Analyze This: New York Puts Brownstoner on the Couch
Considering the tone of what New York Magazine has written about some other blogs, we thought that this week’s cover story about Brownstoner, and its culture of commenting in particular, was reasonably thoughtful. Sure, it had some the magazine’s signature sensationalism, but underneath that were some interesting thoughts about what the commenting culture on the…
Considering the tone of what New York Magazine has written about some other blogs, we thought that this week’s cover story about Brownstoner, and its culture of commenting in particular, was reasonably thoughtful. Sure, it had some the magazine’s signature sensationalism, but underneath that were some interesting thoughts about what the commenting culture on the blog says about the collective psyche of Brownstone Brooklyn. Our only major gripe was that it played up the importance of one egomaniacal commenter over some of the more constructive aspects of the community. In the end, though, it did include one belief of ours that we’ve clung to from the beginning: That as messy as many of the threads get, the tough issues that underlie much of the change that Brooklyn has experienced in recent years—class, race, gentrification—are at least getting discussed, and often among people who wouldn’t otherwise be mingling offline. The conversations could be a lot more polite, but at least they are happening.
The Brooklyn Wars [New York Magazine]
Illustration by Zohar Lazar
This is why I stopped reading New York Magazine years ago. It’s a magazine about loathsome people behaving loathsomely. This is not the New York City I grew up in, spent most of my adult life in or love, but evidently it sells magazines. I worry that this very useful site is going the way of New York Magazine, and that there is a sad truth that there is value to Mr. B in having the traffic that uncivl ranting evidently promotes. When I moved to Brooklyn from Manhattan a year ago, I regularly visited this site and read the comments because I was excited about learning about my new borough and neighborhood. But this site doesn’t provide that as much anymore. I’m still very excited about living here, but Gresham’s Law seems to be at work here, and that seems to be exactly what Mr. B wants. That makes me sad.
1:26, “No one pays Biff any attention”. Actually mentioning me in your post would contradict your own argument, Einstein.
bxgrl, you did post those disgusting links and you know it. You did it under a slightly different name, but you did it. So own it.
No one pays Biff any attention. Except for Dave and Roberto.
It’s funny to read so many posts claiming the What is a dork, jerk, insane, etc. Pretty obvious he’s got all of these folks hooked in one way or another. Personally, I think his “predictions” are largely laughable, but some folks are apparently quite threatened by his/her rants.
11:18, where do you expect people to move where adding 30 minutes to their commute will magically make their lives easier? Neverland?
New Yorkers already have the highest average commuting time (39 minutes) of any city in the United States. Adding 30 minutes to the average commute would mean that the average New Yorker would spend more than two hours a day commuting.
I’m sure you aren’t suggesting that they’ll be saving money by spending an extra 30 minutes each way guzzling gas in their cars. Even if you are imagining that this 69 minutes will be spent in public transportation, you’d have to be living in the Bronx and working in Brooklyn to spend that much time in the subway, and any 69 minute-one way commute outside of the city by train would have to end in a car ride home for 99% of commuters.
Manitoba, you really know me so well. Actually, it was hardly bitching and whining and I had zero intention or thought of mentioning registration in this thread. I only mentioned it in response to / agreement with 10:09 initially saying, “Brownstoner needs a moderator and a real registration system.”
In contrast to what you think I believe, certain bold type posts also “don’t count”, particularly unoriginal ones such as yours that end in “Yawn”.
When I saw this article, I knew that Biff would start his bitching and whining again about how everyone should be forced to be register before commenting and how shaded comments “don’t count”. Yawn.
Brownstoner who?
FYI: “For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.”
~Bible, II Corinthians 11:19 ( is the original saying.
However there is a long history of variations on the phrase, especially using the word “lightly”, and include such excerpts as noted below:
“Well, I don’t want to be just or to be kind. There is a further justice and a greater kindness than this niggling tolerance business, and suffering fools gladly. Fools bore me.” (D.H. Lawrence, “Accumulated Mail,” _Selected Essays)
You see, I am an archbishop; and an archbishop is a sort of idol. At any rate he has to learn to keep still and suffer fools patiently. (G.B. Shaw, _Saint Joan_)
So the word “lightly” implies that someone will suffer fools to a point, but not gladly. A tad different than the original phrase’s intent.
bxgrl
still bitter and still renting 🙂