Last week, Entertainment Weekly called my manager, and said that they were going to write announce Just A Geek in this week’s issue. I told my manager that I was concerned, because Entertainment Weekly has always written really cruel and misleading stories about me and my website, but the reporter assured him that this would just be a nice blurb announcing the release of my book.
Since the mainstream media have completely ignored me and Just A Geek, I was pretty excited that an influential magazine like Entertainment Weekly was going to give me a little ink.
That “nice blurb?” I just saw it on page 83:
“Whiner of the Week”
In his blog-cum-memoir Just a Geek, the former Star Trek, TNG cast member, now 32, fills 260 pages endlessly lamenting, “I used to be an actor when I was a kid.”
It’s pretty clear that the person hack who wrote this awful, mean-spirited, and misleading blurb didn’t read the entire book, because I DON’T spend 260 pages “lamenting I used to be an actor when I was a kid.” I spend the first chapter talking about those feelings, because it’s an important foundation for the rest of the story. A responsible journalist would know that.
It’s one thing to criticize the way I write, or opine that I spend too much time on one thing, and not enough time on another. That’s totally valid opinion . . . but to completely misrepresent me and the content of my book this way is despicable.
Someone at that magazine must have a vendetta against me, because Entertainment Weekly has tried very hard to portray me in a consistently negative light. When they reviewed WWdN about two years ago, they selectively quoted me out of context, and made me look really bad, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that they’re at it again, but it still hurts.
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Ok, that just makes me so mad. Why do people have to go out of their way to be mean? And it’s particularly irritating because I’ve always been a huge EW fan. I guess I’ll have to be rethinking my magazine subscription.
I just purchased your book. I have read the first three chapters and have gone through so many emotions. I have laughed out loud, been enraged, and of course, have cried. Only a great writer can put all those emotions to play. Apparently, this writer is jealous of your fantastic-ness. Have fun Wil.
That is totally teh ghey. I never had a subscription to EW but now I’m going to think twice before I flip through it at the dentist’s office or something. Just think of it this way, Wil; for every dumbassed “journalist” who says shit about you, there are a million fans who think you rock. Keep it real, Uncle Willie.
Dear Entertainment Weekly,
I recently saw your review for Wil Wheaton’s book ‘Just A Geek’, and I am writing to say how disappointed I am in your analysis of it.
I have read the book myself, and I enjoyed it very much. Your short article about it, calling the author the “whiner of the week” seems to be more along the lines of a personal attack than a book review. I also feel that the article shows a lack of responsible reporting. Had your reviewer actually READ the book I’m sure he would have had a different opinion.
I’m afraid that, although I used to see your magazine as one of the more reliable sources of information about the entertainment industry, your behavior in this article and in past articles about Wil Wheaton shows your magazine to be nothing more than another mean-spirited and gossip-fueled tabloid.
I regret to tell you that you have lost my business.
N. Black
Thunder Bay, ON, Canada
OMG, what a fucking jackass. Try not to stress over it. Remember, “Those who can, write. Those who can’t, review.” He’s just a bitter little prick who obviously doesn’t possess the mental capacity to truly appreciate your book. You have a lot of fans out there that are LOVING Just a Geek (myself included, I’m sure, when I can finally get a copy), AND your blog. That’s what matters. Not some snobby, slow-witted dick hole who can’t even read the whole book.
Just take it easy, and don’t give him the satisfaction of letting it get you down. :o) *hugs*
Kim
This is a time when the phrase “Asshatted fuck chickens” becomes quite appropriate.
What a bunch of morons.
I, too, have sent them a disapproving letter, and won’t be renewing my subscription.
It just goes to show you, you can’t believe everything you read in media these days. Anything.
everybody’s a critic.
I bought JAG and loved it. Screw EW anyway, sodding lot of celebrity-arse kissing, no talent, douchebag, dillweed, crack-smoking nerf herders.
You are still the dealio in THIS household.
Rock on..
Hi Wil
The out pouring of support here is overwhelming!
So I decided to add my own.
I read Dancing Barefoot and Just a Geek and all I can say is “When will your next book be ready?????” hurry up –pump out another one!! lol JK
Seriously though EW has been a trashy rag for years. However, a ridiculous review like that can not go without a response. I will send EW my opinion as well.
Keep writing Wil –you have a gift.
