Comments on: Frank Bruni and the Crassification of the N.Y. Times http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2006/12/27/frank-bruni-and-the-crassification-of-the-ny-times/ Essays on politics, culture and ideas about Israeli-Arab peace and world music Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:52:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Richard Silverstein http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2006/12/27/frank-bruni-and-the-crassification-of-the-ny-times/#comment-6482 Richard Silverstein Sat, 30 Dec 2006 01:46:52 +0000 http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2006/12/27/frank-bruni-and-the-crassification-of-the-ny-times/#comment-6482 <blockquote>I think you missed the point here or maybe you’d be laughing at the humor of the term...perhaps it’s because you’re not a new mother.</blockquote> And perhaps it's you who's missing the mark. I am a father and primary care giver for 3 children under the age of 5. I know there are judgmental mothers out there. But I also understand just how incredibly difficult & stressful being a good mother is. I can be just as critical as the next person of such mothers. But the smarmy trendiness of both the term & the thrust of the NYT article got my goat. Perhaps it wasn't entirely Frank Bruni's fault. Perhaps blame should also accrue to the Times' Princess of Style, Jodi Kantor who wrote at least one of the substantive pieces. Whoever's responsible, it's just plain cheap trick journalism.

I think you missed the point here or maybe you’d be laughing at the humor of the term…perhaps it’s because you’re not a new mother.

And perhaps it’s you who’s missing the mark. I am a father and primary care giver for 3 children under the age of 5. I know there are judgmental mothers out there. But I also understand just how incredibly difficult & stressful being a good mother is. I can be just as critical as the next person of such mothers. But the smarmy trendiness of both the term & the thrust of the NYT article got my goat. Perhaps it wasn’t entirely Frank Bruni’s fault. Perhaps blame should also accrue to the Times’ Princess of Style, Jodi Kantor who wrote at least one of the substantive pieces. Whoever’s responsible, it’s just plain cheap trick journalism.

]]> By: A reader and mom http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2006/12/27/frank-bruni-and-the-crassification-of-the-ny-times/#comment-6476 A reader and mom Fri, 29 Dec 2006 22:53:41 +0000 http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2006/12/27/frank-bruni-and-the-crassification-of-the-ny-times/#comment-6476 I think you missed the point here or maybe you'd be laughing at the humor of the term instead of being "burned by it." It's just a witty new way to label an age-old trend: vocally judgmental mothers. If you're not aware of this trend, perhaps it's because you're not a new mother. The term flies on message boards as a way to take down (the author's words - not Frank Bruni, btw who just wrote the intro to the lexicon section) those who would condemn you for your choices. And yeah, there are meanie mommies out there. Sucks, doesn't it. I think you missed the point here or maybe you’d be laughing at the humor of the term instead of being “burned by it.” It’s just a witty new way to label an age-old trend: vocally judgmental mothers. If you’re not aware of this trend, perhaps it’s because you’re not a new mother. The term flies on message boards as a way to take down (the author’s words - not Frank Bruni, btw who just wrote the intro to the lexicon section) those who would condemn you for your choices. And yeah, there are meanie mommies out there. Sucks, doesn’t it.

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