Media A Seattle Weekly Employee Comments…
posted by February 28 at 17:38 PM
onAn employee of the Seattle Weekly writes, w/r/t Michael Seiwerath’s letter to the editor:
I have to say this attack by Seiwerath has more to do with him being a lame “Stranger Genius” winner than anything else. If he hates us so much why is he always begging for sponsorhip from the “horrible” Seattle Weekly. Anyway our “chain writers” are a ton better than any piece of crap writers that the Stranger comes up with.
Maybe if they ran better movies over there we would give FIlm Forum an ad and then he could shut up.Posted by pissed sw’er | February 28, 2007 04:56 PM
Of course J Hoberman is an excellent critic; the question is whether the anonymous editor who chopped up his review for the Weekly is up to the task. Also, anyone can fetch Hoberman’s reviews on the Village Voice website. What’s the point of recycling reviews if readers know they’re being butchered en route?
Moreover, if you respect the New Times critics so much, it’s curious that you simultaneously hold that the Northwest Film Forum programs terrible films. Unless the anonymous Seattle Weekly editor also fiddled with Hoberman’s opinions, he thought Our Daily Bread was pretty decent. And opening on the 16th at NWFF is Climates, which made his top ten list for 2006.
Do you think Rivette is a terrible director? How about Agnes Varda? Jacques Demy? Mizoguchi? Anyone who thinks all films at NWFF suck is ignorant, stupid, and blind.
Comments
Wow, feeling a little defensive, are we SW Staffer?
But, his/her rant does beg a couple of question perhaps they could answer here:
How much sponsorship has NWFF requested from Seattle Weekly after the New Times buyout versus before the buyout?
Do you work in The Weekly's Public Relations or Marketing Department? If so, would you consider your sour grapes rant a good Customer Service strategy?
Have you ever even been inside NWFF?
Awaiting a response (but not holding my breath).
Yay Annie! You FIGHT for your job, girl! Because if the Weekly's experiment in outsourcing film reviews DOES work (i.e. that no one complains and people enjoy the well-written reviews by out-of-town critics)....well, I'm sure that Dan and Tim have GREAT lay-off packages.
Interesting. Certainly the Weekly can be lame. However, if I were the Stranger, I would be more worried about the competition. In case yall have not noticed, The Weekly's reporting is getting better and their stories more interesting. Maybe their new editor and their new hires are changing some things there. The Stranger still has the edge, but I would be more worried about keeping that edge and keeping your reporters hungry for good stories. Activism, gossip, catty hissy fits, and capitol hill music and performance art stuff is cool, but good stories about other neighborhoods and other social classess is what I like and is the reason why I read your weekly and is what keeps weeklies vibrant. Im just saying, yall better be careful, and stick to breaking and writing good stories cuz you certainly dont want to become as lame as your sister weekly, the Portland Mercury.
Oh, Sam. How we've missed you! I feel like you're my cheerleader and I'm the entire football team.
Yikes. That brings to mind an image I could have lived without.
SeMe @3: The Stranger has little to worry about, the Weekly will nevermore do any real, regular local news reporting, beyond "magazine-style" investigative features, that is. Good on them for those, they're fine things. But that's essentially the NT Law handed down. You'll see relatively little from neighborhoods, nothing from the mayor's office, little if any commentary on how things are run around here. See any articles in the Weekly on the viaduct? Oh, two, about how the vote should have been a poll (after ballots have already gone out), or how using signatures could result in errors... nothing about the actual options on or off the table, nor anything about what we should do as a city. "Nothing Actionable" seems to be the new motto.
SW'er is just a lame corporate promotions guy/gal. (S)he has probably lived in Seattle for less than 6 months and has never heard of any of those directors. So I wouldn't judge the Weekly on this one response.
Are you seriously taking this seriously, as though someone from the Weekly would honestly use this as a forum for sniping at The Stranger and NWFF? It's crazy, crazy clear that this commenter not only didn't come from 1008 Western Avenue but also has absolutely no knowledge of how publications work. Case in point:
"Give" them an ad? In my world, which many people live in, folks pay for ads. Especially in mass-conglomerate-owned weeklies.
/soapbox
"Ignorant, stupid, and blind"?! You got a problem with blind people? WTF? You are the one who is ignorant and stupid.
SeMe #3:
I agree, the Weekly has gotten a lot better. Judging from all the sniping, The Stranger has noticed as well. There's an under-supply of well written, smart, and informative journalism in Seattle, so it's nice to see the Weekly step up.
Holmgang #6:
Re Viaduct: The latest edition of the Weekly reports the varying perspectives of Sodo businesses that actually use the viaduct for shipping.
@#8 -- you will have to forgive the stranger, they're new to this whole "internet" thing. they only recently got a blog, figured out what NSFW means, duped CraigsList's biz model, and were about 10 years late with their forums. they know not the beast that is eating them.
