Saturday, June 16, 2012

MKMOT (June 16-17)

Another banner week here at MKMUB. Alas, it has come to an end. I won't be around much this weekend. Sorry, all you #MAKEITSTOP fans!

Just because I'm not around, it doesn't mean you can't stop by. You have a key. You're welcome to use it. By the way, would it kill you to return my Foreman Grill? I'm thirsty for Spamburger drippins. Which are huge in Hawaii, by the way.

I digress. It's the weekend. Mail it in with me. Don't be all disgruntled. The post office might not be open, but it is, below.




10 comments:

  1. Guy Who Sometimes Makes Guy Who Jokes But Is Not THAT Guy WhoJune 16, 2012 at 6:13 AM

    Controversy time:

    It feels like a really long time ago that I thought Leitch and Scocca were really good writers. I'm not sure if I changed or they did.

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    1. I think Scocca is a tremendous writer: he has a gift for putting across a forceful point with very efficient, straightforward, crystal clear writing, without losing the nuances of what he's trying to say.

      I think Leitch's writing has tumbled downhill into insufferable masturbation in recent years. Everything he writes is like a pat on his own back.

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    2. Guy Who was going to be Guy Who Horton Heard but decided to put his name to it and is really just Sgt. HammerclawJune 16, 2012 at 2:41 PM

      I've never liked Scocca. My opinion of his writing doesn't matter though because I acknowledge that when I read his work, I have a propensity to view it unfavorably from the very beginning.

      I think that the Leitch situation is more complicated. I was a huge fan of his writing on Deadspin when he was the EIC. However, I agree that his writing has changed a bit recently, though I still think a lot of what he writes is enjoyable. Uninteresting movie reviews aside, I really like the more informal things that Leitch writes, and he can still bring it in more formal publications too. One example of his recent work that I thoroughly enjoyed was his GQ profile of Bryce Harper. His 'roast' of A.J. was fucking tremendous too.

      My biggest problem with Leitch's writing is that sometimes it seems as if he is writing for the approval of other writers, instead of the entertainment of the audience. We already know he possesses the ability to write well, but sometimes it feels like he's trying to do too much, if that makes any sense. He does tend to carry a self-congratulatory tone in some of his pieces, which I could definitely see rubbing readers the wrong way. However, I'd say that on the whole, he is still a very good writer.

      That doesn't mean I read his movie reviews, though.

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    3. I try to separate my feelings about Scocca's opinions from my opinion of his writing, you know? He's a wonderfully skillful writer who has the discipline to stay away from pyrotechnics and flamboyance when they're unneeded.

      Leitch's "roast" of AJ, no joke whatsoever, is absolutely among my very least favorite things that have ever run on Deadspin. It is a horrible, treacly smear of passive-aggression, backhanded praise, and barely-hidden self-congratulation.

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    4. Fuck, what an excellent song-choice.

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    5. This was supposed to be a standalone comment, not a reply.

      If it makes you feel any better, I hate myself worse than any of you possibly can.

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    6. "It is a horrible, treacly smear of passive-aggression, backhanded praise, and barely-hidden self-congratulation."

      I think that's way over the top. It was equal parts awe and exasperation at an old friend who lives life much harder than he does and how that mentality shows in his worth ethic (and his ethics in general). He talked about himself just enough to set up the differences between the two of them. And even if you think it sounded self-congratulatory, Leitch has every right to be proud of what Deadspin was/has become. We're commenting on a blog dedicated to it, after all.

      Then again, I'm the dickbag who enjoys Leitch's "Grierson & Leitch" articles (Grierson's contributions, not so much).

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    7. Well, everybody's got their opinion. Here's how I read it:

      "I and my magic band of happy commenting elves built a paradise: a wonderful, candy-sprinkled fairyland of love and friendship and fandom. Alas, such a virginal, pure-hearted Eden is too pure for our fallen, cynical age. So while we all have sailed on to the Undying Lands aboard the Good Ship Twinkletwee, our ruined paradise remains (in name only), thanks to the poop-scented efforts of filthy antihero AJ and his horde of snark-Orcs. Yay him! Everything was so much better then, but it's not really a tragedy that it sucks now, because I took the awesome with me and it's still plenty awesome where I am. Toodles!

      Yours in twinkling,

      Aw Shucks Midwestern Hope Guy"

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  2. I'm going to have to punt on this one.

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