“Where are all the people of color?”

TONY i really and truly love you. You are my social guide for new york, BUt i am truly dissapointed.The saddest part is probably a few editors are going to read these comments and not care. The fact that you felt you needed a disclaimer for goodness sakes say a whole lot, Spike Lee not the ground breaker he once was? What grounds did elliot spitzer ever break. Love Tina Fey but she rose to fame like 5 years ago.You just proved that white and black america will always be seperated somehow.

Your choice to defend why people based on color are not in the same catagory of influence with whites is so upsetting. I was surely offeneded when i saw the cover but as is life but to have the editor sit here after the fact and try to explain why its okay to be a bigot as long as you admit it is even sadder. Im sick of you guys and your shitty commentary Here, London or Chicago. Just stop breaking my heart.

talk about much ado about nothing. not all people of color are offended by this and frankly, find it kind of ridiculous that Freidson feels the need to respond and defend these choices. the magazine is fine and please, please, please do not give in to racial guilt tripping and power plays like this. we've had just about enough of the racial witch hunts this year.

When I first saw this cover, I was pretty shocked. Despite enjoying Time Out's format, I likewise plan not to renew my subscription. Equally shocking was looking at the TimeOut London cover--from a similarly diverse city, no? and finding that, similarly, just about the only people of color represented were rappers. Nothing against rap, mind you! But it's much too limited a view for this age, the editor should be embarrassed. And where was Mr. Murray Hill in the NYC issue??

This cover is kInd of like walking into a Apple Store. Am I the only one that notices that Apple manages to staff it’s stores full of people that in no way reflect the ethnic and cultural diversity of New Yorkers (including native accents) and instead seems to wait at the airport for the hipster geek to get off from a flight from Seattle or SFO to offer them a job? This is typical of the “willaimsburg, downtown, and lowereast side ethnic rut that this mentality is stuck in.

This comment board brings a tear to my eye... love you, New York.

Um, yeah, this is the worst explanation ever. FAIL. And it would never fly with the readers of Time Out London y'know.

Nick, are you blind?

Wow, that is the same rationale that rich white men have used for generations. Explain to me how is that "hip"?

I don't recognize anybody but a few artists and politicians. Other than that no body who I feel has affected my life and culture as a New Yorker in my 30 years of living here. Of course you added a few tv stars who's only connection to my New York is the few times I've seen them on tv, but as real New Yorker, I don't watch much of that. You people from the suburbs vying for hipsterism are more connected to that. I think this just goes to show, that in the eyes of time out, New York is passe.

I will also say that your response reminds me a lot of ones people have made to explain why there were few blacks in pilot programs, few blacks in elite universities, few qualified black doctors etc. The government decided the institutions were racist and put affirmative action laws in place to rectify it. I am also super curious to know how your staff members of color REALLY feel about your statements. Don't assume they agree. I would quit.

I lose more respect for Freidson as an editor the more he talks. Don't blame New York for the whitewashing. Just admit your whiteness allows you to appreciate mostly white things. Don't assume that is just the way it is. You made choices. Look them in the faces. See what it says about your mag staff. People who are in the know as well disagree with you. We're looking at the same city and its just more colorful to others of us. It's you that is different. Take responsibility for that.

what a terrible explanation! "But when you continue this conversation, think about what this list says about this city and its recent history. And hope for a more colorful Top 50, come 10 years from now. We will." Part of that progress is pointing those people out you d bags. heres a suggestion, what about up and coming playwright thomas bradshaw or artsit paolo arao. way to try to justify.

what a terrible explanation! "But when you continue this conversation, think about what this list says about this city and its recent history. And hope for a more colorful Top 50, come 10 years from now. We will." Part of that progress is pointing those people out you d bags. heres a suggestion, what about up and coming playwright thomas bradshaw or artist paolo arao. way to try to justify.

You idiots have finally proven how totally out of touch and irrelevant you are. Your ludicrous logic justifying exclusion some of the most innovative and dynamic people of color in the city also verifies what I've believed as true for some time - you so-called "cultural elites" in Manhattan have long viewed yourselves as somehow above the racial divisions of the rest of the country. Fact is, you're just as proud of your white supremacy as overtly racist elements in the American south!

Your assertion that New York culture-makers are still mostly white indicates to all of your readership how irrelevant your opinion is about culture in New York City. Too bad you don't aspire to be groundbreaking in your editorial work! How many your staff and editors involved in making these choices are people of color? Let's hope that white supremcist publications such as this are soon a thing of the past.

