The web is buzzing. There is an interesting controversy brewing between Vanity Fair and Disney concerning the recent photo shoot of Hannah Montana star, Miley Cyrus. The shot, taken by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz shows Miley, 15, sporting tousled hair, red lipstick and wrapped in nothing but a bed sheet.

There has been strong reactions from all involved.

Disney was furious at the highly-sexualized portrayal of their young and innocent teen icon. She’s valuable. Very valuable. The article states:

Hannah Montana is the Disney Channel’s current crown jewel: its ratings for its target audience, kids ages 6 to 14, are second only to American Idol’s.

Cyrus also has two multi-platinum records to her name (well, one to Hannah’s name and one, a double album, co-credited to Hannah and Miley) and is the youngest performer to have two No. 1 albums within 12 months.

Her recent concert tour sold out 70 dates across North America and caused an uproar when tickets started being scalped for thousands of dollars, in some cases. (Try getting that for your spare High School Musical: The Ice Tour ticket.)

The subsequent cash-in film, Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert, released in 3-D, set several records, including highest-grossing release on a Super Bowl weekend ($31.1 million) and highest per-screen average ever ($45,561); those numbers are either because of or despite the fact that tickets to Cyrus’s film were sold at the inflated price of $15, on average.

Indeed, the Hannah Montana empire is estimated to bring in an annual one billion dollars in revenues for Disney.

The New York Times quoted Patti McTeague, a Disney spokeswoman who seemed to point the finger at Vanity Fair saying “Unfortunately, as the article suggests, a situation was created to deliberately manipulate a 15-year-old in order to sell magazines.”

Vanity Fair was quick to fire back, pointing out that Miley’s parents and handlers were on set and were able to preview the digital pictures right on site. Everyone seemed to like them.

Yesterday, Miley released a statement apologizing to her fans for the “embarrassing incident.” Still, it wasn’t enough to quell the fury ignited on certain sites of the blogosphere, with a few sites calling for a boycott.

My Two Cents:

First of all, despite insistence that the shot was going for a “natural portrait,” there is something very creepy about the picture. I mean she is fifteen years old.I consider myself a huge liberal, and am quite laid back in general, but looking at these pictures really appalled me. It’s not the bed sheet that bothers me so much as the expression on Miley’s face. We expect these young girls to remain children forever and then shove them into a world inhabited by adults. How many more teens will have to self-destruct in the spotlight before we get it?

Ultimately, I place the blame on Miley’s parents. At fifteen you can’t fully understand the ramifications of fame. Billy Ray Cyrus in particular has used his daughter’s fame to try and relaunch his own failed career. He’s the one that needs to grow up.

Scientology is a religion that is shrouded in mystery, at least for me. Admittedly, I don’t know too much about it, other then the contributions made by everyone’s favorite Martian actor, Tom Cruise. I was intrigued when I saw the banner ads for the new Scientology Video Channel being launched by the official Church.

I spent some time on the site, which contains a series of videos explaining the different tenets of the religion and quickly came to the following conclusions.

The site is very sleek and very vague. There was no mention about the financial commitment needed to ascent through the various levels of the religion. The videos are narrated by soft spoken men and women who speak in soothing tones. There are numerous shots of nature (mountains, fields and rivers) as well as individuals being coached in brightly lit, warm rooms.

The headings also focus on Human Rights, Anti Drugs, and the Way to Happiness. Very friendly, non-threatening and aligning to the issues of the day. Clever.

In one of the videos, we are informed that an auditor is “someone who listens” to your problems (funny, I always associated auditors as people who gave you problems, lol.) There are ads and links for free copies of books as well as the opportunity to leave your contact information if you wish to receive more information.

The video channel is a PR response to the slew of bad publicity aimed at the Church in the past few months.

One of Scientology’s staunchest opponents has been a group called “Anonymous” who have declared an open war.

The group has mounted several online attacks against the Church including a DoS attack which forced the organization to change hosting providers. To date, the above video has been seen on Youtube over two million times. Then there’s that pesky Tom Cruise video(s) that were leaked a few months ago. They too have racked over over two million views on Youtube.

