I don't have a specific quote I can think of, but the sentence evoked the character in my mind instantly because of how it (out of context, at least) forsakes substance for popularity and generally trashes the value of an artist's work in favor of the buzz around it.
Toohey was a prominent architectural critic who could make or break an architect by a yea or nay in his column. The guy's statements always forwarded an agenda of diminishing the value of individual excellence and achievements in favor of fitting into the popular mode. If a talented architect not under his sanction dared to showcase his work, Toohey would use his influence to shut him down. In context, what he said always sounded insightful, but when you stepped back, you realized how scary his statements were. A quick search yielded this Toohey quote, for example, that falls in line with the theme:
"Artistic value is achieved collectively by each man subordinating himself to the standards of the majority."
The Arrington quote was so evocative because Toohey could personally create popularity and buzz, so he'd literally say something as self-serving as "the supposed greatness of an architect's building is irrelevant . . . the question is, are people [like me] talking about it?"
To be absolutely clear: I am not comparing Mike Arrington to Ellsworth Toohey. What I am saying is that the sentence, as worded, could definitely be a line from one of the latter's monologues.
That last quote reminded me of something I just read on gigaom:
"Seesmic is a video startup I’ve shied away from writing about too often, because I’m not sure I really get it. But I figure if so many smart people think there’s something good going on here, I should keep an eye on what the company is doing."
That's everything I disliked about silicon valley right there.
good point. it's very weird to not trust your own judgment about whether a startup is interesting, but to trust your own judgment of whether others see something in it. understanding what others see is actually harder than just looking at it yourself.
