"4 Degrees of Kevin Bacon": Red-Hot Jane Deconstructed Alanis

I always find it a rare and special treat when I stumble onto the personal weblog of someone famous. To be more specific, I usually could care a less about what goes on in a movie stars' life; so many of those blogs are moderated by someone else, and it's little more than advertising space.

I'm going to be on this show at such-and-such. I will be appearing for autographs at this location. A picture of my gorgeous ass will be featured on this magazine so the rest of you trailer-trash slobs can stick your fingers down your throats so you can be as skinny as me. I've signed an endorsement for this particular brand of cancer-causing skin cream, but they paid me a lot of money to do so. It's all about, me, me, me, me.

It is rarer to find a personal weblog of a celebrity that isn't all egocentric and shameless self-promotion. The reason why I love reading celebrities' blogs (especially those of fellow musicians), is because I want to know their mind and hearts. I want to know their passions; what makes them tick, and what pisses them off.

Most of all, I want to know what makes them human.

Finding good blogs to read is like trying to find something good to watch on MTV. There are million bad ones, and it's rare when one shows up that's a worthwhile read. It was a rare treat to find goddess Shirley Manson writing about her experiences while recording Beautiful. It must have been such a success that she wrote tour diaries, as well as another studio journal for Bleed Like Me, which will be released worldwide in less that two days! I can't wait!

I feel lucky to have discovered Matt Good's blog, as well as Wil Wheaton's. From these two pages, I have been lucky to discover links to other gifted (and unique) writers, such as Raymi, Tony Pierce, and most recently, Dave Navarro.

[ed. note: Yes, I do realize I have been plugging the above bloggers quite a bit recently.]

For the uninitiated, Dave Navarro is a gifted LA guitarist whose career spans from the 1980's to today. He has been in some very successful bands, which include: Jane's Addiction, the side-project Deconstruction, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. If my memory serves me correct, he also played on Alanis Morrisette's smash album Jagged Little Pill. And yes, I'd love to smash every single Alanis CD I can get my hands on.

Whiny bitch.

With respect to Dave Navarro, I enjoyed his weblog, as he discusses a lot of recent events in his life. He even encourages two-way communication with his fans, as he has agreed to MSN chats, and he answers email via the weblog. Establishing this bond with a celebrity is important to us fans. I am glad he takes time to communicate with us "bottom feeders". So many celebrities either don't bother or don't care that legions of people love them, just because they either make music, are featured on the silver screen, or they write good books.

It wasn't so long ago that the only communication a fan would have with his or her hero was by buying their records, reading their books, or watching their movies. I suppose a fan could have joined a fan-club, but it was usually moderated by the artist's management company, and the most you would likely get would be a newsletter, along with the usual self-promotional crap. I suppose if you wrote your hero enough times, you might a personal response, along with a restraining order.

It is amazing how much the Internet has changed this. It is so much easier to establish contact with your heroes. With enough luck and communication, the potential for a friendship of sorts may (or may not) develop. The blogging community is an amazing thing, as I have already seen respecting bloggers travel across the country to meet one another and hang out. How cool is that?

It'd be even cooler if I ever got to jam with some of my musical heroes. Perhaps one day, my wish may come true.