'Share JC Month' graphics due
(7/18/04) DirtyPop.net

We have received over 100 entries so far for the "Share JC with a Friend" Month graphics contest! A reminder that July 26 is the deadline for entries. The winner will receive a JC-autographed item from MusicFreedom! Contest details can be found at www.dirtypop.net/sharejc.html.

We are replying via email to everyone who enters, so please make sure you've received an acknowledgement of your submission(s). Good luck!

 

JC on New Zealand radio
(7/18/04) (thanks to Halo for her transcription!)

JC Chasez on the Edge, Monday July 19th, 2004

The DJs are Jase, JJ and Dom, from the morning show. (JJ's female, and she and Dom got married recently. Jase is the third guy.) All morning, Jase had been talking up his 'cool questions' he was going to ask during the interview with JC, while JJ and Dom teased him mercilessly.

Jase: He used to be in Nsync, y'know, with Justin and Joey and all of them-- his name is JC Chasez, and here's his song from his album, Schizophrenic: All Day Long I Dream About Sex. We're going to be talking to JC in a few minutes on the Edge.

[ADIDAS plays]

Jase: His name is JC Chasez, he used to be in Nsync, and now he's gone out on his own, obviously-- and his album's called Schizophrenic. We're just waiting for the operator to put us through to him at the moment-- I have some cool questions I really wanna ask him--
JJ: Oh, yeah-- like what?
Jase: Oh, all sorts of things, actually. He started out when he was like 12 - won a talent contest, that's how he got into it...he's a bit of a Mummy's boy. I wanna ask him if he's got anything for his Mum or anything--

[sound of JC singing absently in the background, then the operator talking to him and connecting the two parties]

