adapted by Marty Higgins for ETP
Rachel Sklar |
Posted Wednesday April 4, 2007 at 02:49 PM
From cranky to cuddly: Is noted Gawker curmudgeon Alex Balk going soft? First he gives the love to Julia Allison. Next he pulls all possible punches on the Village Voice's Keach Hagey (while Choire gives her a gold star). Where's our lovable little misanthrope? Doesn't he hate anyone anymore? [Gawker]
Oh, there he is: Balk harshes on Christopher Hitchens and his upcoming book, which he has re-christened "Hitch Is Not Great: How Everything In My Body Is Filled With Poison, Particularly My Liver." Phew. We were worried for a sec. [Gawker]
- The Devil finds work for Idol hands: Pop culture has finally pushed Best Week Ever's Alex Blagg over the edge, prompting him to unleash a torrent of invective bemoaning the "inevitable subversion of an increasingly destructive institution in the pop culture landscape" i.e. the ratings behemoth that is the all-powerful AI: "American Idol isn't "jumping the shark" this season, it is being hurled over the shark by the growing number of people who have stood by idly as the Idol sensation has doggedly dominated the American consciousness going on 5 years now, during an increasingly dire time in this nation's history." Interestingly, Blagg's post, including the headline, numbers exactly 666 words. Coincidence? Or SATAN? [BWE]
- Oh, Balkada: What do you do when someone completely — but completely — kicks your ass on your own turf? Alex Balk did such a fine job of elucidating the Maclean's-Time non-conflict that we, chest-pounding Canadians that we are,* have nothing to add — you can't add to a post that makes perfect throwaway references to Thunder Bay, Kim Campbell (not to be confused with anyone with whom you might go for a soda), and our goddamned national motto (which, in truth, we'd sort of forgotten about since it's not on the Loonie). We'd just agree that Maclean's is really, really reaching with this one. Honestly. How does he even know who Kim Campbell is? [Gawker/Maclean's]
- Frank Rich, the most cut-and-pastable guy online: Apparently his most recent column about John andElizabeth Edwards and the attempts of "some people" to pass smeary judgment on them is"copy-pasted everywhere on the blogosphere, frequently without additional comment, because, according to Truth, Justice and Peace Blog: "As always, Frank Rich distills the essence of the issue at hand." Only 38 Technorati links, meanwhile — yep, they said "cut and paste." TimesSelect, behold the fruits of your paywall. If you're wondering where the "Alex" is in this post, wonder no longer: Frank Rich is married to Alex Witchel. Tenuous link, made! [The First Post]
*Royal we - actually Rachel and Glynnis are Canadian, plus HuffPo Community Manager Wendy Cohen from Montreal. Our Canada includes Quebec! Also, we totally reused that Chris Hitch graphic, we know. But we love it!
