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...within the responses to the discussions of Broadsheet both here and in TableTalk from Salon insiders (such as Joan Walsh, Farhad Manjoo, and Rebecca Traister, bless her, who is trying). It goes something like this: "I'm hearing a lot of complaining about the pink but no actual discussion of the content itself".
It's an accusation which makes it extremely easy to dismiss the volume of discontented posts as having no substanative value, and therefore being unworthy of actual action.
And yet I have read literally dozens of posts that specifically tackle content (and some nothing but content). What people are saying, if I dare condense and paraphrase the comments of such a diverse and smart group of people, is this:
The stories chosen for "Broadsheet" are trite. They're frankly asinine. And they're being intentionally headlined and presented to be either titillating in the name of "cheekiness" or - I am increasingly suspecting - to mock the "humorless feminists" who Salon suspects must make up the majority of Broadsheet-haters.
"Broadsheet vs. Cockpit"
"Pussy saves broad!"
"The trouble with Harry" (That's Harriet Miers, Supreme Court Nominee, if you were unsure. I was.)
I actually like the idea of a women's blog. (Is "Women who Think" too entirely obvious and inoffensive for everyone to have thought of?) The way Salon has handled this ill-bred version - first not thinking through what its legions of intelligent, curious, politically-savvy female readers would want - no, demand - in such a feature, and then pretending we are not addressing the content and are fixated on the pink color, or (as Ms. Walsh continues to do) scolding us for 'not getting it' shows a distinct lack of respect - and that, folks, is the one thing up with which the modern North America woman will not put.
Ronnie
(In passing, let me add that I am floored that there is still anyone left who does not know the cultural and political significance with which the color pink is imbued with reference to gender. I don't expect them to teach it in high school but I'd expect journalists writing about women's issues to, well, 'get it'.)
