While a few gossip Web sites try to upsell themselves as smart journalism, The Superficial, as the site’s name suggests, is more up front about its intentions. Pure gossip, wicked celebrity rumors and salacious photographs are the name of the game on The Superficial’s blog, where the main featured page links are “Photos,” “Bikinis” and “Dirt.”
Distinctly unafraid to tread the murkier waters of celebrities’ bad behavior, The Superficial further lives up to its name with typical headlines that introduce stories like “Hank Baskett Might Be Cheating on Kendra,” “Urkel’s Hitting Women, Too” and “Lindsay Lohan Is Made of Drugs, Probation Report Says.”
A large number of the images on the site are labeled NSFW (not safe for work) and include candid paparazzi shots of topless, sunbathing actresses, accidental wardrobe slippage and sexy publicity shots in various stages of undress. Those who like steamy photos should also appreciate the ongoing polls in which users can vote for the model who appears in The Superficial’s banner.
Because the focus is so heavy on photos, the site doesn’t spend a lot of time on news gathering, preferring to aggregate or rewrite most of their news stories from other sources. Daily scoops from sites like The Huffington Post, Popeater and TMZ are usually given top status.
The Superficial also makes liberal use of photos from Splash News, the online celebrity photo news site that sells of-the-moment shots of the stars to newspapers, magazines and Web sites. Archived under the “So Freaking Hot” sidebar, most of the images feature microscopic swimsuits and plenty of skin.
Founded in 2004, the site began as part of Anticlown Media but was snapped up by Buzz Media in 2008 after growing in popularity. Headquartered in Hollywood, Calif., Buzz Media’s other Web site brands include Buzznet, Celebuzz and Idolator, as well as the official fan sites for Britney Spears and Kim Kardashian.
