While reading a TIME article, I saw an banner about TIME’s quote of the day. This one came from Sarah Ivens, OK!’s US editor. The banner says ‘An editor’s dream is to have a real-life soap opera unravelling in front of you, and Britney provides that every week.’ – Sarah Ivens, OK!’s US editor, on the profitable coverage of Britney Spears. The magazine has a 10-person team in L.A. devoted to the struggling pop star.’
I suppose it takes all types to make a world and of course, this country has free press AND there is really no coercion in this entire matter. But it’s utterly ridiculous to think of 10 people stationed in the city whose only aim in life is to uncover the next seedy happening in Britney Spears’ life. I suppose she doesn’t even need to do anything remotely out of the ordinary to show up on OK!’s front page. It reminds me of how the little boy on the playground has to contend not only with a bleeding lip and a black eye from the fight but also the crowds of kids jeering and pointing at him.
fugney says:
Heh. Well put.
I find it bewildering that people seem so concerned with what kind of a life celebrities lead. Sadder still, they seem to have no moral scruples about this – because *everyone* does, this kind of voyeurism seems to have been legitimised.
January 30, 2008 — 6:08 am
Lakshmi says:
It isn’t really concern – just a morbid curiosity, I think.
January 30, 2008 — 3:32 pm
sajith says:
It is worse when you’re presented with verbatim copies of this manufactured-celebrity obsession crap in Indian media on an everyday basis. It is even worse to see them high in circulation ratings.
All in the name of fourth estate. Yuck.
January 30, 2008 — 4:30 pm
Lakshmi says:
🙂 TOI (print) and TOI (web) seem to have nothing in common. TOI (web) thrives on sensational and utterly ridiculous headlines, it seems.
January 31, 2008 — 9:15 pm
Anonymous says:
Which TOI (print) have you been reading? TOI is the same all the time. It’s the world’s largest selling tabloid (sorry, broadsheet). They write in the same manner as English is spoken, which is utter nonsense.
Bharat
February 1, 2008 — 2:39 am
Lakshmi says:
Haven’t been reading – used to read before I left India. I used to check the scanned version and that seemed similar to the print version as I remember it.
February 1, 2008 — 3:03 am
sajith says:
TOI print leads this trend, actually.
February 1, 2008 — 10:57 am
Lakshmi says:
Re: global village uses improved technology to collect villag gossip
Hmm, that actually places things in a whole new perspective…!
January 31, 2008 — 9:15 pm