HotShot, was it really intended to offend?

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RodC
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HotShot, was it really intended to offend?

Post by RodC » Tue Jul 22, 2008 6:02 am

Larry Crane tied this issue (#66) together from the opening article, into the letters to Tape Op and the end rant using a letter from Marc L.

Larry took offence to being called a hotshot. I read the letter from Marc several times, I really thought it was more of an attempt at humor.

I may be wrong, it is very hard to convey emotion with words. I try to keep my language very neutral, thus some of my posts seem robotic.

The guy did end the letter with "... its a fun read! Keep up the good work."

What was sarcastic, the "Hotshot" or the "Keep up the good work." ??

Just some thoughts, I have went off half cocked before.
'Well, I've been to one world fair, a picnic, and a rodeo, and that's the stupidest thing I ever heard come over a set of earphones'

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Re: HotShot, was it really intended to offend?

Post by DrummerMan » Tue Jul 22, 2008 1:07 pm

RodC wrote:it is very hard to convey emotion with words.
I would go as far as to say, "It's very hard to convey emotion without emoticons" :D :) :lol: :P :wink: :mrgreen: :^:


Really, though, I always made fun of emoticons in the past, but now that I've recently started on with this whole forum thing, I've found them very useful, especially for a guy, like me, with a dry sense of humor, who sometimes, out of the blue, gets actually serious from time to time.



Anyway, what I got from the letter, and the term "hotshot" was that Marc feels that Larry sees himself as some sort of "King of the Hipsters/Cool-Elitist-Geek-Dudes", and that Marc sees himself as the Underdog, who's been recording "old school" with the same 5 pieces of gear for the last 40 years, and who's opinion Larry obviously won't care about, because he doesn't represent income for TapeOp's advetisers, and subsequently for Larry "MoneyBags" Crane, himself.

The term "whipper-snapper" comes to mind too.


Looking at the letter again. I actually feel like, "it's a fun read! Keep up the good work." is the sarcastic part. Maybe that's just how I'm seeing it.


It's also funny to me that this guy sees TapeOp as "Fantasy Material" and "Porn for Geeks". When I want geek-fantasy, I look through vintageking.com's inventory. When I want porn... well... I just find some porn.
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Re: HotShot, was it really intended to offend?

Post by percussion boy » Tue Jul 22, 2008 1:11 pm

DrummerMan wrote:
RodC wrote:it is very hard to convey emotion with words.
Really, though, I always made fun of emoticons in the past, but now that I've recently started on with this whole forum thing, I've found them very useful, especially for a guy, like me, with a dry sense of humor, who sometimes, out of the blue, gets actually serious from time to time.
+1

The little smileys are corny, but they take the edge off. I've given in too. :twisted: :P :roll: :x :shock: :evil: :oops:

On-topic: Alls I can say is, it's strange what people take the time to fight about.
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Re: HotShot, was it really intended to offend?

Post by DrummerMan » Tue Jul 22, 2008 1:19 pm

percussion boy wrote:The little smileys are corny, but they take the edge off. I've given in too. :twisted: :P :roll: :x :shock: :evil: :oops:
I keep on thinking about using this one: :oneeye: , except I don't know what emotion "old one eye" is supposed to express, except maybe something pertaining to my privates?!? That just seems wrong to me.

(OK. Sorry about moving this thread in the direction of stupid nonsense. I'll stop now, as the actual subject at hand is a good thing to discuss.)
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Re: HotShot, was it really intended to offend?

Post by RodC » Tue Jul 22, 2008 1:38 pm

DrummerMan wrote: Looking at the letter again. I actually feel like, "it's a fun read! Keep up the good work." is the sarcastic part. Maybe that's just how I'm seeing it.
I thought that at first, but the dude seems like he reads it cover to cover.

Emoticons are cool, but I never did find one that really fits indifferent quite well.
'Well, I've been to one world fair, a picnic, and a rodeo, and that's the stupidest thing I ever heard come over a set of earphones'

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Re: HotShot, was it really intended to offend?

Post by Jay Reynolds » Tue Jul 22, 2008 1:45 pm

RodC wrote:
DrummerMan wrote: Looking at the letter again. I actually feel like, "it's a fun read! Keep up the good work." is the sarcastic part. Maybe that's just how I'm seeing it.
I thought that at first, but the dude seems like he reads it cover to cover.

Emoticons are cool, but I never did find one that really fits indifferent quite well.
:|
Dammit, the un-smiley'd, text onty version is soo much better
: |
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Re: HotShot, was it really intended to offend?

Post by DrummerMan » Tue Jul 22, 2008 1:59 pm

RodC wrote:
DrummerMan wrote: Looking at the letter again. I actually feel like, "it's a fun read! Keep up the good work." is the sarcastic part. Maybe that's just how I'm seeing it.
I thought that at first, but the dude seems like he reads it cover to cover.