JJ: Oh! Did we interrupt, you, JC?
JC: No, not at all.
Dom: JC-- it sounded like you were singing in the background there.
JC: Yeah, I was just goofin' off.
JJ: What were you singing?
JC: Uh, I dunno, I guess something, like-- just something I was working on the other day.
Dom: Can you sing it for us? Can you give us a sneak preview?
JC: [laughing] Oh, no no no-- I can't give that away.
Dom: C'mon dude--
JC: [laughing] It is an idea-- I don't want somebody else to hear it and take it!
DJs: Awwwwww--
Dom: Promise we won't tell Joey Fat One--
JC: [laughing]
Jase: [to Dom] It's Fatoney.
[JC busts up laughing]
JC: [still laughing] Niiiiice.
JJ: Is it? I don't know.
Dom: Is it Fat One or Fatoney?
JC: Fatooone.
JJ: Oh! Fatone. Ohhh.
Jase: I was a little too Italian on it, sorry--
JC: But actually, that's, that's-- he goes-- he tells people to call him the Fat One, I guess, as a nickname--
Jase: Oh, good. Nice. Hey now, does anyone actually still call you Josh, or Joshua?
JC: Um-- only my mom when she's angry.
Jase: Oh, really?
JC: yeah.
JJ: JC, before we get any further into this interview, speaking of Josh-- we've got a friend whose name, whose name is Josh. he is-- he's a gay guy, but he is the biggest fan of yours, ever, and when he heard we were talking to you, he begged if he could get the chance to ask you a couple of questions. Would it be okay if we get him on the phone?
JC: for sure.
JJ: Josh?
Josh: Yup?
JJ: JC's on the phone now!
Josh: Oh my god! Are you serious?
[JC starts laughing]
Josh: are you honestly serious?
JC: yeah, man-- what's up?
Jase: yeah, he's right here.
JC: what's up, dude?
Josh: oh my god...this is....oh my god, this is massive-- this is nuts...I'm just. Oh my god....can I ask a question?
JC: yeah, go ahead.
Josh: um...one of my favourite songs at the moment is, um, Blowin' Me Up, and it's, it's huge and I love that song and stuff and I was just wondering, have you released it in the US and uh, if so, are you gonna release it in New Zealand at all, or?
JC: uh, yeah, actually I released it a while ago-- um, it was actually part of a movie soundtrack that I did, for the movie called Drumline--
Josh: I saw that movie! It was really good--
JC: yeah? so I uh, dropped it on there, and then um, so that, that, that's kinda, uh, already been out and stuff like that, and now we're, I'm actually releasing a ballad right now over here.
Josh: oh, awesome-- that sounds really cool. Now, um, when's Nsync coming back, man?
JC: uh, actually, um, we're gonna have a meeting, in a, in a couple of days, like, about a week. [the sound of something like a huge iron gate closing. is JC wandering about on the phone? ahahaha] We're gonna go do our charity event and decide, uh, when we're gonna start working on another record.
Josh: Very cool. What sort of music is it gonna be like? Cos with Justin, when he came out and stuff, he was all more urban and everything. With your debut single-- with your debut CD and everything, is it, what sort of feel has it got to it?
JC: um, well, uh, Schizophrenic is, uh, uh, is just, a really open-minded record, it has a lot of variety, so, um, who knows what the next Nsync records gonna sound like? I mean, uh, that's just something we'll have to explore together when we're all together in the studio. Um, but my record, yeah, it's a different kinda record, it's um, it's, it's very, again, just very, very open. I didn't think in terms of boundaries. I just decided to make tunes that I liked, and I didn't decide, 'okay, I need to be this style'-- that's just not really my personality. I like variety, so um, that's what I did on this record.
JJ: okay, Josh-- thank you so much!
Josh: thank you so much! thanks JC-- you're a legend!
JC: [laughs] alright!
Josh: Thanks! Love you! Bye!
[laughter from everyone]
Jase: what was that?
Dom: I think he said he loves him.
JC: uhh...okay.
JJ: okay, so what's happening? We know you've got your album and your single. It's your birthday coming up in a couple of weeks-- have you got anything planned?
JC: [surprised] it actually is. Wow-- you're the first person to bring that up. [laughs]
JJ: we've got your present sitting here, just waiting for your home address, so we can send it over--
JC: hey!
Jase: so feel free to hand it out-- no no--
Dom: have you, have-- we gotta check to make sure you haven't got it already-- have you got a copy of the Justified CD?
JC: [laughing] of course I got one of those.
Dom: oh, shit. Oh, well, we gotta-
JC: I got it before it came out. I know people.
Dom: oh, you big name-dropper! Get your hand off it!
Jase: actually JC, when was the last time you actually talked to Justin?
JC: uh, what? uh, a couple of days ago.
JJ: so, you having a birthday party or something?
JC: uh, actually, I'm gonna be on a airplane the day of my birthday. I got, I got work to do.
JJ: awwww.
Dom: if you talk nicely to the hostess on the plane, maybe she'll, like, broadcast it over the plane for you.
JC: [chanelling Lance] yeah, that'd be great.
Dom: now we read that you were going to tour with Britney lately, but she had a problem with her knee and she had to back out of it?
JC: yeah, man-- poor girl busted her knee up, man. She was on her video shoot and she was doing a dance sequence and uh, yeah, I mean, she tore just about everything inside that knee, dude. She can't, y'know, she can't dance on it for at least four or five months.
Dom: so she's spending a lot of time on her back at the moment?
JC: [laughing] be nice!
[more laughter]
Dom: are you and Britney fairly tight? cos, you were a Mouseketeer as well, back in--
