BlogHer - Entertainment & Culture - Comments

I completely agree!

chavwright — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 09:35:01 -0500

I always know how much I love a book by how long it takes me to start something else. I think I took 1.5 days (a lifetime for me) before diving into anything else. When I finished this book, I held it in my lap for a while, just willing it to get longer. I was so sad to say goodbye to the characters. I haven't read it again, but I know that when I do, I'll feel the same way. I desperately wanted to live on the island with them. It's a true gem, and I recommend it to every one looking for something to read.

Amen!

AmberS — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:40:25 -0500

I totally agree with you. Jessica Simpson is not about beauty from within. She is also not at all about self-confidence or personal strength or any of those 'beauty from within' attributes.

Which is understandable, because as you point out it's her job to uphold a certain standard of attractiveness. It's not her job to be a positive academic role model. But let's not pretend otherwise, you know?

I don't think I'll be watching.

~ Amber

www.strocel.com

How to wear a miniskirt

Beth Engel — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:18:15 -0500

I'm pretty sure my miniskirt days are over, but I'll check out that article anyway... I'm curious. :)

My mame is Beth Engel. I've been running my own online business, Epic Merchandise, where I sell personalized, engraved gifts, since 2003.

It's difficult.

Liz Rizzo — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:37:24 -0500

When I write a negative review, I try to be clear about what I didn't like and why, because I've found that readers come from all different perspectives. For example, if I didn't like it because it's too fluffy for me or too simply written, I say that, because another reader might be looking for exactly that thing. I often read a negative review of a book, restaurant, etc. and think, I've got to check that out!

Ultimately, I think mention on blogs equals increased exposure for a book, no matter what the reviewer says. When I read a book I don't like, I dread writing the review. So I try to keep in mind my honest opinion, and share it with my readers for their own appraisal. I try to take the stand of, here's why I didn't enjoy this book.

I can respect peeps who just don't do bad book reviews, though. I'm in the entertainment industry, and if I don't like a movie or television I just keep my blog shut about it!

I think review has to be done by those outside a craft, because when you get too close, you gain too much understanding of the process to be honest and critical.

Liz Rizzo

I blog at Everyday Goddess.

thanks for the link!

kimblahg — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:36:42 -0500

thanks for the link!

A Network That Could Be A Source Of Pride

Megan Smith — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:50:13 -0500

Hi Michelle,

BET is a network that could be a source of great pride instead of a source of embarrassment and anger.

And Adrienne, I find your experience interesting. It's kind of like twenty-somethings wearing flip flops at Fortune 500 companies. Like you said....sigh...

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

Megan's Minute

I'm sad for his family.

CantHardlyWait — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:57:39 -0500

Biological or not, Michael was their father. As bizzare as he was, he was their father. Black, white, cosmetic surgery, no cosmetic surgery, the king of pop, not the king of pop, to those kids... no matter who or what michael jackson was, he was their father.

Cheeky

gretnagreene — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:30:34 -0500

I think if it had been me I'd have blown my top. I wrote a book once, a long time ago, and it is so incredibly difficult to try & promote it and to try & get even small independent book stores to take it.

Trying to sell your own book on your own website is so obviously what anyone is going to do, the people who complain don't live in the real World - if they'd ever tried to do anything, to run a business, create a product, or write a book they'd know how incredibly difficult it is and would be more understanding.

I'm afraid the World seems full of people like this at times, people who want to just compalin and knock other people, you just have to ignore them and get on with it.

Respect

Adriennevh — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:44:04 -0500

I worked the show, I worked in the backstage (read parking lot area), where the seat fillers, mosh pit fillers and the 106 and Park pre party people were staged and shuttled over.

I was surprised to see how "undressed" most of them were. If this is an awards show, shouldn't the attire reflect that?

Girls in shorts shorter than any Daisy Dukes I have ever seen. Guys in jeans down around their knees (and these were the seat fillers!).

I understand that the "dress code" of some shows is not quite Oscar's, but it just shouted disrespectful to me.

As I was sitting backstage (I never actually saw the show), I was reading tweets on my phone from East Coast watchers and just sighed.

I have never been a watcher of BET, don't even know if my cable carries it or not, but I guess I am just disappointed that a formerly respectable tv station and awards show has "jumped the shark".

