Let's talk about Vice Magazine

Your pal,
http://members.aol.com/dubplatestyle/mase.jpg
Ma$e.

http://media.guardian.co.uk/presspublishing/story/0,7495,804547,00.html

Gotcha. Sorry.

Nah, I think they're just picking at their own scabs, and by doing so, they make themselves look even uglier.

Fresh? How is "Well guess what, nerds? Fuck you. Fuck fucking you. We are going to tape your buns together so tight that we’ll get muscles doing it" fresh? It's tired as all hell. Who here didn't spend the first fifteen-or-so years of their lives being subjected to moronic 'quips' like that?

OK, so let's imagine there are two ways to interpret this article. The first: "As one of the cool people who used to savagely beat and torture the socially awkward members of the society I lived in, I am appalled at the foothold that they have gained in mainstream pop culture. Let us return to the days when we would savagely beat and torture the weak and disadvantaged."

If this is the author's sincere intention, then my objection to this one ought to be obvious.

The second: "Now that nerd culture is dominating pop culture, I am appalled at the fact that bullies have become the new underdogs. This article will satirize the modern cliche of the pissed-off nerd, which is oh-so-tired."

This might actually be funny and interesting if it worked, but there's one problem. Bullies will never be the underdogs, because when bullies grow up, they beat their wives, their kids, homosexuals, black people, and anyone else who get on their nerves. When stylish people appropriate nerd style, it's funny because the perpetual losers appear to be winning. It's really hard to imagine or even get a laugh out of the idea of bullies as losers, because they're not the ones who get their assholes taped shut or get black eyes every time their spouses get drunk. Maybe you can enjoy the writing regardless, but I have trouble.

Without that juxtaposition, this article (and most of the magazine, for that matter) is just a big whiny rant by a barely-literate thug. I'd be really interested to read why you enjoy it, Momus.

I actually found thart article mildly funny in a sort of Mennipean satirical way indirectly dealing with the internet bust.

well, all I can say is if you're looking for moral instruction and rectitude in a "hipster bible" then I think you're already lost. It's a magazine that tells you what brand of sneakers are cool to wear. Only Momus takes it seriously.

and the bullying thing ...If this is the author's sincere intention, then my objection to this one ought to be obvious...come on! lighten UP on the faux outrage

I'm not looking for moral instruction or rectitude ANYWHERE! I just don't like seeing a major magazine throwing around the word "faggot."

Whereas I find a lot of cheap-playground-diss music writing ignorant and ill-informed and I think it can do more harm than good considering we're living in a culture that discourages intellectualism and serious thought, and encourages hateful little soundbites.

geeta: is anyone saying they dislike vice becauze they're (ilxers) against smash-yr-idols articles? or is it because what they wrote about the fall is as close as you can get to the bad standup parody of standing around and saying, "dude, like, what is up with *that*?" (almost literally! read it again)?

"Nerd culture is in ascendency and it's pretty cool."
"The Powerpuff Girls movie is hilarious!"
"Bullies are desperately pathetic and stupid no matter how they cast themselves."
"There is no point to this article beyond venting for comedic effect." (This is the reading I came away with, for what it's worth.)

I agree on that count. :-)

(thx jess)

Apples vs. Oranges: FITE!

I can criticize this editorial choice, though, can't I?

I don't think Vice is always funny, and as I did say upthread, I don't think they try hard enough. I think quite a few of their jokes do fall flat; if I was their editor I would probably recommend to them to lay off the coke and head for the beer.

I don't read it regularly or anything, BTW.

PS I've always found The Onion to be total shit.

The only tone I detect running through all of them is this phony transgression thing, where this big value is placed upon anything that stirs people up or gets them defensive or assaults their sensibilities -- apparently for the sole purpose of the text sort of lording it over you afterward and trying to make you feel like an uptight pussy for disapproving. I really don't like that whole thing, in that the underlying message is "You care about something? That's so fucking lame."

Weird thing is that I've always sensed that they do care, though in a specifically delineated way. Fashion? Definitely. Music? More than I think is being given credit for (the music review section at the back often has some sharp, scabrous and celebratory entries). Perhaps they're like the Onion in trying to have their cake and eat it too, except that their own version of the AV Club isn't specifically set apart from the main text.