Forget Toby Keith, I Wanna Talk About Me

Recently, I've been both the recipient of an award and the subject of an interview by two fellow bloggers, Barbara (aka Layla) and Turnbaby, respectively. I try to avoid "personal" blog posts since this is an entertainment blog, but since I can't talk about anything, including myself, without relying on pop culture references, I should have nothing to worry about!

First up is Barbara, who presented me with the "Thinking Blogger Award." I've seen this floating around the Blogosphere quite a bit lately, and know several bloggers who have received the award with varying reactions. While I greatly appreciate the compliment and thank Barbara for her kind words about my blog, I can't perpetuate this process because I don't agree with the person who started it. According to The Thinking Blog, there are "too many blogs, not enough thoughts." The Thinking Blog is the supposed cure for the plague of meaningless blogs out there. Here are the participation rules:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.
3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote.
**Please, remember to tag blogs with real merits, i.e. relative content, and above all - blogs that really get you thinking!

It all sounds fairly condescending to me. I'm sure that people who do participate, like Barbara, aren't thinking of it in that way and just want to give a shout out to some of their favorite blogs. I don't have a problem with that. I just feel like the originator of this award, Ilker Yoldas, is giving herself way too much credit for making the Internet a more interesting place. Only tag blogs with "real merits" and "relative content?" Well, okay...but who decides that? Whether or not the content of a blog is relevant and/or stimulating is highly subjective. For example, I would never have thought that anyone read my blog to think! I just try to have a good time and hopefully can make all of you laugh.

Yoldas states the mission of The Thinking Blog like this: "Here is where I write about things that I like, find useful, and ONLY stuff that I feel is worth sharing. It is about many of the topics that make me think! I hope it will keep you thinking too." Isn't that why everyone blogs? So what makes her think that her content is any more thought-provoking than anyone else's?

This is already longer than I wanted it to be, but I'm sure you can all guess by now that I won't be tagging anyone else! I'll just say that everyone on my Blogroll is worth reading, or they wouldn't be there. So, go check them all out...including the lovely, Bono-loving Barbara.

Oh, one more little nugget of info about Ilker Yoldas. Check out herMyBlogLog profile. Obviously, those are her pics from the Mensa membership directory.

(EDIT - Ilker Yoldas responded: "Thanks for the feedback but I'm just an average guy doing some average blogging.. I'm no better than anyone else! =) And yes you read right; I'm a guy. Just because I use my favorite celebrity's picture on MyBlogLog profile doesn't mean I'm a girl, right?

Well, Ilker, sorry about the gender mix-up there. I wasn't convinced that Ms. Hot Chick (I don't know who she is) was the author of your blog, but since I had nothing else to go by I had to assume you were a girl. You might just want to rethink the way you worded the rules for the Thinking Blogger Award. As an "average blogger," I'm sure you can understand why some people might think it's kind of elitist, for lack of a better word.)___________________________________________________________

Next up is my interview with Turnbaby. She got me thinking... about the following five pop-centric questions.

1. Entertainment Weekly called--they want The PopEye as a regular feature BUT they get final edit. What do you do? Since I adore EW, I take the gig. I need an editor! Seriously, sometimes I tend to get long-winded. Like, when I have already answered a question, I tend to just keep talking anyway. Like I'm doing right now.

2. You are putting on a one night extravaganza--you can pick any five bands/artists--who is on your playbill? I'm assuming that this question is based in reality and I have to pick living people. No problem. Here's the lineup:

1st act - An acoustic set by Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. This counts as one artist, since they used to be Buckingham/Nicks once upon a time.
2nd act - Duran Duran
3rd act - Squeeze, featuring all original members. I don't care what that little goofball Jools Holland tries to pull - he's coming.
4th act - Pearl Jam
5th act - Bruce Springsteen

It may surprise some that I wouldn't have Pearl Jam headlining, but I have my reasons. First of all, Springsteen is famous for playing ridiculously long shows. So, I'm saving the highest-energy guy for last. Secondly, while Bruce is playing I would get to cozy up to some of the other artists. Wow, I just blacked out for a minute after picturing myself like Scarlett O'Hara, sitting among Eddie Vedder, John Taylor, Glenn Tilbrook and Lindsey Buckingham, flirting and fiddle-dee-dee-ing.

I also have to give my apologies to Paul Rodgers, who should really be there. I thought of replacing Buckingham/Nicks with him, but it's kind of hard to give up the two-for-one deal. But I still love Paul. He's still the best rock singer who ever walked the Earth.

3. The catch about getting to put on the show is that you also must include a group/artist that you loathe but is wildly popular--who do you grit your teeth and pick? Hmm, does this mean that there are really five artists or six? (If I have to replace one from the above list, I guess Buckingham/Nicks are out.) I would have to invite Jessica Simpson because...wow, can you imagine all the blog fodder that performance would provide?

4. What is the most shocking thing you have ever done and why was it shocking to you? Unfortunately, I haven't done that many "shocking" things, but I would say that just moving to NYC is the most shocking. I'm very close with my family, so I didn't think I would ever have the nerve to leave home.

5. Line one rings--it's John Travolta calling for a chat--you are just about to pick it up when Line two rings--it's K-Fed with all the inside scoop-what do you do? Ha ha...oh come on! K-Fed who?? I don't care if he was calling to tell me that he impregnated Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and Hillary Clinton all in the same night - no one comes before John! I'm sure EW would be pissed at me for missing that scoop, but hey, they'd have to appreciate that one of their writers was a close, personal friend of John Travolta's.

If anyone wants me to interview them, leave a comment and I'll cook up some questions.