It’s that time of year again, when the city’s wannabe-next-hot-things measure their penis sizes and get all their friends to vote for them in the Mirror’s Best of Montreal poll.
It’s not just the bloggers this year that are shamefully pimping themselves and their friends. As I stopped by Boustan this week for my garlic-sauce fix, I was handed a card encouraging me to vote for them in every category they could think of (except, perhaps, best celebrity or Montrealer closest to sainthood). They were also stapled to all deliveries.
Boustan actually does pretty good in the BOM poll without the effort. Their proximity to Concordia puts them in touch with the Mirror’s key demo (young anglos), and the delicious food and friendly service makes them a favourite of everyone who’s been there. Last year, they came in third in Best Late-Night Eats, fourth in Best Delivery, and first in Best Middle-Eastern and Best Falafel. Unsatisfied with a mere two first-place finishes, they’re looking to expand, making the case for the Best Sandwich, Best Fries, Best Cheap-Eats and Best Vegetarian categories.
As for Best Blog, a category I was sadly shut out of last year, I’ll buck the trend and encourage my readers not to vote for me. Instead, I’ll point to some better Montreal-based blogs that are more deserving of your votes and who (so far) have shown the class to not beg readers to stuff ballots for them. And if I don’t see my blog on that list when the results come out, I’ll know my campaign was successful.
So for Best Blog, vote for (in no particular order):
- Midnight Poutine
- Dominic Arpin
- Patrick Lagacé
- Habs Inside/Out*
- Coolopolis
- Montreal Tech Watch
- Everyone I’ve horribly offended by not including in this list who thinks they’re better than the above
Remember, The Mirror is not a fan of ballot-stuffers. Be sure to fill out the entire survey with suggestions and not just one category. (And do some research for those please, no Céline Dion or McDonald’s)
UPDATE: I see that within hours of my having congratulated them for not pimping themselves on their blogs, Montreal City Weblog and Spacing Montreal have done exactly that. Therefore, I will encourage you not to vote for them.
*Full disclosure: I work for The Gazette, which produces Habs Inside/Out. So take my praise with a grain of salt.
maybe we’ll change our campaign so that people DO vote for you. maybe? perhaps. Celine Dion all the way!
love, the crazy sans-shame kids of pregnant goldfish
(good job reminding people of Spacing Montreal, I think it should definitely be one of the valid contenders for best of Montreal and they deserve mad props)
I think I was writing my vote-for-my-blog post as you were giving me an implied accolade for not having done so. So it goes.
Indeed. Now you face the consequencess.
I’ve pimped my blog before at the Canadian Blog Awards only to end up being embarrassed by the final selection. No mo pimpin at these “awards” pour moi. And I hope Kate wins, lol, well, Coolopolis, is excellent, and Fagstein is essential webreading of course. blah blah blah etc etc :P
Begging for approval in that useless publication is like kissing the ass of the class dork in hopes he’ll become your best buddy.
Truly pathetic behaviour.
Habs I/O? Pimping for your bosses?
Even forgetting that fact, even calling that a blog is a fracking joke. No ‘roll, very little original content, very strict commenting rules, no idea what the spirit of blogging is about.
1. I don’t consider a blogroll as essential to having a blog. In fact, most of the time I find them to be an annoyance, far too long to be useful.
2. I realize it doesn’t have pictures of strippers, and it doesn’t call people “idiot” without explanation, but I’d hardly say it doesn’t have original content. It’s got a podcast, post-game audio interviews, game summaries, game live-blogging and, most importantly, breaking news. And even then, aggregation is an important part of blogging.
3. What’s so strict about the commenting rules? I find them to be as liberal as you could possibly expect from such an organization, even allowing anonymous comments.
4. Anyone who’s read this blog knows I don’t restrain myself from criticism of my bosses. Frankly, one of the reasons I like HIO so much is that it was developed outside the awful Canwest blogging system.
5. Don’t like it? Don’t vote for it. There are other blogs to vote for. You can even vote for your own.
@Fagstein – touché. my only qualm is that when you do say somthing positive about the Gazette, you always give the disclaimer, and you did not in this case.
and if a blogroll isn’t essential, why do you have one? blogrolling is essential to be part of the community of the blogosphere, or at least your corner of it. it’s common courtesy. Habs I/O has no interest in being part of the blogosphere. that’s my problem with it.
You’re right. I forget to do that sometimes. I’ve edited the post to make it clear.
I include a short blogroll of blogs about the city. I don’t consider it essential, but as you say it’s a courtesy.
As for HIO’s connection to the blogosphere, I’m not involved with that site behind the scenes, so I don’t know what’s going on. I agree, though, that it could be more connected to the habsfanosphere.
(P.S. You do realize there’s a game on right now, right?)
well, duh! ;) but an open thread requires a computer. i’m a multi-tasker.
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So can we vote for you this year?
You can do as you please. I’m not going to even mention the poll until it’s over to test a theory.