Paper Wars: LEO v. Velocity

According to the hipsters at Velocity, LEO is for losers.

Apparently the cool kids have had enough of being called out. "[LEO]...picked the wrong week to call Velocity 'faux' anything."

Last week LEO referred to the Velocity and its counterparts as "faux weeklies". There is a sad phenomenon in journalism where big papers try to attract younger readers by stitching together shameless rags. Go here in News Review's "The young and clueless".

I was given a preview of this "beef" when Velocity staff writer Javacia Harris interviewed me for her blog in January. She asked me what else I write besides the blog and I said for LEO (an awkward pause followed). Javacia then said LEO makes snide remarks about their content from time to time. For the record, I said, I do too. We agreed to disagree and she's proudly linked on the ol' SOULution.

On LEO's blog, managing editor Stephen George answered:

"Velocity! says we're 'Losers.' As they do every week, the faux weekly purporting to know all there is to know about lifestyle — and whoring yourself out to your advertisers (how many Party Crashers do we have to see about Fourth Street Live?) — is calling us out"

Read it all here.

My feelings, I enjoy Javacia's work. However, besides her touchstones on Louisville's African-American music scene there's little reason for a guy like me to pick up Velocity. I'm not cool. I read more books that I got to clubs. You won't fine me at Villa Fontana or Felt. And the only time I set foot on 4th Street Live is browsing at Borders.

I guess this means I won't be featured in their "What I'm into..." section since I'm a loser who reads and writes at LEO -- bummer!