Monday, August 27, 2007

Tabloid Baby ankles TVgasm.com

For 46 weeks, the Tabloid Baby team has contributed exclusive TV news and commentary to the popular television fan site, Tvgasm. And for 46 weeks, TVgasm’s core readers have hated us! (Typical comment: “I think you're a useless piece of crap, TB.” —Tabby LavaLamp)

Now, Tabloid Baby and TVgasm have parted ways.

“We were planning to do a solid 52 weeks— make it a year and then make an exit-- but the budget ran out before we could!" says Tabloid Baby editor Burt Kearns.

Tabloid Baby had been hired to give TVgasm a news presence after the TV recap site was bought last fall by Bunim Murray Productions, producers of MTV’s Real World and similar reality shows. Bunim Murray had hoped to expand the site into a major, interactive media site, but after the company's digital content chief left earlier this year, plans went into remission.

“It was never exactly the perfect fit," says Kearns.

"TVgasm attracts an audience of geeks and lonely housewives who think TV stars are their friends. It’s cute, naïve, unpolished and non-jaded, and they go for this thing called ‘snarkiness.’ Tabloid Baby isn't cute. We're jaded. Not naïve. And for some reason, that word 'snarky' makes us think of Mo Rocca!

"But it was fun. With TVgasm, we played it like we do on TV. Three or four television stories a day that we thought were important or interesting. And we did it differently than sites like TV Tattle or Defamer, which simply link to story sources. We broke news, did interviews, and added commentary and context. We also threw in a lot of curves, like history, satire and sidebar links. It was time-consuming, but it brought in a lot of new readers.

"But that original fan base kept up the attack. They accused us of being part of a corporate takeover. They only wanted recaps. They said we were mean! They’d get offended if we wrote that Kirstie Alley was fat or that Rachel Dratch was homely. Then they all retreated to the site forums, where the housewives and shut-ins flirt with the high school boys."

In an ironic twist, the first TVGasm news story in the post-Tabloid Baby era is a gossip item on a non-television subject— and pays tribute to the corporate porn-pushing gossip site TMZ, of which Tabloid Baby is a leading critic.

It is cute, though.

"It’s funny, we got word (that Tabloid Baby had been cancelled) last week, days after we'd ventured into the forums to invite the crowd to take a look at what they’d been missing on the Newsgasm side. It turned into a hilarious argument. The geeks went on the attack, started playing mischief with our posts— it was chaos until the site moderator stepped in and foolishly, I think, appeased the group by announcing that ("pot stirrer") Tabloid Baby was leaving.

"Then, whoever had been fucking with us erased the thread and locked us out of the site before we could say goodbye and thank our real fans-- or fan!”

That’s the punchline. On Friday, NBC Universal sent us a copy of the deluxe seven-disc Heroes Season 1 DVD set. We’d intended to give it away as a parting gift.

So if you want the Heroes collection, email us here, with your answer to the question:

"What was the worst thing about Tabloid Baby’s work at TVGasm?”

We’ll post the answers and announce a winner.

3 comments:

  1. I think your stories were funny and I enjoyed reading the posts! You will be missed but I guess I'll have to visit here more often.

    I guess I lose...I can't way what the worst thing was.

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  2. I am so thrilled that someone finally called out Tinkerbell. She ruined my experience at TVgasm so that I don't post any more and even wrote a complaint letter to MYL explaining the whole situation there. While I don't post anymore, I do cruise by to see what BS is going on, and it's like a time machine back to JR High with Tink and her squad of minions. When I was still active here she continually blamed me for people leaving the board, and when ever I tried to defend myself she would, as you so accurately put it, passive-aggressively get others to do her dirty work. I was accepted into her fold until I took an opposing view to her. Hmmm now that I think of it, kind of like the Dicklet in the BB this season.

    Anyhoo, I also expressed to MYL that it was my opinion that TVgasm WAS a great site and if it weren’t for the clique here they would still have a great site. Readership has fallen off and most of the main people have gone to midseasonreplacement site. Tink couldn’t get the power there so she has stayed. Two of her crew, Chooch and Gif were not welcomed there and have stayed here. Oh Yea! MYL has most definitely got a power problem as I believe Tink believes this is her forum. I don’t know if you used her nephew in an avatar or not, but the pix posted here are all public domain and if she didn’t want anyone to use the pix she should never have posted them. Funny…you will never see a pix of her (cluck cluck).

    Ok, I’ve bitched enough, I really just meant to express my support of your efforts and am so happy to see I was not totally out of my mind that I was the only one who felt this way. You will not see me post on the forum in your support, as I don’t like being beat up, I’m just an ol’ softy! LOLOLOL! But I’m behind you and rest assured, cheering you all the way! BTW I used to post in your support on Newsgasm, but when you took away the anonymous comment option I quit. Ok I’m just a big chicken, but I am sitting here, hiding behind my computer with my thumbs up at you!

    Thanks MUAH!

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  3. Kewl!! I just updated my idiot nephew-brat's scrap book and now I have time to read my favorite, favorite, favorite site! Get a snack ready, and read "Tabloid Baby" with me.... I never read WITHOUT a snack. LOL!!!

    Ok - You asked for it you got it...

    TinkerHell-Tots
    1. Buy Ore-Ida Tater Tots
    2. Pre-heat your oven to 350
    3. Open Tater Tots
    4. Pour tots onto pan
    5. Place pan in the oven
    6. Pour a nice cold Dr. Pepper
    7. Check on tots - a lot, cuz I don't usually set a timer
    8. Once tots look nearly done - wait til the next commercial
    9. Before the next commercial smell burning smell
    10. Take smoldering tots out of the oven
    11. Throw burned tots away
    12. Hop in car and go to Sonic for side of Sonic Tots

    MY Gawd, I yam SOOOO funny!! Garry Marshall, if you need a writer, or YOU, Neil Simon --- just don't have a spasm-gasm, MAN! I can write like this ALL DAY!!!

    signed,
    TinkerHell Ditzie
    from Florida or wherever.

    LOL!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete