Does anyone out there read Sactown mag? What do you think? I absolutely refused to buy the one with Rita Moreno on the cover cuz WTF? I got to look at it the other day at Old Soul and it made me really mad. Their food coverage is still the worst. I saw on the authors page that Kate W. wrote something so I thought maybe there would be a decent food article, but she just wrote this thing about going to San Francisco, which was fine, but kinda silly to be in a magazine about Sac. And their tried and true features of pictures of famous people who were passing through Sac is a real snorefest. There was this super ANNOYING article about saving the Aura condos project because it was such a blow to our collective egos when that fell through?!!?!? Huh? They regurgitated the old party line about "this will bring people downtown at night, and create a vibrant yadda yadda". They actually had a line about the "creative class"! Yeah, all the super creative artists masquerade as corporate lawyers by day. I was reminded of that and this type of pie-in-the-sky thinking when I read this this morning.
However, I will probably buy the new issue, with Jackie Greene on the cover, unless I can peep it for free somewhere. Did you guys hear about the reuniting of the Grateful Dead for Barack Obama, with Jackie Greene as one of the guests? Nuts.
I want to like sactown mag. I don't want to hate it. But their whole deal is that Sac used to be really lame and is just getting cooler and cooler and if we can just persuade more slick and glossy douchebags to deign to inhabit the new lofts and condos we'll all feel the benefit. Look, d-bags, Mandy Moore was here for a few hours, don't you want to live here now?
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54 comments:
I have been reading Sactown since it came out and am bitterly disappointed these days. It started out as a great concept (I thought as nice F.U. to our other local glossy mag found in your local MD's office) but it's starting to have the same thing in each issue. In fact, I swear they had the same pictures in the last issue with the "hall of famers". Our city is not made of the famous folk who visit as you state for a few hours, rather it's the people who live here! R
Hard knocks for tastemakers ...
Go to www.429records.com. They have SacTown article on line. Pics and all.
Who runs that magazine? Is it people who are actually from Sacramento? Or is it people who moved from somewhere else and think trying to act like larger cities is what'll make Sacto "cool?"
Sorry,I only read LuxLife.
Anonymous said...
Who runs that magazine? Is it people who are actually from Sacramento? Or is it people who moved from somewhere else and think trying to act like larger cities is what'll make Sacto "cool?"
No, what you're describing is the new folks at the News & Review. Sactown is by Sacto locals who wish they lived somewhere else. Props to them for trying to create the community they want, I guess, but I do not want the same things at all.
I think my post was overly negative cuz I was in a bad mood. Still am. Sactown is written by people from here. I'm sure they're ok, we just don't see eye to eye on sac. I am confused about why they have so little food content even though that's something that's actually local, unlike a lot of the content they have.
Luxlife! I forgot about that mag. I want to see it so that I can use it to clean up the cat's barf.
Speaking of awesome shit, where the fuck's the new SENSES?!? I get major punk points for still reading it even though I'm an expat...
English Fucking Singles this Saturday! I'm BOUT IT!!!
-- Patrone
Are you bout Diciembre Gris on Saturday?
Summer
The Dead should really consolidate stoner vote around Obama, though calling him President Obonga would've worked just as well.
Wow. That’s a hell of a review there. Sorry you’re not a fan of the magazine. We went into this knowing that it’s not for everyone. But we also went in with the assumption that the more voices that are trying to generate discussion in a city, the better. As for the Aura project, we obviously disagree about its relevance to the city. Or perhaps I didn’t communicate my point very effectively (it’s been known to happen). My main point in writing the piece was because I believe we need as much great architecture as we can get, and we need far more downtown residential housing. We’ve had multiple opportunities to create buildings designed by great architects and they’ve almost all fallen through. As a fan of architecture, that bums me out. And the creative class, as the term was originally coined by Richard Florida, isn’t primarily about artists at all. It includes scientists, architects, teachers, engineers, and yes, people involved in the arts and media; people who “create” something, whether it’s an idea, a computer chip or a sculpture. I probably should have delved into that a bit more.