"... that list is also a reflection of New York in the past dozen years—a city whose cultural elite have been mainly white. Our Top 40 was never meant to endorse that fact, but it can’t help but reflect it. What does it say about New York that the culture-makers are still mostly white?" MICHAEL, WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT TONY that you just wrote that? WHAT THE &(*&$#)(*@# ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? Apologize (in print) and resign and maybe someday Ill buy another copy of your sorry mag.

This is an immediate response. A more lengthy one will follow. I am shocked at the omissions and even more shocked and disgusted by your pompous response. To use your criteria in just one instance, how the F$^&*$ does Spitzer make this list as either currently active or positive? Your rationale for your choices is baseless, thoughtless and - yes, let's say it - racist. There's no other way around it. No more biz from me.

As a WHITE life-long NYC resident, I'm not appalled at TONY's omission, because TONY has proven itself to be the guide for WHITE TOURISTS and WHITE NYU and COLUMBIA and New School students. They know their market, and they can't alienate/scare the white americans and european tourists by presenting too many colored folk. If we expect TONY to represent the true diversity of our city then we are mistaken. TONY is the cultural NY POST. Murdoch might as well own it.

TONY your excuse is full of shit! And rather than reiterate all of the excellent points already made in the posts on this page, I'm calling on everyone who reads this page to CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS and get your cultural listings elsewhere. Thankfully the Web has made this magazine pretty irrelevant anyway.

TONY, your rationale is lame and you should be embarrassed. As a playwright exposed to the arts there are so many significant diverse voices in the theater. Lynn Nottage, Suzan Lori-Parks, Mos Def, David Henry Hwang, Young Jean Lee. Yet you have the metrocard and spider man and all white writers/actors? I mean come on. Come up with better reasoning or better yet higher more diverse writers who actually represent this city. Perhaps this cover reflects who you all are at TONY but not NYC.

Your editors are clearly white and don't know people of color and hence the argument that there is a lack of people of color to add to your list. Even when reporting about hoods that are predominantly people of color TONY always has that Christopher Columbus syndrome that something has been "discovered" just because you guys stumbled on it. Maybe if you had more editors of color "discovering" the contributions of people of color to this city wouldn't be such a challenge for your magazine.

I think if TONY wants to be a relevant source of information for this city it needs to take a look at who those 5 editors are.

Pretty weak, Friedman. Effin Spiderman? C'mon. Wish you had the backbone to admit you and your provincial, overeducated, self-important staff screwed up.

finally! finally confirmation of the new york city we know and love!! TONY you are right on to name this incredibly diverse (look at all those hairstyles!) group of culture makers into the top 40. its not myopic! not self-congratulatory! nothing masturbatory about it! why shouldn't everyone on a panel in the most diverse city in the world share the exact same world view?! what's wrong with you people! stop complaining! weren't you educated in the U.S.? signed, the casts of Seinfeld & Friends

Pretty ridiculous. I've been noticing for a while that the people on Time Out covers are almost always white, and the 40th issue was no exception. That you realized as much before printing explains how Jeter and Jay-Z wound up on the front cover and not the insert. The word "positive" knocked out some minority candidates, but Spitzer winds up on the cover? You would have done better not to issue a response and leave the self-conscious provacateuring to the next lame feature article.

Not to be redundant, but you people are full of shit. Stick to listing events. You really don't need to explain my city or my world to me.

Majora Carter!!!!!!

I guess TONY should rename itself Time Out Manhattan. I am so appalled by the lack of diversity in the “top 40.” If the definitions were too narrow to include people who made a difference in other boroughs, or in other ways – and as such ended up completely unrepresentative of the majority of New Yorkers – then you really need to rethink your whole approach.

This issue confirmed my suspicion that TimeOut is a classist and racist magazine. It's no wonder that whenever the Bronx gets a writeup in this mag (seldom!) it's almost always back-handed. Screw this mag... I'm definitely not renewing my subscription.

The original omission was offensive. This defense is patently racist. You suggest that the devaluation of cultural contributions by women and people of color through their exclusion is justification for your continued exclusion of them. More than that, your reasons are transparently false. Seriously, Nellie McKay and NY1 dude are more relevant and "groundbreaking" than Chang, Wolfe, Santogold, or Wright? Spiderman is fresher than Lee or Ono? He's not even real! LeCompte edgier than Ping Chong?

How dare you say the culturally elite is mostly comprised of white people? New York is full of people of color who have contributed greatly to New York. How dare you leave out a great actor (Jeffrey Wright) because of lack of exposure yet you yourself state he is great. This list is means nothing to no one because you leave out people due to career choices they've made that you didn't like. Your explanation is moronic try again Michael!!!

