07.08.08 11:43 AM CDT
• Media
• Stephen Randall
“LOS ANGELES--On any given day on a California freeway, it is not uncommon to see a young woman, phone cradled against one ear, carefully painting her nails a winsome shade of crimson, looking up now and then to inch her car forward in traffic.”
The New York media frequently write goofy things about California. The above paragraph that appeared in today’s New York Times in a story about California’s new hands-free cell phone law is a fine example.
Anyone want to bet that the reporter actually saw it? And saw it more than once? We’re giving odds.
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Comments on this entry:
From my fan blog research, I wonder if the problem at NYT is contempt for the sense of glamour that places like California and institutions like Playboy tend to symbolize:
http://reflectionsonplayboy.com/2007/01/playboy-haters-code-of-machismo.html
http://reflectionsonplayboy.com/2006/01/in-2006-playboy-is-still-revolutionary.html
This is kind of awesome of you. Extremely lazy journalism from the Old Grey Lady, and symbolic of why many of those in the "flyover states" view its reporting with such skepticism. His editor should be called out as well, for allowing such a trite, sexist stereotype to substitute for good writing.
She did this in May, too. The piece was on Gloria Molina's taco truck ordinance and aside from an enormous typo, was awful on its own merits thanks to its condescending tone:
"Los Angeles, loath to rally cohesively around a local cause, has joined hands around tortillas."
ugh. then this:
"This a where [sic] you can pave over a freeway’s carpool lanes with toll roads, and few will complain. You can propose a 40-story skyrise in the center of Hollywood, and hardly anyone two miles to the west will take notice. You can squander public money, close down the ports and flatten landmarks, and many residents of this sprawling metropolis will simply yawn and move on.
But this is also a food-obsessed city with rich Hispanic cultural traditions, and tacos have crossed the miles of road and class divides."
Basically, LA residents are totally vapid and apathetic, but take away their tacos and watch 'em squeal!
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/03/us/03taco.html?_r=2&hp&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
I've seen people shaving, putting on mascara and changing diapers while talking and driving, but not all at once, thank god.
When you really drive a lot, you notice that people do everything in their cars. Maybe you and KRod need to drive around more.
And I'd say Jennifer's a far better reporter when writing about food and Los Angeles than just about anyone still hanging around Spring Street. Sexism? Or just jealousy?
I think what this reporter really needs is nail polish.
I just pulled a bottle of a shade I don't wear often, and am sending it to her.
We all should. Just one bottle of nail polish. From everybody.
JM2c.
i'm a lifelong la/long beach resident. i have never, ever ever ever ever seen a woman paint her nails on the freeway. only in cartoons. my girlfriend drives from long beach to hollywood five days a week, stuck in traffic on the 710, the 5, and the 101. she has never seen it. i'm sure it's happened, but are you seriously agreeing that it happens "any given day on a california freeway"? how can you defend that?
I have seen women applying mascara gazing into their visor mirror while at lights. But still nothing like what the NYTimes claims happens all the time. One thing I don't understand is how some East Coasters hate on LA all the time, particularly the ones who move to LA. They will tell you about how there is no good pizza, delis, bagels, bars, theater scene, public transpo, etc here.