And I’m sorry, too, if you feel we’ve fallen short in the food arena. I personally think Lark Park, who preceded Kate at the News & Review (where I was the music writer and entertainment editor for almost 4 years), is an excellent writer. She wrote our pizza feature a few issues ago and our cupcake story in the current issue. We also work very hard to find interesting dishes that can only be ordered off-the-menu that have interesting stories behind them, from Willie Brown’s tuna spaghetti at Biba to Heather Fargo’s unique quiche at Capitol Garage. None of our listings are paid for and they’re among the longest and most detailed in town. And we write about new restaurants in every issue, from Old Soul to Suzie Burger to Ella and Hawks. Could we do more? Absolutely. And we desperately want to expand it, but we only have so many pages we can afford to allocate to the subject. Contrary to what some may think, in our first year, the magazine was edited by only two people – me (a very proud Sacramento native) and my wife. In other words, we can't do everything we want to do, yet.
As for the celebrities and parties, sure, not everyone is going to be a fan of those, but many people are. We’re trying to create a well-rounded magazine. There’s not a publication on the planet where every article interests me, and I wouldn’t expect anyone else to be different.
And yes, we think that Sacramento is a really cool city that's getting cooler by the minute, but we NEVER thought it was lame, or even close to it. When I was at the News & Review in the 90’s, I was out 7 nights a week at concerts, plays, galleries and restaurants. Now there are simply more choices. I’ve always said that the only people who get bored in Sacramento are boring people. And it’s never been more true than it is now.
What I do wish is that people like you or others would actually write to us with your thoughts and ideas. Some do, but many don’t. If you don’t care enough to, that’s fine, but if you do care about what goes into a city mag in your hometown, we REALLY want to hear about it. We ACTUALLY listen. We’re not some big media conglomerate; we’re two people trying to show some civic pride and to take the city to task when we think it deserves it. I know I’ve gone on way too long here, but we pour every ounce of ourselves into this small business and so yeah, maybe I get a little defensive about it. Thanks for indulging me.
Rob at Sactown
Only a true Sacramentan would be that hyper-sensitive to criticism! Case closed.
"It includes scientists, architects, teachers, engineers, and yes, people involved in the arts and media; people who “create” something, whether it’s an idea, a computer chip or a sculpture."
...
So in other words: if you have a job, you're a member of the "creative class."
Hmm, I didn't think anyone outside of Reno could think that was good architecture.
-omf
Ah semantics...
"Check out this BITCHIN' computer chip I just created -- it's a fucking MASTERPIECE!!!"
...and "well-rounded"? Media speak for "lowest common denominator."
-- Patrone
I know I'm not from Reno, but I actually did think the Aura building was one of the only new buildings that had some good looking architecture and for that I was sad to see it didn't make it. I also like the look of the new Calsters building going up across the river.
H. Conway Esq
I like the calstrs building, too. It looks great at night when you're coming into the city. I don't like what I've seen of the Aura, but I guess I wouldn't get behind any large new condo project.
As for the food writing, if you only write about the same 15 places (crush 29, paul martin's bistro, ella, any hayes brother place, the paragarys places, tuli, chicago fire, etc.) that every glossy media outlet is focusing on, your coverage can't help but look like a pitch for ads. That long piece about the "ultra restaurants" was nauseatingly uncritical of the vulgarity of some of those ideas. And sorry, I don't know who the hell would care about off-menu dishes besides someone who is concerned with appearing like some kind of in-the-know VIP.
I've bought your mag multiple times now (in the months that it wasn't sent to me for free) and I find it to be entertaining. I've never, ever bought even one issue of Sacramento magazine. So there's that.
Engineers and programmers are part of the creative class even if all ya'll are too uncreative to see it. I've read some pretty good interviews with people who design computer chips.
I still think Sactown is something you're trapped into "reading"* when you're at the dentist.
