Why isn't 'Batgirl' a valid career choice?

Fuse is celebrating the beauty of democracy with state-by-state battles between musicians.  And they're asking you to vote so they can figure out who to play over July 4th weekend.

I linked Ari and she and I are currently bemoaning some of the choices we're being asked to make:

oh no
(4:14:40 PM) Arianrhod: they're making me pick between Dashboard and John Mayer
(4:14:47 PM) newageamazon: Yeah
(4:14:52 PM) Arianrhod: :-D
(4:14:56 PM) Arianrhod: its hard for ME!!!
(4:15:05 PM) newageamazon: California is G and R versus The Chili Peppers
(4:15:11 PM) Arianrhod: i know
(4:15:11 PM) newageamazon: New York is Jay-Z versus the Beasties
(4:15:13 PM) Arianrhod: i saw that
(4:15:15 PM) Arianrhod: ahhhh
(4:15:20 PM) newageamazon: NJ is My Chem versus Bon Jovi.
(4:15:23 PM) Arianrhod: i haven't gotten there yet... tha;ts a rough one
(4:15:25 PM) newageamazon: THESE ARE NOT EASY CHOICES!
(4:15:59 PM) Arianrhod: no they're really not
(4:16:15 PM) Arianrhod: but you have to chose your favorite jackson for indiana so i guess some are easy (janet)
(4:16:20 PM) newageamazon: lol
(4:16:21 PM) newageamazon: Yeah
(4:16:31 PM) Arianrhod: Slip knot vs stone sour
(4:16:32 PM) newageamazon: One of the most amazing women in the business, or a creepy child rapist
(4:16:40 PM) Arianrhod: do they realize they're the SAME BAND?
(4:17:05 PM) Arianrhod: like not figuritively, literally
(4:17:25 PM) Arianrhod: stone sour is all the talent in slip knot made into a band
(4:18:09 PM) newageamazon: lol
(4:18:20 PM) newageamazon: ...dammit, I really don't know how to vote on New Jersey
(4:18:43 PM) Arianrhod: or to be more factual, ston sour is cory taylor's first band, and slip knot beat him up and made him join their band so that they would have some talen
(4:18:49 PM) newageamazon: Bon Jovi has staying power...but his past couple albums sucked. And My Chem is MY CHEM
(4:18:56 PM) newageamazon: HAHAHAHA
(4:19:06 PM) Arianrhod: I like his last two albums more than the early stugg
(4:19:08 PM) Arianrhod: stuff
(4:19:12 PM) newageamazon: Nah.
(4:19:40 PM) Arianrhod: m'n'm vs the white stripes?
(4:19:43 PM) newageamazon: and dammit, now it's Jay-Z and the Beasties.
(4:19:47 PM) newageamazon: I voted Eminem.
(4:19:48 PM) Arianrhod: I actually dis like both enough to not want to vote
(4:19:54 PM) newageamazon: There's a bunch I didn't vote for
(4:19:57 PM) newageamazon: I didn't vote in Florida
(4:20:10 PM) Arianrhod: I hate the white stripes
If I don't know the bands i skipped it
(4:20:20 PM) newageamazon: yeah, same here
(4:20:34 PM) Arianrhod: oh no
(4:20:41 PM) Arianrhod: 311 vs bright eyes...
(4:20:46 PM) newageamazon: I took 311
(4:20:52 PM) Arianrhod: you didn't tel me i had to chose between 311 and Bright eyes
(4:20:55 PM) newageamazon: I'm sorry!


Join us in our pain!  Go vote!

Only one story arc of My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way's comic, "The Umbrella Academy," has been released, but it's already made an impression on the comic world. So much in fact that soon "TUA" will join other big-name comics such as "Iron Man" and "Batman" as a major motion picture. More.

Hey, I'm making plans for the future of Very Much Alive and I'd like to get you guys to answer a few questions regarding it!  No pressure, but I'd like to see what the reaction would be.  Please post your answers in the replies to this blog.