Amen

tzt — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:44:34 -0500

It's been (sadly) kind of liberating to hear Michael Jackson's music and see his videos without the spectre of his crazy/tragic/creepy/pick your adjective persona of the last several years hanging over them.

I listened to an a capella recording of "Rock With You" that I found somewhere on the internet and was struck by the force of his voice. I watched some videos on VH1 Classic and just enjoyed the heck out of them for the first time since I was a tween.

It's brought back a lot of memories that he provided the soundtrack for, and that's the best way to mourn him that I can think of.

Tiny Mantras
http://tzt.blogspot.com

Writearm
http://www.writearm.com

Michael Jackson Overload

seakiev — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:19:51 -0500

Last night I was watching AC360 and they spent 50 minutes talking about Michael Jackson and the last ten minutes of the broadcast talking about other news such as our troops coming home from Iraq.

While I am sad that anyone has to die before their time, I’m concerned that some news organizations (like CNN) have allowed their newscasts to become dominated by all things Michael Jackson.

I’m just wondering if MJ’s life is more significant than our men and women who have died in Iraq?

Or what will matter more to our lives, finding out who the real parents of MJ’s children are, or finding out how we can cut down on healthcare costs and our dependency on foreign oil ?

My thoughts exactly

Southerngirl — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:02:56 -0500

Everything you guys said and esp this:

In fact the only way my cable box ever lands on the dreaded BET channel is if my finger slips on the remote. Then I make sure to get the heck out of there before my eyeballs fry and my blood boils.

I did try to watch a Boyz in the Hood one night and the commercials just got to me. I could not even finish the movie. I have blocked it on my kids' TV, I should just do the same on mine as well.

I hope no one was expecting anything less from Lil wayne. I have seen enough of his interveiws and listened to his songs enough to know that he beleives his press clippings.

I have written enough complaints to BET to wallpaper a room. I do not think they are listening. Because after all they are catering to their market. Whoever that is.

Michelle

I blog at http://www.mommycan.blogspot.com/

Thanks for your perspective

Virginia DeBolt — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:03:48 -0500

The more things change, the more things remain the same, right?

Virginia DeBolt
BlogHer CE
Web Teacher
First 50 Words

So-called sleazy sources have been breaking real news for years!

Lisa Stone — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:53:45 -0500

Great round-up of links Virginia!

I have to say, however, that I'm rolling my eyes at so much of what's being said. I keep wanting to type in all caps on Twitter NEWS IS NEWS, NO MATTER WHAT TOOLS USERS USE TO READ AND SHARE IT.

It's been years since only The New York Times and the AP verified news. I don't think TMZ's breaking the news of Michael Jackson's death is revolutionary, nor is the fact that people have flocked to the latest news-sharing source (Twitter and texting) to hype a celebrity tragedy. Same behavior, different tools. It's certainly nothing new for a gossip mag or site to break real national news. Print tabloid National Enquirer (Jesse Jackson's child born out of wedlock) begat Web site Drudge Report (Bill Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky) which begat gossip blog TMZ (Michael Jackson's death). Twitter and texting is just yesterday's cell phone con call and yesteryear's print newspaper and long-form letter. It's all news, wrung through the filter of "what's important to me the user."

Reporters from all media who turn to Twitter to find out what's up are doing what good reporters do: They're working their sources to find out what's up. Following someone on Twitter today is like me putting their business card in my Rolodex twenty years ago and dialing them on my rotary phone to gossip about what's up.

What is newsworthy to me is that the ability to curate and edit news and to provide perspective and context -- to separate what's hot, valuable and newsworthy from the spin, baloney and personal agendas sources try to feed to readers -- is still as valuable as ever. And that's called journalism.

They are HIS KIDS

Southerngirl — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:40:19 -0500

How a family is created is not important. That they are family is. It does not matter whose biology these children have, the person they knew as daddy is GONE. Never to return again. I was 33 when my daddy died (just like Micheal of sudden cardiac arrest) and I can still dissolve in tears 7 years later. I cannot imagine being so young and losing my parent. This is one part of this story I hope just goes away. These kids are too young for this mess and in this day and age thay can follow this crap as it plays out and it will be recorded for eternity in case they would ever like to put this behind them.

I think in all of the gossip that comes out we tend to forget that these are real live PEOPLE with families and people who love them. No one exists in a vaccum. We have to ask ourselves if children are acceptable collateral damage from the need of trashy details.

Michelle

I blog at http://www.mommycan.blogspot.com/