2008: The Year in Review
Around this time of year, various blogs and publications like to present interesting personalities and tastemakers with questions about their thoughts on various aspects of the year that has passed. Since I am neither of those things, the only person who asks me questions is my brother. Check out my answers to his “Year in Review” queries after the jump. Happy holidays and thanks for reading!
What was the highlight of the year?
Though the last few weeks have been a bit dull, thinking back on ’08 has been a good year because it’s reminded me that I did some amazing things. Topping the list is without a doubt my trip to Japan and Mongolia with my ladyfriend and her lovely family. Never would I have predicted that I’d go to Mongolia in 2008, if ever, and I’m glad I did, because 10 years from now it will probably quite different. One of the most refreshing parts of the trip was that I genuinely had no idea what to expect. I’ve been lucky enough to travel pretty extensively, but getting ready for Mongolia was the first time in a while when I thought to myself, “I have absolutely no clue what goes on there.” Another refreshing part of the trip was sleeping in ger camps (think felt yurts) and truly being “lost in translation” on many levels when I went to Kyoto alone.
Although my brother claims it is the worst thing in ’08, I was also pretty chuffed to put out The Gradspot.com Guide to Life After College. If nothing else, it helped me prove to myself that I can pull together a book pretty quickly if I put my mind to it, and I am looking forward to working toward the completion of two projects of a more personal nature in ’09: We Were Told There Would Be Handjobs (a childhood memoir) and L’ecole de Bon Mots (a novel).
Finally, it was tight when the Celtics womped the biznatch Lakers in the NBA Finals.
The worst bit?
In 2008 I began immunotherapy, which means that every week I have to let a nurse inject me with all the things I am most allergic to. It is highly unpleasant and may be a complete racket on the part of allergists around the country.
What impressed you in music?
In spite of all the wanksters calling for “rapper retirement funds” for anyone over 30, some of my favorite joints from this year came from some guys who have been around for awhile—Pacewon, Royce Da 5’9”, and Heltah Skeltah. However, hip-hop was generally disappointing in terms of both albums and gigs. Saul Williams at S.O.B.s was pretty weird and awesome, and even though Rock the Bells was mostly disappointing, Nas impressed me a lot. I have been getting into female singer-songwriters more, and I think Adele is good.
Overall, I think the mistakes of recent years continued—too much dependence on “the new hot thing” rather than individual innovation. A million “A Millie” remixes, whole albums recorded with Autotune, ever rapper having a Rik Cordero video, et al.
In art?
I don’t really actively seek out visual arts, partly because I hate going to New York museums on weekends as they are busy as shit. Probably the coolest art I saw all year was in the Chojin Lama Temple in Ulaan Bataar, Mongolia. It has a large collection of colorful cham dance masks and a crazy room full of paintings, puppets, and sculptures related to death and torture—think Hieronymus Bosch meets Buddhism. Very creepy and vibrant, and markedly different from the symbolism of the other temples we visited.
Who showed the best boobs in 2008?
My lady. When she was gone, it was probably Audrey Bitoni, with whom I shared a very odd ride through Midtown alongside the creator of America’s Next Hot Pornstar. Serena in Gossip Girl had the most baffling cans of all.
What impressed you the most in “media”?
Any traditional media outlet that continued to do a successful job of translating its brand to the Web gets my vote of approval. The content may not be up everyone’s alley, but NYMag.com impresses me for that reason. It is smart and doesn’t look down on pop culture. BBC Radio online also continues to be the dog’s bollocks. It is the best music resource on the Web. Gilles Peterson’s show is ill.
Also, while I don’t think anyone’s cracked it yet, continued efforts to experiment with the limits of “curated web” are helping to move things forward. I thought Tina Brown’s The Daily Beast was, at very least, a good effort.
One positive trend of the “blogosphere” that continues to develop is the ability for almost anyone on the Web to interview others. My brother (aka Highsnob features editor) had done tons of awesome interviews simply by taking five minutes to email people he thinks are interesting (and then spending several weeks exchanging emails and calls with them if they agree). This happens on smaller, less-hyped sites all over the net. Of course, there are tons of boring interviews out there, but it’s good that people who otherwise never would have met can hold these conversations. The limiting structure of newsmaker and reporter as the only people having public conversations is gone.
The least?
Magazines doubling the ads, halfing the pages, and putting out sellout cover after sellout cover. Newspapers that outsourced writing to India. The generally poor quality of writing. The fact that “bloggers,” touted as a revolutionary force in the changing tides of media, have not met the call, instead choosing to hype the same inconsequential stories as major media (“Did McCain refuse to shake Obama’s hand!?!?”) while devaluing the importance of reporting and facts.
Hip-hop blogs and sites in general pissed me off to no end. Maybe I am getting too old for it. I’ve fallen into the trap of both reading these and writing about useless topics, so I am not innocent, but sometimes I think it’s just all a load of bollocks. Hip-hop “journalism” sucks, as do journalists/bloggers/photographers who think they are heavy in a scene or doing something great because they go to tons of industry parties.
Peripherally related to media: the evolution of Facebook into a personal marketing and career networking tool proves to me that we are all doomed by our need for recognition, our lack of creativity, and our hypocrisy when it comes to the “advertising” that we will and will not accept.
Best ale of 2008?
That is incredibly tough. This has been the year I’ve taken a great interest in beer, doing my best to try as many new beers as possible and learn more about the craft and microbrew industries. I was pleasantly surprised to discover a number of genuinely great beer bars in NYC. My top picks: Blind Tiger, d.b.a., Jimmy’s No. 42, Burp Castle, 124 Rabbit Club, and Ginger Man. Meanwhile, my original “Ales of the British Isles” pubcrawl was one of the highlights of the year.
I haven’t found any great seasonal ales yet, though I did continue to enjoy Smuttynose’s simple but delicious Pumpkin Ale. Also very much enjoyed visiting Brouwer’s Café in Seattle and will certainly keep my eye out for The Wise ESB from Elysian in the future.
Best Nachos of 2008?
From the Mission to Mongolia (Ghengis Khan Irish Pub!), I sampled a pretty ace array of nachos in ’08. The best nachos were probably at my house, but other than that I have to give a shoutout to Downtown Mexican Bakery on 1st Ave. and 5th St. Not necessarily the greatest nachos ever (very delicious in a hole-in-the-wall/greasy sort of way), but the owner/chef is awesome. His enthusiasm for the food he cooks is infectious and the game he kicks about his own nachos is admirable.
Best t-shirt of the year?
Too Big to Fail, hands down.
What do you think you know about the future that few other people understand yet?
Probably nothing. Unfortunately, I think I’m perceptive but not visionary. However, I do think that many people are failing to appreciate the danger facing language as we continue (at least in America) to degrade intellectualism and allow vocabulary—and even individual words—to shrink. It’s ominous!
What’s going to happen in the next five years or so that will catch most of the rest of us by surprise, but not you?
My brother and I will pop off majorly.
Did living with 3 broads make your life better or worse?
Surprisingly neutral, though the details can’t really be discussed here. Note to any dudes living with your girl and two of her friends: you will have less sex, not more, and you will learn the remarkable power of “compliments.” Anytime I doubt my decision or get hung up on the negatives, I just remind myself of one simple fact: I see boobs every single day.
What are you looking forward to in 2009?
Changes (I mean personal, selfish changes, not the Barack Obama ones—though I hope those happen too). Seeing my cousin Sam act in his final performance of drama school in London. Hopefully taking another awesome trip and another Celtics championship. Writing more fiction. London marathon?
