Posted by babu 11:05am GMT
When we want celeb and fashion gossip that's heavy on details and light on snark, we turn to I'm Not Obsessed for the dish about famous faces. Read on for our interview with blogger Vera Sweeney to find out what inspires her.
We hear you initially started I’m Not Obsessed [INO] as a hobby. When did you realize it was going to grow beyond that?
I realized there was something to blogging when I was asked to do several interviews with CBS. I couldn't believe that my opinion mattered to such an established media outlet. It made me realize the blogs had reach, and I just ran with it.
Which celebrity are you most obsessed with and why?
I always love to write about Jennifer Aniston, Angelina Jolie, Megan Fox or the "Twilight" gang. These seem to get my readers most excited, and when they start to interact — it gets juicy.
How do you feel about kids of celebrities being in the spotlight?
It's unfortunate, but absolutely part of the job. You can't become an actor or singer these days and not realize you are signing up your entire family as well. I can sense it's intrusive as a parent, but I am also a sucker for new pictures of Violet or Kingston. These children have become celebrities in their own right.
How did you decide on expanding to include INO Style and INO Mommy?
When things get a little too calm for me, I like to shake things up. Heaven forbid I have some downtime! It's a horrible flaw I have and I am actually working on allowing myself to do... NOTHING. Small steps.
INO Style was a natural extension. I am on hundreds of PR lists and get emails daily about brands [worn by] clients. I didn't want to flood my main page with this information, so I started a subsection. INO Mommy started because I felt it was the only aspect of my life that wasn't getting fair representation online. I'm a mother first, and I wasn't writing about that part of me at all.
Were you known as the "gossip" in high school?
Hmm ... no? LOL! I'm not sure. I had a huge group of friends and we weren't catty at all. It was really quite amazing looking back on it. My high school experience was one of the best moments of my life. At least, that's how I remember it!
What would you say has been the juiciest piece of gossip featured on the site this year?
Juiciest might not be the best word, but when DJ AM and Michael Jackson died, that rocked my world. People were so shocked at the news that the need for information was insatiable. My personal life shuts down when things like this happen, because I have to be on call all day and ready to post any new details.
Most of your posts are good-natured — do you ever have to fight the urge to get snarky?
I am snarky by nature. In person, I'm probably one of the most sarcastic people my friends know. So ... yes, I fight the urge. My site isn't about what I feel. It's about creating a safe place for people to come and get their news. I know there really aren't a lot of blogs that offer that vibe, so I wanted to cater to that need.
When you’re not busy with your own blog, what are some of the blogs or media outlets you look to for inspiration? Are there any that might surprise us?
I love DListed.com, which is pretty much the complete opposite of my blog. And RedCarpetFashionAwards.com rocks my world. She is so on point with fashion that it's frightening.
See Vera Sweeney's lookbook, where she shows us which celebrity fashions are inspiring her right now.
Photo: Vera Sweeney and her two kids (courtesy of Vera Sweeney)
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