April 13, 2006
Post Gives Up Trying To Write Decent Copy
I imagine that, not long ago, a conversation took place at the offices of the Washington Post that went sort of like this:
Editor: Let's do a story on a local band.
Writer: Great. There are tons of fantastic local acts playing some innovative stuff at area clubs. They're putting together some interesting albums and getting some national attention, and I think they could really tell our readers some enlightening things about music today.
Editor: That sounds really good. I like that. How about this, though. You go find some teenagers, maybe somebody you're related to, like a niece or a nephew, that are in a band. These guys should be young and clueless, and should play music that seems like it's probably pretty edgy. Like punk, maybe. Is that how you say it? Punk? It would be best if they only play high school gyms and retirement homes, and see if you can get some quotes about how teenagers don't like other teenagers because of their clothes or something. Then you'll, you know, report on it like the whole story idea isn't completely moronic, and we'll sell some papers, all right? That's good copy, am I right?
It's hard to see how else the Post could have given the world this article, a story on the Virginia "screamo" band The Fear in Faith that has held DCist in awe all morning. It's a thing of beauty, completely perfect in its lack of value. After the jump: we give you excerpts.
- "We'd like to be signed by graduation, so we know what we are going to be doing," said Schumacher, 18.- Within months, the band was performing nearly every weekend and changing its look to match the scene. They grew "emo hair," long in front with streaks of color; O'Masta and McClain started wearing girls' jeans. As a "cool band thing," they all got white belts, and the guitar players wore the buckles on the side. A few of them pierced their ears with rubber or metal plugs, stretching the holes wider and wider as the year went on. Schumacher gave himself a lip ring, but "it was a huge family ordeal," and he took it out until he turned 18.
- Schumacher said there were six or seven "scene kids" in the freshman class at Broad Run High School, along with dozens more who "faked being in the scene." Those are people who aren't truly interested in the music but are only trying to impress someone, he said -- people who listen to the popular punk band Fall Out Boy but don't listen to the roots of that kind of music.
- Schumacher clipped his emo hair. "I'm just realizing I'm stereotyping myself into a genre," he said, and not for the right reasons.
- "If I can't do music, I'm going to have to lose my earrings and sell out," he said. "Given the way we look, I don't see ourselves doing anything else."
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This is the best line
"On his MySpace page, he went into more detail:
'point is . . . things are changing . . . i've grown out of the 'emo' phase . . . CHICK PANTS ARE REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE, and screaming hurts my throat . . . I guess I'm not hardcore enough to do it.'"
I couldn't believe when I saw that this morning. I almost threw up. Thank you for this post, it needed to be written.
thank you thank you thank you.
i read that article this morning and thought, did i miss the point of this? was there a point?
obviously i wasn't the only one to think that way.
of all the bands in dc to do an article about, why this one? i'm sure dcist readers could come up with 5 bands each that deserve print more than these guys.
I hope I'm not stating the obvious here, but this story isn't a music review. I'm sorry to tell you, but 20-something urbanites are not the only people who read the Post.
And while I'm as in favor of snarky comments about how the Post sucks as I am of making fun of people who live in the suburbs, perhaps it's time to realized every article in isn't targeted at me (you).
While it may come as a shock, I'm sure there are many, many high-school parents and kids who would find this interesting, but could give a shit about crappy bands at DC9. In fact, that's probably why this was in the Metro section and not the Style section.
Seriously. This post sucked.
Glad to see I wasn't the only one to see this article and just boggle.
Come one,
I'm sure there are many suburban parents and kids who'll be shocked to read that teenagers have unrealistic dream of rockstardom, wear clothing to try to fit into a scene, and generally don't know what the fuck they're doing. Just tons.
Whether you dislike twentysomething urbanites or not, this is some terrible journalism. Middle school paper terrible.
The continuing string of pathetic lifestyle articles coming out of the Post makes me wonder what kind of geeks write for the paper. Are they all 18 years old? Do they all live in Loudoun County? Can't the Post find writers and editors with more of an edge? Or at least the capability to spot a quality story?
This is more of a feature showing that white suburban high school kids don't like emo so much any more, without reporting as to why they liked it so much -- for so long-- in the first place.
