Your chance to hurl abuse (or appreciation) at Joel Stein
The notorious JS has a column today telling readers not to bother e-mailing him, because "I don't want to talk to you, I want to talk at you." He does, however, offer this generous opportunity for interaction:
I'm asking my editors to build a page on opinion.latimes.com where, instead of e-mailing me, you can write about how arrogant I am. And maybe on this site, one brave person will write about how I'm right to stand up against this world of false, easy community, where columnists pretend they think their essays are no more valuable than yours, and friendship is a stranger who thanks you for the MySpace add.
So, this is where you come in. What have you always wanted to say to Joel Stein, or his editors? The floor is yours.
As a long time reader of the paper and electronic versions of the Times, I think the new design of the physical, dropped-daily-at-my-curb paper is horrible.
Mismatched fonts and type sizes. Meaningless, multiple levels of headlines. My full rant is here: http://cruftbox.com/blog/archives/001349.html
Posted by: Cruftbox | January 02, 2007 at 09:15 AM
I will longer read Joel Stein's column. I don't need someone to talk AT me. I haven't needed THAT kind of treatment since I was a child.
Posted by: Patricia Schwarz | January 02, 2007 at 11:44 AM
I agree with you, Joel Stein. The problem is I have the urge to tell you! Take the column, pin it up by the water cooler/coffee machine, and talk to tyour colleagues about the issues of the day.
Posted by: Charles Pollack | January 02, 2007 at 11:56 AM
I haven't read Joel Stein's column for a long time. He's boring. I made an exception today. So, Joel does not want to hear from me. Great. I don't want to hear from him. I'll continue skipping right by his work in search of something better worth my time.
Posted by: Carolyn Randall | January 02, 2007 at 12:23 PM
As a journalist I agree with Joel, our job is not to appreciate or reiterate the opinions of the undereducated American populous who thinks because they watch their local FOX affilliaite as they put on their Carhart shirt and Timberland boots every morning they are an expert. Our job is to tell you the story from our point of view, and your job is to know we are smarter than you, and we are right.
Kudos for speaking your mind.
Posted by: Ryan Fishman | January 02, 2007 at 12:43 PM
To Mr. Stein,
(Egad, he says, not another letter! Didn’t I just vent about this?)
(Patience, please, sir. This will only take a minute...)
When I first read your column, my first thought was that you must have woken up on the wrong side of the typewriter this morning and that I should offer my condolences.
After reading the column again, I reconsidered and thought about describing what you could do with yourself and the horse you rode in on.
Upon further reflection, I considered the public at large and have decided to go easy on you.
I can see how receiving ton of e-mails from John Q. Public in this day and age would get tiresome. E-mails can be quite plebeian, can't they? One does not even have to go through the trouble of looking up the LA Times street address or buy a stamp: one just has to hit "send." I wonder how many people even bother to spell-check what they send you.
However, I do take exception to the statement: "There is no practical reason to send your rants to me." For one thing, sir, out of the four or five hours of e-mails you sift through daily, you're saying there is not one that piques your interest? A counterpoint that makes you reconsider your point of view? Be careful, Mr. Stein, your vacuum-sealed closed mind is showing. If only I could be as sure of myself. You're a lucky man.
Also, while I think your suggestions on how to respond to your column are valid (e.g. letters to the editor, bathroom mirror (how would one mail that?)), I think there are circumstances that would call for a private e-mail address. Fan mail, for example. I've been a fan of yours for years, but now how do I show my appreciation? No newspaper editor in their right mind would print a letter saying, "Hey, Joel Stein is a terrific columnist." Where's the juicy, newspaper-selling controversy in that? Also, some of us are shy by nature, and are uncomfortable publicly drooling. Alas, I must now forever keep silent.
I'm not sure what your motivations were in printing this column (desire to churn the waters, fed up with hate e-mail, slow news day, a writer's needy desperate cry for help), but there is a critical difference between you and the bloggers. Blogs are needles in a haystack. Publishing your views in the technological throwback of newsprint (and on the LA Times Internet website) means widespread coverage. Public feedback is the price you pay for being public. Do you really think you'd be happier if you didn't hear a word? How would you know you were getting through to anyone? Or, are your columns for entertainment purposes only, not to be taken seriously? (Boy, I would feel like a dope, after all these years to find out your opinions have no more substance than Miss Cleo's...)
In conclusion: yes, I'm afraid my essay (read: opinion) is just as valuable as yours, Mr. Stein. I'm just not lucky enough to get paid for voicing mine.
Regards,
W.
PS- Spring break is coming soon, monsieur, and I've always wanted to see America...
Posted by: Wendy | January 02, 2007 at 12:47 PM
In a world that has to many talking heads that talk at you and then lie about it, I would like to say "thanks" for being honest. You have always had a skewed since of the world and at times you are just plain wrong but you have to love a guy that will at least tell you what he actually thinks.
