Fans Slam George Michael in His Chat Room

[Janice]

Fans Slam George Michael in His Chat Room

Jul 8, 8:02 AM (ET)

LONDON (AP) - Pop singer George Michael might have expected some praise from adoring fans when he set up a chat room on his Web site.

Instead, contributors complained the 41-year-old looked old and overweight and criticized his recent music, prompting the singer to announce Thursday he is shutting down the forum.

In a message posted on his site, Michael said the negativity was bad for him, his fans and his music.

"There are plenty of places to read people slagging each other off, but I wasn't trying to create one in opening the forum," he wrote. "Those of you that want to carry on the media's work will have to do it somewhere else I suppose."

He signed off: "Sorry guys, but that's the way it goes... Peace and Love...or nothing at all."

The decision prompted a flurry of postings, mostly from supportive fans asking the singer to reconsider.

However, a few deemed the decision unfair and George a "control freak."

"It's a fans' forum, it's freedom of speech and I don't think it's down to George to take his ball home and say 'I'm not playing any more,'" one fan wrote.

[Jrnygrl]

This happened on another forum that I visit. Although the guitarist didn't shut it down, they didn't allow a former band members name to be mentioned, so the moderators would lock posts the minute the persons name was mentioned or if they bashed current memeber, blaming them for the way the band has failed since the other member left. One member of the band went so far as to curse out someone who posted about the other member leaving the band. Now none of the members of the band go on the site, and those who do go on and post are upset because the band doesn't post anymore.

In my opinion bands that have boards really don't want to hear the bad things, they just want to be admired and told how wonderful they are. I'm sorry that George Michael didn't like what was said, but you have to be prepared for these kinds of things. This just proves that people who are famous live in glass bubbles and are told they are fabulous all the time when they are not. :rolleyes: :crazy: :confused: :wave:

[vashti1999]

There's an independent Prince forum (not affiliated with Prince himself) that I always check out but barely post to because there are a few who always (I mean always) have negative things to say about him. It makes the experience not so enjoyable when you go in thinking everyone is there because they're fans, and you have people who use every opportunity they get to say something negative. If it's an independent forum I guess it's okay for people to say whatever, but I don't blame George Michael for not wanting negativity expressed in a forum on his own site.