Hate Pit Continued

[Stupornaut]

Henry Owings. I've never heard this guy speak without managing to come off like a know-it-all dick.

Maybe he's bitter because he's 40 years old and his greatest accomplishment is "merch guy for the Comedians of Comedy tour" or "publisher of a too-cool-for-school zine,"  but his next job will be copyediting my hate pit's newsletter.

I don't mind his calls that much and I give him props for putting out 222 but that Overrated Book was like the nadir of every Sound Opinions messageboard thread ever. At least when Tom gripes about Al Green or Tom Waits or [insert musician you really like that Tom does not here] he can make it funny and kind of empathetic.

[masterofsparks]

I agree that Henry definitely doesn't across well on the phone, but I really enjoy Chunklet and he's pretty much responsible for my discovery of the Best Show, so I can't hate on him too badly.

[ericluxury]

Henry Owings. I've never heard this guy speak without managing to come off like a know-it-all dick.

Maybe he's bitter because he's 40 years old and his greatest accomplishment is "merch guy for the Comedians of Comedy tour" or "publisher of a too-cool-for-school zine,"  but his next job will be copyediting my hate pit's newsletter.

He's also a Grammy-nominated designer. What exactly are your accomplishments? Henry Owings might not be the best Best Show caller and I can't argue with your Hate Pit, but its not as if he hasn't accomplished anything. If you look at the sum of his life's work and say its nothing, then you would have to look at the sum of most people's life work and decide its nothing.

[Sarah]

Christ, mine sure is.

[Forrest]

Henry Owings. I've never heard this guy speak without managing to come off like a know-it-all dick.

Maybe he's bitter because he's 40 years old and his greatest accomplishment is "merch guy for the Comedians of Comedy tour" or "publisher of a too-cool-for-school zine,"  but his next job will be copyediting my hate pit's newsletter.

He's also a Grammy-nominated designer. What exactly are your accomplishments? Henry Owings might not be the best Best Show caller and I can't argue with your Hate Pit, but its not as if he hasn't accomplished anything. If you look at the sum of his life's work and say its nothing, then you would have to look at the sum of most people's life work and decide its nothing.

I personally like Henry. I think he puts together good shows, puts out good products, and runs a website that is amusing at worst. AND, regardless of what you think of him, he has the balls to put himself out there. "todd" may not be a bad dude, but it's really easy to lob those bombs under an assumed moniker in a forum in which you're not yet known.

[todd]

Henry Owings. I've never heard this guy speak without managing to come off like a know-it-all dick.

Maybe he's bitter because he's 40 years old and his greatest accomplishment is "merch guy for the Comedians of Comedy tour" or "publisher of a too-cool-for-school zine,"  but his next job will be copyediting my hate pit's newsletter.

He's also a Grammy-nominated designer. What exactly are your accomplishments? Henry Owings might not be the best Best Show caller and I can't argue with your Hate Pit, but its not as if he hasn't accomplished anything. If you look at the sum of his life's work and say its nothing, then you would have to look at the sum of most people's life work and decide its nothing.

I personally like Henry. I think he puts together good shows, puts out good products, and runs a website that is amusing at worst. AND, regardless of what you think of him, he has the balls to put himself out there. "todd" may not be a bad dude, but it's really easy to lob those bombs under an assumed moniker in a forum in which you're not yet known.

i kinda thought the purpose of this thread was to lob bombs? he's a "famous" guy that i don't like, and it's my hate pit.

but i can confirm that i am indeed a swell guy.

[Forrest]

If lobbing bombs is your thing, go for it. Seriously, I don't begrudge you that. I'm just saying that it's a lot easier to do that behind the shield of this forum than to call in or to let yourself be known, two things Henry isn't afraid to do.

[ericluxury]

The rules of the Hate Pits are that you can be as petty as you want to be about Hate Pits, its yours. I, personally, was just disagreeing with you on your portrait of Henry as a 40 year old guy who never did anything with his life. You can dislike the stuff and I am sure Henry is conflicted about his own level of production but its there and its something.

[todd]

If lobbing bombs is your thing, go for it. Seriously, I don't begrudge you that. I'm just saying that it's a lot easier to do that behind the shield of this forum than to call in or to let yourself be known, two things Henry isn't afraid to do.

To be fair, Henry Owings has put a lot more effort into "lobbing bombs" than I ever will - this is the guy who published "The 100 Biggest Assholes in Rock" and that "overrated" book.

[Forrest]

Right. And again, my point would be that his name is on that book. He's out there, doing it, for better or worse, which will open him up to criticism. I will always respect that way more than the most eloquently-worded anonymous takedown any day of the week.

[John Junk]

I just think he's overrated.

