User login

You DO NOT need to register to VIEW articles and comments. To add a comment you need to register. Registration is FREE!

Visit BuzzFlash on:

Facebook

and

MySpace

click here

See All The BuzzFlash Premiums

The Huffington Post Sinks to the Level of Fake Celebrity Boobs, Wins BuzzFlash's Media Putz Award

Submitted by Chad on Wed, 05/20/2009 - 9:00pm.

BuzzFlash Honors

BUZZFLASH MEDIA PUTZ OF THE WEEK

The Huffington Post

For reporting that is an embarrassment to the profession of journalism, and for being beholden to corporate paymasters rather than the citizens of America.

The Huffington Post has produced some fine progressive content, some of it being purely original, presented in an effort to inform and entertain. Which is all the more reason why we wonder why it needs to slither in depths well beneath its otherwise decent standards into the depths of sticky, gooey tarpits.

Three words: fake celebrity boobs.

Three more words: What The F---!

When you read a story on The Huffington Post, you get a running list of the top read stories on the site -- "Popular Stories on HuffPost." So you can't get the legitimate information you want without being tempted by this week's top story "Guess The Celebrity Breast Implants (PHOTOS)."

The "challenge" is simple: see a cropped picture, sans face, of fake breasts, complete with cleavage, and guess to which celebrity the fake breasts belong.

The "inspiration" for the story stems from the breast implants from the current reigning Miss California, Carrie Prejean. But instead of having a discussion about whether breast implants are truly necessary, and why the pageant felt it necessary to buy them for a contestant, we are "treated" to gratuitous photos.

And the photos, other than Prejean (and that's a stretch even for her situation), have no news value at all.

In the segment, the celebrities are identified with little more than their name. But occasionally, there is a brief explanation. For one of the pseudo-celebrities, "America's Next Top Model" winner Adrianne Curry, best known for being married to the guy who played Peter Brady on TV two generations ago, says she got implants to correct unevenness.

Now, if there was an informative statement that pointed out that most breasts naturally aren't exactly identical in size, then we would have learned something. But we couldn't even get that much from the exhibit.

The only possible good from this story is by showing how horrible they look, they might inspire young women to have second thoughts about having plastic surgery. But that isn't even a direct message from the photo essay, and it's not worth the journalistic price paid by running this piece.

And if you weren't sufficiently thrown off by that story, there is the natural follow-up, currently the #2 popular story on HuffPost: BETTER WETTER? Who's Hotter When Soaking Wet? (PHOTOS, POLL).

The Internet provides a challenge to draw in eyeballs to a site. Serious news outlets might joke that their numbers would go up if only they could run porn, side-by-side. But it's not a serious suggestion.

And the news industry certainly accepts the prospect of cheap images as long as there is a news angle. The Associated Press is one of many media outlets that has written or broadcast a story about how women are turning to being strippers in tough economic times. Of course, we need to see video footage inside a strip joint to amplify the story, but again, it has a "news angle" so it's "okay."

Even in that case, there never was a follow-up. For example, why women might be suffering worse in these economic times, or if men are suffering worse because they don't have these "opportunities," such as they are. But that would be more news than cheap attention.

But newsgathering organizations have to rely on credibility and legitimacy. Articles on fake celebrity boobs with no news value destroy both. As of this writing, this photo essay has received 1,158,595 views -- a lot of hits -- but at what price?

The Huffington Post has been portrayed as a progressive news Web site run by a woman, yet the site is filled with celebrity misogynist content, none more egregious than the fake celebrity breasts photo essay.

For resorting to cheap, tasteless, non-news value, sexually titillating exploits to get eyeballs to a legitimate news site, we hand out the BuzzFlash Media Putz of the Week award to The Huffington Post, an outlet that should know be a model of progressiveness, not slithering in the gutter of a teasing tabloid.

BUZZFLASH MEDIA PUTZ OF THE WEEK

HuffPo

Submitted by VettaKing on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 6:47pm.

How many people have been exposed to the progressive truth on HuffPo? A lot more than on BF. How dare HuffPo get actual readers to their site with a little infotainment on the side of the page. A bunch of anti- sex frigid old bags on this site with their pathetic outrage. It's funny that the women who claim sex, or as you call it "porn", is degrading to women are the same women who I actually don't respect because you sound like a bunch of weak whiners. Buzzflash is turning into a joke of a website.

I Totally Agree!

Submitted by Kurd55 on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 5:10pm.

Like I said, I AGREE! Why, more than once the H-Post has given me a serious case of the vapors. Oh, what an assault on mine virginic Virginia eyeballs! It's almost enough to put me off my secessionist ways---I tells ya! I pray every Sunday that I will not accidentally run across H-Post's page and get an evil, sinful stiffy!