ChrisL
Vancouver
PS too many Chris’ to just sign my name lol
Welp, I went into Barnes and Noble as soon as I could (live 40 minutes away from the nearest metropolis)and wandered around forever trying to figure out where they had put your book. DUH-found it in the Star Trek section. yep, they still put you there. My family doesn’t understand my obsession with your web site, and my daughter just grinned and told me I was hopless when I showed her my copy of “Just a Geek”. I believe that the hack that did your reveiw must not have had time to read it.. quite frankly I enjoy your conversational writing style in this book. It works. I am anxiously awaiting your next book, not that I’m trying to pressure you or anything ya know!
ATTENTION WWdN READERS – We know what we must do for Wil. WE MUST BOYCOTT EW, Time Warner, AND ITS ADVERTISERS. Tell them we are sick of their lousy reporting, and make it hurt. Come on, for years of fantastic free content I think that’s the least we could do. Hey, I’m short on cash anyway and need to cut back anyway.
To Wil:
Dude, that sucks. I think it’s time you tell EW to go to hell. Just DON’T have anything to do with them. I don’t know much about the entertainment biz, but this sounds almost like battered wife syndrome to the casual WWdN reader. JUST SAY NO TO EW. I promise on my side NEVER to even read them again, let alone buy them. I’ll try to avoid any of their advertisers that I realistically can. When you hit number 1 on the NYT bestseller list for 10 wks in a row (which I completely and nonsarcastically confident you will do), and they desperately want an interview – you’ll know where to tell them and that game review site that screwed you where to stick it. Your the writer and I (and I suspect other readers) would expect nothing less but the most colorful of insults – just be sure to record it as an MP3 and put it on the site so we can laugh with you.
Possible Conspiracy Theory: AOL TW owns EW. Star Trek is owned by Viacom. By denegrating you, would they help denegrate a rival’s franchise? Does O’Reilly have nasty things to say about AOL?
Don’t sweat the comment Wil — EW sucks and has only ever been a good resource for the oscar race — other than that EW has had made very bad reviews of great movies, glowing reviews of the horrible, and basically puts anyone down that they have deemed uncool and if EW has deemed you uncool and bashes you and your book than its not even worth getting mad about — I will be sending my letter to them expressing my discontent — also will begin a campaigne to have you brought via satalite to canadian morning television. So come on my fellow Canadian fans – start writing to Canada AM and get Wil on the show promoting your book in a positive light.
loved the book read it cover to cover in 4 hours and after ordering it, my local book store brought in both books for others to enjoy.
hope to see better reviews in the future
and remember one thing
We all love you here and thats what really matters
Why in the world would they do that? Who at Entertainment Weekly could have a hard-on for you for that many years? I think bashing you is just their style of “infotainment” at the magazine. You’re right, it’s a mainstream thing. You’re not losing any audience by being misrepresented to the readers of a rag like that, or at least the ones that find their reviews credible! Feel better, and *don’t* waste your time with outlets like that in the future (my advice).
Now I’m glad I don’t have a subscription to that rag. I’d have to cancel it. Your book was the best money I’ve spent, Wil, and I’ve since loaned to all my family and friends so they could share in it too.
I, at least, thank you for writing it and putting it out there for me to buy, read and love.
To EW:
“Suck my fat one, you cheap, dimestore” piece of shit.
If you want the mainstream media to notice you, just let them know (for you, it shouldn’t be hard) that you are a communist. They’ll *LUV* ya’!
BTW, I enjoy (most of) your blog, even if you are young, confused and a communist. Don’t worry; your 40s will straighten out that problem, right around the time that Nature kicks you in the ass a few more times really REALLY hard.
Wil,
Journalism minus responsibility equals EWwwww.
What the f*&k is up with a magazine that has something like th Shaw report in it anyway? In/Five minutes ago/Out? All with one solitary word in each column? I don’t keep track of time like that. By the way, I’d join that letter writing campaign, but I’ve already acknowledged that freakin’ magazine too much. If I were on fire and the only thing people could do was to beat it out with copies of EWwww, I would just tell them, “Let me burn! Don’t get that sh*t near me!”
Once upon a time, Wil, I would’ve laughed along with the jerks that would’ve written such tripe. Now, I laugh at them. You’ve more than earned my respect from the first time I read WWdN
These past couple of years, your blog’s been an inspiration to me. “Whine” all you want. I’ll read it!
EW selectively quoted you out of context? And you haven’t figured out yet that this is what the majority of media outlets do? The media has long ago ceased to be objective. That’s why they are (democ)RATS! This tactic, of course, is only acceptable when it works in their favor, done only by them; when the opposition uses this tactic, it’s claimed as being “disrespectful,” “unfair” or “insensitive.” Hypocrisy is only acceptable when you, not the other guy, can get away with it, right?
