Schooling Frod On Hypocrisy

​I generally let criticisms of my writing go unanswered, the attitude being that everyone has a right to gripe. Plus sometimes the criticisms are correct, and those that aren't can be especially fun to read. I fully expect to raise a bit of a fuss when I write a post that tosses off random thoughts and accusations in somewhat carefree fashion, which is what I did in the Unholy Alliance blog. I say "somewhat" because I was careful in certain respects. For instance, I consciously lumped in some of our best chefs with some that I don't think are the best in my quotation-marked reference to "area's top chefs". I have no problem applying a "snide" categorization towards a group of people, but it would be mean to specify which chefs I personally don't think fit the description. Which brings me to Frodnesor, a frequent and welcome contributor to Short Order and numerous other food sites, including his own excellent Food for Thought. Frod recently wrote a post that takes me to task for being snarky towards these chefs Normally I would nod my head and say "fair enough", except Frod has no problem with mean spiritedness on food blogs. He has no problem with being snarky and snide on his own blog. He just has a problem with me.

A certain food blogger has been posting totally vicious and dishonest stuff about me, and other local food writers, for years now. Frod exchanges views with this guy on his own blog, and on this man's blog, and has never once expressed any disapproval of the level of hate expressed in his posts. In fact, Frod even posted a link to this venomous blog on Chowhound. And yet he recently felt it necessary to call me out for

"seemingly being unable to use the word 'blogger' without also adding 'blah, blah' or 'blather' - though that could also just be a symptom of his penchant for alliteration (another writing trait I'm not enamored of, but maybe others find it incredibly clever)."

A quick note to Frod on being snide: "Maybe others find it incredibly clever" is a pretty solid example of snideness. Which makes your accusations about my snideness seem, well, a bit hypocritical. Plus mocking a writer for being overly clever might also be seen as something of a double standard coming from someone who refers to his family as Mrs. Frod, Frod Jr, and Little Miss F.

As for alliteration: It is one of numerous tools used by writers to differentiate their style of prose from that found in a legal brief. (btw frod: are you taking notes?)

But way back to the matter at hand: Whole Foods Market and Chefs Club Miami. I was, as Burton Dale keenly noted in his comment, being consciously controversial  as a means of beginning a conversation about how Whole Foods Market has let down some of our local farmers (which, as I say, I'll pick up soon enough). I am not, however, opposed to anybody or anything being sponsored by Whole Foods Market; as a company I think it has done a lot of good. It has also, in recent years, done some bad. And I just had the feeling that the Chefs Club Miami members might not have been discussing stuff such as this. Or maybe they have been. Only they know for sure. I was being a raconteur, a provocateur, an auteur -- just an overall teur-ist travelling a taut path and tossing taunts to get the attention of readers and perhaps those Chefs Club chefs.

Food writing, and blogging, needn't be taken all that seriously. (to Frod the lawyer: This is a forum, not a courtroom.) Whole Foods Market will not be hurt by my "snotty quotation-marked references", "snide comments" and general "snark". Nor will any group of chefs. But if Frodnesor is really concerned about food bloggers getting too snotty, snarky, and snide (alliterative accusations!) he ought to start by stemming some of his own sarcastic remarks (and Frod, I haven't even mentioned your misguided Gustavo comments). Because otherwise, his howls of indignation are hypocritical enough to make the head reel.