Article written & published special to the Province.
The fact that mainstream media have made celebrity gossip blogger, Perez Hilton, synonymous with blogging, is one of the greatest tragedies of the web. If you haven’t been introduced to Perez’s particular brand of snarky, childish, eye-gauging celebutrashing, then you are in the minority. According to Nielsen/NetRatings, 1.7 million viewers are happily clicking on PerezHilton.com everyday to get their daily dose of “he got fat, she got fake boobs, they’re engaged, now married, now divorced, and both in rehab” news.
And guess what?
Your shallow addiction to Britney Spear’s cellulite is making Perez rich — and the most famous blogger on the Internet.
In the last few months I’ve seen Perez spring up on the cover and the glossy pages of Rolling Stone, Wired, Time, and People. With the support of mainstream media, Perez’s Internet fame is mutating into TV shows, appearances on popular talk shows like The View, and spawning a whole Internet cesspool of copycat bloggers hoping to cash in on Perez’s success.
The latest celeb blog making a splash on the web is Ashton Kutcher’s South Park-esque, BlahGirls.com. From the man who brought us such quality programming as Punk’d and Beauty and the Geek, we have yet another Perez-cloned site aimed at teenage girls. This is what really gets my knickers in a twist: I understand the potential monetary gain and amusement derived from celeb gossip blogging, but seriously — do teenage girls need to hear any more about Britney flashing her cooch?
The mainstream popularization of trashy, trite, and slovenly written blogs like PerezHilton.com is giving bloggers a bad name.
For many people who aren’t exploring the intense array of intelligent and thought-provoking blogs on the web, Perez might be the only blog they read. And that is one of the great tragedies of the web.
Maybe I am biased. I’m a blogger. Most of my friends are bloggers. I’ve even got my Internet n00b (unskilled user) mother turned on to the idea of keeping an online journal of her recent foray into digital photography. I think that sharing experience, knowledge, and information through first-hand journaling through blogs is an enriching experience for both the author and reader.
Blogs provide a platform for the writer and the reader to strike up an instantaneous discourse through comments which happen in real time.
It’s personal, immediate, and socks you right in the gut if you aren’t careful. It’s freedom of expression at it’s finest. And true, there is a lot of blogging debris on the web, but if more reputable journalists like Matt Taibbi and Anderson Cooper toss their credibility and craft onto the web, hopefully the mainstream will take note and push the crap aside, even if it is crap made from the finest champagne and fair-trade, organic celery sticks.
Opinions & comments? You know where to put ‘em.
Since this was published in the Province this morning, I’ve already received a stack of unimpressed and angry Perez fans. Bring it I say! Plus, in a few hours I’ll be on a plane to Vegas. Should take the sting off.
Oh and if you live in Vancouver, pick up a copy of The Province, my first article may be worth something some day :p
Spike said on September 19th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Makes me a little sad to think that something so staggeringly obvious as Perez Hilton’s worthlessness needs to be pointed out, but congrats on being published all the same.
gdt88 said on September 19th, 2008 at 11:47 am
Amen. I’m glad someone else feels this way about the stupidity and childish bullshit produced by Hilton. My coworkers read his “writing” instead of working and constantly debate the worthless content of this cultural cesspool. Is it too much to ask for a little selective censorship?
Heather said on September 19th, 2008 at 11:51 am
TEAM PEREZ!!!
Sorry Lisa, I love you…but I’ve loved him longer.
I only wish I had done it first.
Stupid and childish? Absolutely. I can’t help myself. It’s like a trainwreck.
Darren said on September 19th, 2008 at 11:53 am
The best treatment of worthless attention seekers is to ignore them. That’s my approach to celebrity gossip, and it ensures that I don’t know the strange names of celebrity babies (a new and particularly repulsive focus of the media). Of course, that means I’m occasional lost during conversations, but somehow I manage.
Sarah said on September 19th, 2008 at 11:53 am
I just read your editorial in The Province today. I have to say I’m unimpressed. I read your blog fairly often, as do I read Perez Hilton’s, and I think it’s entirely bogus for your to put your quasi-intellectual grounding on other bloggers. Blogging is like an editorial, I may not like what you say, but that doesn’t give you the right not to say it, just like it doesn’t give Perez the right to say his. Quite frankly, I think your editorial is rather in the moment, because what you don’t realize by writing the editorial is that anyone who didn’t know about Perez Hilton (and there are many), would now try and find him, and read his blog.
Some might even like him.
Sarah said on September 19th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
I just wanted to point out to some of the other people who make comments on here that just because someone does something you don’t like doesn’t make them worthless.
By the way, calling someone worthless because you don’t approve of them is akin (in my opinion) to using the word hate. Its ugly.
I am a fan of Lisa’s as well as Perez’s (as I’ve said before) and I just wanted to point out that Perez also very often puts info about non-profits who could use funding, and support on his blog as well as the gossip. That in itself earns a thumbs up from me.
Scott Bourne said on September 19th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
See the movie “Idiocracy,” and you’ll see where Perez and those of his ilk are taking us.
M o said on September 19th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Lisa Bettany suckz donkey balls
Lisa Bettany you should be ashamed. You seem to be an educated person, are you turning this into high/low culture debate? Of course, you can think whatever you want to think and of course you can say whatever you want to say about Perez Hilton (who that is I have no idea) and that is the point. If someone else thought that your musings with photography, blogging, iph0ne, etc. utter crap, I would probably send the same kind of
nonsensereply to them although our expectations from our mostlylisa are just higher.Big Mike Lewis said on September 19th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
It staggers my mind how some people become famous. Omarosa thinks she is an actress because of her 15 seconds of backstabbing fame on The Don’s show. Trashing celebs is mediocre journalism at best. Perez Hilton fits in with the likes of Flava Flav and Ant as far as celebrity status goes.
Rod said on September 19th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
I’m in agreement with Darren – I choose just to ignore it. Admittedly, it doesn’t make the problem go away, but if I don’t pay attention to it, I won’t be wasting my time.
And besides, it’s better to have a lot fewer *faithful* readers rather than a huge number that can turn out to be remarkably fickle. If Perez Hilton started posting stuff a couple of days later than his competition, his 1.7M readers would move on rather quickly.
Jeremy Latham said on September 19th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
When I was reading the morning paper, I took a pic of your article and put it on Flickr.
Andy said on September 19th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
As long as there has been an entertainment industry, there have been people like Perez Hilton. Before him, there was the National Enquirer and their like. It goes back to Hedda Hopper where the movie houses actually passed the rumors onto her and well before. Like all our media, over the past couple of decades, it’s become more and more intrusive. If an individual seeks a career in the public light, “we” see no reason we can’t know everything about them, including insight into their personal life. It’s present in all forms of internet blogs, now. Look at the political bloggers or twitter for examples. Rumors spread like wildfire with no care of supporting evidence.
I agree with Lisa that it’s a shame and would further it by saying it brings down the collective IQ. What’s ironic are the people that want it both ways. People like Hilton should have complete freedom of speech, regardless of how ugly or hateful his words may be, but if you criticize him, you are hateful. I personally found Lisa’s opinion of the content of Hilton’s site a fairly accurate, unbiased representation of the majority of the postings. It’s good that he sprinkles links off to non-profits from time to time, but there’s probably a bit of subconscious guilt to go with any desire for helping the public.
Freedom of speech is freedom of speech for all, however. Lisa has every right to criticize what she (and I) feel is a waste of good bandwidth that only seems to serve furthering young girl image issues while making millions for an entertainment leach (my editorial comment, not Lisa’s).
How blogarbage gives blogs a bad name « Reportr.net said on September 19th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
[...] Vancouver blogger, Lisa Bettany has written a thought-provoking piece for The Province on how celebrity sites like Perez Hilton are giving blogs a bad [...]
Miiitch said on September 19th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
In Vegas you say? YAY!
Also, I agree. Perez sucks.
And, Arr. I be a pirate. Or something.
Benji said on September 19th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Perez makes $54,000 everyday on his site. And this is What I Learned from Ashton Kutcher at the TechCrunch 50. :)
James said on September 19th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
I think the comment from Sarah above makes some sense (though I might use ‘pseudo’ as opposed to ‘quasi’ in her comment) and there’s a flip side to this coin. No question that celebrity gossip and trash talk doesn’t merit much consideration.
I also realize that a blog is often a solid self-promotion vehicle (though I use mine to just jot down thoughts and I’ve changed domains and foci more than I’d like to admit, but I don’t really have promotional goals in mind). I’d honestly never read your blog (or heard of you) until your trashing of Hilton in the Province today.
However, I’d hardly call the writing on this blog deep (and that’s fine), but you don’t have much of a pulpit from which to attack anyone else.
From what I can see, this blog mixes a little geeky news with one massive self-promotion exercise. By the sheer volume of self-referential posts and the overabundance (for my taste) of photos of yourself, you’re just at the other end of the noise scale from Hilton.
There’s nothing wrong with doing that, just don’t attack anyone else for being a different version of you. I agree with you that sharing information through blogging makes us all richer, but I’d hardly look to you to be an arbiter of what is valuable and what is not.
Sarah said on September 19th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
I find it really interesting though that she chooses a US blogger to pick on, when there are many Canadian bloggers who do the same thing–ie Laineygossip.com
Since when do we look down on people who try and make money???
Jeremy Latham said on September 19th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
@Sarah – when you post without a link back to who you are it kinda feels like a drive-by…
James said on September 19th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
OK, no drive-by on my part because my criticisms were there too. Then again, for some reason my first comment is awaiting moderation.
Sarah said on September 19th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Sorry–I don’t blog. I work in the stone ages when it comes to ‘writing’–in a real hardcover paper journal. And no one reads it but me. ;)
Ed Lau said on September 19th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
I love how people are defending Perez Hilton like his site is somehow a glorious example of human expression. Ridiculous.
Sarah said on September 19th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
If it is being debated like this, then perhaps it is a “glorious example of human expression”. And who are you to judge? If he had enough guts to put any sort of expression out there, then good for him. It may not be highbrow, but neither is the majority of society. Some people want something they can just laugh at sometimes. Its called a sense of humor–you might want to get one.
Scott said on September 20th, 2008 at 5:16 am
Finally someone has the cajones to tell this ruddy twit off. Perez may have a different style of expression, but he is just plain trashy. I know we are free to express ourself, but his form of expression is highly offensive. His fame is all part of the trend going on in pop culture. We enjoy seeing other people problems exposed on the big screen, even if it means their total humiliation. We are a nation of gossips. We dont need perez exacerbating the already problematic trend. Kudos to you lisa for writing an intelligent piece on a less than intelligent man.
DBJohnson said on September 20th, 2008 at 5:29 am
Kudos to Lisa for having the guts to stand up and speak the truth about an idiot!
I second the recommendation for “Idiocracy” being an illustration of where most of society is pulling the rest of us.
Dave said on September 20th, 2008 at 9:07 am
There are differences between the Perez site and newspaper tabloids. One difference is immediacy of the information, another is the cost- free! They both take an already lowbrow form of ‘news’ and make it more attractive to the masses.
I thought your article was more about blogging not being mainstream and being watered down by tabliod blogs. Watered down in the sense that to many, their only exposure to blogs is Hollywood gossip.
Andy said on September 20th, 2008 at 9:25 am
I’m no real fan of “celebrity”, but these people deserve to be treated fairly and not have rumor mongers spread lies, personal information or microscopic criticism about anything other than their work thrown around in order for someone to make money. Hilton is no better than the popparazzi that hound them everywhere. Well, he makes a lot more money than them.
This is much different than low brow humor. This is the same type of mentality where people slow down to look at car accidents on the highway hoping to see blood or bodies.
Keiron said on September 20th, 2008 at 9:33 am
I’ve actually never been to his site, and generally don’t listen on the odd occasion he gets on UK radio.
However I do manage to read most of that celebrities work – whatsername? You know? That’s it mostlylisa.com!
Russell T. Thibideau said on September 20th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
What I gathered as Lisa’s point was that it is unfortunate that for the majority of people who aren’t familiar with blogs and, for better or worse, the staggering degree of diversity they offer, “blogs” are under threat of becoming synonymous with “tabloids”.
That’s a shame, because even though there are plenty of crappy blogs, there are many that are picking up the slack that the declining quality of other media outlets have created, and some among those that are pushing even further to break new ground.
Making fun of Perez Hilton is a bit like picking low-hanging fruit, but definitely still worthwhile.
Sarah said on September 20th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
More and more that I read some peoples postings on here, I realize that some of you are simply being intellectual snobs.
With the increase in illiteracy rates in Canada and the US shouldn’t we just be happy the general public is reading? And ps…the more I read some of the responses from some of the bloggers on here the more I realize what the issue is–a certain amount of jealousy of Perez Hilton’s success.
Ed Lau said on September 20th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Sarah,
It isn’t high brow…and neither is the majority of society. But if people are looking to Perez and thinking he is an example of actual good that people can do, then I worry for the majority of society. Why shouldn’t we strive to better ourselves rather than reading the idiotic trash we find in the gossip rags? So you’re saying that it’s a good thing The Enquirer sells more copies than The New Yorker?
Sure, I’m jealous of his success. I would love to make that kind of money. I’m also jealous of the guys that run big tobacco and make tons of money off causing the deaths of millions. Heck, I wouldn’t mind making the kind of money insurance companies make by skimping on health care for people that need it.
Sure, I’m jealous of his success. That doesn’t make him any less of a plague.
Sarah said on September 20th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
You know what, I have read the New Yorker, and so have a lot of other people. Some people simply don’t understand the New Yorker, and some don’t like it. I am saying that would you rather people not read at all? It may not be what you want to read, but not all people enjoy the same things. Wouldn’t life be pretty boring if we were all exactly the same?
Soooo–are you putting Perez Hilton on the same level as tobacco companies? As HMO’s? That is fallacy if I ever heard one.
Finally, my point is that the more popular and sucessful he is is directly related to how much of a plague you think he is. Not all of us can be like poor independent bloggers Ed, and wouldn’t it be a worse place if we were? Then you wouldn’t have something to achieve to. :)
Andy said on September 20th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Sarah,
The argument of “we should just be happy people are reading” just doesn’t cover it for a blog. This isn’t a high brow or snob response. Reading Perez Hilton’s website does no more for literacy than reading writing on a public restroom wall would.
Sarah said on September 20th, 2008 at 10:13 pm
Really??? You don’t think simply reading no matter the material doesn’t help literacy? How many people have you met that simply don’t read because they can’t find anything they like? I know of at least a few people where that is exactly the case. I’m sure if you thought about it, you would know a few like that too!
I worked with the Literacy Project in my town for approximately 2 years, volunteering while I finished my B.A. and I can tell you it honestly doesn’t matter what they read–whether a blog, a children’s book or a romance novel.
Just as long as they read.
Duane Storey said on September 20th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
So, just to play devil’s advocate here, how does that compare to a blogger putting photos of themselves up in speedos or bikinis or what not? I have no problem with sex or sex appeal, but does it go hand in hand with intelligent discourse? If they can co-exist, how does it affect one’s credibility?
Considering 1.7 million people are reading that blog, who’s fault is it really, the writer’s, or the idiocy of the mass populace? Every blogger/writer plays into their audience to some extent, even though most don’t want to admit it. That’s why in the end, I think stats are a fairly poor judge of the relevancy of a website or a writer, and why every writer should evaluate their content from time to time under the assumption they are the only reader.
Ohdoctah said on September 20th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
This is the best thing you have written that I have read here. Sad people have no lives and take joy in others BS. Sad that people with no creativity sit around and talk about other people who are stars to become one. No work no effort just talking trash! Your completely right! hugz to you love!
PS A.K. sucks and he is 5!
Ed Lau said on September 20th, 2008 at 11:37 pm
Wow…if you think Perez Hilton is somehow helping the literacy rate, then…wow.
It doesn’t matter how much he makes. Even if he made nothing, what he does would still be worthless. It’s just a shame that so many people are addicted to gossip whoring. I’m all for making money and even making it in slightly evil ways. If you knew the sort of bloggers I associated with…you’d know what I’m talking about. However, that doesn’t change the fact that Perez Hilton perpetuates a cycle of absolute garbage and what he does has absolutely no redeeming value to humankind whatsoever. It would almost be better if people read nothing rather than his drivel.
And yes, I agree with Duane. Perhaps it isn’t his fault and more the fault of the 1.7 million people that feel the need to make their minds an intellectual wasteland.
Sarah Austin said on September 21st, 2008 at 6:38 am
Perezhilton.com is a daily read for me! I don’t think he gives bloggers a bad name.
Sarah said on September 21st, 2008 at 10:53 am
Ed, you just proved to me that some of you people are really snobs. It really bothers me how you talk about the “uneducated public”, denigrating them as a group, over and over again. Frankly I’m disgusted by it, because it emphasizing what I always though about the cultural elite. That they really have no concept about how the average person survives. So the average Canadian/American doesn’t live up to your lofty standards. Instead of changing things though, you complain about them, which is a sure fire way to make change in society!
What I really want to say, is PUT DOWN YOUR NONFAT LATTE WITH EXTRA FOAM FROM STARBUCKS AND ACTUALLY GET INVOLVED!
Scott said on September 21st, 2008 at 11:53 am
Excuse me Sarah, but we are all entitled to our own opinions, and may express them in however we feel. If you don’t care for lisa’s article, no one is forcing you to read it. Now if you dont have anything constructive to say about her opinion, please mind your words. Its called an opinion for a reason.
Damien Franco dot Com » Do You Gossip? said on September 21st, 2008 at 12:59 pm
[...] Mostyly Lisa. As respectable individuals with real mental capacity we should all be ashamed that the biggest [...]
Sarah said on September 21st, 2008 at 2:07 pm
I do have something constructive to say about her article and her blog. I’m not going to read them anymore. I came on here with an open mind because I DO read Perez and Lisa, however its readily apparent on here that the majority of you people think you are the “cultural elite” in society. Its also readily apparent that instead of actually doing something in the world to make it a better place, you are determined to instead just complain.
It little to change the beliefs of the “intellectual wasteland” of society, and does little to help people who you obviously feel are beneath you to grasp a cultural background to their lives. You should all feel ashamed of yourselves for that, including Lisa. I simply pity you, because its my OPINION that until you help someone who desperately needs help with literacy, cultural studies, etc. you really aren’t a true person in society.
On that note, my flight from Vancouver leaves in 4 hours. Good luck in becoming better people than you currently are. :(
Scott said on September 21st, 2008 at 2:27 pm
I find it very unfair to judge someone just because they have a different opinion than you. It is in fact trashy to track every single act a celebrity. And also do you not get the idea of a blog? Bloggers are entitled to the right to complain/point out things they see as a flaw without being able to/wanting to change things. A blog is basically like an online diary for everyone to read your thoughts. Lisa is a true person in society, unlike that perez hilton. I will say one last time Sarah, if you disagree with her views so strongly, feel free to refrain from future comments.
Duane Storey said on September 21st, 2008 at 3:53 pm
@Sarah – Let’s be honest, there are far better things to read than Perez’s website if literacy is the end goal. I think that’s a fairly weak argument. I would sort of buy that people read it for entertainment value, much the same way people go to popcorn movies simply looking to be entertained. But where the line gets fuzzy is when websites intentionally smear peoples’ (even celebrity’s) reputations or make up rumours simply for the sake of being more popular. I have no problem with websites making up big fictional tales, but when they’re smearing the paint from a few people’s lives on the canvas, things often get a bit messy, and I really don’t see the value that comes out of that. If you want to encourage literacy, point a few people to the nearest library or comic book shop. Don’t do it at the expense of real people.
Brandice said on September 21st, 2008 at 7:48 pm
AMEN.
Amen amen amen.
Sarah Austin said on September 21st, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Oh come off it. Perez is gossip. No one actually takes gossip as news. They just like the negativity and they like fighting online. Perez cashes in on that.
Dan said on September 22nd, 2008 at 4:33 am
Perez Hilton is to blogging, what Tony Hawk is to skateboarding… he’s got a lot of fans but he’s lost his way and no longer represents what the art is all about. *waits for EA to launch “Perez Hilton’s Pro Blogger”*
I get seriously frustrated at Celebrity obsessed media and even more frustrated at the people who can’t live without it. You’ve been to England a lot Lisa, you know what I’m talking about. It’s worse here than anywhere! Heat magazine and other such rags make people think that what they print is not only interesting, but that it matters! Perez Hilton is no better.
Kristopher said on September 22nd, 2008 at 3:43 pm
I hate to say that I’m helping a client create a celebrity news blog similar to Perez Hilton…I’m not proud of it, and I don’t plan to ever have it on my portfolio— but he pays the bills y’know?
In any case, Perez Hilton is just sickening…Attending Parsons, he’s a huge idol amongst the majority of students here. It’s gross and I agree. The dirty bastard gives bloggers and the blogging community a BAD rep.
mr. diggles said on September 22nd, 2008 at 4:18 pm
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS POST!!!!!1
Took the words out of my mouth (accept the part about your mother).
