ðɪ ˈʌtni ɹˈiːdɚ dᵻskɹˈaɪbd ðə kˈɑːlʌm æz "ɐ blˈɛnd ʌv spɑːntˈeɪniəs pˈoʊɪtɹi, fˈaɪsti pˈɑːlətˌɪks, ænd fˈænsifəl pˌʊtˈɔn", ænd ðə nˈuː jˈɔːɹk tˈaɪmz kˈɔːld ɪt "ɡlˈɪb, hˈɛktɚɹɪŋ, oʊblˈiːk", ænd sˈɛd ðˌɐɾɪt ɐpˈiːlz pɹaɪmˈɛɹᵻli tʊ ˈɜːbən pɹəfˈɛʃənəlz "hˌuː tˈɜːn tʊ ɪt fɔːɹ ɪɹˈɛvɚɹəns æz mˈʌtʃ æz fɔːɹ ˈɪnsaɪt."
The Utne Reader described the column as "a blend of spontaneous poetry, feisty politics, and fanciful put-on", and The New York Times called it "glib, hectoring, oblique", and said that it appeals primarily to urban professionals "who turn to it for irreverence as much as for insight."