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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Yay! I did it! *waits for copy of JAG to arrive in mail*
I would have never considered Entertainment Weekly an ‘influential magazine’ but then again, I’m not an ‘over 40’ housewife or an ‘under 20’ teen without a life of my own. To thine own self be true, Will. Write what you feel; people will either get it or they won’t.
The major problem with the entertainment industry is, collectively, everyone is more interested in keeping people in their boxes then seeing them expand into something new and different. Many are content to live forever within their boxes, and some are angry over their inability to free themselves. It’s a short cut. It’s easy to say “this and this” about an actor or a celebrity, but God forbid they do anything to contradict the stereotypes associated with them.
Anyway, keep truckin’. There’s enough of us sending you our good wishes for the bad mojo to be equalled and surpassed. The reporter was small-minded in this case, and let’s just hope that he’ll pick up your book again and realize his error.
Okay, all together now “letter to the editor”. Come on readers bombard EW with letters. We all know that Wil is a very talented writer, actor, father…let’s help everyone else know that too!
As a writer, I find your site incredibly well written and informative, as well as entertaining. I also recently ordered your book based solely on what I’ve seen on your website. EW (and there must be a reason that their initials spell a sound generally recognized as an unpleasant experience) couldn’t tell a good thing if they pulled their collective heads out long enough to look around. As far as I’m concerned, they’re just another “rag” (again with the unfortunate use of a descriptive term) who hire “snotzzarrazi” to spew their filth. Just remember, Mr. Wheaton, it’s not REALLY about you, it’s about their puerile minds unable to rise out of the shallow end of the gene pool. Write on, Wil!
I don’t care what a stupid reporter said about you, I love you. I think it’s an amazing book and I’ve already convinced 2 other people to read it, WOOHOO!
Wil, your posse is with you all the way. We are witnesses to your talent. That reviewer is not, having been too lazy to read the book he was supposed to be reviewing.
Have a lovely day, unspoilt by morons.
Joan
London
While I’m the 305th comment and I doubt few will read, if any, I thought I would post nonetheless. Wil, you should not let this bring you down. You know how successful you are both as a writer, husband, step-father, and yes even as an actor. When incidents like these happen all you need to do is sit back and think of the positives that have occurred in the past few years. You have an extreme amount of positive things going on in your life, and while you’ll encounter some turbulence from time to time, you must always remember that the overall ride is a good one. You’re an aspiration for a lot of people out there, many of whom don’t post comments to your entries, or on the soapbox. You know that everyone who’s bought your book and read it and feels its a funny, well written, and an overall great f**kin book. BTW in the future if someone has such a bad comment say the following to yourself: In the guise of Eddie Murphy imitating Richard Pryor “Tell Bill to have a Coke and a smile and shut the f*ck up!” (refering to Bill Cosby’s criticism of Eddie Murphy’s stand-up.
Rawk on!
Bryan
Christ what is it with these rags man, they try and do anything they can to get their ounce of flesh. All I can say to Wil is ignore this wanker, your book is a wonderful read, a window into your heart and your soul. A concept that this asshole hack (and that really is too nice a word for him) couldn’t even begin to understand. We’re all behind you man, so don’t you be thinking twice about this sort of crap. We got your back bro!
Seems like no matter what you do, someone will always find some inkling of a way to critisize you and make you out to be the bad guy.
generally, these people are just brutally bored and jealous.
I don’t see your writing as whining in the least.
I’ve been moved to de-lurk, and to make a small suggestion, but first: Hi. I’ve been reading your site since 2001. Your site is my computer’s home page, so I see your words every day.
This might be a “Hail Mary” idea that’d be hard to pull off, but there’s someone else worth contacting at Entertainment Weekly: Mr. Stephen King, with his E-Dub column about whatever the hell he wants to write about. You could try sending JAG to his publisher (Scribner, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10020) with the message “Try it. You might like it.” King, imp that he is, still seems to have sympathy for people who’ve survived the celebrity machine as you have. (It *is* a machine, isn’t it? Think the “Pink Floyd The Wall” meat grinder…) And he might have sympathy for your situation. Imagine getting a “thumbs up” review from as prolific a writer as King…
I’m disappointed in E-Dub, because that doesn’t seem like the magazine I read (yes, I do read it, and I subscribed to it in its early years). Their articles in the past year on such writers as Neil Gaiman, Larry McMurtry and (a personal favorite of mine) Poppy Z. Brite have been meaty and respectful; there *are* writers there trying to do a good job covering authors, and the fact they’d hire Stephen King in the first place is another good sign.
