Blogger Appreciation: Tony's Kansas City

Like it or not, Tony's Kansas City is the 800 pound gorilla of the Kansas City blogosphere. Just as local politicians assure me that they never read my blog (even as they discuss what I've written), local bloggers often claim not to read Tony. It's a subtle attempt to deny the oversized impact Tony carries.

A list of legitimate complaints against Tony could consume a lot of pixels before exhaustion. He's sexist. He's racist, while frequently resorting to the race card. He's often wrong on the facts, and he's unapologetic about it. He's wildly unfair to some, and he has been cruel to good people. He's an abrasive braggart. And so on.

I'm not here to explain all that away. There's no big "but" that I can add on to that prior paragraph to explain how those things don't matter, or that they are overshadowed by a greater good.

Tony has, however, created a space for the rest of us, and democratized the local internet presence. Nobody is quicker to recognize and draw attention to new blogs, and direct the attention of his readers to the work of a beginner.

More importantly, he's created a freedom to be your own voice. By being as obnoxious as he is, Tony has deflated the pomposity of local bloggers before they get too full of themselves. By being rude and insulting, he inoculates us from the deadening weight of being on our best behavior at all times.

On a deeper level, Tony's work approaches performance art. What does it say about Kansas City that serious people in polite company have mentioned the alleged lack of footwear on the Mayor's wife? Similarly, can anybody deny that the Star's editorial board yearns for Tony's ability to recognize and generate interest in a story? Who knows how many journalists might still be drawing a paycheck if the Star had Tony's ability to predict what stories will capture attention?

Finally, let's not forget the incredible amount of work that goes into putting a blog out. Tony produces more links, more commentary, and more entertainment than any other local online presence. And he does it on days when he's tired. He does it on days when he just wants a break. He does it when he's down in the dumps, and on days when his mind is simply empty. His consistency is astounding - all by one guy.

I disagree with Tony on many things, but no other blogger has had as big an impact on Kansas City. More than any individual in town, he has stood up for the average Joe's right to be heard, and he has poked pretense in the eye. He has done it with mind-boggling persistence and occasional hilarity. He is an amplifier for the local blog scene, and, without him, we might still be heard, but the tone might be too mellow to notice.