2008 Woodie Awards
Overheard at Miami
The story behind the Facebook group that has Miami both laughing and cringing
Katie Bray
Issue date: 4/11/08 Section: Features
It began on a whim.
Now it has become a campus-wide phenomenon.
Miami University senior Brett Barbour never envisioned that what began as a small Facebook.com group between a few of his close friends would snowball into monumental popularity.
With more than 4,750 members, Barbour's brainchild, Overheard at Miami, is now the largest Miami University network Facebook group.
The group becomes a legend
As a Facebook group, Overheard at Miami provides a virtual environment in which users post humorous conversation snippets made by members of the Miami community.
Barbour's online description of the site attempts to capture the lighthearted purpose of Overheard.
"This is a group where you can post the ludicrous, tragic, hilarious things heard uttered by Miami students, faculty and employees," Barbour's description reads. "You know you do it-walk a little too close to the girls in the Northface jackets with your iPod turned down way low to see what kind of 'pressing world issues' they are discussing (usually lip gloss or their asses) or not being able to help yourself when the boy in the pink polo and baby blue clam diggers is talking crazy into his cell phone. Here is a forum where you can report your findings and share with the class the best that Miami has to offer."
And Miami students have been doing just that.
Since Barbour created the group 2 years ago, students have continuously invited other friends to join. The group now has more than 2,740 wall posts featuring overheard, out-of-context quotations from random strangers and friends around campus.
Barbour said he originally became hooked on Overheard in New York (overheardinnewyork.com), a similar site for the general public to post overheard quotes taken from around New York City.
"I used to check (Overheard in New York) several time a day, and I realized that people say stupid things like that everywhere," Barbour said. "So I figured I would bring it to Miami."
Overheard in New York first began in 2003 and has since grown to hundreds of new weekly postings. Based on the success of the original Overheard, new sites have been created such as Overheard on the Beach, Overheard at the Office and Overheard Everywhere.
At first, Miami's version of Overheard was known only to Barbour and a few of his friends. The site grew gradually and within the first year experienced an immense membership leap.
Unlike participating members, Barbour said he does not submit his own comments to the group. Ever since Overheard's creation in April 2006, Barbour said he prefers to moderate the comments instead.
"I actually don't post to it," Barbour said. "Mostly because I feel that stuff on there is only funny if you know the context of the situation that it was taken out of."
While Barbour took a more active role in the early stages of Overheard, he said he now sits back and watches what users come up with.
"I check it a few times a week," Barbour said. "I used to delete the offensive comments and remarks from when people would argue back and forth, but now I let people do what they want. I kind of like it. It's like a big forum celebration."
Miami sophomore Marvi Lalvani said she frequently checks Overheard for the outlandish nature of the quotes.
"I love ironic jokes and that is exactly what Overheard is," Lalvani said.
To senior Brandon Kohn, not all of the postings on Overheard are humorous. Kohn said that some users post comments for the simple sake of contributing.
"(When I first read Overheard) I thought it was OK," Kohn said. "I feel like people post the most random things on there just so that they could be heard and seen by a lot of people-just so that people read their comments."
Sophomore Brantley Crank said he reads Overheard for entertainment.
"I think it's hysterical," Crank said. "It's all total random stuff."
Crank said he has not yet posted to the group, but the thought has crossed his mind.
"I haven't posted on it yet because I never really think of anything to say," Crank said.
"There have been a couple times though when I've been walking around campus and heard something and thought, 'Wow, I should put this on Overheard.'"
In Barbour's opinion, some of the most comedic quotes on Overheard are those derived from personal cell phone conversations.
"It's always something said off the cuff," Barbour said. "People have pretty intense private conversations on their phones just walking around, and sometimes you hear them and are like, 'Wow, people are so public,' and that's the fun of it."
P-O-P-U-L-A-R
To Barbour, the popularity of Overhead came as a surprise.
"(This group) is weirdly bigger than I think it even should be," Barbour said. "I can't believe how people have made such a big deal about our little idea to form this group."
Overheard's popularity, however, does not surprise Jason Michel, Miami resident librarian and interactive media studies teacher's assistant.
According to Michel, Overheard is so popular among Miami students because of the gossip nature of the group.
"These stories are things that you would overhear and then tell your friends," Michel said. "It's natural to want to know this inside information-these jokes. This is why it is so popular. People like to hear stories."
