Pop Culture Junkies Anonymous

MySpace was once the top social media site in the world. People...

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 17:24:07 -0400

MySpace was once the top social media site in the world. People used to take photos with their friends and say “this is going on MySpace” if it was visually appealing enough. Getting someone’s information once included a “look me up on MySpace” line. MySpace was the place where artists would put exclusive, unreleased tracks up for their fans to preview. The site was responsible for launching the careers of Lily Allen and Tila Tequila. MySpace was the reason why everyone has Tom as a friend. MySpace was top dog, until Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook came in and stole its popularity the way 50 Cent demolished Ja Rule’s career. After Facebook came Twitter, and then came Tumblr, Instagram and Pinterest. By 2011, MySpace became the butt of jokes (remember, “#JoJoMustFeelLike MySpace”?). That’s why many scratched their heads when it was announced that Justin Timberlake bought MySpace in a partnership with Specific Media Group from Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. People thought that he took his role in The Social Network a little too seriously, but Timberlake promised that he would bring new ideas to bring MySpace back with a strong emphasis on music.

Today, Timberlake Tweeted a link to the MySpace relaunch video. You can check it out above and see for yourself.

Here’s Something We All Missed This Weekend: Oogieloves

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 18:19:20 -0400

If you happened to see this poster on a bus within the last month, you probably wondered “WTH is an Oogielove?”

The children’s movie The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure opened this Labor Day weekend with characters that look like a cross between the Teletubbies and the puppets from Allegra’s Window. How did the film perform in the box-office? Worse than The Adventures of Pluto Nash.

You would think a kids movie would do extremely well during a holiday weekend since kids are out of school and parents have the time to catch up on some sleep while the film rolls, but the Oogieloves made only $448,000 this weekend, making it the worst opening weekend for a wide release movie (2,000+ theatres) in history.

How does a $20 million kids movie with a cast including Toni Braxton, Cloris Leachman, Christopher Lloyd and Jamie Pressley only make $448,000 in its opening weekend? Well, did you hear about it until this post?

The movie reportedly had a $40 million promotional budget, but as an avid Saturday-morning viewer of Spongebob (I know I’m 21), I can honestly say that I have never seen a single commercial for this movie. I have never seen advertisement for this movie on a website. I have only seen the movie posters on the sides of busses thinking it was a nationwide tour of live performances for a new children’s show that I have never heard about.

Oh, and the film has been panned by critics. I’m talking Gigli-types of reviews.

The film is destined to gain a new amount of press based on its historic opening weekend, but will that press turn into ticket sales? We’ll see.

I Don’t Like Celebrities in My Politics

Sun, 02 Sep 2012 23:35:58 -0400

Clint Eastwood get’s much respect for his successful career, but after Thursday night, he has become the butt of many jokes.

In case you live under a rock and don’t know what happened, Eastwood was the surprise guest speaker at the Republican National Convention. He took to the podium with an empty chair and began addressing the, um… chair as if President Barack Obama were sitting in it. What was meant to be entertaining came across as the legendary actor/director looking like a crazy, deranged old man speaking to his imaginary friend. Needless to say, his speech was memorable, but for all the wrong reasons.

The gaffe has overshadowed GOP nominee Mitt Romney‘s acceptance speech and has been included in every late night TV talk show’s monologue. The speech left Twitter watchers with a ( ._.) face and created the #Eastwooding trend of uploading photos of people or animals addressing empty chairs. Eastwood, a notable supporter of the Republican party, intended to have his speech rally others behind GOP and Romney’s presidential run, but it fell very flat.

Eastwood is not the only celebrity to have an interest in politics bust. Oprah was the leading celebrity behind President Obama’s presidential campaign in 2008, and while many argue that he influence helped his campaign, it was reported that her show took a large dip in the ratings because her fans were not too happy with her political involvement. In the same election year, reggeaton star Daddy Yankee was an avid supported of Republican nominee John McCain, leaving his fans unimpressed and rapper Fat Joe calling him a “sellout.” (Sidenote: Where is Daddy Yankee now?)

Celebrities risk a lot when getting involved in political movements. What one celebrity sees as their chance to use their star power to make a lasting difference can come across as “annoying” or “bandwagoning” to their fans. A celebrity can go the way of Sean “Diddy” Combs and back a serious campaign likeVote or DIE which aimed to encourage young Americans to vote, or they can take the ill-faded Twitter approach of Roseanne Barrwho just doesn’t like any politician and thinks you shouldn’t either. When someone like Kelly Clarkson uses her Twitter account to voice why she thinks Ron Paul should be the GOP nominee, fans and Twitter followers wonder “Why, Kelly, should I support Ron Paul?” and question how informed she or any other celebrity is on important issues such as the economy, abortion rights, and legislation passed within the past 5 years. Although Beyonce is adored by millions and has been an avid supporter of President Obama, we should know that she will not provide a detailed account on how Obama’s policies are the ones she agrees with over Romney’s, nor does she have to. Clarkson and Beyonce are not politicians, they are entertainers, and it should be kept that way.

