Friday, May 13, 2016

Headlines to Articles I Somehow Couldn't Bring Myself to Actually Read (An Occasional Series)

From the great reassuring warm bath that is the New York Times Arts and Leisure section, last Sunday.


You know, god bless Serge F. Kovaleski and Joe Coscarelli, the two guys that wrote that thumbsucker; if they can make a living taking the Times' money by penning that kind of thing, more power to them, and frankly I'm jealous.

But the piece itself -- and I say this, admittedly, without having read it -- is a reminder of the most valuable lesson I learned in my several centuries career as a rock critic.

To wit: The problem with writing seriously about any aspect of pop culture is that if you do, you ultimately have to write seriously about EVERY aspect of pop culture.

And thus, no matter what, you wind up at some point typing 5000 word think pieces about The Meaning of Britney Spears.

Or, in the words of a friend in the biz (far more successful than I ever dreamed of being, BTW) famously put it -- putting your name on reviews that ultimately come down to Everything's Great, Even the Obvious Shit.

Have a great weekend, everybody.

And yes, that long-threatened video round-up will appear on Monday. You're welcome.

7 comments:

Blue Ash Fan said...

Everything's Great, Even the Obvious Shit.

I believe that's on a sign in the Rolling Stones editorial offices.

Anonymous said...

Everything's Shitty. Even the Obvious Shit.

VR

pete said...

"Everything is everything" - Detroit Lions running back Mel Gray in the background party track to Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On?"

Anonymous said...

When you say something is shit you're called an elitist, when you keep your big mouth shut there are no standards which is even worse.

Captain Al

steve simels said...

It's only rock 'n' roll. Seriously.

Anonymous said...

Yep, there's no accounting for what some people will fuck to. Degustibus ....

VR - "Think piece" and Britney Spears in the same sentence? C'mon it's gotta be a puffer all the way.

Alzo said...

Sorry, guys, but it's Rolling Stone and Mel Farr.

Good Gawd, I'm turning into the Comma Queen.