The problem with nice
One of the big problems facing our beloved L.A. Times, after all, is its entrenched mediocrity, which is hard to improve upon when the standard response to criticism of anything involving L.A. Times staffers is an outraged, “But he’s such a nice guy!”
Case in point: The wretched failure of the probably soon-to-be-closed Sunday magazine West, which produced reams of worthy, writerly copy that almost no one, apparently, read.
“But he’s such a nice guy!” was the constant refrain I heard about West editor Rick Wartzman, now gone on to other (and, I hope, nicer) things. That’s the problem with these staff-driven institutions — it becomes all about pleasing your colleagues, those affable people whose podules you walk by every day, and not your annoying, demanding readers — many of whom actually disagree with you, often in ways that are not very nice at all.
Most people can’t come up with stuff like this in the best of health, but my friend Cathy keeps nailing it, despite being put through a wringer of cancer and pain I’d wish on no one. As ever, I am in awe of her.
Filed under: Life
I got the same thing recently Jackie, an A-lister commented that he had a conversation about me and the other person said ” Ahh he is just too nice, he never comes out fighting”
This is supposed to be a negative trait!!!!
Just unbelievable.
What I find weird is the assumption that the battles you’d pick to fight would necessarily be visible to someone who is, I take it, a mere acquaintance.
I try not to worry about whether or not people think I’m nice - especially since I realised that some people think I’m a huge bitch no matter what I do - but it’s not easy. I spent my years as a doormat to certain ‘friends’ and learned the hard way that the road to hell is paved with the desire to be thought of as nice.