In a short and fluffy interview about how awesome he is and all the important people he knows, David Brooks tells Chicago Magazine that he does not give a shit what his critics say:
David Brooks Doesn’t Pay Attention to Your CriticismThe University of Chicago grad opens up about his love for the city and experiences with Rahm, Axelrod, and Obama....Because Brooks’s twice-a-week op-ed columns (he has written hundreds of them over the past 14-plus years) often flirt with piousness, his recent split from his U. of C. classmate—Jane Hughes, who converted to Judaism and changed her name to Sarah Brooks—has been snarkily and gleefully noted by his critics. I’ve noticed that he is increasing the butt of derision, and I asked him about that. “It’s the universal experience of all opinion columnists,” he said, claiming that he pays little attention, but he does quickly scan the moderated comments under his column to see if there’s anything to be learned from them. Female opinion writers, he added, “get it much worse...
What's weird, is that I distinctly remember about a year ago when Mr. Brooks said he definitely does not read comments at all because of the delicateness of his fee-fees. Well, I suppose for a man who routinely wipes out whole decades of Conservative history because their existence also hurts his fee-fees, this level of embroidery is pretty small beer.
Either way, shout all you want.
It don't cost nuthin'.
4 comments:
Driftglass, you missed the critical part of what David Brooks said here with regards to him not reading his comments.
quickly scan the moderated comments
It's been my experience that nobody in academia, politics, whatever "reads" their comments. The comments are moderated to remove anything the moderator wants. Then an intern or some associate goes through the moderated comments and compiles a few of them that they feel are relevant or worth reading. This is then shoved up the ladder to senior staff with additional information and thoughts added. This report will either be thrown straight in the trash or quickly skimmed in the morning and not much more thought given to it.
This shouldn't be much of a shock. Most villagers twitters are run by interns, interns read and moderate their comments, interns answer the phones. The only information that goes to the people who count is filtered through several layers of staffing before it reaches the top.
I could be wrong about his, I don't know exactly how Brooks operates, but I wouldn't be shocked if that's what he does.
Then Brooks will definitely not read today's responses to his column about "mistakes were made" in the invasion of Iraq.
Because it's a universal slamfest over there (and one snark).
I never believed that he didn't read any comments. Journalism is like high school... of course they want to know what's being said about them.
I'd guess Brooks punches the "NYT Picks" tab at the top of the comments, and reads a few to make sure he's getting enough support from the "home team." And if not, he figures out how to punch down. Otherwise, what's the point of being Yearbook Editor?
Listen Driftglass you better be careful bringing up these damn facts. Might find yourself on a TSA no-fly list, know what I mean? Mr. Brooks columns are certified as fully processed and trans-fat free. That's all you or anybody needs to know. This is America and I believe the entire Fox business plan shows the facts don't matter. So don't mess with the American freedom! to believe! Facts have nothing to do with it and will only cause trouble.
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