know what that ones all about ... instead of goin red and giggling this time .. its very very rude and abusive suggestions to go away and mind my own business ... hmmmmmm ???
Posted by head1ess_chicken  on  Sat Aug 13, 2005  at  07:26 PM
headless_chicken, the rolled-up trouser leg thing is a rap music tradition, dating back at least as far as when Will Smith was a rap singer. What significance it has, apart from making older people comment so that they can be abused, I have no idea, and hope someone can further shed light on it.

As to the obvious comment about Freemasonry, that is a temporary thing in the first part of a candidate's initiation and has no permamnent use so it can't be a copy of that. And I would know.
Posted by DFStuckey  on  Sat Aug 13, 2005  at  08:33 PM
DFStucky...WTF is with this 'don't pretend to be something you're not, unless you can convincingly pass as that something.'.

Shazzzzzzzzzzz isn't not trying to be anything, he just thought it was a great idea. OTAKI Fashion designers (Especially established ones in the area) like different ideas that come from hoaxs etc. I (lara for those that get confused.)stole a hoax and kinda used that whole spary-painted butts over jeans skirts thing, but i used the bustier area instead and it looks really funky. so thanks DFStucky for being 'something you're not' and getting up my goat... its true about people like you.... People who need-to-get-over-themselves.

lara or Lx 😛
Posted by Lara-matic  on  Sun Aug 14, 2005  at  02:33 AM
Lara or lx, might I point out that in Shazzza's country of origin Australia, names with an "r" in them have it replaced with a "z". Thus, you would be reffered to as Lazzza.

Therefore, Shazzza is supposedly Sharon. Therefore, Shazza is passing themselves as a femles which I doubt is correct by the tone of their missive.

I am over myself. I do not presume to correct anyone unless I am relatively certain that I am correct. Are you so certain that Shazzza is female? And for that matter, are you all that you appear to be? If so, prove it. 😊
Posted by DFStuckey  on  Wed Aug 17, 2005  at  12:53 AM
Commenting is not available in this channel entry.