GQ Letter to Editor
The following was my letter to the editor in GQ Magazine in October, 2004, in response to the article on table tennis in a previous issue by Matthew Klam.
Dear Editor,
Good writing does not equal responsible writing. I am one of the victims of the article in the August issue of GQ, “American Gladiators,” about the American table tennis scene, by Matthew Klam. In fact, I’m the one who introduced Klam to most of the table tennis players he spoke with in putting together this article. I spent a huge amount of time assisting him and answering questions, never dreaming that he would respond by writing that I have a “personality disorder stuck somewhere between high-functioning autism and dorky social misfit,” or that I was a “skid-mark nerd.” I’m only one of many who were maligned by Klam.
How do you defend against such representations without coming off sounding like they are accurate, and further spreading such innuendo? GQ can claim that it was the writer’s personal opinion, and hide behind that. Well, then, it’s my personal opinion that the writer put aside any ethical qualms he may have had in a desperate attempt to make a sale, while GQ stooped to tabloid journalism in a misguided attempt to increase sales. As a journalist myself (master’s degree), I believe you have both embarrassed our profession. Was the story accurate? About as accurate, for example, as Klam’s description of he and I finding an empty table to play on at the USA Table Tennis Nationals in Las Vegas “some hours before the men’s final.” It actually happened at the Maryland Table Tennis Center, three weeks later and 3000 miles away – but why let facts get in the way when fabrications and personal attacks add drama and increase sales? From these personal attacks, I have learned a bitter lesson about knowing to klam up when faced with the likes of Klam.
Sincerely,
Larry Hodges
Editor, USA Table Tennis Magazine
Author, Table Tennis: Steps to Success
Member, USA Table Tennis Hall of Fame
Long-time Professional Table Tennis Coach