So. A possibly positive way to deal with the situation, to improve things.
To close: thank you for being part of the effort to give us geeks a better name. To quote “Hoosiers,” “You did good.”
Christopher Walsh
I am the 310 comment (and I did read comment 305!). Nice site. Sorry that you are being treated unfairly, but I guess that is the nature of the beast. Some have to down so that some are up, so to speak. It gives them something to write about. Keep you chin up.
I am sure the comments from EW are painful and done out of the usual malicious way they treat most people. However, remember, no publicity is bad publicity. Just look at as EW’s childish way of helping the book sell.
So someone doesn’t like your book and that means they’re a “hack”?
Someone who doesn’t like a book and proceeds to dis it like a cheap internet troll instead of offering anything with substance or to justify their opinion as something other than petty vitriol, is a good qualifier as a “hack”. Particularly when they’re writing for a print publication.
Email sent to [email protected]:
Your magazine’s recent criticism of Wil Wheaton’s new book was totally uncalled for. It sounded like the journalist who made the comments didn’t get past the first chapter of Wil’s book, Just A Geek. To say that Mr. Wheaton, “fills 260 pages endlessly lamenting, “I used to be an actor when I was a kid.”, was grossly incorrect. This statement gives your readers who are not familiar with Wil the wrong impression, and for those of us who ARE famililiar with him and his wildly popular website… well I’m sure you’re hearing from us by the hundreds. The only impression you are leaving with Wil’s friends, readers, and fans is that your magazine is not worth reading. You’re losing readers and subscribers by making these sort of statements.
To [email protected]:
You are fat.
Learn to read.
Wil Wheaton rules.
Thanks!
Matt D.T.
In response to the person above who seems to think it would have been better for Wil not to express his feelings about the blurb, do you think that it would be better for Wil to hide his feelings about it from his readers? Surely one of the things that sets Wil apart as a blogger and author is his disarming honesty. If he hadn’t mentioned it, fans who’d read it would have wondered why he hadn’t mentioned it and thought he wasn’t as open with us as we’d like to believe.
Of course being so honest leaves him more open to attack, but in the long term it will endear him to those who appreciate honesty and a writer who doesn’t hide his emotions.
I hope he never changes that aspect of his writing.
This calls for a boycott of EW. Monkies UNITED!
Wil,
If I ever wrote a book, I would not even read the reviews. They are just trying to sell there product. Try not to get to mad because they may be twice as hard the next time. Some reporters love to just stir things up.
FG
My issue of EW lists their letters to the editor email address as [email protected]. I sent my email to both that and to [email protected]. I wrote it before I read the now 317 posts here and it reads much the same. Funny how everyone said the same thing “Did anyone there actually read JAG???”
——————
I’m writing to take issue with your snarky put down of Wil Wheaton’s book “Just a Geek” in the 9/17 issue of Entertainment Weekly. To dismiss it as 260 pages of whining is unjust and even misrepresents it. I thought the book was a fascinating, unflinchingly honest look at
Wheaton’s search for meaning and for something beyond the “child actor” or “Star Trek” labels. It’s sad, funny, and uplifting in turns – and
Wheaton turns out to be a promising writer as well. Calling Wil Wheaton “whiner of the week” makes me wonder whether whoever wrote that blurb actually read the book – or just really hated Wesley Crusher and has confused Wesley with the actor who played him.
Maggie
319 commenters can’t be wrong. I saw the blurb yesterday and will be calling to cancel my subscription tomorrow.
When I was younger, I used to dream a lot about being famous. But now that I am older I know that those kinds of comments such as those in EW would hurt my feelings too. Of course, if it sold a few extra books and helped my income, it might take the sting out of it. Or not. I really dont know. I do know that I enjoy reading your blog and I hate whiners. You can make of that what you will.