*Reading as in circling letters to spell out dirty words and laughing that it makes Heather Fargo into Paris Hilton. heather FArGo. Har! It spells out F-A-G.
How can someone really believe that anybody cares what heather fargo or willie brown eat? is he serious?
Willie Brown used to eat my neighbor. But then she moved away.
sure sucks shit when you diss what somebody's doing and it turns out they read it and respond and you end up lookin kinda whiny and petty
i hate when that happens
Only some of Rob's comments were whiny and petty but I'm sure it doesn't him.
Well, if you knew me you would know that I am rather whiny and petty, however, I think I came out of this smelling like roses. But you're right, anonymous, I'm sure it doesn't him.
Is anonymous on pcp or something? Willie Brown ate his neighbor? No shit! That's very strange.You'd think that'd be news? I'll have you know Willie only eats the finest of whatever it is he's eating so yr neighbor must've been alriiiiggghht.Zing!
I think he meant willie ate his neighbor's PUSSY. which i thought was kinda funny. remember, we're dealing with several differnt anonymi.
Not so much smelling like roses as smelling like someone who has some strange need to tear apart other people's efforts to improve and contribute to the city that they live in simply because their interests differ from your own. Roses usually smell nicer than that.
hear, hear
tuna spaghetti?
Whoa! These anonymi are blowin my mind. So Heckasac smells like "someone who has some strange need to tear apart other people's efforts to improve and contribute to the city that they live in simply because their interests differ from your own."? I've smelled her for years and, trust me, she never once smelled like a developer or city councilman or a mayor or an anonymous poster whom I suppose has a smell of his or her own but they just won't tell us. The anonymi are a strange people. You can use a code word or something,like the beegirl, that was respectful anonymous posting!
what the city could really is a place that serves heather fargo's unique quiche, oh wait, we already have that. -ed c.
your mom smells like tuna spaghetti...nyuk nyuk nyuk
just to clarify my cryptic typo -what the city could really use is a place that serves heather fargo's unique quiche, oh wait, we already have that. -ed "it really doesn't him" c.
I enjoy my cryptic typo of leaving out "bother".
Only some of Rob's comments were whiny and petty but I'm sure it doesn't BOTHER him.
I think I'm going to change my middle name to "Not so much smelling like roses as smelling like someone who has some strange need to tear apart other people's efforts to improve and contribute to the city that they live in simply because their interests differ from your own."
Yes, if someone's interests differ from my own, I will feel totally free to talk shit about their "efforts to improve and contribute to the city that they live in", see... cause our interests differ... get it? For instance, I don't think it's a good idea to build more apartment houses downtown, other people do. Why should I support their view? Our interest DIFFER, see?
It's ok for people to have wildly different opinions and this includes thinking that sactown mag is no good, dear anonymi.
One man's "effort" to "improve and contribute" is another man's worst nightmare.
Ella
I smell like Aveda products, for the record. And a tiny bit of b.o. Stupid natural deodorant! But using tom's of maine helps me tear apart secret and degree's efforts to improve and contribute to the profitability of the mainstream deodorant market.
PCP is the new tuna spaghetti
I'm leaving early today. I can't wait to come in tomorrow and read more things about what I smell like!
In regards to the Creative Class, while it's a great theory, how close have you looked at the cities it cites? Austin is one of the most frequently mentioned ones. And it's doing a pretty remarkable job of dismantling the unique neighborhoods and locally owned businesses that originally drew these "creative classes" to those cities. If you want a glimpse of Sacramento's 'creative' future - go ask the average Austin resident about what happened to Liberty Lunch (torn down for a now defunct CSC building in the newly dubbed 'Warehouse District'), Las Manitas/Tesoros (forced out so that the building could be torn down for a boutique hotel owned by Marriot Corporation), or the Daniel Johnson mural (almost torn down by Baja Fresh). It's just really too bad that a lot of people in Sacramento seem to be acting like San Jose when it comes to urban planning and "see, we can be as cool as San Francisco, really!!!"
