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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Sometimes love hurts. Same for friendship. What to do when one feels wronged by a friend has been one of the central themes of literature for several thousand years, and no universal answer has ever been found.
Ignore? Fight? Deny? Sue? Each can be appropriate or inappropriate depending on circumstances, and since none of us here knows the full circumstances, we can only tell you what we imagine we would do if we were in the situation we imagine you are in. For what it's worth, there is fifty or so years of evidence to show what sort of person you really are, and a few words in a magazine will carry little weight against that mass of evidence.
You were kind to me once, and I've never forgotten that. Will an article in Oustside change my impression? Of course not. Nor will it change the feelings of anyone who knows you. So I guess on this one I'm with Jody, who said:
"if it is that far off base and fabricated, ignore it. Not responding to a slanderous piece is the hardest thing to do, but in reality, it would be the quickest way to getting over it. No need to explain anything to your family and friends, they ALREADY know you and know the story to be false."
You're in for a rough ride, but as you said, you've got a strong support network of family and friends, and you'll get through this.
David
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yo
climber
I drink your milkshake!
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I wrote a big expose about Olevsky for the May 1991 issue of Cat Fancy.
We haven't spoken to this day!
(haha, yeah, lol at coz and philo)
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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I've had more than one piece I've done for various rags butchered and completely warped out of all context by their 'editorial' staff. One at the Chicago Sun Times decades ago comes to mind where every quote was whipped around for exactly the opposite political purpose.
You might want to check with Pete to see if he's happy with the article that went to print before getting too upset over it - it's possible he is as well. It's generally pretty hard to tell in cases like this without speaking to the author. But on the otherhand you open yourself up to all kinds of flak just by living and doing anything that's worthy of notice.
Live by the sword, die by pen - it's a story as old as ink...
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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"Don't get mad, get even" - John Belushi, in Animal House
"Publish and be damned" - Arthur Wellesley, aka the Duke of Wellington, aka the Iron Duke (a newspaper in 1830s England threatened to publish a report about him and a mistress)
Not sure I recommend either strategy, but certainly thinking about whatever you do (if anything) before doing it makes sense.
Anyone wondering what Outside is really now about should have a look at its website - http://outside.away.com/index.html?gclid=COXJn9vZsJQCFSMYagodrQxWuA Despite sometimes good content, and reasonably well written articles, it's more and more infotainment.
Rememember the editor from a climbing magazine who barged into the Half Dome/Growing Up thread, and behaved foolishly? They're desperate - shrinking sales, concentration of corporate ownership, recession, technology, etc. It focuses them on survival - the job of the magazine is to sell magazines. So a race to the bottom may ensue. Bad journalism always (ALWAYS) drives out good.
I suppose for some outdoor writers, Outside (or National Geographic) is seen as the pinnacle. Once you get published in them, you've made it. Once that was true, maybe no longer. Takeda may have cobbled together a piece that the editors thought was publishable in the new paradigm (would sell magazines), whatever the spin. Tabloids sell millions of copies every day, too. That doesn't mean anyone believes them.
It Outside is going toward tabloid "journalism", then the best thing to do is to ignore it. Don't buy it, don't have anything to do with it. Make sure you tell your friends.
Legal action seems a stretch, though a nasty letter from lawyers correcting errors sometimes helps. U.S. libel laws are rather defence-weighted.
A letter to the editors, identifying all errors and misrepresentations, would at least stand for the record. If you state that you refuse to have anything further to do with the publication, on principle, then you've done what you can.
Alternatively, tell them that you have a lot of friends who are going to be very angry, and that some of them are shall we say of a libertarian if not anarchist bent.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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I forgot. Teaching the news media good manners, or even to correct egregious errors, is a bit like trying to teach a pig to dance.
It wastes your time, and will probably annoy the pig.
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Slakkey
Trad climber
From a Quiet Place by the Lake
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I think that GDavis might have said it best
"one article is not going to change the way they think of Jeff Lowe,your actions speak for themselves"
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L
climber
Jello fan from the City of Lost Angels
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JelloRollsWithThePunches,
You are such an amazing fella.
From beginning to end, this thread is a wonderful example of being caught in the dark night of the soul, asking for a bit of light...and just like in The Truman Show, this big old friends-made sun comes floating down.
I don't read Outside Magazine, so wasn't aware that Tabloid Journalism was alive and well in the pages of "back-to-nature reporting". Pity.
I'd still send a brief, kind Letter to the Editor, expressing humor tinged with sympathy for this work of pulp fiction. And then, following Ed's brilliant suggestion...POST THE THING HERE ON THE TACO.
Send a link to family and friends. (Just look at the Bobby Model thread...talk about rallying people who love you, and people that don't even know you but want to encourage you.) And you don't have to put any more energy into it than that...
...but the tiny snowball from the mountaintop is going to make one huge snow-monster when it hits town.
I can't wait! ;-)
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Crimpergirl
Social climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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I can't add much more than what has been said here already.
One thing to keep in mind is that what was published may not be exactly what was written. Editors can do things at time that changes content of articles. Whether that is the case or not, just be sure that you have friends here and having love and friends is all that matters.
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Anastasia
climber
Not there
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Love you too Jello and know... All bad days pass if we pay them little mind and good days will last forever if we appreciate them.
Now don't work too hard, keep yourself fed and rested well. It will be a great pleasure to see you soon!
AF
P.S. Tell Sonja, John, and everyone that I love them too and I miss them!
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Jello
Social climber
No Ut
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 8, 2008 - 01:20pm PT
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OK, "our" mind seems to be leaning more and more toward doing nothing more publicly than I've already done, here. And I do believe that if you focus on your fears, they'll often manifest. Like the novice on a glacier stepping across a little two-foot crack, focussing on the depths and hesitating in mid-stride; thus ensuring the worst outcome.
