Readers shouldn’t expect much from the Star-Telegram’s arts and entertainment section. With the exception of film critic Chris Kelly’s work, most of the writing is pretty chummy and seems tossed off. Some of it is painfully, cringe-inducingly cute. (Who knew that daily newspapers were hiring giddy 14-year-old girls as nightlife columnists [exclamation point! exclamation point! exclamation point!]) But the least the Star-T’s A&E section editors and writers could do is commit to journalistic integrity.
In a live review of last week’s First Friday on the Green, a Star-T contributor writes that the monthly free outdoor concert series at Magnolia Green Park is put on by Fort Worth South Inc., but –– perhaps because of his higher-ups’ petty professional jealousy and spite –– he fails to mention that the event is produced, sponsored, organized, promoted, and coordinated by us here at the Weekly; some of our most steadfast team players even help lug around gear. The writer goes on to say that “the costs of the mobile stage, the first-rate sound system, and world-class entertainment is absorbed by the food and beverage vendors.” “Absorbed by” is not only businessspeak mumbo-jumbo. The term, as it is employed here, lends the impression that the food and beverage vendors are paying out of pocket for the mobile stage, first-rate sound system, yadda yadda yadda, which would qualify as possibly the stupidest business move in the history of mankind; kind of like paying customers to eat at your restaurant or shop at your store. Like, wha-?!?
Of course, the costs “are” (not “is”) “absorbed by” not the vendors but mostly by us.
(The writer also mentions that last week’s opening act, Darrin Kobetich, was recently laid off from his job as a graphic designer. As if you need ask, there’s no mention that the company from which Kobetich was recently released was –– yep –– the Star-T.)
The story reminds me of one that appeared last year about our 13th annual Music Awards showcase in Sundance Square. The writer called the free event that featured 40 local bands, all nominees, something like “the annual music awards festival” –– without even mentioning our fucking name.
Basically, you can’t ever trust that you’ll get the whole story from the Star-T’s A&E section and definitely not when we’re involved. And we’re involved in a lot of stuff in this town.
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