Showing posts with label Fantasia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fantasia. Show all posts

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Fourteen years after The Best Man arrived at movie theaters and subsequently became a cult classic on DVD and replays on cable, particularly in many African-American households, the sequel, The Best Man Holiday, is finally on its way. When it hits theaters nationwide on November 15, you'll see the ensemble cast making their return: Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long, Morris Chestnut, Monica Calhoun, Harold Perrineau, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, and Melissa De Sousa. And whereas the movie features a who's-who list of actors and actresses, the soundtrack has top billing from R&B stars.


The Best Man Holiday – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack will be released ahead of the film, hitting stores and online outlets (like Amazon) on October 29, via RCA Records. Two singers who call Charlotte home--Anthony Hamilton and Fantasia Barrino--are among the All-Star R&B lineup, which also includes: R. Kelly, Monica, John Legend, Mary J. Blige, Jordin Sparks, Ne-Yo, and more. The soundtrack is a combination of newly written material as well as classics being covered by the artists. And since this is a holiday movie, most of the songs have Christmas themes.

The track list:

01) Christmastime To Me, by Jordin Sparks
02) Someday at Christmas, by Mario
03) What Christmas Means To Me, by Fantasia
04) I Still Have You, by Charlie Wilson
05) Christmas, I’ll Be Steppin’, by R. Kelly
06) This Christmas, by Mary J. Blige
07) Shelter, by John Legend
08) Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, by Monica
09) Winter Wonderland, by Emeli Sandé
10) Can You Stand The Rain, by New Edition
11) I Want To Come Home for Christmas, by Ne-Yo
12) O Holy Night, by Jayda Brown and Jasmine Watkins
13) As, by Marsha Ambrosius and Anthony Hamilton

The first song to be released from the soundtrack is "I Still Have You," by Charlie Wilson.


Get everything you need to know about The Best Man Holiday by visiting www.best-man.com.


Sunday, April 14, 2013

I can't tell if Fantasia has heeded my advice, but things are looking good for the Charlotte-based singer as she approaches the April 23 release date of her new album, Side Effects Of You. Since the tracklist was revealed several weeks ago, there's been one song in particular I've been looking forward to hearing. Now, Fantasia has debuted "Without Me," her collaboration with Kelly Rowland and Missy Elliott.


I like the new track, and I think it'll get radio airplay and spins in the club. The beat sounds a little too much like Nicki Minaj's "Beez In The Trap" though, but Fantasia and crew bring a good combo of slowed-down hip hop (even some chopped and screwed elements) and finger-snapping R&B, with some braggadocio lyrics/smack talk aimed at the male species.

Fantasia and Missy. Credit: Facebook

In more Fantasia news, you can watch as she makes her return to American Idol this Thursday, April 18, 8 p.m. on FOX. She's scheduled to perform her new album's first single, "Lose To Win" (fellow Idol alum and North Carolinian Clay Aiken will also perform on the show). An appearance on Idol should bolster record sales for her album, particularly pre-orders (Amazon and iTunes).

Also, you can listen to snippets of all 13 songs from Side Effects Of You, by clicking here. Better yet, she's hosting a listening party for the album on Google Hangout on Tuesday, April 16, 10 p.m. at youtube.com/fantasia.

Keep up with Fantasia at www.fantasiaofficial.com, Facebook.com/Fantasia, Twitter @TasiasWord, and Instagram @TasiasWord.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Fantasia is gearing up for the release of her fourth album, Side Effects of You, which is scheduled to hit stores April 23. Pre-orders for the album began last week (iTunes and Amazon). With her album being less than a month away, you can expect to see the High Point native/Charlotte resident on plenty of media outlets promoting it. And I have a few words of advice for her: Put the focus on your music, not your personal life.

Fantasia has had lots of well-documented hardships, drama, and turmoil in her life, and she's always been rather honest and open about it. It was fine when she discussed those issues on her first two albums, because not only did she gain tremendous notoriety from winning American Idol in 2004, but her story and triumph over tragedy were among the things fans endeared most about her, in addition to her soul-stirring voice.

But now Tasia's a superstar, who's been in the public eye for nearly a decade. And too often now, when she's working on new projects, the media coverage and attention she receives is more about her personal life than her work. When she was about to release her last album, Back To Me, in August 2010, two weeks before the actual release date she was hospitalized for what was described as a suicide attempt via a medication overdose. That crisis overshadowed her album, and the two years that followed brought tabloid and gossip website reports about her alleged affair with a married man and the pregnancy that resulted from it.

Fantasia worked with Charlotte trainer Sonya McRoberts to drop the baby weight.
Credit: instagram.com/TasiasWord

Now that Fantasia's going full force into the spotlight this spring to promote her new album--and looking the best she's looked in years--journalists and bloggers are going to want to ask her the same questions over and over about her personal life. She should be experienced in handling media by now, and should address those questions a couple of times, get them out of the way, and for the next six months only talk about her music. And that advice is coming from me, a journalist who doesn't like it when interviewees dodge or deflect questions.

Fantasia talked about her personal life and recent turmoil in the April 2013 cover story of Sister 2 Sister magazine.


When she stopped in Greenville, South Carolina on Friday, she spoke to one of the local news stations. The interview she gave could've basically been the same as the ones she gave nearly three years ago as "she battled back" from turmoil. She needs to be telling her fans why they should buy her new album and what it sounds like; not what she's been through again and again. If she's really got her life together this time, it'll show in her work.


Media will give her all the camera time and print pages she wants if she's willing to dish the dirt on her personal life. But that's not going to help her sell albums. It didn't the last time.

If anything, she should do what many of her peers in the industry do these days: shun traditional media and instead use social media to get her message out. She does, after all, have more than 3 million fans on Facebook. And that message should be about her new music, which if her first single "Lose To Win" is any indication, she's got a good album on the way. I'm particularly interested in hearing track five from the 13-song album. It's titled "Without Me" and features Kelly Rowland and Missy Elliot.


Sunday, June 17, 2012

If you experience extra traffic or difficulty finding parking in Uptown Charlotte over the next couple of days, it's for one reason: American Idol. Charlotte is the third of seven cities to host auditions for American Idol Season 12; the others being Los Angeles, San Antonio, Newark, Chicago, New Orleans, and Oklahoma City. So with Charlotte being the only Southeastern city, you can expect singers to travel from several surrounding states. I'm predicting here and now that the next American Idol winner will come from these Charlotte auditions, even though we'll have to wait until January before the season begins airing. Registration for Season 12 auditions, which is required to participate, is taking place today and tomorrow (Sunday, June 17 and Monday, June 18) at Time Warner Cable Arena, 333 E. Trade St., and the auditions are being held Tuesday.

An Idol hopeful displays his badge of honor after traveling to Charlotte to audition. 

Local news outlets are reporting that lines began forming outside the arena at four o'clock this morning (The Charlotte Observer, WBTV, WCNC, News14). Even though there are more than a dozen talent and singing shows on major television networks, Idol continues to attract some of the largest crowds for their auditions. American Idol Season 10 winner Scotty McCreery will join Ryan Seacrest in greeting this year's hopefuls on Tuesday. McCreery is a native of Garner, North Carolina near Raleigh.

North Carolina and Charlotte have several ties to Idol over the years. Raleigh native Clay Aiken was a student at UNC Charlotte when he auditioned for Season 2, eventually finishing second and becoming one of the most commercially successful Idol contestants. Fantasia Barrino was an unknown 20-year-old from High Point when she went on to win Season 3 of Idol in 2004. Soon after she moved to Charlotte, where she continues to reside. There have been several other North Carolinians who have become Idol finalists, like Chris Daughtry. And more recently there was Brittany Kerr, the Charlotte Bobcats dancer (Lady Cats), who made it to the Hollywood rounds of Idol last season. She auditioned in Savannah last year, which aired this past January, and now auditions are taking place on her home court. Though it appears that based on her recent Twitter posts that she's not trying out for the Lady Cats this year (auditions were held yesterday)--perhaps she's moving on to pursue her signing aspirations.

Back in 2008, I lobbied for American Idol to hold auditions in Charlotte--and by that I mean I wrote a blog post. It's nice to see they finally listened, and this week the Queen City is holding auditions for the first time ever.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

'Nolimit' to His Reality

Posted by Jarvis Holliday On 4/18/2012 No comments
Many of you have listened to Nolimit Larry & The Morning Maddhouse on Power 98 (WPEG 97.9 FM) for years. The lead guy on the show, Nolimit Larry aka Noleezy, government name Larry Mims, is a well-recognized voice and face in Charlotte. You likely know his story, and if you've lived here for a decade or more, you've been along for the ride. He worked his way up from being a Johnson C. Smith University student interning at Power 98 in the late '90s to eventually hosting one of the top-rated radio shows in the Carolinas. And in this climate of more and more radio stations moving to syndicated programming, Nolimit is in rarefied air.


