Shame, shame, shame on you, Joel Stein of the Los Angeles Times. Those of us who write opinions for a living have a hard enough time maintaining civil relationships with our audiences without an arrogant, solipsistic, attention-needy freak — your words, not mine — giving readers the impression that we don’t care what they think.
Well, Joel Stein of the Los Angeles Times, let me tell you sir that while I may have once or twice in my 30 years of doing this sort of thing been tempted to write as you do …
There is no practical reason to send your rants to me. If you want to counter my opinion publicly, write a letter to the editor. If you want me fired, write a letter to the publisher. If you want a note back, write a letter in lipstick on the bathroom mirror. Or you could just write mean things about my column on some blog. Don’t worry, I’ll see them. I have a “Joel Stein” RSS feed that goes straight into my arteries.
But don’t make me feel like you expect a return e-mail. Because this takes my assistant four to five hours every week. I know this because my assistant is me.
… that is not what I believe, well, at least not 99% of the time.
As you go to great lengths to point out, Joel Stein of the Los Angeles Times speaks only for Joel Stein, so please, dear reader, do not generalize to other scribes the offense Joel Stein not only generates but openly courts.
As for me, I will admit to having snickered once or twice at certain parts of Mr. Stein’s rant, but rest assured that I care deeply about what you have to say — 99% of you, anyway, 99% of the time.
The other 1% should still feel free to contact me at jstein@latimescolumnists.com.