Though I agree that the WP arts, sunday source, and style sections can be total wood, the Post is in on this joke.
Sure, they're no Falls of the Neuse, but come on...
You all need to get over yourselves.
http://www.washpost.com/news_ed/summer_internships/bios2005a.shtml
maybe she should stick to writing about public policy
I wouldn't mind this so much if there were any evidence in the article that ACTUAL REPORTING had taken place. This is the longest sound-byte I've ever seen. It's a blurb ("Local teens confused about future, identity") stretched to the breaking point. I think maybe the Post got hacked by the Onion. Sure, it could have been an interesting article, had the characters been developed, or had outside perspective been given, or had the reporter waited a year and checked back in with the kids, or had even a cursory explanation of "emo" or "MySpace" been included in the article. It's so intellectually lazy it should have been printed in Parade. This was either written by a complete cipher or a friend of the band.
And Ryan, the trouble with complaining that the quality of a news medium has been debased to the point that it appeals only to idiots is that the idiots don't realize that anything is wrong. Keep fighting the good fight.
http://www.myspace.com/adamandandrew
For those of you who haven't heard it yet, go there and listen to "Emo Kid".
And then die laughing.
"Girls keep breaking up with me!
It's hardly any fun!
They say they've already got a vagina,
They don't need another one!
I'm just an emo kid!"
Who invited Mr. Poopypants?
"While it may come as a shock, I'm sure there are many, many high-school parents and kids who would find this interesting, but could give a shit about crappy bands at DC9. In fact, that's probably why this was in the Metro section and not the Style section.
Seriously. This post sucked."
The worst part about the article is how it makes getting signed to a major label seem incredibly easy. These kids see bands like Hawthorne Heights and From First to Last getting snapped up and selling tons of records based primarily on a ridiculous image and zero to little ability. Nevermind the sweat and tears that the precursors to this silly trend shed to make even the slightest impact, just buy a pair of women's Sevens and go to PR & Partners and watch the contracts come rolling in...
"Screamo"... Does anyone else think this bands name is a blantant rip off of "Scream". A band that put D.C. and hardcore/punk on the map.
Holy horrible article! Thanks for calling it out.
No, because the name of the band is The Fear in Faith.
"Screamo" is a genre, not a band name.
Oh, the drama of it all!
"In McClain's absence, the other band members wondered what it would mean if he left: We're not hard core enough to be hardcore, they said, and not soft enough to be emo. We're not indie enough to be indie, they said, but without a screamer, can we still be screamo?"
By journalism standards, it was seriously pointless. That's something you'd expect to read in a mid-size daily community paper, and trust me because I've worked as an editor for one. Not that the Post isn't allowed to do stuff like that! They can cover screamo shows at fire safety centers to their heart's content. But that's the kind of piece that makes readers (and sometimes reporters and editors) groan.
OK, I'm calling shenanigans.
The post article sounds stupid, but you can't call 7th grade journalism music writing out in the Post when it's sitting on your own fucking site.
Now, Ryan writes him some good articles, as does Jason, but there's been some really badly written music coverage on here, so maybe one should leave well enough alone.
That's why, when I have a problem with DCist music writing, I keep it the hell off my blog.
Here's a hint, thanks again for trolling us. I'm glad you wouldn't bring up DCist on your site, you cover music, not music writing, correct? DCist covers the area beyond music, sometimes articles in the Post. The article is slightly ridiculous, even someone as esteemed as yourself must agree. Ryan was merely pointing this out. So, thanks for your comment.
Shenanigans acknowledged. I guess it's just a shock (at least for me) to see something like that in the Post.
"O'Masta and McClain started wearing girls' jeans", rolled up the cuffs, and began to blog. They were too hardcore to blog for a music site, but way too pussy to blog for a general interest city media site. Girls jeans, ya know.
"Screamo" is the new "crossdresser", and the Post...well, it's still the Post. It could be worse, it could have "New York" in front of it.
Ya'll don't forget to turn your buckles to the side.
Hmmm... Maybe I misunderstood Here's a Hint's comment to be a reaction to my comment, because I shouldn't be blasting someone else when my own copy isn't the greatest. But DCist has a right to point out crappy reporting.
