Snap Snap, Click Click

May 12, 2009 af093669

 

May 12, 2009

Essay #3

         

          I, like many other people around the world, am obsessed with celebrities. Any news about what is going on in their lives is fascinating to me. As a result, the paparazzi seem like gods to me. Well I wouldn’t go that far; maybe they’re a group of people I have idolized since I was able to read the tabloids at the check out counter in supermarkets. They can do the one thing that I will most likely never have the benefit of doing; stand in the presence of a famous celebrity. Since I can’t be a member of the paparazzi crew myself, I’ll settle for looking at their pictures and being a devoted follower of their work. Thus, bringing me to the blog of TMZ.   (http://www.tmz.com)

The term TMZ originated in the 1960’s, and stands for “Thirty Mile Zone”. “On location” shoots began to grow in the 1960’s. As a result, studios felt that they had to define what an on location shoot was, so they established a “thirty mile zone”. Once a shoot was outside the zone, the studio would consider it an on location shoot. The zone remains centered in Los Angeles around the old offices of The Association of Motion Pictures and Television Producers at Beverly and La Cienega Boulevards in California. It was often said that “Everything in entertainment happens in the ‘Thirty Mile Zone.'” So essentially, the “Thirty Mile Zone” represents the center of Hollywood. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TMZ.com)

The TMZ blog informs readers of the latest news involving the top Hollywood celebrities. I find it very enjoyable and addicting to read. There are many factors that draw me to this blog, such as design, cutting edge news, like-mindedness, helpfulness, and navigation.

I would first like to start with the design. The minute the browser opens up you are greeted with the TMZ logo, and just below that a huge headline and a picture follow. The background is simply white with black writing. I believe that has the best effect in appealing to visitors. No need for fancy fonts or bold colors for my tastes. The format is simple, with a headline, picture, and an article to follow. There are no surprises, and the articles are easy to read.

A new article is posted approximately every twenty minutes. Every article is different and focused on a new celebity. The TMZ blog is up to date with all the cutting edge news about celebrities. This is the most appealing part of the blog, because I love knowing all the newest celebrity gossip. These up to date articles make it easier for me to know all about the celebrities I love.

Since I adore the lives of celebrities, and so does TMZ I find it hard not to visit this blog everyday. We are both fascinated by Hollywood’s best, and are interested in every aspect of their lives. Other readers and myself, are interested in the idea that celebrities are just like them, and many of the articles found on the TMZ blog do just that. For example, they may post a picture of Jennifer Aniston shopping at her local super market, or Matt Damon pumping his own gas. Both of these actions show how human these celebrities really are.

The fourth factor is how helpful this blog site is, especially when you want information on a specific celebrity. For example, on the blog, if you scroll down a bit on your right hand side, there is a section labeled “Hot Celebrities”. In this section, there is a link that makes it easy to find articles on your favorite celebrites.  Once you click on the link, articles are listed and you can choose which one you would like to read. I specifically like this aspect of the blog, because every article posted on the TMZ site involving a certain celebrity can be found easily. This feature makes it easier to view a specific editorial that you are looking for when researching your favorite celebrity.

And lastly, the navigation on the blog is very helpful. There is a section on the right side of the blog labeled blogrolling. This section allows you to research other popular celebrity gossip blogs if you enjoyed the TMZ blog. It’s a relief to know that another gossip website is just a click away for all those celebrity gossip adicts out there.

I have just entered into the “blog world” and this is my favorite blog to view every day. The link is provided above, and I hope that you check it out!            

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