QUESTIONS:

If "Very Much Alive" wristbands, a la the Livestrong bracelets, were to be made available, would you buy one?

If these bracelets existed, do you have suggestions about which VMA-related charities you would like to see the money donated to?  (Please note: my thought is To Write Love On Her Arm, which is a similar group to VMA)

If the bracelets were available, what color would you like to see them in?

Would you buy other VMA merchandise if the money were going to charity?

If so, what other kind of merchandise would you buy?

Any other thoughts or suggestions in this vein?

Thank you so much for your time and your participation!

-Ashly

While it may seem like something only dorks or old people are into, NPR really does keep track of musical trends.  And right now, they want help deciding which CD is the best of 2008...so far.

Nominees include Panic at the Disco, Coldplay, Vampire Weekend, Weezer, Cat Power and Death Cab for Cutie.  They're also allowing write in votes for any CD's they may have missed (such as The Hush Sound's Goodbye Blues or The Cab's Whisper War, hint hint).

So head over and voice your opinion!  Voting ends July 2nd (that's next Wednesday, for those of you who don't keep track).

Turns out that while he's taking care of new wife (and mother-to-be!) Ashlee Simpson-Wentz, Pete Wentz is also busy working with Fall Out Boy on their third major studio album and follow up to 2007's hit, Infinity on High. More.

Some of you may recall that recently Lyn-Z, bassist for Mindless Self Indulgence and life partner of My Chemical Romance lead singer Gerard Way (am I allowed to mention that here?  I like my spleen :( ), went off on music journalists for calling her "Mrs. Gerard Way" claiming that it wasn't fair for her to be reduced to that considering how much else she's done in her career.

I address my personal feelings regarding that here and put together a poll that was taken waaaaaay too seriously by her fans here. 

But now I have to point out to her that it's really really REALLY not supposed to be an anti-feminist thing in her direction.  It's just that Gerard Way is one of those names you drop.  Even as it relates to his own bandmates:


Last time I checked, Frank Iero was not married to Gerard Way. 



...that's hot, but not married.

But yeah, see, Lyn, it's not knock against you that they brought up your husband.  It wasn't meant to demean you as a person or rob you of your identity.  For one thing, being Gerard's wife IS part of your identity, and one you generally wear proudly from what I've seen.  It's not the end all and be all of who you are, and shouldn't be, but it is PART of you.  But more than that, when journalists do something like drop the name of your husband it isn't meant to insult you.

It's meant to draw attention to you.

Gerard's name is going to get more attention than yours, especially when it comes to web hits.  See, Google Trends provides these awesome charts.  Have one.  And another one.  Gerard's name is going to get more attention than yours AS OF THIS MOMENT.  It might not always be that way.  People are finding out about your band through the connections to My Chemical Romance.

But, if that journalist had any integrity, they dropped his name for one big reason: because it meant people who might not normally care would read the article and find out about your band.  It's something I do on occasion, mention a bigger name to get people to read about someone or something they generally might not really care about.  The idea is to generate buzz.  While you might not want to piggyback on your husband's fame...no, scratch that "might."  You DON'T.  And anyone who accuses you of otherwise should be smacked in the back of the head with your bass.  But while you don't want to do that yourself, journalists might in order to get attention for you, your band, and their article.

Basically, Gerard's name is a recognizable one and it's going to get dropped.  And if places are doing it to his own bandmates?  It's not a sexist thing.  It's just the way the world works, regardless of your plumbing.

So, for a long time it seems like the fashion industry has had some vendetta against women with hips, boobs and a butt.  Designs were intended for women with a 15, 15, 15 figure, cuts were intended to create the illusion of curves instead of actually FITTING curves.  And of course, the models themselves kind of looked like parking meters with arms.

However, a lot of designers have moved away from that.  They've leaned towards designing for women of ALL builds, because let's face it, there is no "perfect" or "ideal" body type.  We've all go our pros and cons, and in this month's issue of InStyle, designer L'Wren Scott is quoted as saying "I've never met a woman who loves her body.  Ever."

