Apr 12 2009
Scathing? Check. Bitchy? Check. … Okay, Let’s Roll!
I usually try to avoid trashing people, either overtly or inadvertently, except for comedic purposes. I particularly try to avoid doing so when the trashees are my friends, or have at least been kind to me. And while this post may not, in the most technical of terms, constitute ‘trashing’, I’m not sure it’s something I’d particularly like to read if it were about me.
Regardless, for several years now, I’ve been a fan of, and am actually listed as a commentator on, the internet movie-review website ‘Pajiba.’
I first became involved with Pajiba when I was still living back in the States and most of my time at work was spent surfing the internet looking for cool and interesting things to read. Moreover, I understood Pajiba to have been started by a guy from similar circumstances as mine — law school trained, not satisfied with legal work, and looked elsewhere, starting an internet movie review site which, as he described it, provided ‘Scathing Reviews For Bitchy People.’
For those reasons alone, I became an almost instant fan of the site. And because the clever, witty, and indeed scathing reviews initially provided by Dustin and his partners to dissect Hollywood and the trash it has been producing in recent years, I stayed with Pajiba over the last several years … and the more than several thousands of miles.
For this, I was rewarded with several great new online (and in one case, personal) friendships. I also received, from time to time, an amazing amount of referral traffic to THIS site. And, until recently, I also enjoyed reading how the crew at Pajiba — who mostly have similar tastes in movies and music as I do — viewed (and vilified) the latest movies and music being released back in the States.
But, to be honest, the site no longer holds the same interest for me as it once did. And I’m not sure if I’ve simply strayed that far away from the pack in terms of the whole ‘online culture’, or if it’s a case of ‘The Emperor Has No Clothes’.
I think perhaps it may be a little of both.
I haven’t the inclination to describe in full just how I may no longer be ‘connected’, or why Pajiba may have strayed, except to say that I’ve got Indonesian language homework that now takes priority, and that most Pajiba posts these days are nonsensical, used simply as filler to maintain its online traffic and/or to otherwise provoke commentary from its readers. In this regard, the site, once professional and with lofty aspirations, has devolved into simply another blog site — one of trillions.
The straw that broke the camels back for me was a post yesterday reviewing the new Seth Rogan movie Observe and Report. And while the review itself was informative and entertaining, the comment section devolved into something straight out of The Lord Of The Flies.
I know it takes a lot to say that something has left a bad enough taste in my mouth to keep ME from going back … but this may have been it (something similar happened over at the DailyKos several years ago, I haven’t been back there since, and I’ve no idea whether it has emerged from all the infighting and backbiting and rudeness to become a better online journal).
Whereas most professional sites would close off commenting when it got even CLOSE to the point it did yesterday, Pajiba just let it keep rolling, prompting more and more, and worse and worse, commentary. Yet who can blame the commentators, really? Most of the recent posting was about the drunken escapades of the Pajiba writers at the 2009 SXSW Conference more than the movies they ostensibly went to review.
Sure, I want to know how my friends are fairing during their working-vacation, but that’s the stuff of blog posts, not an ostensibly professional entertainment website. When the inmates are allowed run of the asylum, you know it’s time to open the ward room window and climb on out, before they give you a pre-frontal lobotomy and Chief Bromden has to smother you with a pillow.
Pajiba is a great concept. It’s run by some really nice people. And it was initially executed well enough to draw me and thousands of other faithful. Yet, while I’m not one to lecture (just ramble), I’d suggest that Dustin and the crew may want to review what they initially wanted to accomplish with Pajiba.
If this is it, that’s fine, so be it … I’ve strayed too far into the offline world for the site to still fulfill my admittedly shitty tastes. But if this ain’t exactly what they had in mind, it’s not too late to go back to writing something the general public considers worth reading.
They’ve got the skills, all they need is the determination.
3 Responses to “Scathing? Check. Bitchy? Check. … Okay, Let’s Roll!”
Matt —
All I can do is apologize. 1) I don’t disagree with you on SXSW, and since then, we have made a concerted effort to include more reviews, more news, and less “us.” We went a little overboard and were a little unprofessional. My only defense: It was the first time that many of us were in one place together and we got a little carried away with ourselves. It was kind of obnoxious, I agree. We’re trying to make up for it. So, hopefully, something good came out of that trip.
In our defense, in our past two film festival trips, we went to Sundance, and our review coverage didn’t really click a lot with our readers, since film festivals tend to be about movies few people see, or movies that won’t be out for several months (if at all). Next time, we’ll strike a better balance — hopefully, you’ll check out us in a couple of weeks when we do the Boston Independent Film Festival, which will only be about reviews.
2) The O & R thread: I’m as embarrassed about that as anyone. If I’d been paying attention to it when it started going off on the deep end, I may have turned off comments, then. I should’ve when I checked on it Saturday night, after spending most of the day with my family. If it’s any consolation, I did permanently ban the commenter Pookie, who I felt was the real poison in that thread — the one who sent it off on the deep end (as he so often does). He won’t be back to the site, which was a particularly tough call since we don’t like censoring anyone. But, that was stupidly out of hand. Hopefully, we can prevent it from happening again, or at least foster an atmosphere where that sort of bullshit will be discouraged. My wife is a lawyer for domestic violence victims, so I’m as sensitive to that as anyone. And I was furious and more than a little bit disgusted with the direction of that thread (in particulary, b/c Dan made absolutely no mention of the scene in question in his review).
As for the Wolverine Slurpee: I make no excuses. That was just flat-out funny, and demonstrated just how ridiculous Hollywood marketing can be.
Anyway, I honestly do appreciate the criticism, and we’ll do our honest-to-God best to keep you — and others like you — from wanting to abandon ship.
D,
Thanks for the personal note … and the apology (which was, of course, unnecessary). Truly.
FYI, I wrote that neither to instigate nor expect a response. More than anything, I was venting about yet something else to which I used to be religiously attached back in the States, which I now don’t find to be as engaging as I once did.
Yes, I do think you guys have lost focus, but also keep in mind that bit of introspection going on — I no longer find the silly-ass shit like the Wolverine piece to be funny, only another sad commentary on the fucked-up priorities back in the States (okay, maybe it was a LITTLE comical, but that was only cuz TK wrote it).
With respect to Pajiba content itself — in my mind, art is meant to entertain and to challenge, not to pander and patronize. If you write too much about the bullshit, you become a part of it (my admittedly vague point being that you are whatever you let yourself be).
Regardless, per your suggestion, I will read, and look forward to reading, your new stuff. Good luck and take care, mate.
Oi, sou o Clausewitz e gostaria que você visitasse meu blog e conhecesse um pouco do Brasil. Abração