Letter writer: Best of WNC has gotten too big

Graphic by Lori Deaton

Years ago, I remember actually looking forward with anticipation to the annual Mountain Xpress Best of WNC awards. First, voting for my favorite restaurant, bar, etc., and then weeks later, reading the published winners.

However, it seems like each year, more and more categories are added. What was once a slightly larger edition of Mountain Xpress has become a bloated two-edition cornucopia of awards with every conceivable business category available and way too many tie places to be believable.

I understand the desire to make all the local business owners (and perhaps current and/or future advertisers) happy, but jeesh — enough is enough! It has become painfully boring to read and has lost all validity and relevance. Who wants to find out who was tied for second place in the new (less than a year old) coffee shops that are open late and serve pastries category, or who got third place for local pet store (Asheville) with the cutest puppies and nicest aquarium displays category?

I jest — sort of. But really, why not just an award for the best coffee shop or the best slice of pizza? In short, keep it short and sweet. If you really want your annual awards to mean something again, cut it way down and please no tie places!

— Chris Power
Hendersonville

Editor’s note: Yes, Best of WNC is big. We expanded the number of categories a few years ago with the goal of better honoring the area’s extraordinary range of excellence, entrepreneurship and activism.  It seemed the right to do then, and it still seems like a well-deserved celebration to us.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Letters
We want to hear from you! Send your letters and commentary to letters@mountainx.com

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

4 thoughts on “Letter writer: Best of WNC has gotten too big

  1. Selene

    We recently had a discussion about how worthless the “best of” section was – unless you have a bird cage to line. There is no way to tell which businesses really stand out from the rest. It’s really just an ad book with no incentives to look through it. I would be much more interested in seeing an advertising book with coupons and deals than this yawnfest.

  2. I couldn’t agree with this letter more. The “Best of” has become cumbersome and useless. Ever since Sirius B won best rock band*, it became clear to me that this was nothing more than a popularity contest to see who could get the most friends on Facebook to vote.

    * Not to detract from the talent of Sirius B. They are a good band, just not what most people would consider “rock” music.

  3. Jason W.

    This year’s awards seems way too bloated. It’s getting to the level of: “Hey, everyone gets an award just for trying!” I wonder if most of it is a veiled attempt to sell more ad space, since it seems like nearly all the winners buy an ad in the issue. Anyway I totally agree with the OP and the above comments, The “Best of WNC” has become ridiculously overblown.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.