Believe me when I say I have already forgiven Pete. He told me the editors were pushing for more dirt. Well, they got dirt alright, but threw out the flowers and veggies that were growing there, and openned a big hole that they infer is my imminent gravesite. Really bizarre. Enough to have me fielding calls and emails from around the country. EDIT: they also made my loving ex into a bitter shrew, and my warm brother into a cold fish. Both called to assure me their quotes were totally wrong, when the "fact-checkers" called, alarmed by the misrepresentations. The sensationalized quotes stayed in the piece.
I turned to ST for a dose of collective sanity. You've provided that.
Again, thank you. If I don't post back to this thread much more, it's because you've helped me get back to better things.
-JeffHasNothingCleverLeftToSay
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Dragon with Matches
climber
Bamboo Grove
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Jeff, you're one of my heroes. 25% for the amazing climbs you've done and 75% for all the contributions you've made, and continue to make, to the climbing community. Roskelley's book about Tawoche is one of my favorites because it's a simple story about a serious adventure with a really good guy, and I'm proud to own a copy that you graciously signed for me.
I never met Pete. He's always seemed an untalented but hardworking writer, and I've enjoyed some of his pieces. The mag business can be very tough, and for a writer trying hard to get a bit more established--or, perhaps, an editor who may have aggressively fine-tuned the original submission--the truth and the finished, public-consumable product may lie very far apart. Unfortunately, this isn't well known to the average magazine reader. Some will know to take it at face value, but many people (most?) just fully believe everything the media feeds them.
Now I wonder how much of that Bob Scarpelli story was true. I do hope Alpinist upholds journalist standards higher than those of Outside.
It is instructional to observe someone handling a difficult situation in such a positive way. You seem a good dude, Jeff.
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tolman_paul
Trad climber
Anchorage, AK
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Jeff,
Sorry to hear about this situation. I’ve had to deal with family members acting in ways I wouldn’t expect, so can relate to some degree.
To me the saddest part is that it seems Pete never got to truly know you. It’s strange how we can have friends that we think know us, but they really only establish a perception of us, which is often skewed by their shortcomings and jealousy. Then throw in a financial incentive to portray you in a false light, and everything goes out the window. If he was truly a friend, he wouldn’t have written the article in that way. One can’t truly be a friend and write something nasty, and if money was the over-riding driver, you don’t want friends like that.
Forgiveness and letting life roll off your back sure can be tough at times. I had to have a talk with my youngest boy last night after he flipped out on his brother. He was working on a project and his older brother kept humming and annoying him, so finally he laid into him. I told him that you can only get upset if you give others the power to upset you. If something written or said about you is patently false, the best recourse is to just laugh it off. That’s easy to say and tough to put into action.
Look on the bright side you’ll be communicating more with friends and family because of this article. There can always be something good that comes out of struggles and adversity, but often times it takes a few years of perspective to come to that realization.
And to those of us that have been inspired by your accomplishments, no sensationalist or twisted journalism will diminish our admiration. Nothing can diminish the summits you’ve stood on or routes you’ve established. They stand on their own.
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Bart Fay
Social climber
Redlands, CA
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I like the idea of having credible 3rd party (parties) respond along the lines of:
”I like Pete, but he got some stuff about Jeff completely wrong.”
But, where can we find a group of Jeff’s friends (Climbing luminaries) to do the deed ?
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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As C.P. Scott, editor of the then Manchester Guardian (now the Guardian) put it in 1921: "Comment is free, but facts are sacred"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/newsroom/story/0,11718,850815,00.html
At that time the Guardian, one of the world's most-respected papers, was celebrating its centenary, and Scott had been its editor for 50 years.
An ideal which so many in the news media fall so far short of.
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JuanDeFuca
Big Wall climber
Stoney Point
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Jeff ,
What is it exactly are you concerned about that is going to be in the article?
Get it off your chest now. Why dwell on it.
I am sure it is not as bad as you are preceiving it.
Jeff
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Latitute 33
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It is seldom that other people undertstand us -- for many reasons. What they observe or hear is filtered through their own feelings and experiences. They give disproportionate weight to things that reinforce their own worldview or impressions.
A part of this phenomena is reflected in Tami's words posted above: "One of the problems of being a prominient person in a community is that you get more pigeons standing on your head and shoulders tryin' to sh#t on you."
If this article is that wrong, those who really know you will come to your defense or not. There is usually little to be gained by responding, and often much to lose.
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Bart Fay
Social climber
Redlands, CA
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You were just herding that one sheep, right ?
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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One of those special forces tricks no doubt coz.
Teach one to me and I'll use it on Yo for exposing me in that "pussy" mag.
Jeff,
at least they spell YOUR name RIGHT.
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marty(r)
climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
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Jello,
What's the saying? "Don't pick fights with those who buy their ink by the barrel" Well, in the internet age you can likely flip that into "...those who buy ink by the gigabyte." After this piece goes to press there'll likely be dozens if not hundreds of rebuttals and letters of support for you flooding into Outside--both print and digital. It may even become Climbing "HotFlash" update. Who knows. It's bound to make both Pete and Outside look like petty muckrakers whose journalism won't stand the test of time. I, for one, would love to see someone text scan and upload the David Roberts piece "Mountain of Trouble" at least as a counterpoint.
Eventually Outside'll get the picture--'The Devil Wears Patagonia- style pieces and sponsored content does little to advance true adventure literature. That or they'll fold of get bought out by Chotchka Fancier and become another magazine industry loss-leader.
Marty
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