Monday, May 16 2011
I generally consider myself a pretty cool cat, especially when it comes to criticism. As someone who has spent most of my life as a creative person, I learned that not everybody is going to like you, and I've always respected actors, artists, et. al. who didn't take their critics seriously, or who avoided reading their notices entirely. The same goes for working with a team of creative people, as I do at Famous Smoke Shop. If you think that every headline and copy block I've ever written about cigars was a gem, you are sorely mistaken, which brings me to why today I popped my cork.
This morning I received the following (now deleted) Cigar Advisor comment from "Jon" on this week's newsletter feature story, an interview with Berta Bravo, "The Guayabera Lady:"
"You have got to be kidding me? This is interesting?? An article on a woman in the clothing industry who happens to smoke cigars. So you have joined the 'make a woman the most important thing' category. Alright, I can find all my cigars at other vendors...let the women you are trying to impress support you; I hope all the men go elswhere."
For one, I think Jon's got a serious problem with women for some reason (not to mention spelling), but I'm not qualified to play psychologist. Secondly, I'm well aware that most of my audience is comprised of men. Moreover, who are these women that I'm trying to impress? Being single, I'd certainly like to meet them.
Although I have noticed the feature articles that have more to do more with cigars and cigar education tend to get more eyeballs and comments, CigarAdvisor.com is more than that. Though the content focused mainly on cigars, reviews, tips, and news, it's also about the cigar lifestyle. In other words, we cover a diverse array of subjects related to cigars. Anyone who has been following the site for a while knows that.
The article was not simply about a "woman in the clothing industry who happens to smoke cigars." It was about an entrepreneur who makes a very unique clothing accessory - the Guayabera shirt - and a necessary one at that if you work in a cigar factory. It may not be as interesting to some as how Pete Johnson created his latest cigar, or his newest tattoo for that matter, but it is part of the cigar culture. For that reason alone it was worth interviewing Ms. Bravo who has been very successful at taking something traditional and crossing it over to a more chic fashion accessory for men and women. Oops! There I go again mentioning women.
Suffice it to say, Ms. Bravo doesn't need me to defend her. She's fully capable doing of that herself. That said, you wouldn't believe how many guys I see at the annual IPCPR show, Cigar Expo, and other cigar-oriented events wearing Guayabera shirts. I even own a couple of them. Therefore, logic deemed there was an interest in the subject, and so, when I met Berta in the Dominican Republic this past February, it seemed an interview with her would be a natural for the website.
I'd like to believe that "Jon" is alone. If not, I'd like to believe that he and his ilk are represented by only a few rotten apples. Not every story is going to be a charmer, but I stand by offering diversity on CigarAdvisor.com. There is plenty of room for everything regarding cigars, and more importantly, you the reader are always welcome to make suggestions as to what you'd like to see more or less of on the site. As you can tell, I'm listening.
(_[GK]__{{{~