JC: yeah, man. She's definitely a friend of mine.
Dom: yeah.
JJ: I heard that Nicki Hilton gave you her number a few weeks ago.
JC: dude, are you kidding me? Stop. [laughter]
JJ: what?
JC: no! Everybody makes-- like for some reason, when you open up a magazine and somebody wrote, like, that she, like gave me her number and it's like, I'm like, I've known her forever. It's silly.
JJ: oh. oh, so it's not even a big deal.
JC: no.
JJ: oh, cos we were so excited when we heard about it. [laughs]
Dom: and you and Paris are friends?
JC: yeah.
Dom: Have you-- okay, okay, so this is something I wanna know, like, from guy to guy, like. Okay, even though she's like a friend of yours, have you still been tempted to watch the video?
JC: No. That was actually-- like, that was weird for me actually, because I, a million people of course emailed it to me, but I was like-- I was too, I was really weirded out by the whole thing. Uh, I actually just, I just couldn't watch it, just 'cos I didn't-- I was scared to see her after I'd seen it, so, y'know. I've pretty much deleted them, and y'know, it's a crummy thing to happen. I mean, everyone's done something, it's just that her dirty laundry got broadcast, y'know?
Dom: I tell you what, when she was 18, she was looking good. She had a little bit more fat on her then than what she's got now. She was looking excellent.
JC: [brays with laughter]
Dom: I read on the internet that you shaved one-- just one of your legs?
JC: I did it one time! When I was like, 12 or something. I actually had to do this-- weird story-- um, I. My first professional paying gig in the entertainment industry is-- I was a foot model. And uh--
[laughter from the DJs and a 'woohoo']
JC: I had to shave my leg and, cos they had to paint it and put all this stuff on it. And they took pictures of my foot and it actually ended up becoming a poster in like, all these shoe stores.
JJ: Oh my god. How bizarre.
Dom: Yeah, I, I thought. I'm glad we got to the bottom of that because I thought maybe you were on tour one time and you woke up and Lance was in your room, shaving your leg.
[laughter]
JC: No. Not even close.
JJ: how's your collection of Hard Rock Cafe menus going?
JC: uh, it's good. you know what, though? I've kinda quit collecting 'em just because everyone started giving 'em to me, uh, you know. The fun part about it was actually, y'know, picking them up myself, y'know, so I kinda had a wall full of places that I had been to, so, y'know, now I find other things to collect.
Dom: okay, now JC- I read on the internet that you're a christian, and you've got christian beliefs and values?
JC: yeah--
Dom: do you think Jesus would be pissed about you using the name JC?
JC: [laughing] No.
JJ: [laughing] oh, god--
JC: he thinks it's a-- I'm sure he would say it's a nice coincidence.
Dom: yeah. Hey, we're loving your song ADIDAS at the moment-- that's a good song, man.
JC: I'm glad you like it, man.
JJ: cos Dom can really relate to it, of course.
[laughter from JC]
JJ: have you got a girlfriend at the moment?
JC: uh, no.
JJ: awww. it's a bit hard to when you're- so busy?
JC: yeah, I mean, you know. It just is what it is. I just haven't met the right one.
JJ: awwww.
Dom: this is a chance for you to name-drop --and don't feel bad about it, because we're asking the question-- like who are some of your famous friends? Like who do you hang out with? Like, do you know Robbie Williams? Do you hang with Robbie?
JC: ahahaha...I don't hang with him-- I mean, I know him, and I've chatted with him a few times, but y'know, he's not somebody that I go over to his house every day or anything. You guys pretty much know everybody, that, probably the more most famous people-- you already said 'em-- which is Justin and Britney. They're probably two of the most famous people in the world, right?
JJ: I know, but they're not our friend!
Dom: yeah, yeah-- Justin changed his number and he forgot to call us and give us the update. Can you give us the new number?
[laughter]
JC: well, I got it, and you don't, so nyaaaah. [laughs]
JJ: so, as part of your album, are you gonna be coming to NZ at all, d'you think? To promote it?
JC: well, that's actually something that I'm planning right now. It just depends on the success of the record. If it does well, I've blocked off a good amount of time in September. September is the goal if the record does well, I'm gonna come down there and back it up.
JJ: oh, that'd be awesome.
Dom: Cos we read that you're a fan of the hobbits, so I tell you what-- if you come to NZ, we would glady take you to the set where they filmed the hobbit scenes in LOTR--
JC: oh, is it still up?
Dom: yeah, it's still up. Not looking quite like it did in the movie--
JC: hey, of course--
Dom: It's just a big-- it's some farm paddock, it's got some sheep wandering around--
JC: I mean, hey man-- that's the movie magic.
Dom: yup.
JJ: hey JC, it's been so cool talking to you--
JC: yeah, you guys take it easy, man.
JJ: thank you very much for your time.
JC: alright.
Dom: see you later!
Jase: it's twenty past eight. that was JC--
Dom: a good bugger.
Jase: uh...I got some questions left over, actually.
JJ: [laughing] where the hell were you?
Jase: well, I-- I couldn't get in!
JJ: oh, whatever!
Jase: honestly though, if he comes to New Zealand, though, there's my questions there! [hitting the question sheet]
Dom: I thought you were nervous--
Jase: Maybe a little bit.
Dom: --in the presence of such a big celebrity.
Jase: I was. A little bit. [coughs] ANYWAY.
JJ: I think he bought his mum flowers and perfume.
Jase: no! no! That's enough.

