Now that my blog is up and running, I want to say publicly what I’ve been saying privately for weeks:
We are in the fourth golden age of talkingpointsmemo.com.
I will explain everything in minute detail over the next few months; for now, let the record show I was the first to call it:
We are in the fourth golden age of talkingpointsmemo.com!!!
“ANALYSIS OF THE GOLDEN AGES OF TALKINGPOINTSMEMO.COM”
By David Rees, a hot new blogger on the scene.
PRE-GOLDEN AGE ERA:
When the site featured a photo of J.M.M. reading the internet. Old-school. Still finding its sea legs. First web site to use beige color scheme.
FIRST GOLDEN AGE:
Classic nerd TPM (circa 2 years ago), when it was all about local congressional races and “Here’s one thing we’ve been tracking in Delaware’s 9th congressional ward. . . has anybody seen Rep. Miller’s (R, MO-7) statement on Duke Cunningham. . . etc.” Total obscure nerd political news. . . The original golden age, often parodied by me and my friends in emails to each other. . . Classic. . . All hardcore TPM fans know this was the original TPM, never to be duplicated. . .
SECOND GOLDEN AGE:
When J.M.M. brought down the Attorney General of the United States. . . When the site really blew up and they won a big award. . . Basically this took them to a new level that most blogs can’t even aspire to. . . J.M.M. put all other blogs on notice. . . his name started ringing out on the corners. . . like Marlo Stanfield. . . “MY NAME IS MY NAME!!!”
MICRO GOLDEN AGE:
When they made a blooper reel of TPM video outtakes. . . and the reel was twenty minutes long. . . featuring the most banal, boring bloopers of all time. . . total nerd paradise. . . I give this an honorary “Micro Golden Age” rating. . .
THIRD GOLDEN AGE:
When J.M.M. became instantly disgusted with John McCain’s campaign and started calling out the press’s McCain-adulation harder than anyone else. . . This was the Golden Age that made me realize TPM was rapidly moving through a series of Golden Ages that must be documented and analyzed for all posterity. . . This was when I started yelling “Golden Age!” whenever I read a good post. . .
FOURTH GOLDEN AGE, A.K.A. “THE SURGE”:
Basically, an escalation of the Third Golden Age. . . J.M.M. becoming obviously enraged. . . A new, more emotionally intense TPM experience. . . Totally anti-Palin, anti-McCain. . . J.M.M. was never charmed by Palin, not even for one second. . . I knew we were in a new Golden Age when J.M.M. dropped a “WTF” in a recent post. . . I was surprised that a new Golden Age had come so quickly, but I was ready. . . OF ALL MY FRIENDS, I WAS THE FIRST TO RECOGNIZE THIS AS THE FOURTH GOLDEN AGE. . .
FIFTH GOLDEN AGE:
The future is yet to be written. . . . . . TPM Media, recognize. . . .