Kohn said he feels that some students read the gossip for informational purposes besides pure entertainment.
"It gives people a way to communicate to one another and offers something to keep them busy," Kohn said. "Some people use it to figure out what's going on at Miami and it keeps them up to date."
This is why Crank checks Overheard.
"I check it like once a week, seriously," Crank said.
According to Barbour, the group has become so well-known around Miami's campus that even his professors have made comments about it.
"It's funny because I don't think that much of it and my professors have even said something about it," Barbour said. "It's really jarring. I mean even people that I work with have said something to me about it because they see that I'm the administrator."
The legend of Overheard has even followed Barbour home.
"Once my parents were at a Christmas party and some girl's parents started asking them about Overheard because they knew that I created it," Barbour said. "It was kind of crazy."
To Michel, the new phenomenon of online blogging is what makes Overheard so successful-and so prevalent.
"Social networking is only beginning, but it's more popular now because prior to this easy-to-use technology, you had to have some knowledge of HTML to make an online profile, for example," Michel said. "This technology creates a really good environment for these types of stories. Before, you would just tell your friends, but now the technology is right there and you can tell 4,000 people at once. It's really interesting."
Constant updates containing new content are part of the reason why Overheard thrives, Michel said.
"If you think about it, Overheard has the most interesting stuff that applies to everyone," he said. "It's constantly updated and there's always something new on there."
The downfall of exposure
While humor may be the focus of a large portion of the postings, Lalvani said the quotes on Overheard bolster the stereotype that female Miami students are ditsy.
Lalvani, however, is not offended by this implication.
"I think it's awesome how people talk about the ignorance of girls on campus by repeating quotes of what they say on Overheard," Lalvani said. "It makes Miami seem really shallow and it's funny."
Sometimes, as in the case of senior Julie Lemieux, Oveheard hits close to home.
When Lemieux checked Overheard last month, she said she was surprised to discover that she had been quoted in three of the 10 most recent postings by strangers.
At first, Lemieux said she was slightly embarrassed by the comments but later realized how funny it was to be quoted on Overheard so many times in one day.
"Some of us don't have a filter when we speak and I think it just adds to society as a whole," Lemieux said. "At first I was like, 'Oh no,' and I was a little embarrassed, then I thought it was rather hilarious. I think I might just be the most quoted person on campus because I've been on there so many times. I think I might be some kind of legend, in fact: Julie Lemieux, Miami legend."
According to Kohn, the humiliation for the people who are found quoted on the page should be considered along with the reputation of Miami.
"Some of the comments are funny," Kohn said. "And some are just stereotypical about Miami, like some made by really blonde girls, which (are) somewhat funny but embarrassing to the people who said it. It makes the school look bad because it makes people judge us in that aspect. "
Lemieux said she feels that the majority of students do not realize the statements they are making at the time.
"Throughout the years you don't really think that you do that many outrageous things," Lemieux said. "But then you think, the answer is yes, that you do say that many outrageous things."
Beyond the red brick
As the popularity of Overheard grew, the content eventually has expanded to contain "overseen" pictures and banter between users.
Barbour said he does not oppose the new changes to his group.
"Now it's more about whatever they want," Barbour said.
While Miami may have been the home of the first Overhead group on Facebook, others have followed.
According to Barbour, one of his friends started a group at Wooster College within the last year. Additionally, Barbour said a Kent State University student sent him a message asking for permission to start a new branch.
According to Michel, the side conversations on Overheard help to bring strangers together.
"When posts divert from the main purpose, a new conversation starts organically amongst people who don't know each other but are connected by a common goal," Michel said.
To Michel, it is this type of communication between strangers that makes groups such as Overheard and social networking sites such as Facebook so popular.
"Facebook, for instance, allows people without web publishing skills to communicate with friends on the web," Michel said. "Anyone can make a profile now and anyone can contribute."
Barbour agreed, explaining that the sense of unity shared by members adds to its popularity.
"I think that it comes from wanting to be a part of a community," Barbour said. "It's completely for fun, for social purposes and for entertainment value."
Although Barbour will graduate in May, he said he plans to check Overheard occasionally after leaving Oxford.
"I don't know if I'll give it to someone else (to be the administrator), but it's basically developed without me anyways," Barbour said. "I mean, my name is on it, but that's all."
While the success of Overheard has depended on the group's members, it may not have reached Miami without Barbour's initiative.
