Don't be that guy

It's bad enough to be singled out by the largest newspaper in the region while at a reality television show concert, especially after being bilked $40 to see the recording industry's latest repackaged band of has-beens. It's also rather poor concert etiquette to wear the shirt of the band you're going to see; it makes about as much sense as paying to see a burned-out dreck like Tommy Lee flounder away on stage with four other washed-up hacks.

But to be the one person donning a Dilana tank top with the South African singer featured in the concert, only to be plucked out of a crowd of thousands by a roving reporter who decides to feature your gaff in the lead of her prattling article about merchandising? Well, that's just uncanny.

Such was the case for an unfortunate Amsterdam teacher Sunday, who ended up on the cover of the Albany Times Union in an article that struggled to make any sense. There were some quotes from the teacher, then some from a few merchandisers, then suddenly a paraphrased rap lyric from P-Diddy, who oddly enough wasn't even at the concert; utterly baffling. Most likely, the reporter was assigned to cover the event for a news article and tried to find a catchy angle for an event utterly devoid of news.

And now that Times Union has its name emblazoned on the front of the Knickerbocker, get ready for a few more articles like this. Maybe next time they'll pick up on the pop culture fashion faux pas that was glossed over in the lead. At least then readers can then laugh along with their shameless self-promotion.