Op/Ed About Tony, Eva and Tabloid Journalism

[nbascribe]

Thought you guys might like to read an op/ed I wrote about the Allure article and 'tabloid' journalism.

Article link is: http://www.blackathletesportsnetwork.net/artman/publish/article_01681.shtml

G. Moore

[Phenomanul]

Great article :tu props...

[spurschick]

Kudos :tu

[Phenomanul]

Kudos :tu


Have you noticed the one phrase :tu is the 'Solid D' special???

I guess I kind of borrowed it. :spin

[nbascribe]

dang...the 'solid d" special...woo hoo!! lol

[ploto]

I think your article is very well-written, but doesn't blame rest on Eva's shoulders, as well, for doing the interview and saying the kinds of things she says in the first place? Why doesn't she just shut up, quite frankly?

And don't people on here "report" things all the time about Spurs players they see somewhere? I make it a point not to read or participate in those public discussions because I feel that it is no one's business. I don't tell people what I see or know.

[nbascribe]

ploto.....the point of the article was to show that most SPORTS writers/columnists do not go the route of tabloid journalism.

I see stuff all the time but unless it's 'sports' related, I don't report it.

The difference between posting something a fan may see from a player on a board like this isn't journalism. Allure is in the same category as any other 'news' rag...even if it is nothing more than a beauty magazine for the most part.

[ShoogarBear]

Greg:

Good article, but I have to admit I wasn't exactly clear on your ultimate point.

What exactly is the definition of "tabloid journalism"? Is it emphasizing the sensational without reporting all sides of the story? I haven't read the original Allure article in its entirety, but it seems that the problem is not the actual article, but the secondary reporting on the article, where it appears that selective editing was done.

You made a point about Allure being at fault for not asking TP about Eva's comments, but I'm not convinced that's really their job. If they reported accurately what she said, then

Unlike Slomo (:)) I'm not close personal friends with Eva, but I have an overall good impression of her from what I read. However, it does seem she likes to run her mouth a lot in public about things that most of us would be more discreet about. Perhaps this is intentional (and with Tony's approval). If so, more power to her, because it's definitely working at keeping her in the spotlight. If not, at some point a light should come on, and she needs to turn down the throttle.

[angel_luv]

Well said Bear.

[boutons_]

What Eva said is trashy talk about Tony's sex life. Even if it's not true, tons of people who read trash will believe it, making Tony famous with the trash crowd. :)

Eva's bitching about being mis-interpreted is disingenious. She's an ex-soap opera "TV actress", plays a slutty housewife, sells herself through sex, and has been in the celebrity aka trash game for years. I give her enough credit behind her fortunate face to know EXACTLY the game she's playing by running her loose mouth about her and Tony's sex life.

[angel_luv]

Eva may say more than I think is appropriate, but she does seem to really like Tony. I doubt seriously she is out to get him.

[nbascribe]

Suga the point of the article was that one of Tony's family members was not happy with the portrayal of TP. The other point was that Allure didn't get any type of clarification from Eva on her comments that she made.

Personally I have a good idea who put the screws to her to get her to start clarifying those statements but Eva should be smarter than that. She shouldn't need prodding to be public relations savvy these days.

Heck if she can't handle being TP's girl, then she needs to bow out. Let's be honest who is the biggest star, Eva or Tony? My money is on #9; he's already an international star. Eva has about two seasons left on that show. The show is all but done.

[Kori Ellis]

Wait a minute, I thought that Allure printed the comments in the correct manner. When Eva said that Tony was with one person in Allure, I thought it was clearly indicated that she was talking about one long term girlfriend (not one sex partner).

And then I thought the other newspapers took partial quotes from the Allure interview and made it seem more scandalous than it actually was.

I didn't really read all about it and maybe I'm confused. But I thought Allure did a regular stand up interview and other papers are what sensationalize/misrepresented what was said.

Can someone clue me in?

[spurschick]

I didn't really read all about it and maybe I'm confused. But I thought Allure did a regular stand up interview and other papers are what sensationalize/misrepresented what was said.

I didn't read the Allure article, but I was under the same impression.

[Slomo]

Not completely related to your article Gregg, but I am a little disturbed by what some of you are saying.

Let me first explain how I understand the whole thing: Eva did an interview with newspaper A where she did not say any of the controversial things that other (tabloid) newspaper have reported - her story is confirmed by the publication of the interview in newspaper A.

If my understanding is correct I have a problem with those of you who said she should be more careful about what she says. I'm sorry but this form of auto censorship is almost as bad as real censorship. If people start to shut up out of fear of what some tabloid is going to publish out of context - then we are all going to have very boring and bland newspapers.

Again if my recap is correct then shouldn't people be outraged at the poor job the tabloids are doing instead of telling the victim to shut up?


Sorry for the hijack but I must protect my good personal friends when they're in trouble :spin

[angel_luv]

The story ( Garden of Eva and was written by Kevin Sessums) was in the March volume of Allure I just bought.

This is a small excerpt from the lenghty article. ( from page 241-42)




Do Longoria and her Gallic boyfriend ever talk dirty in French during their late-night calls?
" I wish," she says, confiding that the 23-year-old basketball ball player is the prim one in their relationship. " That is just not his thing. He's very sweet. I'm the experienced one. I'm the teacher, especially about love. He's always telling me he's never met anyone who loves the way I do-wholly and freely and unconditionally. I'm very 'hurh's ma heart,'" she says with the exaggereated Texas Accent from her Corpus Christi up bringing.

I skipped the paragraph that talks about Eva growing up on a farm and how she is learning to be proficient in French because that is what her and Tony's kids will speak.

Is Longoria pregnant? Is she saying that she and Parker are about to marry? " No, no, no," she says. " But we know exactly what we want in our future."
" Are you willing to have a child out of wedlock?"I ask.

" I would. But Tony won't... He's only been with one other person in his life," says Longoria, who was married for three years to actor Tyler Christopher of General Hospital and had relationships with several other show business types including JC Chasez of 'N Sync, before meeting Parker.

She even jokes that some in San Antonio consider her the Yoko Ono of the Spurs. " The Spurs are such straight arrows compared to the rest of the NBA," she explains." Seven of the 13 Spurs are foreign, so they don't have that American thing of the bling and the cars and the MTV Cribs and the, yes, hos. These people pay a lot of money for Tony and his teammates to win them a championship, so they're like, 'You're not going to mess this uo, little girl.' Not that they've ever told me in so many words, but I've certainly felt it. 'You can screw him, but don't screw up his game.'"

Longoria says that Parker is very mature in many ways and that, because he's European, he just has a different mind-set than the stereotypical American man. " He's way more worldly than anybody I've ever met in the States."

In the article, Eva also describes how she and Tony met. She later says, " I'm soo in love with him. There's this Spurs calendar every year for the Spurs Foundation Charity, and each month a player is featured with his family or whatever. This year, Tony and I are February. I was so proud. I showed it to my mom and said, 'Look! I'm gonna go give Grandma a calendar.' And my mom whispered at me,' You can't give Grandma a calendar. She doesn't know Tony's black.' I whispered back,'Well, we'll just tell her he's French.' My grandma is 95 and doesn't know anything about the world. She thinks Jesus was a Catholic. And a Mexican."
Later still.
Eva was talking about how she hunts. loves t-shirts and jeans, getting dirty etc.. she said, " I'm very plucky. I think that's what Tony likes about me so much. Since I grew up in Texas, I'm like the people he's gotten used to around San Antonio instead of being a Hollywood actress who's selfish and arrogant and full of herself and...screamy."

A bit after that Eva discusses her upcoming movie " The Sentinel" and talks about seeing the movie trailer which was mailed to her. " I'd never seen myself in a trailer before. My eyes watered up when my name came on the screen. I was on vacation with Tony in San Antonio and they sent it to me. He kept rewinding it and pointing to the screen going,'Look at your name!' But Tony hates Hollywood and my world out here. He thinks it's overwhelming and crazy and insane."

And that is all there was where Tony was mentioned, except this chart that came with the article.
http://i1.tinypic.com/scgj6t.jpg

[spurschick]

These people pay a lot of money for Tony and his teammates to win them a championship, so they're like, 'You're not going to mess this up, little girl.' Not that they've ever told me in so many words, but I've certainly felt it. 'You can screw him, but don't screw up his game.'"
Well, it is a business. However, Tony is the employee, so to speak, and it is up to him, not her, to suit up for work and do his job. If his personal life starts to interfere with that, or reflect poorly on the team, that's something he would need to deal with. The same goes for the rest of the players, coaches, staff, etc. Hell, that goes for all of us, no matter who you work for.


This year, Tony and I are February. I was so proud. I showed it to my mom and said, 'Look! I'm gonna go give Grandma a calendar.' And my mom whispered at me,' You can't give Grandma a calendar. She doesn't know Tony's black.' I whispered back,'Well, we'll just tell her he's French.' My grandma is 95 and doesn't know anything about the world. She thinks Jesus was a Catholic. And a Mexican.

:lol Good times.

[angel_luv]

Chart successfully added.

[samikeyp]

As usual....well done G MO.

[spurschick]

Chart successfully added.

Depp over Clooney?! I like Depp as much as the next girl, but he's no George. As for dunking vs. three-pointers, he doesn't do much of either. :lol

[angel_luv]

I vote for George as well. :tu

[angel_luv]

I think Slomo's friend ;)looks really pretty on the cover.

http://i1.tinypic.com/scq80j.jpg

[spurschick]

97 tips to look younger? I wonder if that includes Uncle Rico's time travel machine.

[clooneyschick04]

Depp over Clooney?!? I'll take that salt and pepper hair and charm any day! :angel

[1Parker1]

Depp over Clooney?! I like Depp as much as the next girl, but he's no George. As for dunking vs. three-pointers, he doesn't do much of either. :lol

:lol Very true. Thanks for posting the article, Angel.


Longoria and her Gallic boyfriend

Gallic Boyfriend???? :lmao

[angel_luv]

97 tips to look younger? I wonder if that includes Uncle Rico's time travel machine.


I skipped those tips. People already guess I am somewhere between the ages of 16-19.

[samikeyp]

Depp over Clooney?!? I'll take that salt and pepper hair and charm any day!

My wife agrees with you, she likes Johnny Depp but prefers Clooney. Your screenname is why she forgave you for hexing her Longhorns. :)

[clooneyschick04]

My wife agrees with you, she likes Johnny Depp but prefers Clooney. Your screenname is why she forgave you for hexing her Longhorns. :)

:tu :tu :)

[samikeyp]

We have both made the comparison between Clooney and Cary Grant. I think its an accurate comparison.

[ploto]

If my understanding is correct I have a problem with those of you who said she should be more careful about what she says. I'm sorry but this form of auto censorship is almost as bad as real censorship. If people start to shut up out of fear of what some tabloid is going to publish out of context - then we are all going to have very boring and bland newspapers.

Again if my recap is correct then shouldn't people be outraged at the poor job the tabloids are doing instead of telling the victim to shut up?

I understand your concern, but this is in the local newspaper:

She told "Extra" and "Access Hollywood" this week that "when the lights go out, he's the teacher" and she's the student.

What does she expect to happen when she says things like that. She has been in this business for quite some time and should know what she is doing. Now she is just adding to it by saying more to cover for what was said before.

Don't get me wrong. I am not one of the Eva haters. She seems to care genuinely about Tony and is very supportive of him. She just should have learned by now to watch what she says when what she is saying is NOT about herself. That is wherein the problem lies for me. If someone wants to air their own dirty laundry, go ahead, but you have to be sensitive when it is about someone else who isn't even there.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

One thing that needs to be said here (although I do want to get into a deeper discussion once I get back to SM)...

How many of us (collectively) read it - and secondarily, demanded that type of story?

I suggest (for another prespective) you read today's column from the EN Ombudsman. If somebody doesn't link it, I'll do it when I get home.

[Slomo]

I understand your concern, but this is in the local newspaper:

She told "Extra" and "Access Hollywood" this week that "when the lights go out, he's the teacher" and she's the student.

What does she expect to happen when she says things like that. She has been in this business for quite some time and should know what she is doing. Now she is just adding to it by saying more to cover for what was said before.

Don't get me wrong. I am not one of the Eva haters. She seems to care genuinely about Tony and is very supportive of him. She just should have learned by now to watch what she says when what she is saying is NOT about herself. That is wherein the problem lies for me. If someone wants to air their own dirty laundry, go ahead, but you have to be sensitive when it is about someone else who isn't even there.That's why I explained my understanding before going further with my post.

I personally don't have a big problem with what she said - because honestly she did speak about stuff that most of us like to do or have done - but after reading the article posted by SC, I have to agree that some of the statements (specifically about Tony's previous experience) were ambigous and unfortunately Tabloids will jump on them and given the choice will distort them in the worst way. So I agree with you to the degree that she should be more careful about how she talks with journalists, but not about what she talks about.


How many of us (collectively) read it - and secondarily, demanded that type of story?That's a point Kori made many times but a lot of people still fail to realize that in a weird distorted way they (we) are responsible for this type of reporting since scandals sell newspapers, movies, records... We could stop it by just not reading (buying) those types of publications - but then the Club would be a very lonely place. Face it, we need to fulfill our voyeuristic impulses - and they (the celebrities) need the publicity.

[Vashner]

Yea Tony's got a rough life.... sigh.

[Melmart1]

Vashner, this has NOTHING to do with a 'rough life'.. What this has to do with is the general public's love of anything controversial.. and if there is nothing controversial to report, they will either distort what is said (as in this case), or make something up.

Put yourself in Tony's shoes- you are in love and blissful. Then somebody tries to make a buck off of you by misrepresenting what your gf said about you. Somehow, in his shoes, I don't think you would be nearly as flippant as you are now.

btw- a big thumbs up to SLOMO, who previously in this thread mentioned about the reverse censorship that the "indignation" of some here implies.