tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post8338840303053503224..comments2024-03-18T21:09:10.627-05:00Comments on Every goddamn day: 03/19/24: Bob Greene redux, this time as Trib triumphNeil Steinberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11468057838260476480noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-9793032819799829342021-01-24T21:48:36.119-06:002021-01-24T21:48:36.119-06:00Neil thanks for the trip back in time. You used to...Neil thanks for the trip back in time. You used to be more tolerant of my crap back then. Very pleasant read about a real assholeFMEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06829632906445535928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-39452560461566884422018-05-22T08:11:01.224-05:002018-05-22T08:11:01.224-05:00Even then, I found his work irritating[ly] self-re...<i>Even then, I found his work irritating[ly] self-referential. No matter [what] he was writing about, it was all about him.</i><br /><br />So, what you're saying is, he was the prototype for Joel Stein.Neo Tuxedohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15455041641080873400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-49694281585668812792017-12-07T00:20:28.369-06:002017-12-07T00:20:28.369-06:00Lol. Bob Greene made a pass at me at a bookstore 3...Lol. Bob Greene made a pass at me at a bookstore 30 years ago. It was soooo creepy because 1) I knew who he was and that he was married 2) he touched my hair when he was trying to pick me up. Yuck! <br /><br />I told all my friends about it at the time and "Bob Greene" was the answer to a game played at my bridal shower a few years later. Anniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16831580101168618303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-71757938393752295242017-12-06T21:16:38.298-06:002017-12-06T21:16:38.298-06:00I read a book of his collected columns many, many ...I read a book of his collected columns many, many years ago when I was an impressionable high schooler. Even then, I found his work irritating self-referential. No matter he was writing about, it was all about him. It was when he got so some drivel about earning his HS tennis letter jacket (called something like "the white fluffy") that he TOTALLY lost my respect. I was embarrassed for him, since he apparently lacked the ability to be embarrassed for himself. Bludoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18131740899428934800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-11725356902266077182017-12-06T16:25:29.478-06:002017-12-06T16:25:29.478-06:00Yeah, John, it was $3. I actually said to the cas...Yeah, John, it was $3. I actually said to the cashier that I thought they'd be sold out by then, to which he replied: "Not for 3 dollars." I thought maybe it was just because of the special "Illinois 200" insert...Jakashnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-47640631586378099072017-12-06T14:43:21.906-06:002017-12-06T14:43:21.906-06:00Jakash: Did Walgreen's charge you $3 for the ...Jakash: Did Walgreen's charge you $3 for the paper? At 6 in the morning, I had only $2 with me and 711 wouldn't sell me the paper for that. Later I went to the gas station where I usually buy the paper and the guy tried to give me the extra dollar back -- he didn't know the price had gone up.<br /><br />johntatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10088632798195131329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-12788159729745184502017-12-06T14:22:29.550-06:002017-12-06T14:22:29.550-06:00Sandy, I could have written your comment practical...Sandy, I could have written your comment practically verbatim. At the risk of provoking scorn, I will add that I think Bob Greene could produce some good writing, but he sure did go to the same wells way too often. And, like drench's mother, I automatically skipped the Bagtime (ugh) columns. Coeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06130250489695215525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-52224846288076224892017-12-06T13:44:42.087-06:002017-12-06T13:44:42.087-06:00I can't recall her name offhand, but there is ...I can't recall her name offhand, but there is a fairly well-known commentator on the political scene who appears on the panels I've watched on TV, and something she said stuck with me, since I agree with her. Which is, the Republican party does not seem to care nearly as much about how they come across to the public as do the Democratic party. The Republicans are blatant and unapologetic about their causes, playing dirty and flaunting it. This enables them to get more of what they push for, come hell or high water. It seems to be working IMO.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-59199133080953410072017-12-06T13:00:49.068-06:002017-12-06T13:00:49.068-06:00I understand the long-standing animus toward the C...I understand the long-standing animus toward the Colonel's right-wing Tribune, and they *really* shamed themselves by endorsing freaking Gary Johnson last year. tronc, the "pivot to video," and Jack Kass are ridiculous to me. But to pretend that the Trib is simply a conservative rag these days is disingenuous, IMHO. In addition to the folks mentioned by Sandy, there are a number of other fine writers and reviewers, and some good investigative work is being done. In this media landscape, I'm glad that we still have 2 newspapers in this town (a rarity, these days) and I see no benefit to categorically dissing *either* of them. So kudos to you for subscribing to both!