Is this place doing so badly that N&O is doing stories to try and boost membership. Here is how you do it. Scrap this piece of horse hockey and bring back the old format. Or just keep doing what you're doing and continue to be the laughing stock you have become(not unlike your paper).
A place for civil debate
"We've become a country that's been ripped to shreds by divisiveness, unaccountability, unreasonableness, stubbornness, arrogance, ignorance and more importantly, the inability to be civil to one another.
"I've already gotten used to the fact that not only can't you convince anyone of anything, but they probably won't respect your opinion either."
Whoa, is this another frustrated baby boomer going off about how the world used to be a nicer place? Nope, it's N&O movie writer Craig D. Lindsey, age 30, on his "Uncle Crizzle" pop culture blog (blogs.newsobserver.com/unclecrizzle).
Lindsey's essay was inspired by "The View" morning TV meltdown involving Rosie O'Donnell (who hastened her planned exit from the show afterward) and Elisabeth Hasselbeck. His take on the incident was that it "perfectly defines what's wrong with our country" -- an inability for people to "respect other human beings whose thoughts and viewpoints are different than yours."
Lindsey hit on a cultural trend I think we're all experiencing. It often feels as though people can't find ways to argue passionately without resorting to insults.
By pure coincidence, Cary reader Eric Charlton's frustration with "negative" N&O movie reviews -- and Craig D. Lindsey, in particular -- reached a boil around the same time as Lindsey posted the above entry on his blog.
The review that set off this loyal subscriber was Lindsey's take on "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," which he declared an "expensive, clamorous mess."
Charlton e-mailed me to protest, echoing a theme we often hear from people who dispute our reviews -- people enjoyed the movie, so why did Lindsey have to be a party pooper?
"He makes a couple valid points," wrote Charlton, who's 35. "But here's what you need to think about: If there are 10 facts about a movie, and 2 of them are bad while 8 are good, do you really think I would like to hear about one of the bad ones as I'm searching for a theater to go see that movie?"
Between Lindsey's blog post and Charlton's complaints, I see opportunity. Lindsey and our other critics aren't hired to tell you what to think. Their role is to give you things to think about.
Readers often call or e-mail critics, and some write letters to the editor. There's room for more great debate.
A few months ago, we opened a new space online for this kind of discussion, a Web site called share.triangle.com. It's still developing, but it holds promise as a place for lively but civil arguments.
Unlike other forums, the share.triangle.com forums have not yet become attack zones. We urge people to register (though it's not required to post a comment) and to provide real names, at least first names.
We welcome comments such as Charlton's. This is a discussion, not a lecture. Please join in.
I actually think Craig might
I actually think Craig might be one of the best "movie" critics as well as "film" critics that we've had the pleasure in the triangle to read.