Entertainment Weakly is garbage. Although I read the garbage sometimes… I don’t necessarily repect it’s opinion.
Well, seeing as how mine will be about the 323rd comment of encouragement, I think I can safely say that those of us who know the real Wil also know that Entertainment Weekly is just a splash-and-trash rag that wouldn’t know a real book if it came up and bit them in the ass. Though I know our support doesn’t take away the sting of the blurb, just remember that it’s the opinions of the people who really know you that matter, not what the rest of the world thinks. On the bright side, perhaps people will want to know what the “whiner of the week” really has to whine about and pick up a copy for themselves! (Do people who read Entertainment Weekly read actual books, or just mindless gossipy bullshit?) Anyway, chin up, Wil. We all think you’re wonderful, even if you are “Just a Geek”.
Sorry for the vulgarity but,
Entertainment Weakly is composed of a bunch of Kool Kid losers who aren’t fit to lick your shoes clean after you step in dog shit. They are insanely jealous about the fact that you were making a profound contribution to society through your acting while they where still in potty training (at nine years of age). It drives them insane that our generation of geeks has changed the world for the better while they gave each other venereal diseases and bragged about who spent the greatest percentage of their life savings on shoes.
I was in college while you were doing your stint on STNG and I think you epitomized the aspirations of all of us geeks admirably. In fact their review makes me wish I had bought your book to spite them rather than because I admire you and feel we are fellow travellers (even though we shall probably never meet IRL).
Bah. They suck. Richard Feynman wrote a good book; “What do you care what other people think”. It’s a book about Physics, but not boring stuff. I think you would like it.
I had to jump on the letter-writing bandwagon.
To: [email protected]
To The Reviewer of “Just A Geek”:
My what wonders Equal Opportunity Employment has done for the emotionally challenged. How nice of Entertainment Weekly to employ a mean-spirited philistine like you. Grab a dictionary. I’m sure you’re going to have to look that big word up, you anthropophaginian. Wil has more writing talent than a pseudojournalist like you will ever hope to. Next time read past the first chapter before you submit your slush to that tin god of an editor of yours.
Sincerely,
Aylaleia – Goddess of Justice
I wrote this yesterday fully intending to post it here then I got to the comments about turning the other cheek and not sending emails to EW. I didn’t want to be flame bait for trolls so I didn’t post it. Then I came back today and decided to go ahead.
How many hours has it been since I read this and I am still so angry that I keep getting teary-eyed? Oh yes, a nerve was struck. Hard.
I read every single one of the comments here and this is for Wil:
We care man, we really do. You have touched a lot of lives in a good way.
I gave myself some time to put words to why I continually read WWdN and it goes beyond how beautiful the things you share about your family are (although at first blush I would have said that was it).
It
Hey, maybe this bad rap may open doors for you. Maybe even get more copies sold. *Cha Ching!*
From what I’ve seen with media is that whenever something or someone gets a bad rap it boosts their popularity or sales. Larger crowds turn out for that concert that was given a hard time by the media trying to keep the event from happening. Or that 9/11 doc. It made big bling, bling.
Maybe people will want to buy the book just to see what this dope was talking about. It’s got me interested in the book already! LOL
Point is there’s always a silver lining.
I cancelled my subscription, but dont let them get to you Wil. They are only a small step above the NE and Star Magazine. They are the last place that I would worry about a book review, its not exactly the Washington Post. Add up all the great reviews you got from papers and friends here, and it blows their garbage comment away.
Dont let a rag drag you down, you know thats garbage and so do we. It must suck to be lied to, but it happens to everyone. We just have to move on and learn a lesson, and not let them ruin a good time.
You must know your books are great reads, we do, and thats what counts. Not the Tv Guide of so-called Journalism.
As always…..another trash publication failing to get their facts straight before they push the print button.
I am glad that E-W isn’t a popular mainstream publication in Australia (or if it is I have yet to suffer the misfortune of reading it).
I understand that not everyone in the world can like everything and everyone. But there are kinder ways of of putting forward an opinion/review even if the material isn’t to their liking.
I for one tend to read books and view films that have been panned by critics and even though I had already planned on buying and reading your book Wil, you can be assured that I will be making an extra effort to pick up a copy now.
