Exhibit A. I hope this review in the NYT of the latest translation of The Three Musketeers is the first and last time someone compares Cardinal Richelieu to Dick Cheney. I mean, I know this reviewer's only, er, "literary" achievement is writing a book about people writing about movies, but surely the comparison should go the other way round? And what the hell is Charles McGrath thinking giving a review of a new translation of Alexandre Dumas to that guy? Mr. McGrath, perhaps you'd like someone who actually reads French and might have some idea of how to judge the translation next time, instead of using someone whose basis for judging a 19th century masterpiece is that its author was totally nutty and that it would make a great movie. I mean, I know you're trying to publish for a wide audience, but don't you know that the Times is, or at least used to be, the smart New Yorker's newspaper? The dumbasses are all reading the Post on Sunday morning. I'd like to volunteer for the job of writing reviews that respect the work and the readership at the same time. Call me.
Exhibit B. When I read Overhead in New York, I am at once reviled and proud: reviled at the cult of imbecility that's taken over the place, and proud of the witty souls (sadly, the minority of the population) who write these nuggets in and edit them so brilliantly. For example:
You Know, Someone Asked For a 'Book' Again. That's Like the 100th Time Today!
Customer: Do you have The Picture of Dorian Gray?
Employee: What is that?
--Barnes & Noble, Park Slope
via Overheard in New York, Aug 13, 2006
But don't despair, I've got the antidote here. That is, as long as she gets a teaching job in NY when she finishes her dissertation a couple years down the road. But it would be perfectly understandable if she wanted to leave.
7 comments:
You're so sweet. The irony, of course, is that I often overhear native NYers saying, "Well, at least we're not from Kansas. Those people are really stupid!" Judo... chop!
My guess is that NYers have always been along a split of smart and dumb, but only recently has the NYT said to itself, "You know what? We're really not serving the stupid among us. Let's get on it!" Comfort yourself in knowing that the New York Review of Books is still one of the finest journalistic publications in the world, or would be if they'd stop hiring Updike to review that about which he knows jack.
It's too easy to categorize all new yorkers as both smart and dumb but it's far more complicated than that. we take up quite a wide spectrum...
as far as the NY times are concerned, yes it is the intelligent paper of the bunch (i am proud to say i still have not been tempted by the autrocity that is the ny post), but i think because of the criticism it had of being a "liberal" paper (sooo not true) they've decided to step back a bit to the darker ages that occupy red-state america. But this is just an assumption as my news source is 91.5 FM Radio France International and BBC World News and their respective websites.
Funny, funny,funny. Especially OverheardinNY.com! It reminds me of something une ami said of her son, "One Parisian dreams of Hell's Kitchen and the other NYer(moi) dreams of (J-P)Hévin.."
Even this moment I'm listening to NRJ while you're checking up on NYC. I'm thoroughly disgusted with the NYTimes - only look at it for the Movie schedules.
You're all absolutely right... it's just so hard for me to let go of my idea of the New York Times. I grew up regarding it in a certain way, I think it had a lot to do with my formation as a New Yorker, and my concept of New York, not to mention the rest of the world's. It is *the paper of record*, whatever that means. Its journalistic standards, while specious to some, comprise, I'm told, the volume of an entire encyclopedia, so intricate are the rules and regulations put in place to assure responsible and unbiased reporting.
And so whatever is wrong with it, we have to fix it. Where I would like to do some good is-- and I know this is oging to sound politically incorrect-- bring the level of discourse up a few notches. There may be smart New Yorkers, savvy New Yorkers, and all range of idiot New Yorkers, but the bar for smart and savvy has to be held in place, not lowered so the smaller minds can reach it.
I don't want to give up on the NY Times!
(And AWB, you're right, the NYRB is exemplary! that is, except for when they let Tony Judt take the floor. That's when I want to barge into their offices and shake them.)
DITCH the NYTIMES!
Off with their heads.
Ages ago I used did illustration for their foodie page and I got an look at the inner workings and it was not pretty. Turned me right off them :P
Instead why not try out the Village Voice..OK they're having problems too. What piece of scrap isn't these days with all us web geniuses to keep the eyeballs occupyed :)
But have you read the Free Will Astrology by Rob Brezsny?
It makes the rest of the week float by on a cloud...
http://www.villagevoice.com/people/0633,brezsny,74203,25.html
Since you're LIBRA...
At the BFD concert near San Francisco in June, Yeah YeahYeah's lead singer Karen O screamed for two minutes and 17 seconds straight. (I timed it.) I recommend that you set aside some quality time in the next two weeks to experiment with big outbreaks of self-expression tht resemble hers. It's the Purge and Purify season for you - a time to indulge in high-spirited activities that exorcise your demons, wash your brain, and incite toe-curling sweat-inducing, soul-animating catharses.
!!!!!!!!!
"a time to indulge in high-spirited activities that [...] incite toe-curling sweat-inducing, soul-animating catharses":
ok, I'll make sure N is on standby ;)
Jeeeze I shoulda previewed and edited that post. Now who is the mysterious N ? Don't worry.
VV Astrology guy told me to jump on a plane to Bunol, spain for the biggest foodfight on the planet to hurl 45 tons of overripe tomatos. I'm supposed to indulge in senseless but harmless mayhem and lose control in the name of fun. I thought I was doing that already - on my blog..?
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