I just laughed at the phrase 'Willie Brown's tuna pussy' for two minutes straight. I'm so damn creative!
-- Patrone
What I think smells is when a paid employee of one local magazine anonymously (or to be more accurate, pseudononymously) rips on another local mag which competes with her employer for ad revenue and doesn't even acknowledge the potential conflict of interest. Now that you mention it, that does kind of smell like Aveda.
-- anonymouse
Correction, freelance contributor.
a "freelance contributer" who gets paid to write/eat by one mag and therefore has a very definite interest in it's well-being and a possible interest in the lack of well-being of any competition.
was that going on here? -- I have no idea.
but what I read makes me wonder.
not to mention how it all smells
and, no I don't work for Sactown
media "critics" who work for the media almost always emit suspicious smells
Weak.
Maybe if Beckler made some secret of writing food reviews for a local mag, your argument might kinda hold water, but as she does not, you are just being silly.
So, I guess Beckler should stop acting like a normal person, with opinions, a blog and a gig as a food reviewer, and start acting more responsibly since her expressed opinons here could potentially hurt the ad revenue of said Sactown mag?
I don't think the folks at Sactown would even agree with you.
This is a blog, oh conspiracy theory one! We are not influencing advertisers with our witty repartee. It's just a discussion by an online journalist, who writes food reviews for a local mag, about another local mag.
Ella
"pseudo-anonymously?"
Conflict of interest is the new tuna spaghetti. Or is it the new PCP?
Perhaps another point...the Beckler has a "real" job. The loss of that food reviewing scrilla surely would not mean deprivation in the hecka-household.
I feel you are trying to create drama where none exists.
Is there some intense rivalry between Sactown and Midtown Monthly??? I don't think so.
Are Liv and Tim putting out a hit on Rob and Mrs. Rob? Have they held secret meetings to encourage all their "freelance contributors" to snub the competition? You are a spicy one, aren't you?!
Hard as it is to admit, I think Beckler just doesn't like Sactown mag very much.
Ella
Quit talking sense Ella or we'll start talking about your smell.
I'm going to LA next week. What's going on down there? Anything good in the museums? Where do the good thrift stores live? I'm not in a hurry, I quit my job and I'm taking a mini-vacation before I start substitute teaching.
Smitty -- Musso Franks on Hollywood. Definitely hit it up. Really good drinks served by spetuagenarians in tuxedos. For thrift stores, you'll find some good ones in the San Fernando Valley, but I'm sure Ella could steer you towards some better ones.
-- Patrone
Feb 20, 2007 -- Beckler writes "Although it doesn't single me out specifically, this latest yelp of Midtown Monthly hurts."
Feb 12, 2008 -- Beckler writes "Does anyone out there read Sactown mag?... I absolutely refused to buy the one with Rita Moreno on the cover cuz WTF? ...made me really mad....eir food coverage is still the worst...
...a real snorefest....super ANNOYING ..."
which smells worse -- stones or glass houses?
Excuse me, hello, anonymous? Way to take something out of context!
If you bothered to read on you would have noticed that after the little tidbit you just posted Beckler went to say this:
"I appreciate that someone paid enough attention to write a detailed review."
That same post ended with:
"I'm just thinking out loud, here, but I'm wondering if anyone else has thoughts on Midtown Monthly."
Further more in the comments she said this:
"I do not have a thin skin, I was stoked that someone took the time to pay attention and criticize, but I read his other yelps and he seems pretty right on so it hurt a bit because I think his opinion is valid."
There is nothing wrong with admitting that criticism can sting sometimes. Admitting that it hurts shouldn't prevent one from accepting the criticism should they deem it valid either.
Before you launch your next specious attack you should remember that the rest of us can check these facts as well.
- Missy Fact Checker
ouch
i think generally stones smell worse (depends on where they've been)
In los angeles, the Getty Museum is supposed to be doing a Target Video exhibit -- don't know if it is open yet.
At some point, the Sactown and MM staff are gonna rumble. Sharpen your switchblades!
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