May 14, 2005
Where Are the Stars Arianna Promised Us?
For all the hoopla that led up to the unveiling of the Huffington Post last Monday, the whole thing sure is a let-down.
Not that I really expected to like the site. But Ms. Huffington was puffing about the tremendous star power that was going to be a part of her fancypants entrance into the blogosphere. Of course, she blogs too...right now, she's blogging from Greece, and she calls Homer the "original blogger." Gag.
Who else do we get?
Ellen DeGeneres, John Cusack, Rob Reiner and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (with has-been hubby Brad Hall along for the ride.)
That's it? That's the huge stable of stars? Oh sorry, I forgot Harry Shearer.
We also hear from a few "knowns" in the business of news and commentary, namely Walter Cronkite and David Frum. And as you'll see, Huffington shows her commitment to "diversity" by throwing a few conservatives our way (Frum being one). I'm touched.
It has news items too, but if I want news, I'll check out Drudge Report, or any number of online newspapers (U.S. and international).
So far, the Huffington Post has been a drag. It's boring. It's poorly designed...the page is too "busy," making finding what you want somewhat annoying. Not only that, but there are way too many people involved in it, and most of them seem to be people known only to Hollywood insiders.
I mean, who the heck are Bruce Cohen, Marc Cooper, Torie Osborne and others? Yeah sure, I could check out the "author bios" to see who they are and what they're "famous" for. If they're so famous, though, why do I need to check their bios for information? I should be able to spot a name and say, "So that's what so-and-so has to say."
Sure, bloggers like me aren't exactly household names either. But we don't pretend to be. Yes, we like to see our site meter counts go up, and we enjoy having comments posted by our readers. Some of us even hope to gain the same high profile as blogs like Little Green Footballs and Roger L. Simon. (BTW, what's up with the "no commenting" on the bloggers' posts? Readers can post on the so-called news bits, but I guess Hollywood elitists can't take the chance that some unknown slob from America's heartland might have something less than flattering to say about what they've written.)
Yet fame or no fame, we'll continue to do it as long as we have the desire and patience. It's a hobby, sure, but a passionate one. Not only do we blog, but we check out other blogs to see what other average Joes are saying. We already know what most of LaLa Land thinks, thanks to the MSM. Why read a blog to find out?
The Huffington Post...here to stay? Just another Hollywood status symbol, like having a clothing line, makeup line or perfume named after you? Or doomed to go the way of TV shows like Battle of the Network Stars?
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