The LA Times is Stupid

The L.A. Times had a little feature on their front page over this weekend that had in actuality probably been sitting there for at least a few days but I just noticed it. It was a list of "Overrated/Underrated" things in general.

Such brilliant points such as, "Underrated - Artistic Integrity: We're respectfully requesting the return of "selling out" as an insult, particularly in terms of music. Yes, times are hard, but the line must be drawn once more. We want to hear artists such as Wilco, Cat Power and Modest Mouse without thinking of a new automobile, and hopefully the next generation agrees." Yeah okay thanks LA Times. Bring back artistic integrity!!!

They also invoke some of my well deserved hatred for having listed one of my greatest pet peeves. Underrated: "Self-imposed TV blackouts: We spent a recent week roughing it away from what Homer Simpson called "television's warm glowing warming glow" and we have to say, it does a body good. There's too much news and entertainment out there to make such decisions permanent -- especially while "Lost" is just starting to make sense -- but it's sobering to remember that TV is a treat, not a whole mea."

First of all I hate when people talk about how they "don't watch tv" and talk about how television makes us dumb and all that bullshit. Secondly, what the fuck is the point of a self-imposed TV blackout? You're not making a statement to anyone and not watching television gains you nothing. If you like watching television then fucking watch it and if you don't like watching a particular show then don't watch it. No one would ever think of applauding me and saying "Wow Scott, you're so progressive" if I said I was boycotting reading for 2 weeks. I could claim there are "too many books out there that are garbage and reading hurts my eyes so I'm just going to step away from books and newspapers and magazines for two weeks because there is too much advertising in print these days." All these those things are true, yet I would be laughed at for boycotting books for two weeks. With that in mind, boycotting or self imposed boycotts of television are inherently idiotitc for a number of reasons. Also later in the same list of Overrated/Underrated they claim HDTV is underrated. Whaaa? Those hypocritical fucks. Even more hypocritical is that they claim "Current TV" is underrated. Although they use the mind numbingly stupid description of TV 2.0 to explain the new wave of good television.

They also claim that Bruce Springsteen is somehow UNDERRATED. I actually think he is completely just RATED. He is in the pantheon of great musical artists and I don't think people think he really sucks now and if you go back through his musical catalog you will find that people are just rating him where he belongs.

Other notably stupid things on this list include "Overrated: Indie Rock Couplings" (Uhhh alright)... "Underrated: Crossword Puzzles - Sodoku is so mid-2000's" (Jesus fucking christ shut up).

In conclusion: Overrated: Newspapers - Go away forever L.A. Times.