Liberalism does not mean endorsing sleaze and the flesh trade

Submitted by monish on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 4:38pm.

I generally agree that Huffington Post has often been an honorable sounding board for progressive ideas and issues. This is true despite its founder Arianna Huffington's rather questionable political leanings in the 1990s- frequently in support of rabid right-wing hatemongering. I will never forget her pious pronouncements on the (infamous) Geraldo Rivera show against Bill Clinton, and her identification with the associated phony morality brigade during the Ken Starr circus. A strange metamorphosis occurred during the ascension of the Bushco criminal gang. Perhaps the deep inhumanity of the racist right wing finally dawned upon Arianna like the pure light of day. She started her atonement with the book "Pigs at the Trough" where she took on the Enron bandits and other corporate crooks. However, perhaps one needs to be sufficiently guided by the principle that "a leopard cannot change its spots." While I have nothing specifically against coverage of sexual issues, or freedom of expression and the like, I must admit being seriously concerned about the decidedly "cheap" topics increasingly appearing at HuffPost. Apart from the suspicion that perhaps dubious corporate paymasters might be behind such sleaze, I am also concerned that the crass commercialism of such garbage topics takes a great deal away from what serious journalism should be all about. While some have referred here to "great Playboy articles" from the past- I would still maintain that the stink of sleaze far overrides any journalistic content of a prurient publication. Therefore, I support Buzzflash for their appropriate condemnation of the cheapening of HuffPost into an entertainment rag. Also- I feel far less hostility towards Buzzflash than some here have indicated. I regularly peruse Buzzflash for important news headlines. Monish Chatterjee

Guess They Can Change Their Website Name To

Submitted by lapdogs on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 4:04pm.

"The News Has Been Canceled" or "Click Here For Playboy Subscription"

The further shores of politics...

Submitted by ETS on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 12:46pm.

Oh, geezus keyrist, at first I was amused with the above "Media Putz of The Week" piece. But the newly posted anti-misogyny rant at Feminist Peace Network, "Liberal Porn," (see BuzzFlash.com home Web page) is waaaaaaaaaay over the top.

Look, first of all, The Huffington Post has been posting celebrity gossip since as long as I can remember. And it's never featured in the site's email updates...O.K. there was this piece yesterday Why It Matters that Adam Lambert (American Idol finalist) is (Probably) Gay, by Jay Michaelson, something I wasn't interested in, therefore didn't read.

As for the Feminist Peace Network's diatribe that the HuffPo piece, as cited by BuzzFlash.com, is anti-woman pornography, utter nonsense. And what better way to stoke the castration-anxiety fueled imaginations of reactionary male pinheads that all feminists are men-hating "feminazis."

But when the question of what constitutes the pornographic and how pornography effects society the further shores of politics converge upon themselves to form a mud puddle. Blue-nosed Puritanism is as strong and alive and well among the ideologically pure left as it is among the most reactionary circles of fundamentalist Christianity, Judaism and Islam. On this both Gloria Steinem and Phyllis Schlafy agree, pornography is destroying the moral fiber of America.

Huffington Post has an unpleasant odor

Submitted by Sunshine11 on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 11:48am.

I have been on the Huffington Post subscription list for years. It has really sunk to becoming a "rag" on the order of the New York Post and Fox TV. I keep hoping Arianna will get her grove back. If not soon, I will have to unsubscribe.

shame, shame

Submitted by Truffulaut on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 10:43am.

How shameful that in this day and age anyone should actually be profitable! Methinks I shall compose a very strongly worded letter to the editor. To quote from GREAT WHITE HOPE, "Queen Victoria would not approve, but alas! She is no longer with us."

Profitability and Queen Vicky aren't the point . . . .

Submitted by kathy2 on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 11:13am.

It's about profitability and sensationalism trumping relevant news. Huff-Po is becoming less distinguishable from other infotainment formats, and in the process, is compromising progressive values and news.

While you're there...

Submitted by Henk on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 1:00pm.

... check out Brad and Angelina at Cannes. If it weren't for Huffpo I'd never know what they were doing. So even the fluff serves a purpose.

Define trumping

Submitted by Henk on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 12:57pm.

"sensationalism trumping relevant news" Go to huffpo right now and tell me what percentage of the home page is dedicated to "infotainment" and what is devoted to columnists and news? The home page has three columns. The first are writers, guests and regulars, the middle is news and the right is mixed, with media, entertainment and a few other things. (Its on the right, get it?) If you'd like to whine about 1/5 to the page, feel free, but please don't say that its "trumping" relevant news. Here's a clue. Its great big wide old web out there and you all are free to roam as you please. Vote with your mouse. I am really surprised at Buzz for doing this. Its ussually my first stop in the morning but I am really starting to wonder. When did they go after Drudge last?

