I'm a recovering Diet Coke addict. I do my crossword puzzles in ink.
This week on Billboard’s Hot 100 the Jonas Brothers hold the number one spot with their song, “A Little Bit Longer.” This song is from their third album, A Little Bit Longer [2008]. Their previous albums are It’s About Time [2006] and Jonas Brothers [2007]. Jonas Brothers got our attention but it wasn’t quite IT. The third album was the charm, as this time around the bros are off the charts and the object of teenage girls’ swooning across the nation. The Brothers are all Evangelical Christians, were home schooled by their mom and all of them wear purity rings. Sorry, groupies, they’re worth waiting for!
‘A Little Bit Longer’ was written by Nick Jonas about his experience with diabetes. The song depicts being told to wait longer at a doctor’s office for a diagnosis. He refers to high and low blood sugars in the chorus and that he’s still waiting on a cure.
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Tags: Editorials · artists
Gloria Estefan [September 1] is one smooth crooner, this Cuban-American singer has won five Grammy awards and is considered one of the greatest crossovers in the music business. Her movie debut in 1999 brought her music to the teenybop generation when she did a duet for the movie with NSYNC, singing “Music of the Heart.” She is scheduled to receive the Latin Grammy Recording Association’s “Person of the Year” award this coming November.
Salma Hayek [September 2] is a new mom and a beautifully talented actress. Mexican native, this Hollywood talent had wanted to bring artist Frieda Kahlo to the big screen since she first showed up in LA, after starring in Frieda, Hayek’s talent could not be ignored. Frieda was nominated for six Oscars, including Best Actress. Hayek is the first Latina to carry the nomination. These days Hayek is enjoying motherhood with her baby [whose one year birthday is this month too!], Valentina Paloma.
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Tags: Celebrity News · News
August 19th - Lee Ann Womak is best recognized by her country-but-really-more-pop-esque song, “I Hope You Dance.” The country singer has won two Grammys and several Country Music Awards. She’s spent quite a bit of time on the charts as well. For her August 19th birthday today, we hope she dances too.
August 20th - Robert Plant is awesome. Okay, maybe he needs more of an introduction. Robert Plant is the lead singer for Led Zeppelin. Better, now? Formed in 1968, Led Zeppelin took rock to a level that is thus far unsurpassed. Although Plant hasn’t sung ‘Stairway to Heaven’ for a while, he’s kept busy with solo work and some brief stints in other bands. Lately he’s been teaming up with Bluegrass singer Alison Kraus. They released their album, Raising Sand in 2007 and in March of 2008 it went platinum.
August 21st - Kim Cattral (featured right) has sex at age 52. Cattral finally has a chance to relax and celebrate her birthday after the hype of the Sex & The City: The Movie mania. Her role as free-loving Public Relations [relations..wink wink] agent Samantha Jones has defined her career. Before she was Samantha she starred in 80’s films Police Academy and Mannequin.
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Tags: Celebrity News · News
August 11th - It’s the eye of the tiger: WWC and WWF champion Hulk Hogan’s birthday is today, August 11th. After his delightfully entertaining show, Hogan Knows Best ended, his wife, Linda filed for divorce after 24 years of marriage. His son Nick did jail time for an car accident in August 2007. The crash put passenger John Graziano in a nursing home for life. Then Brooke, his daughter temporarily cut off all ties from him. She also made a comment that women were too hormonal to be in politics. The Hulkster’s had a really bad year. May this upcoming birthday be a mark of better times.
August 12th - The perpetually tanned George Hamilton celebrates his birthday on August 12th. His first role was Robert in Crime and Punishment. He’s endorsed snack-y foods such as Ritz Cracker and Wheat Thins Toasted Chips. He also participated in season two of Dancing With the Stars, but he was toasted off early on.
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Tags: Celebrity News · News
August 11th - It’s the eye of the tiger: WWC and WWF champion Hulk Hogan’s birthday is today, August 11th. After his delightfully entertaining show, Hogan Knows Best ended, his wife, Linda filed for divorce after 24 years of marriage. His son Nick did jail time for an car accident in August 2007. The crash put passenger John Graziano in a nursing home for life. Then Brooke, his daughter temporarily cut off all ties from him. She also made a comment that women were too hormonal to be in politics. The Hulkster’s had a really bad year. May this upcoming birthday be a mark of better times.
August 12th - The perpetually tanned George Hamilton celebrates his birthday on August 12th. His first role was Robert in Crime and Punishment. He’s endorsed snack-y foods such as Ritz Cracker and Wheat Thins Toasted Chips. He also participated in season two of Dancing With the Stars, but he was toasted off early on.