Last month, he launched a new website, nolimitlarry.com, where you can keep up with his many involvements, from hosting parties to lending a hand to charities. He's also working on a reality show, tentatively titled American DJ. In the three-minute video reel below, you get a look inside Nolimit's career. And in the process, it's a great look at Charlotte, with brief appearances by several celebrities and professional athletes that either live here or are from here. Plus, an ode to Charlotte's Anthony Hamilton with "Comin' From Where I'm From" playing.


You can follow him at facebook.com/NoLeezy and twitter.com/Noleezy.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

You've probably been wondering what's been going on with K-Ci and JoJo--and even more importantly, what's up with Jodeci? I tried to get some answers for you when I interviewed the Hailey brothers for their new reality show, K-Ci & JoJo ... Come Clean, which premieres Tuesday, October 19 at 9 p.m. on TV One. You can read about it in my article for Creative Loafing: "Singers K-Ci and JoJo Come Clean with new reality show."


One particular question I asked them, that I hope we see some traction on, is what will it take for all of Charlotte's R&B stars to do a concert together. Imagine if K-Ci and JoJo, Anthony Hamilton, Fantasia, Calvin Richardson, Sunshine Anderson, and Horace Brown all put on a show in Charlotte. It would be hours of great soul music from artists who got their starts right here in North Carolina, who are either from Charlotte or currently call it home. I think fans would come out to support this momentous occasion.

Monday, August 23, 2010

It's been a whirlwind past two weeks for Fantasia Barrio, since reports surfaced that she attempted suicide at her Charlotte home. You can read all the gossip and rumors just by Googling her name, but tomorrow (Tuesday, August 24) you can get the story as to what happened from Fantasia herself.

In the morning, Fantasia will appear on Good Morning America, where she's scheduled to perform. This is, after all, the time in which she should be focusing solely on promoting her new album, Back To Me, which also comes out Tuesday. Instead, you can expect the GMA crew to ask her tough questions about her suicide attempt and alleged affair with a married man, Antwaun Cook, also from Charlotte.


Then tomorrow night, you can see Fantasia on VH1's Behind The Music at 9 p.m. I mentioned on this blog a couple of months ago that she was slated to be chronicled on the iconic show. I would imagine that the taping for the one-hour episode had wrapped up before Fantasia's suicide attempt, but being the true storytelling show that it is, Behind The Music reportedly taped Fantasia again on Saturday so that this episode could address her recent headline-grabbing ordeal. You can see a brief clip of it in the video below.



From what I've heard of the music and the producers involved with the project, this could be Fantasia's best album yet. But it could also be overshadowed by the turmoil in her personal life. A similar thing happened with Britney Spears three years ago when she released Blackout, during a time when she was making news for her troubled personal life instead of her music. Many music critics rated the album highly, some calling it her best album ever, but it was largely ignored by fans, becoming her worst selling album and not even reaching platinum status.

Next week, when the Billboard charts are released for this week's album sales, we'll see if Fantasia's fans have come out to support her by buying her album. She really needs Back To Me to help turn the focus back to music.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Fantasia Barrino turned 26 Wednesday--you might've seen her on BET's 106 & Park that day where they presented her with a birthday cake after she premiered her video for "Bittersweet." And Tasia kept the celebration going with a party at her Charlotte home Friday. As you can see in these camera phone pics below, VH1 cameras were there (she's taping season two of Fantasia For Real) as was fellow R&B star Anthony Hamilton.



Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Fantasia Graduates High School

Posted by Jarvis Holliday On 6/08/2010 No comments
If you watched Fantasia Barrino's reality TV show, Fantasia For Real, which is largely centered on her family life in Charlotte, then you'll recall that she was working on getting her GED. Reportedly, Fantasia has completed the requirements for her GED, and over the weekend she was allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony of Andrews High School in Greensboro. See video below.



