Stop reading now if you’re bored with the whole Rachel Cooke and Susan Hill and John Sutherland debate. I’d read countless blog posts criticising Cooke’s views before I decided to go and read her original article for myself. Now I’ve read it I think it’s time I added my own tuppence worth.
I’ve emailed The Observer regarding it. Interesting piece. It sounds to me as though the journalist seems threatened by blogging – and that wouldn’t be the first time I’ve felt I’d encountered that.
Do we make the journos (particularly the “op-ed” ones) feel insecure? It wouldn’t surprise me. I know we could do better than some…
...but equally, some are a lot better than us.
Anyway, like I say, I’ve emailed The Observer with a challenge. Book reviews by professional reviewers vs bloggers: each person profiled but not linked to a review – and see if the readers can identify which is professional and which isn’t…
What d’ya reckon Steve? Think we could take ‘em on?
Come and have go if yer think yer erudite enough…!
(Hmm. I’m not sure that’s quite got the same ring to it)
JackP Thursday November 30, 2006
Yes I think you’ve got it – she does feel threatened as the likes of us have infringed on an, up until recently, cosy little world.
Interestingly, Cooke mentions Kenneth Tynan in her article and I imagine there was only about a dozen or so critics at the time of his heyday, all strolling through the West End without a care in the world. But (and thank God) it's not just the privileged few who can pass comment any more.
There are a lot of ‘paper’ critics who are better than bloggers, but an awful lot who just don’t make the grade. I’ll be up for your challenge. Bring it on!
Great piece, Stephen! Like you, I noticed the patronizing tone of her article. Her argument was so full of flaws that I was amazed it got past her editors. And this came from a professional journalist. Granted, I understand that the blogosphere isn’t always, well, friendly, but I’ve also noticed that a lot of bloggers tend to take disagreement personally. Cooke seems to have taken Shit Sandwich’s disagreement with her very personally, and I suppose that’s simple human nature. But I think Cooke would’ve done a lot better had she cooled off and put her emotions in check. Her opinion of blogs was already made up even before she embarked on her lazy research, so I can’t even take her seriously.
Brandon Thursday November 30, 2006
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