New Yorker magazine alert thread

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2012/11/after-gaza-a-single-state.html

Surprisingly concrete and radical position for something published in the NYer. A french tourist on the subway once saw my sister-in-law reading the new yorker and asked her "This magazine, what does it stand for? I cannot tell."

didn't kid rock beat eminem in some early rap competitions?

yeah he choked, he was so mad, but he wouldnt give up that easy

i feel like young kid rock and eminem struck a secret blood brothers bargain to set off to conquer rap using two different strategies, and who got which strategy depended on the toss of some D&D dice.

Record store clerk friend of mine said Kid Rock came into the shop (pre MTC hit) and he bought "every good record in the store." I still find that hard to believe, though.

MTV, even.

Surprisingly concrete and radical position for something published in the NYer. A french tourist on the subway once saw my sister-in-law reading the new yorker and asked her "This magazine, what does it stand for? I cannot tell."

― drunk 'n' white's elements of style (Hurting 2), Tuesday, November 20, 2012 11:41 AM (38 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

that reminds me of the italian journalist i sat next to at dinner once, who had covered war crimes trials in the hague and other important things, who said to me when i told her my beat was movies and food, "you only write about... pleassssure."

ironic nationality dialectic

anecdotes that could be newyorker cartoons

s1ocki that is amazing

i have been haunted by it ever since

xp I interviewed Kid Rock in 99 and really warmed to him despite having no connection to his music, politics, tastes, cultural reference points, etc. He's someone who knows exactly what he is, what he's into and what he's good at, and that genial self-assurance is so rare that it's kind of infectious. I liked him just as much in Kelefa's profile, unlike pretty much every other celebrity Romney supporter.

i haven't read the article yet but does it explain why he's into romney?

he doesn't want to pay taxes, mainly

Yes, insofar as anyone can explain it.

sannehs actually, look at how charming this red state icon is shtick is p dubious imho, like kid rock for all his rebel flag flying is harmless but his piece on michael savage was ridiculously credulous, he totally bought into the whole rushland bullshit con that theyre just entertainers

it has elements of the nyer aging npr listener explainer but more broadly falls into the common journalistic assumption that if their subject is being nice to them that represents an essential truth, the only piece of his that i can recall him not blowing tons smoke up the guys ass is will oldham, who was clearly a total dick

oldham was maybe more specifically suspicious of the whole process and kinda didnt give a fuck while everyone else are seasoned media players actively charming pants off a reporter

i guess painting someone who yr readership already thinks is an asshole as such is uninteresting for them idk

Kid Rock kept saying that he wanted a nerd to look after his money, and Romney is a nerd.

Obama is also a nerd

^this is the sort of push back any sort of responsible journalist would engage in

i would protest harping on that several years old michael savage piece except i remember just how credulous and awful it was - there are ways to write a non-straight up hatchet piece on a guy and still let them hang themselves w/ their words and actions (nearly any great negative celeb profile pulls this off), the times magazine did a piece on limbaugh that managed to give him his due while still letting the world know that no really, he's an asshole. thought this kid rock piece kinda managed that - didn't just go 'lol kid rock' but at the same time let us know that guy's existence is problematic at best (have no doubt it oversold the album he made w/ rick rubin though).

loved the dead piece, was kinda lolling at how long and aimless it was at times but at the same time wouldn't have minded if it had gone on a thousand words more.

was kinda lolling at how long and aimless it was at times but at the same time wouldn't have minded if it had gone on
--balls

roffle

loved the dead piece, was kinda lolling at how long and aimless it was at times but at the same time wouldn't have minded if it had gone on a thousand words more.

form meets content

What did the New Yorker reader say when the drugs wore off? This Dead piece sucks!

(Haven't read it yet, just wanted to enlist the classic Dead joke.)

ha that one actually gets a mention in the article *spoiler*

anybody make it through the iraqi family story with a dry eye? what a story. this whole issue's pretty great

I did, but I have no more tears to shed.

god that just ripped me apart. that family, the mother especially, what amazing, magnanimous people. fuck war

this is the one about the soldier from a couple weeks back?, or something this week?

yeah the one from a couple weeks ago

Just read that(skipping around and catching up). Intense.

Kid Rock piece was pretty great, I thought. Interesting angle on race in that one.

Thought the "Iron Curtain" book review was so good I don't need to read the book.

^^ this. excellent review.

hate you guys encouraging me to rescind defeat/go back to my pile of unfinished new yorkers so much

i've been doing that this month (30+ issues behind atm), it's brilliant

Alex Ross on the centennial of "The Rite of Spring," regrettably paywalled, and regrettably only 2 pages: http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/musical/2012/11/19/121119crmu_music_ross

Kid rock piece was great even though I don't give a fuck about kid rock - more interesting than ?uestlove piece

that piece on the soldier who went back to speak to the victims of his squad's assault is kinda amazing

if you loved the diane ravitch piece definitely read these

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2010/nov/11/myth-charter-schools/
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2011/sep/29/school-reform-failing-grade/
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2012/mar/08/schools-we-can-envy/
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2012/mar/22/how-and-how-not-improve-schools/

As I read through the page and a half litany of negative things about the Dead, I briefly, agreeing fully, considered stopping, but it was otherwise a fine, fitfully funny piece.

Noticed yet another Nussbaum essay in the same issue that is basically a list of TV shows. Sort of the On and Off the Avenue of the television set.

The piece on homosexual runaways was good.

Yeah, loved that. Great issue overall. China book review gave me some good titles to look for (PS rot in hell, Mao, you vicious POS)

i lol'd repeatedly during the piece about the college football radio host in alabama. would love to check that show out and i have zero interest in college football. kudos

You're in luck, tobo: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/sportingscene/2012/12/paul-finebaums-best-calls.html

that piece on the soldier who went back to speak to the victims of his squad's assault is kinda amazing

― (alternatively, “Respec’”) (forksclovetofu), Saturday, 24 November 2012 02:08 (2 weeks ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah for real. ty k3v for directing me back there. some really just stunning lines to contemplate from both angles - like a soldier defensively saying we didn't train for civilians.

i really enjoyed the food issue for like the first time this year btw. calvin trillin's schtick is comforting & amusing & the ottolenghi piece was the same, like an a+ weekend magazine supplement profile.

i'm always relieved when there's a "themed" issue because it means i can skip it and catch up :(

a friend got me one of atul gawande's books for christmas 2 years ago that i completely forgot about, starting that tonight

Checklist Manifesto?