Go Fug Yourself: Fugly is the New Pretty - A Critique.
Blogs have become a vehicle for ordinary people to voice their opinions and views on all sorts of issues and events. These opinions and views, may at times, be those that are not found in mainstream media. They represent an alternative view on things and even at times are insightful, unconventional and just humorous pieces of writings to read. An example is the blog of
go fug yourself.
So, what makes this particular blog interesting?
This blog has become a platform for people to express their personal views about the fashion “crimes” of celebrities without any restrictions. I guess it is similar to that of fashion magazines but as this blog is online there are fewer restraints in the diversity of opinions. Whether people present negative or positive views, it is difficult to track down the writers. Particularly with this blog,
go fug yourself, the publishers are unknown, “we prefer to be very low-key” (
www.gofugyourself.com). The blog only presents the writers as ‘meet the fuggers’, named Heather and Jessica. With no actual real photo or any concrete detail of these “fuggers” it is then difficult to know the writers of this blog personally, to build a relation with their audience. I guess, that’s one of the main advantages in blogging, one can write whatever they want and not have to have any responsibility for any negative publicity.
However, despite their ambiguity in terms of their names and details, this blog has been particularly favoured by several established newspaper organisations such as ‘
Entertainment Weekly’, ‘
Vanity Fair’, “Named a "site [they] can't get enough of," July 2006, p. 38.” (
www.gofugyourself.com), and '
TIME', “One of the
50 Coolest Web sites of 2005, according to Time.com, the online wing of the famed newsmagazine.” (
www.gofugyourself.com) As you can see this blog has built a solid reputation in terms of their insights into celebrity fashion. They have been recognised by large news organisations. This just goes to show that the power and influence of the blogosphere is on a high. It is becoming more and more acknowledged as a form of journalism?
With the content being in the form of personal commentary about celebrity fashion mishaps and entertainment based makes this blog attractive as it engages the audience through making fun of celebrities. These celebrities include Britney Spears to Gwen Stefani to Paris Hilton and the list goes on…They also write about recent celebrity events such as the Golden Globe Awards. Their latest posts include writings about the fashion “crimes” of the Golden Globes, which show that this blog is continually update with recent events. It gives the audience a sense that these writers are up to date with the latest events and then comments about it.
Go fug yourself has been increasingly popular with an average visit per day of 155, 371. This goes to show that their influence is widespread and I guess it’s just valid (the statistics) as this blog is attractive, easy to read, and very very interesting to see other peoples takes on celebrity fashion.
Hence the blog
www.gofugyourself.com gives the audience an alternative view to the mainstream media. It voices the opinions of the “outsider” which may be more interesting than the “insider”. Which ever one the audience chooses, what can be agreed is that
www.gofugyourself.com puts a humorous spin on celebrity fashions.
Labels: Entertainment Weekly, fashion, Go Fug Yourself, Golden Globes, TIME, Vanity Fair
The Celebrity Craze!
In continuation of a class presentation my group conducted today, I'd like to talk about the celebrity craze and whether or not celebrities have a moral responsibility to their viewers?
It is a topical and debatable topic, where both sides have strong and valid points.
However, through the process of preparing this presentation I realised that my opinion is that yes, celebrities do have a moral responsibility to their viewers. It has been established that their influences and popularity are so widespread that even their every action is noted by the public and media officers who make the news. The extent of this "craze" is that celebrities set the standards about what is and is not socially acceptable in society. Example: the recent events of Nicole Ritchie caught driving under the influence of drugs. The next day, this piece of news was coloured on all prominant celebrity magazines cover page: images of Nicole Ritchie with police and headlines reading, something like, "Nicole Ritchie caught speeding and found illegal drugs in her system" (something along those lines)
The point here is that, celebrities have the responsibility to take care of their actions because, I think that the public are easily influenced by celebrities. And its not just even the public who are influenced but also other stars and celebrities are influencedby other celebrities. Example: Paris Hilton and her dog, Tinkerbell. Paris carries her dog in her branded LV purse wherever she goes - shoppong, lunch, etc. Within the following weeks celebrity magazines were illustrating pictures of other stars who have decided to have a dog in their purse, such as Britney Spears. This goes to show that the influences of celebrities is vast.
I guess, one could argue that it is the celebrity, they have their own lives, they have the right to do whatever they want but celebrities are no longer a private enterprise. Once they have stepped into the media light, they have become public property as the public have the power to choose which celebrities can succeed in the entertainment industry. The public have this power by not consuming anymore magazines, they have lost their interest in celebrities.