In fact after reading abour you appearance at Mysterious Galaxy I have enquired about ordering a copy all the way from accross the Pacific just so I can have a signed edition.
Thanks for always delivering something interesting to read Wil, in both your books and on your site.
cheers
Lauren
The “blurb” writer sounds like the whiner.
My week started of so well – until I found out EW was unfairly maligning my number one favourite author. I’ve notice amongst most Hollywood cognoscenti (aka Jeffrey Wells, EW) a certain “elitist snobbery”. Their disgusting treatment of Wil only confirms my suspicions – EW is nothing more than a trashy tabloid rag, and I will never read it again.
Keep in mind that WHO magazine in Australia does reprint some pieces from EW and People magazine in the US. So, regrettably, we Aussies will probably see this misleading piece of trash in our local magazines. More’s the pity.
Who reads Entertainment Weekly anyway?
Dude, I actually saw that on Friday and I thought the same thing regarding the blurb.
But really, does anyone truly trust what an AOLTW publication has to say? Or the media in general for that matter? NO! (Unless it’s Jon Stewart. Heknowsstuff.)
Check out the good review of JAG at Applelust:
http://www.applelust.com/reviews/books/archives/040903_justageek.shtml
Hey Wil
I just wrote this to EW, I’m sure lots of others have done the same.
Dear Editor
Having just read your review “Whine of the Week” about Just A Geek, it’s obvious that your reviewer did not actually read the book, or in fact do any research whatsoever.
This leaves me wondering whether any of the articles in your publication have any research behind them, and I certainly won’t be buying Entertainment Weekly again.
Kate Waring
Maybe they’re jealous that you made Wired in the top blogs (beating the White House!). (OK, I just read the August 2004 issue, but am VERY impressed!)
They’re irresponsible. As with other things in the US, we can vote with our pocketbooks. I don’t subscribe, and now I won’t read it elsewhere, either.
Off to B&N in northern CA to find a copy!
Woops, a copy of JAG (not EW!). Already read Dancing Barefoot, and have had my wife and several friends read it, also. It was wonderful!
It’s interesting. While I was waiting for my coffee to be made, I had a choice of two mags to browse. One was EW. I stopped reading it years ago when the clear mean spirited-ness of the writing got to be too much. It is a terrible rag and all it does is promote people bashing of all kings. They are disguised as an entertainment magazine but all they are are spreaders of hate. That said, I flipped it open right to the blurb on chance. I read it and thought, ‘Well, that’s way off.’
They still suck and truly, I wouldn’t worry about them. They live in their own catty world that has nothing to do with what you are trying to do on this planet anyhow.
Rock on, Wil.
Hi Wil- just thought you’d like to see what I sent to EW:
To Whom It May Concern:
I just read the little “blurb” that someone at your magazine wrote about Wil Wheaton’s book, Just A Geek. I suggest you search out and fire that person, since they obviously either can’t read, or don’t read books before writing reviews about them. I also suggest that you read the book yourself, and do a proper review. It’s a very interesting book, and NOT one in which Wil “fills 260 pages endlessly lamenting, ‘I used to be an actor when I was a kid,'” as your reviewer wrote. Please give Just A Geek a fair try- even if you don’t like it, base your review on what’s actually in it, rather than on what someone who obviously didn’t even read the book *thinks* it’s about. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Alicia Van Sant
[email protected]
http://www.thewagband.com
I’d like to add my voice to Kathleen (somewhere in the 300s… There are a lot of comments in here!) and say that one of the things that attracts people to this blog and keeps them here is that it really is honest. When we visit your website, it’s because we want to know what our friend is up to, not because we want to find out what some celebrity is up to. If you start using WWDN to deal with your career, or act as a publicity machine, it won’t take long for your loyal fans to catch on.
Of course, announcing things you’re doing on here is different. It’s natural to be excited about stuff, and your excitement comes through. We all enjoy that aspect of the site, and we all cheer when you have something fun and exciting come up. 🙂 And hey, if it weren’t for WWDN, I’d never have heard about JAG, and then I’d have missed out on a great read!
For whatever it’s worth, I don’t read Entertainment Weekly, and now I definitely won’t ever read it, even at the doctor’s office.
