It’s funny to get hammered for the things I was anticipating that I would get hammered about. As expected Gawker wrote something unflattering. But hey, that’s what they do.
I wrote this earlier today:
Rest assured: The List is sure to contain
mistakes-a-plenty and ommissions. It will provoke hurt feelings, angry
feelings, annoyance, aggravation, accusations, charges of stupidity,
etc. The whole idea of this list is patently absurd to begin with.
I was right. And then some. The list has provoked charges of elitism. I guess a list is, by definition, elitest. In my mind, I was modeling this on the kind of lists in New York Magazine, in this month’s Atlantic Monthly (They Made America The Top 100), those photo essays in Vanity Fair, Top Tens, Ten Bests.
Yes, those lists are annoying and very subjective and biased…just like this one. They are as annoying for what they include as for what they exclude. Still, they’re interesting.
The last thing I wanted to do was create a popularity contest.
That’s not the idea at all. This is not a list of the most popular or
the most famous or the most…you name it.
The List is about people who are reaching outward. In considering names, I asked:
Who contributes most directly to the quality of life and values in Park Slope?
Who are the people with talent and generosity of spirit?
Who are the people who are contributing to the greater good?
Obviously,
this is all very subjective. My notable person might not be yours. My
definition of the greater good might be your definition of the greater
bad. My values may not be your values.
By its very nature a list like this is flawed. I mean, who am I to
decide who the 100 most influential people in greater Park Slope are. I
do like a challenge…but come on.
But The List is not static thing. It’s a starting place. A way to get the word out about what people are doing around here.
The very existence of The List will beg the question: so who’s been left off? I am hoping to see tons of new names once this thing gets published.
I’ve gotten lots of nominations from readers and I’ve enjoyed them
all. Sometimes the names were already on the original list. That felt
good because there was a feeling of consensus. Some names were, I
guess, obvious. Others not so.
All in all, it’s been fun. A lot of work. A lot of thought. A lot of
racking of the brain…who’s that person who…what’s that person’s
name?
What a great way to get to know—and pay tribute to—the people who share these streets.
–Some parts of this published on THE PARK SLOPE 100.
It probably didn’t help to include your husband, nanny and a couple of neighbors…
I fell asleep around #32. thanks for the much needed reminder of why to stay the hell away from Park Slope.
Louise: Gawker is gawker. They are the Page Six of the internet. But they make a good point:
stated another way, in a community full of hard working individuals, outstanding parents, talented creative artists, ambitious merchants and admirable seniors, what exactly is the point of highlighting 100. I read OTBKB daily for its fine coverage of neighborhood events. I don’t read it to find out whose house sold for how much, which celeb has moved into our area or what your children are up to. The lead-up and publication of The List (boldface, in your references) has made me a bit uncomfortable, since I feel everyone on my block, all of my kids’ teachers and every merchant I buy from deserve to be on such a list.
That’s my 2 cents.
Gawker has become so unbearable that I think it’s a sign that you’re doing something right if they write unflatteringly about you. rock on OTBKB!