Blog Eat Blog

A little piece I did on blogs. Mainly posted just to break up the QnA onslaught. Though the article did receive a plug on Perez Hilton's site which I was fairly chuffed about.

Blog Eat Blog

Covering a vast array of topics – from the blunders of prominent political figures to Lindsay Lohan’s latest sans-panties flesh flash – blogs are springing up faster than a STI on an all-gay party cruise.

The blog phenomenon evolved from the online diary, with many people mistakenly thinking that the world needed a blow-by-blow account of their not-so-extraordinary day. This quickly developed into the viable information source that blogs have become.

The newest media pundits are largely free from the demands of advertisers or governing bodies, leaving them to publish a commentary untethered by censorship. Though many of the major media outlets have come to realise the social interest and cultural importance inherent to blogging, incorporating blogs as a part of their online content, the sites that attract the most traffic are still the domain of enterprising individuals who independently inform and entertain their cyber-going public.

“Blogs provide a voice for those who might not otherwise have one,” says Andy of Towleroad. “Also, in a world where corporations control much of the media, blogs provide an important balance to check the culture, both socially and politically.”

The pace at which news finds its way to the public is another measure of the journalistic value of blogs. By working around the clock, exchanging information with other bloggers and tracking tips from trusted sources, these cowboys (and girls) of new media are bypassing the editorial red tape and breaking reliable news stories, sometimes several days before they hit the morning paper.

“One thing that highlights the importance of the phenomenon is the speed of getting the word out,” says Alek from Oh La La, a Paris-based, gay-interest blog.

As with any new Internet enterprise, the boundless possibilities offered by this new portal of communication has, in many cases, been reduced to the keen pursuit of celebrity news, scandal and hot bodies. While this may be a gross generalisation, it does pertain to the kinds of blogs that are getting the most attention – and certainly the ones that are the most fun to read.

“We’re obsessed with celebs because they live such charmed lives,” says Trent of celebrity-driven Pink is the New Blog. “They do ridiculous things and make fools of themselves on an almost daily basis. Regular people like seeing celebs make mistakes because it makes them more human.”

What differentiates celebrity bloggers from trash mags like NW, US Weekly and OK!, is that not only are they commenting on the stars, the bloggers themselves are hanging out with them. This gives some Hollywood publicists stress-related migraines while others smack their lips at the thought of all of the free press the relationship may generate. This publicity circle-jerk is no more apparent than in the goings-on of the blogosphere’s latest pin-up, Mario Lavandeira aka Perez Hilton.

Perez’s site delivers an often-scathing report on all things famous: beginning a daily post by ripping apart Mischa Barton’s latest outfit, moving on to the topic of Rachel Zoe’s bereft sternum, before reviewing pal and namesake, Paris Hilton’s latest single. With almost two million site hits per day, Perez Hilton – along with his blogging contemporaries – are fast becoming celebrities in their own right. While there is no denying their growing influence on the cult of celebrity, fashion and reportage, Perez remains humble.

“I’m not a celebrity – I’m a celebretard,” he says. “No matter how famous I get, I’ll still be an outsider. I’ll still be banned from clubs and certain events, but it doesn’t bother me in the slightest, I know my place on the celebrity totem pole. I’m just happy to do my thing and be my own boss."