Not only is Bloomberg's marketing department selling our city as SATC-ville, they've also trademarked us: "This is New York City.™ This is home to Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda..." [NYCVisit] via [City Room]
And here's the secret reason so many independent news vendors got their long-time stands seized by the city government and replaced by cold Cemusa boxes: Bloomberg gets to advertise his SATC-version of our city all over Europe. [Times]
Remembering one of the Bowery's most beloved news vendors. [EVG]
Speaking of secret marketing, check out "murketing," the sneaky ways we're being coerced to buy. In his book Buying In, author Ron Walker dissects Pabst Blue Ribbon, the beer beloved by hipsters, and the subversive ways it convinces unsuspecting drinkers that it's "a beer of 'social protest,' a 'fellow dissenter' against mainstream mores." [Times]
Slacktivist and Die Yuppie Scummer John Penley voted NYC's cuddliest anarchist! [EVG]
Rififi, aka Cinema Classics, to close with one day's notice under demand for "more money" from landlord. [Gothamist] ...Neighbor says "good riddance." [Grub St] ...and here's a scene from the last night at Rififi: ComicsComic.
The Cheyenne's last customer recalls her times at the diner with Dad--and the ways in which memories can be lost along with the city's vanished. [Times]
That big empty spot, formerly Mike Gallagher's Art and Fashion Gallery, at 12th St. and 4th Ave. is going to be...a bank!
What a creepy assortment of stories this is!
ReplyDeleteDo you think SJP would like to cuddle with Mr. Penley as revenge for Broderick's recent transgressions?
I found this eloquent assessment of Bloomberg among the reader comments on Bob Arihood's site:
Long ago on the bikini islands tiny lungfish thrived in tidal pools: after nuclear testing most
went to live in trees...one grew to the size of a fire hydrant and
using both sides of its brain figured out a way to get a small piece of every stock deal on the planet...alas the over grown tadpole had no dick with which to enjoy its fortune and decided
to become mayor of New York instead. Thanks to this eunich's
asperger's syndrome we are all getting screwed.
Yes, this is disturbing news all around.
ReplyDeleteLet me quote the full paragraph from that NYC tourism site:
"This is New York City.™ This is home to Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda. This is a city known for its cutting-edge dining, shopping, entertainment, nightlife and culture. It’s where lines wrap around the block for a cupcake; where cosmos are sipped over conversation and where energy, excitement and style are found on every street. It’s classic and modern all at once with iconic landmarks that never lose their allure and new hotspots are constantly emerging. So whether you want to try the places made famous by Sex and the City or discover you own favorite locales—this is where it’s done. This is New York City."
Well no wonder these changes have been so fast and easy! The city government itself is clealy quite the nonjudgemental cheerleader to all this (and active partner, of course-though we all knew that), and here is a direct addmission. Frankly it surpised me a bit, especially the cupcake reference--amongst the people they're trying to attract, this is actually a selling point. "If you have too much money to spend and too much time to spend it in, then come to NYC and wait on a line all day for a cupcake too! It has gold flakes on it--make your poopies fabulously sparkly!"
The mentality (or lack of it) of this new globalized elite is very disturbing. We'd all beter watch out.
its a sad day indeed when one thinks a bright selling point to advertise is that people wait online for a cupcake..If I was a potential tourist with any common sense I would have to pause and wonder " Are they stupid?"
ReplyDelete"its a sad day indeed when one thinks a bright selling point to advertise is that people wait online for a cupcake"
ReplyDeleteOh, come now... now that the weaknesses of relying on one shady industry built on a rotting foundation have been exposed, we've got to diversify our economy - why not go to the overpriced, saccharine snack treat industry? Just look at all the growth potential!
(*gag*)
Kind of funny that all of this marketing, focus on wealth, NYC as luxury item, and expensive development couldn't prevent this alleged "recession" the city and state are now facing. And it happened in what?? 3 months?
ReplyDeleteI saw parts of the news conference where Gov. Patterson said that this "recession" didn't happen overnight, but was the result of decisions "we" (LOL...nobody asked me) have been making the past few years. I was waiting for him to elaborate on what these decisions were but I don't think he got around to it.
That tourism site is just bad advertising. Who in the hell is still using Sex and the City to entice shoppers and tourists to Manhattan in 2008? The show is more dated by the second, cupcakes have been replaced by fro-yo shops, and drinking Cosmos is second in lameness only to drinking RedBull and vodka. Carrie Bradshaw is a few years from AARP, no one thinks that show is faaaaabulous anymore, and as others point out, hell-oo, recession time!
ReplyDeleteSo yeah, maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part, but this campaign is going to land like a thud. err ... I mean like a Manolo Blahnik being thrown out the window of your Meatpacking District loft onto the roof of Mr. Big's Town Car! Come to NYC!! PLEASE!! OUR MAYOR IS DESPERATE!!!!!
Mayor Bloomberg is the reason why this city is ruined. He just wants glass high rise yuppie condos, pooping dogs and foreign tourist to buy up eveything. Douchebag.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait till that dork is out of office.
Unfortunately it's to late, these "pod people" have aready populated most of our city and it's boroughs.
Freaks.
I hate to say it but I really miss Popeyes. It's the only fast food I eat. Really spicy and crunchy. However every time I went in that particular store I wound up having an argument with the people who worked there and would swear I would never go back. More than once I had to leave without purchasing it got so bad. It was definitely one of the dirtiest restaurants in town, but the spicy and crunchy always won me back.
ReplyDeleteIt’s classic and modern all at once with iconic landmarks that never lose their allure and new hotspots are constantly emerging. So whether you want to try the places made famous by Sex and the City or discover you own favorite locales—this is where it’s done. This is New York City.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry NYC visit or Bloomberg, but those "iconic landmarks" are now being replaced the "constantly emerging hotspots". And as for "discovering one's own favorite locales", there are none left-- mostly everything is pretty much have been Sex and Cityfied.
speaking of popeyes, there is one on delancey and essex. and it's fairly new, which is hard to believe. you would figure in that location a new storefront would turn into some boutique/bar/restaurant. nope.
ReplyDeleteNo new post today? Are you feeling sick and suffering from Condoschmerz?
ReplyDeletenope--along with many other Blogger bloggers, i've been locked out of my blog on suspicion of being a spam bot. for some reason, the problem is not being fixed in a timely fashion by Blogger. i still can't post. hopefully, by monday i'll be back up and running. sorry for the vanishing act.
ReplyDelete