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Apr

30

Cleveland: not a city you can pretend to know

Filed Under Politics | 5 Comments

“My favorite U.S. cities, in no particular order: Savannah, Seattle, Chicago, Boston, and San Francisco. They’re the inverse proposition to places like Buffalo, Detroit, and Cleveland, which are in ruins and left to die.” Bernard-Henri Levy

This quote appeared in the magazine, Departures, a publication of American Express that began to arrive at my house maybe three or so years ago. I don’t know what milestone my husband reached in order to trigger the free subscription, but have no fear: it seeks to induce the recipient – via advertisements or articles or otherwise detected advertisements, to indulge in only the most expensive, exclusive opportunities that will then trigger some other higher milestone. I can’t imagine the name of the next milestone’s publication – but then again, neither can American Express, or what pricier items could be included, but then, I’m not the type who aspires, in general, to more and bigger and more, bigger, expensive possessions anyway.

I’ve passed the quote in front of a couple of level-headed local bloggers and one of them seemed to think that Levy had it, more or less, right. At least as far as the “in ruins and left to die” part.
But to me, the content of this self- and otherwise professed uber intellectual wasn’t new or shocking or enlightening or affirming.

What made me notice this quote, by this person, in this magazine, was the publisher’s or editor’s decision to include this quote.

Departures’ demographics, according to its media kit, include moneyed, traveling, spender types. Some of whom live in the NEO area. Those folks probably have second maybe even third and fourth homes, outside of Cleveland. Who can even guess as to how much time they spend on the North Coast each year.

So its not even myself or other Clevelanders for whom this quote disturbs me.

I’m disturbed by this quote on behalf of all the people who’ve never stepped foot in Cleveland, or, like Levy, have barely experienced Cleveland.

Cleveland is not a place that seduces you with its skyline, uniqueness, immensity, antiquity or any other easily recognizable but also easily mimicked or one-upped attraction. To love Cleveland is a process, a process that involves everything about the city. Including all that it possesses and lacks.

And yet Departures is a magazine seen by whom? People who want to be seduced easily and visually. And yet, who have the publishers allowed to speak to these wealthy and tony folks? A person who is supposed to be an intellectual but who, nonetheless, criticizes cities for failing to seduce him quickly, easily and predictably, the way the other very excellent cities – Seattle, San Fran, Chicago and Boston, all cities I’ve visited and know to greater and lesser degrees – can seduce, without question. This is not their fault, but to then judge other cities – such as Detroit and Cleveland – by the same standards?

Shallow. And lazy.

Learning to love, like and live in Cleveland is a process. And for truly, sincerely, soulful individuals – not just those who pose as such or write as such or seek to make others think they are such – Cleveland is rewarding beyond the attempted reduction to a single sentence quote in a magazine that only people who charge a lot of purchases on their credit cards read.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 4:18 pm April 30th, 2006 in Politics | 5 Comments 

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Apr

30

Cleveland: not a city you can pretend to know

Filed Under Politics | 5 Comments

“My favorite U.S. cities, in no particular order: Savannah, Seattle, Chicago, Boston, and San Francisco. They’re the inverse proposition to places like Buffalo, Detroit, and Cleveland, which are in ruins and left to die.” Bernard-Henri Levy

This quote appeared in the magazine, Departures, a publication of American Express that began to arrive at my house maybe three or so years ago. I don’t know what milestone my husband reached in order to trigger the free subscription, but have no fear: it seeks to induce the recipient – via advertisements or articles or otherwise detected advertisements, to indulge in only the most expensive, exclusive opportunities that will then trigger some other higher milestone. I can’t imagine the name of the next milestone’s publication – but then again, neither can American Express, or what pricier items could be included, but then, I’m not the type who aspires, in general, to more and bigger and more, bigger, expensive possessions anyway.

I’ve passed the quote in front of a couple of level-headed local bloggers and one of them seemed to think that Levy had it, more or less, right. At least as far as the “in ruins and left to die” part.
But to me, the content of this self- and otherwise professed uber intellectual wasn’t new or shocking or enlightening or affirming.

What made me notice this quote, by this person, in this magazine, was the publisher’s or editor’s decision to include this quote.

Departures’ demographics, according to its media kit, include moneyed, traveling, spender types. Some of whom live in the NEO area. Those folks probably have second maybe even third and fourth homes, outside of Cleveland. Who can even guess as to how much time they spend on the North Coast each year.

