b5media

February 20th,2006

Blogger Interview: Leora Zellman

By Rhys Alexander

I was thrilled to talk with Leora Zellman for this week’s interview. A fireball of spunk, sass, and energy, Leora is a talented writer with a keen insight into the antics of the rich and famous. And Sims!

I know you’ll love getting to know her…here’s Leora!

Okay…a girly question first. I LOVE your hair! Is it naturally curly? If so, I am so jealous.

Yes it’s naturally curly. Why is it that curly haired gals love straight hair and straight haired people love curls? I hated my hair with a passion as a kid…I even burnt myself with an iron(not on for hair but for clothing!) once trying to straighten my locks…

What do you write for b5, and what are your other projects?

At the moment I write 4 b5 blogs: Desperate Blog, Sims Gamer, TomKat Crazy and Film Gecko .

Hmm other projects…trying to get my degree and to convince Arieanna to give me a Keira Knightley or Scarlett Johansson blog. I’d also love to start a blog in my field of study…family studies and/or sex education.

How did you discover blogging? What made it appealing to you?

I discovered blogging through Arieanna and her fiancé Ianiv. They kept telling me about how much money there was to be made in blogging and I was an avid reader of Arieanna’s Gilmore Girls blog. One day when I was bugging Arieanna about something she should write about on her GG blog she said “why don’t you start your own?” and I said OK!

What appealed to me about blogging was that I could write about topics that interest me at my own pace and make some cash off of it. :)

What are three words that describe you?

Crazy, Sexy, Cool…Oh wait…that’s TLC…hmmm…how about fun, weird and cute.

You write one of the most popular celebrity blogs on the Internet. What attracted you to the celebrity genre? People certainly seem obsessed with all things celebrity. Why do you think that is?

Now HOLD on a minute! When did my blog become one of the most popular on the net? Nobody told me that! I demand a raise immediately if that’s the case! Hehe

What attracted me to the celebrity genre was two fold. First off Arieanna, (one of my best gal pals) was the editor for that channel at B5…Also I’m a TV addict and know WAY too much about the lives of celebs. I don’t really know why other people are obsessed with celebs, but I’m crazy for them because I’m a bit of a voyeur I guess. Maybe that’s also why I love playing The Sims (where you control and watch the intimate details of the ‘lives’ of the characters you create).

If you could be a celebrity (besides a blogging one!) what kind would you want to be, and why?

I think I’d like to be the extremely wealthy kind…yet the kind that is a celebrity for a good reason like having talent or doing something good for the world. It would be fun to be a famous folk singer, but I think I’d like to be a one hit wonder who gets tons of cash and then invests it and has a normal life afterward.

You have a delightful Sims blog. What makes that game so attractive to people? Okay, admit it…do you ever put your Sims characters into embarrassing situations? And have you used that downloadable patch that allows you to see their naked parts?

I’m quite cruel with my Sims at times. For instance, I once had to get a blood test from a nurse who couldn’t find my vein…she then got another nurse to try, then another after that…It was a painful and unpleasant experience. When I got home I made Sim characters of them and proceeded to give them slow and painful deaths. Hehe j/k…or AM I?

I think what makes it so attractive to people is the same reason why people love reading tabloids about celebs. People like to watch other people’s lives and it’s even more fun when you get to control their lives.

I used the nude patch when I was younger and played the original sims, but got rid of it shortly after when I realized it made the children naked as well…ick…I enjoyed the adult nudity, but it wasn’t worth it having kiddie porn on my computer. YUCK!

Can you share a favorite memory with us?

It’s hard to choose one favourite memory…Last summer at my wedding during the point of the ceremony called the Bedeken was wonderful. My father blessed me, and then my husband and I shared a really sweet and meaningful glance as he veiled me… :)

Then there’s also the memory of when my husband and I took my 2-year-old niece to the playground. She got tired after a while and my hubby offered to carry her home. The image of her resting her head on his shoulder with her arms wrapped around his neck was sooooo cute and precious!

Family studies sounds like an interesting subject to study! Do you have career goals based on that path, or is it simply for enrichment? What do you think the biggest problem families face? What would be your advice to them?

My career goals are currently in limbo because my husband is waiting to hear from schools about his PhD program. Some of the schools he applied to have arrangements with UBC so that I could finish my degree in family studies while others don’t have anything. It’s complicated…but eventually I think I might like to work for family services, or a social work type job. Then again, I love blogging, so maybe this will be my career! Who knows.

Biggest problem families face…umm…Divorce is a huge problem in our society. It can tear families apart. My advice is more for people entering into relationships or marriage who eventually want to have a family. GO TO PRE MARITAL COUNSELING! You wouldn’t expect a brain surgeon to figure out how to operate as he went along, so why should people get married or cohabitate without training first? People need to read books about marriage and relationships so that there will be less conflict and surprises later in their lives.

What does your husband think of your blogging career? Is he mystified like so many non-bloggers are?

My husband is very supportive and proud of me! He’s so cute. He reads all my blogs daily even though info about TomKat’s love life is far from what he’s interested in. He’s also been really helpful with my posts when qumana, the program I use to blog, has acted up because he knows a bit of HTML.

If you could develop one superpower, what would it be, and why?

I think I’d like to be able to fly since the prices of airline tickets have sky rocketed lately. Then I could go with my hubby to visit all the schools he gets into before we make the final decision!

And last, what would you most like people to gain from your writing?

My hope is that people get a good laugh out of my writing and that it makes them smile. I’m not going to kid myself into thinking that my current sites are going to change someone’s life, but if I can entertain someone for a few minutes a day I’m happy.