Entertainment Nazis Dish it Out but Can't Take Criticism

(Edited)

You can't bleeping say that!

I came across a fatuous gossip item about Tobey Maguire's weight (complete with candid photo, posted by a minion of PR, fashion and "healthy lifestyles issues" pitchman Pierce Mattie).

When I tried to leave a comment criticizing the point of view on Mattie's blog, I got the following message:

Your comment was disallowed for objectionable content.

Which word was objectionable? "Fat"? "Editor"? "Blogger"? Maybe it was that I called his comments "crap".

How could that be more objectionable than Mattie's blog's smarmy complaint that Maguire doesn't look healthy because he doesn't have that heroin addict, anorexic palour?

For the record, Pierce, if this is your idea of how to promote "healthy lifestyles", you've spent way too much time living in a fashion/entertainment industry bubble.

Here was my comment about the photo of Maguire, and accompanying fat critique. Mattie will have to come here to read it, since I'm not allowed to say naughty words in his playground:

"Um, he's wearing a sweatshirt and baggy pants. And he doesn't look like he has a wasting disease. Does that count as fat these days? Maybe the real bloating is the fat heads of the reporters, editors, producers and bloggers who write this sort of crap."

There's an equally lame posting (with photo) on the same topic at Defamer and a bunch of other sites.  I guess bloated minds think alike.

Update:  An expert in healthy lifestyles forwarded me a photo of Mattie (he hides his face behind a megaphone, perhaps to hide gopher cheeks?), and I ran it through my bloat-ometer.  If entertainment industry commentators keep producing the same methane-rich health advice, their heads will in fact become grossly bloated.  My bloat-ometer was able to simulate what Mattie will look like within three years if he doesn't alter his current habits.

It's not too late, Pierce! You can save yourself by promoting actual healthy lifestyles instead of the Hollywood version.

 

Update:  I got a response from a Pierce Mattie minion, telling me to check my facts about my post, and they're 100% correct. The piece mentioned here was in fact post by someone named Steve Hultgren, who says that any one of 15 people can post to the blog in question.  Dang.  My apologies for the error.

That being said, I assume Pierce Mattie owns the company, hires the staff and is legally responsible for whatever's on the blog, so my comments stand.  Anyone who puts on any weight, or in any way deviates from the cult of 'health' promoted by Mattie and his ilk is villified for being a slob. Of course, Mattie and others like him make their money off of an industry that promotes expensive 'health and beauty' products and services. If starving yourself and working out obsessively is what it takes to be beautiful in this world, I'll continue to choose to be ugly.

And Steve, while you and the 15 other people are beavering away on your blog, you might want to check whether you have Comments turned on, since not a single one of the beautful people you write for has been able to post a comment in the many months of site archives I clicked through. And if you don't accept comments, just admit it.

Comments

[Steve Hultgren]

Update. Shame on you Eric! For working in corporate communications for 24 years one thing I would expect is for you to get your facts correct. Please look at the post on piercemattie.com/blogs and I think you will see that the post was made by me, not Pierce Mattie. Sorry "buddy", and tisk tisk...15 can post to this blog.

Second, the blog uses the standard spam busting features that all Movable Type products use. I was informed that the blog also uses the plugin called MT blacklist (available free on MT website). Perhaps the use of the word "crap" may have not let you post your response to MY POST?

Anyhow, it was entertaining to see your passionate response even though it was misdirected towards somone not involved (Pierce). Please try to repost your comment and contact me if you have any problems and I will personally make sure your "heat" is included.

[Eric Eggertson]

(Blush) You're right, Steve. Especially if I'm going to post an atack on someone's point of view, I should get the facts right better than I did. I just wish I was wrong about my main point - I don't see anything healthy about fitness taken to an obsessive level. And I particularly find it objectionable when the fitness nazis attack someone for looking like a mere mortal.

To say that Pierce isn't involved in his blog is a disservice. I'll continue to aim my criticism at the head honcho.

As for your Comments feature, I'll believe the blog accepts comments when you can point me to a single comment from a visitor. Having clicked through half your archives, I was unable to find a single one. It still looks to me like you can dish it out, but you can't take it.

[Jeremy Pepper]

He is looking fat. I wonder how he's going to get into shape for Spiderman III.