So, hooray for women's bodies.

Wait, WHAT?

As an ad campaign this just WOUNDS me.  I understand part of the point is to draw attention to what you're selling, which this does. 

However, when you're selling clothing, part of your aim seems like it should be "If you wear our clothing, you will look THIS GOOD!"  And this...doesn't sell that.  When I wear women's clothing I don't want to look like a very skinny boy.  And while there are some women that might be going for that, I doubt it's a wide enough audience for Marc Jacobs to be aiming his advertising at.

Long story short: his ad exec needs to be smacked and then be forced to walk down the streets of New York wearing a DD bra on their head.

OK, so really Warped tickets aren't expensive. But if you're like me, you might have issues along the lines of, "But I could use that money to pay bills!" Well, yeah, you could. But consider this: Warped Tour isn't just about music and alternative culture. It also provides a venue for nonprofits to reach out to concertgoers. More.

...but the look lives on!



Well, in a way.  Topshop has a new line called "Bandstand" that's vaguely military inspired.  While it's not the official Black Parade line, many of the pieces are in the same vein (no pun intended.  Okay, maybe a LITTLE intended).

The line plays up a lot of looks that are currently very trendy and versitile, including the omnipresent vest and the oversized bag.  There's also some pieces that would probably make self professed "jacket slut" Gerard Way drool and paw at his computer screen.  Yes, they're women's jackets, but really, do you think that would stop Gerard for an instant?

Yeah, me either.

And now it comes down to the wire.  Last week we named our final four, and this week we name our final three contestants.

The seventh person eliminated from Buzznet Survivor is:

Which celebrity uttered this quote at last week's premier of "The Love Guru?"


Think hard, folks.  Which celebrity out there could possibly have done so much for the gay rights movement?  Sir Ian McKellan?  Jodie Foster?  Ellen DeGeneres?  George Takei?

Click HERE for the answer.

(source)

....

....

....um....what?

That's right, folks.  Forget everything else that has ever contributed to the gay rights movement.  This is what got same sex marriage in California legalized:

Awhile ago I gave you a sneak preview of what I supposed the Perez Hilton Fashion Line from Hot Topic would look like. 

Fortunately for us all, the designs are not precisely what I had imagined. 


Ari actually did an indepth review over in her blog.  Read it, seriously.

So, how well is the line doing?  Jossip posted this report.


Oh, Perez, sweetie, don't feel bad.  After all, when I heard you were designing a fashion line and thought about how you dressed, I woudn't have anticipated you'd sell ANYTHING.

Now why don't you go back to something you're good at, like hating women and projecting your insecurities in your own sexual orientation onto people who are ACTUALLY famous?

Once again we gather here at tribal council to bid farewell to a member of our tribe.

The sixth person eliminated from Buzznet Survivor is:

If I heard My Chemical Romance on the radio during college, I don't remember it.  Which isn't much of a shock.  Back then my listening preferences were mostly formed by or based on my boyfriend's.  To be honest, I didn't have much of an existance outside of him, he was my fucking world.  I advise against that sort of thing, by the way.

So, the first time I ever remember being aware of My Chemical Romance wasn't until around The Black Parade.  I was home in Johnstown for Christmas and caught site of a magazine cover with the guys on it, entirely dressed in their Black Parade costumes.


At the time I remember thinking "Hey, the lead singer's kinda hot," and "Wow, those guys are really British, aren't they?"

Hey, I was one for two, okay?!

It wasn't until much later that I actually started listening to the music.  While I'd seen the videos for Helena and I'm Not Okay (I Promise), the first MCR I remember hearing on the radio was "Welcome to the Black Parade."  And while I won't say I was bowled over, it was the first time I was interested enough in the band to really look into their music.


I got hold of a copy of TBP and on the first listen I wasn't impressed by most of the songs.  It took repeated listening for me to really get the album.  But since then, it's become a standby on my iPod, when I don't know what else to listen to, I'll start that album at the beginning and go from there. 

