Every dictator has used necessity to roll in the tanks.

Problem is there seems to be a necessity every ten minutes.

I am proudly Pro-Negativity.

I couldn't get past the first paragraph of the "here, see what you think" article, so I started scrolling down reading some of the quotes in bold, then got tired of that, started looking at the rabbit that kept appearing, scrolled to the end, and still feel like the 'everyone is critic/publicist' quote doesn't make much sense to me.

A real genius can be pleasant and (painfully) truthful in the same moment. I'm against the everyone-gets-a-trophy attitude, but I don't think smart criticism is necessarily acerbic.

We are the League
We are the League
The Anti Nowhere League

". Do not dismiss a book until you have written one, and do not dismiss a movie until you have made one, and do not dismiss a person until you have met them."

What, Dave Eggers?

First, this is why I read The Slog. I find great stuff like this I might have missed. BIG thanks.

Second, I write a public education blog and the one thing I get tired of - "why can't you ask the district to do better nicely"? "Don't berate the hard-working staff."(even if they are not doing their jobs well? apparently not) " if you would only try to find common ground, you'd get further."

Really? With the people who if you are not with them, you're against them? With people who attack you personally to win? With people who use money and power to win an argument?

No.

I hate that middle-school term "haters." It's for babies who believe one word against them is about them. It's not. It's about behavior and wanting to get away with bad behavior (and not get called out for it).

No, not backing down on calling people out. Because if you stop, it will only get worse. Hasn't it already politically?

This was a great article. Thanks Jen. I am unsurprised that @3 couldn't get it.

Was anyone at Eggers reading at the Univ Bookstore when "Heartbreaking Work..." first came out? Won't give any details of it cause no one cares. Suffice to say, it started out interesting, became a little strange, then just became a disappointment.

@8,9
fancy that, into the quiet Slog evening, our comments were one minute apart

@7, dude, it is really not that hard to make a movie. You don't need the (laughable) "millions of dollars" mentioned in the article, you need a phone.

I like Tom Scocca, and I love the fact that he took down a few smug pricks in that piece, but I'm not sure I agree with his basic premise.

There's no opposition between snark and smarm. They can coexist. In fact, Eggers and Denby come across as pretty snarky at times in that piece.

People on the internet make money by stroking those that agree with the premise of ridiculous headline/story, while simultaneously infuriating those that disagree. Those that disagree with the snark provide just as many page clicks and ad views as those that find your snark so invaluable.

In short - get over yourselves. There's no consciousness raising to be found in any mass media - not anymore, even if there was once, which I am far from convinced of. The smarmers and the snarkers are in the same business, making money exactly the same way - goosing the analytics just enough so you're not out on your ass.