The trend I see of marketing dancers, gigs, venues, with unsupported superlatives bothers me. “Boston’s most sought-after bellydancer” – really? ‘Cause I don’t remember giving anyone _my_ inquiry or booking statistics to compare. “Boston’s most prestigious ___ restaurant” – Truly? When it just opened 6 months ago, and doesn’t seem to have the popularity, quality, or reputation of ABC restaurant in the same genre? How are we calculating these things?

I get that people want to attract people, to communicate that something is good, worthwhile, special. But when non-subjective superlatives are used, I find it off-putting. It comes across as exclusionary. It makes me feel that someone’s ego is at stake, that they feel they have to believe that they are most popular, respected, authentic – whichever superlative they’ve chosen – regardless of whether any facts have been gathered or what those facts tell us. And that they choose to view me through the lens of competition rather than as a fellow artist.

Maybe other people don’t value generosity of spirit so highly as an artistic trait. I dunno. So, leave me a comment – do others feel the same, or am I just old-fashioned?