Shots in the Dark

9 Responses

• Anonymous
  7/1/2024 5:21 pm

  Richard,
  You got it wrong, once again
  What you should have addressed is how Peter Weston could, with what I presume is a straight face, use the phrase “where people want every cultural phenomena articulated in print by an esteemed newspaper” with emphasis on the word esteemed.
  Esteemed, by whom, Peter? The Globe is today, basically a paper which gets its news from feeders, mainly the NYT (which is also a shadow of its former self) and the AP.
  The only thing that is really original in The Globe is the sports section, but even that section is being eviscerated.
  Peter, The Globe is dumbing down as it has been for the last 15 years and the story about men wearing body shaping underwear is a good example of that trend.
  Peter, some of us don’t want the reader to be incorporated into the story. We want The Globe to publish the news. If you “…feel like (sic) today, many of the news sources I read are dictated strongly by the people leaving comments online” and you take that approach toward what you write, then you might consider, as should The Globe, why you are a reporter for the newspaper.

• Roark
  7/2/2024 10:01 pm

  I agree with Anonymous. Rich, you are being overly gracious to Mr. Weston. First issue I would have taken up is the personal attack of “your snobbery is amazing.” He’s started to go for the lowest common denominator by taking on the issue from a personal angle rather than a professional one.

  Bigger picture issues: What about checking the credibility of sources? Seems like anyone will say anything to get in print/get noticed. Did he get this cultural phenomenon tip from Perez Hilton?

  Last but not least, underwear — with the exception of the bra — hasn’t done much to change attitudes in the workplace. Besides, no one sees underwear (with some exceptions, of course). Truth is no underwear — no matter how waist fitting — is going to be able to hold more than 10 lbs. in a 5 lb. bag without it being noticeable. Hardly ranks up high as a cultural phenomenon.

• Peter Weston
  7/3/2024 8:20 am

  Thank you for your response Mr. Bradley.

  First, to Anonymous — correction: YOUR snobbery is amazing. So you take issue with my use of the word “esteemed,” only to argue and imply that no paper in this country is “esteemed” anymore? Well, aren’t you Mr. high-and-mighty….. it seems that the only reason why Mr. Bradley would take the time to report that The Boston Globe runs advertisements online to acquire sources for stories is that The Globe is a credible institution — if not “credible,” then at the very least, “esteemed” by him — and thus offends him when it engages in acts deemed unworthy for his approval. Does it matter that this story probably would have run in the Lifestyle section, most likely under Fashion? And that the only reason why most newspapers today have extensive Fashion sections is because of the rise of blog culture? I’m going to guess that fashion journalism and blogs clearly are not your area of expertise — otherwise, you would not dare type a post under the name “Anonymous” (cardinal rule #1: always leave your real name, or at least a mysterious nickname when posting blog comments). AP stories don’t run in the Lifestyles section — I think your being a tad bit irrelevant. If “men wearing body shaping underwear” is an example of The Globe “dumbing down” its content, why don’t you just stay out of the Lifestyle section, and keep to A1.

  To Roark: you clearly have never heard of 2(x)ist, whose underwear has become famous for its “trimming” effect. For starters, try the Wall Street Journal article from March 2008 that reported sales of men’s underwear is now growing faster than women’s: http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/2008/03/17/20080317biz-MensGirdle-17.html.

  Then, go to any typical Boston/NY corporate office, and take a look at all the young men wearing slim-cut shirts and eating salads at lunch, and tell me that body slimming underwear could not be a trend or a phenomenon.

  To Richard: I’m pretty sure the first step the reporter and editor would take is check with Saks and Neimen Marcus in Boston to see if there has been a substantial jump in the sales of body slimming underwear at their department stores. Anyone who knows this genre of articles knows that this is a necessary line to have in the story. Then, try and find someone brave enough to admit they wear body slimming underwear….hence the hunting for sources online, where anonymity has always been a key feature.

• Roark
  7/3/2024 10:04 am

  Thank you for your response Mr. Weston.

  1. I admit that I haven’t hear of the 2(x) list and I profess not to be fashion expert. I appreciate your inclusion of the WSJ link. However, if something is a cultural phenomenon, it would certainly extend beyond NY and Boston. Increased sales of any product does not necessarily make it a cultural phenomenon. There are many reasons I can think of why men might need more underwear than women (which might make for a good article).
  2. While I’m familiar with the metrosexual culture among men in corporate environments, again — few people actually see someone’s underwear in the workplace (minus obvious exceptions). With obesity still lingering in these environments, it’ll take something like a male corset to make any noticeable difference.
  3. I understand your reasons for coming to the defense of the Globe and the quality of journalism re: Anonymous’ comments. However, as a professional, I would hope you could respond with greater eloquence rather than a personal attack. Such responses dumb down an argument.

• Hilarious
  7/3/2024 10:17 am

  Ok, RB, this is great! Silly subject, silly post, silly super-serious response, silly semi-serious comments on response, silly super-serious sur-response…..how long will this go on? Forever, I hope!

  But is there some way we can tie this in to Jeffrey Epstein and shannon?

  Oh yessssssssss

• Hey Richard
  7/3/2024 11:04 am

  No comments about Buddy returning to Provi’s 4th of July parade? Now that is a story even you could have some fun with.

  LOL

• Anonymous
  7/3/2024 5:48 pm

  I don’t care about men’s underware. Unless they are on the floor and I have to pick them up. Let’s get off topic. What is your take, Richard, on Andrew Sullivan’s post that Obama is “A man who beat the Clintons is as ruthless as they are. Just smarter, and less susceptible to losing his grip on the core principles he still believes in.” Do you think Obama’s ruthless, too? Do you have any misgivings about him? Do tell…..

• Anonymous The First
  7/3/2024 6:31 pm

  Peter,
  Can we review a few things and most especially “cardinal rule
  #1?”

  Anonymous has been in fashion since Joe Addison and Dick Steele were writing near “The Globe” many years ago.

  Good newspaper reporters don’t guess. Therefore, you shouldn’t say ” blogs clearly are not your area of expertise .”
  You have no idea about that and therefore you shouldn’t say it.

  I did not “imply that no paper in this country is “esteemed” anymore.” What made you infer that?

  In contrast to what you said, AP stories do run in the Lifestyles section.

  Here is cardinal rule #1. Don’t ever confuse “I think your being a tad bit irrelevant” with the ability to write a proper English phrase.

• Anonymous
  7/3/2024 7:12 pm

  yea! it’s fun to be bitchy, isn’t it? let’s all take a breath, dears.

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