I'm white and I was immediately taken aback by this glaring omission. I agree with those folks who say: (a) your pitiful and racist rationale should have been printed in the mag; and (b) I've never heard of a lot of the supposedly cutting-edge people on your list. You could've come up with a truly representative sampling of New York's diversity if you tried. More people of color just didn't make the cut? Give me a break. You seem to thrive on offensive controversy. Very, very uncool.

I'm really stuck on your statement that the "list is also a reflection of New York in the past dozen years—a city whose cultural elite have been mainly white." The funny thing is that this city's cultural elite is far more diverse than you give it credit.

To address Nick's comment- it took me exactly seven minutes to come up with the following: Wynton Marsalis, Rosie Perez, Ronald K. Brown, Hilton Als, David Henry Hwang, Spike Lee, Bill T. Jones, Kara Walker, Alicia Keys, Edwige Danticat, Suzan-Lori Parks. There are so many more! The diversity is there, it's not that hard!

I wasn't offended by the fact that the Top 40 was a bit lacking in the people of color department (I'm used to being underrepresented in mainstream media). However, what didn't bother me last week bothers me today because of this awful explanation.Every time I thought the article was making a turn for something I agreed with or at least could justify you saying, it quickly returned to the messed up defensiveness that makes up this entire response. And seriously, we don't deserve a hard copy page?

Interesting how all but one comment so far has bitched about the article but not volunteered any new names.

It seems that in a time of dwindling magazine subscriptions and budgetary problems that TONY would welcome an opportunity to expand its reach to the entire city instead of limiting its relevance and appeal. Your top 40 list -and accompanying letter - is insulting to the many iconic artists, taste-makers and denizens (white and otherwise) of the most diverse city in the world. You've clearly demonstrated that TONY is out of touch and unwilling to appreciate NYC's best qualities.

Who knew that NY was being represented by such narrow minds? I suspect that your list was made by a homogeneous group of people with a definition of culture that was also homogeneous. It would seem to me that your staff failed to do their work, to actually do some research and broaden your horizons. If you had, you would have had a list that better reflected the New York City I know and live in. Perhaps you should take a closer look at NYC. I think I'm done reading TONY.

Ok, Michael, I accept your invitation. I'm calling bullshit. Especially since you didn't have the balls to print your pathetic excuse for an excuse in the actual pages of your magazine. Next time, cop to your bullshit and take your lumps instead of copping out.

Mr Freidson, you ask the question, "What does it say about New York that the culture-makers are still mostly white"... What are you talking about, culture-makers in NYC come in all colors??!!... but of course you only seem to acknowledge whites culture as the one and TRUE culture. Sadly, your TOP 40 is just another manifestation of your elitist mentality.

Sorry to say it but your explanation is a cop-out if ever there was such a thing. Most of the excuses given are ludicrous! An unfriendly publicist? Divisive? A Trademark? There were people on the list I had never even heard of. At any rate, it seems the decision makers at TONY reflect a lack of understanding of NYC. Hope you'll take off the blinders in the future and simply look around you.

What I question is, what is the make up of the people sitting in your office making those final decisions. As a person of color and activist you better believe I would have said "what about x person or x person" but if you don't know, you don't. That might be something for TONY to think about and discuss, who were the people that had the "final say"? I hear and echo previous posts. I mean honestly, less than 10% of all the people you chose is a person of color that strikes me as ludicrous.

Sure, Jennifer Lopez may have parlayed her, um, myriad talents into a successful and iconic brand, but when was Spider-Man a fully-formed human being? That alludes me.

The word positive knocked out Al Sharpton who's 'divisive' but Eliot Spitzer's a beacon of positive influence? Ahem.

Spike Lee not the 'groundbreaker' he once was? "When the Levees Broke" (2006), made a full two decades after he broke ground with his "She's Gotta Have It" (1986), will likely prove to be one of his most lastingly relevant and insightful works, and he did it in a format - documentary - he was less practiced in. No longer a groundbreaker? Keep making excuses. It's fun to knock them down as just that, excuses.

How about Rosario Dawson? Talib Kweli? Mos Def? Rosie Perez? Pauline Park? (Pauline Park is a Korean American activist who co-founded the Queens Pride House and NYAGRA, and was the first transgendered person to be grand marshal of the pride parade.) All of these people are not only culturally important to NYC but have made a "positive impact"—and a much more apparent positive impact than many of the people who did make it onto your list.