April 1st, 2009
Fail Whale
When Twitter is overloaded (and it often is), they put up this picture:
It has been dubbed “The Fail Whale” by Twitter users, and the image is absolutely fascinating to me. Its message is two-fold and conflicting. His very presence indicates failure and hopelessness, but his demeanor is one of peace and contentment. Look at him there, borne aloft by birds, out of his natural environment, and enjoying every second — even though any of those seconds out of water might be his last.
It’s hard to tell from his expression whether he is smiling or releasing a happy sigh. Whatever the case, this is a whale at peace, and his message to us is simple:
“Everything’s fine, even when nothing is.”