Yeah, I know. But he seems to read it cover to cover as Geek Fantasy only. He clearly states that he doesn't get ANYTHING helpful out of this publication.

I could be wrong.
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Post by jv » Tue Jul 22, 2008 2:39 pm

I haven't gotten #66 yet, when did you guys get yours?

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Post by DrummerMan » Tue Jul 22, 2008 3:45 pm

jv wrote:I haven't gotten #66 yet, when did you guys get yours?
today!
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Post by RodC » Tue Jul 22, 2008 5:14 pm

Received mine yesterday.
'Well, I've been to one world fair, a picnic, and a rodeo, and that's the stupidest thing I ever heard come over a set of earphones'

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Post by alf » Thu Jul 24, 2008 7:33 am

Dude was being a dick. Straight up. Comes across easily in the letter. And the 'hotshot' comment was definitely intended as offense. I have never had anyone with any good intentions call me hotshot. In fact I'd go so far as to say 'them's fightin' words!' It's like calling someone 'sport' or 'chief'. Might as well call someone a bitch. I have worked in the customer service industry for 13 years and have never once been ok with being called any of that noise.

Yeah. The dude sounds like a real winner. Or whiner. I mean. Gear porn? Didn't he just freakin' say he could give a crap about gear etc...?

One of those instances that runs like: 'Hey! Here's my opinion! I don't know why, but here it is! It's valid 'cause it's mine!'

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Re: HotShot, was it really intended to offend?

Post by channelcat » Thu Jul 24, 2008 8:22 am

DrummerMan wrote:
RodC wrote:
DrummerMan wrote: Looking at the letter again. I actually feel like, "it's a fun read! Keep up the good work." is the sarcastic part. Maybe that's just how I'm seeing it.
I thought that at first, but the dude seems like he reads it cover to cover.

Yeah, I know. But he seems to read it cover to cover as Geek Fantasy only. He clearly states that he doesn't get ANYTHING helpful out of this publication.

I could be wrong.
I got the impression that his closing remarks weren't meant as sarcasm, but rather as a lame attempt to close with a sense of gratitude and civility. He clearly states that he doesn't get anything new out of the mag, except for one nugget every few issues. I just picked up a bunch of back-issues for the interviews, tips/tricks/DIY, and reviews. Plus, I wanted to see how Tape Op has progressed over the years. Besides inspiration and a kick in the butt every other month, I get something new out of every issue.

I don't get the "hotshot" remark either. I don't see how you could make that assumption from LC's writing or from the mag as a whole. Having gone through a bunch of these back-issues, I don't think much has changed. It's still got LC and JB's original intent intact. Their integrity has not waivered. It's a little more polished, but that's what happens with experience. All of the writing is still in a very conversational style, which not only makes it very readable, it keeps it in that zine realm.

His letter sounds like something I might write to another mag, but surely not Tape Op. And as for gear porn, he should just get on Sweetwater's mailing list! That's free too.

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Post by Jay Reynolds » Thu Jul 24, 2008 8:24 am

The part where he says that he often reads the mag cover to cover without finding anything useful is a pretty bold statement. Maybe our man should start his own mag: Jerk-op: The Spleen-Ventive Recording Magazine.
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Re: HotShot, was it really intended to offend?

Post by alex matson » Thu Jul 24, 2008 11:30 am

RodC wrote: I have went off half cocked before.
I believe John Bobbit coined that phrase.

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Post by crookedsound » Thu Jul 24, 2008 12:49 pm

I feel like the worst thing a person can do is talk to people in a commanding tone as if their opinion is an empirical reality.

The P.S. where he says "Try to restrain your graphics person." is the key part of the letter that gives me this opinion. I was probably irritated more than I should have been when I read it.

I mean, if you start the sentence with..."In my opinion it might be better if..." or "I would enjoy it myself more if..." then that makes you appear much more reasonable.
I feel regardless of what his intentions were, his letter writing technique has made him look like the guy that is trying to take a stab at what he thinks is the big guy.

I find it odd that you can read this magazine cover to cover and not get an almost intimate "family" vibe from it. I don't have money to spend on equipment very often at all, and most of what I do and have done has been free because I do like to do it and I am still learning (and the people I want to record generally aren't floating in money either...so we help each other out).

Tape Op inspires me, and makes everyone out there that they interview seem a bit more human and real. Ask my wife, when I pull the Tape Op out of the mailbox...I am automatically having a good day.


P.S. Sometimes the fancy emoticons make the content hard to read. Try to restrain your emoticons.


:lol: :shock: :roll: :oops: :biggergrin: :shake:

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