The point, Jim, is threefold:
1) I don't post about bad DCist writing, because I'm not exactly the greatest writer myself
2) You HAVE to see the irony in DCist posting about bad music writing when DCist is itself very guilty of it (though, as mentioned, Ryan is not). It's just tooo hilarious that the Post isn't even allowed ONE horribly written music review without getting the snark on, yet the "contributed by" music articles keep rolling in here while everyone gets bent out of shape when the writing is criticized.
3) How many trolls give constructive criticism?
Bonus 4th fold: If I didn't care, I wouldn't read.
dude. the post article was not a music review. it was a poorly-reported, poorly-written, pointless article about a non-newsworthy subject, placed in the metro section. if your opinion is that the majority of DCist music reviews are shitty, then i believe you would be correct in calling DCist out if the post article were a review of a cd or band. but this article isn't even close to that. it's a narrative that aims for education and enlightenment about a genre of music and a few people within that genre, and it totally, totally fails. i think this article could have been decent if the subjects were more finely-drawn and there was a hell of a lot more context given to the subject, but, oh well.
I think what Jim's saying is that I wasn't criticizing the Post for their music writing. I was criticizing the editorial decision to pursue and run such a, you know, weird article. I'm not saying, man, their take on Death Cab is subpar. I'm saying, why the fuck are they writing about some teenagers playing screamo in rec centers?
Hint,
The writers for the Post are paid. We are not. So, I don't see any irony because you can't reasonably compare the two. When we write, like I assume you do, it's late at night, after a show, or at work the next morning, in between other priorities. This is a volunteer site, take it for what it is.
By your own logic, if you're not the greatest writer as per your 1st point above, then who are you to offer criticism, constructive or otherwise?
That was music reporting?
It must be satire. It has to be.
The Post either pulled or buried that article...maybe an editor who wasn't getting serviced by the intern got wind of the foul emanation coming from the front page.
Just to be clear, so Jim's point doesn't bite me in the ass, when I said that maybe my copy isn't the greatest, I meant that it's going to contain some flaws when I write it at 2 a.m. after sitting through a six-hour show. If I wrote music reviews for a living, like some of the people at the Post do, I would spend a lot more time on it. But I have a dayjob that requires lots of time writing and editing for that publication -- another point Jim made.
Now I'll stop responding. Promise.
What I want to know is why I, as a resident of DC, and not Northern Virginia, had that article clogging the front of my Metro section? The Post's coverage of DC sucks as it is, and this is definitely a low point.
Since I, like Ryan apparently, have diplomatic immunity from Here's A Hint shenanigans-calling, I too think this Post article was effing bilgerot.
By the way, "diplomatic immunity from Here's A Hint shenanigans-calling" and $5.99 will get you spring rolls.
The Washington Post didn't do any better job back in 1980-1982 when their veteren music writer Richard Harrington tried writing about the DC punk scene. Oh the hilarity....
So let's see, Jim. Your site calls out the Post all the time and claims to be more relevant and well-written, and the minute somebody says, "Uh, maybe not," you start blaming your amateur status. Jeez.
DCist Jim, did you clear it with DCist Jason before you used the "volunteer" line? I hope you weren't cuddling with anyone at the time. See the Six Points Day 3 write-up for clarification.
Lou, be pissed off that this article was clogging up the Metro section of The Post because it was a boring, nearly pointless article. But don't turn this into a pro-DC thing and argue that something about NoVa doesn't belong in your paper. The DC Metro region is huge and expands well beyond the borders of the actual city...in fact the population of the city is small compared to those of the VA and MD burbs that help drive the city/region's economy. The Post targets more than just the District's residents...and it should. But the article was pretty weak regardless of what part of the Metro region the band lives in...it should not have been clogging up the front page of anyone's Metro section.
lou, etc.
Check this out...
met·ro·pol·i·tan
adj.
1.
a. Of, relating to, or characteristic of a major city: crowded metropolitan streets; a metropolitan newspaper.
b. Of or constituting a large city or urbanized area, including adjacent suburbs and towns: the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area; a metropolitan county.
A or B? Since Metro is short for, you know, metropolitan and since the District is not a major city (only #27 and falling according to the last Census... DC can't even top the very happening Louisville-Jefferson County, Ky.) then I think you have to go with B. And that means the paper has to include coverage for the adjacent suburbs and towns.
