Is Boston the Natick Mall of cities?

[statler]

Weekly Dig - Sept 2, 2008

A farewell to well-crafted journalism
By Media Farm

ANOTHER TALENTED WRITER is getting the fuck out of Dodge while he still can, which happens so often, we've stopped counting the notches on our bedpost, but this one's not quite dead to us, so he warrants a mention.

If you have no long-term memory, Joe Keohane was this rag's editor way back when, before he moved on to write for Boston Magazine, where he's so well-liked that they have a "Best List Ever" section, an "Impossibly Expensive Meals" section and a "Keohane" section.

Now he's moving to New York, to freelance on media for Cond?e Nast Portfolio. Writing about writing. "Yeah, it's pretty meta," he tells Media Farm, who he agreed to talk to out of nostalgia or sheer boredom. "Media's an interesting thing to cover right now. There's so much fear in the industry, it's like watching a giant nervous breakdown."

So, why is he leaving us? Um, well, it's not you, Boston, it's him ... Oh, hell. It is you. It's just, you know, you kinda suck now. "I get insufferably nostalgic, walking down the street," he says. "All the great places that used to be there have been replaced by Verizon stores. I can't remember the last time Boston surprised me in a good way. It feels like the Natick Mall of cities."

Plus, there's this: "I'm 31 years old, I figure I've got another 30 to 40 years at least in this industry, and I just don't think there's anywhere else to go in Boston."

OK, Keohane, lay it on us. Why does Boston journalism suck so much?

"Well, the industry itself is just rocked. And there's that general Boston hesitancy to change anything," he says. "Both papers?the Herald, the Glob ... but especially the Globe?are stuck like a deer in the headlights. I adore the Herald, but they're in really bad shape these days ... Their problem is economic more than editorial. The only thing they could really do at this point is bury Joe Fitzgerald at sea. [in print, MF erroneously printed Jay Fitzgerald, who Keohane actually likes. Whoops!?Ed.]. But the news staff is incredible. It's like seven people right now, producing an entire daily news section."

And the Globe? Keohane says their problem is "the joyless pursuit of excellence." And you've gotta have a shout out to the Globe's columnists, like Adrian Walker and Kevin Cullen, each with their signature brand of astonishing blandness: "You just have to look at the headline and you can write the column with them."

Keohane's allowed to drip with disapproval; he's got one of the sharpest tongues in town, and has an uncanny ability to make any gig his own. He's been writing for BoMag for the past year or so, but has miraculously dodged writing about which Red Sox players drink what overpriced blue water, and the best dog parks for singles. He most recently did a piece on Sen. John Kerry's first contested Senate run in 24 years, and he's lambasted the mayor, mocked pompous greenies and trailed Whitey's little brother.

The Billy Bulger profile might've been his favorite. "He represents the social psychology of the city of Boston," Keohane says. "The likes of him will never walk these streets again, and that makes him very interesting to think about."

We'd say you could say the same thing about Keohane (in an unparalleled authorial voice sense, not the haunted mobster way), but Media Farm isn't a fan of gushy feelings (this town isn't big enough for two Adrian Walkers). We need some outrage, stat!

[....]

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

Man, everyone is moving to NYC.

That said there is a nasty trend of mallification going on here so don't think Boston is special in that regard.

 

[underground]

Personally, I think it's lame, cookie cutter Back-In-My-Day stories that are killing journalism.

 

[tobyjug]

I came across a copy of the Improper Bostonian on a park bench a couple of months ago. I had never read it before, so I thought I would take a look. There was this story on how a "true Bostonian" dresses. I nearly died laughing. Apparently, in the summer, an old line Bostonian wears a blue seersucker jacket, white shirt, cravat, khaki shorts and penny loafers with no socks.

I can't say I've seen alot of that around. (Most clubs wouldn't let you in the door with that getup.) Anyway, two weeks later, at a casual social event, in walks this 32 year old yuppie type fellow in seersucker jacket, cravat, shorts....etc.

My guess is that the author of the article had unpacked his bags only a couple of weeks before that poor boob.