Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
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Monday, April 29
FoGB Ted McClelland tells the story of offending Richard Marx with an offhand remark in a blog post, which led to the '80s rock star showing up at a Rogers Park bar.
Marx has a penchant for going after people who take the piss out of him on the Internet. Back in 2006, he went after Chicagoist editor Scott Smith after taking offense to a post about what he'd been up to lately, and this past December he went toe-to-toe with WBEZ producer Justin Kauffman after Kauffman and "Afternoon Shift" host Rick Kogan gave him grief on air when Marx bailed on a live taping at the Christkindlmarket because of bronchitis-- but made it to a WGN taping. He's not just local: he went after a Nashville critic recently, too.
Here's a dramatic reading of Marx and Smith's email exchange, performed at Schadenfreude way back when.
by Robyn Nisi
A/Cby Steve Prokopy
A/Cby Nancy Bishop
Mechanicsby Jeff Smith
Drive Thruby Brandy Gonsoulin
Transmissionby Sarah Brooks
Book Clubby Emma Terhaar
Mechanicsby Phil Huckelberry
A/Cby Nancy Bishop
A/Cby Steve Prokopy