<br /><br />Prompted by a tweet from Neil on Sunday, I picked up a copy of the Sunday Sun-Times at Walgreens that night. (Illinois 200 edition.) I was afraid they'd be sold out, but there were a half-dozen copies to choose from (at 9:30) -- and they don't stock all that many to begin with. It didn't make me hopeful about the prospects for either paper.Jakashnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-41768077235357416562017-12-06T12:12:58.550-06:002017-12-06T12:12:58.550-06:00Oops, I should say "a gem of an article from ...Oops, I should say "a gem of an article from the Reader in 1995".<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-43740291898977064762017-12-06T12:07:29.373-06:002017-12-06T12:07:29.373-06:00Interesting comments about the self-congratulatory...Interesting comments about the self-congratulatory mindset of Lipinski, and a gem of a column from 1995, one I hadn't seen before. The behavior of Greene was reprehensible. I confess to have gotten somewhat caught up in the Baby Richard drama, being a sympathetic and somewhat naive reader at the time, but I did shake my head at the constant repetition of these columns. <br /><br />I've always preferred the Sun-Times over the Tribune; we subscribe to both papers, but many times the Tribune goes unread, though I find quality in the writing of Eric Zorn, Mary Schmich, Steve Chapman and Rex Huppke.<br />SandyKAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-53907043145058956942017-12-06T12:00:44.931-06:002017-12-06T12:00:44.931-06:00They figured out how to gain control of the US Hou...They figured out how to gain control of the US House of Representatives and the Senate during the reading of those last rites. They kept President Obama from being able to get his nominee for the Supreme Court approved for months. They figured out how to get their nominee elected even though he wasn't the one they would choose even though he lost the popular vote. They've got the gerrymandering thing totally down and it's going to be impossible to rest control of these districts from them anytime in the near future. While these people may be stupid. It seems as though they're probably not. And if the best we have is bashing them without any solutions and saying well they didn't win by much. We're in trouble going forward. Yes they're not the majority but as a relatively small minority they figured out how to gain and hold power. Who on the Progressive side is going to come up with a plan that's going to be successful combating this Bernie? A Hillary redo? It just makes me want to vomit. There was a protest against this tax bill downtown Chicago the last warm night less than 300 people showed up. So not only do they have power and it looks like they're going to keep it they figured out how to make people indifferent or feel as though they have no way of objecting effectively with this fake news BS. And all the double speak.FMEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06829632906445535928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-63073425910143192182017-12-06T11:28:06.767-06:002017-12-06T11:28:06.767-06:00You're not just an aficionado, you're a wo...You're not just an aficionado, you're a wonderful practitioner, MrJM. I'm not "on" Twitter, myself, but like to check out about ten accounts of favorite folks from time to time. Knowing nothing about you that I didn't read there or on Zorn's old blog, you're the only "regular person" I seek out and I don't understand why you don't have tens of thousands of followers. Just wanted to give you a shout-out, though this is certainly not a very appropriate place to do it...Jakashnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-51437690913515917272017-12-06T11:23:26.189-06:002017-12-06T11:23:26.189-06:00"Bobwatch" was a treasure and this numer..."Bobwatch" was a treasure and this numerical analysis was and is such a satisfying way to get a feel for Bob Greene's shtick without having to actually read his columns. Of course the motto always was "We read him so you don't have to," if I'm not mistaken!<br /><br />"In a decade's worth of ostensibly soul-baring columns, none contain the words 'hairpiece,' 'smarmy,' or 'too many vodka gimlets.'" LOL, as they say... Jakashnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-41093857087270185682017-12-06T10:18:22.789-06:002017-12-06T10:18:22.789-06:00Usually, if a writer is objectionable, I tell peop...Usually, if a writer is objectionable, I tell people (and myself) just to avoid him or her. But that was next to impossible in Greene's case. Every day, there his column would be, eating up what seemed to be half the front page of what was then called the Tempo section, his smirk and ridiculous toupee topping the umpteenth column on "the child we are calling Baby Richard."