Thursday, April 17, 2008

Is it Possible to be Annoying and Boring at the Same Time?

Yes it is! OK, so normally I would never devote a post to a blog I don't like, but Think Progress' new "Attackerman" site has managed to become, in its short life, the single most irritating lefty blog in lefty blogadelphia. How is it possible for Spencer Ackerman to make his site soooooo annoying? He employs (mostly) four techniques:


  1. He promises "attacks," but all you get are dull, wonky nitpicks.
  2. He strives to make his site as boring as possible by augmenting the above technique with zero pictures and low-wattage "jokes."*
  3. He titles every goddamn post with lyrics from 30-year-old songs and, I guess, thinks that makes him "hip." It doesn't make you hip; it makes you a person who has the Ramones on his iPod.
  4. Mr. Ackerman has been to Iraq. How do I know this? He reminds you every fucking chance he gets.


Seriously, even if all he did was stop using the song lyric titles, the thing would be way less irritating. The boring part, though... well, I don't know if there's anything that can be done about that.

*Sample: I forget whether Thursday is “victory-means-staying-forever” day or “failure-means-staying-forever” day. OMGLOLROFFLES!!

UPDATE: Since writing this, Ackerman has gone on to post his most retarded item yet, one which proves that he's not only the worst political blogger, but the worst music blogger as well.

UPDATE: Looking at this a few hours later, it occurs to me that it's pretty mean. I'm sure Ackerman is a perfectly delightful person, well meaning, etc., etc. But honestly, "Attackerman" just typifies absolutely everything I dislike in a liberal blog, and that's why I was moved to write about it (I was wondering that myself earlier). It isn't funny enough to pass for snark, but there's too much name-dropping and cutesyness and self-absorption to take it seriously as political analysis, and that kinda turns it into the proverbial fish with feathers. What, exactly, is Think Progress doing? Are they trying to be like Talking Points Memo's also tiresome TPM Café? Is that it?

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

OMG, just scrolling through the post titles was horrible. See, this is why you are almost the only political blogger I read.

Peteykins said...

OK, so it's not just me, right? I usually don't bash other sites on "our side", but OMG, I just got so irritated by that one. Why on earth is Think Progress hosting that guy?

dguzman said...

That was one scathing review, but completely deserved. What a vomitrocious blog.

Anonymous said...

Maybe he'll change up with some Black Flag and Circle Jerks references once he exhausts his current lexicon.

Dave Latchaw said...

Hey Spencer, I was listening to the Clash before they had an album out in the US. I don't think you were born yet. As we used to say, back in the day, "Fuck off, poser."

Anonymous said...

I tried to read it but my eyes glazed over and suddenly my cuticles became much more interesting.
I don't mind gimmicks as long as they aren't stupid ones.

zoe said...

Thanks for the post --- I thought it was me...a shame he has this forum, a place with a lot of exposure, it could be so much more productive in the hands (paws, hoofs) of someone else (princess, perhaps) What a waste....

Anonymous said...

"I just happen to be married to the super-famous Carrie Brownstein". Something bugs me about the phrase 'my wife'. At least when her band started getting all intellectual n' shit they quit. Was surprised at how boring HER blog was.

Samantha said...

The violinist Jasha Heifetz once said, "No matter what side of the argument you are on, you always find people on your side that you wish were on the other." That could not be more true of Spencer Ackerman.