"Overheard is great because it's non-site specific," Barbour said. "Anywhere you go people are going to be talking about insane things. All you have to do is overhear it."
Now it has become a campus-wide phenomenon.
Miami University senior Brett Barbour never envisioned that what began as a small Facebook.com group between a few of his close friends would snowball into monumental popularity.
With more than 4,750 members, Barbour's brainchild, Overheard at Miami, is now the largest Miami University network Facebook group.
The group becomes a legend
As a Facebook group, Overheard at Miami provides a virtual environment in which users post humorous conversation snippets made by members of the Miami community.
Barbour's online description of the site attempts to capture the lighthearted purpose of Overheard.
"This is a group where you can post the ludicrous, tragic, hilarious things heard uttered by Miami students, faculty and employees," Barbour's description reads. "You know you do it-walk a little too close to the girls in the Northface jackets with your iPod turned down way low to see what kind of 'pressing world issues' they are discussing (usually lip gloss or their asses) or not being able to help yourself when the boy in the pink polo and baby blue clam diggers is talking crazy into his cell phone. Here is a forum where you can report your findings and share with the class the best that Miami has to offer."
And Miami students have been doing just that.
Since Barbour created the group 2 years ago, students have continuously invited other friends to join. The group now has more than 2,740 wall posts featuring overheard, out-of-context quotations from random strangers and friends around campus.
Barbour said he originally became hooked on Overheard in New York (overheardinnewyork.com), a similar site for the general public to post overheard quotes taken from around New York City.
"I used to check (Overheard in New York) several time a day, and I realized that people say stupid things like that everywhere," Barbour said. "So I figured I would bring it to Miami."
Overheard in New York first began in 2003 and has since grown to hundreds of new weekly postings. Based on the success of the original Overheard, new sites have been created such as Overheard on the Beach, Overheard at the Office and Overheard Everywhere.
At first, Miami's version of Overheard was known only to Barbour and a few of his friends. The site grew gradually and within the first year experienced an immense membership leap.
Unlike participating members, Barbour said he does not submit his own comments to the group. Ever since Overheard's creation in April 2006, Barbour said he prefers to moderate the comments instead.
"I actually don't post to it," Barbour said. "Mostly because I feel that stuff on there is only funny if you know the context of the situation that it was taken out of."
While Barbour took a more active role in the early stages of Overheard, he said he now sits back and watches what users come up with.
"I check it a few times a week," Barbour said. "I used to delete the offensive comments and remarks from when people would argue back and forth, but now I let people do what they want. I kind of like it. It's like a big forum celebration."
Miami sophomore Marvi Lalvani said she frequently checks Overheard for the outlandish nature of the quotes.
"I love ironic jokes and that is exactly what Overheard is," Lalvani said.
To senior Brandon Kohn, not all of the postings on Overheard are humorous. Kohn said that some users post comments for the simple sake of contributing.
"(When I first read Overheard) I thought it was OK," Kohn said. "I feel like people post the most random things on there just so that they could be heard and seen by a lot of people-just so that people read their comments."
Sophomore Brantley Crank said he reads Overheard for entertainment.
"I think it's hysterical," Crank said. "It's all total random stuff."
Crank said he has not yet posted to the group, but the thought has crossed his mind.
"I haven't posted on it yet because I never really think of anything to say," Crank said.
"There have been a couple times though when I've been walking around campus and heard something and thought, 'Wow, I should put this on Overheard.'"
In Barbour's opinion, some of the most comedic quotes on Overheard are those derived from personal cell phone conversations.
"It's always something said off the cuff," Barbour said. "People have pretty intense private conversations on their phones just walking around, and sometimes you hear them and are like, 'Wow, people are so public,' and that's the fun of it."
P-O-P-U-L-A-R
To Barbour, the popularity of Overhead came as a surprise.
"(This group) is weirdly bigger than I think it even should be," Barbour said. "I can't believe how people have made such a big deal about our little idea to form this group."
Overheard's popularity, however, does not surprise Jason Michel, Miami resident librarian and interactive media studies teacher's assistant.
According to Michel, Overheard is so popular among Miami students because of the gossip nature of the group.
"These stories are things that you would overhear and then tell your friends," Michel said. "It's natural to want to know this inside information-these jokes. This is why it is so popular. People like to hear stories."
Kohn said he feels that some students read the gossip for informational purposes besides pure entertainment.
