In Jason Cherkis’ “review” of Fugazi’s latest release, End Hits (“Kill Yr Idols,” 5/15), a vicious and relentless bashing of the members of Fugazi is unleashed, particularly against Ian MacKaye. Obviously, Ian has somehow personally offended Jason, and Jason is now very bitter and on the attack.

Really, the article tells us nothing about who the members of Fugazi are today (he quotes 1991 articles and homeless 18-year-olds); but instead we learn a great deal about the youth, ignorance, inexperience, and pathos of Jason Cherkis. I could certainly write as much copy as he did by giving cause to the need for Jason to explore his issues in therapy and not the public; but Jason sums it up very well in his last paragraph when he accuses Fugazi of being “humiliatingly plain—they are as apathetic and phony as the rest of us.” Yes, Jason, I’d have to agree that you are humiliatingly plain, phony, and certainly more pathetic than apathetic—but speak for yourself and not the rest of us.

My real disappointment is with the Washington City Paper’s decision to publish for reaction and not content. Jason had nothing to say and resorted to personalizing and sensationalizing his lack of information; this is standard Cherkis MO. His articles are always based on his own very limited experiences, as Jason is not much older than the 18-year-olds who “grew up on Minor Threat.”

The article is titled “Kill Yr Idols”; the only “idol” that has been killed for me is the Washington City Paper. It proves to me, once again, that an editor from the Midwest cannot begin to understand the little nuances that make D.C. special—and Fugazi is one of them. David Carr is so caught up in the cynicism of the D.C. and federal governments that he doesn’t understand the delicate intricacies of what holds the different communities together. Many, many local musicians play benefits and give back to the city that supports them; Fugazi is stellar among them.

No one would take issue with a bad review of End Hits, but Jason doesn’t begin or end there; this was not a review. David Carr should have been professional enough to recognize how unobjective and devoid of content this article is; if nothing else, he should have thought about the community he was offending. But that would be expecting way too much from someone who considers Cherkis a good enough “critic” to actually hire him and pay him for this garbage. The Washington City Paper will continue to lose respect from its readers as long as Carr insists upon taking a tabloid and Midwestern approach to the things in our city that make it special.

Ledroit Park