You know I am a big National Post fan. So I admit I have a bias towards their paper. I subscribe to the paper and check there website a few times during the day. I am a fan of Bruce Arthur’s too. I appreciate his writing style and I enjoy his work and sense of humor on twitter and when he is on the Fan 590 too. I also am a big fan of fellow blogger Down Goes Brown. I think most of his work is ingenious and makes me laugh literally out loud. The post on the proposed menu at the Air Canada’s new sports bar was no exception. So I want to be clear that this article has nothing to do with their work.
Having said that I was quite surprised when I saw Arthur’s column the other day citing DGB’s recent article which included a proposed menu from the soon to be opened sports bar at the Air Canada centre. My surprise wasn’t that Arthur included some of DGB’s gems but rather the way in which they were listed. The by-line/headline was Sloppy Seconds. Now, this is no shot at either DGB or Arthur as they didn’t write the by-line in the paper. An editor did. DGB’s joke was suggesting names of specials from the new menu and one of the items was called “The Dion Phaneuf” with DGB describing the meal as “Sean Avery’s leftovers.”
Now DGB didn’t use the term that got Avery in hot water- “sloppy seconds” Arthur didn’t either. However the editor or headline writer did. The National Post I thought would be smarter than using the term in question. I’m no prude and I know exactly why the term would be used (Sean Avery got suspended for using the term while looking into a camera to describe his ex and Dion Phaneuf’s current girlfirend). In this case, the editor was clearly trying to sell papers using the catch phrase from Avery.
The National Post I thought was above the competition by avoiding this type of stuff. In my opinion it not only is derogatory towards women, but I think it makes a guy like Arthur look bad and to certain degree DGB too. There was quite the outrage when Avery used the term and for obvious reasons. Clearly not too many women read the Post’s sports section as I have neither heard nor seen any complaints about the use of the term in the paper.
Who knows, maybe I am the only idiot out there who is unimpressed. DGB was able to make the inference without making a headline out of the “slur”. Arthur was able to do so as well. Why the editor had to stoop to Avery’s level is beyond me and in my mind unacceptable.
Besides the obviously offensive nature of the headline/byline it, in my opinion anyway ruins what was clearly excellent coverage for DGB who deserves many of the accolades they have received from the MSM of late.
I’ll get off my soapbox now- Fire away.
DGB’s post is here
The National Post appears to have removed the whole piece as I can’t find it anywhere only this partial piece