Then I heard the B-sides and around the same time became aware of Gerard Way's comic obsession and that he was working on his own title.  I picked up the Free Comic Book Day edition, figuring it would be some piece of self-indulgent but potentially enjoyable crap.  And I was wrong.  His writing vaguely reminded me of Joss Whedon and in the few pages he had he managed to get me interested in his characters.

And it all spiraled.  My interest in My Chemical Romance was spurred on largely by my love for the concept of The Black Parade.  Seperate stage personas struck me as both theatrical and symbolic and made me realize this wasn't just some angry group of boys from Jersey (that would be NEW Jersey self, not the old one), this was a return to when rock and roll was a spectacle, a stage show, like Manson but more inviting.  It was like Alice Cooper appearing on The Muppet Show...it shouldn't have worked, but it totally did.



So now, my friends, we come here today not to honor The Black Parade, but to bury it.  And to bitch a little that I can't find Bob's coat anywhere, because that fucker looks comfortable.

It's Thursday morning, which means another elimination.

The fifth person eliminated from Buzznet Survivor is:

Hello there.  Welcome to Buzznet.  I'm the New Age Amazon.  You can also call me Ashly.  Please don't spell it with an "e."  Long story.

ANYWAY, as the Buzznet Empire expands with the acquisitions of lesser websites (bow before us, Idolator!  BWAH-HA-HA-HA!), the userbase here on Buzznet is growing on a daily basis.  And, like with any other site that is suddenly on a popularity rise, that means a more diverse audience is going to be attracted to Buzznet.

Buzznet is unique as a social networking site because it concentrates so heavily on user-created content.  Buzznet is home to many extremely talented writers, photographers, artists and videographers, and it's one of the reasons I have such a huge love for this site.  But, as Buzznet partners with sites like Friends or Enemies and Tila's Hotspot, we've seen a new group of people come in, people who have been referred to, usually derogatorily, as "Myspace types."  These are people who's talents lay more in the areas of modeling and social networking.  And there's been some friction.  And by some, I mean a whole hell of a lot.

I've already ranted in a bulletin about how we don't all have to like each other.  But one of the things that does get on my nerves is people showing up to announce they're "going to be a Buzzmaker" like it's something that happens in no time flat.  I also get annoyed by people PM-ing me and asking how you become a Buzzmaker.  As if there is a step by step guide to doing so.

There isn't.  Sorry, folks.  I can't give you that.  But I can give you a couple practical guidelines that won't help you become a Buzzmaker, but might help you make the most of your Buzznet experience.

TIP 1: BE YOURSELF:
This is something I cannot stress enough.  While you might think putting on an internet persona (often one you've given an alliterative name with "creative" spelling...for example, I might call myself "Ashly Apokalypse!") is going to get you attention, I'd advise against it.  First of all, people are going to realize you're faking it most of the time.  And if they wanted to roleplay there are other sites for that.  Buzznet is about expressing yourself...so be yourself around here.  Don't feel like you have to be edgy or disaffected or over the top.  Be the person you really are, because trust me, you're probably more interesting than you realize.

TIP 2: BE ACTIVE:
This comes through on two fronts.  First, creating content.  Buzznet offers a ton of ways for you to show the world your interests and your talents.  Whether your interested in sharing your poetry, writing a gossip blog, showcasing your photography, vblogging, premiering your band's music videos or getting your modeling pictures out there, Buzznet has ways for you to do so.  And you should totally take advantage of them.  A few tips while you do so:

