Our Immortal Beloved

I feel particularly bad, today. On a day when there are all kinds of post-worthy articles to rip, I felt drawn to this guy, again. Not simply because he hates new things—and he hates new things in this, as well. But he has this intangible knack for putting his foot in his mouth on a regular basis. The majority of his comments are often tainted with backhanded compliments and, I’m not sure what to call it so I’ll call it: elder-generation-isms.

Women in high office are becoming such a nonissue that listeners could visit Xian Zhang conducting the Orchestra of St. Luke’s on Sunday afternoon and just listen.

While this almost sounds like a good thing, i.e., women no longer seem out of place in leadership roles, our beloved author makes it sound like he’s just discovered equality. He’s like, “you don’t have to ogle her like a freak show; you, the audience--and take it from me--should just accept this and listen to the music.” Why does he need to state this? What possible reason does he have to draw attention to such an antiquated non-debate?

Being female and Chinese in the classical music business are helpful in getting yourself noticed...

But he just said that women in “high office” are a nonissue. Why, then, would anyone pay particular attention to the fact that she is a woman? Unless, he’s saying that being a Chinese woman is an issue—one that gets you noticed, like women in the workplace did for our author back when Eisenhower was in office. The tone is strangely derisive. Either that or our author has a fever.

... but careers are built [...] on substance.

I think can I agree with that—that being female and Chinese doesn’t ensure success. I just hope, for her sake, Xian Zhang has substance.

Ms. Zhang has it.

Oh good. That was painful. All he said, or needed to say was this: Ms. Zhang has substance. Instead, our Mr. beloved gives us this weird spiel about women, and especially Chinese women, because Xian Zhang is a Chinese woman.

That’s how our immortal beloved begins his article. He also says something weird about German tourists.