This allows one to question: is that why celebrites are becoming more and more unusual and weird? Examples: Paris Hilton in the reality tv show "Simple Life". Is it valid to say that Paris Hilton has already shown it all to the public, that she thinks that she may aswell make money from showing off her stupidity as she knows that it is what the public wants and craves - to see the fallibility of celebrities. To see their weakness and mistakes because it gives them a sense of comfort and relief to know that even celebrites are not perfect.
So, I think that to accept celebrities as role models, in my opinion, is wrong. I think that their notorious and scandalous behaviour set negative images about social standards, about what is acceptable in society. I understand that magazines are just trying to make money from the celebrities weakness and downfall yet don't celebrities realise that they have a moral responsibility to their viewers?
-I think so. -
(I think this post has become a repeat of today's presentation?! hahaha..Oh, well..it was interesting and fun to do, so why not, eh?)
Labels: Britney Spears, Celebrities, LV, magazines, Nicole Ritchie, Paris Hilton, Simple Life, tinkerbell
Untouched Beauty.
These past few days I had been longing for time to just sit back and relax. To have time to sleep in and not have assignments to be done. Finally, I received this time at a family trip to Port Stephens. We booked out a house by the beach for 3 nights. I travlled there with my family and my aunts and uncles (as usual a holiday is never without my large family)
When I arrived there, I didn't know what to expect. I thought we might just go to the beach and the malls - like we always do. But I was wrong. While we did go to the beach and malls, I didn't expect to have actually family family time. Because we never really did have family family time so I thought we would never change. So what made this time different? I guess it was just the fact that we couldn't "run" anywhere since we didn't know where to go and so are forced to spend time with the family.
The first thing that got to realise that this was a really special time with my family was when we all popped by to the local shopping village and went to buy our necessary groceries. We all went in, all 10 of us and just went into all the aisles and got what we needed. While I was in the aisles, picking up some stuff, I passed by aunt and uncle who picked out the same stuff as me. I know it sounds lame but I guess its just weird teh whole family going down and doing the shopping together. And its funny as even in a grocery store I learnt alot about my family through the foods the eat and like. I guess it just made me realise that yes eventhough my family is quite large, I appreciate the things we get to share. It was funny as we got to the cash register to pay, the cashier was amused by the fact that we were still missing some stuff after like 1 trolly full of food and how like all 6 adults were waiting to pay the bill and probably guessed that we were all tourists. He was curious and asked us where we were from etc. but I felt like he was finding it amusing for all of us buying the food, because we had different needs. But I guess, its the fact that my family is unique that makes it all interesting and loving.
We all chipped in to help cook and put the groceries into its places. And even here, I felt like I was connecting even more with my family. We were joking and fooling around while cooking and I guess the best part was everyone was there. You couldn't escape, you didn't know where to go.
We had dinner. All sitting at the dinner table for my family is unusual and different. Usually we would eat at diferent times and hence never eat at the dinner table. This time we were all there and to an extent "forced" to make conversation. But it was an exclusive time where we shared our views and opinions about things and just talked about things that mattered in our lives. It was here where I began a great appreciation of the time I get to have with my family. The warmth, care, and attention we all shared there was rare and unforgettable. We laughed, we debated, we argued together in a non-violent manner, and just made the most of the time together.
(image from google)
The following days continued with more joys, warmth -physically from the sun and emotionally from my family, laughters, jokes, and just simply more fun! This time we went to go dolphin watching and went on a 4WD Sand Dune drive. That was extremely enjoyable. To be in a car and driving rougly over the sand was, I didn't realise, exciting. And by the time we got to the spot the view was incredible. I was so amazed by all shown to me these past few days. My family, quality time, sharing, connecting and to top it off with dolphin watching and the sand dunes was just wonderful.
(the crisp blue sky...the car wheel tracks digs prints into the soft sand...)
As I sat on the sand dunes, I said prayer of appreciation of all that I have-my family and all that will come in future. Although I don't know what my future holds for me but I do know that it will be something great and spectacular. This I took as a metaphor from the sand dunes...10 mins of rocking and turning in the car...the heat of not knowing where this path will take me...where my destination was...and to be stumbled across a wide strip sand dunes after the other was just amazing. I realised that this is a form of life. You travel on hard roads, at times uncertain ones and think that this may be he wrong road...But when I got to the actual sand dunes... I was stumbled by the beauty of it...to see that at the end of each rocky road there is a piece of reward waiting to be consumed... It was indescribable!
At the end of this trip, I realised it was becoming a new year. To let go and to move on...However, the beginning of this year seems to be a little less frightening than the year before. I don't know why. I guess i feel that this year holds somethings that I dont know, I cannot grasp yet I feel security and comfort within it.
-it has been a refreshing start to the new year!-
~ in the midst of unknowness and ambiguity .... I feel security, comfort and peace ~
Labels: beach, dolphin watching, family, Port Stephens, sand dunes
