Mika Stefano on Celebrity Blogging in Mzansi

Tjo, I can’t remember the last time I laughed this much. I don’t always agree with the things that Mika says but I give credit, where credit is due and I think he does the “blogging” thing a lot of justice.

You don’t know who/what Mika is? Well, read on…

Brown Shuga (BS):  Mika Stefano, where did you come from because I woke up one day and all of a sudden there was a Mika Stefano who was supposedly the “sh!t”?
Mika Stefano (Mika): Hahahaha..Well, then hunny, you had obviously been sleeping for way too long, glad you are awake now.
BS: kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa uyaphapha.
Mika: Mika Stefano is a social gossip blogger, by default. But fell in love with words and continued to use them to help paint pictures of things that amuse me. I was entered into a competition on 5FM and I decided to use a Facebook group that was created for me, by a friend, to try hustle up some votes. Needless to say, I didn’t even make it past round one; however, I did start something that would soon evolve into one of the country’s leading gossip websites. People found my request for votes amusing and asked me to write another letter/blog. I soon found myself blogging about all my weekend adventures, giving people Ghost Pops and doing HOT OR NOT pictures. And before I knew it, I had a web designer approach me with a plan. And now thanks to KillaKam and WordPress, we have MIKASTEFANO.COM

BS:  Awesome so how & when did you get to into the blogging thing because I believe just like me, you also have a day job?
Mika: Yes, I too have a day job. Many people find that hard to believe, but it is true. I have been “Blogging” for 3 and a half years. I don’t know if I can consider my Facebooking – Blogging. The Definition of Blogging is ‘A frequent, chronological publication of personal thoughts and Web links.’ And all my facebook entries were dated. So I consider that blogging. So yes, I have been blogging for over 3 years.  Because my day job is so flexible, I am allowed to blog frequently.

BS:  Aaah, lucky you! What attracted you to blogging?
Mika: Well, like I said earlier, I am a blogger by default, so I am still learning about blogging, there are various types of blogs and they all have different purposes. I enjoy blogging because I get to share my opinions and thoughts with people who are also interested in things I am interested in.

BS:  Most people have accused you of trying to be a local version of Perez Hilton… what is your comment?
Mika: Well, honestly, we are alike. But there are also a lot of things that are different about us. People find it so easy to compare local celebs to international ones. WHY, because we are so easily brainwashed into believing that the ways of the west are right. How many times have we compared Khanyi Mbau to Paris Hilton or Uyanda Mbuli to Kimora Lee Simmons. Why can’t they just be Khanyi Mbau, Uyanda Mbuli, Joost Van Der Westhuizen, Danny K etc.

That was one of the main reasons why I wanted to push my blog so hard. We are not proud of our own artists, we are so washed up in Hollywood, that some of us even talk as if we are from America. I asked a random person to list 5 Female Actors, who have done both stage work and TV. And they could not complete this simple task. However, when I asked them to list 5 female actors from Hollywood, they could name 15, non stop. I feel, if we build hyoe around our own artists, they will be able to get the respect they so rightfully deserve. And that’s why I am so passionate about my blog and other local blogs.

BS:  Makes perfect sense.. Going back to Perez, would it be  such a bad thing if you tried to emulate him  given how successful he has become?
Mika: You are so right. I mean Perez is the self proclaimed queen of all media. Perez has become a brand. I must admit, I am not a fan and I have avoided following him, but I have to take off my Penguin page boy hat off to him; he is doing it. and doing it well!!!

BS:  That he is! How do you define a blogger
Mika: Well, the Googled Definition is above   lol. and I agree with that. Don’t disagree with google.

BS: Of course not.. .that’s my bible! LOL With your 3 years blogging experience, what would you say are the characteristics of a good blog?
Mika: I think a good blog needs a clear voice. If you wanna talk about Fashion, then stick to Fashion. Focus on one specific genre. If you are too scattered, people will find it hard to follow. Also, develop an opinion. There is no point in always being correct. If you have a blog about cooking and you are blogging a recipe for Roast Chicken, and you didn’t agree with the ingredients, feel free to share your opinions. People love debating. I hate reading blogs that are trying to be all friendly and politically and socially correct. Fuck friendly, have a back bone, and if you have an opinion that is different, feel free to share it. That’s what will make your blog special.

BS: I agree with you.  What is your view of celebrity/entertainment blogging in SA?
Mika: What is that.? Does that even exist?

BS: Hawu, vele it exists coz it’s what you and I do mos..
Mika: I mean, I hate blowing my own horn (I’d rather blow someone else’s) but I can count, on one hand the decent celeb/gossip/local entertainment websites. MIO is the music site and is usually up to datewith the lates local music info. TVSA handle TV news and they have a sister site called Snapparazzi. This too  handles TV Gossip. From TVSA, we had the birth of Just Curious. Just Curious has to be one of the few blogs that have an influential voice online.    Jucy.co.za is just pap.

