Our 9 Favorite Feature Stories This Week: Autocorrect, A Ramen Empire, And TMZ

This week for BuzzReads, Anne Helen Petersen investigates the rise of gossip giant TMZ. Read that and these other stories from around BuzzFeed and the web.

1. The Down And Dirty History Of TMZ — BuzzFeed

FameFlynet, Bobby Longoria / Getty Images for SXSW, Noel Vasquez / Getty Images,

How a lawyer from the San Fernando Valley created a gossip empire and transformed himself into the most feared man in Hollywood, all by breaking a few long-held rules and, as rumor has it, lording over a notorious vault full of secrets. Read it at BuzzFeed.

2. How Did a 7-Year Old Boy Catch His Father's PTSD? — Washingtonian

Photograph by Melissa Golden for Washingtonian

Soldiers aren't the only ones struggling upon return from war. Writes Roxanne Patel Shepelavy: "Logan was just seven when his father came home, yet he’s become an unwitting victim of this war’s most lingering injury: posttraumatic stress disorder." Read it at Washingtonian.

3. Pitbull: Get Rich or Die Shilling — Bloomberg Businessweek

Mike Segar / Reuters

Emma Rosenblum profiles the artist and mogul: "Even if you don’t know who Pitbull is, you do. You’ve danced to a Pitbull song at a wedding or seen him in a commercial. He’s sold more than 5 million albums worldwide in an era when people hardly buy albums, and his YouTube videos have exceeded 5 billion views." Read it at Bloomberg Businessweek.

4. The Fascinating ... and Frustrating ... History of Autocorrect — Wired

Illustration by David Sparshott for Wired

Gideon Lewis-Kraus tells the story of how Microsoft invented autocorrect, and with it, introduced an age of autocorrect mistakes for anyone who sends text messages: "You may not go looking for amusement, but when you allow autocorrect to speak on your behalf, amusement finds you regardless." Read it at Wired.

5. “Jesus Loves Winners”: How “Drop Dead Gorgeous” Found Cult Success As A Flop — BuzzFeed

New Line Cinema/Everett

Underrated satire Drop Dead Gorgeous came and went in theaters 15 years ago, rejected by audiences and critics alike. Now that it’s a cult classic, the cast and crew tell Louis Peitzman why the film is more popular than ever before. Read it at BuzzFeed.

6. Foul Territory — Atlanta Magazine

AP Photo/Todd Kirkland

Some of the best seats at a baseball game are right behind the dugout. They're often only a few hundred feet from home plate. But with balls sometimes flying into those sections at 100 mph, is it safe for fans to sit there? Read it at Atlanta Magazine.

7. Inside Sun Noodle, the Secret Weapon of America's Best Ramen Shops — Eater

Photo: Daniel Krieger for Eater

Amy McKeever looks inside the unsung hero of the ramen boom: "Other ramen noodle manufacturers didn't bother with custom noodles, and ramen consumers didn't seem to care. Sun Noodle distinguished itself simply by caring." Read it at Eater.

8. Making Sense of Suicide with Sylvia Plath — BuzzFeed

Everett Collection / Justine Zwiebel / BuzzFeed

Author Katie Crouch reflects on surviving the first tech boom in San Francisco and the importance of Sylvia Plath. Read it at BuzzFeed.

9. Be Careful with that Fan — Granta

Flickr: texasbackroads

A moving memoir by Andre Perry about boyhood, death, wealth, and African-American identity. Read it at Granta.