"It gives people a way to communicate to one another and offers something to keep them busy," Kohn said. "Some people use it to figure out what's going on at Miami and it keeps them up to date."
This is why Crank checks Overheard.
"I check it like once a week, seriously," Crank said.
According to Barbour, the group has become so well-known around Miami's campus that even his professors have made comments about it.
"It's funny because I don't think that much of it and my professors have even said something about it," Barbour said. "It's really jarring. I mean even people that I work with have said something to me about it because they see that I'm the administrator."
The legend of Overheard has even followed Barbour home.
"Once my parents were at a Christmas party and some girl's parents started asking them about Overheard because they knew that I created it," Barbour said. "It was kind of crazy."
To Michel, the new phenomenon of online blogging is what makes Overheard so successful-and so prevalent.
"Social networking is only beginning, but it's more popular now because prior to this easy-to-use technology, you had to have some knowledge of HTML to make an online profile, for example," Michel said. "This technology creates a really good environment for these types of stories. Before, you would just tell your friends, but now the technology is right there and you can tell 4,000 people at once. It's really interesting."
Constant updates containing new content are part of the reason why Overheard thrives, Michel said.
"If you think about it, Overheard has the most interesting stuff that applies to everyone," he said. "It's constantly updated and there's always something new on there."
The downfall of exposure
While humor may be the focus of a large portion of the postings, Lalvani said the quotes on Overheard bolster the stereotype that female Miami students are ditsy.
Lalvani, however, is not offended by this implication.
"I think it's awesome how people talk about the ignorance of girls on campus by repeating quotes of what they say on Overheard," Lalvani said. "It makes Miami seem really shallow and it's funny."
Sometimes, as in the case of senior Julie Lemieux, Oveheard hits close to home.
When Lemieux checked Overheard last month, she said she was surprised to discover that she had been quoted in three of the 10 most recent postings by strangers.
At first, Lemieux said she was slightly embarrassed by the comments but later realized how funny it was to be quoted on Overheard so many times in one day.
"Some of us don't have a filter when we speak and I think it just adds to society as a whole," Lemieux said. "At first I was like, 'Oh no,' and I was a little embarrassed, then I thought it was rather hilarious. I think I might just be the most quoted person on campus because I've been on there so many times. I think I might be some kind of legend, in fact: Julie Lemieux, Miami legend."
According to Kohn, the humiliation for the people who are found quoted on the page should be considered along with the reputation of Miami.
"Some of the comments are funny," Kohn said. "And some are just stereotypical about Miami, like some made by really blonde girls, which (are) somewhat funny but embarrassing to the people who said it. It makes the school look bad because it makes people judge us in that aspect. "
Lemieux said she feels that the majority of students do not realize the statements they are making at the time.
"Throughout the years you don't really think that you do that many outrageous things," Lemieux said. "But then you think, the answer is yes, that you do say that many outrageous things."
Beyond the red brick
As the popularity of Overheard grew, the content eventually has expanded to contain "overseen" pictures and banter between users.
Barbour said he does not oppose the new changes to his group.
"Now it's more about whatever they want," Barbour said.
While Miami may have been the home of the first Overhead group on Facebook, others have followed.
According to Barbour, one of his friends started a group at Wooster College within the last year. Additionally, Barbour said a Kent State University student sent him a message asking for permission to start a new branch.
According to Michel, the side conversations on Overheard help to bring strangers together.
"When posts divert from the main purpose, a new conversation starts organically amongst people who don't know each other but are connected by a common goal," Michel said.
To Michel, it is this type of communication between strangers that makes groups such as Overheard and social networking sites such as Facebook so popular.
"Facebook, for instance, allows people without web publishing skills to communicate with friends on the web," Michel said. "Anyone can make a profile now and anyone can contribute."
Barbour agreed, explaining that the sense of unity shared by members adds to its popularity.
"I think that it comes from wanting to be a part of a community," Barbour said. "It's completely for fun, for social purposes and for entertainment value."
Although Barbour will graduate in May, he said he plans to check Overheard occasionally after leaving Oxford.
"I don't know if I'll give it to someone else (to be the administrator), but it's basically developed without me anyways," Barbour said. "I mean, my name is on it, but that's all."
While the success of Overheard has depended on the group's members, it may not have reached Miami without Barbour's initiative.
"Overheard is great because it's non-site specific," Barbour said. "Anywhere you go people are going to be talking about insane things. All you have to do is overhear it."
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