Either Relevant or True » The Last Word

Chip Rowe on the Playboy Blog:

Two quick points: (1) I didn’t tell her to make her letter “gushing.” In fact, she wrote a smart response and we were glad to have it. I try to include a variety of views in the letters pages because I know from experience that people who agree with something are less likely to write–and this is born out by the fact we have since gotten letters from K.O. lovers who can’t believe all the K.O. haters who wrote. (2) Anyone who actually reads Playboy–rather than just posting snide comments about it (that “for the articles” joke is so clever! More, please)–can’t be too surprised. We have invited experts who might not otherwise see the magazine to comment, in whatever way they see fit, in our letters pages since the 1960s. It makes for a more spirited debate.

There you have it.

Boy, these past two days have made me weary. I mentioned to Stef that it might fall under “Be careful what you wish for,” but she thought “OH GOD WTF NO SRSLY EVERYONE, WTF” suited the situation better. I think she’s right.

Exactly. I used to work in journalism … no matter what you write on any issue, you will get more hate mail than fan mail. People who like something are less likely to write in than those who hate something.

I actually think it’s a good idea to solicit a letter for balance, because the letters you get in return are almost always a skewed sample.

I can’t believe none of these media blogs that picked your story up figured that out. They work in journalism, right? They get letters/e-mails, right?

I never saw how this was that big of a deal and amazed at how this exploded the way it did.

Don’t worry about the OMGWTFBBQ stuff.

Of course no one told you to make the letter “gushing.” Of course you didn’t make it “gushing.” This is the New York Pest we’re talking about…masters of the exaggeration, the truth-stretch, and the outright embellishing lie.

They know not anything resembling truth, nor do they care for it. Arguing over how they characterize you or what you said or what you did is about as useful as telling Fred Phelps that no, you really don’t believe you ARE going to hell.

I am not sure how Chip Rowe asking the owner of a Keith Olbermann FAN blog would expect anything else but “gushing” praise. Say what you want about Playboy, but it is a national magazine that does have some “journalistic” stuff in it such as interviews and such. At least we know that Playboy solicits positive feedback when they receive too much negative feedback to the “letters to the editor”. If this was an article or reporters collecting background information, it makes sense. Most people see “letters to the editor” has unsolicited and rightly so. Can’t help that Mr. Rowe sees it another way. But, like I said, at least Playboy’s “letters to the editor” policy is clear now. Not sure how shading a bias is any different from the right-wing playbook, but whatever. WTF, indeed.

Honestly, in hindsight, I wish we would have written supportive Keith letters to Playboy. At least we now know what to do in the future. All in all, it was a good letter Becky, one we’ll be cribbing from in the future.

He didn’t expect “gushing” GM because he’d read ERT and knew I didn’t gush. (Okay, I do.)

(But only in private conversations.)

(Generally fueled by a cocktail. Or two.)

As for letters to magazines, there’s that current issue of Men’s Journal on newsstands now!

You are so right Becky. I already forgot about Men’s Journal. Thanks for the heads up!

Lets see…”Keith Olbermann is the smartest and most honest man in news today…” Greg Maddux, San Diego, CA ;)

Hey, the neocons at OW copied my comment on their website (along with Becky’s)! I guess it’s official, I’m an Olberloon now! Yea! In the words of Keith, “Great Thanks” ;)

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