Goodbye, TMZ...You Had Us At Hayden 
Monday, December 10th, 2007

I have had to make the sad decision today of permanently removing TMZ.com from our News & Blogroll.  TMZ, a joint venture between Telepictures Productions and AOL, are one of the leaders in entertainment news on the web, and most often have the latest celebrity justice court documents before everyone else (except perhaps The Smoking Gun).  I have always liked that they seem relentless in justice, no matter how high on the Hollywood totem pole a criminal offender may be.

I've often found fault with their incessant coverage of Britney Spears' daily activities, their willingness to publish paparazzi photos of unwilling photo subjects, their pairing with evil gossip extraordinaire, Perez Hilton, and their promotion of La Lohan and Paris.  TMZ has toed the line between informative and trashy many times - in the last few months, they've far surpassed respectable journalism.

In October, TMZ posted a photo of do-gooder Hayden Panettiere, only 18 years old, bent over in shorts.  Taken by a photog.  The title of the "article?"  "Hayden -- Cellulite or Bad Light: Cottage Cheese Thighs, Fact or Fiction?"  Now, if you saw the picture they used, you would probably agree that Hayden has beautifully sculpted curves, but that is far from the point.

"It's the picture that launched a killer argument in the TMZ newsroom this morning," TMZ wrote on October 24th.  "Hayden Panettiere, cottage cheese-leader?!"  They posted a poll under the photo, where, as of the date of this article, 67% of people (out of 120,580 votes) voted "Bad Photo."

Okay, but what the hell are they doing posting that as if it's an item to debate over in the first place?  Panettiere, still a teenager, has been an animal rights defender and charity hopper in her young years, and looks like a little blonde saint in comparison to her older competitors in the acting biz.

This weekend, People.com reported that Hayden had brought up the photo of her on TMZ, in her interview with People Magazine.

"Did you see TMZ the other day where I bent over and they took a picture of me, and there was a whole conversation on whether I had cottage cheese thighs or not?" she asked.  "It makes me feel awful.  I'm sorry, but no woman looks good under overhead lighting.  It was not good lighting."

"I'm a teenage girl and I have the same body issues.  There are parts of my body that I don't mind, and there're parts of my body that I absolutely can't stand.  And I don't need somebody pointing them out to me, because trust me, I know they're there.  You don't need to tell anyone else about it.  It doesn't need to be strewn across a magazine.  It's my business.  And the fact that you don't have anything better to talk about than my thigh fat is absolutely absurd.  It just goes to show you the pathetic people in this world.  I give Jennifer Love Hewitt all the support in the world.  She's beautiful."  Poor little Hayden - she was obviously hurt by the statements, and was snapped hitting the gym multiple times in the following days.  (And looking that little, she must be itty-bitty in person!)

Jennifer Love Hewitt - another woman that TMZ has thrown to the jackals.  They posted this photo of Hewitt on a private Hawaii beach vacation, and jeered, "While Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez were blessed with bodacious backsides, [Love-Hewitt] is better known for her assets in the front.  And now we know why!"

In response to the insult, Jennifer posted the following on her blog:

"This is the last time I will address the subject.  I've sat by in silence for a long time now about the way women's bodies are constantly scrutinized.  To set the record straight, I'm not upset for me, but for all of the girls out there that are struggling with their body image.

"A size 2 is not fat!  Nor will it ever be.  And being a size 0 doesn't make you beautiful.  What I should be doing is celebrating some of the best days of my life and my engagement to the man of my dreams, instead of having to deal with photographers taking invasive pictures from bad angles.  I know what I look like, and so do my friends and family.  And like all women out there should, I love my body.

"To all the girls with butts, boobs, hips and a waist, put on a bikini -- put it on and stay strong."

So, TMZ, I have had it with you.  I have removed my links your site, and I will no longer go to you for news.  Believe me, it hurts.  But it's a necessary parting.

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