First of all: welcome!! Not sure how you got here, or what you're interested in - seeing as my content is quite eclectic, you never can tell.
I have had some serious issues in the past with people showing up who don't "get" it - It seems that these folks come from political blogs, mainly, and try to take that obnoxious interrogative tone here, which is totally inappropriate - as I'm just a woman who mainly talks about books, movies, actors, and boys I kissed in 8th grade.
So I have some ground rules, based on my experiences in the past. If I sound angry, it's just because I am being firm, and I had "had it" with that kind of comment in 2002. If this stuff doesn't apply to you, and you're ready to just leap in and see what the heck I'm talking about on a daily basis - then don't take any of this personally!
Here Goes. My "rules":
1. No politics. I'll delete. No broadsides against one side or the other, no generalizations. Seriously. Let's try to have fun here. No politics.
1a. I do write quite a bit about the American Revolutionary war and the founding fathers, a lasting obsession of mine. If you cannot talk about these topics without blasting "the dems" or "the wingnuts" of today, then this blog is not for you. I'm merciless about this - if your first comment on my site breaks this particular rule, I'll probably delete it. Cause that's how I roll. Comments like that have a way of creating a TONE on a blog, an atmosphere - that I will not let fester. I like the atmosphere I've created. I protect it.
2. I talk about acting, movies, directors, art - with no apology. If this goes up your ass, and if you wish that I would snark at artists - or if you wonder why I'm not making FUN of people who are artists - or if you wonder why I don't put snarky quotation marks around the word "artist" like you think I should - then you're on the wrong blog. Go elsewhere - there are SO many sites where that kind of crap rules the day. Not here. (This is mainly for the folks who come here from conservative blogs, sad to say. . I'm conservative myself in many ways - but my site isn't about that. It's about art. So conservative politicos: Don't mean to single you out, but you are the only people who have behaved badly (and who continue to behave badly) in terms of this particular rule, so I feel safe in generalizing. Not ALL conservatives break this rule ... but when this rule is broken? It's always a conservative. So please. If your filter is only political, you'll have a tough time here. Let's talk about art. Let's have fun. Stay here to have fun or stay away.)
3. Do not bring up the politics of any celebrity. If I mention Mystic River and your only comment is: "I can't stand Sean Penn because of his politics" - that's the kind of thing I am talking about. If you are unable to separate someone's politics from their art (and again, this is mainly to the folks who come from all the conservative blog-rolls I am still on) - then you will have a tough time here. I do not allow it. It tends to degenerate into political bickering, and I won't have it. You have something to say about their WORK? Go for it. But any political commentary will be deleted. I'm vicious about this, be warned.
4. I like to have fun conversations in the comments section. If you come in there with a chip on your shoulder or some political or cultural ax to grind, I'll give you a warning. This is a community here. Also, if you seem to have a general pissy attitude towards what I write about (it happens a lot for some reason) - and wish I would write about current events or whatever - you'll find yourself banned before you can say the word "I'm a huge bore". If you ask a question like, "How can you write a huge essay about Rocky II when the leftards are taking over the world?? Don't you have more important things to focus on?" I will flag you immediately as a nutball. (Also, if, in general, you use words like "leftard" on a regular basis, if you think that's clever or accurate, or if it's kneejerk in any way, you're going to have a tough time on my blog. Regardless of what I think of some liberal policies. "Leftard"? Give me a break.) So sure I have important things to focus on. And for the most part, I do it off the blog. Here on the blog, I like to talk about things that I find fun. And there are PLENTY of people, the majority of folks who read me, who also find it fun. So don't be a whiny bitch. It's a big wide web out there - go find a site you like if mine doesn't suit you.
5. If you for whatever reason reference gay marriage, and you put the word "marriage" in quotation marks ... I'll ban you. No second chance. Don't look for tolerance here on that topic. There is none.
6. If, in general, you think actors are stupid for doing what they do, if you think acting is a stupid profession, if you cackle when actors fail, if you rub your hands with glee when an actor looks stupid - then you really must ask yourself: why do I want to read Sheila's site then? Seriously. If you roll your eyes at serious commentary about film, and acting - then this is, flat out, not the place for you.
OTHER THAN THAT:
I love the community here. Many people have been reading me for 4, 5 years. It's a great vibe, and I'm proud of it. Hope you like it too.
Posted by sheila