San Francisco is the most smug and provincial city on the planet. Even Herb Caen wrote as much in his sunset years, with the idea that the city was still golden in spite of its cultural and identity issues. And yeah, that's why we're here, I get it, the restaurants, the hills, the fog, yada, yada, yada.
Our media minions are weak. Criticism is meek and mild. The Chronicle, like all the other papers, is lost and has been for years searching for an idea and trying to find the magic formula and missing mightily. Thank God for Jon Carroll and Scott Ostler. That's about it over there at 5th and Mission.
The rest of the pack is miserable, save for an occasional op-ed piece in the San Jose Merc. Lowell Cohn and Tim Kawakami manage to fire up the sports blogosphere, and Ronn Owens on KGO and Michael Krasny on KQED are still relevant. Everyone else, best case, is simply ordinary.
And the broadcasting business has gone to hell in a hand basket, being thoroughly "clearchanneled" and "citadeled" to death with an emphatic stomp. Nobody is close to being a star. They're all dead or merely trying hard to survive in the "American Idol/Ryan Seacrest" world.
Hope you have a lovely Sunday.
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Okaaaaaay
ReplyDeleteI'm with Rich on this one. San Francisco is two bridges and a pointy building. The last world-class thing it had going for it was high tech, and that was twenty years ago and fifty miles away. The city has many fine second-rate offerings but the local media are not up to even that level.
ReplyDeleteIt was between 68-71 in the eastbay yesterday. A New York January can NEVER top that!
ReplyDeleteI was searching my brain for some refute about the media-nope,couldnt think of anybody who sounds original,independant. As a matter of fact one big difference between local media and LA it was said,was that ours had real personality and down there they were male and female bimbo anchor people.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I see we're L.A. light,with younger,blonder and more model like anchors.
KRON ironically enough,is a holdout with just the exceptional young blond weather woman. Otherwise,no beautiful people there.
Oh Rich...You are Spot On about the current Media Pundits in the Bay Area!
ReplyDeleteYou're also right about Lowell Cohn, and Tim Kawakami, they are also 2 of my favs. But Carl Nolte of the Chronicle is good too, I really like his "Native Son" columns.
Ray Ratto use to be the bomb in The Chron's Sports Pages, but since he has gone to "Chronicle Live," he has been marginalize, and nuetered...
The city of San Francisco is a facade and amusement park. Back behind the hot spots
ReplyDeleteit ain't that pretty at all. Just a lot of
homeless puking on the streets, and street
toughs crawling around like roaches after
dark. Is it still charming? Of course, but
it's a fun house mirror effect, not real.
After you dole out all the cash for parking,
dinner,tolls, it's not that special. As for
the media, I've seen better local TV News
in Las Vegas than our local channels. Radio-
here is less dynamic than Omaha or Yuma.
Thank you Rich for telling it like it is.
ReplyDeleteSan Francisco is a second rate city, with first class views.
San Franciscans like to compare themselves to NYC. San Francisco isn't even close.
Rant as much as you want Rich. I am listening and reading less and less media coverage precisely because I agree with 90 per cent of what you wrote.
ReplyDeleteIts a little late,but I was thinking of Bruce Jenkins quote that "It was disturbing" Uribe signed with Dodgers. That's the same Jenkins who wanted the 49ers to sign Mike Vick..the sadist who beat and tortured hundreds of dogs to death. THATS "disturbing", Bruce. Like you would care,I'm sure its a waste of breath to convince you otherwise.
ReplyDelete