Perhaps it’s because the latest edition of Toronto Life has only been on the stands for a few days, but I’m surprised that there hasn’t yet been much lively debate over the cover story, titled Baby Invasion, which bears the subtitle They’re taking over our bars, restaurants and sidewalks, and further subtitled with The stroller mafia vs. the city. I’m surprised it didn’t come with one more subtitle along the lines of “keep your uterine dumplings the hell away from me!”
The description of the article in the table of contents continues in its attempt to hit reader hot buttons:
Hipster parents are clogging cafes with their king-size strollers and inflicting their unruly toddlers on the childless masses. Is grown-up space a thing of the past? A not entirely impartial report on the battle for downtown.
Despite all the button-pushing on the cover and in the table of contents, as of this writing, Google only reveals two mentions of the article: here and here.
I just picked up the magazine, as I hear some friends of mine are one of the featured families in the article (good photo, painful quote). I’ll read it when I get home tonight and comment afterwards.
12 replies on “This Should Be Interesting Reading…”
Honestly, I’d say that this might just be a case of profound blogger disinterest in Toronto Life.
I am not sure what would have to be on the cover to motivate me even reading a discarded copy on the can, much letter purchasing it. It would likely involve Christina Ricci, though.
@Pete Forde: I’d call it “blogger disinterest” if and only if the definition of “blogger” included “in one’s twenties, and of the firm belief that home ownership, child-rearing and not relying on tips for income are for old people”.
I am curious to hear what they actually say once you get a chance to read it Joey.
I would probably pick it up and read it. I suspect the writer is self-righteous and annoying, but I also suspect I would agree with many of the points.
Without me dusting off this particular soapbox, lets just say that the average person’s occasionally impolite and self-centered behaviors achieve whole new levels of obnoxiousness when accompanied by their squalling progeny.
But I have no paternal drive I have ever noticed so I am not exactly unbiased either. 🙂
Hey Joey – thanks for linking my blog!! And I must say that I have no idea why I keep buying Toronto Life. Sigh.
Cheers,
Kristina
@Jason: I just finished reading it, and your prediction — “I suspect the writer is self-righteous and annoying, but I also suspect I would agree with many of the points” — is quite close. My compliments on your deductive skills!
My comments shall appear in a posting on this blog in the next couple of days.
[Correction, April 15th] I somehow read “writer” as “subjects” — see this comment for details.
@Kristina: My pleasure!
As for Toronto Life, even if you don’t agree with their editorial direction, there’s always their recurring “Where to get stuff cheap” articles and the restaurant reviews…
Well, now I want some illegal cheese.
I didn’t find her that self-righteous or annoying. I thought she took the middle road between annoying hipster parents and annoying hipster singles. And annoying activists of both dog and child stripes. The seriously clueless people were the interviewees, not the writer.
@Chris Taylor: You are correct — in reading Jason’s comment, I read “writer” as “subjects” for some reason. Probably all the eye-rolling I was doing while reading the article.
[…] first impression after reading the Toronto Life article Baby Invasion (which I mentioned in this article) was: The people in this article seem to think that Stuff White People Like is some kind of […]
Ah, well I sit corrected. I know that many people I have heard on the subject come off that way. Kudos for the writer.
The subject is one that usually descends into self righteous ranting very rapidly. On both sides of the debate. 🙂
Being someone who is actually in the middle, despite being voluntarily childless, I usually agree a bit with both sides in principle and yet end up rolling my eyes at everyone.
I’d never heard the term “mommy bubble” or “stroller mafia” and I thought the author brilliantly captured an attitude that irritates me intensely.
Another interesting thing were David Mills reported comments… I find it interesting he raises the equity of his children vs. dogs by virtue of his children funding future CPP recipients. Interesting, since the CPP is (by financial expert accounts) not viable, and we should all start aggressively paying into RRSP’s……
And assuming David Mills doesn’t pay for private school for his children, did he consider that some of those pet owners may benefit his children directly NOW through property taxes funding his children’s education? Its the sense of self absorbed self entitlement that’s hard to palate, exemplified by him, and some of the mommy bloggers. As a pet owning, rule abiding tax payer, I don’t feel inclined to accept a lower status when availing myself of my community’s facilities.