Silly articles

Submitted by LeeAnnG on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 10:38am.

Yes, HuffPost does sometimes have silly fluff articles. Of more concern to me is how incredibly hard it is to post comments there. I have logged in numerous times, and I get the "welcome" message, but every time I try to post, I get a request to log on before commenting. Maybe it's the server or something on my end, but it's not that way on any other site. In any case, it's true that readers don't have to click on anything that looks trivial.

Alternet (one of my other favorite sites) has a plethora of dumb dumb dumb articles concerning sex, dress, cultural trivia, and other non-news topics. I love it anyway. I don't have to read the ones I don't like on Alternet or on HuffPost.

Having said all that, BuzzFlash has a perfect right to point out the shallowness of making fake breasts a major topic, and I even agree. There's a lot in the world to be concerned with, and promoting celebrity breasts seems kind of silly.

TACKY PERHAPS..... maybe they should use LIBERAL TITS ! ! !

Submitted by codypup on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 9:36am.

sorry huffingpuff but enuf of the fluff

It's about time

Submitted by orangutan on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 9:19am.

somebody called HP on this crap. The have a lot of good stuff on that site, but every time I see the stupid celebrity stories on their front page, it makes me feel like an idiot for being a liberal.

Huff-Post Rules, BuzzFlash drools

Submitted by cirrus9 on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 9:17am.

The Huffington Post is BAD! BAD! BAD! Shame on Arianna for creating a SUCCESSFUL on-line newspaper that surpasses BuzzFlash in every category! And, shame on Chad for indulging in a bitter chomp of sour grapes. You can sling mud at the gold standard and temporarily make yourself feel better, but you really only expose yourself as the Media Putz of the Era.

Say What?

Submitted by kathy2 on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 9:25am.

It's a sad state state of affairs if Huff-Post is a gold standard for journalism. I guess if you don't engage in news searches outside of infotainment and the MSM , then it could be a considered a gold standard, instead of a flash in the pan.

Wow, More Sour Grapes and Smears...

Submitted by cirrus9 on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 9:41am.

It is a sad state of affairs when a wannabe "opinion site" like BuzzFlash portends to be a journalistic standard of ANY kind. I, like many who read Huff-Post, ignore the fluffy infotainment for the meatier items. That is the beauty of an ON-LINE NEWSPAPER: a wide range of interests covered, a broad appeal. Plus, first rate reporting and commentary. Personally, I enjoy a range of news sources: The Huffington Post, The Daily Kos, Crooks & Liars, What Really Happened.com and of course, BuzzFlash, as well as others. Out of all of these, the only forseeable flash-in-the-pan in the group would be BuzzFlash. Go figure.

Tainted with Infotainment?

Submitted by kathy2 on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 9:18am.

Besides the insipid psychobabble in the living section and an entertainment section resembling TMZ, my intelligence is also offended by the sensationalistic headlining, which lately, has ranged from the swine flu to Nancy Pelosi. I actually found the misleading and negatively skewed headlines on Pelosi more offensive than the fake boobs. Like other outlets, HP is engaged in a race horse run for scoops and hits on uniform topics. Last week Pelosi was apparently one of the hottest topics and a woman of the week to defame. I've had a hard time distinguishing their coverage on her from other media sites friendly to the GOP attack angles . I can't help but detect elements of misogyny in their coverage, while Arianna Huffington is given deference as she speaks from her throne. Yes, there are progressive articles to be found, but increasingly, they're given less priority over sensationalism and competition with other infotainment outlets on the web.

She Has Made Some Progress

Submitted by Dr Roberts on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 3:07pm.

Arianna on her throne and I still remember her as the wife of an empty suit right-wing wannabe Senator(who was gay to boot) as well as appearing nightly on Geraldo trying to convince us all how necessary it was to impeach Clinton. For some, clarity comes later on in life.

Boobs and Banks

Submitted by Dr Roberts on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 8:59am.

I'm not a big fan of HP but at least they posted the article about the Treasury Department releasing documents that showed that nine of the banks receiving a TARP injection were forced to do so by Paulson. One can search BuzzFlash high and low and will never be enlightened to that fact. Obviously that revelation does not jive with the point of view represented on this website.

Tech Tip

Submitted by quousque on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 8:34am.

Huffington Post so consistently causes my computer to freeze up that now I immediately click-off any BUZZFLASH article linked to it. No luck with contacting them about their design problem, which few other sites seem to share?

