A Joke, A Screenshot, and a Lesson in Perception
Tuesday night’s Bucyrus City Council meeting took an unexpected turn when FreeWire’s Editor-in-Chief, Logan Andrew, found himself at the center of a conversation — not for his reporting, but for a joke he posted in the meeting’s Facebook live chat. Andrew’s comment, aimed at Councilman James Mee and Council President Kurt Fankhauser, read: “Mee and Fankhauser calling each other ‘buddy’? Back room deals? Good ol’ boys? Smoking cigars and telling lies? Here’s where it gets interesting…” Harmless banter? Satirical jab? A little of both?
That depends on who you ask. As the meeting progressed, Councilman Mee received a text message — a screenshot of Andrew’s comment. Taking a deep breath, he addressed it from the council table: “On another note… umm, Logan? But this is how it starts,” Mee said before reading the comment aloud. While he acknowledged that he understood it was meant as a joke, he added, “We don’t need this.” Andrew defended himself, explaining that his intent wasn’t to stir controversy but rather to make light of the friendly exchange between Mee and Fankhauser. He also pointed out that others have made comments that can lead to speculation and accusations. Mee’s response? He hadn’t expected it from the Editor-in-Chief of FreeWire.
The Apology and the Response
Later that evening, Andrew took to FreeWire’s Facebook page to publicly apologize: “Dear Councilman Mee, I wanted to take a moment to apologize for my joke on the live feed about you and Kurt being buddies and the suggestion of smoke-filled, backroom deals. In hindsight, I realize how that could have come across the wrong way, and I don’t want to add to any unnecessary speculation or mischaracterizations. You’ve known me since I was in high school, so you can probably tell when I’m just kidding around and when I’m being a real prick. My intention was the former, but if it came across as the latter, that’s on me. I know you take your work seriously, and I don’t want to imply otherwise. Turns out, I’m better at writing news than stand-up comedy. That said, I do regret any offense — especially to the fine tradition of smoke-filled rooms and the hypothetical cigar industry, which I’m sure would like to be excluded from this narrative. I’ll be sure to keep my future commentary a little more G-rated/government-friendly.”
Councilman Mee accepted the apology, responding: “The only problem I had with your comment is the perception that people take from it. That don’t understand that I want the best for Bucyrus. Integrity — it’s very important to me. We are good, you and I. You didn’t offend me in any way; I got the joke.”
A Quick Detour on Facebook Use
One citizen seized the moment to ask Mee why he was even on Facebook during a council meeting. His response? “Family first. My mother is in assisted living. In case of emergency, I will always have my phone and look at it and respond accordingly. In this case, it was a screenshot sent to me in a text — I was not on Facebook. Just for the record, if a constituent doesn’t put family first always, I’m not their representative. Thank you.”
Councilman Mee, as someone who loves their family more than anything — thank you for that.
The Takeaway At the heart of this exchange is a lesson in perception
What starts as a joke in one person’s mind can land differently with another. Andrew’s comment wasn’t meant to fuel rumors, but Mee was right — words, especially in the political arena, can take on a life of their own. In a world where social media often amplifies division, it’s refreshing to see two people — one in the media, one in government — have a disagreement, talk it out, and move forward with mutual understanding. Now, let’s just hope the hypothetical cigar industry can recover from the scandal
