Dear Broads at Broadsheets:

Have to get this off my chest. This is something that I have been thinking about for a while now. I don't usually read the celebrity rags, certainly never buy them, but I do pick them up in the doctors office, when the line at the supermarket is long, etc. However, they are everywhere and in your face, so the covers are hard to avoid. Here's my problem: I AM SICK OF THESE MAGS POINTING OUT EVERY LITTLE LUMP, BUMP, FLAB, PANTYLINE, POOCH, POUCH, AND ANYTHING ELSE THEY CAN GET AN UNFLATTERING PICTURE OF ON THESE WOMEN!!!! WE NEED A BOYCOTT! At the very least, maybe it's time to start running pictures of the editors of these mags (have you seen Bonnie Fuller - she's a perfectly ordinary looking women. In other words: she's a mess!!!) It is misogynistic, hateful, horrible - I'm sick of it!!! And if they're not point out the 'fat' they're suggesting someone's anerorexic! How long are women going to take it? Especially since (I'm willing to bet) women are the biggest buyers of this crap (hey girls: put down People and pick up The Nation). It all ties in with your analysis of the make-over shows.

This is what I read on Salon that pushed me over the edge. Sorry for ranting. Thanks for listening.

Eileen Lynch, Hoboken NJ

eileenlynch@hotmail.com

July 7, 2006 | Morning Briefing:

Witherspoon's Star payback: After Star magazine ran a photo of Reese Witherspoon with a slight belly bump last month, Witherspoon threatened to sue the celebrity rag for falsely claiming she was pregnant. This week, Star has made up for the mistake, in its own cruel way: In a retraction of sorts, the magazine is running a huge shot of Witherspoon in a bikini at the beach under the headline: "Reese Mystery Solved: She's not pregnant ... It's bloat!" Circling her tummy with the caption "Just a pouch!" the editors don't pull any punches, opining that "since she is not pregnant, maybe it's just a sign that it's time to hit the gym!" (Women's Wear Daily, Popbytes)

As a young actor I worked with Chiklis in an off-off Broadway one act during which he got cast in Wired. He was such an unpleasant and unprofessional a-hole I wouldn't be able to stomach the show. Sorry, it may have been 20 years ago, but the guy was such a you-know-what I just can't go there.

What about Alien in America? or don't really funny, relevant half-hour shows count?

Joe was definitely looking pretty attractive up there last night. However my lust gets checked when I remember what a warrior on the war on drugs Joe has been. Marijuana is more expensive per ounce than gold. Way to harsh the high Joe. And that's just one of his more questionable positions.

But I still want him to win!!!!!!

Why'd they have to go and bring her into it? Jeez, like Obama ain't got enough problems!

And maybe I'm just really white, but I like the song.

And I hope more people, especially parents and HS students, read it. I taught SAT prep classes in an urban (NY metro) area with many working-to-middle class students. The first thing I present the students with are options: not everyone needs to go to college. And 4 year colleges love students with Associates degrees because it tells the college you finish what you start. The HS students I taught had such unrealistic ideas about the schools they were applying to: Brown, Yale, Princeton. Most of these students could barely write a sentence! Not one would even consider community college, even after I told my story (community college at the age of 41, graduated with 3.9 gpa and a nice financial aid package at Smith College).

The thing is in this area of metro NY there should be training available for students to work in the huge communications industry: camera operators, sound engineers, editors, electricians, etc. I always told the students plumbers, electricians, carpenters, constructions workers, masons, all can make as much, if not more, than college grads.

Unfortunately colleges have been preying on the class issues of college attendence and they have been marketing a life style not an education.

This is the name of Rove's computer guru who helped steal Ohio for the GOP in '04. He is testifying today in front of a grand jury in Ohio. He agreed after he was assured of certain protections after alleging Rove threatened him. Where is the coverage in Salon on this?? This is not heresay or conspiracy nuts whispering in a corner - this is real. This might be the beginning of what many of us (and I count you in that column) have been hoping for: a crack in the hard, impenetrable wall of Rovian deception. What are you waiting for? I want to read your thoughts and findings on this important story. Please don't let me down!

I volunteer to work 24/7 from now until the end of time if that's what it's gonna take.

I'm completely with you on this one Mark. Hillary held a job for years and was publicly involved in healthcare issues before she became first lady. As a NY-er I appreciate what Caroline K has done for the schools (although I can't be specific about what those things are) she could have made much more of a difference if she had sent her kids to the public schools. But that's asking a lot. Same thing with the Obamas.

How did the government get so big since November? Why weren't these people complaining when bush set up the Dept of Homeland Sec?

You said it better then I could.

Hey, I thought Susan Sontag was supposed to be so smart!

One problems with 45 year old women mating with 21 year olds is that most women over 40 (over 35?) have problems concieving.

I'm pretty sick of this subject.

Any politician who changes their position on an issue in order to hang on to their office deserves to lose that office. It indicates a lack of character.