It's time to ditch the phrase of explanation...

We all know who Ye is. [READER]( The Daily Reader August 29, 2023 Hey, editors and writers . . . The time has come to stop putting that annoying phrase of explanation right after the comma whenever you mention Ye. As in . . . “Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West.” It’s been quite a while since Kanye changed his name to Ye and my guess is that everyone who needs to catch on to that change has already caught on. Moreover, it’s exceedingly unlikely that anyone who bothers to read an article about Ye will not already know that Ye is the artist formerly known as Kanye West. So, again, there’s no longer any need to mention it. I say this realizing that (as an aging baby boomer) I’m probably the intended beneficiary of this information. As most of the younger editors in charge of newspapers must feel that people as old as I am are incapable of remembering that Kanye dropped the Kan and became Ye, making him . . . “Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West.” But even I have managed to catch on. So don’t do it on my behalf. I wonder if there’s a statute of limitation on these things. That is, a certain number of months or years must pass before editors and writers decide they no longer have an explanation to tell us stuff that we’ve probably known for a long time. For instance, I don’t recall the Sun-Times feeling compelled to identify Muhammad Ali as the boxer formerly known as Cassius Clay. Or Rodney Dangerfield as the comedian formerly known as Jacob Rodney Cohen. Or Willis Tower as the skyscraper formerly known as Sears Tower. Or . . . oh, you get the idea. I realize the compulsion to explain everything stems from a paranoia that readers are so easily distracted that as soon as they’re challenged in any small way, they will stop reading and turn the page. A great dread for writers. But I believe that when it comes to Ye, the attention of your key audience is pretty much guaranteed, even if you neglect to mention that he is . . . “Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West.” While we’re on the subject of name changes, editors, and writers . . . I also think you can dispense with explaining that X is the social media company formerly known as Twitter. I’m sure that everyone who bothers to read the newspapers knows Musk changed the name of the social media company he owns. Just as everyone knows that the Musk in that first sentence is Elon Musk. And not Ed Muskie, Hubert Humphrey’s running mate in 1968. Two names that absolutely require explanation, unless you don’t mind your readers turning the page. I read a recent story in which the writer got things mixed up and wrote . . . “Ye, the artist formerly known as Twitter.” No really. But keep it up and it’s bound to happen. 🎙Listen to [The Ben Joravsky Show]( 🎙 [What Ben's Reading] [The Saboteur]( by Paul Kix: a great suspense tale about the real-life exploits of Robert de La Rochefoucauld, the courageous anti-Nazi French commando [Debbie-Marie Brown]( on the labor movement at Berlin [Ben Joravsky]( that Trump coddlin’ town [Best of the Ben J. Show]( [Alderperson Carlos Ramirez-Rosa]( on the first 100 days of Mayor Johnson Movie maker [Steve James]( on his latest film A Compassionate Spy [Edna Navarro Vidaurre]( from Birth to Five Illinois on getting all kids into early education [Chicago Reader’s 2nd Annual UnGala Celebration]( The Reader UnGala is an annual benefit that will be held at Epiphany Center for the Arts on Wednesday, October 18, 2023. Tickets are on sale now! by [Chicago Reader]( | [R]( → [Review: Perpetrator]( A somewhat awkward execution of a great concept keeps viewers from what could otherwise be a bloody good time. by [Andrea Thompson]( | [R]( → [Dan Bigg’s legacy of positive change]( Five years after his death, the groundbreaking work of the harm reduction pioneer lives on at the Chicago Recovery Alliance. by [Katie Prout]( | [R]( → [Clowns over easy]( Hot Clown offers everything you could want at brunch (but hold the Bloody Marys). by [Kimzyn Campbell]( | [Read here]( → What questions do you have for Mayor Johnson? September will mark Mayor Brandon Johnson's first 100 days in office. Next Tuesday, join senior Reader writer Ben Joravsky and journalist Maya Dukmasova as they discuss the progress of his administration toward building a more just and equitable Chicago. [GET TICKETS FOR FIRST TUESDAYS]( [Issue of Aug. 24 – Sept. 6, 2023 Vol. 52, No. 23]( [VIEW/DOWNLOAD ISSUE [PDF]]( [View this e-mail as a web page]( [@chicago_reader]( [/chicagoreader]( [@chicago_reader]( [Chicago Reader on LinkedIn]( [/chicagoreader]( [chicagoreader.com]( [Forward this e-mail to a friend](. Want to change how you receive these e-mails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. Copyright © 2023 Chicago Reader, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Chicago Reader, 2930 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 102, Chicago, IL 60616