This "pissed sw-er" is a "pissed p-ssy." Oooh - you hide under your identity yet take brief yet sweeping swipes at both the Stranger and NWFF in the same post. I'm mystified that you haven't sent out a second response to react to the subsequent posts in response to your passive aggressive contribution.
And if you are truly a SW employee calling out Seiwerath for wanting publicity, big fucking deal. Publicity is publicity - anyone who wants to promote their events, films, etc. will use all possible outlets, regardless of their preferences. Don't hate on him for giving SW money to do so. That's your bottom line, isn't it?!?! Regardless of his public opinions of your publication, shouldn't this be your last laugh?! Yay - you get his $$ AND the satisfaction of putting him in his place. It really should be win-win for you, hmmm?!
#3,
In case you haven't noticed, the Stranger broke the two biggest news stories of the week this week: The Storm's new owners kicking $1.1 million to Gary Bauer's anti-gay-marriage group & Peter Steinbrueck's big announcement about not running for reelection.
It seems to me we've left the SW in the dust and we're scrapping with the dailies.
Indeed, we also have a scoop on a rash of police reports focusing on a new Capitol Hill Club, Club Lagoon, that I imagine will be in the PI or Sea Times soon enough.
I've noticed, and all Im saying is that in case YOU have not noticed, the Weekly's writing is getting better. I didnt say is better than the Stranger at this point, I still think you guys do the better features and concentrate on more interesting things, and is what keeps me reading the Stranger. I am not really interested in gossip reporting and campy fights over crap. All I was saying is that the Stranger should keep doing what it does best: Good reporting. I dont think you read my post. Maybe they want to be the next LA Weekly, theyre not there yet, but I would say they have not been left in the dust as they were in the past.
Actually, I think "gossip reporting and campy fights over crap" is how an alt-weekly stays fresh. If you get bogged down in too much old-fashioned "good reporting" you eventually TURN INTO the Weekly; you become boring and wonkish. All things in moderation. The Stranger has ALWAYS had a juvenile, campy edge to it, which is a major reason I continue to read it.
PS: blind people are terrific, but maybe don't make the best movie critics, seeing as how they can't see the movies.
The Fnarfmeister #16
"Actually, I think "gossip reporting and campy fights over crap" is how an alt-weekly stays fresh."
God, I hope not. The stuff that keeps me coming back (e.g. Dan Savage, Mistresse Matisse, Cienna Madrid, news stories like the one on Club Lagoon) somehow manages to be interesting and edgy without being juvenile, catty or belligerent.
And yes, Josh, you all deserve props for the news stories you broke this week.
I guess we all like it and read it for different reasons FNARF. Ill consent that.
I dont think Im looking for old fashioned reporting. I dont think the dailies here are very good at getting inside a story. And thats a gap the alt weeklies can fill. I mean look at the LA Weekly, thats a hella of a paper and they really get into the heart of LA with good investigative reporting. Their piece on Prison gangs is some serious shit.
I personally like Valdez's stories on South Park boxing, crime, Prentice, Barnett's stuff on city Hall and transportation, though her feminist rants are a wee silly. I enjoy Mudede's writing and find him to be highly original and I wish he would write more on the CD, I like the hip hop column and think its one of the best around, I like Savage's writing and Feit can be ok, but sometimes whiny. Overall the Stranger is a good solid paper, but all Im saying is that the Weekly is starting to look and read better. Hell, I never read it before and now I look for it. Im not saying the Weekly is better than the Stranger, but if it becomes as good or close to the LA weekly, they will start attracting the talent.
Maybe the SW could start a new column "Uptight SW Staffer" and give advice on how we should ignore anything local and upbraid Seattle for actually: a. having class, b. having a fondness for real films, and c. being able to speak and understand more than one language.
Personally, I don't see why they're hatin'.
Josh Feit do you want a gold star? Go look up narcissism.
Poor paranoid Josh: "Broke" those stories? Somebody called up and gave you the Sonics story; the other "scoop" was publicly announced by Steinbrueck. What your mom said has been borne out: masterbate and you'll go blind.
I also understand your ability to spell is one of the first things to go too, BobO...
This is from your first post, above, Cmte:
"But, his/her rant does beg a couple of question perhaps they could answer here:"
Guess that confirms your suspicion.
*Gasp!* Oh no! How will I ever explain it to me mum?
And BTW, you're at "strike two" - at least stop playing with yourself long enough to spell my name correctly.
Here's an ad from the guy that reviews and approves ALL Nt/VVm weeklies covers, every week.
To Cmte or Comte: Your name is misspelled either way.
Is that two or three foul tips?
Gee, really? So, you're an expert on geneology now? Funny, I guess nobody in our family noticed we'd been misspelling our own name for the past 400 or so years.
Yeah, definitely "strike three". Go back to the bench - and keep your hands away from your nether regions.
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