A Question of Strategy

It’s interesting, I wonder how many hits the Scientology video channel gets and how many of those are converted into leads. Furthermore, I wonder if the Church plans to introduce features allowing users to embed videos in their own blogs or share them with friends. With the tight controls I doubt it. There need to be in perfect control is going to cost them dearly, as they will have to compete with the power of viral word of mouth. Not to mention human nature: a video of Tom Cruise jumping the couch in front of a startled Oprah will always get more eyeballs then a calm explanation of the “Auditing Process.”

On the heels of the last annoying ad, see previous post, I came across the new “I love the whole world” Ads for Discovery. What a great little ad. It’s catchy, funny, endearing and features Stephen Hawking. I mean, come on, what else do you need? I sense this is about to become a viral hit.

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Kudos to 72andSunny, the ad agency behind this spot, and to Creative Director Glenn Cole.

I love when Ad companies try to use “hip” or “natural” lingo in a commercial to give consumers the illusion that they are with it, and if you purchase product XYZ, you’ll be with it too.

It’s also funny when companies get it completely wrong. When I first saw this commercial I was instantly annoyed for two reasons.

1. Blatant Stereotypical Type Casting:

Thin, good looking white girl? Check.

Fiesty gay colleague that makes sassy remarks? Check.

Token minority friend who has one line? Check.

2. The Dialog doesn’t make sense. See for yourselves:

Here’s a break down of the lines I’m having issue with:

Woman: [Special K Snacks] Well they keep us feeling good!

Man: We’ll they’re doing it for me!

Woman: Join the club!

Man: Darling, you started the club!

*Obnoxious Laughter*

Ok….what?

First of all that makes no sense. Why is it funny if she started “club?

I think it’s supposed to be:

Woman: Join the club!

Man: Darling, I started the club!

But, that doesn’t make any sense either, since it would imply that he had prior knowledge about the snacks in question, when he clearly didn’t.

So…both potential scenarios don’t work.

I would have loved to be in on the meeting where this got approved. Seriously? Kellog’s needs to up it’s game since I’m their target demographic and this commercial annoyed be to no end. I actually haven’t purchased any Special K since then simply because every time I see this box that commercial plays in my mind.

I got a nice comment on my site the other day from Adam Montandon, a nice English bloke (is that the right terminology?) I had the pleasure of meeting at the ICE08 (Interactive Content Exchange) at MaRS a few weeks ago.

On top of having a fantastic accent, Adam founded a really cool company in 2004 called HMC Interactive , one of the coolest interactive multimedia companies I’ve come across in a long time. And I’m not the only one who thinks they’re great - they’ve recently picked up two awards at the 2008 Media Innovation Awards

Adam has, what’s got to be the coolest job description I’ve ever seen:

As part of my job I design cyborgs, create the recipe for digital chocolate, make stars twinkle, rescue penguins from oil slicks, look inside peoples bodies and even change the shape of clouds in the sky. Follow my adventures in Digital Futures and you’ll disocver why I have the most interesting job in the world.

Sounds way better then your job, right? I know, me too!

Anyway, Adam recently started blogging again after a five year break, and he said that little ol’ ME was his source of inspiration!

And it’s a great blog. I added it to my Google Blog Reader.

Thanks Adam!!

For those interested, here is a link to the ICE8 Sessions I covered.

Facebook has recently launched a new instant chat feature allowing users to chat with each other in real time. When you log on, there’s an interface at the bottom right hand corner of the browser. The feature runs right off of the website, meaning you won’t need to download an external app to run it, and it will remain in a static location while a user browses around various Facebook pages.

There is also an option to pop-out the chat into it’s own independent window.

So far the features of the chart seem to be very basic, although I’m sure that will change with time. Here’s what you need to know:

• There is no limits to the number of chats a user can have at one time
• There are no group chats, only one on one functionality for the time being
• No “away message”, a user can be either online or “idle.”
• There is no API for it, so you can only use the chat on Facebook
• Chat files are automatically stored for 90 days, and then deleted, but users will be able to delete files manually at any point in time.

I guess they think you’ll have Facebook open all day wherever you are so you can chat with friends. Unfortunately, as many in the working world can attest, that’s not the typical Facebook behaviour. Usually, people are logging in during the day (if their work hasn’t banned it) and seeing what’s up for a few minutes and then logging out. The chat introduces a different user experience that might appeal more to Facebook’s younger demographic.

A STEP TOWARDS AOL…

It’s no secret that Facebook’s strategy is to try and keep you on their site for as long as possible, so the Chat addition is not unsurprising. In fact, if you ask me, I wouldn’t be surprised if Facebook eventually evolved to be an AOL like space, a completely internal community.