[Josh]

Bill Simmons, ESPN Page 2's "The Sports Douche Guy"
He started out trying to be the voice of the everyfan but now all he does is whine about not being able to attend an intimate post-game celebration with Tom Brady.

Through some mutual friends, I had arranged to hang out with Brady's crew for what promised to be a laid-back celebration in somebody's hotel room, probably no more than 15-20 people since Brady's circle is surprisingly and refreshingly small. . . . I kept seeing Brady sitting in a chair with his right ankle encased in ice, quietly sipping a bottle of champagne with a satisfied smile on his face, and Gisele would be there, and everyone would be recapping 19-0 and remembering the incredible season.

[Gilly]

Bill Simmons, ESPN Page 2's "The Sports Douche Guy"
He started out trying to be the voice of the everyfan but now all he does is whine about not being able to attend an intimate post-game celebration with Tom Brady.

Through some mutual friends, I had arranged to hang out with Brady's crew for what promised to be a laid-back celebration in somebody's hotel room, probably no more than 15-20 people since Brady's circle is surprisingly and refreshingly small. . . . I kept seeing Brady sitting in a chair with his right ankle encased in ice, quietly sipping a bottle of champagne with a satisfied smile on his face, and Gisele would be there, and everyone would be recapping 19-0 and remembering the incredible season.

Oh, that's a good one. Bill Simmons is terrible. Boston this, Boston that. Shut up already. I didn't even mind Boston teams that much before I started reading his crap every week in ESPN the Magazine. He's also part of that new (well kind of new) breed of sportscasters and sportswriters who are your typical frat boy but have a soft spot for the feel good story and can say they shed a tear when some major sports event took place. I hate those guys. I like my sports writing and broadcasting to be hard-nosed and based on statistics and don't give a crap about some douchebag's emotions!

[Stupornaut]

Bill Simmons, ESPN Page 2's "The Sports Douche Guy"
He started out trying to be the voice of the everyfan but now all he does is whine about not being able to attend an intimate post-game celebration with Tom Brady.

Through some mutual friends, I had arranged to hang out with Brady's crew for what promised to be a laid-back celebration in somebody's hotel room, probably no more than 15-20 people since Brady's circle is surprisingly and refreshingly small. . . . I kept seeing Brady sitting in a chair with his right ankle encased in ice, quietly sipping a bottle of champagne with a satisfied smile on his face, and Gisele would be there, and everyone would be recapping 19-0 and remembering the incredible season.

Oh, that's a good one. Bill Simmons is terrible. Boston this, Boston that. Shut up already. I didn't even mind Boston teams that much before I started reading his crap every week in ESPN the Magazine. He's also part of that new (well kind of new) breed of sportscasters and sportswriters who are your typical frat boy but have a soft spot for the feel good story and can say they shed a tear when some major sports event took place. I hate those guys. I like my sports writing and broadcasting to be hard-nosed and based on statistics and don't give a crap about some douchebag's emotions!

God. And his constant who-cares pop culture references (90210? Seriously?) and his casual misogyny (Women! Playing basketball! It is to laugh!) and his vague, flimsy grasp on any kind of statistical or strategic baseball knowledge... ugh. And he's read even worse since I discovered Joe Posnanski does the geeky pop-minutae-obsessed everyman a hell of a lot better, plus he's a Royals fan so his woe-is-me stuff actually makes sense.

Also, you know who I hate? Matt and Trey, the South Park guys. I hate how they consider anyone with any more empathy than them a "pussy", they've spawned more done-to-death catchphrases than Monty Python, they're treated as some kind of acerbic political geniuses for opting to say "everyone's stupid", they do the "hey wasn't this pop culture thing crazy" stuff just as flagrantly as Family Guy only they're apparently better at it because they can reference it while it's still a week old, and they're arrogant rich little pissants who think being a shithead is the same thing as being countercultural:

"That's the most punk-rock thing you can do in L.A.: say 'George Bush is fucking awesome' instead of talking about how lame it is that he's fighting for oil," says Parker. "The only way to be more hardcore than everyone else is to tell the people who think they're the most hardcore that they're pussies, to go up to a tattooed, pierced vegan and say, 'Whatever, you tattooed faggot, you're a pierced faggot and whatever.' '' He looks very pleased with himself. "That's hardcore."

[Martin]

Also, you know who I hate? Matt and Trey, the South Park guys. I hate how they consider anyone with any more empathy than them a "pussy", they've spawned more done-to-death catchphrases than Monty Python, they're treated as some kind of acerbic political geniuses for opting to say "everyone's stupid", they do the "hey wasn't this pop culture thing crazy" stuff just as flagrantly as Family Guy only they're apparently better at it because they can reference it while it's still a week old, and they're arrogant rich little pissants who think being a shithead is the same thing as being countercultural

I agree with this 10000%.