Pitchfork’s comma use suggests they may have been bought out by The Guardian. Most American style guides recommend keeping punctuation inside quotes, while many blogs seem to follow the British approach, which is certainly more logical (it avoids making punctuation an accomplice), even though I find it aesthetically discomforting (and anti-American!). There is one incongruity: Ed Droste’s first quote conforms to common rules of attribution (he said, she said, etc.), keeping the comma inside the quote. The visual inconsistency irks me, in spite of its logic. I would also like to point out an unfortunate “missed opportunity” for a semi-colon (the most provocative of punctuation marks whose prevalence on grad school dissertations is now vindicated by its near absence on Twitter). Otherwise, the post reflects solid grammar (album titles in italics, song titles in “quotes,” and intelligent distinction between “their” and “they are.”) I should point out that TV shows should technically be in italics, but who’s keeping track? Apocalypse Wow. (Just one more thing: whatever happened to “smart quotes”?)
