G**u Magazine's Token White Boy
I don’t read G**u magazine much; there’s little point now that live in Phuket, but I was intrigued to read the Token White Boy’s column. The premise of this chap’s gig is that he’s a white boy who has been living in Bangkok for a year and writes about the things that confuse him. It sounds vaguely familiar.
I feel like I’m being terribly arrogant here, but it appears that this guy is biting my style. Looking at it from the other side, I can now appreciate why I drew so much heat from writing “Lost Boy†columns. I didn’t have anything groundbreaking to say – and neither does this Adam R—-n, who still seems surprised that there are elephants in the streets and dogs that bark at night.
Looking at the credits of G**u, the Token White Boy is actually the sub editor of the magazine. Funnily enough, a year ago, I’d have loved to be doing that job; I even pushed for G**u to hire me, but it wasn't to be.
I’ve probably been unfair as I’ve read only one of Adam’s columns.
Good luck to Lost Boy V2 anyway – and welcome to Thailand.
February 13th, 2008 at 3:01 am
I'm sure he is but a pale imitation of you. :) Do you think he is saying anything worth reading?
It doesn't sound very interesting if he writes about things like elephants and barking dogs. A little depth issue maybe?
:)
February 13th, 2008 at 3:53 am
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
February 13th, 2008 at 5:44 am
Yes, I thought the same when I read his column. I didn't notice the credits though. Looks like Guru has a new intern with more responsabilities :D (just kidding).
Talking imitation, now there is a lost girl too! ;) http://www.onartgroup.com/
February 13th, 2008 at 7:35 am
Guru and BK and their cheap slave labour process, all masterfully hidden as internship
February 13th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Anyway your destiny is in web development.
Let's make 200 000 baths per month Matt!
;-)
February 13th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Yeah, that's why I like it when you do the political-watchdog thing more. Much more interesting and useful.
Keep it up.
J
February 14th, 2008 at 5:23 am
The right to reply…
I’ve got no problem with criticism of anything that I write. It’s part of my job. If you stick your head above the parapet and all that…
Similarly, the same applies to you. Don’t expect to be critical and not be shot down when your criticism isn’t based on fact. Read any newspaper style guide. You’ll find all of them consider accuracy to be a byword for good journalism.
Anyway…
You say, “The premise of this chap’s gig is that he’s a white boy who has been living in Bangkok for a year and writes about the things that confuse him.â€
Not sure where you’ve got that from:
1) I’ve been living in Bangkok for about six weeks.
2) I don’t write about things that confuse me. I’ve got a 1,000 word column/article to write every week. I doubt whether my confusion will stretch to more than two columns, but then if you weren’t too lazy to read then you’d know this.
You then say, “I feel like I’m being terribly arrogant here, but it appears that this guy is biting my style.â€
Yes, you are being arrogant. Please don’t flatter yourself. I’d never read your work until it was pointed out to me that you were spouting off about me on the Internet. I’ve been getting paid to write since I was 18-years-old by newspapers, magazines and for the Internet. I’ve worked as a freelancer and a staffer. I’ve written news, features and columns and been a sub and a magazine editor. Would I have got this far by “biting your style� I think we both know the answer to that. I also must be some kind of psychic genius to rip off someone that I’ve never read. How am I “biting your style†exactly? By being white? If so then I apologise for my genetic make-up. By living in Bangkok? Again, sorry, if it makes you feel better I’ll move house.
A quick browse through your site reveals you to be a decent writer. You’ve got some good ideas and your style is very tight. Shame then, that you choose to use your webspace to take pot shots at another writer who you know nothing about and whose work you clearly haven’t read. I haven’t read your Guru columns, although I’m told you used to write for free. Ever heard of the NUJ, Matt? It’s people like you that are seemingly so desperate to get their name in print that they’ll work for profit-making companies for nothing, thereby keeping wages low for the rest of us. After all, this is a job. A means to an end. My column today is tomorrow’s cat litter. Are you trying to change the world with your scribbling, or are you the next Ernest Hemingway? Just how arrogant are you? Or am I being unfair on you, given that I don’t know you or anything about you? Probably, yes. But then, you started it…
You then say with barely disguised disdain:
“…this Adam Renton…still seems surprised that there are elephants in the streets and dogs that bark at night.â€
Do I? Show me where I wrote that. I mentioned elephants and dogs in passing, in an article. Nice one. Google “what is mattâ€. You’ll find the following description under a link to your site:
“… Skilled elephants perform tricks in Thailand · Bangkok: Disorder likely, violence possible, elephants will be arrested · What is Matt? …â€
So, your site is about elephants, right? Or did you just write about them in passing, in an article? Which would of course, be perfectly acceptable, right? Have you got a monopoly on the subject of elephants? Do the WWF know about this?
I do accept that the column titles “Lost Boy†and “Token White Boy†are similar. They both have “boy†in the title. Have you got copyright on the term “boy†now or are me and 50 per cent of humanity entitled to use it?
As for being “groundbreakingâ€. I’m not trying to be. I’ll leave that to writers like William Shakespeare, Geoffrey Chaucer, Nicollo Machiavelli, Thomas Hobbs, Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl, JK Rowling and Matt Crook (obviously), while I get on with doing my job. I’ve got a mag to sub. I’m sorry it’s not you subbing it but that’s really not my fault. Don’t be dwarfed by your own bitterness.
Thanks for the welcome to Thailand. Where were you to welcome me the first time I came here, ooh, let me think…in 1987? How old are you again? 24? That makes you younger than me. Welcome to the world then!
PS: Nice picture of you and your bird on the site. Very twee. Although I’d have to say that mine’s fitter. I’m also harder than you and my dad is bigger than your dad. A simple “sorry†and a firm handshake will suffice.
February 14th, 2008 at 6:46 am
"I’ve probably been unfair as I’ve read only one of Adam’s columns."
^^^
I'm not bitter. I'm happy with my job and am continuing my study at the same time. I'm a sub, too, remember. Anyway, your column was pointed out to me by other people before I had even read it and it was those people who said it was similar to what I used to do.
Yes, I wrote for free and I was a pain in the ass to K. Go. I've never tried to hide from that fact. I enjoyed writing the column and was making money through my full-time job and other freelance work. It's not something I'd do again, but you live and learn.
There's no disdain in my writing about you. A year ago I wanted that job, I didn't get it, I moved on. I wasn't taking potshots at you. I wouldn't have even read your column if other people hadn't pointed it out to me.
I really didn't mean to upset you, so please accept my apologies on that part. I was just being flippant and really didn't give it much thought. I wrote the column for a year; you can't blame me for seeing similarities.
Let me buy you a beer next time I'm in Bangkok.