News Topic - Britney Spears
Articles 21 - 30 of most recent articles
Online POKER marketing could spell the NAKED end of VIAGRA journalism as we LOHAN know it
Miley Cyrus, Angelina, Israel vs Palestine, iPhone, 9/11 conspiracy, Facebook, MySpace, and Britney Spears nude. And not forgetting Second Life, Paris Hilton, YouTube, Lindsay Lohan, World of Warcraft, The Dark Knight, Radiohead and Barack Obama. Oh, and great big naked tits. In 3D. Let me explain. Last week, I wrote a piece on 9/11 conspiracy theories which virtually broke the Guardian website as thousands of "truthers" (painfully earnest online types who sincerely believe 9/11 was an inside job) poured through the walls to unfurl their two pence worth. Some outlined alternative "theories". Some mistakenly equated dismissing the conspiracy theories with endorsing the Bush administration. Some simply wailed, occasionally in CAPITALS. Others, correctly, identified me as a paid-off establishment shill acting under instructions from the CIA. Now to sit here and painstakingly rebut everything the truthers said would take three months and several hundred pages, and would be a massive waste of the world's time, because ultimately I'm right and they're wrong - well-meaning, but wrong. What's more, I've woken up with an alarming fever and am sweating like a miner as I type these words. On the cusp of hallucinating. Consequently my brain isn't working properly; it feels like it's been marinaded in petrol, then wrapped in a warm towel. So I'm hardly at my sharpest. Actually, sod it: you win, truthers. I give up. You're 100% correct. Inside job, clearly. Whatever. Now pass the paracetamol. Anyway, because it contained the words "9/11 conspiracy", the article generated loads of traffic for the Guardian site, which in turn means loads of advertising revenue. And in this day and age, what with the credit crunch and the death of print journalism and everything, the use of attention-grabbing keywords is becoming standard practice. "Search engine optimisation", it's known as, and it's the journalistic equivalent of a classified ad that starts with the word "SEX!" in large lettering, and "Now that we've got your attention . . ." printed below it in smaller type. For instance, according to the latest Private Eye, journalists writing articles for the Telegraph website are being actively encouraged to include oft-searched-for phrases in their copy. So an article about shoe sales among young women would open: "Young women - such as Britney Spears - are buying more shoes than ever." On the one hand, you could argue this is nothing new; after all, for years newspapers have routinely jazzed up dull print articles with photographs of attractive female stars (you know the sort of thing: a giant snap of Keira Knightley doing her Atonement wet-T-shirt routine to illustrate a report about the state of Britain's fountain manufacturers). But at least in those instances the actual text of the article itself survived unscathed. There's something uniquely demented about slotting specific words and phrases into a piece simply to con people into reading it. Why bother writing a news article at all? Why not just scan in a few naked photos and have done with it? And if you do persevere with search-engine-optimised news reports, where do you draw the line? Next time a bomb goes off, are we going to read "Terror outrage: BRITNEY, ANGELINA and OBAMA all unaffected as hundreds die in SEXY agony"? And wait, it gets worse. These phrases don't just get lobbed in willy-nilly. No. A lot of care and attention goes into their placement. Apparently the average reader quickly scans each page in an "F-pattern": reading along the top first, then glancing halfway along the line below, before skimming their eye downward along the left-hand side. If there's nothing of interest within that golden "F" zone, he or she will quickly clear off elsewhere. Which means your modern journalist is expected not only to shoehorn all manner of hot phraseology into their copy, but to try and position it all in precisely the right place. That's an alarming quantity of unnecessary shit to hold in your head while trying to write a piece about the unions. Sorry, SEXUAL unions. Mainly, though, it's just plain undignified: turning the journalist into the equivalent of a reality TV wannabe who turns up to the auditions in a gaudy fluorescent thong in a desperate bid to be noticed. And for the consumer, it's just one more layer of distracting crud - the bane of the 21st century. Distracting crud comes in countless forms - from the onscreen clutter of 24-hour news stations to the winking, blinking ads on every other web page. These days, each separate square inch of everything is simultaneously vying for your attention, and the overall effect is to leave you feeling bewildered, distanced, feverish and slightly insane. Or maybe that's just me, today. Actually, it's definitely just me. Like I say, I'm ill, my brain's not working. Which is why opening this piece with a slew of hot search terms probably wasn't a brilliant wheeze. Perhaps if I close with a selection of the LEAST searched-for terms ever, I can redress the balance. Worth a shot. Um . . . JOHN SELWYN GUMMER . . . PATRICK KIELTY NUDE . . . UNDERWHELMING KNITTING PATTERNS . . . FULLY CLOTHED BABES. Yup. That should do it. · This week Charlie somehow managed to get this column finished: "Despite mistyping every other word and having to break off every five minutes to lie on his bed clutching his brow, whimpering. He will almost certainly have died by the time you read it."Related StoriesExplainer: Keeping an eye on city livesBluetooth is watching: secret study gives Bath a flavour of Big BrotherEditorial: High waterEmily Bell: If Google should falter, how many others will follow?Solve IT: How can I chat to people with different Instant Messenger applications?
