An article for Far Out Magazine revisits a notoriously blunt remark made by Lou Reed, the late Velvet Underground frontman, about fellow musician Tom Waits, in which Reed dismissed Waits as too unattractive to bother listening to. The piece frames the comment as characteristic of Reed's reputation for scathing, often gratuitous put-downs of his contemporaries, and questions why an artist would judge music by appearance rather than sound, suggesting the remark may have stemmed from Reed feeling some form of professional rivalry.

Reed is quoted as saying he believed in "glamour" and that Waits was "ugly and grubby," adding he didn't care if Waits was talented. When later asked about his own looks, Reed replied he'd "been told I have my moments," a response the article treats with scepticism given his own unconventional appearance. The piece, published by Far Out Magazine, offers no evidence that Waits ever responded directly, though it speculates he would have dismissed the comments outright.