[Read more →]
Tags: Celebrity News · News
This week on Billboard’s Hot 100 is Katy Perry at #1 with ‘I Kissed a Girl.’ For anyone who read my article two weeks ago, ‘She Kissed a Girl…I Didn’t Like It,’ guess what? I still don’t like it. Some songs annoy you when they first get airplay and then the more you listen to it you kind of decide that it’s okay. This isn’t one of them. In an attempt to promote tolerance and reduce oppression, we as ‘Los Angeles-er’s’ need to make sure I don’t have to complain about this song again in two weeks. This song promotes negative images of Bisexuals and the LGBTQ community at large. We’re bigger than this, people, come on.
At the risk of sounding like an angry young activist, I really believe in the power of media. What we listen to, who we listen to be it Billboard, The Los Angeles City Zine, CNN or People magazine; influences us, our mindsets and opinions. I fall prey to it too, if Gwen Stefani told me that scrunchies were back, I’d be all over it. As part of the millennium generation I feel like we have the power to choose what we want to believe and hear. It may be as small as ‘I Kissed a Girl’ or as severe as a ‘nappy-headed Ho’ comment, but it’s still “we,” the people speaking out and making a difference. Change starts with us, it has to. Before musicians started preaching and influencing our ideas about racism, sexism and classism, they were part of the people too.
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Tags: Editorials · Music
This week on Billboard’s Hot 100 is Katy Perry at #1 with ‘I Kissed a Girl.’ For anyone who read my article two weeks ago, ‘She Kissed a Girl…I Didn’t Like It,’ guess what? I still don’t like it. Some songs annoy you when they first get airplay and then the more you listen to it you kind of decide that it’s okay. This isn’t one of them. In an attempt to promote tolerance and reduce oppression, we as ‘Los Angeles-er’s’ need to make sure I don’t have to complain about this song again in two weeks. This song promotes negative images of Bisexuals and the LGBTQ community at large. We’re bigger than this, people, come on.
At the risk of sounding like an angry young activist, I really believe in the power of media. What we listen to, who we listen to be it Billboard, The Los Angeles City Zine, CNN or People magazine; influences us, our mindsets and opinions. I fall prey to it too, if Gwen Stefani told me that scrunchies were back, I’d be all over it. As part of the millennium generation I feel like we have the power to choose what we want to believe and hear. It may be as small as ‘I Kissed a Girl’ or as severe as a ‘nappy-headed Ho’ comment, but it’s still “we,” the people speaking out and making a difference. Change starts with us, it has to. Before musicians started preaching and influencing our ideas about racism, sexism and classism, they were part of the people too.
[Read more →]
Tags: Editorials · Music
August 4th: Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama will celebrate his birthday today [August 4th, 1961]. No longer just a Hawaii-born, Kansas-raised Illinois Senator, Obama is now representing a large caucus of both Bush-bashers [both Republican and Democratic] and the Millennium generation. All he can hope to do now is continue to reach people, their votes and their pockets. Remember, it’s not over til every last vote in Florida is counted.
August 5th: Terri Clark [August 5th, 1968] is a Canadian country singer-songwriter. In 1995, “Better Things to Do,” her first single made Billboards’ Hot Country Singles and Tracks List. In 1996 her second album, “Just the Same” went platinum in both the United States and Canada. Over the past 12 years Clark has continued to put out albums and release hit singles, her next single is expected this fall.
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Tags: Celebrity News · News
This week on Billboard’s list, Billboard 200, Nas’s album titled, Untitled sits at the number one spot. Originally titled ‘Nigger‘ this album fueled much controversy and uproar from the NAACP and many other political activists from the very moment its release was announced. Andy Kellman of Billboard’s All Music Review wrote, “All he had to do was mention the one word as an album title…. a mere jumping-off point…” And a selling point too. The album dropped on July 1st and climbed to #1 in 29 days proving that not only sex sells, but political pissing-off does as well.
Nas is not known for his diplomacy, often getting right to the point with many, if not, too many expletives and obscenities. This time, after a wise rename, in Untitled, Nas addresses issues of diversity, racism, stereotypes and politics. Writes Kellman, “It’s his most purposeful album; nearly every verse goes beyond talking trash and recalling exploits.” He approaches sensitive tangents of Pan-African history spanning from slavery to the potentiality of having a Black president in the White House.
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Tags: Music · News
July 28th - Jackie Kennedy also known as the fashion icon Jackie O defined class and beauty to America the way Princess Diana did to England. As Jackie Kennedy she had two children, daughter sweet Caroline and son John. As Jackie Onassis she defined a modern woman as someone able to take care of herself and not be a chaste and grieving widow. Her candor and public life is remembered by many as an ideal role model, political activist and philanthropist [and we can't forget her fashion style, which is still paid homage to in Hollywood abound].
July 29th - Peter Jennings is best known as the beloved news anchor for ABC. He passed away in 2005 leaving behind an amazing career. Hired by ABC at age 26, he was and still is the youngest hired news anchor to date. I remember first really noticing him on 9/11 when he broadcasted live for 17 hours straight. His face seemed somehow reassuring during a time of unfamiliar tragedy.
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Tags: Celebrity News · General