So, I came into the TMT offices today, and guess what? Same old shit. Mr P's in his office with a couple TMT fans, Gumshoe is yelling at a newbie for incorrectly using a semicolon, and NicoleMC99 is complaining to Squeo about the ass-chafing, eco-friendly toilet paper. Nobodaddy called in sick, and P Funk hasn't even showed up for the past two days! Don't get me wrong; I love TMT. But I'm getting so sick of it here.
Which is why I'm thinking of applying to Pitchfork. In addition to its foray into branding (TMT News), Pitchfork actually has its shit together. I'm sure you've heard of Pitchfork.tv by now, Pitchfork's "online music video channel" that debuts April 7. It'll feature full-length concerts, feature films, and more! I mean, why can't TMT do anything interesting? Seriously. Mr P's all "I don't want to post MP3s and videos because it's too promotional, blah blah blah." What a d-bag. I hear where he's coming from, but what about trying to expose new acts to readers? Is it really so bad to promote bands you believe in? Criticism is dead, Mr P! The lines have blurred a long time ago!
It really comes down to this: Jim DeRogatis (critic for Chicago Sun-Times and co-host of Sound Opinions) interviewed Pitchfork editor-in-chief Ryan Shreiber for his blog -- when asked if he knew who Mr P was, he responded: "Mr P? Isn't that a pizza shop on 46th?" Anyway, it's worth checking out the interview. He asks Shreibtown some tough questions:
- Now, what band is going to deny you the right to videotape them and show that content for free on Pitchfork.tv if it’s worried about not getting a good review on the Web site? What band is going to say no to playing the festival, even if it has a better offer somewhere else, and what band is going to reject letting you include them on a videogame soundtrack?
- I don’t know if I believe in the notion of selling out, but I do believe in the notion of credibility, and you guys have been very credible critics up to now. But when you get into the business of lining up bands for the soundtrack of a baseball video game, I’m going to start to wonder if I can trust that 9.4 rating anymore.
- What about the video game soundtrack? Doesn’t that kind of tarnish what you say Pitchfork is doing?
Meanwhile, check out Pitchfork.tv in April, and, really, stop reading "pizza shop" Tiny Mix Tapes. I've had one foot out the door for quite some time now. Oh shit, Mr P's coming. Gotta publish this quick!
