And I would add, based on my own subjective impressions, the reason Andrew Sullivan attracts so many personal attacks isn't that he's recognizable and his attackers aren't, but that he makes it so easy and fun. He's like a bad tenor begging to be pelted with fresh product.
On the surface, the battle between Andy and Atrios is a minor spat between a drama queen and a shrinking violet, but it has deeper rippes. That Sullivan, a well-known byliner, television pundit, and former Gap model, felt impelled to pick a fight with a lesser-known blogger was a sign of insecurity -- shaky status. It signifies the shift of influence and punch-power in the blogosphere from the right to the left.
It is Atrios, not Andrew Sullivan, who is in ascendance in the blogosphere.
I've met Atrios. Really nice guy, with good reasons for remaining pseudonymous, and I so admire what he's been able to pull off.
Consider, for a moment, that most of the "stars" of the blogosphere have academic credentials or previous print credentials to give themselves online legitimacy. On the flipside, people like Atrios, Howard Bashman and Markos Moulitsas Zúniga have had to create their own credibility from scratch through their words, just by being compelling voices amid a sea of thousands.
This place just might be a meritocracy after all.
No comments:
Post a Comment