Off the Grid Index
Posts by Kate Schwartz
OFF THE GRID is about why the news is the news. Here are the real motivations of both media and newsmakers. Here's the backstory. This is a look at the inner workings of desperate media, the inner life of the publicity crazed, and the true meaning of the news of the day.
Meghan McCain Gets a Lift From Twitter Boob Shot
Off the Grid | Oct 15, 09 12:47 PM CDT
Kate Schwartz - Twitter celeb brouhaha of the day: Meghan McCain, in a bid to show how dorky she’s becoming in her old age, posts a photo of herself, curled up at home on a Wednesday night with a book—in a tank top that shows off her very ample bosom (and super push-up). She gets called a slut, claims to be hurt, apologizes to whoever she’s offended,...
Why We Love Glamour's Plus-Size Girl...But Won't See More of Her
Off the Grid | Aug 21, 09 9:27 AM CDT
Kate Schwartz - The women of the world—or at least, those who can't put down women's magazines—have apparently found a friend in the September issue of Glamour . Editor Cindy Leive wrote a post on the mag's website ( thanks, Jezebel! ) saying that the mailroom has been inundated with letters from effusive readers who were thrilled to spot a photo of a...
If Men Are Raped It's Major News. Women, Not So Much
Off the Grid | Aug 5, 09 3:19 PM CDT
Kate Schwartz - With Hillary Clinton launching her African tour today, including a stop in the war-torn eastern Congo—dubbed the rape capital of the world by the UN—the New York Times is running a big story about rape in the Congo: rape, that is, of men. Hillary had a bit of bad fortune in being upstaged as she kicked off her campaign to bring...
How to Scare Them Straight (Out of Those Tanning Beds)
Off the Grid | Jul 29, 09 3:14 PM CDT
Kate Schwartz - Bad news for girls who love to fake bake: Tanning beds, the darling of prepping-for-prom high schoolers, have been placed in the same category as arsenic and mustard gas by the WHO. They may give you a bronze glow, but they also boost your risk of getting skin cancer by 75%. Being pasty in pink is looking better and better. It's scary stuff,...
How Do You Say 'Fat' in French?
Off the Grid | Jul 29, 09 11:29 AM CDT
Kate Schwartz - I'm boning up on my French, because a slew of just-released polls and studies make one thing clear: If I want to live longer I'll have to move to Paris. Call it quits on your marriage, and you're 20% more likely to be saddled with chronic health problems. And since nearly 30% of Americans (poll No. 1) say the recession has stressed/strained/killed...
Why Jon Gosselin Is Annoying
Off the Grid | Jul 27, 09 1:33 PM CDT
Kate Schwartz - Apparently, we really think Katherine Heigl is annoying. Sarah Ball devoted a whole piece to the topic in Newsweek , and our summary, detailing how Heigl's "me, me, me" attitude deep-sixed her sweetheart glow, was the most read Newser story of the weekend. I'm no fan of Heigl's—her rom-com appearances don't even merit a slot on...
Models Too Thin, Moms Too Fat
Off the Grid | May 29, 09 3:18 PM CDT
Kate Schwartz - Photoshop got a flogging yesterday, with the New York Times reporting on a backlash against manipulation of pictures of models and celebrities on the covers (and in the pages) of magazines. It’s an old argument —that these images are too thin and too perfect, and especially too fake , to be healthy models for teenage girls. The surprising...