The Guardian – Jul 20, 2008 11:03 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Technology
Miley Cyrus, Angelina, Israel vs Palestine, iPhone, 9/11 conspiracy, Facebook, MySpace, and Britney Spears nude. And not forgetting Second Life, Paris Hilton, YouTube, Lindsay Lohan, World of Warcraft, The Dark Knight, Radiohead and Barack Obama. Oh, and great big naked tits. In 3D. Let me explain. Last week, I wrote a piece on 9/11 conspiracy theories which virtually broke the Guardian website as thousands of "truthers" (painfully earnest online types who sincerely believe 9/11 was an inside job) poured through the walls to unfurl their two pence worth. Some outlined alternative "theories". Some mistakenly equated dismissing the conspiracy theories with endorsing the Bush administration. Some simply wailed, occasionally in CAPITALS. Others, correctly, identified me as a paid-off establishment shill acting under instructions from the CIA. Now to sit here and painstakingly rebut everything the truthers said would take three months and several hundred pages, and would be a massive waste of the world's time, because ultimately I'm right and they're wrong - well-meaning, but wrong. What's more, I've woken up with an alarming fever and am sweating like a miner as I type these words. On the cusp of hallucinating. Consequently my brain isn't working properly; it feels like it's been marinaded in petrol, then wrapped in a warm towel. So I'm hardly at my sharpest. Actually, sod it: you win, truthers. I give up. You're 100% correct. Inside job, clearly. Whatever. Now pass the paracetamol. Anyway, because it contained the words "9/11 conspiracy", the article generated loads of traffic for the Guardian site, which in turn means loads of advertising revenue. And in this day and age, what with the credit crunch and the death of print journalism and everything, the use of attention-grabbing keywords is becoming standard practice. "Search engine optimisation", it's known as, and it's the journalistic equivalent of a classified ad that starts with the word "SEX!" in large lettering, and "Now that we've got your attention . . ." printed below it in smaller type. For instance, according to the latest Private Eye, journalists writing articles for the Telegraph website are being actively encouraged to include oft-searched-for phrases in their copy. So an article about shoe sales among young women would open: "Young women - such as Britney Spears - are buying more shoes than ever." On the one hand, you could argue this is nothing new; after all, for years newspapers have routinely jazzed up dull print articles with photographs of attractive female stars (you know the sort of thing: a giant snap of Keira Knightley doing her Atonement wet-T-shirt routine to illustrate a report about the state of Britain's fountain manufacturers). But at least in those instances the actual text of the article itself survived unscathed. There's something uniquely demented about slotting specific words and phrases into a piece simply to con people into reading it. Why bother writing a news article at all? Why not just scan in a few naked photos and have done with it? And if you do persevere with search-engine-optimised news reports, where do you draw the line? Next time a bomb goes off, are we going to read "Terror outrage: BRITNEY, ANGELINA and OBAMA all unaffected as hundreds die in SEXY agony"? And wait, it gets worse. These phrases don't just get lobbed in willy-nilly. No. A lot of care and attention goes into their placement. Apparently the average reader quickly scans each page in an "F-pattern": reading along the top first, then glancing halfway along the line below, before skimming their eye downward along the left-hand side. If there's nothing of interest within that golden "F" zone, he or she will quickly clear off elsewhere. Which means your modern journalist is expected not only to shoehorn all manner of hot phraseology into their copy, but to try and position it all in precisely the right place. That's an alarming quantity of unnecessary shit to hold in your head while trying to write a piece about the unions. Sorry, SEXUAL unions. Mainly, though, it's just plain undignified: turning the journalist into the equivalent of a reality TV wannabe who turns up to the auditions in a gaudy fluorescent thong in a desperate bid to be noticed. And for the consumer, it's just one more layer of distracting crud - the bane of the 21st century. Distracting crud comes in countless forms - from the onscreen clutter of 24-hour news stations to the winking, blinking ads on every other web page. These days, each separate square inch of everything is simultaneously vying for your attention, and the overall effect is to leave you feeling bewildered, distanced, feverish and slightly insane. Or maybe that's just me, today. Actually, it's definitely just me. Like I say, I'm ill, my brain's not working. Which is why opening this piece with a slew of hot search terms probably wasn't a brilliant wheeze. Perhaps if I close with a selection of the LEAST searched-for terms ever, I can redress the balance. Worth a shot. Um . . . JOHN SELWYN GUMMER . . . PATRICK KIELTY NUDE . . . UNDERWHELMING KNITTING PATTERNS . . . FULLY CLOTHED BABES. Yup. That should do it. · This week Charlie somehow managed to get this column finished: "Despite mistyping every other word and having to break off every five minutes to lie on his bed clutching his brow, whimpering. He will almost certainly have died by the time you read it."Related StoriesExplainer: Keeping an eye on city livesBluetooth is watching: secret study gives Bath a flavour of Big BrotherEditorial: High waterEmily Bell: If Google should falter, how many others will follow?Solve IT: How can I chat to people with different Instant Messenger applications?
