THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 15, 1995 TAG: 9501140016
SECTION: COMMENTARY PAGE: J5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: LYNN FEIGENBAUM
LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
It's not often that a local wedding is the hot topic, and even less likely on a week loaded with Serious News - the Republicans taking control of the House, developments in the abortion-clinic shootings, proposed state budget cuts.
But it was The Wedding that had readers talking last week, the star-studded nuptials of former Virginia beauty queen Patricia Southall and TV sitcom star Martin Lawrence.
Two days before the Jan. 7 ceremony, columnist Marc Tibbs gave readers a taste of what happens when ``Portsmouth goes Hollywood'' - hard-to-get wedding invitations, ``Hollywood glitterati,'' even how Papa Southall's girlfriend originally wasn't invited.
That gossipy spin about a local gal didn't go down well with some readers.
``I thought the column was very tabloidlike and not befitting the newspaper,'' said Mark Gostel of Norfolk, echoing about a half-dozen other callers. ``If he wants to talk about celebrities, fine, but to make disparaging remarks about her family, that is uncalled for.''
A Portsmouth reader agreed. ``I bet he did not get an invitation!'' wrote Tommie Jo Powell. ``Is that his problem?''
But the criticism didn't stop there. On the wedding day, a MetroNews story included the time and place of the ceremony, map included. Readers' response: Why the map? Even celebrities deserve privacy.
In the last minute, the ceremony was moved from its original site, a Portsmouth church, to a Norfolk hotel, supposedly because of security.
The wedding itself made the front page last Sunday - a placement questioned by at least one caller. Another objected to a sidebar story, about a fight at a Virginia Beach club where a party was being held for Lawrence. ``It is a shame the way you try to mar somebody's happy day with something bad and negative,'' said the caller, ``especially when it pertains to African Americans.''
Tibbs had the final say on Tuesday, with his re-creation of the ceremony (no, he wasn't there) and Lawrence telling the bride, ``You look so damn good.'' Wrote Tibbs: ``It's the kind of phrase one would expect to hear on his half-hour sitcom.''
Alyssa Flowers, still fuming over Tibbs' first column, wasn't amused. ``Being African Americans, we are tired of every time we have something decent, we get something trashy,'' said Flowers. ``When we do get something nice, how come it has to be tabloid?''
Personally, I wasn't comfortable with all the chatter about Southall's dad and his girlfriend. Tibbs defended it.
``I could not have known about it if hundreds of people around town weren't already talking about it,'' he said. ``By reporting the controversy I was simply putting into context how exclusive an affair the wedding was.''
Otherwise, I liked reading about the gala nuptials. Readers are always asking for good news, and here was a nice upbeat story with some celebrity glitz to it.
I don't think it was front-page news, especially without an on-the-spot photo of the bride and groom. But I didn't see a whole lot else to take its place.
As for some of the coverage being tabloidy, that may be, but when it comes to celebs, the press tends to be an equal-opportunity offender. Frankly, I would have been a lot more offended if the paper had ignored or downplayed a wedding that was not only of interest to the African-American community but to anyone who enjoys seeing Beautiful People tie the knot.
THE MATCHMAKER. Speaking of weddings, John Simanton and Marcia Powers were married on New Year's Eve.
Why am I telling you this? Because the public editor apparently played cupid!
I've never met the newlyweds but Simanton, a Navy Reserve officer who volunteers at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum, calls now and then to straighten us out about maritime history.
In August '93, I shared his lore about ironclads with our Sunday readers. One of those readers was Powers, who had gone to high school with Simanton in Illinois and now lives in Virginia Beach.
Powers recognized the name, called Simanton and the rest (violin music here!) is history.
PUZZLING PROBLEM. We had calls all week about the Daily Break ``puzzle'' column - crossword, horoscope and bridge. The complaint, a valid one, was that the type was too small and too light to read.
A new system for assembling the column began last week and brought with it typesetting problems. But relief is in sight. Look for bigger, easier-to-read type starting Monday. MEMO: Call the public editor at 446-2475, or send a computer message to
lynn(AT)infi.net. by CNB