The Times is a sad sick elite: In its political reporting, the New York Times is well beyond an embarrassment.
What is their principal topic today? The number of strip clubs in Tampa!
This news report by Lizette Alvarez tops the first page of the National section. It’s accompanied by three color photos, including a large photograph of a lady without many clothes on:
ALVAREZ (7/27/12): Over at the back door of the 2001 Odyssey, a limo-size tent with flaps—especially designed for discretion and camera-shy guests—is ready to go up. Déjà Vu is welcoming extra “talent” from around the country in its V.I.P. rooms.It isn’t just that the Times is featuring strip clubs. In the opening paragraphs, they invite their readers to picture a stripper who looks just like Sarah Palin.
And Thee DollHouse is all Americana: women plan to slip out of red, white and blue corsets and offer red, white and blue vodka. The headliner that week is expected to bear an uncanny resemblance to a certain ex-governor from a wilderness state, known for her strong jaw and devotion to guns and God.
“She’s a dead ringer for her,” said Warren Colazzo, co-owner of Thee DollHouse. “It’s just a really good gimmick to get publicity.”
(When these broken-souled idiots deal with Palin, this sort of thing just never stops.)
Why is the Times frisking strip clubs in Tampa? Because Tampa will be the site of the Republican National Convention! Republicans tip well in strip clubs, we’re told. Then, "to be fair," we get this:
ALVAREZ: To be fair, Tampa is known for other things: cigars, Ybor City—the historic district where Cuban and Spanish cigar makers first settled in the late 1800s—three major sports franchises, four Super Bowls and beautiful beaches a short drive away. It is the Florida Gulf Coast’s economic engine and hosts a raucous pirate party every year called Gasparilla.It seems Tampa really isn’t the "strip club capital"—but it just can’t shed that reputation! Could that be because wastemeat like the Times keep printing stories like this one?
But Tampa cannot shed its national reputation as the strip club capital of the country. “It’s not true,” said Joe Redner, the owner of the renowned Mons Venus and a man famous for fending off local attempts to close his club. “It would be nice, though.”
The Tampa Bay Times has reported there are 20 strip clubs in Tampa and 50 in the Tampa Bay area. Per capita, it ranks behind Las Vegas and Cincinnati. But it is hard to be sure because strip club statistics are squishy, at best, and per capita numbers vary in a tourist town. Tampa does not have as many strip clubs as New Orleans, Atlanta, Houston, New York and Las Vegas, owners said. Miami boasts quite a few, too.
By the way, does Charlotte have any strip clubs? That’s where the Democrats meet.
The New York Times does excellent work in some areas. In the area of national politics, the Times is a sick, sad empty-souled elite—a deeply empty, brainless crew, a source of decline and defeat.
Repeat: This is the sprawling featured report in today's National section.
Why was this article even written? I mean, why does this stuff even matter? I could see a lower end magazine doing this, but why waste the space in a national newspaper for this? The Palin stuff is just sleazy...
ReplyDeleteWhy the post on this useless article, especially block-quoting 6 paragraphs from it?
DeleteBecause it's more drivel, instead of serious reporting, supposedly from our "most serious" newspaper? I'm sure many liberals will eat it all up, though.
DeleteHmmmm, so let's examine other headlines from today's Times:
Delete"Hospitals Are Worried Over Cut in Fund for Uninsur3ed"
"Cocaine's Flow Is Unchecked in Venezuela"
"Storms Threaten Ozone Layer Over U.S., Study Says"
"Charge for Wife of Chinese Ex-Leader Suggests Old Tactic"
Nope, no serious reporting there.
So double down on the drivel? To prove a point made years ago? Pandering by any newspaper is a given. However, I'm sure many conservatives and Sommerby syncophants will "eat it up" when he posts stuff like this.
DeleteAnonymous 1:19 - You are so disingenuous it hurts. The reason Bob highlighted this article is that this reflects, if you care to see it, what the political media believe is an important angle of the Presidential/Congressional races. None of those other articles are purporting to be coverage by the political media.
DeleteBob's focus, by and large, is political media coverage.
Your criticism of his failure to highlight articles outside of the scope of his blog is irrelevant. If you want to read a blog about those things, write it yourself.
