I was contacted by a reporter from the Washington Post doing a business story on response to the Metro ads from the Greater Washington Initiative.
Anyway, after a brief phone conversation, wherein I tried desperately not to sound like a complete tool, he mentioned that the story was going to be run a few days ago, but, oops, the ad itself was going to be placed opposite the story discussing its content. So they’ve moved the story back and the reporter called to get my take.
My take? I’m a lousy phone interview, to be honest.
He was kind enough to say the article ended up a lot shorter than he thought, so I’m not in it – but take a look at the article.
My favorite part: the Executive Director of the Washington Initiative saying, “the ad was meant to show a contrast: ‘I think most people are smart enough to see the humor in this.’” Wait, so now we’re stupid for being offended?!?
The NYT, the Washington Post…can the cover of Time be far behind? Or better yet, Vanity Fair?
Nah. Candy and I want the pinnacle, the highest of the high holy publications of the Romance World.
We want the RWR.
Sarah wrote:
My favorite part: the Executive Director of the Washington Initiative saying, “the ad was meant to show a contrast: ‘I think most people are smart enough to see the humor in this.’†Wait, so now we’re stupid for being offended?!?
Oh, exactly! I am sure that he thought that his wording of that remark was very clever.
But the ad is not even saying that romance novels are stupid; it is saying that *readers* of romance novels are stupid. Gee, why would romance readers be offended by that, I wonder??
Yeah, it appears we just can’t win this one. And the Executive Director got to insult us again while getting some extra publicity thanks to us taking offense and blogging in the first place. *Sigh*
“the ad was meant to show a contrast: ‘I think most people are smart enough to see the humor in this.’â€
Actually I think it shows that some people are stupid enough to use demeaning stereotypes instead of intelligent thought.
“I think most people are smart enough to see the humor in this.”
What people? You ass.
I just love that the journalist provides validity to the argument by quoting Nora Roberts – like “Nora has spoken.” She is a brave knight fighting for romance readers’ legitimacy!
The article said:The group plans to take the $175,000 campaign to other highly educated markets across the country early next year.
What praytell will those highly educated markets be? Seeing as they have dismissed the general public as buffoons by insulting their intellegence with that ad, I wonder if there is anyone left.
I plan on commenting my ass off over there at the article site.
Great googly-moogly! The Post and the Times! All in one day! Next you’ll be on The Colbert Report or The Daily Show!
other highly educated markets?…crap, that tripe is comining to my town too? Where do we comment? This dark ages propaganda needs shut down immediately.
Even classics include sex. Who are
Here’s Mr. Priest’s email for anyone who wants to give him a piece of their very dumb mind. If anybody can spare one, that is, considering how we’re all so stupid.
timpriest @ bot.org
Contrast still implies that romance is “uneducated reading” and plato is “educated reading”. He truly just doesn’t get it.
As someone who works alot with highly educated people, I never did get the superiority complex. The MORE I learn the more I realize how insignificant we all in the scheme of things and the “smarter” I get the more I realize that I really know virtually nothing compared to this vast world. He needs to get his head out of ass and get over himself.
Oh yeah. The classic line of defense. “We didn’t mean to offend anyone, and if anyone was offended, they’re clearly not smart enough to appreciate our very intelligent humor.”
Way to go. An insult poorly disguised as a condescending apology. How very high brow of them.
‘And the Executive Director got to insult us again while getting some extra publicity thanks to us taking offense and blogging in the first place. *Sigh*’
I do wonder why it got picked up by news outlets like that. SB has touched on some pretty rough topics here, some quite newsworthy, but what gets them into the NYT and the Post is picking on some ads on the Metro?
I don’t really think the ad is anything to get offended about. People who enjoy mass-marketed novels of ANY genre need to be aware they are going to become the target of jokes sometimes. There is a name for anything enjoyed by the masses: “guilty pleasures.” 🙂 I love reading those crime thrillers that are right next to the romance novels in the grocery store, but I am also aware that though I find them interesting, they are nowhere near the same level as Plato or any other authors of classic literature.
Why am I not surprised? The Washington media is usually hostile to women in general – I mean, a few years back, one paper wrote an article called “Why are Washington Women Such Bitches?” (yes that was really the title) and as proof of “being bitches”, the article started off with some drunk frat boys coming UNINVITED to a table full of women, and then the guys got upset because the women ignored their sorry asses.
As I said before, Washington DC was voted the WORST place in America for romance. Enough said.
And of course, the article ignored the fact that most romance readers are college educated. Jerkwads!