An Open Letter to Joel Stein
Ben Barna
May 12, 2008
According to his bio, Joel Stein is desperate for attention, so I’m going to help him out. I just watched a video of Joel interviewing luminaries at Time's fete celebrating the mag’s recent list of the 100 most influential people in the world. There was Joel, on the red carpet, mic in hand, looking coffee-shop cute as he cracked wise and irritated Tyler Perry. When did he get so damn good looking?
This is the Joel Stein I remember—potential yes, but not quite there yet. And why am I writing about Joel Stein? Because for years, his was the voice that leapt out of my mother’s subscription to Time. His mix of intellectual witticisms and pop culture-brat persona charmed me, the quintessential New York columnist. Young. Funny. Smart.
Stein left New York three years ago for LA to become an entertainment columnist for the LA Times, much to the inexplicable dismay of some people. It’s a good thing this kind of Joel-bashing seems sporadic because otherwise I’d have to fashion you Youtube video begging to “Leave Joel Alone!” Cruising through Joel’s egomaniacal personal site, there are Q&As where Joel is not asking the Qs, but instead giving the As. That’s gotta be refreshing for someone who’s made a career out of interrogating people—someone is finally interested in what you think about Paris Hilton! Anyway, I like you Joel. Not like-like, just like, in a non-creepy I’d-like-to-have-your-life-or-at-least-your-career sort of way. You’ve written stories on cybersex, on the difficulties of life without television, your dinner with George Clooney—stuff that’s actually important. And for that Joel, I salute you.
Posted by dimancea on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10.40 pm
Hey Ben, you smug, insignificant scrivener, what important stuff have you ever written to give you the right to make fun of my good buddy Joel?