Dan Kil-ian's fan
The review of Le Tigre's record that appeared on your website (http://www.freewilliamsburg.com/still_fresh/november/letigre.html)
is quite possibly one of the worst I've ever read. Consider this:
I'm a record junkie myself, have subscriptions to 4 different music
magazines that give me the opportunity to read over 200 reviews
every month between them, yet I've never felt compelled to write
a letter about how awful one was. The writer (who has conveniently
failed to leave his/her name...not that I blame him/her considering
what an embarrassment it is).
The reviewer liked the record. Great, good for them. But if they
didn't know who Bikini Kill was, they should have just reviewed
it as a stand alone...contrary to the tongue in cheek essay that
followed the
song-by-song explication, it was quite obvious they knew nothing
about Le
Tigre's ancestry. A little thoughtfulness in analyzing lyrics would
serve the reviewer well, too. When Kathleen sings, "Now here's
alright" she isn't introducing a character named "Alright"...how
little attention do you have to be paying to not realize that within
the context of the song, she's saying that this place ("here")
is now safe ("alright"). And, as if the context wasn't
enough, the last line varies the sentiment when she sings "Nowhere's
alright", which should provide even the most thickheaded person
with a clue as to what the hell she means.
Most egregious is the blissful ignorance and accompanying offense
in
the closing essay. If the reviewer doesn't know what Riot Grrl is/was,
then just leave it out. It adds nothing to the piece for the writer
to
say, offhand, "(What ever happened to Riot Grrrls? Was that
a grunge
thing? Have they transformed into Brawl Wmmmn or Uprising Ladyyys?)",
is insulting at best. Especially when one considers the multitude
of web
resources available to give one a brief history of this movement,
which, no, had nothing to do with grunge, and which transcended
the music. Don't let this person write for you anymore. It just
makes your site
look trashy and dumb. Especially when they make the false statement
at
the end, "Know one will care. It's a record review," and
they misspell
"no one."
Thanks
Ian
Washington DC
Ian, you read too many reviews. Most reviewers, like you, are pretentious
know-it-alls who won't betray any weakness. My tongue-in-cheek postscript
admits that I don't know everything about this band, that there's
more to the story, and throws in a few cheap shots. You don't get
the joke.
I do know the difference between "Here's alright" and "Alright is
here" and I understand how a song can move from the geographic to
the personal, especially within as abstruse a bunch of lyrics as
"Phanta". For all the wisdom your 200 reviews a month gives you,
you're stuck in a horribly literal geography, in an outdated time
with all your grungy riot grrrlfreinds and your record collection.
You've got me on the typo, but at least my name isn't Ian. What
a horrible name. That's a cheap shot, Ian. Don't get upset.
- Dan Kilian (What a wonderful pun my name is!)
Note from editor - typos on the above mentioned review have
since been fixed. Is this the Ian we think it is?
Leave Russ Alone
Reading each of the articles separately (The
"new" New York | Giuliani Suck My Dick | Meatheads ) I can relate
to the points that you are trying to make. Reading both articles together
I think you are just a hypocrite.
So you hate the gentrification, I couldn't agree more. I miss the
Ludlow
Street with the heroine addicts. I have no use for the Ludlow Street
with
the French restaurants and the 50 year old couples strolling down
it
hand in hand. But, I'm not about to tell them to leave. You hate
the Gestapo style crime fighting, well I hate it, too. I hate it
because it doesn't
encourage people to be responsible for their own behavior. Who cares
if you walk down the street with an open container as long as you
aren't
injuring anyone or somehow depriving someone of their rights.
All things change. To resist change is futile. It's what Jesse
Helms does,
it's what Strom Thurmond does, it's what good old Newt Gingrich
does.
It's called conservatism and it is the socio-political equivalent
of dragging
your feet.
You and I and everyone else are individuals and we should be treated
as
such. We should be able to do whatever we want to do up to the point
that our actions deprive another individual of his right to do the
same.
That includes the "meatheads" "invading" your
neighborhood bar or a standing a scantily clad girl in the doorway
if a bar to boost traffic. You don't like it? Don't look at it,
don't read it, don't watch it or go somewhere
else. I'm sure that's what you would like to tell me about my opinion
of your opinions. I think you would be right to do so. Just don't
be a hypocrite, it's a much worse thing than conservatism.
I don't buy it about you keeping your pride either. It must be
an awfully
small pride since you concealed it so well when confronted by the
police.
Prideful people don't play act for the cop and compromise their
integrity to
get out of a ticket. Is it against the law? Yes. Is the law fair?
No. If you break an unfair law do you still get due process? Yes,
but sometimes due process means paying the unfair fine but turning
on the tears and proclaiming a guilty conscience is definitely NOT
keeping your pride.
Standing up in court and fighting for your rights is. I guess you
are too
busy, though, to spend another day in court to honor your convictions.
You're right, they didn't take your pride from you, you gave it
up freely
and immediately. Pride is also not muttering your distaste under
your
breath. Coward.
