I find out about all the good shit too late. One of the roommates used to have a thing with Leah McLaren back in highschool, so every time she has her picture in the Globe, which is generally once or twice a week, we like to cut the pictures out and put them on our fridge.
For those not yet tipped off to the McLaren phenom, she's this woman who writes articles about how hard it is being ill-equipped and gorgeous writing for Canada's national newspaper. I've spent a fair amount of time eating my granola and staring blankly at her face, but I never would have guessed how fruitful it would be sitting down to write about what an annoyance she is.
So I'm sad this site which I only just found yesterday, is already no more. It seems blogs must struggle to stay alive but it's way easier to think only the bad ones die.
Then again, when the reasons for extinction are this sound, and they extend so effortlessly into an out-and-out condemnation of what it is to be Canadian, it seems worth it. Worth losing the site to read why the site was lost.
Posted by ÿ at October 31, 2003 01:46 PMI think that post, about stopping the Leah McLaren blog, was lame. Good for Coyle if he thinks the US has substantially less cronyism than Canada, but methinks he will get a rough surprise. The CanCon system, while nastily flawed for a lot of reasons including some he mentions, is not the problem.
But besides that, I'm almost happy that Leah McLaren is paid to write, for the same reason that I'm happy McCain's is still making commercials. The world needs laughter, and also "I can do better" examples.
My new hate-on for Globe pundits is directed at Russell Smith, for his unbearably underresearched columns about blogs.
Posted by: D on October 31, 2003 02:32 PM .Yeah, you're right. He'll probably move to the States, then move back and start up the site again within a year's time.
You still come here, D?
Poor thing.
Posted by: ÿ on October 31, 2003 04:28 PM .Jeeze guys, you're tooootally behind; I'm already on the Dusty Rusty and L-Mac backlash-backlash bandwagon and have been for months. Frankly, everyone's just jealous of Russell. Which other writers get paid to drive fast cars, snort cocaine mixed with xanax, "surf the inter-net", talk about "postmodernism", and hang out on Toronto's "ubercool" "College St. West"??? Nobody except Russell. Did you know he's only got three fingers or something? His novels are brilliant; he dares to "ruthlessly" satirize everything he most resembles. He namedrops the "coolest" new clothing lines and cologne in his writing:- he makes you want to turn "zeitgeist" into a verb only to be used in reference to him. So what if his stories about blogs are dismissive and not really researched. I think we all know that
"blogs" can pretty much be dismissed across the board and even the nearly okay ones don't warrant "research". Besides, Russell has far more important things to do, like fuck models. Do you guys know the difference between a brogue and a wingtip? Can you guys tie a cravat properly? Like shit you can.
As for Leah, I think you guys are just sexist or something like this. I just can't help but be charmed by her sass. So youthful, y'know? She's no-nonsense and isn't afraid to say "how she feels". She may be shallow but she knows it so that makes it totally okay.
You guys are missing out on the vanguard of popular canadian writing. These two are the real innovators. If you can't spot that, then that's YOUR problem.
Yeah, you're way ahead of me on this one as usual, Deescourse. Russell Smith, model-fucker, could only be scorned out of envy. And Leah's got the straight ssasssss part of her routine down-pat.
Posted by: ÿ on November 2, 2003 11:46 AM .I have a real hate on for Leah McLaren and Rebbeca Eckler, I can't believe they get paid to write about their seriously over rated, boring, mundane, & pretentious lives. There have been many a weekend when I have felt like spitting my morning coffee out onto the paper because of the fodder they spew into their "articles". I can't believe how incredibly vapid they both are. They both get a lot of bad press, but bad press is still press, right? They are the women that we love to hate and hate to love. I just think they both really, really suck and its time to get some real talent for the Globe and Mail and National Post as opposed to Carrie- Sex In The City wanna-bees. If I need to read about how hard it is to find real cashmere in this city or how a glass of red wine is really high in calories and one should opt for white instead I think I just might vomit all over myself. Maybe I should just opt for not reading their articles anymore, but I guess I am one of those who "loves to hate".
Posted by: Sassy on November 3, 2003 11:12 PM .Hating on leah? Old and busted...
Hating on Ben "don't you hate airplane food" Mulroney? New hotness...
I really want them to get married, so I can call in my freebie tactical nuclear strike and get a twofer.
Posted by: poot on February 26, 2004 01:17 PM .