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Comment by mark_l_watson | Hacker News Reader

I really enjoy Scalzi’s books, and to the point: it is nice of him to try to take the heat off of a young content creator who has helped promote his works.

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The comment is factual, right? The person is young? Check. She is a content creator? Check. She promoted his books? Check.

Nothing patronizing about that

Edit: meant as a response to sibling comment

Ági Szabados is a 35 year old adult woman who runs a successful nationwide book club. "Young content creator" in this context absolutely is patronizing.

I would trade my right arm to be young enough that I get offended when people call me “young.” Youth is really wasted on 20- and 30-somethings.

Imagine this happened to Oprah (when she was younger) and somebody said "it is nice of him to try to take the heat off of a young content creator".

Roger Ebert helped Orpah when she was young (about the same age, 32ish) just before she exploded in popularity. I can't imagine Oprah being offended in that situation or seeing it as being patronizing.

I meant after she exploded in popularity.

That would be pretty weird because basically everyone knows who Oprah is but nothing wrong other than that.

I didn't know her, so I googled her. What comes up the most: her YouTube videos and podcasts. That's the definition of "content creator".

I find 35 young. Young != not adult.

Having a successful nationwide bookclub does not stop her from (apparently) being a content creator. And vice versa, being a content creator does not diminish the success of her bookclub.

You seem to suggest that being a content creator is somehow "less worthy" than having a bookclub. Many people are super successful being content creators on YouTube. Are they less because they don't run a bookclub?

Sounds pretty elitist to me

Mostly I was objecting to young more than content creator, since it has connotations of inexperience. But yes I think in some circles books are regarded as "better" than videos. There's certainly a higher barrier to publishing books than electronic content, although obviously both and contain quality or crap.

Edit: bawolff said it better than I could

Interestingly, you are the kind of person that Agi is facing ridicule from. Someone being offended FOR others, even though, nothing of offence actually occurred.

That is ironic ;-)

Things can both be literally correct and patronizing. Words have cannotations beyond their literal meanings

In this case "Young content creator" can have the implication that she is not a real success but is only impressive because of her age. Since if she was on the level of a real media personality there would be no need to add the "young" adjective. She would just be a "content creator"

Similarly, content creator can have the implication you run a blog or get your fame solely from social media instead of being good enough for more traditional venues (which could be true, i dont know this person).

Is all that massively over thinking this? Probably. But i understand how the phrase could be seen as patronizing even if literally accurate.

Did you read the article? She runs one of the biggest bookclubs in Hungary. That comment seems a little patronising. :)

For the note, I'm a Hungarian, I read books regularly and also read the major news outlets daily, but I never heard neither about Agi Szabados, nor about this controversy.

My bad :-)

Wow! Her hovercraft must be chock-full of eels.

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