It sound like someone at the magazine is very bitter over your early success and now your current success. I’d probably be bitter, too, if I were stuck writing reviews for Entertainment Weekly, instead of creative works like JAG.
Personally, the only reviews I read are in The Onion’s A.V. Club. 😉
I was going to read all the postings and make sure I wasn’t just posting the equivalent of “me too”, but holy, God! So instead of taking the hour or so it would take to read the plethora of comments I’ll just say what I think. I think that the “reporter” who wrote that is just a hack looking to get a rise out of everyone who has come to respect you through this site and your books. We know that your writing is honest and forthright. We know that you write about things we all feel and sometimes can’t express. However, he knows that we are legion and some of us are fanatic. Like the saying goes, “any publicity is good publicity”.
What I’m getting at is that the “reviewer” isn’t interested in whether or not your book was good, he’s interested in how much publicity he can draw his magazine.
What really gets me is the absolute misrepresentation, er, let’s call it what it was folks, the outright lie that the representative of Entertainment Weekly told your manager. That kind of thing should be illegal. Oh, well, its not like I get my entertainment news from them anyway. Does anyone? The internet is a much better place for entertainment news, especially when you could care less who J-Lo is dating this week.
Shrug it off, Wil. Let the sales speak for quality of your book. Here on your site we stroke the hell out of your ego, but on Amazon.com the people speak with money. Like an old friend of mine used to say, “Joke ’em if they can’t take a fuck!”.
Wil, don’t worry about what an “entertainment” magazine says about you. They’re more interested in who’s banging who than actual life. Maybe they only reviewed the part that made any sense to them; the part about acting. Anything with any meaning or heart; anything real, is beyond their comprehension. You don’t need their approval anymore, that’s what the first chapter was all about.
Maybe that’s what they’re so mad about. One more person doesn’t give a damn about what they think.
They are teh sUxX0rS. You are teh r0xX0rS.
I put my 2 cents in too Wil.
Dear EW:
The staff member who called Wil Wheaton “Whiner of the Week” re: his memoir “Just a Geek” didn’t even bother to READ the book.
How do I know? Because I HAVE read it, and it is categorically NOT 260 pages of whining about being a has-been child actor. Instead, it is 260 pages of someone giving us insight into how he came to terms with his life–as an actor, yes, but also as a husband and stepfather and budding writer. It
fuck ’em. you want we should flood their in-box with letters objecting to the review?
Hey Wil,
Guess EW just lost me as a potential reader. Not that I’ve ever bought it in the first place.
And here’s something else I felt I need to say.
I will honestly say here (briefly paraphrasing) what I said the night of your booksigning at Powell’s to people there when we were discussing you on Star Trek:
“I thought Wesley was kind of a tool at times. I couldn’t believe that (you) as a person or as an actor were like this 2-dimensional kid on TV.”
It wasn’t meant as a jab against you, that’s for sure. Just my being critical of a character on Star Trek. Heh. I doubt you overheard any of that. You were pretty busy with the fans, talking and signing books. The important stuff 🙂
I’m glad I’m right. You’re pretty cool man, and one of my favorite authors. Up there with William Gibson, who I also met at a booksigning.
Having heard you read your book, and then meeting you and having my books signed was right up there in the top five of the list of things I did in Portland while I was there on vacation.
So I’d be pissed at EW, but fark ’em. Next time around, go on your gut. My US$0.02
Sincerely,
Wolf (Bryan, with a ‘y’)
[P.S. – I’m the skinny guy who gave you the sticker from DEFCON and thanked you for inspiring me to try writing again. Still haven’t finished my drafts about my vacation yet, but they’ll be up there on the blog once I get them polished up.]
Wil,
While I am sure the negative and inaccurate portrayal of your book by Entertainment Weekly stings, draw strength from knowing that you were able to draw a response at all. Don’t think of yourself as “a used to be.” The wind has to stop blowing occasionally for you to enjoy a breeze. Keep up the great work you have done so far and don’t lose faith in yourself. Your fans haven’t, regardless of the media form you use, to express your obvious talents. You have been a shining example of our generation for years, and always will be.
Chad