Alright, I want to know which one of you did this

[gdelgiblueeyes]

There are some entertainment blogs and gossip columns out there that specialize in what are called "blind items." A blind item, for the uninitiated, is a news story, typically in places like those I just mentioned, in which the details of the matter are reported while the identities of the (usually famous) people involved are not revealed. In this blog age, everybody likes to throw in their tuppence on who the people in the blind might be, because it's never not been fun to speculate about the sordid lives of rich celebrities and feel better about our mundane ones by comparison.

Well, one of the major blind item-focused blogs on the Internet just posted this.

Quoting from the link above:

One closeted half of one of the best bands ever was having an affair, rivaling that of Shakespeare, with his long dead bandmate. The two first met prostituting when they were around 15 as they were incredibly poor. When that backfired, one suggested mugging dudes in back alleys but the more violently perceived one couldn't do it, so they started an empire.

Despite the fact they were estranged for the late halves of their lives, they often booked rooms in hotels under different names and their public feud was just for show, much like most of their lives. As well as this they ghost wrote some of the most famous songs ever for each other, and called each other regularly. Their relationship in its day, though not public was an open secret, especially to their rock buddies who admired the couple greatly.

The wife of the deceased member of this couple has no idea and would probably scream if she found out. The wife of the other knew about it, supported it and just wanted her husband to be happy even if that meant abandoning the kids.

During their reign, they threw bricks at each-others windows, tried to fight each-others girlfriends, publicly screamed about how much they missed each other at parties, spiralled into depression, took copious amounts of drugs and alcohol, and were planning to "reunite" and get a old man farm together before one half's unfortunate death.

The alive one, who is considered a bit lame, still loves his other half immensely and plans to release a tell-all once the banshee dies as he wants to preserve their relationship and finally tell the truth about the ordeal.

Truly a sad story indeed.

I don't think I need to draw you a picture of who this blind is about. Anyone in this community could spot the clues a mile away. (Shit, just realized that making it blind item "#9" that day is another total giveaway.) Now, it would be one thing if it was just the bare details, but this particular item verges into speculation that has never been confirmed (and, at least so far as I know, is false) -- speculation that I've only seen in this community.

I'm not going to judge or punish, there's not much I could do on either count anyway, but I want to know which one of you thought anonymously submitting this to a major entertainment blog -- that I know for a fact is read (and occasionally authored) by celebrities -- was a good idea.

It's one thing to try and prod the truth out (although there is certainly a time, place, and method for that which would be much more ideal); it's another to include unfounded bullshit in the process, and to possibly hurt other people (some of whom may or may not be part of this community) who might be sussed out as potential sources of privileged information.

Comments

[poorfrances]

The blog Crazy Days & Nights was created and is written by someone known as "Enty," who claims to be Hollywood lawyer. Several years ago, a commenter on the site under the username "HIMMM" gave details which seemed to point to his identity being Robert Downey Jr. (RDJ denied being this person).

It's worth noting that the above blind item GB posted was not by Enty but in his new "reader submitted blind items" section. While Enty claims to vet his own blind items (and some have proven true) no investigation is done into the "reader submitted" ones, which often seem more like wistful fantasies. Indeed there is speculation Enty may have turned the blog over to someone else recently because the quality has declined/changed somewhat (getting rid of all the content except blind items and adding these "reader submitted" ones which aren't checked at all. Enty used to write non-blind item content frequently and used to mention how he never, ever wrote blind items based on content sent to him by anonymous readers, it had to be stuff he had personal knowledge of, because rabid fans would try and anonymously submit fake stories to boost their faves or slander celebrities they didn't like and there was no way he had the resources to check such things).

The person who wrote this one admitted in the comments to having no actual personal connection to the Beatles, nevermind anything which would give them access to such info. I would guess they're probably in their teens or twenties. They seem to have written this fantasy based on a mish mash of JHP/McLennon community stories and fics. I base the guess of their age on their writing seeming Tumblr-like (a giant haven for fanfic of all types) and them slipping up on actual Beatles facts that probably happened long before they were born (for example, thinking Paul & Linda had divorced, stating both men came from poverty, confusing the timeline etc).

The bit about Paul & John being extremely poor teen prostitutes were mugged guys for money sounds a lot like a fic I once read ages ago on the old LJ community (sorry I don't remember the author). Other bits I recognize as cribbed from other fanfics (for example, yes_2day). If I was a follower of Beatles fanfic on Tumblr, I suspect I would recognize other parts of the story. I know this blind item touches on one of the cliches now in J/P fanfic: to paint Yoko as a crazy villain for learning about her husband's affair, while Linda is portrayed is a patient saint who is happy to disappear while her husband fucks someone else.

For some reason, I find the funniest bit the writer's claim (in the comments) that Paul McCartney ghostwrites for Taylor Swift. It's absurd for a bunch of reasons in reality, but aside from that it's funny because it has nothing to do with the original story. It seems like exactly the type of silly thing that would be added by a young fan who likes both artists but doesn't know enough about either.

The real Enty has written only three blind items about Paul over the years, none of them negative. (Enty reveals the answers to his blind items.)