Sounds like the GOP

Submitted by Boots on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 7:59am.

BuzzFlash beating up on HuffPost? Are they taking the lead from the GOP - attacking each other? I for one don't get sidetracked by "boobs" and I think those who do are boobs. I like HuffPost better than BuzzFlash. Going to blog status and removing the Printer Friendly link is one of my pet peeves about BuzzFlash.

Boob Job

Submitted by KitCarson on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 7:55am.

I have noticed this trend. They seem to be going down the road to trivial and silly. If they want to do that can't they set up a section "HuffPo for Dummies" and put that sort of slop in that folder? It may be an attempt to become like mainstream media. Controlled by the right wing and corporations. Distractions from subjects of importance. They are becoming Fox for the internet. They are losing me.

Thriving on Voyeurism

Submitted by jane on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 7:43am.

Hey, what happened? Did Fox buy out the Huffington Post??!

Yeah, that's what I don't like about the HuffPo

Submitted by ETS on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 7:45am.

But, y'know, every time I'm reading a serious piece on the administration, the economy, the war in Afghanistan or idiot Republicans and there's a celebrity boob story on the right side of the Web page...I always click the link.

BTW, thanks for linking onto the Guess The Celebrity Breast Implants story. Certainly an eye opener! I don't know who any of those so-called celebrities are, Jane Seymour, Paul Abdul excepted, but I learned a lot.

Can anybody tell me what the person, a tranny I think, named "Pam Anderson" is famous for?

Pam...

Submitted by Henk on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 7:57am.

...starred on "Son of the Beach" with Timothy Stack.

Don't click!

Submitted by Henk on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 8:33am.

Where have you been? Long time Huffpo followers have been aware of this for quite a while. Most of us have found a very simple, but apparently not intuitive, solution. Don't click on the pieces that you don't what to read. I know its tough when you see cleavage like that, you really want to click and then once you do you feel guilty so you are compelled to post a comment on how degrading it is to the website and to women and what a grand waste of time it was. I always wondered about the losers who posted comments about what a waste of time this or that piece was, when they themselves not only took the time to read it but took more of their valuable time to comment on what a waste of time it was. Now here is Buzzflash, taking this whine to another level and actually taking the time to post an ARTICLE about what a waste of time these articles are. I know you're worried about the "credibility" blah blah blah, but seriously lighten up. All work and no play makes Buzz and dull boy. You may be too young to remember this, but Playboy magazine was once known for the quality of their articles. Its true. When people said they read Playboy for the articles, it could very well have been true. They did some great investigative pieces back in the day. Social and Political. So lighten up. Worry about raising money for your own website, and let Arianna worry about hers.

Arianna Huffington

Submitted by Arguendo on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 4:22am.

You wretches!!!! How could you sink so low as to criticize one of the Greatest Liberal and Informative Sites? You have so many other worthier individuals to go after, yet you choose to cause a stupid storm over this! It's just like a kindergartner saying, "Ya, ya,ya, you stink!" I've been an avid follower of your site (and hers, and David Sarota and The Progress Report) and now I feel I'll always question your judgment! With this bit of nonesense you, yourselves, fall into - what was it you wrote so fullsomely, the tarpit of something or other. I am so disappointed in you. You should be ashamed of yourselves - how juvenile!!!!!!

Shut it down

Submitted by bettysdad on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 1:32am.

Huffington Post should be shut down because it ran a few items that some people allowed themselves to get offended by. The fact that they get more of the progressive agenda out to more people than Buzzflash can ever hope to is irrelevant.

Bettysdad - Yep, Pretty Much

Submitted by drprodny on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 8:15am.

I have to say reading this, I'm like "When did the Ghost of antiporn jihadist Andrea Dworkin take over BuzzFlash, anyway?" HuffPo does consistently excellent progressive journalism and commentary - and BuzzFlash decides there are so few more deserving Right-Wing targets out there that they attack one of their own over some stupid fluff pieces?

Wow!

Submitted by mckathiki on Wed, 05/20/2009 - 10:51pm.

I have to say that I'm glad I took HuffPost off my daily read a couple of weeks ago and I didn't have to see this.

Having an attitude of gratitude . . .

Submitted by kathy2 on Wed, 05/20/2009 - 5:51pm.

The Living section has an interesting assortment of simplistic self-help articles, most of which would be appropriate for your average ten year old, both in readability and content. When I go there, my eyes are assaulted by headlines of platitudes and cliches, which effectively, prompt an attitude of gratitude towards Buzzflash.

Get FREE BuzzFlash News Alerts