blog by arwen

Can someone tell me why The New York Times published this bullshit story about “artists” living in Williamsburg who are no longer subsidized by mommy & daddy?

F*#! YOU New York Times – your article is completely out of touch.

First – It IGNORES the reality and effects of rampant gentrification on local residents and the artists role in the process. this is a gigantic issue threatening MANY neighborhoods across the city (including mine) that the author is clearly IGNORANT of in every sense. the real story is that NYC is losing its working class neighborhoods because of people like this are inflating the market and the Times totally missed it. It’s really quite obtuse and offensive.

Second – How dare you hold these wanna-be’s up as “brooklyn artists” worth writing and reading about? it is disgraceful reporting and breeds anti-artist sentiment. how about profiling artists making critically acclaimed work for 5+ years in NYC while living on $15,000 annually? their resourcefulness could teach MANY in the C-suites of major corporations a thing or two…instead we get a piece about entitled, spoiled brats who evade the natural selection process that deems which artists CAN survive and manage to thrive here (does this clueless author not know the lyrics “IF I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere”?).

Third – It is  insulting to the artists in this city who are part of New York’s heart and soul by being productive members of the  MIDDLE CLASS for the long haul – not just as long as someone else pays for it. cultural production gives a place its identity, its character and its voice because it represents the people that inhabit the place. as I’ve heard they say in statistics: garbage in, garbage out.

check out the reader recommended comments if you get the chance – they are worth it.

i feel a letter to the editor coming on.