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Anti-Douchebag Hate Speech Mars Community Board Meeting
By
John Del Signore
Published Jan 11, 2011
Modified Jan 12, 2011
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By
John Del Signore
Published Jan 11, 2011
Modified Jan 12, 2011
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[UPDATE BELOW]
Don't think for a second that just because disadvantaged douchebags have won the right to ride at the front of the stretch Hummer limo and drink bottle service at the same banquette as everybody else that they no longer face hateful discrimination each and every day. Even in 2011—when the D-word itself is widely considered taboo—D-bags everywhere must still overcome the soft bigotry of low (like, really low) expectations. And the venomous contempt for douchebags isn't just seen in ignorant backwaters like the Meatpacking District; the progressive East Village has its share of D-bigotry, too. One of the most shameless D-haters even holds a position on the local Community Board, where the D-word was brazenly D-ropped during a public meeting last night.
Both Eater and EV Grieve witnessed the incident, which occurred after a lengthy discussion of La Vie lounge on East First Street. (According to the club's Facebook page, "upon entering, life as you know it stops and your definition of New York nightlife changes.") Despite repeated complaints from neighbors, the club's owners have refused to turn the music down because "they need to keep a good vibe for dancing." Instead, owners have tried placating complainers by offering to "soundproof" their apartments. But the previous occupant of that space, Le Souk, already spent a lot of money trying to soundproof the club, and with La Vie's owners still refusing to agree to lower the volume, the committee voted against renewing La Vie's license.
This so infuriated co-owner Mohamed Elsayed that on his way out he blasted the Community Board member Ariel Palitz, declaring, "That's racist. Your mind was made up before we got here." And once Elsayed was gone, Palitz freely admitted, "If douchebag is a race, then I'm racist." The board reportedly laughed at the insensitive remark, and Palitz has yet to comment on the incident. But we expect an apology and a generous donation to the Anti-Douchebag Defamation Alliance to be forthcoming.
Update: An earlier version of this story mistakenly identified Community Board 3 District Manager Susan Stetzer as the D-bag hater in question. In an e-mail, Stetzer told us, "The applicant called me a racist and a board member responded—not me. I was at the meeting in a professional capacity and this incorrect and unprofessional and inappropriate comment attributed to me has already caused me professional harm. (Please read my comments to Eater.) The douchebag comment was made by board member Ariel Palitz—she responded to the racist comment to me—I did not."
Tagged
community board 3
d-bag
douchebag
east village
la vie
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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