“Sometime in 2006, Steve Jobs will probably get hosed. That’s not so much a prediction as it is playing the odds. Nobody in America gets such a long ride on the oh-we-sooooo-adore-you bandwagon,” kevin Maney writes for USA Today. “Well, except maybe Jennifer Aniston. But look what happened to Martha Stewart. Or Hootie and the Blowfish. For that reason, Jobs’ popularity will be one development to watch in 2006.”
Maney predicts some things for 2006 such as “cellphone cameras will actually become useful” and “RSS will be big” and the debut of the “digital living room” – about which he doesn’t once mention Apple or Steve Jobs, presumably because he’ll already have fallen or been pushed off the pedestal upon which Maney says he’s standing.
Of “tech’s celebrity superstar,” Apple CEO Steve Jobs, Maney writes, “He seems due. Maybe he’ll humiliate a bumbling underling on stage at Macworld, unleashing a torrent of stories saying Jobs is the Lord Voldemort of managers. Or someone will discover malicious spyware hidden deep inside iTunes. The only sure thing is that society, as if striving for equilibrium, will then knock Jobs as far down as we boosted him up. It’s just what we do, no?”
Full article here.
The point of this article is what, exactly? That a USA Today tech columnist can make social commentary on America’s penchant for building people up and then knocking them down while using highly-googled words like “Apple” and iPod?” Is it supposed to be droll or witty or something? America does like to build some people up only to knock them down. That’s hardly a news flash. Maney misses one important thing, though: Steve Jobs built himself into what he is today. He’s not a prepackaged pop star built to sell tabloids on the way up, then taken down to sell tabloids with stories about their “fall,” and then prepped for ultimate “redemption” in order to sell more tabloids. Steve Jobs is a rarity and exceptional talent. USA Today is, well, let’s face it, it’s a rag that’s not at all rare, featuring tech columnists whose only exceptional talent seems to be topping each others’ inanity.
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Related articles:
USA Today columinst angry about Windows viruses, adware, spyware – September 15, 2004
USA Today writer mistakenly thinks iPod could go the way of the Mac – August 04, 2004
USA Today: Apple’s ‘1984’ ad a watershed event; Mac ‘now a niche machine for graphics snobs’ – January 28, 2004
USA Today columnist: onlne music biz is ‘still broke and Jobs hasn’t fixed it’ – January 21, 2004
USA today was never on a pedestal. How would they know what being on-or falling off a pedestal is?
What an IDIOT! Must be a slow news week and the choad needed something to write about.
MDN Magic Word: “Feet” as in “I’ll use this article to wipe my feet on.”
lib rag!
Kevin Maney is someone we & MDN should quote this time in 2006, & 2007, & 2008, & 2009, & 2010 . . .
It should be good for laughs.
What Maney fails to realize is that the Apple story is just beginning.
I don’t mean to sound preachy, just stating what I believe to be the obvious.
Makes Sense to me, things like fame are always cyclical. No one should expect to be on top of the heap forever. Thankfully, one need not be in the spotlight to do great things.
errr .. where’s this lengthy ride in the limelight that Jobs is supposed to be wearing thin, anyway? It’s only been a couple of months since years of hardcore FUD has quieted down somewhat. Cripes, you’d think everybody had been being nice as pie for ten years or so and it was about time to start yawning now. lol. The guy hasn’t a clue.
yeah, i mean look what he did with Pixar. With a track record like that, he’s doomed to fail.
Journalists can be little children.
Pathetic, that people take notice of speculation, as usual MDN brings things into focus, yes Steve got onto his pedestal all by himself. I dont think he is that clumsy, to “slip off”.
I’ve only read the quote above, but it seems to me that the guy’s not saying that Jobs *deserves* to fall of the pedestal, simply that media will probably try to push him off. I suspect he’s quite right. I’m always amused by how the readers of this site are incapable of taking even the mildest of negative discussion about Apple or Jobs.
Silly wabbit.
