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beige12 t1_iroicq2 wrote

And this is the edited title lol

172

ZenZenoah t1_irostwu wrote

Maybe they changed it after some of the photos they posted had kids with higher end designer clothes. Not the usual Nike, Under Armor, Adidas stuff that you can get at any local sporting goods store.

−1

High_DC t1_irp6vc3 wrote

"...who witness their practices."

That whole thing reads like it's written by an AI.

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C0vidPatientZer0 t1_irp9o37 wrote

>A broke marching band...

Wtf did this marching band do to this WaPo writer to hurt them this badly? 😭😭😭

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ALawful_Chaos t1_irpaar6 wrote

The part that feels really icky to me is the “beloved by the mostly affluent D.C. homeowners” part. It seems so patronizing. Like the rich people find the poor kids making music to be quaint and adorable.

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Miawouss66 t1_irpfrnn wrote

This is quite offensive.

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beige12 t1_irpft4g wrote

Replying to DeathAndTaxStamps (#67,103)

No it’s actually listed on the link still in the photo- “a broke marching band”. WaPo deleted the tweet using that headline but did not actually update the headline on the article, it seems!

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lastofthe_timeladies t1_irpjh8n wrote

I live in Capitol Hill. They aren't bad but I wouldn't describe them as "magical." Not sure how their relative wealth is supposed to make me enjoy the sound of a high school marching band any more or less.

Weird take, WaPo.

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TrueBirch t1_irpjx7h wrote

Replying to High_DC (#66,697)

GPT3 prompt:

"Write a news article about rich White people in Washington DC enjoying a marching band full of poor Black people:"

The response:

'The rich White people of Washington DC were out in force today, enjoying the sight and sound of a marching band full of poor Black people.

The band, made up of local schoolchildren, was playing for the enjoyment of the wealthy residents of the city's affluent neighborhoods.

The children, who come from some of the poorest areas of the city, were clearly delighted to be performing for such a wealthy and influential audience.

It was a scene that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago, but times have changed and now the rich and powerful in DC are happy to be entertained by poor Black kids from the inner city.

The children's parents were also happy to see their kids performing and enjoying themselves.

It just goes to show that, in today's Washington DC, rich and poor, Black and White, can all come together and have a good time."

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Pipes_of_Pan t1_irpk4q3 wrote

The phrasing obviously sucks but it is true? The wealth gap between the students and the residents where they practice is as extreme as anywhere in the country. This is worth pointing out. Wouldn’t hurt anyone if some of those DC Urban Moms donated to the Eastern PTA. Regardless, the band kicks ass and looks fantastic - they were definitely the highlight of Pride this year.

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dontpan1c t1_irpljip wrote

it's almost like they're trying to paint the homeowners as bad guys but what are they expected to do?? Close the blinds??

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TrueBirch t1_irpll95 wrote

Replying to momeses (#67,443)

I'd be worried if I worked at DCist...

Prompt: "Write a blog post about how certain neighborhoods in Washington DC used to be dangerous but now they have gentrification."

Response: "When most people think of Washington, D.C., they think of the nation’s capital, a city filled with monuments, museums, and political power. What they may not know is that D.C. is also a city with a rich history and a complex social landscape. In the past, many of D.C.’s neighborhoods were considered dangerous places to live. But today, thanks to gentrification, many of these neighborhoods are now safe and thriving. One example of a neighborhood that has undergone a transformation is Columbia Heights. In the early 2000s, Columbia Heights was known for its high crime rate and dilapidated buildings. But today, the neighborhood is a vibrant community with new construction, trendy shops, and a diverse population. Gentrification is not without its critics, however. Some argue that it displaces low-income residents and leads to the homogenization of neighborhoods. But there’s no denying that gentrification has had a positive impact on many of D.C.’s once-dangerous neighborhoods. Thanks to this process, these areas are now safe and thriving places to live."

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TrueBirch t1_irpm6dt wrote

Replying to Brawldud (#67,455)

"Write a letter to your member of Congress explaining why Washington DC doesn't deserve congressional representation."

"Dear ___________,

I am writing to express my opposition to congressional representation for Washington DC.

Washington DC is not a state, and therefore it should not have a vote in the House of Representatives. The residents of DC are not represented in the Senate, and they do not pay federal taxes.

DC is a federal district, and as such, it should be governed by the federal government. The residents of DC should not have any say in how the rest of the country is governed.

Thank you for your time and consideration."

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GoldenPerf3ct t1_irpmjwl wrote

What a weird take, I live near the school (renter) and hearing the kids march down the street every day in the afternoon is the best. They’re really good. And what kind of cold hearted robot doesn’t love a marching band playing covers?

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WuPacalypse t1_irpo3vz wrote

“Rich white folks love seeing the peasants dance”

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NorseTikiBar t1_irpos8k wrote

Replying to C0vidPatientZer0 (#66,830)

I legitimately expected a Petula Dvorak article lampooning the status of people in the neighborhood cheering on a marching band of a school they won't send their kids to, but instead I got... this.

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Guido1291 t1_irpsh67 wrote

Well that's what happens when billionaires own newspapers.

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BaconStorf t1_irpsvod wrote

"DC's Eastern High School Marching Band Beloved by Local Community". Sorry it's not clickbaity enough.

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suffertunity t1_irpu2c1 wrote

And that's why your English teacher warned you about passive voice.