Bob and Glenn Greenwald have drawn more than their share of criticisms from liberals since 2008 but the funny thing is - they haven't changed. They still defend and advocate for the same principles. They don't defend and advocate for The Party and are now therefore no longer cool.
Well, I'm one liberal who stands with them. You see I actually care about the meaning of things.
And oldman, your nose is so far up Somerby's keister that you can't even see the trick he is pulling on you.
DeleteWhich, because your too dim too see it is this:
"I found ONE rather silly story in the Times this morning. Ergo, there is absolutely NO serious reporting in the Times. Ever."
As Somerby himself says, sweet hay to the cattle. Enjoy munching.
Anon @ 1:37:
DeleteI'm really sorry that you never learned how to read.
Bob's post states the following:
The New York Times does excellent work in some areas. In the area of national politics, the Times is a sick, sad empty-souled elite—a deeply empty, brainless crew, a source of decline and defeat.
Repeat: This is the sprawling featured report in today's National section.
Bob is criticizing "political" coverage in the times by citing the "featured" story. Your criticism is addressed in Bob original post.
Try sounding out the words next time. I'm told it helps.
dave, that's Bob talking out of both sides of his mouth. "The New York Times does excellent work in some areas" hardly negates an entire post devoted to damning the New York Times for not being serious is because of one story about strip clubs getting ready for the GOP convention.
DeleteCan't wait until he discovers that the Times runs a crossword puzzle every day. How trivial can you get?
"hardly negates an entire post devoted to damning The New York Times for not being serious is because of one story about strip clubs getting ready for the GOP Convention."
DeleteThere's no way you could really be this dumb or disingenuous.
"Empty-souled"...is certainly an apt description.
What part of "first page" "featured report" and "sprawling" doesn't the Bob-hater understand?
DeleteWell, all of it probably.
After all we are talking about a person who thinks good non-political reporting can somehow prove that political reporting isn't awful.
A person who thinks this is really only "one story" as opposed to another in a never-ending string of fatuous political pieces.
One can wish for smarter trolls, or no trolls at all, but this idiot is what we currently have.
Bob forgot to add that the reason Al Gore lost in 2000 was because the NYT wrote a story about Tampa strip clubs in 2012.
DeleteIt's also the reason George Zimmerman is behind bars, and the press keep hounding Mitt Romney for his tax returns.
It's all a left-wing media conspiracy tied to Tamp strip clubs.
"Bob forgot to add.."
DeleteAre you even awake when you type this nonsense?
You certainly could do it in your sleep.
And the mischaracterization of Somerby's arguments is definitely from your own personal dream world.
Hey, wake up dumbass. Your mom's not going to buy you another keyboard when you ruin that one with your drool again.
Sarah Palin was an absolute disaster as a national figure, but as a human being she deserves to be treated with some decency. Can we all drop the Palin-bashing considering she'll never run for anything again and it plays perfectly into her persecution complex.
ReplyDeleteWhy should she get treated with decency when no other public figure is?
DeleteNext, a feature of a show in Alabama that features an Obama impersonator in blackface!
ReplyDeleteNever assume that the media is writing for the public-at-large.
ReplyDeleteThey write for each other.
This piece was written to amuse fellow media members and to set the tone for the irony level and supercilliousness that will be the hallmark of their coverage of those whacked-out sleazy Republicians.
So some strip club has a Palin look alike? This story is only interesting if we do a follow up and find out if She really looks like Palin. That unfunny woman who does comic, Rooney like bits on CNN already did one about how there was a porn flick with a Palin look alike, but that was wrong because the election was still on. Now that Palin has.disgraced herself beyond all sympathy, who cares one way or another?
ReplyDeleteLimo In NYC is not for only New York city.it provide the facility in all cites of united state.
ReplyDeleteevery minute of life important for struggle
ReplyDeleteJfk Airport Limo
Limo in Port Washington NY price charge reasonable.superstar use limousine service due to his best service.
ReplyDeleteLimousine in long island
I surprised with the analysis you made to make this particular publish incredible. Wonderful activity! estate planning
ReplyDelete