1) Spell check your writing.  Either use a browser that has a spell check option for text fields or type out what you want to say in Word and then copy and paste it.  Trust me, it's easier to understand what you're trying to say if it's spelled correctly.  I know a lot of people on here don't speak/write English as their first language, and in that case it's even more important to be sure of your translations.
2) Be able to take constructive criticism.  This is important for any artist anywhere and is something I know a lot of them still have trouble with.  We all have different opinions and different skills and views to bring to the table.  And sharing them and considering them makes our art stronger.  So, if you put your work out there publicly, there's a very high chance someone will saying "I like this, but you could have done X, Y or Z to make it stronger."  You don't necessarily have to agree, but sometimes having someone make a suggestion like that can really help what you're doing.
And for those of you leaving crit?  Be polite and constructive.  Don't rip people's work apart.  Try to stress what you liked as much as what you think could be improved.
3) Don't get discouraged if you're not getting a ton of comments and buzzes right away.  It takes time to attract people to your stuff!  And with that, we move on to part 2:

Get active on other parts of the site!
Buzznet also offers a ton of groups and forums for you to interact with other users.  No matter what your interest is, odds are you can find a group for it.  And if you can't?  Start one!  You might just be the first one to think of putting that group together!
If you're not sure what groups to join, I'd suggest starting out with Question of the Day. 
Other options are to check things posted on the Music Blog, Movie Blog and Community Page.  You can also hang around the blogs of users like Breesays, Panasonicyouth and yes, even DJ Rossstar's blog is good for a debate once in awhile.
And don't be afraid to friend people first.  While not everyone friends back immediately (I do, unless your username is something like "p*ssymonster") you can at least see what people are up to elsewhere on the site.  And who knows, you might make friends through other friends.  It's crazy, but it happens a lot around these parts.

TIP 3: DON'TS
This will be known as AMAZON'S BIG LIST OF BUZZNET "DON'TS"
DON'T think you're being cool by using abusive language.  Because it won't make you cool, it'll just make you banned.  A few tips to the words that tend to hit my buttons: any negative reference to the female reproductive system, any use of the word "slut" or "whore" in reference to a woman who does not actually exchange sex for money (please note: these terms do not apply to any woman in Hollywood you don't like.  Deal.) or any usage of "gay" as a synonym for "shitty."
DON'T use a mass-adder program.  If someone doesn't want to be your friend, they don't want to be your friend.  Meet people the hard way: by clicking +Friend.
DON'T whine or complain about how nobody's paying attention to you.  You have to get out there and be active to get people to notice you.  Don't be afraid to promote yourself a little here and there.
DON'T beg for buzzes/comments with bulletins.  It probably won't get you the sort of attention you want.  And offering "buzz for buzz" really isn't okay, because that's suggesting you're entitled to it for reasons other than doing quality work people are interested in. 
AND THE BIGGEST DON'T: DON'T TRY TO BE A BUZZMAKER.
If being a Buzzmaker is your primary goal here at Buzznet, you shouldn't be here.  Because hanging out here shouldn't be about e-fame.  That's not to say Buzznet isn't a good place to promote yourself to a certain extent (I landed a writing job in part due to my celebrity gossip and opinion blogs) but Buzznet isn't here to make you famous.  It's not here to get you noticed.  It's here for people to interact with like-minded individuals.  Some people manage to get little pink stars while doing this. 

On top of that, I'd like to add: Andy Warhol was right when he said everyone deserves 15 minutes of fame.  But people need to realize how short 15 minutes really is.

TIP 4: HAVE FUN, YOU GUYS
In the end, this is a website that's meant to be enjoyable and fun for people.  If you can't have fun?  This isn't the place for you.  Don't take this place too seriously, outside of the Terms of Service, don't take other people too seriously (being hated by a person on the internet isn't the worst thing in the world, trust me) and most importantly, don't take YOURSELF too seriously. 

Happy Buzzing!

From falloutboyrock.com:


Bolding is mine.  But those are the important part.  So for every single one of you saying "Ashlee having Pete's baby will break up the band," there it is in black and white.  Or, if you're on the website, in white and blue.  But you get the idea.

So stop it.  Stop claiming Ashlee and this baby are the end of Fall Out Boy.  Because ladies, you're WRONG.

And I would also like to tell Patrick he is amazing.  Because...you know.  He is.