The Internet Is Scary, Just Ask Allison Stokke

This MSNBC article should be a must read for all pre-teen girls. It's a story about a successful high school athlete who has suddenly found herself the object of the Internet's affection and prurient desire.

You should read the story, but you can probably guess from the photo what has happened.

On a lark, high school gymnast Allison Stokke joined the track team as a pole vaulter. Not only did she get good at it, she broke five national records and was the 2004 California State High School Champion. That success even earned her a scholarship to the University of California. Still, she was far from a celebrity outside of the track and field world.

That changed early this May when a year-old photo of her at a meet began showing up all over the Internet. It started simply enough. A fan posted her picture on a UC message board. That photo was noticed by a popular New York sports blogger and he posted it. Next thing you know, her MySpace page had more than 1,000 messages waiting for her and a YouTube video of her at a track meet had recorded more than 150,000 views.

Now, she gets stared at, the phone is constantly ringing and she is getting interview requests from as far away as Brazil.

That may seem great to some, but for a 18-year-old A+ student who just wants to compete in her sport, it's scary -- particularly when you start to read the sexual comments that men are making about what they would like to do to her.

"Even if none of it is illegal, it just all feels really demeaning," Allison Stokke said. "I worked so hard for pole vaulting and all this other stuff, and it's almost like that doesn't matter. Nobody sees that. Nobody really sees me."

A lot of young teen girls would die for this kind of attention and affirmation. They think it would be great if the world thought they were attractive and were constantly writing about them. But one look at what Allison is dealing with should give those girls pause.

She doesn't feel safe. She doesn't go out alone. Her father is constantly on the look out for stalkers. She is living in a fish bowl and feels like the world is staring in at her. And she's afraid that one of them might try and stick a net in and take her.

Warn your teens, in particular your girls. Allison didn't go looking for attention from the Internet, it found her. If your teen and pre-teen girls are posting pictures on the Internet, are playing in MySpace, you need to know what is on those pages and who is contacting your child.

But more importantly, you need to educate them about the beast that is the Internet. It has a collective consciousness that can develop unhealthy obsessions for attractive young women. And that obsession can jump from cyber-space to the real world. Teach them to be smart about what they post on the net because once it's out there, it's too late to take it back.

Just google "Amanda Wenk" if you don't believe me.

Yahoo.com seems to be feeding the fire a bit.

UPDATE: The Washington post covered this story and here is a little discussion about that coverage with reader reactions. The Debate: The Allison Stokke Story

Shrek Sucks

If you are a parent of a child under the age of 12, you are constantly looking for entertainment opportunities that can work for both you and your kid. That is why movies like The Incredibles, Toy Story and the rest of the computer animated film Renaissance have done so well. They really are fun for the whole family. Adult yucks in a story that appeals to kids. Unfortunately, the latest in the Shrek series of films disappoints. The story is thin and the jokes are few. My 6-year-old seemed to like it, but there was popcorn and candy involved so from her standpoint, how bad could it be.

If you have to see it, wait for the video. You certainly don't want to pay theater prices for this uninspired piece of film making.

Payday For The Uber-Tarts

In an earlier post I talked about how much more money Paris (Look at my Cooter) Hilton might make after she does her time in the pokey. Well here is a report on the appearance fees for various "celebrities." Yes, I know, that Hung guy from American Idol shouldn't count, but in a world where a drunken, herpes-infected hotel heiress gets that label, then some tone-deaf moron can live the American dream and get paid just to show up places.

NYPost: STARBUCKS
WHEN CELEBS PARTY, IT’S THE CLUBS THAT PAY

If there's a heaven, does Jerry Falwell get through the gate?

As my wife can tell you, I'm probably the last person who should be asking this question, being the heathen that I am, but whenever a high profile religious figure with polarizing views dies, it's the first question that pops into my mind.

If the cover charge for Club Heaven is a strong faith and belief in God, then yes, I suspect he gets his great reward. Of course, I have no idea what was in his heart. For all I know, he was the greatest con man in the history of the religious right. But I'm predisposed to give people the benefit of the doubt. I might not agree with you, but I'll rarely question if your convictions are genuine, particularly when they come from a position of faith.

However, if you figure in the actions and public positions of Falwell, you have to wonder whether or not Jerry gets that Fast Pass through the Pearly Gates. A quick look at Falwell's Wikipedia entry is enough to give one pause. During the Civil Rights Movement, Falwell supported segregation and gave segregationist politicians air time during his TV program The Old-Time Gospel Hour.

He later claimed to have changed his position, but did he? In the 1980's Falwell was a supporter of South African President PW Botha and his apartheid regime. He went so far as to encourage Christians to purchase South African gold to help support Botha's segregationist government. Odd for a person who had seen the light on civil rights.

If God's black, I think Jerry might have some 'splain'in to do.

