How Spike Lee and Absolut Vodka Sold Out Brooklyn is a must-read article at the Atlantic blog on the well-worn subject of Absolut Brooklyn and its sponsorship of the Brooklyn Blogfest.

Clay Riser, a freelance writer and author of A Nation on Fire: America in the Wake of the King Assassination, writes interestingly on the subject. I agree with his overall point that Lee likes to present himself as an enemy of gentrification and a proponent of the stoop culture of the borough that formed his artistic style. However, as Riser says, “he’s become a tool in the borough’s commodification and the worst enemy of everything he once stood for.”

Here’s an excerpt from Riser’s blog post:

What disturbs me is how Lee is selling out not just his name, but also his borough and its culture. Underneath all the talk about “stoop life” and locally inspired flavors is a multinational liquor company eager to take advantage of Brooklyn consumers; to do so, it sought out an archetypal authentic local to give it a level of street cred. And for all his proven commitment to defining and celebrating the borough, Lee gladly signed on.

And there’s no question where Lee’s allegiances lie. For example: In June, writers and fans converged on the Brooklyn Lyceum, in Park Slope, for the fifth annual Brooklyn Blogfest. This year, for the first time, it had corporate sponsorship: Absolut. Not coincidentally, Lee was the featured speaker. According to the Blogfest’s website, he was going to “sound off about how and why Brooklyn remains such a rich source of material and inspiration.”

Instead, he talked about Absolut Brooklyn. After a few pointed words on neighborhood development—a core topic for Brooklyn bloggers—he said, “This is to celebrate Absolut, so we’re not going to get into gentrification tonight. Sorry, Absolut.” As for how to keep Brooklyn a “rich source of material and inspiration,” Lee called on the audience to blog about his new vodka and proposed that each neighborhood could come up with its own Absolut Brooklyn-based cocktail.