Posted by: steve conners | January 02, 2007 at 12:49 PM
Hey, can I have my act back?
Posted by: Andy Rooney | January 02, 2007 at 12:52 PM
No need to reply
Heh. Alright JS...you are a tribute to the hilarious and curmudgeonly. This is even better than e-mail. Will you actually read it?
Posted by: Heather | January 02, 2007 at 12:57 PM
Hi Joel.
I don't read your column but I have seen you make some rather questionable appearances on some of those "BEST OF" shows on E and VH1.
My comment is quite shallow. I am wondering why you don't do something about your rather drab appearance. I understand that you're a writer, but if you are going to be on TV let's go ahead and get a stylist to give you a little make-over. Start with the hair, what's left and work your way down. You are in the make-over capitol of the world. Take advantage.
Have a Happy New Year and here's to a new you in 2007.
Khylah
Khylah
Posted by: Khylah Settle | January 02, 2007 at 01:05 PM
Is Mr. Stein a humour columnist?
Posted by: ms msry | January 02, 2007 at 01:12 PM
I like JS, but he occasionally jars me into wondering whether I'm still reading satire. This leaves me on the fence about whether he's ground-breaking or just groping too hard. I'll e-mail him and see what he thinks.
Posted by: Victor Jockin | January 02, 2007 at 01:12 PM
I've been reading Joel Stein since his TIME days and was overjoyed to see he had joined the LA Times editorial staff. Stein his hilariously sarcastic. If some readers don't get him, then that's their loss and I feel sorry for them.
Posted by: Jonathan Rosales | January 02, 2007 at 01:15 PM
Joel Stein's columns have been going downhill. Arrogance, irreverence, exaggerating one's shortcomings for comic effect - these are all things that I like or can easily bear. The problem is, instead of writing columns with several funny ideas, Mr. Stein is now allocating one idea per column and by the end of the column the idea seems pretty lame, while it would seem pretty funny if it wasn't overworked and was surrounded by a few more equally funny ideas. We know you're not a workaholic, Joel, but try to come up with three or four funny ideas and work them all into one column. You could email it to your mom!
Posted by: Brad | January 02, 2007 at 01:16 PM
All I have to say is kudos to Mister Stein. Great article. I've never had cause to read him before, nor will I again most likely, but I think he makes an excellent point.
Posted by: Drood | January 02, 2007 at 01:20 PM
Joel has a point about editorials not being conversation starters. That having been said, one really has to question the wisdom of devoting an entire editorial to telling your readership how much they don't matter to you and how much you don't care about their opinion.
Posted by: Mike Harris | January 02, 2007 at 01:22 PM
What a useless piece of nothing obviously from some person with too much time on his hands and with all the stories in the mainstream that one could write about he turns to typing useless sentences. Donald Trump has a phrase for persons that have nothing better to do than waste time, "...Your Fired."
Posted by: Cristy | January 02, 2007 at 01:23 PM
Haha. Right
"...friendship is a stranger who thanks you for the MySpace add"
It's scary how many people actually function that way. peace.
Posted by: flyl03 | January 02, 2007 at 01:27 PM
Thanks for the heads-up, Joel. I've often read your column in the past, but was unaware of your contempt for your readers.
No one expects you to read and respond to all of the emails in your work inbox. In fact, you could have just set an autoreply message to let the people who took the time to read your article know that you value their opinions (even if you don't), but that you can't answer every email personally.
I'll make sure to avoid your columns from now on, and I probably won't be the only one. This may only decrease your page views by a few percent... I'm sure the Times won't mind the lost revenue.
Posted by: Jeff | January 02, 2007 at 01:37 PM
Dear Joel,
It's too early in the year to be so angry. Might I suggest a therapist for you?
Posted by: Denna Sanchez | January 02, 2007 at 01:41 PM
Brilliant. Amen to your grumpy humor, Joel. March on.
Posted by: Chris | January 02, 2007 at 01:44 PM
Poor Joel... You can certainly "talk" at me, "but you gotta ask me nicely..." My real "beef" with Joel, well, he's just booring.
Posted by: Chris | January 02, 2007 at 01:45 PM
I think it's about time a journalist was honest! I know for sure that none of the unsollicited and unwanted emails that I constantly send, which could be seen as harrassment by some sissies, are never read, and completely unappreciated. But I will continue to bother as many people as possible till I die, and that won't be for a long long time, buddy!
Posted by: annoying kvetch | January 02, 2007 at 01:49 PM
Mr. Stein - you should probably be concerned when you don't receive any emails. That would indicate that you are irrelevent - the worst thing for a writer. Tomorrow, you may find that out.
Posted by: Elaine Williamson | January 02, 2007 at 01:50 PM
Joel, You were so funny when you wrote for Time and Entertainment Weekly. What has LA done to steal your soul? Nobody picking up your pitches? Too many supermodels hotter than your wife? Lose the bitter, get back the funny.
Posted by: yellojkt | January 02, 2007 at 01:57 PM