Stone writes for The Couch Sessions
The internet is buzzing about the new anti-Fantasia site called Fantasiaslies.com. It's was created by some angry residents of Fantasia’s hometown who are shocked that she had the nerve to call their fair city High Point “dead” and blame the city's educational system and lack of basic services for her ills in her book, Life Is Not a Fairy Tale. Fantasiaslies.com's creators, Kyle Sandler and Jennifer English, have gained notoriety in the past few weeks; however, they claim that they respect Fantasia as a singer and that there are no racial or malicious motivations behind their site.
I figured that I would chime in with my 2 cents, mainly because I used to live 45 minutes away from High Point. I find this site completely hilarious, and I don’t exactly agree with what they are trying to do.
The first thing that Kyle and Jennifer try to do is make the case that their fair city is not the “small town” that Fantasia refers to. In a section titled “High Point,” the two point out that the city is home to a wealth of industry.
The Proprietary Machinery used to make all Krispy Kreme Donuts is manufactured in High PointAlso, they try to make a point that Fantasia is not “all that,” with an interesting, albeit time consuming, survey:Thomas Built Buses, the largest school bus manufacturer in the country, is based here
The Following Movies Were Filmed in High Point, several Made for TV Movies who's titles aren't known at this time were also filmed here. It's called "Carolina Atlantic Studios" and it's been around way longer than Barrino.
In a totally unscientific study performed this weekend at the Oak Hollow Mall, Home Depot, Yamax, Chic Fil A, 2 Cookouts, 42 cruisers, we (Jennifer & I) asked 300 randomn people, "before American Idol 3, had you heard of Fantasia Barrino" a whopping 2 people had. from this, i can't understand where she was the "bad girl to everyone in town"I’m not going to even go into how biased and rigged this poll is. High Point is a city of over 90,000 people, so how in the world can you say that 300 people who were not in her circle of friends could ever know who she is before she got famous? You have to be kidding me!
These dudes then go on to talk about how High Point is cool because people come from all over the world to buy furniture there. If you don’t know, High Point is the home of the High Point Furniture Market, drawing buyers ranging from small families to large hotel chains and Fortune 500 businesses. I’m sorry, but, that doesn’t define cool. Look at the locations that they named for their informal “survey:” The mall, Home Depot, and Cookout. Not really the bastions of coolness are they?
Let’s just put it this way. If you're friend invites you to go with him to High Point on a Saturday and he has a truck, it's not to hang out. It's to move furniture. I got burned by this twice while I was living down there.
Article comments
1 - Michael J. West
Yeah, I grew up in Winston-Salem and one of my best friends grew up in High Point. I don't think either side of this rather petty Fantasia vs. High Point argument is completely right, but Fantasia is closer to the mark.
2 - zingzing
jeff was a rich bastard. how is that rich bastard?! i never hear from him :(
3 - chocolite865
Fantasia is entitled to her own opinion, if that's the way she saw High Point while she was growing up, then so be it. They make a mountain out of a mole hill. Kyle and Jennifer need to get a life, have they ever heard of freedom of speech. I think it's more to it than meets the eye with Jennifer and Kyle. Fantasia will continue to get my support because she is a brilliant artist and she deserves her props. I don't care about the past I am living in the present and the future Fantasia is alright with me.
Jennifer and Kyle, don't hate, participate.
Fantasia have fans that care and respect her.
peace and love always!
4 - Rachel Booker
I think that was total wrong for her to sit up and lie about not knowing how to read. That is nothing to play with.
5 - jewel
Kyle and Jennifer--two dumb chicks.
I grew up poor as far as money was concerned. However, I did not complain about it because the love I received from my mother was priceless.
You see, it is all in the eyes of the beholder and we are all entitled to our opinions!
6 - Big L
I used to live in High Point and I gotta agree...its a crappy town. It is DEAD and there are poor sections of town that really put the "Dirty" into Dirty South.
7 - Mannie
Mr. Stone being that you are not a fan of Fantasia I found your article to be even-handed and surprisingly fair. However, I take issue with one comment you made. You wrote: "I do believe that being poor is not an excuse for dubious personal choices (like the singer’s illiteracy and her child)." isn't that being judgemental. Fantasia is not the first person to have trouble reading in fact since her disclosure people have been posting names of other celebrities who have suffered the same situation. She is not alone. Secondly, she is not the first or the last to have a baby out of wedlock, unfortunately. How about Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise? I don't believe they are married. Just not black and poor. A baby outside of a marriage any way you slice is not morally right. Thank you.
8 - Niecey
Fantasia is not the first to have a child nor have trouble reading.
But, she is one of the first artists to keep it real with the public--admit her mistakes and try to make a better life for herself.
