October 4, 2006
Feedback
I received a fun piece of fan mail this morning, and I share it with you, unedited.
—
While your music is passable and occasionally interesting/clever, your blog is very embarrassing. While I know that, by definition, blogs are truly childish, “bloggers” should at least be able to write well and not talk to readers they do not know as though they are close friends. You do neither. You should try to understand that most people do not know you and probably do not wish to, and your fan base is not as large as you think. I happened upon your site after hearing a piece of yours recently and was somewhat intrigued by it. After seeing your site, I am just embarrassed for you. If you think people are interested in what hotel you are staying at or how you like your martinis, you are very mistaken. Your writing makes you sound like a much more immature person than I hope you are.
Sorry to be so critical, but you should realize the impression you make on people (or at least one person) you do not know. And don’t belive your friends if they tell you how great your blog is. They are either wrong or trying to humor you.
Dan Unger
—
Amen, Dan. Amen. I will totally drink to that.
Comments
Rebecca says
au contraire, mr. unger:
as an avid blogger/reader (thus, according to you, "childish", so feel free to discard my opinion altogether), i enjoy the mackey blog because it shows a different - non-composer - dimension of his life/personality. had his blog been scholarly/technically-written, i probably wouldn't make a point to read it - not because i am simple-minded or because i'm not in need of intellectual stimulation, but because i (unlike you) enjoy it when information is presented light-heartedly and multi-dimensionally from time to time. it is nice to see a composer who, after having written "interesting/clever" music, is also able to kick back and enjoy life and all things in it.
p.s. i'm really not bitter about what you said, mr. unger. i just felt the need to flippantly and "childishly" stand up for my pseudo-friend-via-blog.
yours truly,
~beccastewart
Sarah says
mr. unger--
you'd be surprised how many people want to know what hotel john is staying at. after all, he is an excellent piece of meat.
sincerely yours, sarah
jim says
Ummm... Dan? Could you come by and check out my blog too? I'd totally love to get an email like this as well, and I'm sure that if you take the time, you will find that my music is questionably passable, and only half as entertaining/clever as Mackey's!? Thanks so much, Jim
Patrick says
I realize this is petty and immature, but so what. Dan – Go fuck yourself.
Daniel Montoya, Jr. says
hey Dan... come read my blog too!! I assure it's even more pointless, and sometimes goes into Emo-like territory. Occasionally, i will even talk about music. but what's the fun in that? usually it's inside jokes that 15 or so people get, and the other stuff is either about The Simpsons, LOST, Arrested Development, Imogen Heap, or The Office.
Anywho, you could be the "Ebert" of blogs. Just think.... you could give two middle fingers up!!
Michael Markowski says
I wonder if this Dan guy had anything to do with this...
http://mama.indstate.edu/users/bones/WhyIHateWebLogs.html
Cathy says
I guess Dan's mother never told him that if he didn't have something nice to say, don't say it at all. *shakes head* How was this email truely productive, Dan?
I love your blog, John.
Your #1 stalker,
~C
;)
FOSCO says
So John, I suppose you'll be shutting this whole blog down... I'll miss it. Any recommendations for where I can find gastroporn and Lego tableaux online?
I think my favorite part of Big Dan's missive is how he can't even bring himself to praise you enough in the first sentence so that his criticism seems like it's coming from a potential friend or admirer. If someone finds your music "passable" and "occasionally interesting/clever," clearly you will be interested in their feelings about the rest of your life, right? Not exactly. If this were a rhetoric assignment, I would (generously) give him a C-. He knows some of the techniques, he just can't use them to disguise his extremely toxic bitterness. God damn it, John, why should you be allowed to be successful AND enjoying life? Who's taking bets on Dan Unger being an "unrecognized" composer (of relaxing New Age piano, perhaps)?
I have to disagree with the commenters who want DanU to visit their blogs: stay away from my blog, Dan. I read enough bad writing from my students and I don't like hateration.
Courtney says
Boo on Dan. He has insulted me for doing nothing other than reading a very well put-together and quite fascinating blog. Who is he to say how I spend my time and what kind of person that makes me?
Oh, and, uh - if you don't like something that's written on the web - don't read it. It's that simple. There is too much information out on the great ol' Web to spend your time reading something you don't enjoy. Kinda like what my mama taught me about dinner...If you don't like something on your plate, what do you do? Quietly not eat it.
cory says
Dan Unger, broadcasting ignorance since... well... forever.
Anonymous says
Ok...you don't know me, but I am a Horn player who was in The Ohio State University Wind Symphony when you came to visit. We were playing Redline Tango. After meeting you and getting to work with you, I was instantly drawn to your personality and I looked you up online. I love your blog and I think you are such a cool guy. You go to all kinds of interesting places and I love reading about it. This Dan guys obviously has no idea what he is talking about. What a douche bag!
RAL
Connie says
After reading references to your blog in other fascinating (to me) blogs, I decided to check it out today of all days when the first thing I read is an immature diatribe from Dan. Which, of course, made me all the more curious about this epicurean composer. Your references to gustatorial delight (along with pics) in the company of Jerry Junkin whom I've had a crush on for 4 years now, made me jealous AND hungry.
I think blogs are meant to entertain or elicit an emotional response, or both. A++ for doing both, Mr. Mackey.
Your new fan,
ConnieMiller
Anonymous says
Hey Dan, As we say at Texas Tech University "hsssssssssssssssssssssssssssss" I shit thee not.
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