“I Mean…What?!?” – Abe Gurko

One would have to be living under a rock not to know that I have taken issue with The New York Times Style section as of late. I have accused it of being not style conscious enough, behind the trend curve in its reporting, not fierce, old news, and under fabulous. And today is not any different. There are two stories that bugged me to no end starting with the lead article about “marijuana”.

First of all, correct me if I am wrong, but if you are the style section, where does a debate on marijuana fit in to a discussion on style? Unless you are focusing on what style of dress a marijuana smokers dons as compared to sober folks. Now that’s an interesting angle. Otherwise, who cares about these old (and I say that lovingly, as I am no spring chicken) folks who are all stressed out about pot smoking, the regrets of pot smoking, or the joy of not pot smoking. Yikes. I would bet my bottom dollar that these are the least stylish people on Earth. Why is this article not all about the fashions started by the pot smokers and compare those looks to the current, endless wave of “hippie chic” clothiers of today. There’s so many better style stories around marijuana that would make for interesting style reading as opposed to some ridiculous “argument” about legalization versus not.

Look, I am an ex-addict of every substance known to man, and, having survived myself, I have come to the conclusion that addiction is choice. Once you capture your heart, things change. Until then, you are the boy who cried wolf….poor me on the pity pot. Happy to read all about you…just not the style section of The New York Times.

To top things off, literally, On The Street by Bill Cunningham is all about the “fedora” a.k.a. the quirky-man hat. How au curant…NOT. What this highlights is the “Manzie about town” or a Manzie Alert. Had Bill Cunningham reported on this last summer, it would have been better timed.