Sunday, May 25, 2008

Not worth the paper it's printed on

I feel for professional writers who work for newspapers, especially those with regular columns. You have to come up with something new or novel to write ALL THE TIME. We can't expect each piece to be a winner. There are going to be some dud columns.

But where do our standards lie? Is there a point where something is so pointless it shouldn't be printed or posted online?

The current issue of the Star Tribune's Withering Glance provides a test case. It is a weekly feature by Rick Nelson and Claude Peck, where they "dispense unasked-for advice about clothing, relationships, grooming and more."

This week's topic: Same-sex marriage in California

The column is simply a long stream of worn-out stereotypes about gays and lesbians. Seriously, why should a trusted daily newspaper like the Star Tribune feel it makes sense to print this tripe? It's not that it is offensive; it's just dumb.

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