The Guardian – Jul 20, 2008 11:03 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Technology
It's Time to Stop Hating on EA
Endsights writes: "Some people just want to seem like rebels. Whether it's a supposed boycott of a company, or merely hating a company for the sake of hating it (of course the excuse is usually because that said company is "evil"), some people just need to hate something to love… well, something else. The logic doesn't make sense to me either, but it does to those who follow it. EA is one of those companies. There are people out there that refuse to acknowledge EA as a good publisher. People that hate EA are like the people that hate Britney Spears. They honestly have no good reason to hate her, they just do, and the same thing goes for EA. But honestly, it's time to put an end to all the hatred towards EA."
N4G.com – Jul 20, 2008 3:34 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Technology: Video Games
Endsights writes: "Some people just want to seem like rebels. Whether it's a supposed boycott of a company, or merely hating a company for the sake of hating it (of course the excuse is usually because that said company is "evil"), some people just need to hate something to love… well, something else. The logic doesn't make sense to me either, but it does to those who follow it. EA is one of those companies. There are people out there that refuse to acknowledge EA as a good publisher. People that hate EA are like the people that hate Britney Spears. They honestly have no good reason to hate her, they just do, and the same thing goes for EA. But honestly, it's time to put an end to all the hatred towards EA."
N4G.com – Jul 20, 2008 3:34 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Technology: Video Games
Britney Spears Steps Out For a Cause
The pop star joins Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy for a Generation Rescue benefit
People.com – Jul 20, 2008 11:00 AM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Entertainment
The pop star joins Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy for a Generation Rescue benefit
People.com – Jul 20, 2008 11:00 AM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Entertainment
New Parody Writer and Performer Gives Serious Competition to Throne
New name, Nixon Lee, is aiming to taking throne away one song at a time. His song, Piece of Meat, which is a funny take on Britney Spears "Piece of Me," is garnering 1000s of views on youtube as we speak. Learn why he could be the next Parody Writing King. [PR.com - July 20, 2008]
PR.com – Jul 20, 2008 07:07 AM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Top Stories: Press Releases
New name, Nixon Lee, is aiming to taking throne away one song at a time. His song, Piece of Meat, which is a funny take on Britney Spears "Piece of Me," is garnering 1000s of views on youtube as we speak. Learn why he could be the next Parody Writing King. [PR.com - July 20, 2008]
PR.com – Jul 20, 2008 07:07 AM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Top Stories: Press Releases
Spears given more access to sons
Pop star Britney Spears and her former husband Kevin Federline reach an agreement that grants the singer more visits with her children.
BBC News – Jul 19, 2008 10:10 AM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Top Stories
Pop star Britney Spears and her former husband Kevin Federline reach an agreement that grants the singer more visits with her children.
BBC News – Jul 19, 2008 10:10 AM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Top Stories
Deal Gives K-fed Full Custody Of Tart's Tots
K-Fed will land $20,000 a month in child support - and full custody of his two kids with Britney Spears - under a deal struck by both sides yesterday. In exchange, Spears will eventually receive one extra overnight, weekly visit with their sons...
New York Post – Jul 19, 2008 08:38 AM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Local: New York: New York
K-Fed will land $20,000 a month in child support - and full custody of his two kids with Britney Spears - under a deal struck by both sides yesterday. In exchange, Spears will eventually receive one extra overnight, weekly visit with their sons...
New York Post – Jul 19, 2008 08:38 AM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Local: New York: New York
Spears granted additional visitation with boys
An attorney for Britney Spears says an agreement has been reached that grants the singer more visits with her children.
WTOL.com – Jul 19, 2008 06:00 AM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Local: Ohio: Toledo
An attorney for Britney Spears says an agreement has been reached that grants the singer more visits with her children.
WTOL.com – Jul 19, 2008 06:00 AM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Local: Ohio: Toledo
Spears' role as mom expands after epic meltdownAP - LOS ANGELES (AP) — Less than eight months after an epic meltdown that led to a court taking away her children, Britney Spears is reclaiming her role as a mother — to the point where she may be with her boys nearly half the time.
Yahoo! – Jul 19, 2008 03:12 AM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Entertainment
Sources: Spears, ex reach custody deal
Britney Spears has agreed to allow ex-husband Kevin Federline to retain legal custody of their two children in return for gradually increased visitation, sources close to the troubled pop star told CNN on Friday.
CNN.com – Jul 19, 2008 12:07 AM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Top Stories
Britney Spears has agreed to allow ex-husband Kevin Federline to retain legal custody of their two children in return for gradually increased visitation, sources close to the troubled pop star told CNN on Friday.
CNN.com – Jul 19, 2008 12:07 AM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Top Stories
8 months after meltdown, Spears mom-role expands
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Less than eight months after an epic meltdown that led to a court taking away her children, Britney Spears is reclaiming her role as a mother - to the point where she may be with her boys nearly half the time....
AP – Jul 18, 2008 11:57 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Entertainment
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Less than eight months after an epic meltdown that led to a court taking away her children, Britney Spears is reclaiming her role as a mother - to the point where she may be with her boys nearly half the time....
AP – Jul 18, 2008 11:57 PM [GMT] ¦ comment?
found in Entertainment