Also, Fantasia For Real was recently picked up for a second season by VH1. I wouldn't doubt that the show's camera crews were on hand to capture her walking across the stage. And in more Fantasia/VH1 TV news, she's scheduled to be featured in Behind The Music later this year, though an exact date has yet to be set.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

5 of 25 'Most Stylish People' Revealed

Posted by Jarvis Holliday On 4/06/2010 1 comment
Charlotte STYLE Magazine has revealed the top five of its impending "25 Most Stylish People in Charlotte" list. They are: former Carolina Panther and rising entrepreneur Mike Minter, fashion journalist Rachel Sutherland, waxMAMA.com founder Brooke Gibson, style host and blogger T. Strong, and librarian and community volunteer Jennifer France.

Below is a short, behind-the-scenes video the magazine has put together.



Charlotte STYLE Magazine will reveal the full list and the issue's cover at its April 17 event at Ballantyne Hotel. Visit www.charlottestylemag.com for more details.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

I've enjoyed watching the first four episodes of Fantasia Barrino's VH1 reality show, Fantasia For Real. I watch it largely to see what scenes in Charlotte they show, but I have to admit that Teeny's antics are hilarious ("You getting on my nerves man!"). If you've been watching, then you've also witnessed Fantasia's battle to find a first single for her upcoming album. Well, she's found it. Today, she released "Even Angels."

I've played the song a few times today, and I liked it after the first listen. It finds Fantasia in her usual storytelling mode, but she uses her voice a lot lighter than she typically does. It's a softer song--and it works. Click here to buy "Even Angels" from iTunes.


You might also get to see Fantasia perform it when she appears on The Oprah Winfrey Show tomorrow (Feb. 3) in an episode titled "Stars of Reality TV: Fantasia's Comeback and Ruby's Revelations." The episode has already been taped so it's confirmed that Fantasia performs, but I'm not sure what song. She also has to face up to boss lady Oprah, who asks her why she missed so many shows during her first run with The Color Purple musical.

Listen to "Even Angels" below.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Fantasia's Reality Show Premieres Jan. 11

Posted by Jarvis Holliday On 1/03/2010 3 comments
I've been posting updates since it was announced last April that Fantasia Barrino was getting a reality TV show on VH1. The series, titled Fantasia For Real, premieres Monday, January 11 at 10 p.m. I think this will be one of the few reality shows that's actually real. Look for it to be more like Keyshia Cole's show (struggles with family life) and less like the Kardashians' (basically scripted shenanigans).


You can also expect to see a lot of Charlotte in the show, since Fantasia's house here is home base. This is how the series is described by VH1:

As the season begins, Fantasia is in the studio recording her hot new track, "Move On Me." And with six people living off her dwindling income, she needs a hit... now! Back at her sprawling North Carolina mansion is the entire Barrino clan. And when Fantasia and her manager, Brian, go on the road to test her new song, Fantasia hopes that her no-nonsense Aunt Bunny will keep the homefront in order. But when her under-employed, over-confident brother, Tiny, gets a brilliant idea to convert the pool house into a recording studio, all heck breaks loose.

See the 30-second clip below. And for more on Fantasia For Real, click here to visit the show's page on VH1.com.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Dinner at Fantasia's

Posted by Jarvis Holliday On 10/15/2009 No comments
Fantasia Barrino often touts her Southern roots and North Carolina upbringing. But does this Southern belle know her way around the kitchen?

The singer is hosting a dinner party tonight at her Charlotte home as part of Macy’s and Feeding America's “Come Together” campaign. This initiative launched last month and aims to feed 10 million people suffering from hunger. Come Together invites the public to host special dinners in their homes, but ask their guests to pledge a donation to Feeding America and local food banks in lieu of the traditional host gift. In return, Macy’s will match these donations dollar for dollar. In Charlotte, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina will be one of the beneficiaries of this effort.

Fantasia at her Charlotte home during an episode of MTV Cribs.

“When I heard about the Macy's Come Together Campaign, I thought that hosting a dinner party would be a great way to give back to my community,” Fantasia said in a statement. “After gathering information about the campaign I realized and want others to know that hunger is not just something the homeless experience. In these tough times we have to recognize the need to assist our fellow neighbors and community as a whole. That is why I wanted to do something with the campaign and I encourage others to do so as well.”

I doubt if 'Tasia will do any cooking (you never know, though), and she's to be commended for taking part in this great cause. Hopefully this will inspire others to do the same. Maybe next week, dinner at Steve Smith's?

