The Ploughboy and The Playgirl

Although I must bow to the Nashville Tennessean’s thorough and sensitive coverage of the passing of Mr. Eddy Arnold, I find it both ironic and appalling that the newspaper would pick this same issue to report on the announcement of those country artists who will appear in Playgirl’s Country Music edition. If ever there was a moment to demonstrate class and poise it was this day, May 9, 2008 – the day the news of this elegant gentleman’s death is being widely published. And yet, there on page 3A we are accosted by this shallow and insipid nonsense that the editors of Playgirl Magazine have released the names of those male country music artists who will appear in their upcoming issue. Included was a replication of the cover upon which a bare-torsoed, no-name-wanna-be peered longingly into some camera thinking to himself, perhaps, ‘Okay, so maybe I can’t sing and have no personality but this ought to get me the break I’ve been waiting for.’ The column also included quotes from this Southern Baptist cover boy articulating his rationale for posing, his elation with being picked for this prime spot and the fact that his mother had found peace with his decision. I wept.

May I humbly suggest that The Tennessean would have been wise to have left this column blank, covered it in solid, black ink or printed the words to one of Mr. Arnold’s standards. I would have picked ‘What’s He Doing in My World?’