Why the fork?

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By Travis Mayfield

Story Created: Mar 18, 2011 at 12:40 PM PDT

Story Updated: Mar 18, 2011 at 1:36 PM PDT

It’s a question I’ve never really asked before.

“Why the fork?”

Usually the answer is an obvious one, so why ask at all?

But in the last few weeks I’ve been asking that question a lot and I’m not alone.

A mysterious twitter account, @whythefork, began tweeting March 9th and hasn’t stopped tweeting since.

Here are a smattering of some of @whythefork’s tweets:

Forking happy to be on Twitter! #whythefork

Forks used to run free. We weren’t commonly used in Western Europe until the 10th century. #whythefork

The English once ridiculed forks as being effeminate and unnecessary. They may want to look in the mirror…#justsaying #whythefork

If you've given up swearing for Lent, feel free to use "fork" in place of the other f-word. I won't mind. #whythefork

Forks or chopsticks--it doesn't matter. We're all in this together. #Japan #whythefork

You can see some of the tweets are funny, some quirky and some heartfelt. 
Like any true Twitter success however, @whythefork is fun to follow because he/she/it is engaging and responsive.

You tweet to @whythefork and he/she/it tweets back.

Our own Martha Kang and Jenny Kuglin asked about the ‘spork’ and this was the response:

@martha_kang As I told @jenkuglin, some older forks look down on "mixing" with other utensils but this is 2011. Let love rule. #whythefork

Now in the last week @whytheFork has really stepped up the game and he/she/it has been tweeting pictures of giant forks in different locations around Seattle.  Two days ago it was West Seattle, yesterday Bellevue and Fremont and now @whythefork has gone animated (thanks to a fan).

So who is @WhytheFork and why is he/she/it asking?

There are some clues if you look at the tweets and click on the website whythefork.org.  Journalistic ethics require I reveal I actually know the surprise, but I don’t want to ruin it for you.  All I’m willing to say is everything will be revealed on Monday March 21st and you’ll like it.

In the meantime have some fun, follow @whythefork on Twitter, watch for mysterious giant forks appearing all King County and then on Monday we’ll finally know #whythefork?

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