For more info on Come Together, visit www.macys.com/cometogether. Martha Stewart is even there to give you tips on hosting a dinner party.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Fantasia's Bro Is On the Come Up

Posted by Jarvis Holliday On 5/05/2009 1 comment
Ricco Barrino probably doesn't like being prefaced as "Fantasia's brother," especially since he's the oldest sibling. But she's the famous one, though big bro Ricco may be on his way to stardom.

The High Point native has been grinding in the music biz for as long as Fantasia, but he didn't have the benefits of American Idol thrusting him into the limelight like his sister, however he did audition for the show last year. Ricco, or Puerto Ricc as he's also known, has had a couple of songs bubbling on the underground, including "Bubblegum," which is his 2007 collaboration with Fabo of D4L. And now that Ricco has connected with more artists in Atlanta--he splits his time between Charlotte and the ATL--he just may have his first hit.


Atlanta rapper Yung LA, who burst onto the national scene last year with his hit "Ain't I," has recruited Ricco for his new single, "Futuristic Love." Ricco sings the hook and the quite catchy song is getting a lot of radio spins, particularly here on Power 98. He's said to now be signed to Grand Hustle, T.I.'s record label that is also the home to Yung LA and Young Dro, Fantasia's boyfriend. See, family ties can help. On the song, I think Ricco sounds like a male version of Fantasia. You can listen to "Futuristic Love" below.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Fantasia's Getting a Reality Show

Posted by Jarvis Holliday On 4/20/2009 No comments
Fantasia Barrino is the latest star to be getting her own reality TV show. VH1 has announced that the show will begin airing in early 2010 on the network, though the title of the show has not yet been released. Fantasia is no stranger to reality TV, of course, since her rise to stardom came as a result of her winning season three of American Idol. This will be a little different, though, since cameras will be following her around everywhere she goes.

I expect that Fantasia, a High Point native who lives in Charlotte, will be one of the few reality TV stars who actually keeps it "real" on her show. I envision it being similar to Keyshia Cole's show in how she's very open about her personal and family life. In fact, Fantasia has hinted that one of the things the show will cover is her working on getting her GED. It's also recently been reported that she'll be resuming her role as Celie in the stage adaptation of The Color Purple, during a three-month run beginning June 30 at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., so we might see some of that in the show as well.

We should see a good bit of Charlotte depicted in the show, too. Fantasia owns two homes here--I'm sure everyone remembers that a few months ago one of them was in jeopardy of being foreclosed on and auctioned off, but she worked that out and was able to save her house. Most of her close family lives here. And she can be found around town from time to time. In fact, she was scheduled to attend a birthday party Saturday at Club 935 for her brother Joe Barrino.

I'm actually looking forward to Fantasia's new show. She has a very interesting life and is an extremely talented young woman. And she's done a great job of overcoming adversity. But reality TV can be tricky--it can either make you or break you. And VH1 has a history of buffoonery when it comes to reality shows. Regardless, be on the lookout for TV cameras soon around Charlotte and you just might be able to make a cameo.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Anthony Hamilton Brings Grammy Home

Posted by Jarvis Holliday On 2/09/2009 No comments
Charlotte native Anthony Hamilton won a Grammy last night for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for his collaboration with Al Green on "You've Got The Love I Need." It's Hamilton's first Grammy win, though he's been nominated seven times. He's pictured below on the red carpet with his wife Tarsha McMillian Hamilton.

Our other fellow Charlottean, Fantasia Barrino, didn't fare as well. She was nominated for her collaboration with Jennifer Hudson for the song "I'm His Only Woman," but, coincidentally, lost out to the pairing of Al Green and John Legend. Al Green proved last night that he's back, and he isn't afraid to go toe to toe with the younger generation, which is evident by his songs with Hamilton and Legend.
You can see Hamilton performing tonight on the 2009 BET Honors at 9 p.m. on BET.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Fantasia Keeps Her House

Posted by Jarvis Holliday On 1/12/2009 4 comments
It's been widely (and embarrassingly) reported that singer Fantasia Barrino was in jeopardy of losing one of the two houses she owns in Charlotte. She borrowed $65,000 in 2006 to pay taxes on her Piper Glen home and after she defaulted on repaying the loan, the lender won a judgement to auction off her house. The auction was scheduled to be held today by the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office, but Fantasia reached an agreement with the lender over the weekend to keep her house off the auctioning block.

This is the 4,500-square-foot home Fantasia owns in the Piper Glen neighborhood in south Charlotte.

Fantasia bought the home in question in 2004, a few months after winning American Idol. It's assumed that her relatives now live in the house because she bought a second, larger and more expensive home in Charlotte in 2007.

This 6,200-square-foot home Fantasia owns in Charlotte appeared in a 2007 episode of MTV Cribs.

While some may poke fun at Fantasia's financial troubles, I say don't throw stones if you live in a glass house. True, she's wealthier than most of us and is famous, but celebrities are feeling the effects of this economy just like the rest of us. While some everyday folks are struggling to keep their homes, some rich people are having problems paying for their second or third homes.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Fantasia Is In Her Own Lane

Posted by Jarvis Holliday On 10/23/2008 No comments
As you should know, the BET Hip-Hop Awards show was held in Atlanta over the weekend. It airs tonight at 8 p.m. (I don't know why BET doesn't air its show live--or at least with a taped-delay--like MTV does.) As would be expected, there were a lot of parties going on in the ATL. I know some of you went down there just to party.

Well, here's a photo of Fantasia from a party Jermaine Dupri hosted. I'm not even here to comment on the photo. Like it or not, Fantasia has her own style. And she appears not to care what anyone thinks. That's the making of a trendsetter, if you ask me. I'll be watching the Hip-Hop Awards tonight and it'll be interesting to see what Fantasia is wearing.

By the way, the reason I blog about 'Tasia from time to time, in case you didn't know, is because she's one of us--she lives in Charlotte. Though she spends a lot of time in Atlanta nowadays. She may have a home there, too, aside from dating ATL rapper Young Dro.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Jennifer Hudson and Fantasia Collaborate

Posted by Jarvis Holliday On 9/29/2008 No comments
Jennifer Hudson, a past American Idol finalist, and Fantasia, a past American Idol winner, have collaborated on a new song titled "I'm His Only Woman." If you'll recall, Jennifer lost to Fantasia, who has gone on to have multiplatinum success, in season three of the popular show, but Jennifer has seen her own star rise as an Academy Award-winning actress.

It has appeared, though, that turning her into an R&B star will be more of a challenge. But with the release of "Spotlight," the first single from her upcoming debut album, and now "I'm His Only Woman," Jennifer seems to have found her voice.

Their new song is like Shirley Brown's "Woman to Woman." But newer and more ghetto.

It makes perfect sense for these two to do a song together. Not because they both were discovered through a reality show competition, but because they both have very strong voices that don't fit the mold of today's typical light, airy pop sound. These ladies were born two generations too late, and they're reviving the great sound of the soulful music of the 1960s and '70s.

"I'm His Only Woman" is an ode to Shirley Brown's 1974 classic, "Woman to Woman." The song even has Fantasia and Jennifer having a phone conversation in the beginning, like Shirley has with a fictional Barbara. Jennifer brings the attitude and you know Fantasia, who lives in Charlotte, is as feisty as they come.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Local Photos on MediaTakeOut—Whodunnit?

Posted by Jarvis Holliday On 7/12/2008 No comments
I hate gossip websites. Even though they usually only target celebrities, I still look at it like I would be mad if I saw something hurtful written about me. Unfortunately, the bloggers and their readers love it. I won't get into a spiel again about what's right and wrong with the Internet, as I frequently do, but I will say this: why don't these bloggers and operators of these sites reveal themselves? Most of them hide behind their anonymity, which gives them the courage to write and post whatever they like. I'm a journalist. My name is on everything I do, dammit.

So, the reason for my soap box today: I just saw some unflattering photos of Fantasia on MediaTakeOut.com. MTO is one of the worst gossip sites around, which sadly, in that world makes it one of the best. The site posted photos yesterday from Fantasia's birthday party at NV Nightclub last Saturday. Coincidentally, I'd just seen the same photos a couple of days ago on local website CharlotteVibe.com. One of CV's photographers took them. But here's the problem. Someone picked the two most unflattering photos of Fantasia from the gallery of 36 photos on CV and posted them to MTO, ridiculing her in front of MTO's millions of viewers. Then, of course, with these gossip sites the comments sections take on a life of their own.

And to make matters worse, one of YOU is the culprit. I'm pretty sure it was a local person who sent the photos to MTO.

I'm not trying to draw anymore unnecessary or unneeded attention to the photos, which is why I'm not posting them here. But you can see them for yourself at the links below:

Photos on MediaTakeOut

Photos on CharlotteVibe (originals)
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