Oh, and one last thing: it's called Tompkins Square Park not Thompson's.
David Magliaro
Brooklyn, NY
Dude, I don't get you. First I think we're on the same side, then
you go off about me losing my pride and being a coward. I think
that's funny, coming from someone who doesn't know me, sitting there
safely behind his computer. Big man you are.
Secondly, manipulating the cops, going over the top for them and
having them believe me, where no one else would, is not cowardice.
It is proving a point, how stupid they are. And I did stand up for
myself in court. But I was not about to go through that hell again
simply to save twenty bucks. Maybe you would. Maybe you have nothing
to do or are a glutton for punishment.
Finally, my column is meant as entertainment, and, possibly, to
enlighten. No one has ever taken it as seriously as you have. Maybe
you should just chill out a little. I found your comments, in fact,
to be quite amusing. I am laughing now. Ha ha ha. Ha ha ha. Go to
hell.
Russ Josephs
Author, Sex in the Sub-City
DEAR FREE
WILLIAMSBURG -
I saw a flyer for this website at the 14th St station while waiting
for
the L train... i was astounded at the photo used in the ad, and
thought i'd
write in. The photo is of a group of people in hawaiian garb, sitting
around
a round table. All the people sitting at the table are white and
the all
the waiters are asian males. You at freewilliamsburg.com should
think
about what your ad says to people of color. i'm asian american --
why would I want to join your party when you've made it clear what
my job would be at your party? Come on freewilliamgburg, join the
year 2000.
i'd love to
hear what you have to say.
CLICK
HERE TO SEE POSTER
It was not
our intention to offend, but perhaps you are taking things a little
too seriously. The poster was obviously kitsch.
Perhaps,
I could see your point if the photo was current, but it was taken
during the 1950's when Tiki lounge culture was trendy. Should all
questionable art from prior decades that fails to conform to today's
PC
standards be discarded?
Regardless,
it was not our intention to be offensive. Our staff is a mixed bag,
representing a wide array of cultural backgrounds (including asian)
and no one has voiced any opposition to any of our promotional art.
Sincerely-
Robert Lanham
You're right,
it was obviously kitsch. I'm glad to hear that your staff is
a mixed bag and that you didn't intend to be offensive.
I just thought I'd let you know that several of us out here find it
offensive. I noticed that that it was kitsch, but just because the
image is from a certain era doesn't mean it is harmless. Images are
very powerful --
they can help or hurt. Asian Americans and people of color are in
art
and ads infrequently enough that when I see a brother, I don't want
him to
be wearing that same old servant's suit.
Williamsburg Resident
Name Withheld
Let us know what you think. Click
Here.
Leave Russ Alone 2
DEAR FREE WILLIAMSBURG -
If I were as big an asshole as Russ Josephs describes himself in his
story, I hope I'd kill myself.
Best, Name Withheld
The story you are referring to, I believe, was when I made one of
my weekend excursions into Manhattan, and sampled a bunch of clubs.
I hit Joe's Pub, The Bowery Bar and a few others. The only type of
condescension I provided (what I assume you mean by calling me an
asshole) was to the clientele at some of these places, many of whom
were rude, pretentious and, frankly, THE BIGGEST FUCKING ASSHOLES
I HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED IN MY LIFE.
If, in fact, you think I am a bigger asshole than those I wrote about,
you are sadly mistaken. Or, perhaps, you were one of those cocksuckers
I encountered? Perhaps that was you, the pudgy little yuppie-boy,
who wouldn't budge even an inch to let me get a drink at the bar?
Or was that you with the receding hairline and the tremendous waistline,
striking out left and right with the ladies? Either way, I feel your
pain. Not directly of course, but I can imagine what it must be like.
Having a small dick is one of the world's worst fates. I offer my
condolences. But isn't there some sort of surgery one can get nowadays?
At the very least, try a sweatsock or two.
All the best, Russ Josephs
Sex in the Sub-City Columnist
DEAR FREE WILLIAMSBURG
-
Thank you so much for providing Williamsburg with such a helpful site.
I love the listings and all the artwork. This is the coolest site
in the coolest neighborhood in New York.
Amanda Sanders
Hey just a fast update... Gus Van Sant is committed to doing
the film of Sarah. I am doing an HBO film thing. And check
out my interview with Gus in the Dec. issue of Paper Mag with
Snoop Doggy Dog on the cover, it is pretty funny. And really see
Gus' new film Finding Forrester, it is really really great.
Sincerely, JT
JT Leroy, Author of Sarah
Great news-- I will check it out. Though the new one looks kinda
syrupy. I'm interested in seeing what he does with Sarah. That will
be an ambitious project.
Robert Lanham
Editor Free Williamsburg
The new film is not edgy, but Gus makes it as edgy as it can be.
It is still lovely, and the performances are great and it just looks
beautiful and the better it does the more support he gets for his
very edgy films... so your support is very much appreciated!
Yours, JT!
Disclaimer from the Editor:
Opinions addressed in Free Williamsburg
are not necessarily our own, godammit!.
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