Brooklyn Bragfest ...
By Eric Shapiro - posted on The New York Press Web Site in "NY comPRESSed" - 6/9/2010
Did you know Brooklyn is where it's at?
Saturated with scores of trendy restaurants, next-big-thing indie bands and an unmistakable "soul," the tri-state hipster haven is definitely a hell of a lot better than wherever you're from. At least that seemed to be the main point the organizers of last night's Brooklyn Blogfest wanted to convey. That, and buy Absolut Vodka (they sponsored the whole shebang).
As a lifelong Manhattanite who prefers Grey Goose, I was put off and a bit bored by all the cheerleading. The event took place at the Brooklyn Lyceum, a venue that resembles a warehouse refitted by art students. First on the agenda was "Blogs Out Loud," in which three mimics rattled off snipits from various local blogs with musical accompaniment provided by a DJ. Taken out of context, the selections weren't particularly coherent, although the audience relished the shout-outs to local neighborhoods and landmarks.
Next, photobloggers got their due with a lengthy slideshow. No sooner had it ended, award-winning poet Lemon Anderson stormed the stage to deliver a soulful and heartfelt spoken word tribute to Brooklyn, crammed full of intimate details about the streets and stoops of his youth (as well as several blatant Absolut references). His was the standout performance of the night.
Next up was none other than Spike Lee, who kept the audience entertained with his sense of humor and magnetism despite not having much to say beyond some crowd-pleasing pro-Brooklyn propaganda. The subsequent Q&A session was more than a little bit embarrassing, not to mention off topic. It began with a film student asking for a letter of recommendation. Then, an audience member put the multi-millionaire director's credibility to the test by asking when he would move back to Brooklyn, to which he offered a non-committal reply of "perhaps sometime in the future." Apparently, the tendency of fans to ring his doorbell at 4 a.m. was something of a deterrent for his wife.
The show capped off with a panel discussion featuring several established Brooklyn Bloggers. They mainly focused on why Brooklyn is such fertile ground for blogging. The answer, according to one member of the panel, is that the people who live there are presumptuous and think they can others how to live their lives. This self-awareness of the borough's particular brand of snobbyness, albeit exaggerated, was heartening in light of the shameless self-promotion that characterized most of the event. After the panel wrapped up, Brooklyn schmoozfest commenced, as attendees fanned out around the room to socialize and spread the word about their blogs.
Bottles of Absolut Vodka's new limited edition flavor, Absolut Brooklyn (apple and ginger, yum!), designed by Lee himself, were available for those seeking liquid courage.
Did you know Brooklyn is where it's at?
Saturated with scores of trendy restaurants, next-big-thing indie bands and an unmistakable "soul," the tri-state hipster haven is definitely a hell of a lot better than wherever you're from. At least that seemed to be the main point the organizers of last night's Brooklyn Blogfest wanted to convey. That, and buy Absolut Vodka (they sponsored the whole shebang).
As a lifelong Manhattanite who prefers Grey Goose, I was put off and a bit bored by all the cheerleading. The event took place at the Brooklyn Lyceum, a venue that resembles a warehouse refitted by art students. First on the agenda was "Blogs Out Loud," in which three mimics rattled off snipits from various local blogs with musical accompaniment provided by a DJ. Taken out of context, the selections weren't particularly coherent, although the audience relished the shout-outs to local neighborhoods and landmarks.
Next, photobloggers got their due with a lengthy slideshow. No sooner had it ended, award-winning poet Lemon Anderson stormed the stage to deliver a soulful and heartfelt spoken word tribute to Brooklyn, crammed full of intimate details about the streets and stoops of his youth (as well as several blatant Absolut references). His was the standout performance of the night.
Next up was none other than Spike Lee, who kept the audience entertained with his sense of humor and magnetism despite not having much to say beyond some crowd-pleasing pro-Brooklyn propaganda. The subsequent Q&A session was more than a little bit embarrassing, not to mention off topic. It began with a film student asking for a letter of recommendation. Then, an audience member put the multi-millionaire director's credibility to the test by asking when he would move back to Brooklyn, to which he offered a non-committal reply of "perhaps sometime in the future." Apparently, the tendency of fans to ring his doorbell at 4 a.m. was something of a deterrent for his wife.
The show capped off with a panel discussion featuring several established Brooklyn Bloggers. They mainly focused on why Brooklyn is such fertile ground for blogging. The answer, according to one member of the panel, is that the people who live there are presumptuous and think they can others how to live their lives. This self-awareness of the borough's particular brand of snobbyness, albeit exaggerated, was heartening in light of the shameless self-promotion that characterized most of the event. After the panel wrapped up, Brooklyn schmoozfest commenced, as attendees fanned out around the room to socialize and spread the word about their blogs.
Bottles of Absolut Vodka's new limited edition flavor, Absolut Brooklyn (apple and ginger, yum!), designed by Lee himself, were available for those seeking liquid courage.