op-ed WRMC setting the record straight

Author: Paxson Woebler

I like Third Eye Blind. I like Cake. I've never been in or been involved with WRMC. And while I don't have a stake in this argument one way or the other, the clumsy vitriol coursing through James O'Brien's piece "A Preface to Lunch: Elitist Tastes not my Jam" (The Campus, March 13) begs response. In his column last week, O'Brien's initial criticism of WRMC for appearing to endorse the band Cake for the spring concert quickly devolves into a series of bizarre accusations against members of that organization. Following are only some of the reasons why these specific accusations fail.

First, the name thing. O'Brien claims that WRMC kids only like bands with weird names, then launches off on a brainstorm about band names he imagines WRMCers might like. His suggestions include some beauties - Aggressive Crotch Display, Accidental Goat Sodomy, etc. I don't know O'Brien. What's the band WRMC actually endorsed called? Cake. That's almost by definition a white-bread name. I think we can all safely leave the task of inventing bestiality-themed band names to you.

Second, O'Brien persistently asserts that WRMCers hold the attitude that, "If I can hear or ever have been able to hear your music on the radio, then I hate you." This is a strange statement, since WRMC is, in fact, a radio station. So let's just assume for now that O'Brien is referring to mainstream, corporate American radio. It's a good thing that WRMC kids don't listen to that or they might have heard one of Cake's very popular radio singles, like "The Distance," "You're Never There" or "Short Skirt/Long Jacket." I mean, is this really a serious accusation? Cake has been bouncing off the top of Billboard's modern rock charts for more than a decade.

Third, O'Brien's "Nietzschen" analysis of the whole situation cannot be allowed to sneak off unpunished. Rather than lose time refuting it, I'll just hope that anyone with even a passing understanding of Nietzsche's concept of master and slave morality will recognize this argument's ineptness, and everyone else will recognize its irrelevance. Moving on.

The deepest flaw in this piece is O'Brien's general lack of knowledge or understanding of his subject matter. Cake is neither a strangely named nor an obscure, elitist band. His hipster-DJ stereotype is wrong, even as a stereotype. Come on, imported wine and caviar? You'd be way closer with local beer and EZ-Mac. There may be legitimate reasons for criticizing WRMC and reasonable ways to do it, but O'Brien has no legitimate grievances and no reasonable arguments. Lacking a substantive target for his resentment, he merely sets up and knocks down a series of preposterous straw men. In one telling line, he disparages the type of Girl Scout cookies that he imagines WRMCers would like. If you are so desperate to ridicule people that you have to invent Girl Scout cookie choices for them and then resort to ridiculing cookies, then let me kindly suggest that you find a more pliant object of criticism to begin with.

O'Brien is half-right in one thing - he makes "bold, unsubstantiated claims that have little basis in reality." His claims are unsubstantiated, but they are not bold. They are lazy. Everyone appreciates intelligent, honest and humorous criticism. O'Brien's pointless, poorly-executed attack on a large group of people is a disservice to a well-run organization made up of talented and dedicated individuals.

Paxson Woelber is from Anchorage, AK.