RC, they real question is why is he worried about that though? I mean it’s just like saying “King Lebron james” will wear out his popularity this year because he’s been so hyped up since he came into the NBA (granted this is true, but he can play) I mean why would any sports columnist waste his time with such an article, when there are games to cover? interesting question ha? the answer= who knows he might not have been allowed to cover any of the games and might need to boost his salary for the month, or maybe he’s just jealous of all the attention and finds the need to vent his pent up anger, whatever it is it is just really childish wouldn’t you agree? RC
There is a typo in the MDN post. “Many predicts . . .” is supposed to be “Maney predicts . . .”
Maney is showing his ass. I say let him.
MW: “what” as in: “What you talkin’ about Willis?”
People are already wary of SJ’s personality, but they respect him for his achievements.
Unlike most celebrities papers like USA Today write about, where non-entities get feted just for being famous.
this guy is obviously a very qualified journalist who has had a revelation and shared it with us and, for one, i count myself so lucky to learn that people might fail sometimes.
Just another angry guy that has his malfunctioning and ugly PC crowded with virii and trojans, but still has not the intelligence to go Mac.
…
Yesterday a similar guy came and said “I have this trojan in my pc and I can’t get rid of it, I should reinstall everything but I do not want to lose my files”
my answer: “well you could get a mac, copy your files there and be happy”
his reply “a macintosh? but there is NO software for the macintosh!”
You can’t fight stupidity, I say.
http://humanbeingmanual.blogspot.com
Well the thing is… this guy doesn’t know his history. Steve Job was on the pedestal long long time ago when he co/found Apple Computers. He fell off the pedestal after Apple kicked him out.
Now Steve is making a come back. How long would it last? who knows?? Is he a wiseman now?
Get over it!
The Santa Claus (The Riches Guy In The Universe) has reported that Apple will be the top xMas present for the next decade. He also bought AAPL when it was down to $13.50.
http://www.forbes.com/2005/12/05/santa-labor-elves_cx_mn_05fict15_1205clausprofile.html
He knows. He comes from Finland
“Critics claim that the elves work long hours for low pay under hazardous conditions.”
We have to remember that elfs are on average 350 years old (long hours). Finnish society pays their retirement and health care. Mr. Claus pays about 50% of his income to the Republic of Finland. -54°C is not hazardous condition it is only nice crispy wheather.
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MDN word: issue
I did a search on this guy on the net and he does have some runs on the board (including qualifications from Rutgers). He’s also a leading technical writer.
However he’s also something of a celebrity and this piece has a taste of salesmanship. That is he’s selling the concept of Kevin Maney the celebrity. To support my point how many journalists have their own web site? Yes, he’s an author, a journalist and a celebrity.
In Australia we have a saying for people like him…the sun’s shining out of his arse. Putting this in a broader broader cultural context Maney strikes me as someone who walks down lover’s lane holding his own hand. He’s just a bit too self-serving for my liking. Anyway that’s my two cents’ worth.
MDN’s magic word: Sun as in the sun’s shining out of Kevin Maney’s a… Seems like divine intervention.
Reality Check–
“I’ve only read the quote above, but it seems to me that the guy’s not saying that Jobs *deserves* to fall of the pedestal, simply that media will probably try to push him off. I suspect he’s quite right. I’m always amused by how the readers of this site are incapable of taking even the mildest of negative discussion about Apple or Jobs.”
What makes you qualified to comment on the people who posted the comments, if you yourself, haven’t read the article that they’re commenting on?
MW: Where. Where do you get off?
If you say something negative about our lord, the Steve, we will hate you, attack you and heap scorn upon you.
Bless Stevego!
I think its quite a funny article really. And if the guy is talking odds, then I’ll take his bet with a fistfull of notes because i don’t think it will happen. I reckon Jobs has a long way to go – and not in the philanthropy stakes either…
hey! one santa claus from finland!
this is the link you are supposed to give if you want to proof that santa comes from finland:
http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2483629?htv=12
(Rare Exports: Tracking Father Christmas)
absolutely the best santa short… ever!
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and on-topic:
“why do we fall, Bruce?… So we can pick ourselfs up again!”
from Batman Begins
don’t mess with Batman, Maney!
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USA Today is to journalism, what paint-by-numbers is to art.
maney is right. jobs puts his pants on just like me. i’m gonna enjoy watching the fall.