NYMagazine Story Inside SNL
Kurt Andersen
Chris Smith on the current backstage mood. Smith spent several weeks
hanging around the show, and interviewing most of the current and recent
principals. It is the best magazine piec eon SNL I've ever seen, anyway.
Shioux
But, since you (Kurt Andersen) are the Editor-in-Chief of New York
Magazine, you would naturally think it was "amazing". Give us some credit
for intelligence and peddle your faggy gossip rag somewhere else.
Motron
]In this coming week's New York magazine is a long, amazing cover story by
]Chris Smith on the current backstage mood. Smith spent several weeks
]hanging around the show, and interviewing most of the current and recent
]principals. It is the best magazine piec eon SNL I've ever seen, anyway.
This is so transparently some guy who is kissing ass to help him get a job
at New York Magazine. You see this kind of thing on Usenet all the time.
Kurt Andersen
I thought that people here who don't ordinarily see the magazine would be
interested--even an angry creep like "Shioux" who doesn't have the balls to
use his real name online.
Kurt Andersen
the SNL-interested world that there's a story they might want to read.
al bell
>But, since you (Kurt Andersen) are the Editor-in-Chief of New York
>Magazine, you would naturally think it was "amazing". Give us some credit
>for intelligence and peddle your faggy gossip rag somewhere else.
really Kurt Andersen.
But, if he is, why on earth would he have to say he was editor of New
York Magazine, any more than Tina Brown should have to say she edits
The New Yorker? On the one hand, this is a big universe and there's no
reason you should know everything. On the other hand, the vast majority
of people who are media-literate know that Andersen is the guy who
helped start SPY and then went to New York. Certainly, anyone who would
care about a conflict of interest could be expected to know that.
Second, "faggy" is an unfortunate choice of adjectives. New York Magazine
was always pretty frivolous, but Andersen has published some really
good, hard-hitting stories there and some bad articles that at least
showed signs of ambition. For all I know, everybody there could be
gay and lesbian, and if so, good for them. They are gau and lesbian
people who happen to be good writers and journalists.
Third, some of the stuff in New York is certainly gossip. I.e., insights
into what people are like in private. People happen to want to know
the inside scoop. Getting good, publishable gossip is hard. But there is
nothing wrong with printing it. I mean, the Bible includes all the gossip
its writers and editors could find. Genesis is full of one National Enquirer
item after another.
Fourth, whatever faults New York has, SPY was great. SPY published some
incredibly good news stories and analysis. How dare you post to a
co-founder of SPY that way!
Fifth, maybe you are someone who works for SNL and feel personally
insulted by Anderson and the New York story. If so, I don't blame you
for emoting and it might be that you have legitimate gripes about the
story. (I have not read it yet.) But there have been painful stories
before and there will be painful stories in the future, and your best
revenge would be to do a really funny sketch about New York Magazine.
Donz5
>Anyhow, the story does happen to be terrific, and
>I thought that people here who don't ordinarily see the magazine would be
>interested...
Despite the self-promotion, I appreciated the information. I would not
have noticed the magazine had you not mentioned it.
Still, please do what you can to return SPY to its glory daze. :)
Bill Watts
hmccracken on BIX <hmccr...@BIX.com> wrote:
>
>Presumably, the piece had something to do with the NBC brass promising
>major changes for next year's show, as reported in today's _Times_.
>
I would presume that CBS and FOX reportedly launching direct competition
in the fall might weigh more heavily in NBC's decision than a magazine
article.
--
Bill Watts
po...@access.digex.net
nei...@globalx.net
AAAAGGGGGHHHHHH! They should do a skit about this reply! Get a life.
Heather H. Howard
: In this coming week's New York magazine is a long, amazing cover story by
: Chris Smith on the current backstage mood. Smith spent several weeks
: hanging around the show, and interviewing most of the current and recent
: principals. It is the best magazine piec eon SNL I've ever seen, anyway.
I thought the piece was excellent. The writer really exposed how
self-centered, and often completely lacking in talent some of the actors
are. It was amazing to see how they have rationalized to themselves that
they are funny, when each of them has just one or two schticks, which
they keep doing and doing. I was also surprised to learn how sexist many of
the cast are. I hope Jeanine Garafalo stays away.
Todd Jackson
: >Anyhow, the story does happen to be terrific, and
: >I thought that people here who don't ordinarily see the magazine would be
: >interested...
Thanks for doing it, although a flame can be slightly justifiable since
you did not frame your comments with who you are (how would people who do not
normally read the magazine know your relationship to it...).
However, the piece was outstanding. The thing that surprised me the most
was the subtle undercurrent of negativity about former Poonies. I think
its rare that someone is willing to put aside a relationship to a group
(for those who do not know, Kurt Andersen is also a former member of the
Harvard Lampon) to illustrate a truth as a reporter sees it. Again, this
article was not even harsh to the Harvasrd Lampoon, but it did
illlustrate the views that some of the frustrated writers (read this any
way you like) have voiced in this newsgroup.
I also think this says more about the Lampoon to those said posters. The
Lampoon, like ANY group you get involved with, builds relationships that
can extend later in life. You will naturally help anyone you know. If I
get where I am going as a humorists, you better believe that I would drag
along many people I have know from my association with my collge humor
magazine, the Emory Spoke. (which has a www address:
http://www.cc.emory.edu/SPOKE/opener.html) And Mr. AndersenŐs own ability
to print comments about the Lampoon like the ones that Ellen Cleghorne
made and the reporter implied (two former Poonies never contribute to the
rewrite session, one Poonie is mentioned as the most proflic writer of
the season (which judging from how the season has worked out so far, may
not necessarily be a prolific GOOD writer)) demonstrates that Poonies do
not stick together for simple fraternal reasons, i.e. give a <brother> a
job. But rather the Lampoon holds a standard of excellence that will try
and maintain by tradition and if that means implying not so nice stuff
about past members work, so be it.
The Lampoon may need an oppositional or competitor to improve its own
standrads? But bitching about how easy it is for them to break in does
not do that. Good work, good promotion and good luck will create that new
draw of talent. It may seem unfair, but as I have been told by several:
the Lampoon is proven. Make a name for yourself my being ambitious and
brave and you will find youself in the enviable position of pulling from
your past comrades. It is who you know as much as it is Good Work,
because if you do not know anyone, no one is ever going to see it.
Todd Jackson
Former Editor, Emory Spoke
Current Associate Editor, Cracked