[Noelle]

I have to agree with everything you've said about these f**kers and their perception of Tobey Maguire's new incredible weight gain. Ok, so maybe I have no life, but I had read about the weight gain and was trying to find a picture of him online. Enter, your website. When I saw the picture I was shocked... THAT IS FAT? If that is fat then those of us who reside in the real world are royally screwed. I've had an eating disorder for 7 years, been in recovery for 1, and attitudes like that have encouraged me along the way. It is a serious issue that someone needs to approach, honestly. If no one does, anorexia might have to knock out an Olsen twin before anyone gives a damn. Everyone is so accepting of eating disorders and dismissive of fat, in any form that it is twisting our world and our reality in a way that scares me, and should scare everyone, if they weren't all too busy downing gritty protein shakes and going to the gym to notice.

Thanks for letting me voice mine!

[Pierce Mattie]

Hi Eric, I was just up late surfing the net and found this blog post. Sure I am involved in my blog, I am just not the only writer on it. I read all of the posts on this page. You seem very defensive about fitness in general. Nothing is good when it is at an obsessive level. And that includes writing on your blog! Were you tortured in gym class as a child? Is the Canadian bacon getting the best of you? Are your pants just a little too tight? Is your wife looking at other men for attention? Our diet obsessed team can send up a six pack of slim fast if you like. Seriously though, when I learned that you took my company logo pic of the megaphone man and posted it as me after blowing it up I wasn’t upset, just dumbfounded by own stupidity. Did you ever read my bio online or think of googling "pierce mattie" to see any material on my life or the way I look? No! It really made me think, is your whole blog like this? Nothing but false crap that you find and post? Please don't reply to this, I won't read it. I just hope you take your chip off your shoulders.

[Pierce Mattie]

Eric, I did a little fat ass research and found out why you are so defensive about getting fat, you tortured soul.

Are you aware that in your home town more than two of every three adults are overweight? I have put the article from CTV News below. I have an idea. I think you should go on a mission to help your home town loose weight. And turn your entire website blog into a “Let’s make Canada healthy campaign” You can do this Eric. I can help you.

St. Catharines, Ont. has been ranked Canada's fattest city with a whopping 57.3 per cent of its residents overweight, according to an analysis by Statistics Canada commissioned by CTV and The Globe and Mail.
The southern Ontario city ranked just ahead of Regina at 56.5 per cent while Saint John, N.B. ranked 56.4 per cent and Windsor, Ont. came in at 52.8 per cent.
Rounding out the top 10 fattest cities were:

5. London, Ont.: 53.6 per cent

6. Charlottetown: 52.7

7. Saskatoon: 51.9

8. Winnipeg: 51.8

9. Fredericton: 51.8

10. St. John's, N.S.: 51.4

Nationwide, more than half of Canadians -- 47.9 per cent -- are considered overweight according to the Body-Mass Index (BMI). A BMI of 25 or more is considered overweight. The study found 15 per cent of Canadians are obese, with a BMI of more than 30.
This is truly alarming, David Lau, president of Obesity Canada, a non-profit group which raises awareness of obesity, told The Globe and Mail.

Almost half of Canadians have a weight problem, but most of them don't fully understand the severe health consequences that await them.

In rural Canada, the problem is even worse. In rural Saskatchewan more than two of every three adults are overweight.

PEI THE FATTEST
By province, Prince Edward Island is ranked the fattest province, with nearly 60 per cent of adults between the ages of 20 and 64 considered overweight. Newfoundland is second at 58.9 per cent, followed by New Brunswick at 58.3 per cent. Saskatchewan isn't far behind at 57.9 per cent.

A person's BMI is calculated by dividing body weight by height.

CTV/The Globe and Mail used StatsCan's National Population Health Survey to compile the rankings. In the survey, Canadians were asked their height and weight.

Fore more on the Fattest Fittest special click on the graphic on the front page.

[Eric Eggertson]

Pierce:

So glad you could drop by. Yes, I went through your web site and the various photos were very vague about which person in the photo is you and which isn't. Now that your site has been redesigned it only took me five minutes of clicking around to find a photo that admits to being of you. Why would I look anywhere other than your web site to find out about you? If you aren't proud of what you look like, I can understand.

In case you hadn't noticed, the bloat-o-meter was sarcastic. I don't actually have such a machine, and I don't care what you really look like.

I posted that item April 25, and your blog still says you accept comments, yet they aren't enabled. What does that say about your approach to public relations, Mr. M? You can dish it out, but you still can't take it.