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SexyAcanthocephala t1_irpv9ut wrote

Frankly that title sounds like it could have been written by a member of this sub lmao

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TechByDayDjByNight t1_irpx4l1 wrote

The entire title is cringed...

​

"Hey Bob, the Poor Black Kids are dancing in the street again for our entertainment"

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turquoisebruh t1_irpyi28 wrote

“Who witness their practices” man what in the world who wrote this

0

jpk8h t1_irq0uil wrote

Wow smh

0

xSlappy- t1_irq1xkx wrote

Lmao this is like that episode of Atlanta

0

JaapHoop t1_irq49qr wrote

Witness me!!!!!!!!!

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SewLite t1_irq5cxc wrote

A broke marching band? Lol. The editor must've been on vacation for this one.

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antifabear t1_irqcgmc wrote

“Broke” “Beloved” 🤮When you’re assigned a story about racist gentrification but you don’t see the problem

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antifabear t1_irqcpb2 wrote

Replying to ALawful_Chaos (#66,867)

Yeah, there’s another glaring difference between those two groups of people that makes it especially sinister. White people seeking entertainment in the existence of Black children.

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douchey_sunglasses t1_irr2vih wrote

Replying to Pipes_of_Pan (#67,418)

is it true? What is the criteria for rich vs poor? How many members of each group actually fall into that labeled bucket? When did a neighborhood block stop being a community and start being divided into haves and have nots?

This article serves to confirm existing beliefs and biases and not much else.

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douchey_sunglasses t1_irr38bd wrote

Replying to Pipes_of_Pan (#69,425)

the divide between rich vs poor. Why would they highlight it the story be the racial and economic differences between the residents and the students instead of highlighting all the ways the residents directly support the students?

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TMacOnTheTrack t1_irr3hz7 wrote

Was that necessary? Another article that brings up the income of long time DC area residents in a disparaging way. This coupled with raising subscription rates? Imma need the Washington Post to do better. Not cool. Not the end of the world but also not cool.

1

TMacOnTheTrack t1_irr6do2 wrote

Replying to [deleted] (#67,352)

Poverty tourism. Sounds like a buzz word I heard a couple years ago in the movie Forty year version. Poverty porn. Left leaning people of a certain demographic would delight in hearing my stories from down south B (DC is not southern but that’s an argument for another day). Being a natural born story teller I told and told said story. I started to notice that they would ask occasional leading questions and make implications.

“Gosh growing up in the Deep South that must’ve been tough for you huh?” It was fine. I had a middle class upbringing. If anything I’m a black sheep for not getting a master’s degree. If I mentioned a hardship they would follow up with “it’s because you’re black. That’s so sad.” No it’s because… I just explained how and why xyz happened. Nope we’re not doing any poverty porn here. But left leaning people of a certain demographic love to salivate over poverty porn.

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TMacOnTheTrack t1_irr6vgm wrote

Replying to ZenZenoah (#66,172)

So? And did you have a microscope looking for a designer label? How do you know? And stay out of those children’s pockets and quit counting their or rather their parents’ money.

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ailyat t1_irr7x10 wrote

it’s “broke marching band” for me.

−1

ThatsALovelyShirt t1_irr8662 wrote

Replying to ALawful_Chaos (#66,867)

It also may not even be true... I live in an "affluent" neighborhood near Takoma Park, where most homes are near $700k-1mil... and like well over half the neighborhood are black families who have lived here for decades and aren't the transplanted doctors/attorneys/whatever WaPo seems to think have taken over DC.

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Chuck-Marlow t1_irrchye wrote

I swear journalists are getting worse at writing coherently.

2

marcololol t1_irrct8p wrote

How much income does one need to carry a trumpet? What’s the per second cost of carrying a trombone?

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TransPlantedCajun t1_irrnnri wrote

However this article came to be, I am so happy to see that these kids are out doing this and have gained attention. They need everyone’s support. Please donate to this band.

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tryonelasttime t1_irrpidh wrote

My kid goes to Eastern. The school has a lot of challenges, but they are working hard to give every kid all the support and opportunities they can. The teachers (for the most part, there's always going to be some not great teachers in any school) are so dedicated, they really do go above and beyond. That marching band practices like crazy. They are there all the time, over summer, during breaks, on days like today when there is no school, they're there. I wish this article could focus on the kids. They're worth talking about on their own, they don't need to be written in the weird ass condescending glorification of "the poors".

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quasi-strAnge t1_irrsuj4 wrote

Like why the title as to pined them down— just enjoy their greatness and talents without having to bashing their financial situation.

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GhostDawg01 t1_irs59mt wrote

What's weird about it? They're students from low income families. Should they be ashamed?

−1

Idontgetredditinmd t1_irsyqmw wrote

With all the money in DC, how are any of the schools broke?

2

IcyWillow1193 t1_irt5rh9 wrote

The tweet, and the headline, are cringe-inducing. The article itself is OK, though. Headlines usually aren't written by the article's author.

0

CaptainObvious110 t1_irtqsa7 wrote

The way the title is it makes it seem that these students are merely entertainment for their new neighbors. Historically that is problematic.

Ok, so what would be a better title and what's a better way to tell this story?

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mrmoonpie t1_isbk4zj wrote

$115,000 donated so far! Sure, the article could've been better written, but that money is going to make a huge difference to those kids and the reporter is partially responsible for that.

1