So its not even myself or other Clevelanders for whom this quote disturbs me.

I’m disturbed by this quote on behalf of all the people who’ve never stepped foot in Cleveland, or, like Levy, have barely experienced Cleveland.

Cleveland is not a place that seduces you with its skyline, uniqueness, immensity, antiquity or any other easily recognizable but also easily mimicked or one-upped attraction. To love Cleveland is a process, a process that involves everything about the city. Including all that it possesses and lacks.

And yet Departures is a magazine seen by whom? People who want to be seduced easily and visually. And yet, who have the publishers allowed to speak to these wealthy and tony folks? A person who is supposed to be an intellectual but who, nonetheless, criticizes cities for failing to seduce him quickly, easily and predictably, the way the other very excellent cities – Seattle, San Fran, Chicago and Boston, all cities I’ve visited and know to greater and lesser degrees – can seduce, without question. This is not their fault, but to then judge other cities – such as Detroit and Cleveland – by the same standards?

Shallow. And lazy.

Learning to love, like and live in Cleveland is a process. And for truly, sincerely, soulful individuals – not just those who pose as such or write as such or seek to make others think they are such – Cleveland is rewarding beyond the attempted reduction to a single sentence quote in a magazine that only people who charge a lot of purchases on their credit cards read.

Bookmark and Share

By Jill Miller Zimon at 12:18 pm April 30th, 2006 in Politics | 5 Comments 

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Apr

30

Cleveland: not a city you can pretend to know

Filed Under Politics | Comments Off

“My favorite U.S. cities, in no particular order: Savannah, Seattle, Chicago, Boston, and San Francisco. They’re the inverse proposition to places like Buffalo, Detroit, and Cleveland, which are in ruins and left to die.” Bernard-Henri Levy

This quote appeared in the magazine, Departures, a publication of American Express that began to arrive at my house maybe three or so years ago. I don’t know what milestone my husband reached in order to trigger the free subscription, but have no fear: it seeks to induce the recipient – via advertisements or articles or otherwise detected advertisements, to indulge in only the most expensive, exclusive opportunities that will then trigger some other higher milestone. I can’t imagine the name of the next milestone’s publication – but then again, neither can American Express, or what pricier items could be included, but then, I’m not the type who aspires, in general, to more and bigger and more, bigger, expensive possessions anyway.

I’ve passed the quote in front of a couple of level-headed local bloggers and one of them seemed to think that Levy had it, more or less, right. At least as far as the “in ruins and left to die” part.
But to me, the content of this self- and otherwise professed uber intellectual wasn’t new or shocking or enlightening or affirming.

What made me notice this quote, by this person, in this magazine, was the publisher’s or editor’s decision to include this quote.

Departures’ demographics, according to its media kit, include moneyed, traveling, spender types. Some of whom live in the NEO area. Those folks probably have second maybe even third and fourth homes, outside of Cleveland. Who can even guess as to how much time they spend on the North Coast each year.

So its not even myself or other Clevelanders for whom this quote disturbs me.

I’m disturbed by this quote on behalf of all the people who’ve never stepped foot in Cleveland, or, like Levy, have barely experienced Cleveland.

Cleveland is not a place that seduces you with its skyline, uniqueness, immensity, antiquity or any other easily recognizable but also easily mimicked or one-upped attraction. To love Cleveland is a process, a process that involves everything about the city. Including all that it possesses and lacks.

And yet Departures is a magazine seen by whom? People who want to be seduced easily and visually. And yet, who have the publishers allowed to speak to these wealthy and tony folks? A person who is supposed to be an intellectual but who, nonetheless, criticizes cities for failing to seduce him quickly, easily and predictably, the way the other very excellent cities – Seattle, San Fran, Chicago and Boston, all cities I’ve visited and know to greater and lesser degrees – can seduce, without question. This is not their fault, but to then judge other cities – such as Detroit and Cleveland – by the same standards?

Shallow. And lazy.

Learning to love, like and live in Cleveland is a process. And for truly, sincerely, soulful individuals – not just those who pose as such or write as such or seek to make others think they are such – Cleveland is rewarding beyond the attempted reduction to a single sentence quote in a magazine that only people who charge a lot of purchases on their credit cards read.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:18 am April 30th, 2006 in Politics | Comments Off 

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