Remember the ex-NY Times “reporter” Jayson Blair? Well, I just saw this little tidbit on the AP Newswire:
"Blair is already floating a book proposal about the scandal, according to The Washington Post. The proposed book is entitled Burning Down My Master’s House, an angry rant at the paper that he called “my tormentor, my other drug, my slavemaster,” the *Post *said. The proposal portrays Blair as a black man “who rose from the fields and got a place in the master’s house and then burned it down the only way he knew how,” according to the Post. Blair’s literary agent David Vigliano did not return a call for comment Saturday.
–There aren’t enough eye-rolling smilies in the world . . .
At least one of the other Pit threads touched on this. If such a book is actually written by him, I don’t think it would sell well at all.
If he really wants to go that route, he should stop giving interviews. The more that people see him as a nut screaming his head off for no reason - Lear railing against the storm - the less people will be inclined to buy his book. With any luck, it’ll be in the remainder bin within a few weeks of publication. If it happens.
Why doesn’t it surprise me…
… right. 'cause it’s 2003. It’s always the other guy’s fault, and my fuck-ups are actually acts of resistance and defiance. Of course. AND I deserve a nice big check for it. And the only “disgrace” is in failing to spin the facts to my favor.
" . . . Bob Thompson, professor of popular culture at Syracuse University, said in 21st Century America, there was no telling who might profit from their 15 minutes of fame. “This is a fascinating story of an anti-hero undermining a big American institution. It’s a rip-roaring tale of the young century.” Thompson noted that Blair was “a handsome guy, a lovable scoundrel and in an era where the Jerry Springer show can become a phenomenon then why not?”
–“Lovable scoundrel?” Yeah, and Boss Tweed was America’s Sweetheart.
That’s the cool thing about being black–you can always blame your shortcomings on The Man. Blair didn’t plagiarize because he’s a dishonest fuckup, it was a revolutionary act of resistance against white oppression (the same white oppression that gave him chance after chance to straighten up)
Much more level-headed interview found here. Still a total asshole, of course, but for this little paper, which covers the media very extensively, he doesn’t mention the racial angle much and does go more into his cocaine and booze habits. But he’s clean now–he just came out of six whole days of rehab!–so the statements in the OP couldn’t possibly have been made in a state of enraged substance-fueled derangement, right?
Sheesh. Trouble is that the more controversy, the faster this jerk will be able to laugh his way to the bank.
So is he just pulling the black angle to try and drag race into it, or does he have an actual gripe of some kind (weak or otherwise)? I haven’t kept up with it.
Didn’t America get rid of that “us against the black us” stuff after 9/11 NEVER FORGET NEVER FORGET, when it became “us be the bomb, yo”. Also, many movies involving a rich old white guy and a sassy black “sister” from the 'hood.
[monty burns] Scour the American League, the National League, the Negro Leagues [/monty burns]
So why are they playing up the “master’s house” crap?
Preview=less racial angle in another interview. OH WELL. It is still hilarious. Making up the sappiest things. OH NO TEH MAN SWELLED WITH EMOTION AS HE SURVEYED HIS COTTON DOMAIN
j_kat_251, I really didn’t understand most of your post, but we seem to be generally in agreement.
Y’know, Blair is beginning to remind me a bit of Peter Fallow from Bonfire of the Vanities. Anyone else picking up that vibe? (I didn’t see the movie, but did read the book.)
Good lord. I used to live in Centreville. It ain’t exactly the ghetto.
There ya go. The drugs-and-alcohol angle is interesting too. Sounds like a sick individual blaming everyone but himself, from Whitey to “idiot editors”, for his own willful misconduct.
