The Springer Show
Who knew that a trip to Chik-Fil-A would reverberate seven months later? Last August, an impromptu stop in Silver Spring, Maryland led to a blog post about how downtown Silver Spring's redevelopment appeared to lean heavily on chain stores and astroturf. I was not prepared for the Jerry Springer Show-style firestorm that ensued. First, I was barraged by angry commenters who fiercely defended Silver Spring. They named a few local businesses in order to demonstrate that downtown Silver Spring was not as I had described it. Some of the commenters went after me for living in nearby Chevy Chase, a posh shopping area with many non-local businesses of its own. One such commenter said that Silver Spring, but not Chevy Chase, had a "Pirate Bar." Apparently, at the Pirate Bar (correct name: Piratz Tavern), one is greeted by parrots on shoulders, peg legs, and lots of "Arrrggghhhss!" I'm thinking Judge Reinhold as Brad Hamilton in the movie "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."
Next, the Washington Post Express picked up and ran the blog battle over Silver Spring in its pages and online. Then, someone who blogs about Silver Spring bashed my post on his blog, even though his own description of his blog called Silver Spring "nowhere." If memory serves me, this blogger repeated his criticisms with a link to me in at least one subsequent blog post.
Since then, I have left Chevy Chase for sunny California. However, the specter of Silver Spring continues to haunt. Today, another blog about Silver Spring mentions three new businesses opening in town, and concludes that "the buildup of new independent businesses just in the past week is contrary to those who protest that Silver Spring is loosing [sic] its independent businesses or is engulfed by national chains." The phrase "engulfed by national chains" was hyperlinked back to my original August 2006 post. The new post today is receiving more comments, including some by a poster with the name IHateYuppies.
It's funny and surprising when you find out which blog posts cause controversy and which do not. I wish that some of my posts about truly important issues, such as the Iraq War and illegal activities by Bush Administration officials, caused as extensive and as passionate a reaction as posts about Pirate Bars.
Next, the Washington Post Express picked up and ran the blog battle over Silver Spring in its pages and online. Then, someone who blogs about Silver Spring bashed my post on his blog, even though his own description of his blog called Silver Spring "nowhere." If memory serves me, this blogger repeated his criticisms with a link to me in at least one subsequent blog post.
Since then, I have left Chevy Chase for sunny California. However, the specter of Silver Spring continues to haunt. Today, another blog about Silver Spring mentions three new businesses opening in town, and concludes that "the buildup of new independent businesses just in the past week is contrary to those who protest that Silver Spring is loosing [sic] its independent businesses or is engulfed by national chains." The phrase "engulfed by national chains" was hyperlinked back to my original August 2006 post. The new post today is receiving more comments, including some by a poster with the name IHateYuppies.
It's funny and surprising when you find out which blog posts cause controversy and which do not. I wish that some of my posts about truly important issues, such as the Iraq War and illegal activities by Bush Administration officials, caused as extensive and as passionate a reaction as posts about Pirate Bars.
posted by media concepts @ 1:03 PM
11 comments
11 Comments:
What do you expect? There are millions of blogs with "Bush Sucks" posts out there. What can you say that hasn't been said a thousand times before?
It shouldn't be surprising that attacking a specific neighborhood is going to elicit more of a reaction.
I suppose I could get another mention in WaPo Express by writing about Starbucks. I think they must have a robot that polls for certain topics. Sometimes it's only my few faithful readers that even come to my Blog and my best efforts are not even acknowledged. This is where you decide if you are writing for yourself or for THEM.
I remember reading you Silver Spring post and the comment battle that ensued. I agreed with you, but obviously you hit a few nerves with others.
Thanks Sligo and Barbara. I was hoping that the other posts were more interesting and informative than "Bush Sucks," but at least I'm happy to add to the chatter, on that issue, inter-neighborhood squabbles and the like.
It strikes me as a bit odd, actually. If a well written, thought provoking, political blog doesn't get more reaction in a place called "DC Blogs"...what does that say about us?
I think the post that received the most notice for me was one about women's underwear.
And by the way- how did sligo find your post so darn fast? Is there some sort of alarm message he receives whenever something is published about SS?
Sligo, do you want to answer Aileen's question? It does appear that there is a Silver Spring blog hotline of sorts. Either that, or folks are reading the blogs on the DC Blogs site much more carefully than I had imagined.
Personally, I've got a RSS feed of blog postings that mention Silver Spring.
Please get off your high horse. Are minute spelling mistakes the best you can do? How revealing of your maturity level. Your post just so happened to be within arms reach so I used it out of the countless posts bashing Downtown Silver Spring, big deal. This by no means qualifies your blog as a place of original content; no need to get overly excited.
California is the befitting for you, Maryland’s ego just dropped back to normal levels.
So there are "countless posts" criticizing Silver Spring, and they're all wrong? Wow, that kind of civic pride is very impressive!
How old are you?
Ah, yes...Jerry definitely IS in the house...;)
I think Jerry Springer did a show on women's underwear once, and it received very high ratings.
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