 

CBS exec: Fight the fines
Actions over Jackson Super Bowl nudity threaten free speech, argues CBS chief (7/18/04) CNN

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Viacom Inc. co-president and CBS chairman Leslie Moonves vowed on Sunday to fight any fines levied against CBS-owned TV stations for airing Janet Jackson's breast-baring Super Bowl performance in February.

In defiant remarks to television critics at their annual summer meeting, Moonves said the government's crackdown on indecency on the airwaves since Jackson's notorious flash of nudity on his network is "coming dangerously close to infringing" on free speech.

He said the notion of fining stations for airing the live Super Bowl halftime telecast on Feb. 1 is "patently ridiculous, and we're not going to stand for it.

"We're going to take it up to the courts if that happens," Moonves said, when asked about media reports that the U.S. Federal Communications Commission staff has proposed fines totaling $550,000 against 20 CBS-owned stations over the Super Bowl telecast.

Sources said the 227 affiliate stations that aired the show but are not owned by Viacom (VIAB: Research, Estimates) would be spared fines under the FCC recommendations. The National Football League championship, one of the year's most watched TV broadcasts, drew nearly 90 million viewers.

Jackson's costume was ripped away by duet partner Justin Timberlake, briefly exposing her breast, at the end of a provocative halftime dance number that concluded with the lyric: "I gotta have you naked by the end of this song."

The incident ignited a public outcry that led to an FCC probe, congressional action to stiffen fines for broadcast indecency and industry-wide moves to curtail sexually explicit material on TV and radio.

CBS and its sister cable music network MTV, which produced the halftime show, have insisted they did not know in advance about what Timberlake later called the "wardrobe malfunction." CBS has since instituted a five-second delay on most of its live events.

A coalition of U.S. broadcasters, artist groups and media organizations filed a joint FCC petition in April warning federal regulators that harsher policies on indecency were having a chilling effect on free speech in the industry.

Moonves said he was hopeful that another frequent target of FCC action, shock jock Howard Stern, would renew his contract with Infinity Broadcast Inc., the Viacom unit that syndicates his ribald radio show.

 

Words of the devoted take favorite characters beyond books, TV, movies ... life
(7/17/04) Molly McClure Courier & Press

In the online world of fan fiction, Justin and Britney are married with kids, Aragorn never becomes king, and Scully and Mulder are living happily ever after.

These are just three plots out of thousands posted on the Internet every day, and fan fiction is exactly what it sounds like: stories written by fans for the fans of movies, TV shows, books, and video games. The people who write it use established characters but their own plots to practice their writing skills as well as pay homage to the characters' creators. They use the word "fandom" to describe what particular movie, show or book they are interested in.

Just because Mulder and Scully never married on "The X -Files" doesn't mean they can't in the world of fan fiction.

