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Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Teh Internets Everything Old Is New Again, Part 12,354

Posted by on Wed, Apr 22, 2009 at 12:42 PM

Back when I started reading blogs, I read Gawker all the goddamned time. It was snarky, yes, but it was also intelligent, sharp, and pragmatic. With the deflation of internet money, the current incarnation is like Wal-Mart Gawker: A succession of longish posts about nothing at all (unless you count press releases as something that matter).

So I have high hopes for The Awl, a new blog by Alex Balk and Choire Sicha, who have often been the best, funniest writers in the Gawker empire. (If they could somehow convince Ana Marie Cox to take part, it would be my bloggy holy trinity.)

Vanity Fair just posted an interview with Sicha about The Awl and the ideas behind it:

What about the tagline, “Be less stupid.” Do you think your site will increase your readers’ intelligence or just help them avoid the stupid stuff?

I wanted it to be “Be less dumber,” but that didn’t really fly with the business end. You know, I talked to a bunch of people about the site yesterday, and I was thinking about it last night, and I realized that we just don’t really want any stupid people reading it—which sounds mean, but they have plenty of reading material already. I want to disinvite them. Although I think we’re going to end up in an age where being mean to dumb people is up there with the other “isms.”

I'm in love already.

 

Comments (7) RSS

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1
...I gave it five minutes. Pretty dumb blog.
Posted by stupid too on April 22, 2009 at 12:51 PM
2
Emily Gould spotted at first glance.

You're in love with shit, Paul.
Posted by myyy liiiife, myyy tattooos, myyyy draaaamaaaaaaaaa on April 22, 2009 at 12:55 PM
3
So, what you're saying is that Gawker has turned into Slog. Boy, that sucks.
Posted by LUVTOFU on April 22, 2009 at 1:51 PM
4
i am a loyal seattle-based blog reader, rarely stepping outside the genre except with the occasional article on slog but i'd have to agree with you paul, the awl is indeed, amazing.
Posted by madelinear on April 22, 2009 at 2:03 PM
5
OMG. Will Balk bring back his "my cock" column?
Posted by arts&letters on April 22, 2009 at 2:54 PM
6
this makes me miss east/west, choire's blog from 2001/2002 even more. i miss pre-gawker choire.
Posted by ariel on April 22, 2009 at 4:58 PM
7
Loved it for a few posts, and then I hit Emily Gould. Forget it.
Posted by giantladysquirrels on April 23, 2009 at 9:00 AM

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