Call them bitchy. Scoff that they are just envious of celebrities. The ladies behind gofugyourself.com, a blog that takes shots at over-praised stars who use their millions to dress in things like, say, Roman sandals and a sweatshorts jumpsuit, good humouredly reply, “You’re not reading our blog-you’re reading our souls!”
The identities of the site’s creators, Heather and Jessica, are veiled behind bios and photos of actresses Joan Collins (Dynasty) and Shannon Doherty (Beverly Hills, 90210), but their wit for disparagement is readily visible. If celebrity fashion is an Emperor’s New Clothes scenario, Gofugyourself calls the icons’ bluff.
The definition provided for “fugly” reads: “frightfully ugly; of or pertaining to something beyond the boundaries of normal unattractiveness. Example: “That ‘Kabbalists Do It Better’ trucker hat is fugly.”
And then there is the Gofugyourself mission statement: “Celebrities are always skipping around in public wearing things that are phenomenally perplexing; as these red-carpet dwellers are often considered trendsetters or bastions of Hip Present and Hip Future, we like to take them to task for careless choices.”
Leggings, formal shorts and Kirsten Dunst don’t stand a chance. Gofugyourself updates are chronological and usually added daily, and there are folders for repeat offenders such as Ashlee One-E-Is-Never-Enough Simpson and the aforementioned Sevigny. There is no Sarah Jessica Parker folder, because, well, that requires a blog of its own.
Gofugyourself does occasionally come down too hard on minor bad decisions. One example is Chad Michael Murray (um, who is he, again?) being reamed for wearing white Pumas with a black suit. Perhaps they were just grasping for content. In contrast, every so often they celebrate changes for the better. This section, called “Unfuggings,” extols events like Lil’ Kim putting on a full dress.
Gofugyourself serves as a venue not only for humor, but also hard-hitting news. For instance, where else would you have learned that Minnie Driver has not only crossed over into singing, but has released a CD? Minnie got her new career some coverage by stepping out the door in an egregious hot pink hippie drape lauded as being perfect for “unicorn-riding and flitting through the arugula garden.”
You might be asking yourself who, in the vicious world of Gofugyourself, is safe from being dubbed “fugly.” Mr. T and Salma Hayek, that’s who. Calling the former any names would be just foolish, and the latter is just too hot. And you’re safe too-for being average enough not to hire the stylist the fugs should have, and having the sense not to require one in the first place.
