Splenda! Another mindless article on the blogosphere™, this time from Mark Reilley (rhymes with "Gigli"?) of the Washington Blade. His 1,300-word paean to weblogs (or "blogs" for short, as Reilley savvily points out) stumbles along without purpose, only to end (at last!) with an incongruous quote from the diary of former President Harry Truman. Reilley's article is a true exercise in half-assed journalism, a hopelessly misconceived stab at cultural relevance that dates itself the moment Reilley poses the belated question, "Are blogs a passing fad?" No, unlike the media's strange obsession with the "blogging phenomenon", one can only hope.

And now for a belated question of my own: Can't someone write an article on blogs that isn't entirely derivative of all that has come before it? People got over weblogs in the 1990s. It's time to look at weblogs from a new angle. I assumed a gay journalist might cover gay weblogs in a flashy, funky way, ergo the tongue-in-cheek responses I gave to Reilley's interview ("When people visit my site, they see that I have nothing going for me but physical appeal and a good sense of humor. Though that may not be much, it's more than what most bloggers have. It's how I've made my audience."). Clearly, I was mistaken.

Not surprisingly, the Blade failed to quote me in the article. However, they did sex up their web site with a screenshot of my wifebeater-clad layout. Gee, thanks a lot. It seems the Blade saw I have nothing going for me but physical appeal, too.