I mean let’s deconstruct this a bit shall we?

Chat:

AOL as a private chat feature, so does Facebook. You can run AOL IM outside of the AOL platform, and I am assuming this functionality will eventually be added to the Facebook Chat.

Groups

AOL as entire communities around every conceivable topic, and Facebook has groups. It wouldn’t be a far stretch for those groups to evolve into like minded communities that are grouped together and linked by chat rooms? I mean eventually, you’ll probably be able to not only see your online Facebook Friends but people who are in related communities and share common interests with you.

Messages

Currently users can only send messages to other Facebook users, but it would be cool to be able to send FB messages to external email addresses.

Games

I think these games will grow in complexity and become more interactive.

Next Steps

The next logical step would be for Facebook to introduce an internal web browser which would allow you to view different external websites without leaving Facebook.

I would also like to see them incorporate more Linked-in type features as their core demographics begin to grow older and shift life stages.

FACEBOOK’S ENDGAME

Ultimately, when you opened your web browser you would log on to Facebook and stay there all day. You’d be able to access all your favorite websites, chat with your friends and manage your email messages. I’m interested to see what Facebook’s next move is.

But I do have some reservations. AOL, much like Facebook is a walled garden, and personally I am always wary of closed communities that try to funnel your web adventures through their platform. It just feels wrong to me somehow. I’m sure there will be all sorts of privacy issues especially surfing and chat history. All we can do now, is wait and see.

Came across this while I was surfing today, via digg.

Authorities Didn’t Count on Twitter

James Karl Buck, a UC Berkely student was arrested by Egyptian Police a few days ago as he photographed a noisy demonstration.

He managed to send a text message to his Twitter account, with one word: ARRESTED. And his network jumped into action.

Twitter, is basically a micro-messaging system that asks users to describe what they are doing in 140 characters or less, and then sends that message out to that person’s network of subscribed friends.

First, the advice poured in, from messages urging him to stay calm, to suggestions that he play “the American Bitch” and force his way out. His American friends immediately contacted the American Embassy and UC Berkeley who arranged for legal representation. They also alerted the media including the Associated Press that helped get the word out about Buck’s situation.

He was released the next day.

A Bitter-Sweet Victory

Unfortunately, this story doesn’t quite have a happy ending. Buck’s friend and interpreter Mohammed Salah is still being detained, after having been arrested at the same protest. As an Egyptian Citizen he didn’t have the US Embassy or Associated Press backing him up.

The current situation is dire for Egyptian bloggers who speak out against the government. Many are detained indefinitely without charges. Egypt isn’t exactly known for it’s humane treatment of prisoners either.

If you want to help you can sign this petition.

We definitely need to publicize what is happening in countries like Egypt where there is no freedom of the press. To make matters worse, not only can you get arrested without charges, but many Egyptian families out there don’t even know WHERE their loved ones are being held, or if they are even still alive.

I was forwarded an interesting article today written by the New York Times, entitled “In Web World of 24/7 Stress, Writers Blog Till They Drop.”

The article begins by comparing piece-bloggers, those who are compensated by the number of blog posts they write, to sweat shop workers. Low pay, grueling hours and no matter how hard you try, you can never keep up with the constant flow of information.

The name of the game is speed, and there is heavy pressure to be first, the fastest and most updated. Blogging has become an obsessive compulsion for some, who weigh the freedom of flexible work hours with the never ending demands of information reporting. In particular, in the technology sector with TechCrunch and Gawker Media all striving to be the first and foremost source on the web.

The costs are apparently too high for some:

At the same time, some are starting to wonder if something has gone very wrong. In the last few months, two among their ranks have died suddenly.

Two weeks ago in North Lauderdale, Fla., funeral services were held for Russell Shaw, a prolific blogger on technology subjects who died at 60 of a heart attack. In December, another tech blogger, Marc Orchant, died at 50 of a massive coronary. A third, Om Malik, 41, survived a heart attack in December.

Other bloggers complain of weight loss or gain, sleep disorders, exhaustion and other maladies born of the nonstop strain of producing for a news and information cycle that is as always-on as the Internet.

Ok people, let’s take a deep breath here. The key to blogging successfully (and to doing everything for that matter is having balance.

