It looks like AOL has removed the reference to OKC being one of the 10 worst places to visit. According to a travel item AOL did with some web site I’ve never heard of, they justified ranking OKC as more dangerous than Baghdad because of natural disasters, and went so far as to claim the May 3, 1999 tornado destroyed most of the city.
Yeah, right.
Anyway, Solitude at www.okctalk.com fired off some complaints to AOL, and here is the response he received:
Thank you for your phone call regarding the content provided to us through askmen.com. Our AOL editorial team looked at the material and were unanimous in their agreement that inclusion of Oklahoma City in that kind of negative list was wholly unfair and poor quality journalism. We have since edited/modified the list online and plan to monitor our content relationship with askmen.com in a more careful manner. Our apologies for the inappropriate nature of the listing for Oklahoma City. FYI, one of the AOL VPs was in Oklahoma City this past December and was appalled at the description of your city by the askmen writer. Mr. Werther described Oklahoma City as a dynamic city that rivals many that we’re familiar with here on the East Coast. He told me to feel free to include his feelings in any responses to this unfortunate incident. Thank you again for taking the time to contact AOL.
Cordially,
LeeAnn Lubetzky
AOL Executive Assistant
Sure enough, OKC is no longer on the aforementioned list.
But it is still on the site that generated the original story. Here’s a bit about the writer from his website:
ABOUT ME
Nick Clarke is a professional writer living and working in Marbella, Spain. In his twenties, he’s not your usual crinkly copywriter; instead, he prides himself on supplying his clients with content that is fresh, inspired and innovative. With Nick, you’re assured of copy that today’s readers will be able to connect with.
Nick studied at Sussex University, and graduated with a degree in English Literature and Media Studies. He has worked on a number of newspapers, magazines and websites, and specialises in popular culture and travel. He particularly enjoys writing about all that is beautiful in the world, including luxury hotels, trendy restaurants and the latest gadgetry for the home. If it’s hip and gorgeous, Nick will have something to say about it.
When he’s not writing, Nick enjoys spending time with family and friends, catching up with the latest releases at the cinema and eating out.
He is currently working on his first children’s book, to be published later this year.
May 3rd, 2008 at 8:08 am
Sometimes when I see a rich guy driving a Bentley, the beauty of that just brings me to tears. It’s the same feeling I get from a really high-end piece of sashimi or a bluetooth-enabled tablet pc.
May 3rd, 2008 at 9:56 am
Ah, catching up with the latest releases at the cinema. What a jolly good time, indeed. Cheers!
May 3rd, 2008 at 3:26 pm
The thing that bothers me about the article is that some crazy person will decide to visit the entire list. Anyone nuts enough to do that is not someone I’d want to see in OKC. Next time I’m up there I’ll have breakfast at the Classen Grill and play golf at Karsten Creek. Talk about hell…
May 5th, 2008 at 10:35 am
This kid is going to write a children’s book? Now that’s scary. What’s it on? Radioactive children living in Oklahoma City that get wiped out by our blizzards and tornadoes but somehow come back to life to raise cattle? Get Real kid.
May 6th, 2008 at 2:07 am
What? He can’t writer a children’s book because he wrote something pretty spot-on about OKC once?! It’s hilarious how boring, PC and up your own asses you’ve all become. It’s you lot who should be getting real.
May 6th, 2008 at 6:21 am
I am leaving Ben’s response because it appears to be Nicholas Clarke, who from the same IP address and at the same time responded to an email referring all questions to the Ask Men operators.
-Steve