<br /><br />It's perhaps worth noting that Greene got fired, not only for having sex with a high-school girl, but for <i>trying to get her accused as a blackmailer</i> when she contacted him years later to remonstrate with him. A complete lack of character.Bitter Scribehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04645909858616987997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-89542556725927149382017-12-06T10:09:53.445-06:002017-12-06T10:09:53.445-06:00At the moment, FME. A couple years ago Last Rites ...At the moment, FME. A couple years ago Last Rites were being delivered. And once America sees just what course they're choosing, that grave might be useful yet. It was a narrow victory, presidentially, and if the nation doesn't snap to attention at this point and push away the GOP agenda with both hands, then we'll deserve whatever we get. Neil Steinberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11468057838260476480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-32729176337345322702017-12-06T10:06:43.221-06:002017-12-06T10:06:43.221-06:00Yup Yup FMEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06829632906445535928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-28948540362328266712017-12-06T10:01:31.963-06:002017-12-06T10:01:31.963-06:00Them dumb Republicans sure are good at politics an...Them dumb Republicans sure are good at politics and are kicking our asses from pillar to post in every branch and level of public office. Maybe being smart in your own mind ain't all that's required to get hold of the reins and get to choose the course FMEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06829632906445535928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-26408802192014548182017-12-06T09:42:24.353-06:002017-12-06T09:42:24.353-06:00As a aficionado of pseudonyms, snark and journalis...As a aficionado of pseudonyms, snark and journalistic accountability, it would be tough to overstate my appreciation of Ed Gold's work on this matter.<br /><br />-- MrJM@misterjayemhttps://twitter.com/MisterJayEm/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-52179886173458448202017-12-06T09:37:59.829-06:002017-12-06T09:37:59.829-06:00Oddly, I watched "Mindhunters" on Netfli...Oddly, I watched "Mindhunters" on Netflix last night, and one of the characters mentioned a reporter named Bob Greene nabbing an interview with Richard Speck in prison... one and the same?Genehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05805289693205180574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-80383667854331467202017-12-06T09:34:13.671-06:002017-12-06T09:34:13.671-06:00I wonder whether the closing certainty actually ca...I wonder whether the closing certainty actually came to pass? Did the Trib make a fortune online that year? I had just moved to California in 1995, and remember reading the Sun-Times online because it was free and it was actually on the Web, whereas the Tribune was still figuring out whether it was going to be part behind the AOL curtain, part on the Web, all-AOL, etc.<br /><br />"A solid 35 percent of his entire output--with zero practical effect other than making certain people think that by focusing on one white boy who has two sets of parents fighting to love him, they were exercising supreme compassion." Awesome summary of the madness, and I guess I need to look back with dismay at my younger self choosing sides rather than seeing the bigger picture.Billhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03634642987617262810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-37589745733458872572017-12-06T08:53:26.107-06:002017-12-06T08:53:26.107-06:00Did Bob Greene also write for Stars and Stripes? ...Did Bob Greene also write for Stars and Stripes? If so, it figures: most of that was souped up faux patriotic drivel. And the stuff about Vietnam written in the 60s and 70s saw Vietnamese customs like Captain Cook among the cannibals.<br /><br />johntatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10088632798195131329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-47044604676204358992017-12-06T08:48:33.574-06:002017-12-06T08:48:33.574-06:00Odd. My mother enjoyed reading Greene as well. I r...Odd. My mother enjoyed reading Greene as well. I recall the forced sentimentality oozing from each line in his columns. As a bald guy, what I found most offensive was the horrible wig. We all lose a little dignity when something that looks like road kill is on someone's head. <br /><br />The SunTimes continue to feature fantastic writers and columnists (not that you'd know it from that awful online fiasco). The Tribune has had Greene and now Kass in featured spots in one of the most prominent papers in the country. How does this happen? Kass is an embarrassment, a horror of muddled thinking, ideology, junior high level sentence construction, an inability to communicate a cogent thought from start to finish. Jeez. Arrogance and certainties combined with obliviousness and wrapped up in a bow of incompetence. Kind of like the GOP.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-72711502646208312632017-12-06T08:31:26.264-06:002017-12-06T08:31:26.264-06:00I've been a Sun-Times subscriber through thick...I've been a Sun-Times subscriber through thick and thin, for longer than I can remember. I don't read the Trib but I don't wish them ill luck either. It's akin to being a Chicago baseball fan. You either back the Cubs or you back the Sox. The other side of town is tolerated but you stay the hell out their ballpark. So, who's this Bob Greene guy? Tony Galatihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944671504245191140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-12887383576726699122017-12-06T08:12:36.016-06:002017-12-06T08:12:36.016-06:00My mom read Bob's column in the 80s, but if th...My mom read Bob's column in the 80s, but if the first line was "An envelope has been delivered to this office" she would skip it.drenchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02602183925324077342noreply@blogger.com