Probably also I do this sort of thing myself, and it seem there's a pretty strong element of defensiveness in his stance; criticism is instantaneously diverted because he already KNOWS it's "low culture."
― daria g (daria g), Thursday, 28 August 2003 00:44 (twenty years ago) link
― Jesse Fuchs (Jesse Fuchs), Thursday, 28 August 2003 00:45 (twenty years ago) link
― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 28 August 2003 02:11 (twenty years ago) link
That said, Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs isn't very good. Nor has been Klosterman's columns in SPIN.
But he's still a good writer. I was re-reading those comments by Ira Robbins...damn, that was scathing. And rather pious, I might add. Kind of depressing, really.
― don weiner, Thursday, 28 August 2003 02:38 (twenty years ago) link
― dave q, Thursday, 28 August 2003 08:37 (twenty years ago) link
― dave q, Thursday, 28 August 2003 08:47 (twenty years ago) link
― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 28 August 2003 10:53 (twenty years ago) link
― dave q, Thursday, 28 August 2003 11:01 (twenty years ago) link
― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 28 August 2003 11:28 (twenty years ago) link
― maura (maura), Thursday, 28 August 2003 16:35 (twenty years ago) link
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 28 August 2003 16:54 (twenty years ago) link
I liked Fargo Rock City, though really wasn't that impressed by the writing all that much.
But you have a point maura: the explosion of the WWW (and more pointedly, blog culture/bulletin boards like this one) has made the writing voice of guys like Klosterman seem very tedious and commonplace. Or at the very least, hardly clever or unique. I'd even argue it makes Lester Bang's talent much less apparent. In fact, the new Bangs book, like the Marcus comp before it, seems completely unenlightening.
― don weiner, Thursday, 28 August 2003 17:04 (twenty years ago) link
(I would also argue that ILX irritates me in the exact same way that Klosterman does when it's mired in its semi-perpetual argument for the sake of argument nadirs.)
― maura (maura), Thursday, 28 August 2003 17:18 (twenty years ago) link
― mitch lastnamewithheld (mitchlnw), Thursday, 28 August 2003 17:18 (twenty years ago) link
You elitist, Maura! ;-) The Coulter comparison is harsh but you know, the more Klosterman continues the more it starts to make a certain sense...
(My view on Klosterman, ie rather overrated (Robert Plant inadvertantly but perfectly cutting him down directly is still a thing of joy), remains the same; my view on Ames is that he's useless.)
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 28 August 2003 17:28 (twenty years ago) link
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 28 August 2003 17:29 (twenty years ago) link
― don weiner, Thursday, 28 August 2003 18:26 (twenty years ago) link
― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 28 August 2003 22:16 (twenty years ago) link
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 28 August 2003 22:20 (twenty years ago) link
― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 28 August 2003 22:27 (twenty years ago) link
He does say some less-than-informed things to Liz Phair and Robert Plant in his interviews with them, but by being blunt and risking offense with them he gets some of the better quotes I've heard from those artists. His willingness to hear out opposite arguments in those cases is one major reason the comparison to Ann Coulter bothers me.
His reviews in SPIN seem lacking to me, he can be hit-or-miss and it's possible that just like with his hero Axl Rose fame will not benefit Klosterman's work, but his openness, humor and insights make him one of the more interesting and exciting writers out there. But as Nabisco noted earlier, I share similarities in taste and style.
― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 28 August 2003 22:42 (twenty years ago) link
― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 28 August 2003 22:44 (twenty years ago) link
He does make a ton of good points about CK being useless, though he himself is as well. Screw 'em both.
― ham on rye (ham on rye), Sunday, 31 August 2003 02:24 (twenty years ago) link
― M Matos (M Matos), Sunday, 31 August 2003 03:17 (twenty years ago) link
― Dock Miles (Dock Miles), Sunday, 31 August 2003 03:25 (twenty years ago) link
― Clarke B., Sunday, 31 August 2003 20:17 (twenty years ago) link
What exactly was "weird" or "assholish" or "speaking for womankind" about his reaction?? (Or "stupid," as that Ames retard said?) It was actually one of the smartest excerpts Ames quoted, seems to me.
― chuck, Sunday, 31 August 2003 20:35 (twenty years ago) link
― s1utsky (slutsky), Monday, 1 September 2003 00:59 (twenty years ago) link
― Clarke B., Monday, 1 September 2003 04:04 (twenty years ago) link
― sundar subramanian (sundar), Monday, 1 September 2003 04:42 (twenty years ago) link
― sundar subramanian (sundar), Monday, 1 September 2003 04:43 (twenty years ago) link
― dave q, Monday, 1 September 2003 07:18 (twenty years ago) link
Lester Bangs? Maybe not. But I'll take him.
― Chandler, Wednesday, 10 March 2004 21:36 (twenty years ago) link
― hstencil, Thursday, 11 March 2004 02:58 (twenty years ago) link
― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Thursday, 11 March 2004 03:01 (twenty years ago) link
― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Thursday, 11 March 2004 03:02 (twenty years ago) link
― latebloomer (latebloomer), Thursday, 11 March 2004 03:23 (twenty years ago) link
!
Uh, I'm with Mike on this one. But Stence, can you let me know how ya know?
Perhaps tellingly, today I was listening to Rush.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 11 March 2004 03:30 (twenty years ago) link
― hstencil, Thursday, 11 March 2004 03:37 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 11 March 2004 04:01 (twenty years ago) link
― andrew s (andrew s), Thursday, 11 March 2004 04:06 (twenty years ago) link
― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 11 March 2004 04:09 (twenty years ago) link
― lovebug starski, Thursday, 11 March 2004 11:55 (twenty years ago) link
― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Thursday, 11 March 2004 12:59 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 11 March 2004 13:58 (twenty years ago) link
― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Thursday, 11 March 2004 14:49 (twenty years ago) link
― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 11 March 2004 14:59 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 11 March 2004 15:29 (twenty years ago) link
― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 11 March 2004 16:34 (twenty years ago) link