OMG!!!!!!!!!
February 1, 2008 by Ambrose Clancy
Britney was carted off to the bin. Pu-leeese! Tell me something I don’t know. OK, how’s this, smarty pants — Gwyneth, just out of the hospital with an upset tummy, (wink, wink) visited the Manhattan Kabbalah Center for a few minutes before being escorted away by her driver. Poor Gwynnie, kabbalah is more than over, it’s like, ancient.
That piece of have-to-know info comes from Garden City’s Vera Sweeney, whose blog, I’m Not Obsessed, breaks dish provided by sources from men’s and women’s magazines, PR firms and other online gossip dispensers. Long Island Business News profiled Sweeney and her punchy and photo-loaded blog this week, where the unapologetic mother of two cheerily describes turning her passion into her life’s work.
Didja hear about poor Kirsten D. wandering erratically in Park City, poor thing? I’m Not Obsessed readers did.
But not to be found on I’m Not Obsessed or any other celeb tracking outlet is Ambrose Bierce’s thought that gossip is merely ascribing to another “actions which one has not had the temptation and opportunity to commit.”
From LIBN’s portrait of Vera:
Ask her when she was bitten by the gossip bug, and Sweeney, 30, responds, “When I was four? How’s that?”
She believes the majority of gossip fans are women.
“Some women are born with it,” she said. “Some men are color blind and some women are absolutely obsessed with gossip, so I have the trait, unfortunately.”
Growing up in Astoria, she was an addict of the fanzines because “it was fun to look at your heartthrob, the guy you’re pining for. It was a quick fix, lasted a week and you could look at them every other day.”
When she wanted to go into business for herself, gossip was the way to go, she thought.
“If my husband walks in and sees me reading about David Beckham, he knows it’s my job and won’t tell me, ‘C’mon, it’s time to unload the dishwasher.’ That’s a big plus.”
Times have changed since little Vera Sweeney curled up with Tiger Beat to ogle the cute boys. The industry of gossip “has exploded,” she said. And not all for the better, she added.
“It’s too much; there’s no lines any more to be crossed,” she said. “There’s no more privacy left.”
She said her site “is work and kid-friendly,” meaning you don’t have to be ashamed of anyone looking over your shoulder when you’re indulging in pleasures guilty or not. Although she said she respects privacy, on I’m Not Obsessed you can check out Liv Tyler’s family beach vacation via telephoto lens, including shots of Tyler in a bikini.
The future seems bright, with Sweeney set to make more moves out of the house and into he bright lights. She’s in negotiations to bring on a public relations firm and will be a guest at an upcoming Lenny Kravitz concert.
“With two children it’s hard to get out, but my New Year’s resolution is to say yes to more things,” she said.”
I go to the I’mNotObsessed website at least 5 times a day. Vera does a superb job with keeping everyone informed about what is happening in the world of entertainment. It’s funny to watch the enterainmet shows at night– it seems like they are so behind because I had already read about it on I’mNotObsessed!
I occasionally take a peak at imnotobsessed, Vera usually write nice comments to go with the photos, unlike people like Perez Hilton. But lately I think something weird has happened. The writing is odd, I don’t think it’s even Vera anymore, my hubby reckons it’s probably some 10 year old in India or somewhere!