Monday, December 05, 2005
Bal'mer
The Washington Post has a story today about Baltimore's current efforts at 'branding' itself, to attract conventions and tourist dollars. It's interesting, I guess, but misses the point of what people are saying entirely and fails to have a point of its own as well.
The author doesn't seem to have taken the time to actually talk to anyone - he just has these 'self-deprecating' one-liners from people, and they come off as fatalistic and dreary. Which I doubt they really are. I mean, there's no real reason for retirees who've just sold their houses at massive profit to care if Baltimore is the 'greatest city in America.' It's home, they like it, and hey, now there's some extra cash involved.
I think it's interesting to me how everything is a marketing campaign, to such a degree that anyone not immediately drawn in is looked upon as quaint or cynical. Because that's what you're calling them when you title an article "The City of Self-Deprecation." And really, did anyone else notice that the article has no conclusion at all*?
* Your metal's all black,
said the pot to the kettle,
with polish we'll shine.
The author doesn't seem to have taken the time to actually talk to anyone - he just has these 'self-deprecating' one-liners from people, and they come off as fatalistic and dreary. Which I doubt they really are. I mean, there's no real reason for retirees who've just sold their houses at massive profit to care if Baltimore is the 'greatest city in America.' It's home, they like it, and hey, now there's some extra cash involved.
I think it's interesting to me how everything is a marketing campaign, to such a degree that anyone not immediately drawn in is looked upon as quaint or cynical. Because that's what you're calling them when you title an article "The City of Self-Deprecation." And really, did anyone else notice that the article has no conclusion at all*?
* Your metal's all black,
said the pot to the kettle,
with polish we'll shine.
