"I Killed Christgau with My Big Fucking Dick"

[swag]

was the title of the first release, by the pigfucker chronicle Forced Exposure of the Sonic Youth song "Kill Yr. Idols", the song title referring to Robert Christgau, revered by some as the dean of rock music critics, reviled by others (moi aussi) as a prime example, along with Greil Marcus, Dave Marsh, et al., of the worst excesses of pop music journalism. I found/find Christgau largely unreadable, though I still read/read his hipster dipshit abbrev-speak and came away with some good hints way back (that first Gang of Four record comes to mind).

Today we discover that, along with other Village Voice senior editors, Christgau finds himself out of a job, as a result of the latest editorial shake-up since Phoenix-based New Times Corporation merged with Village Voice Corporation:

Motoko Rich, NYT, September 1, 2006:

In a move that decimated the senior ranks of its arts staff, The Village Voice, the New York alternative weekly, yesterday dismissed eight people, including Robert Christgau, a senior editor and longtime pop music critic who had been at the paper on and off since 1969.

In a statement released yesterday, Village Voice Media described the layoffs as an effort “to reconfigure the editorial department to place an emphasis on writers as opposed to editors.” The company added, “Painful though they may be in the short term, these moves are consistent with long-range efforts to position The Voice as an integral journalistic force in New York City.”

Michael Lacey, executive editor of Village Voice Media, which is based in Phoenix and owns a string of weeklies around the country, did not return calls seeking further comment. Ward Harkavy, interim editor in chief of The Voice, said that the duties of those laid off “will be distributed, just as they are at many publications, among current local staff. We are obviously editing our own stories.”

The dismissals continue the unstinting turmoil that has plagued The Voice since October, when New Times Media announced its merger with Village Voice Media and assumed the Voice name. Judith Miszner, the paper’s publisher, left in January, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Sydney Schanberg left in February, citing his objections to new management. Not including yesterday’s layoffs, nearly 20 people have either been dismissed or left voluntarily since the merger.

. . .

[WritingIsMyReligion]

1. Christgau was a nut.

He couldn't decide if he loved or hated all these artists. In the same 'Dan review, he both complimented and trashed the "band" and the album, as if he had MPD.

:crazy:

[enigmatic]

2. I despise Christgau

Seriously despise him; the absolute worst of music criticism..

[swag]

7. Once again you display your impeccable taste.

[lost-in-nj]

3. I haven't read this

since they started charging for it.
Village Voice used to be free and it was in a stand at most record stores, just take one!
It was great then.


lost

[swag]

4. We have always paid for it out in the hinterlands.

And it has always been a delight to go to New York to snag one for free right off the street.

I don't think it bodes well for the Voice that New Times Corp now seems to be in control. Particularly since even I have been published several times by the Phoenix New Times.

The New Times takeover will accelerate the conglomeration of glop that's destroying the character of so many once unique, formerly indy weeklies.

[Benfea]

5. Frank Zappa had the best explanation for rock journalism

"Rock journalism is people who can't write interviewing people who can't speak for people who can't read."

[elshiva]

6. AMEN!

[Blue_Tires]

8. times are tough in print journalism right now

i can attest to that