Another intern, from the JSchool: "What's the Village Voice?"

[x_los]

I am going to be a bit of a bitch below. Brace for that.

(basically verbatim from another annoyed convo I had about this)

...

TRUE OR FALSE: I should never have to explain to an *American* Junior-year Journalism major what the Village Voice Is? That IS common knowledge, I swear to god.

If I were making a list of FIVE important American papers? NY Times, Wash Post, LA times, Chicago Tribune and the Village fucking Voice to round the list off with a different direction, b/c it's THE MODEL of all the local/Indie magazines/art&culture organs-- you know, THE ONLY current publishing direction that's making money? The Voice is the template for that. Even if you wouldn't slot it into the top five? Admit it. It's certainly in your 20, and probably in your 10. What else are you going to pay attention to, the Picayune?

It would of course be different if she weren't American, or weren't a Journalism Major. And it's not like I expected her to be able to discourse on its importance to American journalism as a field, its contributors past or present (though really. Norman Mailer. Nat Hentoff. Savage? The man who gave us the neologism 'Santorum' Savage? Savage-Love Savage?), its editorial stance or direction or relationship to the Times--just to have heard of it. (...though really I did expect her to be able to give me most of that in some form b/c it's so relevant to her field and not that out of the way and I am sanguine like that. *sigh*)

This is supposed to be one of the absolute best Journalism schools in the country, isn't it?


A v. cool, happy thing!
A depressing, scary thing.


EDIT:

At the risk of painfully over-hyping it, b/c I've seen it no less than 10 times on other people's ljs, Doctor Horrible's Musical Blog is fun times.

Comments

[gritsinmisery.livejournal.com]

One would not think that person would need an explanation about the Voice, but...

1) Where is s/he from originally? We've had this discussion re: the beyond-our-borders awareness of the citizens of our birth state (and many of those surrounding it) before. Remember, Mizzou's a state school, which means any Missourian with a C average in high school and the willingness find the finances can get in. Staying in is another matter...

And...

2) at what point in his/her undergraduate career was this person accepted into the J-school? It's a rare occasion that someone gets into the degree program as a freshman; it's my understanding (all hearsay) that most folks don't get accepted into the undergrad J-school at Mizzou until their sophomore or junior year, having had to "prove themselves" scholastically whilst officially listed as a Lit major or some such. Not having advisors / working on publications / hanging w/ the upperclassmen in the J-degree program would cut down on exposure to the classics (so to speak.)

Yeah, you'd think somebody willing to start in the wrong degree and take a chance on not making it into a top-5 J-school would be doing self-study big time to improve their chances, but the temptation to do the minimal amount is vast at a huge party school like Mizzou, especially for the n00bs.

[x-los.livejournal.com]

1) Missouri. *SIGH*
2) mm. I dunno, but good point.

...yeah, you think she's be trying to Improve the Chances? But I also sort of thought it'd be General Knowledge for a Journalism-Interested Person rather than Jeopardy-Level-Study-Up Time. Also, MU is a big party school? I guess it doesn't have AS BAD a rep as Iowa, so I didn't even notice. She IS a sorority girl, tho. All my co-workers at this magazine are.

...I thought I got over a prejudiced type-based dislike of them as people in hs. Apparently no...

[prettyarbitrary.livejournal.com]

Your link to Dotonbori reminded me to hunt up an okonomikayi recipe. That stuff...sweet merciful God, it's been three weeks since I tried it and I need MORE.

[x-los.livejournal.com]

MMM. Have looked at your recipe and now I REALLY want to try that.

[prettyarbitrary.livejournal.com]

I was gleeful when I found the recipe and realized how freaking fast and easy it would be. (Also gleeful that this gives me yet another reason to hit up the Chinese grocer at the end of the street.)

I'm going to try this sometime this weekend, and if it's successful, man, I've got a new comfort food. XD Whenever you give it a go, let me know how it works out for you!