Most fan fiction can be divided in two general categories: real people fiction, written about celebrities such as Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears, and fictional people fiction, about characters such as those from "ER" or "Harry Potter."

Patricia Aakhus, director of international studies and an instructor of English at the University of Southern Indiana, has taught creative writing students who participate in fan fiction. She said she has reservations about people writing fiction that isn't new but also said, "All kinds of writing make you a better writer. I wouldn't criticize it too highly." Margaret McMullan, professor and chair of the English department at the University of Evansville, agreed, and said she first heard about fan fiction from prospective UE students. "I thought it was a great way for high school kids to practice ... learning about scenes," McMullan said.

However, McMullan said, "my hesitation is that it isn't 100 percent original."

A middle-aged Evansville resident who writes and reads in the "Lord of the Rings" fandom has an answer to that concern. Trish T., who doesn't want to use her full name because she's afraid people won't understand her hobby, said, "I have a friend who says, 'I don't understand why you do this; why don't you make up your own (characters)?' I'm in love with (Tolkien's) characters. I haven't made up anyone I've fallen in love with yet."

Trish also said that many people use their fan fiction hobby as a build-up to bigger and better things. "While we're playing in Tolkien's sandbox," she said, "we're actually trying to hone skills for other stuff; you know, the big novel." She echoed McMullan's statement about fan fiction being good practice for young writers, saying it gets them writing the same way the "Harry Potter" series has gotten young people reading. She said "Lord of the Rings" fan fiction is "a tribute to (Tolkien), that these characters are loved. It takes a lot of imagination to take a character we don't know much about and fill in the things Tolkien didn't fill in for us."

Trish explained that part of the reason she writes fan fiction is because there is an element of dissatisfaction for her after reading a series. "If you want more of the story, if you're not satisfied, if you've read all seven 'Harry Potter' books" and still want more, what better thing to do than write your own story about what comes next? Trish also said that for many people, "a large part of it is fantasy, falling in love with larger-than-life characters and wanting to make them your own."

Eden Huddleston, a junior at Mount Vernon (Ind.) High School, reads and writes in anime fandoms. She said she'd see episodes of anime series on TV and ideas for stories would pop into her head. She's thought about making a career of writing and has prompted her brother to begin some of his own stories.

Huddleston isn't after fame and fortune; she said one of the most enjoyable aspects of participating in fan fiction is the feedback she gets from readers. "I like seeing how people react to how I wrote my story," she said. "They just give me lots of ideas. ... It keeps me writing."

Cynthia Laino, who works for a consortium of libraries in Massachusetts and participates in "The Magnificent Seven" TV show fandom, believes an author or creator should be honored that their characters are the subject of fan fiction. "I consider fan fic a tribute to the characters and to the people, writers and actors who created the characters. I love that my favorite characters are given new life, even after the powers-that-be have tried to kill them off!"

Jeannette Du Pree is an assistant day-care director in South Carolina who reads and "betas," or proofreads, stories in the "Lord of the Rings" slash fandom. Slash refers to stories with homosexual couples who are paired together and named for the "slash" (/) between their names. Legolas/Aragorn from "The Lord of the Rings" is a popular fictional slash paring. Nonslash stories involve heterosexual relationships or platonic friendships. Betas are editors but receive no pay and have no control over the final work that is published online. They are usually friends of the authors whose work they read, and betas point out grammar as well as plot mistakes. Du Pree said that for the people she critiques, "it's really a labor of love, as there is little fame and no money involved here."

Joshua Dauble, a University of Southern Indiana student, echoed what Huddleston said about the motivation to read and write fan fiction. He has taken part in fan fiction through games and steampunk, which is a subgenre of science fiction that takes place in a quasi-Victorian setting.

"People who write fan fiction are ordinary people," Dauble said. "With the exception of a lucky few, they are not published authors. They don't get paid to write. ... Most people who write fan fiction don't want any other acknowledgement than what they get from seeing their work on someone's Internet site."