Op/Ed: RL/SL Fashion Faux Pas

Catero

Mar 5th, 2007

I am eagerly awaiting Miss Doolittle’s rebuttal.

Pristina Broek

Mar 5th, 2007

How can a designer NOT realize that their ratty RL self is NOT a SL fashion paradigm? Not that her stuff isn’t boring anyway. If Timmy’s mom baked biscuits in the ugly green hausfrau frock Doolittle’s avi is wearing, Lassie would leave home and stayed gone. Her rl appearance shows a serious lack of leadership and judgement for a supposedly fashion-unconscious person.

Victoria Wheeler

Mar 5th, 2007

Not all of us sitting at home are gorgeous. But if you’re going to represent yourself as a fashionista, even just in SL, the least you could do is not wear a t-shirt or brush your hair for your pic.

Victoria Wheeler

Mar 5th, 2007

The dog is cute.

Simondo Nebestanka

Mar 5th, 2007

I would understand, should Sabrina choose not to respond to this childishness.

Tenshi, instead of trying to convince us that we aren’t getting your point, perhaps skip the comments here criticising your appearance, but re-read and take on board the comments that criticise both your action, and the tacit support of the Herald by publishing this piece in the first place.

To quote one of the all-time greats in the fashion world, “Do you understand that the world does not revolve around you and your do whatever it takes, ruin as many people’s lives, so long as you can make a name for yourself as an investigatory journalist, no matter how many friends you lose or people you leave dead and bloodied along the way, just so long so you can make a name for yourself as an investigatory journalist, no matter how many friends you lose or people you leave dead and bloodied and dying along the way?” – DZ

Cheerio

CC

Mar 5th, 2007

From a blog/journal that is now another linked site since I have been reading all these:

Tensei said: “Mostly I had a good chuckle at these. Because, well, although I may be sixteen, cross-eyed, and the satanic spawn of Woody Haroldson and Martha Stewart. (Martha Stewart is a crazy old bat, but hey -”

Am I missing something here or is Tenshi 16? And if she is, what the hell is she doing on the main grid?

Caramel LeShelle

Mar 5th, 2007

My respect for the Herald has dropped precipitously after this article.

So Uri you’re fine with the fact you published a pointless, personal attack providing it got a bunch of comments? Even if many of those comments were to the effect of “I can’t believe the Herald is standing by this?”

Watch this space folks, the Herald has a death wish.

Tenshi Vielle

Mar 5th, 2007

Uri, Pix, I want a raise.

Aimee Weber

Mar 5th, 2007

“wow, 40+ comments AND we got marsellus out of posting retirement AND we got Aimee to comment on a post having nothing to do with Prok!” -Uri

Prok has been a dull subject ever since the arrival of the “kinder, gentler” Prok who has been working on reinventing herself for the press and ingratiating herself with the Sheep.

I do, however, have high hopes for Tenshi as a replacement troll. I just think she may be going in the wrong direction by passing her posts off as high art with all the multi-dimensional subtlety of James Joyce. “Yall just don’t git it! Hypocrisy! Callin that bitch ugly is my salute to Homer’s Odyssey! Git it?”

Yeah, we get it.

The problem is when the critique is uglier than the subject, the effect is lost. At some point in Tenshi’s recent formative years she must have read some toe-curling celebrity fashion commentary written with biting surgical satirical precision. The victim was ripped to shreds with the kind of clever humor that made you feel ashamed to laugh, yet you laughed nonetheless.

You can see Tenshi’s attempt to mimic this style buried in what appears to be a scribbled note passed between high school bubble-heads during third period study hall “Uh muh gawd, did you see the shirt she was wearing? I mean, like, BARF, seriously…SO BARF. Is her mom, like, on welfare?”

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we should all play nice. Catty back-biting is part of the fashion game as I described last summer over at Second Life Insider:

http://www.secondlifeinsider.com/2006/07/14/devil-wears-preen/

I do think the importance of our RL condition as it pertains to our virtual fashion careers is debatable. Is it in vogue or even relevant if a virtual fashion commentator still lived with her dad? I can’t imagine why I would care as long as her commentary was quality work. Would it matter if the absence of designer labels in Sabrina’s RL wardrobe was due to RL financial troubles? (ew ew ew, poor people are SO not fashionable!) But wait, would it be fashionable if Sabrina was using her virtual fashion talents to make a better life for herself? I guess it depends on how important substance and perseverance are to fashion.

I don’t think Sabrina’s RL appearance is unattractive but this article is as ugly as it gets. But hey, the goal isn’t quality work (come on! this isn’t Second Life Insider we’re talking about!) Quality isn’t necessary for trolling. Simply insult random folks recklessly, and watch your blog hits and comments go through the roof. If your targets retaliate, pretend to be a victim or a freedom fighter. If you decide to cash in on your notoriety later, you can always reinvent yourself as the kinder, gentler Tenshi.

You have big shoes to fill, but I think you’re up for the task. My only suggestion would be for you to drop the whole “you just don’t get it” shtick in favor of something more your style, such as…

“Whatevah, I do what I want.”

Artemis Fate

Mar 5th, 2007

Personally, I think the statement the picture makes by the RL contrast of the SL photo is that You don’t have to be some sort of real life fashion mogul to be a virtual one, there she is in her comfy very normal looking clothes while her virtual self is supposedly hip and stylish (I don’t actually know, I don’t follow trends to hard, is that hip and stylish? o_0). Either way, I think the effect would have been lessened if she were totally in style and hip in the real life photo.

Nacon

Mar 5th, 2007

Sunny said: “I don’t think you understood that I was mocking her superficiality Nacon”
Duh (I think you misread or something).

Aimee said: “Prok who has been working on reinventing herself for the press and ingratiating herself with the Sheep.”
Hahahahaha! That’s gold, Aimee. Meaning, it’s going to take Prok a very long time… By the time Prok “thinks” she found a way to prove anything about Sheep, Second Life & Linden Labs would have been dead by then.

Tenshi said: “lmfao. SOMEBODY GIVE THEM A CHAIR! Springer Enabled!”

…did anyone gets that?

Urizenus

Mar 5th, 2007

Aimee, I really appreciate your taking the time to comment here. I mean, that comment must have burned valuable minutes that could have been spent coaching your Blingsider staff on the fine art of mining The Herald for stories and republishing them without attribution.

Padijun Loll

Mar 5th, 2007

Whar retard approved this bullshit? It’s pathetic even by SL herald op/ed standards.

Ivy Norsk

Mar 5th, 2007

So far nobody – but nobody – has stood in support of the RL red T-shirt. I believe that T-shirts are neither intrinsically unfashionable nor a sign of poverty. Vote for T-shirts. You know you all own at least one.

Gando Thurston

Mar 5th, 2007

“Besides my intolerance for Linden Lifestyle’s Miss Sabrina Doolittle and her “never do wrong” attitude, her “fashion princess” facade, herein lies the truth…

Nobody wants to see a washed up person parading around in SL as one of the main style icons.”

This reminds me of “Ironic” by Alanis Morissette, none of it is ironic and it sounds like crap.

It’s wonderful to see someone who is taking advantage of her fashion sense while still living sensibly. The truth is: the snotty and immoderately dressed stereotype apparently doesn’t fit all SL fashionista.

Anything using the name Herald should be covering something closer to the truth, instead of this high school drivel.

Oh. One more thing.

How about we stick to people who can write more and rant less? The SL forums died long ago. RIP.

Eric Rice

Mar 5th, 2007

There are no women in SL, btw. Guys are just really, really, really clever when it comes to ao on /pullhair.

Colleen

Mar 5th, 2007

Suny Marie you really think you’re so smart yet you have sunk to the level you accuse Tenshi of sinking to. In fact you all are even more vicious than Tenshi.

CronoCloud Creeggan

Mar 5th, 2007

Sabrina Stuck up? That’s not the Sabrina I know.

But getting to the topic at hand, one of the things I like about SL is how you can be anything and how it doesn’t matter what you are in RL.

Tenshi is essentially complaining that people aren’t like their avatars. That’s sort of like complaing that someone isn’t really a 30th Lvl WHM like their character in FFXI is.

Who knows, perhaps Sabrina gave the magazine a bunch of pictures, perhaps even one where she’s wearing an Ascot worthy dress and hat in RL and they chose to run that one.

But I do know fashionistas, and even fashionistas dress down when they’re playing with their dog or messing in their garden, or sitting in front ot their newsreader reading alt.fashion.

If Tenshi wanted to complain about discrepancies between an SL avatar and RL personage she could have picked a much better target than Sabrina Doolittle: Me.

I most certainly don’t have breasts and a “kitty” in RL, and I don’t go around wearing pretty suits and dresses in my RL even if I want to.

But that doesn’t mean I’m not a fashionista, I’ve shopped at Sephora, I know my MAC foundation number, i know what it means when shoes have a red sole.

I think Tenshi is really off the mark.

Jesse Aitui

Mar 6th, 2007

Wow this is the lamest thing anyone has ever shown me.

So basically you`re on her case because she does not look like or dress like her avatar? (In the particular photo ypi saw of her anyway)

I must be missing something because THIS IS SECOND LIFE. That says it all. Majority of the folks you run into are NOTHING like their avatar. But me not really knowing Sabrina, I can not comment on her FL self verse her SL self.

As for your RL photo- What was that supposed to prove? That you have “Fashion” or something? You`re decent looking at best. But of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

So unless Sabrina was walking around saying everything about her RL person is EXACTLY the same as her SL person and you think you “caught her red-handed”, this just makes no sense at all.

-The baffled one.

Prokofy Neva

Mar 6th, 2007

>I’d like to do a piece on Prok Neva using his RL pic and make disparaging remarks about his RL looks. I’ll be emailing you and then waiting for the return email confirming that you will allow that.

Um, that’s been done and RE-done, but you’re always welcome to find a new angle on it.

>Prok has been a dull subject ever since the arrival of the “kinder, gentler” Prok who has been working on reinventing herself for the press and ingratiating herself with the Sheep.

*Bursts out laughing*. I haven’t reinvented myself and I can hardly be accused of ingratiating myself to the Sheep, as per my latest blog (http://secondthoughts.typepad.com/second_thoughts/2007/02/sheepbs.html)
, but I’ll bet I know one little fashionista girl with purple wings that is pouting now because nobody has noticed her big book enough to criticize it mercilessly. Too bad, so sad.

Jesse Aitui

Mar 6th, 2007

*Re-enters*

Upon reading more comments it seems I “missed the point” as well.

“When you’re a public figure, you’d better walk your talk.”-Tenshi

So you`re saying Sabrina is a public figure but doesn`t dress like it?

I don`t know, but I`d think it be wise to actually reside amongst the person in RL before wasting your time writing about them.

SunnyMarie

Mar 6th, 2007

Prok – I know it’s been done before, that is why I said it. I was trying to point out that Uri/Walker/whomever would never allow ME to write and article disparaging YOUR RL looks contrasted with mine and the went on to tie that into some bullshit justification due to RL/SL inconsistency of looks.

But it’s the fashion biz, right, so it’s ok? Fair game, open season, and all that. People involved in that business don’t deserve the same sort of protection as the rest of us I guess? Apparently the entertainment factor associated with this attack outweighs past principles exhorted by Uri and the gang. They’ve even edited COMMENTS in the past that they felt stepped over that RL/SL line, so I dunno what gives here, so I guess Uri is getting his jollies on this one, and therefore it doesn’t warrant policing, even though it’s much more than just a comment, it’s a freaking published piece, and therefore represents this publication to a certain extent, like it or not. Maybe give her that raise Uri, just for consistency’s sake? : )

So, if I dress as a vampire and sell fangs, cowls, and capes in SL, does that mean any RL pics of me better be in character too? I don’t get it. Why is it just this one profession which is subjected to this unwritten “rule”? Is Cubey Terra going to have to appear in a flight suit in RL appearances/pics to be taken seriously from now on? What a stupid line of logic. Gee, I guess everyone at SLCC shouldn’t be taken seriously either. WAIT! You mean that Michi Lumin isn’t really a purple dragon? OMFG YOU BITCH! YOU RUINED MY IMMERSION AND YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS SELLING AVIES IF YOU’RE NOT GONNA DRESS LIKE THAT IN RL!

Colleen, and some others here who jumped on me for holding a mirror to Tenshi, yet didn’t say one word to HER about her judgment of another’s RL looks, you’re apparently lacking the ability to understand mockery, sarcasm and irony. *shrugs* Funny how you didn’t have one cross word for the person who was actually serious in her tearing down of another. You know, the one who started it… Interesting, lemme guess, she’s a friend of yours… There IS a difference between saying something unsolicited intended to disparage and cause hurt to a person’s feelings and/or business, and holding up the mirror of mimicry to simply make a point (as I did). If you cannot understand that, then I just don’t know what to tell you. It’s not a nuanced point. It’s pretty obvious and straightforward, which is why I have to suspect your comments aren’t genuine, for the most part.

Truth be told, I think she’s cute, in a bookish sort of way, and the baby fat around the mouth is something I normally find attractive, and I have some myself, that is why I notice it in other people. However, after that stunt above, I find absolutely nothing attractive about her.

So, let me clarify for the irony impaired – the subtle yet most important distinction you’re missing, is that I do not really believe those thing I said about Tenshi, yet Tenshi DOES believe AND mean the things she said about Sabrina. As of this moment, she has not backed off her position at all, and yet, who are you condemning? The person who took Tenshi’s own tactics and used them against her to make a point. This is the point where I would be exasperated normally, but when someone either doesn’t get it, or is simply standing on loyalty over principle, all I can do is shrug it off, because there is no point in belabouring it then.

I would never just come out of the blue (like Tenshi did – let alone on a publicly viewable publication) and do that to anyone. Get it yet? I was holding a mirror to miss priss Tenshi so she would know what it feels like. She didn’t comment on it other than to try and act all detached and aloof, so I am pretty sure I hit my mark, and so have several others here. She is trying to laugh it off rather than entrench herself further, so I think she got the point, even if she is wholly unwilling to publicly acknowledge it.

Where is your outrage for what she did Colleen? Does the fact that you think a commenter was being hypocritical remove all responsibility from the person who callously started the shit storm? Apparently so.

This is a person who ruminates on her own blog that she is giving off “porcupine vibes” at college, and therefore no one will talk to her.

Starting to see the pattern yet? I do.

Actually, in a way, I’m glad Tenshi did this. She has ensured that she will never be more than a flash in the pan in the SL fashion world, if even that. For the record, I’d never even heard of her before this “article” and I own about 2000 outfits heeehe! Although – she seems very busy trying to star-fuck over on Tableau, so who knows what the future may hold? *crosses fingers that the Tableau folks have read this* Maybe I will point them over here. I am an avid fan and customer of theirs, so I wouldn’t be thrilled if this idiot somehow wrangled a vendor spot there (if she hasn’t already), and poisoned the well.

Colleen

Mar 6th, 2007

SunnyMarie I am absolutely not interested in fighting anyone’s battles, so there will be no outrage heard from me. Sabrina is a big girl she can handle it. Call it what you want, you’re still no better than Tenshi as far as I am concerned.

Simondo Nebestanka

Mar 6th, 2007

One of the important issues here is similar to one raised when the “Voice in SL” technology was announced recently. That is, the way many residents feel about SL is that it’s an *extension* of RL, and representing the ‘self’ in avatar form is logically a process of reflecting RL. Other residents see with clarity the almost endless possibilities available in creating an entirely different ‘self’ (or many selves) from their reality, sometimes extending that ‘self’ outside of the grid. The rest of us fall somewhere in between these two virtual extremes, or possibly have a foot in both camps (I do).

When ‘Voice’ was announced, a huge outpouring of anxiety was expressed by those who, given their point of reference, felt it was no more than a mortal threat to their keeping the fantasy/anonymity element of SL safe. Others, although quieter, felt it was a positive, necessary step in the evolution of the platform. And of course the rest of us fell somewhere in between.

Here, Tenshi has put forward that her conception of a SL fashion icon has been irreversibly destroyed by the otherwise harmless revelation that the human behind the Avatar-icon is a normal person like the rest of us. Perhaps Tenshi would have drawn less intense responses if she’d presented her critique in terms other than high-school bitchiness (go re-read her original words, that’s pretty much it – she criticises Sabrina Dent’s hair, shirt and dog (?), all of which I think look fine).

As Uri leads to in his defence of publishing the article, perhaps this has been an interesting exploration of how different sections of this large community feel about their place within the whole. Maybe what we each need to keep in mind is that *my* view of how I participate in this virtuality is almost definitely going to be different to how the next person I encounter is going to view their experience and involvement. Once we reach that point, there may be no need to scrutinize or criticise someone who, under different circumstances, might be your strongest ally.

Peace my friends, right now I’m not entirely sure what my point is, but thanks for staying focussed through my alcohol-infused ravings.

ps. Because no one seemed to notice, my earlier post quoting a legendary fashion icon was in fact from the one and only “Zoolander”. I recommend everyone go get a copy of this wonderful film, watch and marvel at its beauty, and keep some of its characters in mind before passing judgement on the beings represented at the core of the comedy-drama here.

SunnyMarie

Mar 6th, 2007

“SunnyMarie I am absolutely not interested in fighting anyone’s battles, so there will be no outrage heard from me. Sabrina is a big girl she can handle it. Call it what you want, you’re still no better than Tenshi as far as I am concerned.”

Except for the outrage you’re directing at me for trying to show Tenshi how she is coming off by turning it back on her.

So if it isn’t “outrage” then let’s call it indignation. Where is your indignation about what Tenshi said and actually MEANT? Where Colleen? Why are you mum about that? it’s fascinating really.

Why is it that you’re only interested in whacking ME with your schoolmarm’s ruler, but not the person who started the whole thing by acting like she is in grade 10, sitting at a lunch table, gossiping about some other girl’s looks, pest, and clothing?

Never mind, it isn’t coming is it? That’s because you’re just running interference for Tenshi for some unknown reason (although I have my theories as to the actual reason). Which leads to… Where on earth did you get the notion that I thought you should defend Sabrina? It’s about defending principles, and if your principles dictate that you should thrash me for emulating Tenshi’s attitude to make a point, yet not Tenshi herself, then it is YOU who is the hypocrite that you are trying to “expose” me as.

There’s no “gotcha” here Colleen, and you just make yourself look sillier every time you condemn me for playacting to make a point, while answering the real deal (Tenshi’s juvenile behaviour) with abject silence.

Telling Colleen, very telling.

Tenshi Vielle

Mar 6th, 2007

It amazes me how easily most of you are influenced. “HEY! A GREAT BIG PILE OF SHIT! LETS ALL STEP IN IT!”

And then on the other hand, there are the people that support me in this matter, hiding behind the scenes, privately IM’ing me so that they don’t have to deal with all of you and your firey pitchforks…

SunnyMarie

Mar 6th, 2007

Eh, I think you’re the one who stepped in it Tenshi dear.

I will grant you, “big pile of shit”, though, because that’s exactly what you did here – laid a big pile of shit. Well, at least you admit that. That’s a bit of progress, maybe there is hope for you after all.

And pitchforks? Isn’t that what you are jabbing Sabrina with here? Wasn’t that your goal? To get the masses fired up against her? Only it mostly backfired, didn’t it?

Do you ever take personal responsibility for the “piles of shit” you leave in your wake? Should I even bother to ask? Seems to me you like to stir people up, and then point at them and laugh like a four year old “See what I made you do!!?” Pathetic.

That worn out canard – “people are IMing me with support”, is a crock. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen someone under fire, for behaving like a snotty prom queen or whatnot, come out with that old line. More likely, they are “hiding behind the scenes” (if they even exist) because they know your position is indefensible.

Now, go ahead and try to tell us that you set this whole thing up in order to draw people in, and how we’re all suckers. By your last comment about people being “easily influenced” I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s where you’re heading. Sorry, but that type of damage control is just all too obvious.

What this all boils down to is you thinking you’re better than Sabrina because … well.. I’m not sure why??? Because you’re wearing a coat indoors that we can’t even see? Which means what exactly? That you are a strange person who wears coats indoors? Or, is it because you fancy yourself better looking than she? My bet’s on the latter, what with how you managed to find a way to post your face here. I think your “point” is wholly disingenuous. Why aren’t you all made up and wearing a cocktail dress or an evening gown and jewellery if your point is that Sabrina is a bad person for having a different RL appearance from her SL one in her photo?

He who is enamored of himself will at least have the advantage of being inconvenienced by few rivals. – G.C. Lichtenberg

Simondo Nebestanka

Mar 6th, 2007

“It amazes me how easily most of you are influenced.”

Did you in fact mean.. “It amazes me how I’m unable to influence most of you”? .. because that’s how it comes across.

I don’t mean to take you to task unnecessarily, however the criticism you have received here isn’t ascending you to martydom. Just because there are people privately supporting you (ie. agreeing that Sabrina’s human should fab it up a little) doesn’t mean anyone in this public forum is wrong for disagreeing with you. Or that we’re all stepping in a great big pile of shit (?).

Perhaps some of the ‘disagreements’ have been harsh but you kind of set yourself up for that.. and you almost gave a green light for nasty rebukes at the end of your original post (“If you feel the need to be snarky, mean, rude, or just to point out the truth – have the courtesy and the balls to leave your name”).

It probably tells a small story all of its own that you are privately getting IM support on this from people not wishing to post on a blog. Maybe that indicates the level this story could have stayed at – as a series of private conversations criticising a perceived lack of glamour, rather than as a story in the Herald.

I am starting to feel dirty now though. Kind of like I’m in an angry mob belting a baby seal to death for a reason I can’t remember.

“A conclusion is the place where you get tired of thinking.” – Athur Bloch

goddamn the lag in here

Simondo Nebestanka

Mar 6th, 2007

*martyrdom.
Oops.
(Almost as exciting as martydom).

Sabrina Doolittle

Mar 6th, 2007

You know what the *most* amazing thing about this is for me? That it is apparently Herald-worthy news that people who look like Barbie dolls in the Second Lives are really sitting at home in their pajamas in their real lives.

This is news?

As far as I know, I have never interacted with the author of this OpEd piece, nor with any of the Herald’s staff in any way. While this clearly is reading to most people (not least of all me) as some sort of personal vendetta, where that may come from is truly a mystery to me. I suspect it’s just poor judgement from a very young writer. It tends to be age and experience that teaches us that just because you *can* do something doesn’t mean you should. I suspect Tenshi lacks both.

I would also like to say, as a point of contrast, that while I may critique an outfit on Linden Lifestyles and point out its flaws, I have never, ever reached through the monitor to personally attack either the SL designer or the RL person behind them. I think it’s quite sad that Tenshi has done so, and a poor reflection of Uri’s standards as editor that the Herald is chosing to stand behind this piece.

Ah well. Nothing I can do about it and nothing that will matter after lunch. Thanks, though, to all who have weighed in to say this was a bit beyond the pale.

Onder Skall

Mar 6th, 2007

Oh man… now I’m going to have to go and get myself a pair of horns, start wearing white makeup, shave, lose a little weight, and completely re-think my hairstyle. I guess contacts will have to do for my eyes…

Wouldn’t want to misrepresent myself.

Urizenus

Mar 6th, 2007

Sabrina, I am but a humble contributing editor these days, and did not post Tenshi’s article, but yes I do stand behind her. Whether or not her article worked, it caused you no harm, and frankly I think that young reporters like Tenshi need room to find their voice. That means they need room to experiment, push boundaries, and learn to find the right note when they do so. That is not easy to do.

That having been said, criticism is also valuable, so your comment is appropriate and welcome. I only become concerned when it looks like other people are piling on, and that is how it looks to me at the moment.

Chiara Stella

Mar 6th, 2007

Uri…Do you honestly feel that a cruel and uncalled for personal attack on someone’s RL appearance, which has nothing to do with their Second Life or career, does them “no harm”? That’s the sort of attitude most of us left behind in the sandbox. Shame on you.

Veronique Lalonde

Mar 6th, 2007

Tenshi:

You had a point?

Squaric Stepanov

Mar 6th, 2007

All the whiney big baby commenters who think Tenshi is “so mean” for pointing out that being a slob doesn’t sell fashion are sitting home in their raggedy red tee shirts, messed up hair, drooly dog in their laps, typing away in SL. We don’t want to see YOUR pix, either. Now, back to searching for dresses. I mean high heels, No, wait, I’m a guy.

SunnyMarie

Mar 6th, 2007

Uri, that’s the biggest load of dung I’ve ever heard. Concerned for the little prom queen who rivals the girls in the movie “Heathers”. Hey, one of those agreeing with her is even named Heather!

Piling on? Just because several people arrive at similar conclusions doesn’t mean it’s piling on. But hey, it’s a good way to dismiss all their points simultaneously, isn’t it?

What did you expect after that tripe she wrote? And apparently you missed the fact that there are several people on here agreeing with Tenshi.

“Finding her voice”, oh wow. That’s how it’s done? By shredding someones RL appearance? One would THINK that a reporter would start out by cutting her teeth on actual stories versus op/ed pieces attacking competitors, but it is the Herald after all…

Once again, the Herald lives up to it’s reputation as a tabloid rag.

I love how it’s “reporting” (indicating that this is a news outlet) when it suits and its “just a blog for our own entertainment, this is how we do” when it suits.

If you think what Tenshi has done here warrants calling her a “reporter” you’re further off your rocker than I’d imagined.

Remarkable.

Tenshi Vielle

Mar 6th, 2007

re·port·er /rɪˈpɔrtər, -ˈpoʊr-/
–noun

1. A person who reports.
2. A writer, investigator, or presenter of news stories.

Reality

Mar 6th, 2007

Hmm, being as anyone can be a ‘reporter’ under that first definition, it does not apply here.

As to the second: I know neither of these people and I would have to say … This is not news, nor is it anything newsworthy. This Op/Ed piece is little more than a personal attack on another user.

Therefore miss Tenshi, you’ve shot yourself in the foot by posting a definition.

Maria Malone

Mar 6th, 2007

My response to marselles because i know for a fact the poor lil guy is checking this site every hour on the hour to see if i responded yet so here it goes wanksta boy:

“Anyway, what do I have to do with Mackenzie’s statement or this story?” – actually you personally don’t but my point was using Mackenzie’s post as an example of a hypocrite and your just the example. can’t help it if thats who she is ASSociated with.

“What you think I am a mobster in my first life? Don’t be ridiculous.” your not even a mobster in second life. and please…. don’t come at me with some lame links to news stories of your PAST “mob activities” in other games because they do not apply here, and are so ancient and done with just like you. your what i term a “has been” but in your case maybe even a “never was”.

“Don’t be pissed off becuase your story was one sided, a complete waste of news space and frankly isn’t news at all and people called you on it. I’ll leave it at that. I assure you that you don’t want me weighing in more than that Tenshi… Trust me.” – again the pot calling the kettle black, hmmm marsy how many stories did you do in the past for the herald that qualify for the above statement you just said? i do love the lame threat at the end towards tenshi, like what could you actually do come into second life and beat her with a bat? or claim you got all these connections in game and that her SL will be ruined lol – lame lame lame but entertaining knowing how you actually think you scare people with “words”.

P.S. Let’s see how many real life personal attacks this post brings (which is everyones point). What the hell does real life have to do with game life? Simple as that. Go ahead Tenshi… Reply and watch you prove my point. =)- this here people is the most infamous blog tactic of the one and only marselles wallace (jc soprano), what he tries to do is the reverse psychology maneuvar so that if you even post back in his mind your “proving his point” marsy you are still lame to this day, come up with some new “tactical blog posting techniques” already cuz your lame ass responses don’t hold poop and never did.

But the best part of his post was the fact that dipshit was posting to tenshi and didnt realize it till after he clicked the lil button on the bottom of his screen so had to post another reply to fix his mistake lol, someone needs glasses in his old age eh?

marsy you are so entertaining when someone ruffles up your feathers!

Morgana Fillion

Mar 6th, 2007

Uri, I’ve been assuming your silence was something to do with ‘guiding a young writer’ by letting the school of consequences teach her – but if you suggest that criticism of what she writes is piling on, I’m not sure what you’re offering her? Either mentor her – help her dicipher how her article could have made clear whatever her point is (sorry, it still just looks like “I don’t like Sabrina, how come everyone pays attention to her and not meeeee” to me), avoid inanities like criticising a RL person for, of all things, their appearance, maybe show her how to figure out what her point is before ripping off a few words of text on a totally non-newsworthy subject, or barring all that, let her face the full brunt of the criticism and support offered her as a result even if it’s ‘piling on’.

Which, in my opinion, it isn’t.

Her words reached out and touched as many readers as the Herald has. She entered into a conversation with each and every one of us – she is entitled to and had a responsibility to hear each and every reader’s reaction to that, and if she’s not ready to face that, she’s really not ready to be one of your writers. if you want a good reporter to come out of this, you won’t protect her from learning by rescuing her when the match she lights starts to burn her fingers.

Yesterday she proclaimed she was leaving (all the maturity of a 13 year old there) – if she’s back, it had better be because she’s grown spine enough to stand up for what she says in the face of criticism, and maybe even enough spine to reassess it instead of making up point after point when the first one doesn’t fly, although that’s a pretty advanced skill and I don’t expect it to happen this time out.

But if she’s just back because you’re offering to wrap her up in cotton and protect her from the consequences of her own choices, you’re not serving her well, and she won’t serve you any better than she is right now, which is not at all.

Tenshi Vielle

Mar 6th, 2007

Tsk. You’re all a bunch of morons as far as I’m concerned. What I had said was that I was finished rolling in the dirt with all of you and I was simply going to stand back and watch. Which I am. Most of you are under the impression that I’m entirely too young ,stupid, naieve, etc etc. Hell, even one of you is dumb enough to think I’m SIXTEEN. Get real.

I know what I wrote, and I knew what I was I was going to get in return – I just never expected all of you to grab the rope as readily as you did and hang yourselves by stooping to my level.

I still hold to my belief that Sabrina Doolittle needs to come down off her high horse and start being nicer to the designers – even the ones that produce stuff that “Sucks”. Believe me, I’ve heard her reasons for not reviewing an item from several designers – and it’s all a bunch of bullcockey. I point you to Miss Know It All’s post in LL:

“B. “It’s not like these bloggers are writing for ‘Vogue’ where do they get off asking for free samples like they’re journalists?”

Pssst. You’re not a top real-world designer and it’s unlikely you graduated from a prestigious design school. You are – most likely – a homemaker or a college student with PSP skills, a good eye, and time on your hands. “Vogue” doesn’t know who you are – bloggers are your press and we’re the ones your customers are reading. We’re stuck with you and you’re stuck with us. Don’t belittle my seat in this boat and I won’t belittle yours. Your mantra for today is “being SL popular doesn’t mean real-world publications have any clue who I am.”

C. “Bloggers don’t say thank you.”

Oh. My. God. I get dozens upon dozens of free review items heaped on me every day. The vast majority of them I don’t want and don’t like. Not only do I not want to say thank you,

*****I want to cry and say “stop cluttering my inventory.” There are, honestly, times when silence is the most polite thing I have to offer.*****

Of the ones I do like, I could not, in a million real or virtual years say “thank you” for all of them because

*****every “thank you” would be the opening of a conversation I already don’t have time to carry on.*****”

After all. Nobody who dresses as shabbily as she does RL needs to be acting like an SL Fashion Princess… now does she? SL now knows who the real you is, and personally, it’s not very impressive… forgive me for laughing and pointing.

Panda

Mar 6th, 2007

“Most of you are under the impression that I’m entirely too young ,stupid, naieve, etc etc. Hell, even one of you is dumb enough to think I’m SIXTEEN.”

It has to be said, you sure don’t make a grand effort to NOT come off as young, stupid, naive and 16.

Morgana Fillion

Mar 6th, 2007

“I was simply going to stand back and watch. Which I am.”

Hilarious way to start ten paragraphs of rolling in the mud!

SunnyMarie

Mar 6th, 2007

“What I had said was that I was finished rolling in the dirt with all of you and I was simply going to stand back and watch.”

And then, in the same comment:

“After all. Nobody who dresses as shabbily as she does RL needs to be acting like an SL Fashion Princess… now does she? SL now knows who the real you is, and personally, it’s not very impressive… forgive me for laughing and pointing.”

Wait, I thought you were done and were going to sit back and watch us roll in the mud and hang ourselves? So much for that. Can’t even hold to your own promises in the same damned post.

And my god, trying to impress us with your fashion savvy by pointing out that your wearing a ZIPPERED coat and JEANS! LOL!

God you’re just so Haute Couture!

Get over yourself. Sabrina owes you nothing, and I have no clue where you get the idea she owes you or anyone else anything.

You do realise that you’re elevating her importance every single time you lament how “awful” she is? Is she really that powerful that if she doesn’t thank you or someone else, that it ruins your day or week or month enough to attack her RL persona?

Jealousy is such an ugly emotion.

Morgana Fillion

Mar 6th, 2007

And as an added bit of clarity, since you still seem to be convinced that you have some really brilliant point you’re trying to make…

I’ll grant you that these are all valid criticisms that might be made. Perhaps, no matter how swamped a person is, they should say thank you. Perhaps no matter how much they want to cry at the excess of requests for blog reviews, they should have some sort of policy that walks the line between reasonable self-protectiveness and tact. Maybe so, although not getting near that amount of IMs, I really don’t find myself in a position to judge, and given your blog complaints about silence, maybe you don’t either.

But that isn’t the point, because you didn’t write an article rebutting her blog rant. You went for her appearance – and here, you repeat it – - that to you, the way she LOOKS is what makes these actions inexcusable.

No matter how you try to bend it, if she looked like a supermodel, it wouldn’t put more hours into her day or change the rules on how polite she ought to be. Your point still lacks any reasonable point, and it’s far too late now to try write the article you should have written in the first place. You went for the cheap shot instead, and are left with a reputation for being a cheap shot artist.

If someone going public with a picture that lacks a certain couture style means they shouldn’t be listened to on matters of fashion, than someone who lazily aims for a rude personal attack in a public venue isn’t anyone who should be trying to set the rules on matters of politeness. Someone else is going to have to make that argument now – you’ve lost your credibility.

Salome Strangelove

Mar 6th, 2007

Okay, a few points just because it’s mind-boggling that this child has gotten her way with this stunt. Shame on those of you for stooping to her level and making her and those like her feel their bile is justified because like gets like.

The simple facts are these:

A) Sabrina *is* one of the beautiful people — she looks lovely and happy at play with her dog in a washed up t-shirt. You put yourself up against her in a photo of yourself all ready to face a work/school day where you come off looking terrified and awkward even though you are one of the beautiful people, too. So, while your attack was completely inappropriate, it was also wrong. If you are so anxious to put your own image up against Sabrina, compare apples to apples.

B) What no one has yet mentioned is that in addition to being unethical and inappropriate, you are also lazy in your “reporting.” You don’t have the few facts you offer here straight. The beef you have with Sabrina about not having time to thank designers who drop stuff on us was written by ME. The quotes you’ve posted are from an op-ed article *I* wrote (http://lindenlifestyles.com/?p=389); interestingly, an op-ed piece that takes a controversial position without personally attacking anyone. Of the 50+ comments on the piece there were about 4 people who disagreed with my position — you being one of them. I’m sorry so few people agreed with you on our blog that you had to lash out like this, but if your claim is that Sabrina puts down others and thinks her ass is a sunbeam, you might want to at least start by using things she said to support your claim. You’re upset with me, not my partner. The problem, of course, is that you can’t provide enough facts to back your “point” no matter how hard you try. Even taking things as wildly out of context as you have, the truth is that neither Sabrina nor I take our virtual or real-world selves as seriously as you would have it seem.

C) If you have to keep telling your audience they’re missing your point, then you made it poorly. Period.

D) The reason people enjoy lindenlifestyles.com is because we know our audience. They are average people like us who sit in their washed-out tshirts and slippers at midnight and go to virtual dances in ball downs while their doggies drool on them. We know taste and we know fashion, but we also live in the real world every day — as does the majority of the people who read our blog. Sabrina knows this and that’s why she felt completely comfortable posting the photo of herself in a faded t-shirt smiling with her drooly dog ON OUR OWN BLOG. If she were really trying to pass herself off as some snarky glamour diva, this was hardly going to serve her purpose. Your attempt at sensationalizing the issue might be more compelling if it weren’t something we posted days ago for fun.

E) People who whisper support, real or not, are not really on your side of anything. They’re fair-weather cowards at best. Don’t put your faith in someone who won’t stand behind you when the chips are down – they’re generally blowing smoke up your bum.

Please quit while you’re behind. You’re a cute girl and you simply must have something to say other than attacking people who outclass and intimidate you. It’s obvious the hurtful things said here are not just bouncing off you, and you can so easily stop making yourself a target for them. Letting the Herald exploit you for a couple day’s worth of high page views isn’t worth the toll this will take on you in the long run. I really do hope you figure that out and I hope the others posting here who disagree with you will stop feeding bile with bile. You’re young and inexperienced and being taken advantage of by an unethical publication, regardless of how willing you are to be used, it’s still no victory to throw stones at you.

Morgana Fillion

Mar 6th, 2007

And as an added bit of clarity, since you still seem to be convinced that you have some really brilliant point you’re trying to make…

I’ll grant you that these are all valid criticisms that might be made. Perhaps, no matter how swamped a person is, they should say thank you. Perhaps no matter how much they want to cry at the excess of requests for blog reviews, they should have some sort of policy that walks the line between reasonable self-protectiveness and tact. Maybe so, although not getting near that amount of IMs, I really don’t find myself in a position to judge, and given your blog complaints about silence, maybe you don’t either.

But that isn’t the point, because you didn’t write an article rebutting her blog rant. You went for her appearance – and here, you repeat it – - that to you, the way she LOOKS is what makes these actions inexcusable.

No matter how you try to bend it, if she looked like a supermodel, it wouldn’t put more hours into her day or change the rules on how polite she ought to be. Your point still lacks any reasonable point, and it’s far too late now to try write the article you should have written in the first place. You went for the cheap shot instead, and are left with a reputation for being a cheap shot artist.

If someone going public with a picture that lacks a certain couture style means they shouldn’t be listened to on matters of fashion, than someone who lazily aims for a rude personal attack in a public venue isn’t anyone who should be trying to set the rules on matters of politeness. Someone else is going to have to make that argument now – you’ve lost your credibility.

Urizenus

Mar 6th, 2007

Morgana says: “if you suggest that criticism of what she writes is piling on, I’m not sure what you’re offering her?”

This was apparently made in reference to my response to Sabrina, wherein I said: “criticism is also valuable, so your comment is appropriate and welcome.”

Clearly some people in this thread are have reading comprehension difficulties, and some also suffer from a conceptual deficit of some sort, since they obviously can’t distinguish between criticism and piling on.

I might have dismissed Tenshi’s post as a lame pissy post by an immature SLer, but as we have learned in the Herald, the real story always comes out in the comments, and what the comments tell me is that Tenshi hit a nerve here. What she has shown me (and what many of you have shown me via your vituperative comments) is that there is a little bee hive full of nasty self-important drama queens that have no sense of proportion when it comes to perceived slights on their clique or members thereof.

So I learned something, and I certainly look forward to publishing many more stories on this clique. It’s like the new FIC — the Fashion Fic!

eberson

Mar 6th, 2007

Sometimes SL looks like a new world full of adventure and promise, and then its a vindicitive little clique of trolls straight out of high school.

SLH is not a paper with RL standards. A shame. SL is an experiment in collaboration and community that sometiimes works and sometimes looks like a village in medieval times. The latter is the case now. And why? Because pictures of real people are introduced and commented on in an avatar environment. RL pictures nor comments on them have a place in in a world that wants to have fantasia at its core. Please keep it that way (and don’t introduce VOIP)

Arden Voss

Marsellus Wallace

Mar 6th, 2007

I rest my case your honor.

Marsellus Wallace
The Greatest Has Been That Never Was =)

P.S. ROFLMAO!!!

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