Sorry it took me so long to post the letters from the editor, but the last month was completely insane. So below are the ones I liked best. Some have had stuff edited b/c they were so long. Please vote for the one you like best in the poll on the right side of the page so that we can determine who gets the $50.
#1 Deric L.
Dear Larry,
Your magazine = poop.
Sincerely,
Deric L.
P.S. Had you included a Best of Quizzo category, this email could have been avoided.
#2 Rose M.
Dear Mr. Platt…
Ho ho ho… Oh my goodness! I am writing to express
my unbearable dismay at your neglecting to include a
“Philadelphia’s Best Quizzo” category in your most
recent issue. Clearly, you and your colleagues are
not aware of the profound impact that this
intellectual sport has on its participants. I have
taken the time to describe the full extent of your
oversight in this letter.
As a recent college graduate in a minimally
stimulating, low paying job, I find it hard to utilize
my substantial intellectual prowess. In the
aforementioned situation, I also feel a compelling
need to imbibe spirits to the point of intoxication on
a regular basis. But, “How?” you ask, can I satiate
both of these desires? Quizzo, my friend, is the
answer. At this, and only at this cultural spectacle,
can I overindulge in both beer and brains. Each week,
I wait with eager anticipation, the gathering of all
my friends,and the sweet sweet sound of $3 drafts
slipping into iced mugs.
Quizzo, is more than a mere trivia game, you see. It
is the focal point in a week that would be otherwise
utterly demoralizing.
Competition is something the city of Philadelphia
thrives on. Why deny the intellectual athletes of
this city their chance to shine proudly?
#3 Hannah
Once again, Philadelphia Magazine has overlooked a great Philadelphia
pastime in its ?Best of Philly? edition. I am referring to the
plethora of quizzo competitions that go on throughout the Philadelphia area. I have no real numbers as to how many attend–only empirical evidence. Ask anyone, and they have either attended or know people who attend a quizzo competition (which is more than I can say about Fuwah?s Tofu Hoagie winning Best Untraditional Hoagie–really, do you guys just make this crap up as you go along?).
#4 Em
As journalists, I would expect that you and your staff at Philadelphia magazine would look into this sweeping trend. If you and your colleagues would take a break from monitoring Main Line real estate prices and taking pictures of the same thirty ?socialites? at four hundred dollars-a-plate galas, you might find that the pulse of Philadelphia that you try so desperately to jab with your clumsy collective finger can be felt through the biggest little bar game in the city?s history.
We know what the world thinks when they hear Philadelphia. They think cheese steaks, the Rocky steps, underdog sports teams. They think crack and gun violence and ghettos on every end of the city. They think Independence hall and the Liberty bell. Those of us who live here know that these are very real parts of who we are. But we also know, as only the residents of a city can, the real heart and soul of our home. One would hope that any publication bearing the name ?Philadelphia? in its title would have some sense of it as well.
#5 Maureen
For years the people of Philadelphia have had an inferiority complex,
but thanks to quizzo, we can hold our own with residents of any city, state or country ? even the Ukraine, which is the largest country, in land mass, in Europe. We can converse at length on the poetry of Alfred Lord Tennyson, who succeeded Wordsworth as Poet Laureate in 1850, or debate the necessity of the third amendment(quartering
soldiers) in the 21st century. And lest you think ?quizzites? are intellectual snobs, we can also tell the difference between an N?Sync album and a Back Street Boys hit, and know that T.O. attended the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. By omitting the quizzo category from your ?best of? local entertainment, you are doing
your readers and the citizens of this city a great disservice. We are more than cheesesteaks (first created in 1930) and soft pretzels (brought to Philly by the Germans). We are a city of honor, loyalty and intelligence, and what better way to show off that Philly competitive spirit than in a game of quizzo.
#6 Rudolph E.
Dear Larry,
It has recently come to my attention that despite your prominent and influential position at Philadelphia Magazine, you have decided against including Quizzo competitions in your ?Best Of? edition. Larry, I must say that I expected better from you.
I mean, you are American, right? You do realize that thousands of people living in Philadelphia are participating in Quizzo competitions all over the city each week, right? You do work for a magazine that calls itself Philadelphia, right? Are you connecting the dots Larry, or do you want me to slow it down a little bit so you can catch up? OK. You do consider people who live in Philadelphia to be American, right? So, basically we have thousands of Americans every single week who are playing this smash phenomenon game Quizzo within the confines of the very city that your fine publication is named after? but somehow that doesn?t merit some kind of acknowledgement in your ?Best Of? edition?
Obviously, now that it?s all there in front of you it makes more sense why I asked you earlier if you were American. Quite frankly sir, you?re very lucky McCarthyism is no longer fashionable or socially acceptable. If it was, your ass would be hauled in front of Congress and you would have to answer (on camera) why you have chosen so brazenly to disregard this fine, national pastime. Your personal files would be raided, your home would most likely be foreclosed upon by the bank, and you would be ostracized by friends and co-workers. Believe me pal, it wouldn?t be a picnic.
I predict that it is only a matter of time before this Quizzo craze sweeps the nation like the World Series of Poker. When that time comes, I guess there are really only two possible scenarios that you could find yourself involved with. First, you could be the pioneering reporter who took a chance on a great pastime which is growing in popularity exponentially; the guy who showed he had some balls and threw his hat into the ring to make sure he was the guy who told the people out there what Quizzo is all about. You might really make a name for yourself.
Or second, you could just continue to sit up there in your ivory tower and cover the Pets of Philly and print personal ads, never aspiring even for a second to do something a little edgier or a little raw. You will fritter away your remaining days in relative obscurity. Sure, you?ll make a living. You?ll eke out your existence day by day, and while you may be able to afford the occasional big screen TV or trip to Orlando, Florida, will you ever really be happy? I doubt it.
So do yourself and your subscribers a favor and get your head out of your ass. You owe it to the city to cover the news, and buddy, Quizzo is news.
#7 Kristie
I have learned more at Quizzo this past year then in my last year at college……whether it’s an all Amish category, or all Africa category….Quizzo challenges the mind to think beyond the next pint of beer. The last time I played my team came in last place I walked away still with a prize…both of more knowledge learned and little animals that grow larger when you put them in water. Without
Quizzo night it would be just another dull night out. Go to some places any other night of the week and the same place is dead…but on Quizzo night there is not a seat to be had and the competition is fierce. Trust me because I lose a lot!
#8 Anthony
dear larry platt. best quizzo is a much needed category in your best of philly series. quizzmasters like johnny gootimes are desperate enough to get laid as is, any help you give would be truly appreciated. even subtle recognition could be the difference between a h*** and a b*** j**. johnny goodtimes has been milking his f-list celebrity status in the area for all it’s worth, and I think his inclusion in philly mag just might put him over the top. as is, he still finds himself reading the guiness book of world records on saturday nights and maxing out his credit cards on internet porn sites. I think it’s time we got johnny a real flesh and blood girl. plus, those who attend said events, people who think useless knowledge equals real wisdom and love to show and spout it off would be lost without the services of goodtimes. He is as much a provider of self-esteem as any other self-help or recovery program in the area, so why discriminate? please reconsider in the future.