He also filmed "The Clinton Chronicles: An Investigation into the Alleged Criminal Activities of Bill Clinton." Despite the theories being discredited by all major investigations, this video (according to Wikipedia) connected Bill Clinton to a conspiracy theory involving Vincent Foster, James McDougall, Ron Brown, and an alleged cocaine-smuggling operation.

Creating smear videos based on heresay and innuendo doesn't sound like a responsible thing to do. In fact, just a couple of years ago, Falwell himself refused to vouch for accuracy of the information presented in that video.

In an interview for the 2005 documentary The Hunting of the President Falwell admitted, "To this day I do not know the accuracy of the claims made in The Clinton Chronicles," but failed to condemn the poor research.

Some how, that doesn't sound like the kind of thing that Billy Graham or most other mainstream religious leaders would do.

And there are the rumors about his take over of Heritage USA from Jim and Tammy Bakker. Nasty stuff involving deceit and backstabbing, but they are just rumors so who really knows the truth.

These are just a few things but they make you wonder. If the final judgement actually exists, will Jerry Falwell get a passing grade?

Did Brit Hume Just Drool?

Please, let this be true. Not because I care where Dick Cheney's dick has been and whether or not he had to pay to put it there. No please let this be true so that we can finally have a true poster boy for the hypocrisy of the political right wing nuts.

From:http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/

May 10, 2007 -- WMR has received a third well-placed confirmation that Vice President Dick Cheney, while CEO of Halliburton, was a client of the escort service of DC Madam, Deborah Jeane Palfrey. In addition, one of Cheney's closest military advisers and friends was also a client of the DC Madam's Pamela Martin & Associates escort service. Cheney used the escort service while he was a part time resident of the posh Ballantrae section of McLean, Virginia.

After intense pressure from the White House and Disney executives, ABC News killed the DC Madam client story after having been given exclusive access to Palfrey's ten years' of phone call records.

Cheney made an unscheduled visit to Iraq during his tour of the Middle East.

I have no idea who or what the WayneMadsenReport is, but wouldn't this just make tremendous street theater. Can't you just see Bush stammering through the questions? Listening to Rush Limbaugh defend this stuff would be precious. Yo Rush, crow goes down better with a little catsup! Not that he'd ever eat any, truth is a punchline to guys like him.

The Bitch Of It Is, It Might Actually Help Her

I am so torn. The thought of the heiress/cooter-flasher going to jail makes me so happy. It's almost as if she is doing penance for being the pure attention whore that she is.

She drinks like a fish, dopes with the best of them, sucks cock on camera, flashes her girlie bits to the waiting paparazzi and spends her daddy's money like he just craps it every morning after his coffee and bran muffin. And for this she is famous, a damn celebrity. Famous enough in fact that she gets paid just to show up at events. Not to actually do anything, just to show up because showing up means a pile of cameras and instance news.

I wonder if the event organizers have to pay extra for her to have a cat-fight with Lindsey Lohan or to suck face with some poor, misguided schmuck who is dumb enough to risk herpes for a piece of her action. I can almost hear it now...

Event Planner: "So, Paris will be here at our new Bumpin' Uglies nightclub at 10:30, right?"

Paris' Publicist/Pimp: "Provided your check for 100K clears, Paris will pull up at the front door at precisely 10:33. She's doing a quick cameo at the tatoo/massage parlor up the street as a favor to a friend, but that shouldn't take but a minute."

Event Planner: (in a hopeful tone) "She's bringing Marcos, right?"

Paris' Publicist/Pimp: "No, she's not bringing Marcos. You didn't buy the Super Slut package, so you don't get the whole boy-toy blow-up scene or the gratuitous sex in the men's room.

"No, you bought the basic Visible Vagina package and a side of Durty Dancin'. If you want a top performance, you have to pay top dollar my friend and frankly, that 100K I charged you was a pre-jail discount so be happy with what you get."

And this is why I'm torn. I bet 45 days in the L.A. County Jail will add 20% to her asking price. In other words, the attention slut will actually end up getting rewarded for her jail time. I'm not the only one who thinks so. Just check out this AP article quoting a long-time publicist describing how this is actually good for her "career":

Paris Hilton's jail time may up her fame

So, I have to decide if 45 days of orange jumpsuit wearing, low sodium poultry-based dining, no blackberry living makes up for the fact that she's going to be more famous than ever.

It's what I used to call the "sleep with a stranger" dilemma. (I'm happily married so I no longer have this issue.) Imagine you're at the bar and some anonymous hottie is more than willing... should you? You know it will feel awfully good while you're doing it, but you'll likely regret it for a long time to come.

That's just what this feels like except we don't actually have a choice.

No, I'm afraid we're stuck with this mattress-backed debutante for quite some time. That is until someone new comes along and out depraves Paris. Then she'll have to either up her game or settle for sitting in the center square with her tumbler of Cosmos and a stack of pre-written witty retorts. Either way, I think the joy we'll feel watching her do time will be just as fleeting as a one night stand when we realize just how much this is going to help her celebrity.

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