BS: Hawu Mika!
Mika: I hate to say it, but it’s true. Its like a bad soapie, you can log on once a month and it will still look the same. If it weren’t for “The Hustla” I wouldn’t even log onto this African Gossip website. (I mean, African Gossip site with a co.za. come on.)    Another site that has it all together would have to be DJSbuOnline. I wonder if it will still stay as strong, once DJ Sbu has left Y.  I also like Rage.co.za. This is a cool urban website with some cool alternative articles. That’s the lot. I just discovered this cool Fashion site called iFashion. There was an awesome website all about the South African Beauty Queens but Sun International shut it down because the website would reveal too much inside info.lol.

BS: LOL!!!! Tjo bathong.. So with all these sites that you’ve mentioned, do you think there is a future for entertainment blogging, given our celebrity culture, or the lack thereof?
Mika: Yes. Since the few websites/blogs have launched, there have been a url load of websites that have all just popped up. I think, by 2020, everyone will have a blog.

BS: Yeah, it’s going that way. Guess it’s up to each blogger to find a way of standing out from that lot. What do you think of the relationship between main stream media and bloggers? Is there even a relationship?
Mika: Yes and no. You have a lot of mainstream media moving online, like The Times. Why, because we are entering into a paperless society. You have journalists who also blog, like Gabi from Beautiful Young Things from TimesLive.

To admit, I think a lot of traditional journalists fear blogs, because blogging is immediate and mainstream media is not. If a story breaks, it breaks on the internet – a blog, Facebook or Twitter. Print media seldom has scoops anymore. Unless we talking about Khanyi Mbau’s personal diary  :  Sunday World. Plus anyone can blog.

BS:  LOL @ Mbau’s personal diary… that brings me to the next question,  how do you feel about the standard of SA journalism in general?
Mika: Well, I don’t think I can comment on journalism in general, because I don’t know much about it, however I can comment on gossip and the paparazzi in South Africa. It is beyond weak. Like drinking watered down Oros, we are always forced to read the same stories about Chomee, Danny K and Khanyi etc.
There are so few paparazzi pics in our magazines. There is a big difference between social pictures and paparazzi. I mean, over seas we have access to pics of celebs naked on the beach, here they will pose, all made up, for a picture.
I think, if we want to grow our own local artists, we need to push them.Either in a positive or negative way, we need to build on them and them only.

Who really cares about Rihanna’s hairstyles, when our very own Bonang has more hairstyles then a L’Oreal catalogue! I think local gossip journalists, photographers and paparazzi need to up their game because there is a new bitch in town. and you’re talking to him.

BS:  I think that whole paparazzi pics was the idea behind Snapparazzi but because of our “celeb culture” it hasn’t really gotten there. Now, you are known for ruffling feathers, it’s like you are the Khanyi Mbau of blogging. Do you subscribe to the notion that “controversy sells”?
Mika: Yes, it does. However, it’s a pity I am not making any money from all this ruffling.  If so, I will be ruffling all the way to the bank.lol.
BS:  Hahaha so do you genuinely dislike some of the people that you diss on your site??
Mika: No, never.. I write about so many people, that sometimes I even forget what I say. I have no grudges or dislikes. I am a gossip blogger and that’s what I do. I am not here to make friends. I already have a close group of friends.

BS: You have guts, have you ever done anything that made you come back and go “oh sh!t, I should not have done that!”?
Mika: Nope. I don’t regret anything I have blogged about. I have only removed one blog post. – RIP Mdu. After Bonang broadcasted on twitter, that Mdu had passed away, I posted a blog where I shared a personal story, only to find out it was not true. I felt me keeping it up is wrong, so I removed it.

BS: Yeah, that’s why I’m not always quick to post a rumour, it’s hard to know what’s true and what’s not.  Anyway, the last time we heard, Uyanda Mbuli was going to sue you for calling her a “dragon” on your site, did you get the lawyers letter, what happened? Is the matter resolved now?
Mika: To date, I have not received anything.

BS: Mmmmh… Why did you call her a dragon when Gert denied that he had said that to you?
Mika: What is wrong with being called a dragon? People all thought that it was a diss. Have you ever thought that I could have meant that she is dignified like a powerful dragon, that her words are firey yet have the wise wit of a dragon, that she has wings that sore and a timeless untouchable charm that is as magical as a dragon.

BS: kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa huu hayi shem… where did they find you?!! LOL. You are something else Mika, now the other day you made claims on Twitter about SA celebs who are stuck in the closet and you said they should come out, why is it important to you or any of your business?
Mika: My tweets regarding that subject were in response to a topic that Mpho Maboi spoke about on her show on YFM. If someone is gay or not, that doesn’t matter. Your sexuality has nothing to do with anyone else but yourself. There is a lot of hype around homosexuality currently with Ricky Martin, Senzo and Jason as well as the events happening in Uganda. People are so touchy with this subject. People Tweeting #NOHOMO, #NoSenzo etc. Can I ask you a quick question, and perhaps your readers could answer, why do people believe that being gay is always a bad thing? People were reacting as if it were a diss to be gay. I am shocked, that in 2010 in a country that has broken free from oppression, we still have so much hate.

BS: Maybe it was more to do with you forcing them to come out.  Regarding your crush, Sizwe Dhlomo, are you hoping that he comes out so you two can finally get married and live happily ever after??
Mika: Well, South Africa is the fifth country to allow same sex marriage. So that means it would be possible and I won’t have to relocate.   However, I don’t think Sizwe is my ideal man, don’t get me wrong, he is uber sexy and all. but I want a man who can stimulate me in and out of the bedroom. Sizwe looks like he could only do one of those.
BS: Ouch!

Mika: Khanyi Mbau told me that she was with Theunis because he stimulates her mind and they have great conversations together. The sex may not be great, but there’s more to a relationship than just sex. Kinda weird that I am taking relationship advise from Khanyi Mbau, but she is right. I am not saying I want a wealthy daddy, all I’m saying is I want a man who can hold a conversation, without reading off an autocue. You feel me dawg!!!
BS: hahahahahahahahahahah
Mika: Okay, I hope he doesn’t get offended, I hardly know him. perhaps, if we got to know eachother, it could be a possibility. He is a cool guy. You should visit my site later this week to see some pics from the Siz and Scoop party last week, he was the perfect host and is not that arrogant. I just think he is cute, coming up with words like Nana’s.

BS:  Hehehe I should hook u up with his BBM pin. LOL.  On a more serious note, You are openly gay, and if these  ”celebrities” e.g. Sizwe  are indeed gay, do they not have the right to come out when they feel it is the right time to do so, without unnecessary pressure from the outside?
Mika: No, we need to know..lol..

They have the right to come out when they are ready. Like Ricky’s management said, it is not an issue and it shouldn’t be an issue.
But coming from me life is much easier when you are happy with yourself. It is 2010 and our constitution protects us, so there is no reason to hide it. However, with the same breathe, there is no reason to “brag” it.
Many straight people assume that being gay means the guy walks a certain way and talks with a nasal voice. But you and I both know, that is not true. Gay people come in all different shapes and sizes. and just because I am gay it does not mean all gays are feminine like I am. So, just because you are gay, it doesn’t mean you have to wear lip gloss and skinny jeans. I say, you should just be you. Do what ever you feel comfortable with. If you are scared to come out at home first, rather talk to your friends and teachers. Once you are comfortable with yourself, then tell your parents and then the world. Remember, only come out when you are ready. you may be afraid that people will judge you and yes, they will, but trust me after time, you will learn to love yourself for the magical person that you are.
Lelo, I feel, within time, it wont be such an issue, but still in 2010 we are faced with lots of discrimination. Hopefully us talking about things like this openly, will open up peoples minds..

BS:  That’s great advise Mika and I agree 100% with it. Now before we let you go, Give us 2 reasons why we should log on to ur site
Mika:

1. It is the hottest, most up to date, gossip website this side of the equator.
2. Regular prize giveaways.

BS: LOL this side of the equator?? hahah I love your confidence. What is your message to all the South african celebrities who are “overly sensitive’ but yet think they can make it in Hollywood. The ones who still don’t understand that being in the public eye comes with scrutiny and criticism?
Mika: What can I say Lelo? Not Much. All I can say is they should all build a bridge and get over themselves. Because I aint stopping my blog, or holding back and neither will JUST CURIOUS, if I have anything to do with it. They can try sue me or get heavy, but I don’t care. I usually say, Where there is smoke there is usually fire. And if they cant stand the heat, they should get out of the kitchen. We need call centre agents, they can take their fancy voices to amway and shut up there.
Lelo, they wanted to be famous. Well this is the price tag that comes with it.

BS: Which celebrities would you give out the following Mika Celebrity Awards to:
The You’ll Never Be An A-Lister Award goes to….

• Half of SABC. (Okay more than half.)

The Mzansi’s Hottest Celebrity Award goes to…

• Male – Stevel Marc, Sizwe Dhlomo, Janez (top billing), Jonaid Carrera, Nicky Van Der Walt, Kabelo Mabalane, Kaizer Jnr. Tebogo Lerole (Kwela Tebza) Max Mmethi and my best friend Warrick Stock/DJ Warras (Only in his profile pic though, otherwise that’ll be just gross, he is like my brother. )
• Female - Bonang Matheba, Khanyi Mbau, Lee Ann Liebenberg, Joelle, Nonhle Thema, Tatum Keshwar, Jena Dover, Iko Mash (She does it better then most girls..)

The Nkamodira Award goes to…

• Male – all of the above. I can only say Potoko to a fine asse guy.
• Female- Need I repeat my self. I can only say Potoko to a fine asse guy

The Future Star Award goes to…

• Male - Jonaid Carrera – Male Model/presenter an business man.
• Female - Auriol Hays – Jazz/ Vocal Singer, Based in Cape Town.

The You Need A Stylist Award goes to…

• Male - Mac G – and a bath.
• Female – Khabonina – and a hairdresser.

Ends

kwa kwa kwa kwa thanks for the awesome interview Mika, I’m sure our readers are going to love it and after this, I bet you some journo (*waving to Drum*) will start calling you for that long overdue feature…

Check out Mika Stefano on www.mikastefano.com or follow him on Twitter : @MikaStefano

Nami futhi @MsLelob

Related Stories: