 |
| Night Fury aka Toothless the Dragon |
 |
| Momma! It's just me! I'm not a REAL dragon! |
 |
| Beauty and the Beast |
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Happy Halloween!
How to Throw a Blogger Under the Internet Bus: Editor's Edition
The more I think about Maura Kelly and her tactless, tasteless post, the more angry I become, but not at Ms. Kelly. Rather the person who are the subject of my ire is the editor who suggested that Ms. Kelly, a self-proclaimed recovering anorexic, write a piece on weight. Ms. Kelly presents her slanted viewpoint, which said editor approves and publishes for millions of people to read. On top of that, when all hell breaks loose from every corner of the globe, the EIC Joanna Coles goes on record to state "Maura Kelly is a very provocative blogger.” “She was an anorexic herself and this is a subject she feels very strongly about.”
(Note to Joanna Coles: When you think that dating advice and looking for first time love is provocative, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.)
So, let me see if I got this right. The editor suggested (and the EIC approved) an assignment on overweight people showing affection to an admitted anorexic, one who states in her blog profile that "though she's in her thirties, she's never been in love before - and has started to wonder if she ever will be." Asking a weight-phobic, inexperienced 'lover' to write about 'fatties' is about as intelligent as asking a member of AA to cover the local wine fest. Would you tell the one-legged kid to hop through a mine field as a sweeper? No, because it's stupid, unfair, and sets up the perfect recipe for disaster.
The way I see it, there are three ways of looking at this editorial job, and none are flattering in any light. Either Maura Kelly's editor (and Joanna Coles) are:
First off, I think to say that the editors are unintelligent would be a fallacy. Joanna Coles is the editor in chief at Marie Clare and she didn't get there overnight. My guess is that it took years of back-breaking labor, many late nights at the office, and at times, a stunted social life. As for the editor directly over Maura Kelly, I can assume that she has operated under the same format as Ms. Coles in order to gain the position she is in now. So clearly, neither editor is lacking in grey matter.
Second, to say that the editors are like-minded 'fattie' haters would be difficult to pinpoint. As neither editor has been cited for making inflammatory remarks and we are unaware of their private thoughts, it is not fair to brand either editor as a bigot. However, if we were to go on the premise that actions speak louder than words, by approving Maura Kelly's piece for publication, they were de facto mirroring her sentiments. This blogger, willing to err on the side of caution and not throw stones out of spite, will not brand the editors as hate-mongers.
Third, where I draw my conclusion, is that Joanna Coles and the un-named editor are opportunistic media whores. Since Maura's post hit the web, there has been over several thousand hits to the website. An admitted anorexic freelance writer is given a suggested topic. She in turn brings her fears, predispositions, and insecurities into the picture. Her article is then approved by not only her immediate editor, but by proxy the EIC, and her name is now mud on the bathroom wall of the Internet. That's okay, because bad publicity is better than no publicity at all, right? Ad revenue must be up by 150%.
While both editors have well established careers and will not suffer much from this fallout, it appears that Maura Kelly's budding career may come to a crashing halt. I pity her for the daily struggles she must make with each bite of food she puts in her mouth, but do I excuse her terrible remarks? No, not in the least. She is responsible for her own prejudices. But the editors who allowed that piece to be published, I hold them entirely responsible. Just as a parent is there to lookout for the good of their child and correct that child's ill behaviors, the editor is there to look over the author's work to make sure there are no spelling errors, sentence structure and content are sound, and thoughts flow evenly. (Note to editor, don't rely on spell check. It's heroin, not heroine. I know I make my mistakes when I blog, but I don't have a paid editor to catch my misspells.)
When these women editors passed on a piece of work that was rife with hate and condescending advice, they not only did a great injustice to all the people targeted by that work, they possibly put the nail in the coffin of a writer's career.
(Note to Joanna Coles: When you think that dating advice and looking for first time love is provocative, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.)
So, let me see if I got this right. The editor suggested (and the EIC approved) an assignment on overweight people showing affection to an admitted anorexic, one who states in her blog profile that "though she's in her thirties, she's never been in love before - and has started to wonder if she ever will be." Asking a weight-phobic, inexperienced 'lover' to write about 'fatties' is about as intelligent as asking a member of AA to cover the local wine fest. Would you tell the one-legged kid to hop through a mine field as a sweeper? No, because it's stupid, unfair, and sets up the perfect recipe for disaster.
The way I see it, there are three ways of looking at this editorial job, and none are flattering in any light. Either Maura Kelly's editor (and Joanna Coles) are:
- unintelligent/not the sharpest knives in the drawer,
- ignorant, like-minded bigots or
- opportunist media whores
First off, I think to say that the editors are unintelligent would be a fallacy. Joanna Coles is the editor in chief at Marie Clare and she didn't get there overnight. My guess is that it took years of back-breaking labor, many late nights at the office, and at times, a stunted social life. As for the editor directly over Maura Kelly, I can assume that she has operated under the same format as Ms. Coles in order to gain the position she is in now. So clearly, neither editor is lacking in grey matter.
Second, to say that the editors are like-minded 'fattie' haters would be difficult to pinpoint. As neither editor has been cited for making inflammatory remarks and we are unaware of their private thoughts, it is not fair to brand either editor as a bigot. However, if we were to go on the premise that actions speak louder than words, by approving Maura Kelly's piece for publication, they were de facto mirroring her sentiments. This blogger, willing to err on the side of caution and not throw stones out of spite, will not brand the editors as hate-mongers.
Third, where I draw my conclusion, is that Joanna Coles and the un-named editor are opportunistic media whores. Since Maura's post hit the web, there has been over several thousand hits to the website. An admitted anorexic freelance writer is given a suggested topic. She in turn brings her fears, predispositions, and insecurities into the picture. Her article is then approved by not only her immediate editor, but by proxy the EIC, and her name is now mud on the bathroom wall of the Internet. That's okay, because bad publicity is better than no publicity at all, right? Ad revenue must be up by 150%.
While both editors have well established careers and will not suffer much from this fallout, it appears that Maura Kelly's budding career may come to a crashing halt. I pity her for the daily struggles she must make with each bite of food she puts in her mouth, but do I excuse her terrible remarks? No, not in the least. She is responsible for her own prejudices. But the editors who allowed that piece to be published, I hold them entirely responsible. Just as a parent is there to lookout for the good of their child and correct that child's ill behaviors, the editor is there to look over the author's work to make sure there are no spelling errors, sentence structure and content are sound, and thoughts flow evenly. (Note to editor, don't rely on spell check. It's heroin, not heroine. I know I make my mistakes when I blog, but I don't have a paid editor to catch my misspells.)
When these women editors passed on a piece of work that was rife with hate and condescending advice, they not only did a great injustice to all the people targeted by that work, they possibly put the nail in the coffin of a writer's career.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
The Dirt Devil Needs A Dust Busting
 |
| For the record, this is not photo-shopped. He found my old costume. |
Thursday, October 28, 2010
If You've Ever Felt Fat. . . With Absolutely No Apologies to Maura Kelly or Marie Claire's EIC Joanna Coles
Dear tactless Maura Kelly and her questionable editor Joanna Coles
Ladies, have either of you ever woken up in the morning and felt like it was going to be one of your fat days? You know instinctively that none of your clothes will look right on you, you assume everyone at work will see the cellulite on your legs, and your raging PMS hormone-addled body is screaming for chocolate, salt, or a combination of the two. (French fries dunked in a chocolate shake? Why, yes I will!) So when I came across this drivel, I'm sorry, this blog post which masquerades as a piece of freelance writing worthy of monetary compensation Should Fatties Get a Room? (Even on TV?), I am happy to say that I could care less about your ignorant, C minus creative arts class assessment on fat/big boned/obese people. (And really, if you took out the word "Fatties" out of the title and inserted a different age/social/religious/ethnic group, for example, Welfare Recipients, Blacks, Mormons, Hasidic Jews, there would be one hell of a lawsuit and boycott on your hands.)
It's taken me almost 30 years to realize and understand what the ever witty Jen Lancaster says in her book Such a Pretty Fat, "I'm tired of books where a self-loathing heroine is teased to the point where she starves herself skinny in hopes of a fabulous new life. And I hate the message that women can't possibly be happy until we all fit into our skinny jeans. I don't find these stories uplifting: they make me want to hug these women and take them out for fizzy champagne drinks and cheesecakes and explain to them that until they figure out their insides, their outsides don't matter." (Emphasis mine)
See, my body type tends to be more like this:
Instead of THIS:
And I'm not going to apologize for my curves, I'm gonna embrace them! Do you know how much women pay for a set of D-D-D in hopes of raising their self-esteem and garnering more looks from the male population? I got these babies for free! Should I apologize to you because my thighs touch when I stand up or that "Baby Got Back" by Sir-Mix-A-Lot celebrates women like me and not you? Are you that unhappy in your love/emotional/physical life that you find it revolting to see an overweight person in love and enjoying life? Do you somehow feel better knowing that the thousands of people who don't have this gift of understanding and security that I have so lately received are going to cry into their pints of ice cream while they mentally scourge themselves for being viewed as disgusting?
And while you think that your half-assed attempt of an apology (I'm sorry your feelings got hurt for what I said, even though what I said is right, and I'm actually a victim too) is going to cut it, don't count on it. We live in a day and age where cell phones post videos directly to YouTube, blog posts can go viral in a matter of hours, and talking heads love to comment on 'controversial' topics (Joanna's words, not mine). This isn't going to be swept under the rug that easily. My mother said that when you say a word in anger, once it's out there, you can't take it back. The damage has already been done. So Ms. Kelly let this be a lesson to you, never trust an editor who goads you into writing on a topic that you have no real clue about, and understand when you piss off one friend, you've lost one friend. When you piss off a large (pun intended) contingent on the internet, you're screwed.
Ladies, have either of you ever woken up in the morning and felt like it was going to be one of your fat days? You know instinctively that none of your clothes will look right on you, you assume everyone at work will see the cellulite on your legs, and your raging PMS hormone-addled body is screaming for chocolate, salt, or a combination of the two. (French fries dunked in a chocolate shake? Why, yes I will!) So when I came across this drivel, I'm sorry, this blog post which masquerades as a piece of freelance writing worthy of monetary compensation Should Fatties Get a Room? (Even on TV?), I am happy to say that I could care less about your ignorant, C minus creative arts class assessment on fat/big boned/obese people. (And really, if you took out the word "Fatties" out of the title and inserted a different age/social/religious/ethnic group, for example, Welfare Recipients, Blacks, Mormons, Hasidic Jews, there would be one hell of a lawsuit and boycott on your hands.)
It's taken me almost 30 years to realize and understand what the ever witty Jen Lancaster says in her book Such a Pretty Fat, "I'm tired of books where a self-loathing heroine is teased to the point where she starves herself skinny in hopes of a fabulous new life. And I hate the message that women can't possibly be happy until we all fit into our skinny jeans. I don't find these stories uplifting: they make me want to hug these women and take them out for fizzy champagne drinks and cheesecakes and explain to them that until they figure out their insides, their outsides don't matter." (Emphasis mine)
See, my body type tends to be more like this:
 |
| She is so gorgeous! |
 |
| What's not to like? |
Instead of THIS:
 |
| I've seen healthier legs on a stork! |
 |
| I want to scream, "Eat a damn sandwich!" |
And while you think that your half-assed attempt of an apology (I'm sorry your feelings got hurt for what I said, even though what I said is right, and I'm actually a victim too) is going to cut it, don't count on it. We live in a day and age where cell phones post videos directly to YouTube, blog posts can go viral in a matter of hours, and talking heads love to comment on 'controversial' topics (Joanna's words, not mine). This isn't going to be swept under the rug that easily. My mother said that when you say a word in anger, once it's out there, you can't take it back. The damage has already been done. So Ms. Kelly let this be a lesson to you, never trust an editor who goads you into writing on a topic that you have no real clue about, and understand when you piss off one friend, you've lost one friend. When you piss off a large (pun intended) contingent on the internet, you're screwed.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Dinning on Dimes
The economy is in the crapper, unemployment is still high (Fl alone is 12% last time I checked), and gas is 2.75 at best, but an unemployed writer can still swing $4 meals at Steak 'n Shake.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)