Fake Pitchfork Nostalgia

A couple of weeks ago, there were major layoffs at Pitchfork Media. Then GQ swallowed up the carcass. I’d never read a Pitchfork piece, but even so, of course I knew what it was. By which I mean, I knew what the stereotype of Pitchfork was, even if I couldn’t articulate it precisely. Pitchfork did define a certain era, which also coincided with my most formative years. I never felt a part of that culture, so when I heard about Pitchfork’s demise, I wasn’t sad, exactly. But it did make me think about how it was yet one more sign of the end of something.