An Open Letter to Nicole Payawal of JuicyCeleb.com

I couldn’t resist the temptation to click…

I was not proud to catch myself reading an article today called “19 Celebs HOTTER Than Their Partner.”  I call this type of writing “Junk Food for the Brain,” and I do try to avoid these pieces.  I think that people are consuming more and more information than ever, but the quality of what we read is lower and lower.  Beyond having little intellectual merit, this piece struck me as cold and mean.  But it is one of many.

I grew curious about the person behind the article.  Surely, she couldn’t be as callous as the article she wrote.  What person would want their name attached to such an article?  I found out that her name is Nicole Payawal and she graduated from the University of San Francisco with a degree in Media Studies.  I decided to write to her and get her thoughts.  Here is a copy of the message I sent.

I’d love for more people to join me in corresponding with the authors behind Junk Food for the Brain. #whywritethat #junkfoodforthebrain

Good afternoon Nicole,

I started to read your JuicyCeleb.com article “19 Celebs HOTTER Than Their Partner,” and I found it unsettling. I hope to start a conversation with you about your work and larger media trends.

While reading the article, it was hard to accept that a person actually devoted time to creating something that seems solely mean-spirited. Objectifying someone’s appearance–especially one who is not even seeking to be in the public eye–seems just plain wrong. I feel guilty for clicking on the headline in the first place. I don’t want to know how much cumulative time I have spent reading similar articles.

Was this an assignment from an editor or something you came up with on your own? I know that your piece was designed to garner hits and it certainly worked. But what are your thoughts on a writer’s ethical responsibility in choosing topics they cover? Do you think that the strategies you use to draw in readers also work for stories and issues that are closer to the heart? Is this trend worth challenging? Is it unstoppable?

Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,
Brent Lomas