She should be commended for that. Everyone make mistakes, but to recover from them, move on with your life, and make a difference--that is what we need more of!
You go Fantasia--keep doing your thang--you are a legend in the making!
9 - virginia
FANTAISA has a right to express what she feel. that was her story so let it be.Everyone in High Point has his or her thoughts about the city.As TAISA say FREE YOUR SELF. It's time out for this mess I am sure High Point has other matters of great concern. GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL ,WHAT GOD HAS FOR FANTAISA IS FOR HER MAN CAN NOT TAKE IT AWAY.THE MORE U TALK ABOUT TAISA AND HIGH POINT, N.C. IS A PLUS BECAUSE U PUT HER AND MY HOMETOWN IN THE SPOTLIGHT.THANKS LUV YA TAISA GREAT BOOK
10 - BRIAN
YALL JUST HATE'IN ON HER CUZ SHE BLEW UP AND YALL DID NOT KEEP DOING WUT DOING FANTASIA CUZ IM A BIG FAN AND DONT LET THEM HATERS BRONG U DOWN
11 - Geegee
Love her! Go Fantasia! Tell it like it is gurl!
12 - Wendy
And God said that " the first shall be last and the last shall be first".What was for her was for her and no one can take it away and if they could they probably would so all of those "Tasia Haters" stop hatin and start congradulatin.GO FANTASIA!!!!!!!!!!......
13 - Latevia J. McCray
I'm a Fantasia fan. She made mistakes in the past, but at least she has learned from her mistakes. Why don't people quit hating and downing her about her past. People need to quit dwelling on her past and be proud of what she is doing in the present. She has the right to tell what happened doing her childhood. It made her a better person. Why don't people leave her long. I don't them trying out for American Idol. I don't know about anybody else, but I am proud of her for not giving up on her dreams. She has made great accomplishments. FANTASIA! YOU GO GIRL! KEEP SINGING, YOU'RE DOING GREAT! DON'T LET NOBODY STOP YOU.
14 - Dana
bitches need to stop hatin on Fantasia she is a talented to woman how takes care of her child like some people she is a buetailful woman and she is smart to make it through this world by her self so yall need to stop hatin on her she is capable doing wat she belive in so leave her a lone damn....the sshitpeople say about her is stupid but she still hold her head up high no matter waht she been through her hole life
15 - Alexis Hanes
I cant stand that pisture of you it looks very ugly and you could of looked better. But I look up to you and I realy want to see you in person and I cant because me I am not a person who likes to travel without my friends around and I get realt board so can I mean have you ever came down to Raleigh and performed at the RBC center? If you have make sure you put it out ahead of time I am a BIG fan of yours.
16 - alexis hanes
Can you help on your mew cd try and tell me where it is and where you can find it I am a real fan of yours and i have already said that to many times for you to forget thanhs
17 - Arkansas
Fantasia, is no different than any mega star who gains much attention and everything she/he says and does is examined with a fine tooth comb. One of the things she mentions in her book is TO MUCH IS GIVEN MUCH IS REQUIRED. Celebrities like Fantasia who are in the public eye, can expect to have many critics. It goes with the territory. And they do well, NOT to answer them. I wouldn't call myself a Tasia fan, but recently, I read her book and for the first time was able to identify with her struggle (the movie didn’t do justice). Just because her critics looked up her childhood home and discovered it had an air conditioning, doesn't mean that, that was always the case. Come on, be for real! And even if it did, it does NOT mean that it was always working. The title of her book is Life is Not a Fairy, she's talking about her own life; it's her perspective, not someone else's. What does the average income in High Point have to do with the cost of tea in China? Even if the average income was $100.000, Fantasia's story would be the same. I grew up in the South and understand how my perception of my world compared to others can be totally different. For example, many of the kids I went to school with received allowances from their parents, and just about all of the middle class kids had their own cars and drove them to school. But it didn't change my experience or the fact that I didn’t even know what an allowance was. Receiving an allowance was not my experience. I think Fantasia's critics missed it. Much of what Fantasia detailed in her book includes her life in the ghetto. The people in High Point with average incomes of nearly $50.000 can't even identify with ghetto life. Fantasia has given a lot of people hope with her struggle and her story. We would do well to learn from her mistakes. Her story, is her story, we all got one, even her critics. Lesson for the critics: As a kid, my mother would say, “Don’t worry about what’s in somebody else’s tub. Worry about what’s in your own tub. If you didn’t grow up where such sayings were used, you have no idea what I’m talking about.
18 - tiffany barrino
hey fantaishea your little gurl rocks she can sing her butt off tell her i said hi lanna tell her 1 day she can achieve her gols 1 day in being an actress and singer rock on!!!!!!!!!!!