There was this one joke I heard on Jay Leno years ago and I will never forget it — I think you need to hear it:
“My dream job? To work for Entertainment Weekly so I can make sure they won’t print anything bad about me ever again.”
/never subscribing to EW again because the writers really say awful things about the nicest people
We LOVE you, Wil.
I’ve been boycotting E.W. forever – just to avoid crap writing. So continuing will be NO PROBLEM.
And anyone who has read even one paragraph of Wil’s writing should be tickles, encouraged and enlightened. I know I am. Even when it’s about poker 🙂
Wil,
I have to go with one of the above posts.I laughed outloud at the idea you were whining about a blurb called Whiner of the Week no less. Frickin’ brilliant, man! But just so you know I’m not a total illiterate without critical reading skills, I did catch a note of the “damn,I fell into the publicity trap when I shoulda known better, damn me and damn EW.” And, as with other posts, when I did see the issue, I had to hunt for it…think about that, Wil…searching to actually find the thing. So no worries, mate.
HI-Larious, Wil, barbed wit. Awesome. You rock.
Wil –
Responsible journalists don’t work at worhtless gossip rags. Screw them.
Bastards. I unsubsribed from that magazine a couple of decades ago because I thought their journalist practices were questionable. What a rag that magazine is! Don’t let it get ya down, Wil! You’re an awesome writer, Geek is an awesome book, and we all love you!
Tracey
I agree with all of the comments here that EW’s lack of professionalism seventh layer of hell sucks. This seriously makes me wish for Karmic payback. Young Mr. Wheaton, in my humble opinion you are Good People. You are brutally honest, a loving father and husband and all kinds of smart and talented. On no level do you or JAG deserve that kind of pathetic dribble.
I agree that there seems to be something personal going on here. I went to their site and tried to find a link to email them and ask if someone there got turned down for a date and never got over it but couldn’t find it.
Moreover, I hope their attempt at a hack job blows up in their collective faces and causes more people to buy the book to find out what’s up for themselves.
You know what Wil? Screw Entertainment Weekly, to your fans (including myself), your book was awesome…
My letter is on the way. That “review” was ludicrous…
And I know that the tide is turning ’round
So don’t let the bastards grind you down
No worries, Wil. Anyone who forms their opinions based upon a blurb they read in a meretricious magazine is not the sort of person who would appreciate your writing anyway. I just read through a lot of the comments here – how many people now will never buy EW again, but buy your book instead? Ahh, karma. 🙂
Well, goes to prove that there are asshats everywhere. This guys gonna get his rump roasted by someone, some day – and you can be there gleefully warming your hands by the fire on that day, my friend.
Don’t let those losers get to you!
EW can kiss my grits. Your’s too. And there’s no way I’m paying to read their stupid website. Just tell ’em to go to hell.
for what it’s worth, i sent in my .02 to ‘ew’.
Going for the coveted “of the year” award?
Just be careful, the people like me who read that “blurb” and come here to read this entry will walk away giving EW more credibility than you want.
And in regards to the boycott, the 200 of you planning on not buying EW (who in all honesty either had subscriptions, in which case, they’ve got your money, or probably never bought to begin with) will be offset by the hordes of Wil haters because the “situation” has been blown out of proportion now.
It was probably better to have suffered a blow like this silently and handled the few upset fans who did see it when they emailed you by responding that you know about it, and think they’re being dicks while publicly blowing the whole EW thing off instead of playing the victim card to incite a riot of fanatics.
Just sayin’
Screw ’em, Wil. Obviously, the idiot didn’t even read it or, if he did, he has no business writing book reviews because he pretty much missed the entire premise of JAG. Maybe he could try my son’s new Peekaboo Elmo book next time – the plot and length is more his speed.
Thought this would be appropriate:
“Pay no attention to what the critics say; there has never been set up a statue in honor of a critic.”
Jean Sibelius
Coincidentally, there’s a pretty good article in the current (October) Writer’s Digest magazine (a feat in itself…) on the subject of unfair, unjustified reviews. Loriann Oberlin makes a couple good points; chief among these: If you can use the presence of the poor review to drive intelligent discussion about JAG, then the reviewer will have done you a great favor. I won’t repeat the article here, but the gyst is: (1) Don’t ignore the review, respond intelligently and concisely, citing examples to demonstrate the reviewer did an incomplete job and (2) Don’t permit an overflow of emotion (yours or your supporters) to overwhelm the reviewer; this will come across unprofessionally (think of all those “U suk!” emails we’ve gotten over the years). Personally, I think this is something you should engage, representing yourself as a writer, not as a personality who’s produced a book, which is (my guess) how you were treated by the EW reviewer.
