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| Messages 1 - 9 of total 9 in this topic |
Mr. L
Novice climber
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Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 22, 2002 - 11:33pm PT
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If R&I and Climbing Magazine disappeared from the face of the earth I would not mourn the loss, and if there were no climbing magazines at all I would just keep on climbing with my friends and never miss them.
If there were no mags Largo and other climber/writers would still write their books. I occasionally buy one of the mags and after I've thumbed through it it gets tossed into the closet never to be seen again, but I have many dogeared books about climbers and climbing that I return to again and again.
There are some exceptional photographers submitting their work to the mags, but if Heinz Zak published a coffee table book I'd buy it and then I wouldn't have to thumb through all those sponsorship driven photos. And it seems as though there are fewer slide shows out there. I don't know about you, but I would much rather get a trip report from the climber himself than in one of the mags.
As for breaking news, we have this and other sites; the mags can't compete.
Ever since climbing exploded in popularity in the 90's there has been more and more money involved in this pursuit of ours. More money for the gear and clothing companies, more money for the magazines through advertising, and more freebies, trips, and money for elite climbers. It's a big machine. The climbers give interviews so we know how amazing their feats are and then we see them in photo spreads or ads using such and such gear, wearing such and such clothing and logos, and before you can say conspicuous consumption there are another couple hundred Prana uniform clad mattress people wandering in the boulders (though the girls sure do look good in those crop tops, hmmm. . . but I digress). The mags increase their ad revenue, the gear and clothing companies increase their sales, and the elite climber gets his or her little cut. Everybody's happy; it's the American way.
Largo pointed out in another thread about the mags that it is the human element that drives his writing and in this respect the mags are a desert. His writings and an occasional other provide a small oasis.
I love climbing, but I love the social aspect even more. Friends, stories, slander, swilling, hanging out, epics, craziness. . .
So visit the sites, buy more books, and F*ck the mags!
SL
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GET ME SOME SHRIMP OR SUMTHIN'
Novice climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 23, 2002 - 11:10am PT
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THANK YOU FOR SAYING SOMETHING WE'VE ALL HEARD 8 BILLION TIMES.
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Copperhead
Novice climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 23, 2002 - 02:01pm PT
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...but I like the pretty pictures...
ps - how do you pronounce "#*!@#$%!" ?
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Mr. L
Novice climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 23, 2002 - 10:15pm PT
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The meaning, pronunciation, and derivation of "#*!@#$%!" can be found in the OED.
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Mr. L
Novice climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 23, 2002 - 10:18pm PT
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Oh, I should clarify that: it can't be found in the Oxford English Dictionary, but only in an Olde English Delirium.
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Copperhead
Novice climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 25, 2002 - 12:40am PT
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Mr. L
You must be delerious (spelling?).
I think you should come up and help me shoot this TV I have here...
You can pretend it's Lober.
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Mr. L
Novice climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 25, 2002 - 02:19am PT
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C-Head,
I just misspelled Santa Rosa (on another thread), but having you question my spelling of delirium is truly deleterious (look it up).
Shootin' TV's is all well and good, but maybe we can make a trip to Lake Powell too and bag the real thing.
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homeless
Novice climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 29, 2002 - 10:58am PT
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Gomer
Novice climber
gotta live... gotta live in this sh&* town...
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 29, 2002 - 12:25pm PT
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Try the annual report of the AAC. $15 at a used book store and nothing but cool TRs and pics of sweet lines. Great one to keep next to the toilet.
Most of the climbign rags are pretty lame (cool pics keep me entertained for about 5 minutes), so I just don't subscribe to them or read them unless I'm bored out of my gourd at a friend's house.
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| Messages 1 - 9 of total 9 in this topic |
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