The Duck of Minerva

Duck of Minerva Target of Hostile Takeover from Cat Fancy Magazine

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by Brian Rathbun

17 November 2012, 1122 EST

The Canard

“All the Fake News that is Fit to Print”

The Duck of Minerva, considered one of the nation’s top international relations blogs, has recently come under attack from Cat Fancy magazine. Aggressively trying to expand their market share and brand, the leading source of information for feline aficionados looking for the latest reviews of mechanical litter boxes is looking to acquire new assets, through hostile takeovers if necessary.

Duck readers are known to fit certain key demographic that are particular attractive to Cat Fancy – they are academics who like to cuddle up in bed watching science fiction and generally favor the company of cats to children. The Duck routinely features pictures of LOL cats as they are particularly suited to explaining the complicated cleavages of international relations theory.

Sasha Persian, CEO of Cat Fancy, envisions a seamless internet experience where cat lovers do not have to go to separate sites to get their daily dose of international relations analysis. “We like the idea of dressing up kittens like Hamid Karzai. Wouldn’t that be informative. And adorable?”

Financial analysts report that Cat Fancy is highly liquid. The Duck, on the other hand, owing to its recent transition to Word Press is highly leveraged. Permanent contributors currently owe over $100 to the blog’s main creditor, Laura Sjoberg. Reached for comment, permanent Duck contributor Dan Nexon issues a terse statement: “I has no comment on dis at the advize of me loyerz.”

Cat Fancy, however, has competition for the Duck. The Jamie Bamber Fan site is also considering purchasing the site. So far other prominent blogs such as the Monkey Cage appear secure, most likely because they generally feature no pictures of any animals, not even monkeys.

 

Rathbun is a professor of International Relations at USC. Brian Rathbun received his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley in 2002 and has taught at USC since 2008. He has written four solo-authored books, on humanitarian intervention, multilateral institution building, diplomacy and rationality. His articles have appeared or are forthcoming in International Organization, International Security, World Politics, International Studies Quartlery, the Journal of Politics, Security Studies, the European Journal of International Relations, International Theory, and the Journal of Conflict Resolution among others. He is the recipient of the 2009 USC Parents Association Teaching and Mentoring Award. In 2019 he will be recognized as a Distinguished Scholar by the Diplomatic Studies Section of the International Studies Association.

1 Comment

  1. LFC
    LFC on 17 November 2012 at 12.08 EST

    Howl at Pluto is even more secure from takeover b.c it has no pictures of anything, period. That’s partly b.c the proprietor has never bothered to learn how to upload (if that’s the correct word) pictures. (Whether that will change at some point is at the moment an open question.)