My initial reaction to this post was that Ryan was offended by a story about suburban white kids. This could have been the best written, most indepth, character driven story ever and most of you would have still complained about column inches wasted on an article about Virginia. In "your" paper no less.
Did the story suck? Probably. Did it deserve a mention in DCist and 30+ comments? Probably not.
Whiner, can you cite an example of DCist proclaiming to be "more relevant" than the Post?
i think DCist and its writers have great respect for and love of the post. that's why this article was noted - because it was way below the quality and relevancy of stuff they usually write.
The thing is, newspapers generally tailor their coverage to specific boundaries. Northern Virginia is supposed to get a different edition of the paper than Maryland and DC is supposed to get a different paper from the other two. If you'll notice the corner of your paper, it will indicate which edition you're supposed to get.
It's common practice among major metrpolitan newspapers. The Atlanta Journal Constitution will have a different edition of the paper for Gwinnett, Atlanta and DeKalb. The Miami Herald has a different edition for Dade and Broward counties. The New York Times has a different edition for Long Island and White Plains. And so on.
So some stories in Northern Virginia affect DC residents and should run in the DC Metro. Or they're of such unusual quality, they should run across all editions. But a story about a high school punk band is not one of those stories.
MDRes, I believe I said: "I'm a little worn out every time one of US at DCist uses [the volunteer] excuse as a canard for even the teeniest of mistakes." Let me check. Hmmm. Yep. I did in fact say that.
So, go ahead and make your point, but try not to bolster your point by, you know, PRETENDING I said something that I didn't say. Because, unfortunately for you, I can, and in fact DID, check the readily available record. And personally, speaking...between you and me...it's kind of a scumbag thing to do. I don't do it to you, so extend me the same courtesy. And in return, I promise, you'll never hear me complain about how I volunteered for something.
Ok, this is offically over. Quick everyone, we just posted an article on Wolf Parade! Last one is the rotten egg!
*officially
DCist Jason, I'm not pretending you said anything you didn't. I didn't misquote you or even try to. I'm just pointing out that the day after you made your comments about Six Points and DCists using the volunteer line, here a DCist writer is dropping that line again. Making up a quote, or pretending you said something you didn't, would have been a "scumbag thing to do", but I didn't.
I personally think this is great news. It means we'll never see another "non-relevant" piece on DCist again. Maybe. Relevant to what exactly? Because screamo/emo/punk-rock boo-yah isn't news to the demographic on this site, it can't be news to anyone? Self-centered much?
MDRes, thanks for the comment. My point in noting the volunteer status is to more particularly point out that you do not pay for DCist. While it's true you can get the Washington Post for free online, let's just take for argument's sake the fact that you have to pay 35 cents for it, and that money goes to pay writers to have the freedom to research, interview and write. Given those freedoms, would you not resonably expect for your money (albiet a pittance) to learn more about this particular band, maybe even get a concert review, or something more substantial? They talk about this band's MySpace page, but go do a MySpace music search on these guys and see what you find. I found three sites, two of which don't appear to have the fan base of a group who is expecting to be signed in the near future, and a third with one single demo but no vocals. At the very least I would hope to read about a band with a more popular following. If this band actually does not have a large following at all, it raises the question of how they got discovered by a newspaper reporter, and what motivated the writing of the article. Noting the volunteer status is not to let us off the hook -- we are just as accountable and I agree with you there (trust me). It's to point out that by selling their news, as opposed to offering it free like DCist, expectations are increased, and you cannot reasonably compare the two side by side.
dude this band rawks
Thanks for the clarification, DCist Jim. I see the point you're making that you're not using the "volunteer" mention as a crutch, but to make a point about the difference between you guys and The Post. I just found it interesting and amusing that, two days after DCcist Jason told the Six Pointers "WE KNOW IT'S A VOLUNTEER RUN FESTIVAL. The word on that has gotten out. Now: STOP MENTIONING THAT EVERY SINGLE CHANCE YOU GET," that anyone from DCist would say something like "this is a volunteer site, take it for what it's worth."
DCist Jim: Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
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