To other WWDN fans: rather than bombard EW, which will accomplish nothing, let’s post intelligent reviews in the places we can reach (like amazon). Be positive.
Well, obviously “Entertainment Weakly” (sic) is not exactly the bloody New Yorker or the Atlantic Monthly or whatever magazine most of us recognize as being an “authority” on anything. It is a cheap rag, and has just renewed its membership in the ignorance club. I wouldn’t even use it for lining the kitty litter box, although I don’t hesitate to use the Globe and Mail (Canada) Report on Business section every time.
All I know is that I read your website every week. I read the weekly magazine… well, never.
That’s just WRONG.
Sorry Wil.
*hugs*
Just remember, Wil, this is the same magazine that called “The Family Guy” the worst show ever put on TV.
Just remember the episode where Peter Griffin wipes his ass with an issue of EW, and remember you’re in good company.
These people should be ashamed of themselves. I’m sorry, Wil.
Obviously journalism *isn’t* the point of EW. I’ve never read it, but your experience makes it fairly apparent. The only thing to do is shrug it off and count your blessings–the fact that a ton of people know how wrong-headed and mean-spirited the ‘review’ was, and that EW didn’t print a scoop about you having an affair with JLo or going into rehab. (Of course, if they were the Weekly World News, they’d go straight to something involving aliens, demonic possession, vampires or Elvis … but I gather EW isn’t that imaginative in *their* fiction.)
well i just canceled my ew subscription..fuckers
Funny, and you base your political opinions on the same new sources that trash you. How naive are you?
Oh My gosh! It took a half hour to read all the responces. What a show of support. With the support of family and friends, there is nothing you can’t over come. I’m new to WWdN, (I guess that makes me 50,001) and just recently heard of JAG. I usually don’t read books, but I think I’ll have to make an exception.
I e-mailed EW [email protected] and asked that they get someone to give JAG an honest review.
Val
Will-san,
Take heart. We, the readers of WWdN know better. We will speak out.
We appreciate you. I encourage you to continue writing. Now to save my pennies from skipping lunch to buy “the” book. Why do school fees and college books cost so damn much?
Bloody hell, I like your blog.
Thanks to some totalfarker for posting the scan link so I didn’t have to be seen looking thru EW. The blurb was mean, the illustration even meaner.
You are a good person, Wil. We can see that in your writing. Not because you’re Mr. Perfect, but because you struggle like the rest of us. You are brave enough and articulate enough to write about your struggles for the world to see. And we not only learn a little something about you, but we learn a little something about ourselves.
Love and peace to you, Wil.
The person who insinuated that you’re just “whining” here and making EW look more credible in dismissing you as a whiner, sounds like classic blame-the-victim mentality. You’re protesting EW -factually misrepresenting- your book with an unprofessional smart-ass remark, and expressing your disgust that they have a history of acting like this when they’re supposed to be professionals.
The fallacioius statement of the “Mysterious They” was also invoked – you know, the bit that goes “THEY go after you even more now… ” [The hoards of “Wil Haters” we’re supposed to take as a given are lurking in the shadows ready to jump.]
Maybe there are hordes of Wil-haters out there! *looks around suspiciously* It’s highly possible… Kaijima must be taking a class in logic and rhetoric.
Thanks to David Vincenti for the great idea! I wrote the following review on Amazon just now!:
Personally, I read the book because Wil Wheaton is one of my favorite people. I read his weblog almost every day. I really feel like he is “one of us.” (thirtysomethings?) I enjoyed the book, from a very biased standpoint. Wil’s writing always makes me feel like he and I are long-time, intimate friends. How does he do that? His writing has a certain disarming quality.
I figured only fans of his would be interested in the book, but a younger (24-yr old) friend of mine, whom I consider to be very cool saw the book on my nightstand and picked it up. He said he thought it was ‘rad’ that I had a book by “Wesley Crusher.” I told him not to think of Wil that way, he doesn’t like it. Anyway, my friend opened the book and proceeded to read the entire thing from cover to cover in one sitting. That amazed me. The book catches your attention and you can’t help but read it and feel that you know the author!
So, I guess I’ll go buy JAG from Amazon, now!