It is no surprise really. People getting famous by talking about famous people – this world loves watching bullshit. Tabloids are flourishing.
“Martha Stewart is polishing the brass on the Titanic… it’s all going down” – Tyler Durden
Dan said on September 23rd, 2008 at 5:37 am
One of your best Lisa – press on!
Edwin said on September 23rd, 2008 at 9:23 am
Great post Lisa! I also want to say I agree with Duane Storey’s comment to Sarah. There are better ways and resources to encourage literacy.
Drew Griffin said on September 23rd, 2008 at 10:57 am
Lisa,
Insightful and honest posting. Glad to hear your nOOb mother is following her daughter’s foot steps. Keep up the great work.
m.v. said on September 23rd, 2008 at 3:16 pm
in my opinion perezhilton.com is just a blog created with the sole scope to make money using what the masses unfortunately like, “trashy, demeaning, vulgar gossip whose only scope is to humiliate, denigrate, trash, bash and diminish a human being (hence celeb) just for a morbid pleasure”… i don’t think it will affect the way people sees blogs though…. blogs are like channels on the tv there are enough for every taste and cultural level… thankfully I don’t like those kind of trashy blogs whose writers love to make fun of people…. on top it does more damage to young boys and girls in our society which I’m pretty sure are the 80% of his readers compared to the good it does by placing ads of charities, etc…. like teenagers don’t have enough pressure in their lives with weight, skin color, religious issues and fashion to add on top this kind of journalism in their heads… but I’m afraid its what brings money and that’s what is all about.
Jack said on September 23rd, 2008 at 8:46 pm
I’m not even sure I know who this person is. Judging by the reaction of most people, the right thing to do is probably to continue not caring. Ignorance is bliss, afteral.
JeffDM said on October 3rd, 2008 at 9:43 pm
Sarah, I’m pretty surprised that you’re working so hard to defend such a vacuous posterboy of Idiocracy. You talk about some high-minded ideals, but you seem to ignore the rabid destructiveness of that kind of gossip, calling people snobs for being disgusted with that. It seems to me that you too have the same traits that you are complaining about.
Melissa Yeuxdoux said on October 9th, 2008 at 6:01 am
“…I may not like what you say, but that doesn’t give you the right not to say it…”
I hope that sort of incoherence isn’t the result of reading perezhilton.com.
Sarah said on October 9th, 2008 at 9:23 am
I’m actually calling people snobs for calling other people uneducated for reading the website. Pretty similar to what Melissa is doing actually.
The more I think about this blog, the more I want to say this: Since when have we become the intellectual censor for the world? And what gives us the right to do that?
Wyzard said on October 9th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
My opinion is that if Mario Lavandeira (Perez Hilton’s real name) can make money by getting 1.7 million people to go on his site, then I have this to say…
More power to him.
I don’t like the man – I briefly met him a couple of years ago and he is a wannabe celebrity. He claims to be friends with a number of actors and actresses and in fact they can’t stand him. But, people do like going to his site because people like reading about the drug and sex habits of celebs, true or not.
I agree that he gives bloggers a bad name, but on the other hand if people want to read what he publishes on his web site, then so be it.
No pants to get in the way of Madonna’s superstardom | MostlyLisa.com said on October 30th, 2008 at 1:39 am
[...] skip the recent details of her personal life because as you know from my previous Perez Hilton bashing article, I’m not a fan of celebrity gossip. But in this case, I’ll allow one cheesy [...]
Eduardo said on April 24th, 2009 at 9:10 am
The very fact that intelligent people are mentioning Mr. Hilton and the first amendment in the same sentence is disturbing. Yes, everyone is free to express their opinion, but it should come with a disclaimer and a warning. I’ll bet the founding fathers are slapping their heads wherever they’re at saying “where the %@$! did we go wrong”. The really disturbing trend is that kids are being educated in this gossip, trendy, mass-media oriented society and believing that it is morally ok to behave as such. The real question we should be debating is whether or not blogs should come with a warning screen just like the pornographic sites do. “Caution, this is my opinion and you don’t have to agree”. “Parental Advisory”.
Joyce said on June 9th, 2009 at 10:12 am
@Scott Bourne: I think that movie sums up the direction the world is going in. A world with Jerry Springer as King. Hopefully we can find more important things on the net that enrich us. I’ll stay here and learn new things about my 200 function digital camera. I say let him be and spend your time teaching.