Freyburg

Something’s been bugging me for the last little while about the amatuerization of media. While you probably won’t find a bigger proponent of the democratization of tools for creating media and distribution methods than myself, and while there’s never been a better time for someone with an idea and a camcorder to go out and make media, it’s pretty disappointing to me that what catches on with the general public isn’t thoughtful or unique creations but gossip and nonsense. Witness the rise of Perez Hilton, chronicled in the latest issue of Wired. Hilton’s blogging consists of mindless gossip wrapped in an infantile bow of terrible writing, and yet his site makes on the order of 50k a day in advertising. And Julia Allison’s Nonsociety is about…what, exactly? Nothing but navel-gazing and the craven pursuit of fame for fame’s sake.

But we can’t blame vain, shallow people for being who they are. It’s our own damn fault for falling prey to the same craven impulses they wallow in and enabling them. For further spite and bile, check out this Huffington Post article about female New York bloggers, and how they’re cheating themselves by writing about superficial nonsense and staring at their own reflection.

After 100 years of the affluent rushing to the suburbs, many major cities are experiencing a reversing trend, where young urban professionals opt for smaller living quarters, more densely packed living areas, and mixed-use communities. The New Republic has a decent article about this trend of “trading places” in their newest issue. Vancouver, where I live, has been on the forefront of this for a while now. Of course, what rarely gets mentioned is how damned expensive all this is….Vancouver is one example, but the best one would be Manhattan, where it’s virtually impossible to live or own a place without being a millionaire. Still, it’s an interesting read.

Loren Feldman of 1938 Media has built a career out of bitching out technology companies and Web 2.0 folk with a trademark blend of righteous fury, sarcasm, and shirtlessness. Not a bad gig if you can get it. At any rate, his latest screed not only manages to mock Steve Jobs but also rip into Robert Scoble’s videomaking abilities (or lack thereof) and it’s pretty damned funny. View it below.

The New York Times Magazine has an interesting article about how the 20th century model for cities is pretty much played out, and how the urban centres of the future will have more in common with Shenzen or Dubai than wit mainstays like New York, London or Tokyo. Apparently apart from being playgrounds for the rich, these new cities are also where experimentation in new forms of urban living is at its strongest. Living in Vancouver, a city that pioneered mixed use, densification and sustainability practices, I can’t say any of this is particularly new to me, though it is an interesting read.

Ah, with web celebrity must come web contempt. A fine bunch of reprobates, these are, though I’ve never understood the Rachel Ray hate.

New York magazine has a piece that’s half whine, half interesting examination of the rise of Gawker, New York’s snarky media blog. Gawker’s advertising success in the face of declining profits at the newspapers and magazines it lampoons is interesting, as is the snapshot of NY as a town for the rich by the rich, with snotty kids in Brooklyn commenting on the sidelines. But really, young kids in the city with their first jobs have ALWAYS been underpaid and bitchy. This lot just happen to have a sounding board