Ellen DeGeneres summed up our culture’s current self-obsession at the Academy Awards earlier this month.
In not so many words, she announced: Congratulations to all the winners. Especially the real winners. And, since, as host, I am picked from the entire population, I am the biggest winner.
Then she famously did something our culture’s winners now do. She took the most-discussed selfie since President Barack Obama at Nelson Mandela’s wake.
In the process, two things happened.
One, Twitter broke.
Two, it totally previewed our plan for 2014’s annual Best of Monterey County® Readers Poll results.
Part of our plan is the same every year: to spotlight our readers’ favorite spots for inspiration, services and sand dabs – in other words, to provide a mirror of a close-knit and culturally rich place.
Another part of that plan – the theme – changes every year: One year, we had winners pose on red carpets with a short and heavy gold statue; last year, we sent a gorilla to hang out at many of the most evolved bakeries, beaches and barbecues.
This year the plan was to use the most ubiquitous modern-day mirror to show off our winners.
That mirror: the selfie.
But there are no winners without readers. So readers are invited to take a selfie at any of the winning spots (or ones they feel should have won), hashtag it #bestofmc, and enter to win prize packs loaded with food, drink and spa treatments. (See p. 106 for more.)
In other words, thanks for voting. Now get out to some winners and treat yourselfie.
Each year we invite submissions for categories we can add. This year the most popular suggestions were Best Wealth Manager and Best Dog Groomer.
The Best of Monterey County® was written by
- Kera Abraham
- Mark C. Anderson
- Stephanie Bacheller
- Ann Braak
- Nic Coury
- Erik Cushman
- Mary Duan
- Joel Ede
- Michael Fechter
- James A. Foley
- Shiho Fukushima
- Elizabeth Hensley
- Adam Joseph
- Karen Loutzenheiser
- Linda Maceira
- Sara Rubin
- Walter Ryce
- David Schmalz
- Gabriel Skvor
- Arvin Temkar
- Stuart Thornton
- Photos by Nic Coury