5.9.12 Special 4 STAR EDITION!!!!

That Maerz woman has an impressive resume. WTF?? How??

Entertainment Weekly Nabs LA Times Writer Melissa Maerz

By Matthew Fleischer on June 16, 2011 11:11 AM

LA Times staffer Melissa Maerz is on her way to Entertainment Weekly, FishbowlLA has learned. She becomes the mag's lead music critic and will also contribute features to the TV department. One has to wonder whether Maerz didn't see much potential for upward mobility at the Times after Randall Roberts recently took over the highly coveted pop music critic gig from Ann Powers.

Maerz has a pretty impressive resume. And by impressive we mean we're jealous. She was a senior editor at Rolling Stone as well as a senior editor at New York magazine, where she created and launched the mag's now wildly popular blog Vulture

Lots of thoughts about the EW "review."

1. The author for a national magazine would not intentionally write a homophobic article. Nor would the magazine publish it if they perceived it to be. It is not homoPHOBIC. It wasn't written out of fear. But it is offensive, insulting, and pandering to narrow and ugly stereotypes of people who are gay. The problem is that the author and the editor most probably thought it was edgy and clever. Making jokes about minorities, by and large, has become unacceptable. The only "fair game" seem to be gays and overweight people. Folks feel free to make those groups the brunt of their "wit" and jokes. I imagine the author and editors of the magazine are astounded at the negative reaction and think it is political correctness run amok. C'mon, people can't you take a joke?

2. The wonderful thing about it is that hundreds, maybe thousands of people are saying, "No, we can't. We won't. It is NOT funny. It is hateful. We will not stand back and smile (grimace) and pretend that we enjoy your 'cleverness.'" Isn't that remarkable? Because of our love and respect for Adam, our eyes and minds are open as never before. And we, who at one time protested inequality and marched for civil rights, but have since "settled down" and become perhaps more complacent, grasp our power again, and rise up to call them out.

3. Adam is not political. He is not a campaigner for gay rights. He is a musician who just wants respect for his art. Wants the opportunity to prove himself on a level playing field. Yet, he is a catalyst for social change, just by being himself. We look at his talent, his courage, his guts, and his determination in the face of such ugliness, and gay rights is no longer a fringe issue bantered about by political and religious pundits. Because we know Adam, it has now become personal to us, and we are moved. That is fantastic!

(Please don't argue that there are many, many other gay activists that have had great impact. Of course there are. But, this is Adamtopia, and we are talking about Adam here. He is a musical and social change agent.)

Thanks. I finally found it and posted a comment.

Aww thanks. I did find it and posted my comment.