A moment of clarity

I have made a decision to end my personal boycott of the City Paper.

No, it’s not because I have decided to forgive them, and no, they haven’t reformed their ways to my satisfaction. No--this personal boycott has ended, and I have decided to soil my hands with the shit-rag known as City Paper for one good reason, a reason that was brought to my attention by one of my readers: I need to know what they are doing if I am to effectively criticize them.

In my zeal and my blind rage against the worst alternative paper in Baltimore, I set a standard for myself that was, ahem, parochial. I stuck my fingers in my ears and said “lalalalalala!!!” and thought it was my sworn solemn duty as the founder of The Parochialist to never soil my hands with City Paper ever again. And I have come to realize that this was wrong. Horribly, misguidedly wrong.

This reader noted that right wing fundamentalists are probably listening to NPR and reading alternative media every day so they can know what to criticize and how to combat “The Liberals,” and I should offer no lower of a standard of criticism in the space you have come to know and love as The Parochialist Blog. So it is with that in mind that I picked up my first City Paper in over 2 months and have darkened my door with its pages.

In addition to that reader’s thoughts, I also have noted the absolute impossibility of avoiding the City Paper in this town. I go to work, City Paper is right there, staring back at me, mocking me. I go to the Charles Theatre, I see the popcorn with the City Paper logo on it, and I want to vomit. At least one person I know and like writes for City Paper. In a word, it is unavoidable. Which I wouldn’t mind so much if it was better. But it’s not. (see the “5 reasons” of November to avoid a rehashing of the source of my rage.)

I felt that last months “5 reasons” series was especially strong because of the raw honesty of it, but also because of the fact that it was based on things I had actually seen in City Paper. I hope to make The Parochialist match up to that standard on a weekly basis. For that, I must read it.

I now must think of the City Paper as a primary source for The Parochialist. For me, as the heart and soul of The Parochialist, continuing to avoid that primary source would be like studying law and refusing to read the Constitution. So here I go.

For you, as a reader, I encourage you to do what you think is right. Avoid City Paper, if it annoys you too much (as it did to me) and come back here to read my rants and get the syndicated columns. Or read it and tell me what annoys you about it. For God sakes, just see my point about how their snarky and parochial leanings damage hard working artists (and pre-set keyboardists!) in this town. And then come back here and spend some time with me: The Parochialist.

City Paper Wednesday, The Parochialist blog making fun of it Thursday!

Last Post of the Year! Two week break ensues! See you on January 10!
Note: I am having a hard time with the link to Savage Love...I will try to see what the problem is.

Links
Political Animal
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/11671
Movies
Charm City Cineaste
http://charmcitycineaste.blogspot.com/
A review of Sweeny Todd!

Comics

This Modern World
http://www.thismodernworld.com/newest-comic/

The Maakies
http://www.maakies.com/

The Perry Bible Fellowship
http://www.pbfcomics.com/

Music/Events

Music Listings
http://patsdistrict.com/music_scene/maryland_music_scene.html
http://www.bmorelive.com/


Michael Shermer’s E-Skeptic Newsletter!
www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/07-12-19.html

The Straight Dope
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/071221.html