1) Create Reasonable Expectations with Readers: If you’re not a full time blogger, you might find that blogging as the potential of being a huge time vacuum. Set realistic expectations of how many times you can post, be it once a day, twice a week or what not and stick to it. Readers will adapt. Plenty of blogs like The Superficial aren’t updated on weekends, and you know what, I still come back every Monday morning for more.

2) Share The Load: If you’re working in a time sensitive sector, then consider starting a group blog, where a team of writers can shoulder the responsibility of keeping blogs up to date. This will help ensure that your blog constantly has new information, and that your writers remain happy and sane. (Not to mention, alive)

3) Differentiate Yourself : If everyone is focused on speed, then focus on quality analysis. 100 blogs can break news but I find the blogs that can actually coherently state what it means and explain the impact for the reader, those are few and far in between.

4) Relax. Seriously, big picture, it’s only blogging. If it’s impacting your health. STOP. (Besides you can’t take all that money with you.)

5) Reality Check. There are those success stories of bloggers bringing in millions (BoingBoing, Perezhilton) that serve to inspire us all. But if you’re working non-stop and forgoing sleep, meals and social interactions, then maybe you need to reconsider your strategy. Dreaming of becoming a blogger is great, but not if you’re too sick to enjoy it. Consider other sources of income to support yourself while building your reputation and web traffic.

Life is short, go outside, take a nice deep breath of the first few days of spring!

Greetings from Miami!

I was in town attending the 2008 Accenture Global Convergence Forum in Miami to speak on a panel about Gen Y and the imminent talent crisis.

We focused about how our generation watches less tv and spend more time online. For companies who invest millions of dollars in advertising, this will require a strategic re-evaluation. It was a great opportunity to talk to some of today’s leading CEOs and give them the opportunity to interact with some younger people.

It was also nice to talk to some of the people over at the FCC and give my two cents about copy right restrictions on US content. I said that copyright content that can’t be viewed on Abc.com or via iTunes is going to be downloaded illegally when it could have been bought.

Here’s a snippet from the Accenture live blog about the session.

I had the chance to meet Matt Mullenweg , founder of Wordpress.com. When we were introduced he told me he worked with a company that produces “online publishing” software. I figured it was some unknown little company. Later on, I found out that it was wordpress! When I asked him about it, he said it was because a lot of the conference audience weren’t familiar with it, so he had to come up with a way to make them understand. (Geeze, if you don’t know about wordpress.com, then seriously it’s time to hire a young person) I stole this picture from his album, which was linked above. (Thanks Matt!)

I’m on the road, and am taking a few days to enjoy the Florida weather before heading back home, so expect some more news and changes as I continue to revamp the site.

A few months ago a friend of mine sent me a link to funny blog called Stuff White People Like. It’s a site that pokes fun at the stereotypes commonly associated with white people. I was surprised to see it written up in this week’s issue of MacLean’s Magazine, announcing an upcoming book deal.

Written by 29 year old Canadian, Chris Lander, each blog post is a list of something that white people like.

The list includes:

• #93 Music Piracy
• #92 Book Deals
• #91 San Francisco
• #90 Dinner Parties
• #89 St. Patrick’s Day
• #87 Outdoor Performance Clothes
• #86 Shorts
• #85 The Wire
• #83 Bad Memories of High School
• #82 Hating Corporations
• #81 Graduate School
  
• #80 The Idea of Soccer
• #45 Asian Fusion Food
• #19 Traveling
• #10 Wes Anderson Movies
• #9 Making you feel bad about not going outside
• #8 Barack Obama

Number #35 is Jon Stewart & Stephen Colbert. Lander states that:

“White women all consider John Stewart to be the most perfect man on the planet. This is not a debate, it is law.

The Daily Show also features guests like John McCain, writers, policy analysts, and actors. It is comforting for white people to see boring celebrities get interviewed in a funny fashion. It fills their need to do something productive, but also not work that hard at it.

Take note that Tuesday through Friday during the working week, you can break ALL awkward silences with white people by saying “did you see the Daily Show/Colbert Report last night? At which point they will start talking until it’s time for you to move on to more interesting activities.”

The blog will be turned into a book by publishing company Random House, set to be published next August. Despite the fact that Lander is remaining tight lipped about the exact amount of the advance, internet rumors are speculating figures of up to $350,000.