March 08, 2005
Hope
I used to wait for Wednesdays to pick up the New York Press, a weekly paper in NY. I remember the first time I came across it, sitting in front of Kim's Video on Bleeker waiting for a friend to get off work. I had just moved back to NY and I was blown away that the editor of this funky newspaper, Russ Smith (aka MUGGER), was a Republican. In addition to him, the paper sported Christopher Caldwell, wacky Taki, John Strausbaugh writing on music, Toby Young, Cathy Seipp, and guest appearances by phenomenal, new-to-me writers like Jay Nordlinger. Even the leftists wrote well, I read Alexander Cockburn despite thinking he couldn't write a correct word. It was smart and interesting. The paper was different, too edgy and pornographic to be conservative, too funny and smart to be liberal.
Then the paper got sold. Strausbaugh was fired that day. The rest of the writers disappeared slowly. Russ Smith still wrote for the paper but the new editor, Jeff Koyen, was just a disaster. Koyen seemed to want to perfect the art of navel-gazing. He wrote about his really not-that-interesting life and hired wackos like Christopher Brodeur (last written about here for being the jackass who interrupted Giuliani's 9/11 testimony). It became a parody of itself and tried to out-crazy the Village Voice. With their latest Pope cover, they have come damn close to winning the competition for crazy (just that the Voice has several decades head-start).
But, the silver lining: Because of that cover, Jeff Koyen is gone and there is a glimmer of hope that the next editor won't be a total clown, will understand the greatness of the old Press and maybe will seek to revive it. Come back, Russ Smith, we'll deal with your Red Sox-loving and stories about your boys. Bring back the NY Press.
Posted by Karol at March 8, 2005 01:14 PM | TrackBackTechnorati Tags:
Thank you for writing about this. The NY Press used to be my favorite local publication: conservative-leaning but filled with a lot of diverse, interesting viewpoints. Let me add just two names to your list of greats: Armond White on film, and Mike Doughty (writing as "Dirty Sanchez") on the music industry. Now it's just snarky Bush- and Bloomberg-bashing, and features that make it seem like everyone there would prefer to work at the Village Voice. Thankfully Russ Smith and Armond White are still there; I read it basically for those two.
Posted by: Yaron at March 8, 2005 03:20 PMI also still like Jim Knipfel (can't go wrong with a blind, drunk guy), J.R Taylor and of course, Mr. Wiggles.
Posted by: Karol at March 8, 2005 03:32 PMI picked up the paper this weekend for the first time in forever and came face-to-face with some drug-addled diatribe about apocalypse from Koyen. The only reason I read that was because the art accompanying the piece was a mock cover of the NY Post heralding the Pope's death. I was sort of confused because the editor's letter had nothing to do with that art. Then I read about his firing and suddenly it made sense. He was told not to run that particular piece of art. But he did anyway. His bosses called him "childish." Which is pretty funny if you ask me. That's a hard one to respond to without sounding ... well ... childish.
Posted by: ken at March 8, 2005 04:35 PMArmond White is an insane genius. And Knipfel's still got it too. But just about everyone else on the paper sucks.
Posted by: Steve at March 8, 2005 04:48 PMI only pick up that paper for Mr. Wiggles...and the tranny hooker ads. Otherwise I wouldn't soil my pristine fingers.
Posted by: Oschisms at March 9, 2005 01:46 AMI was disappointed with this particular cover. I wasn't offended, I just though it was pointless. The Voice is too reactionary, and only serves to complain. I've always turned to the Press because it criticised honestly with no regard for party lines. Left and right didn't matter - common sense did. I hope the new editor keeps the integrity alive.
PS - For more Mr. Wiggles
www.neilswaab.com/comics/wiggles/
and for more Trannies
www.usshemales.com/
