Vanity Fair's BlogOpticon Shows Unbearable Whiteness Of Vanity Fair's Ad Placement

I just saw a link from Nikke Finke's DeadlineHollywood Daily to Vanity Fair's "BlogOpticon" , which has what it considers to be "relevant" and "well-read" blogs.

They've got a good set of blogs divided into four squares on a kind of scale grid. Some of my favs are there, like Valleywag. But you know what kills me, with the exception of Michelle Malkin, who's an Asian Woman but who writes as if she wishes she was a White conservative spinster, there's no other obvious blogger of color and none who are Black.

Now, it's not because there are not blogs out there who are popular and written by people who happen to be Black, like me. But it points to a kind of blind eye to the fact that if a person's Black, and they're blogging, they don't have to write about "Black matters" to be read.

It reminds me of James Woods' line in Oliver Stones' Nixon, where he says "There's that Negro saying Negro things!" Well I think some people expect "Negros" to say "Negro" things, so they can categorize them. And when they don't then they're a "Black Conservative."

How retarded.

How and why this freaking list.. was formed is beyond me and fairness (read on), but it's here. I feel sorry not for me, but for bloggers like Natasha, the East Cost law student -- as of this writing -- who has the wonderful blog "Young Black and Fabulous" about Black celebs. Oh, so you say that's a "Black Blog", well how the hell do you explain "Stuff White People Like?" It's a blog designed to draw White People to read it by making fun of White People. You know, many people don't even know what that term is. Well, what it is are people who don't consider themselves "of color". And that certainly shows up in this Vanity Fair chart.

Makes me wanna puke.

Vanity Fair writes that it's picked the "most influential blogs" -- gimme a freaking break. Ze Frank lost his steam a long time ago. Rocketboom.com is a has-been vlog. Hey it was the first, but let's face it, it's surrounded by a sea of new vlogs that draw viewers, like Renetto on YouTube.

Rocketboom's seen better traffic days, especially around the time the great Amanda Congdon was there. Joanne Colon's run as "Hottest Woman on The Internet" was replaced by a bevy of women in nude photos, like Lindsay Lohan, to fully-clothed female bodybuilder Kristy Hawkins.

And click on Rocketboom.com -- what do you see? A damn pop-up ad for..Vanity Fair. So let me get this straight -- the "most influential blogs" are really just those that have ads regarding Vanity Fair.

If Vanity is "the excessive belief in one's own abilities or attractiveness to others" then Vanity Fair's playing true to form. But it seems to be saying that it's only attractive to White People.

Maybe I'll think twice before laying down money for a VF in the future.

Obama's letter to Fed Chrmn Bernanke about the sub-prime lending crisis

On Thursday, March 22nd, U.S. Senator Barack Obama's campaign released his letter to Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Paulson urging them to immediately convene a homeownership preservation summit with key stakeholders to fight foreclosures driven by growth in the subprime mortgage market.

It was overshadowed in the mainstream media by continuing dissection of the Phildelphia speech on values and race from Monday, and in the blogosphere by Hillary Clinton's Bosnia hyperbole,

...or did she simply mis-speak? Well, it got everybody to stop talking about her tax returns. But while Senator Clinton wrestles with what may be a career-limiting memory lapse, it's worth noting that Obama hasn't lost sight of the impact this is having all across the U.S. despite the time-consuming nature of campaigning.

DIGG it!

Amanda Congdon't Last ABC Video-Blog (Vlog)

What are you (and aren't you) thankful for?, originally uploaded by slash_ovlov.

Although Amanda actually annouced her departure from ABC about three months ago, she was still working. But time has past and now Amanda's just posted her last video-blog (vlog) for ABC.

In her video Amanda gives a rather telling comment regarding learning a lot about "traditional media." From my perspective, ABC never really understood what they had in Amanda, and thus didn't benefit from her technical knoweldge.

Here's Amanda on Blip.tv...

Amanda Congdon Supports Barack Obama

I just got a Facebook News Flash from my Facebook friend Amanda Congdon, who reports that she's behind Barack Obama for President!

Awesome!

I wonder if that has something to do with 1) his authetic politics, 2) the need for real change, and 3) the fact that Barack's, Amanda's, and my birthday are all the same day -- August 4th?

Hmmm..

ABC News And Amada Congdon Still Together For Now

Contrary to many posts, ABC News Vlogging Star Amanda Congdon is still with the network for now. She reports on her blog...

Wow. A girl goes on vacation for a week (my first week off in over a year– I was in production on Christmas!) — and look what I come back to! Whew. Contrary to some reports, AC on ABC WILL resume next week, as I mentioned in my most recent episode. However, I’ve decided not to continue at ABC once our year together is up (and it ain’t up yet) in favor of a new, innovative project that will take every ounce of my time and energy. Brian Stelter over at the New York Times has some accurate coverage.

Thanks to everyone who has written me… I appreciate all the supportive emails, myspace messages, etc. I’m excited (kinda giddy actually) for what’s ahead– should be interesting. In the meantime, see you next week on ABC for a special military-themed episode.

I hope ABC comes to a moment of clarity and gives Amanda more involvement in how their news reporting is done. One can only hope...

Unvision Debate - Democrats debate on Hispanic channel

Democrats debate on Hispanic channel
Hopefuls discuss immigration, diplomacy, trade

By Ray Quintanilla | Tribune staff reporter

MIAMI—The nation's Latino voters took center stage Sunday as the Democratic presidential candidates debated on Spanish-language television for the first time, courting a voting bloc that has often backed Democrats but was split when President Bush won re-election in 2004.

Much of the night focused on two front-burner issues to Hispanics: immigration reform and promoting U.S. relations with Latin America, especially Cuba and Venezuela.

"We have to start lifting the embargo against Cuba," said New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Latino who chided Univision—the broadcast network sponsoring the forum—for not letting him answer questions in Spanish.

"As president, I would pay attention to Latin America and associate myself with the democratic movements in Brazil, Argentina and Chile," he explained, criticizing Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York, Barack Obama of Illinois and Christopher Dodd of Connecticut for supporting immigration reform legislation that included construction of a barrier along the U.S. border with Mexico.

Obama called the fence a necessary part of border security and pledged to create "a pathway" to legalization for illegal immigrants in the United States within his first year in the White House. That vow generated applause from the audience of several hundred at the University of Miami.

Clinton took the issue a step further, saying she would speak out against a wave of anti-Latino sentiment as the nation struggles to reach consensus on immigration. "We must treat people with dignity," Clinton said, adding that her campaign manager, Patti Solis Doyle, is a Latina.

"The Cuban people deserve freedom and democracy," Clinton said. "We need to do all we can to work with our friends to ensure a peaceful transition."

Dodd, a former humanitarian worker in the Dominican Republic, said the political transition in Cuba has already begun and called for lifting travel restrictions because "it's hurting us. We do not need to fear Fidel Castro. Are we going to sit on the sidelines or be a part of the transition?"

Former Sen. Mike Gravel of Alaska called on the U.S. government to stop deportation raids against suspected illegal immigrants, saying immigrants are being turned into scapegoats for U.S. failures at home and around the world.

Gravel said he would reach out to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. "Did we forget our CIA tried to depose him?" Gravel asked. "We are doing the same thing in Iran."

Former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina said the United States could "pull the rug" out from under Chavez by "being a force for good and healing" across Latin America.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio called the North American Free Trade Agreement a major problem between the United States and Mexico. If elected, he would scrap it, he said, and replace it with an agreement that enables workers to form unions to promote better living standards on both sides of the border.

"I will cancel NAFTA," Kucinich said. "Immigration reform should mean a path to legalization, not walls," he added.

The Latino vote is growing and gaining political muscle, especially in California, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, New York and Arizona—home to many of the nation's 44 million Hispanics.

The Pew Hispanic Center says about 54 percent of Latino eligible voters were registered in 2006, up from 53 percent in 2002. In the 2004 general election, 7.6 million Latinos cast ballots. Bush captured about 40 percent of the vote, enough to help him defeat Sen. John Kerry.

During Sunday's debate, the moderators asked questions in Spanish that were translated into English for the candidates. The candidates' answers were delivered in English and translated into Spanish for viewers.

Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, who just returned from a trip to Iraq, did not attend.

Huff Post's Rachel Sklar Points To ABC's Failed Debate Video Strategy and My Vloggercot

Rachel Sklar's the editor of one of my favorite destinations at the Huffington Post blog called "Eat The Press." On Monday, she took notice of my ABC Debate rant and agreed, even linking to the video I made on the matter. But what I particularly like was that she agreed with me that ABC's real missing weapon was Amanda Congdon!

I hope all of this hue-and-cry helps Amanda get better assignments. But as I write this it occurs to me ABC may be weird enough to think she put me up to this.

Sorry ABC; it's not the case. You've got a talent in Amanda! Employ her wisely!

My Response To Valleywag's Tim Faulkner's Article On My ABC Debates Video

Valleywag's known for its "hotvlogger" contest!

Hello,

Clever? ABC Marketing. No way man; are you kidding? First, ABC only received about 60 videos, and not the 2,900 for the CNN / YouTube debate. So to call the ABC Marketing Team clever is just plain intellectually sloppy. But -- and you must admit this -- the fine point you introduce (for some reason) isn't fine point at all. You present the text as if it states "submitting a video does not mean we will use it in the debate." NO. ABC's presentation, including the emails sent, imply that our videos will be used in the debate.

I can't for the life of me understand why you took a contrary view to an issue that's on the center scope of a number of vloggers and one that -- if you visit my blog Zennie's Zeitgeist -- even Amanda Congdon agrees with. But you did, thus my reply. (Delivered with considerable respect for you and your publication!)

Now, pleasantries aside, back to my retort.

The reference to the "blonde" was both true and a trap. I totally detest stereotypical behavior in media. Thus, the installation of my trap, knowing that someone would point to -- as you put it -- "the irony" of mentioning Amanda Congdon. Hey, I placed a photo of her in my video for a reason. If one reads the exit text at the end, they will note my expressed displeasure for the media's habit of using blonde images to attract, but not employing someone blonde to run something -- in this case the ABC Debates.

I knew there were going to be TWO reactions -- the one I got from a female vlogger who immediately got what I was saying and showing and expressed support, and this one. Ah, people are so terribly predictatable and in a way I wish they were not.

Your text also communicates that you did not actually see the debate. You referred to the effort by "The Disney-owned network" as "America's Funniest Home Videos" when it was not that at all. Geez, they only used two -- TWO -- videos, and as I understand it, the video with the blonde was made BY ABC, and not submitted by the woman in the video!!!

I learned that after I made my video.

Please help wake people up -- well, OK, one can state that by presenting my video and setting the stage for this exchange, you've done just that. But there's a bigger issue here.

I am one who believes in effective change, and not accepting things they way they are. Your text implies that you like the media landscape as it exists. That's actually an unusual position in an industry that's in a total state of flux -- just witness the success of this publication versus its offline competitors.

We've got to have a serious conversation about the direction of media and how we can impact positive and beneficial change. It's not that we should expect ABC to behave in a way that's "controlling", rather we should demand that ABC and traditional media -- and the Republicans skipping the CNN / YouTube debate and thus causing a rescheduling of the event, to come into this century and embrace a more democratic process.

By not being part of this change, you're being -- in effect -- conservative and stiffling to social advancement. I don't think you intend that. At least I do hope not.