There is noting wrong with a celebrity voicing their opinion on an important issue that they are well informed about, but campaigning for a politician is something they do not need to to. We have people for that. Leave it to a Republican party leader, elected official, or someone with experience in government on behalf of the GOP to explain to me why we should consider Romney for president, not Eastwood, John Voit, or Jenna Jameson. I would rather hear from Bill & Hillary Clinton, Cory Booker, or Nancy Pelosi on reasons why Obama should be re-elected because they have the experience with him and government, not Sarah Jessica Parker, Mariah Carey, or Ashton Kutcher.

I don’t mind a celebrity being informed on important issues, but if they aren’t informed enough to make a strong case for their political case, then they should just stick to entertaining us, not acting as politicians.

Click Here to see Eastwood’s RNC speech.

Where do Reality “Stars” Fit In Among the Hollywood Elite?

Sun, 02 Sep 2012 17:46:54 -0400

Reality TV personality Kim Kardashian recently stated in an interview with V Magazine that she has admirations of being the first reality TV star to receive an honor on theHollywood Walk of Fame, placing her name among icons such as Meryl Streap, Michael Jackson, and Mickey Mouse.

I think there was a quote where somebody said that reality stars will never get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. So, of course I’m so competitive that I think that it would be a huge achievement and a goal that anyone would want. I would love to break that mold.

It didn’t take long before the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce replied to Kardashian’s request with a nicely worded HELL NO.

She has not been nominated. She is a reality star. We don’t do reality stars. She needs to get a real acting job then come to us.

The response does not come as a surprise to those who know what it takes be amongst the 2,400 Walk of Fame honorees, including having made a significant contribution to the motion picture, broadcast television, audio recording (music), broadcast radio, and/or theatre industries. Has Kardashian made that contribution? No. A starring role in the 2008 epic failure Disaster Movie does not earn you a spot next to an Oscar winner like Kardashian’s idol Elizabeth Taylor, and her upcoming role in Tyler Perry‘s The Marriage Counselorprobably won’t help her case either. An internet single titled “Jam” which was panned by critics and barely received air play does promise you a star next to a music legend likeElton John. So, you would think her only valid argument would be her work in television, right? Not so fast.

When you look at all of the television stars that are among those honored on the Walk of Fame, you see names of talented, hard working individuals. Bill Cosby, an accomplished comedian and star of the groundbreakingThe Cosby Show, has been honored with a star. Lucille Ball, star of the iconic sitcom I Love Lucy and the first female to head a major production studio also has a star.Carroll O’Connor, too, has a star on the walk of fame for his television contributions, most notably for his portrayal of the bigoted yet hilarious Archie Bunker on All In The Family. Although the E!’s Keeping Up With The Kardashians has made a major splash in pop culture, the factor that plays into the success of reality shows hinder Kim, her family, and other reality star’s credibility when it comes to being awarded with the Hollywood elite: They don’t have a talent.

Despite the fact that reality TV has become the most watched genre on television, it is considered one of the lowest forms of stardom, ranging from B to C- list status and while it can make an individual “popular” that same star doesn’t receive much “respect” among other talented entertainers. A reality tv star like Snooki may be popular, but the severe lack of talent prevents her from being a serious Hollywood actress, and now that MTV has announced the final season of Jersey Shore, she and her housemates will soon be forgotten. Ever notice how Kim Kardashian has appeared on the cover of almost every major fashion magazine except for US Vogue? That’s because Anna Wintour doesn’t have time for cheap stardom. Did people take Heidi Montag‘s music career seriously? Her album sold less than 1,000 in its debut week.

Taking the escalator to fame has a negative long term effect than taking the stairs. Reality TV fame is usually very short lived and limited. Just ask Paris Hilton who became a “superstar” from her reality show The Simple Life in 2004 yet now is low of the radar in 2012, despite being featured in a few movies and releasing a couple of singles that were quickly forgotten. After a while, watching someone without a talent becomes very boring, and if you don’t have anything to bring to the table, you’ll be forgotten. It’s not like we’re excited for their next great movie, waiting patiently for them to release a new song, or making a trip to New York City to see them on Broadway. We’re watching them live their lives on TV and talent is not a requirement. Sometimes we see them attempt a new entertainment project not because music or acting is their passion, but because they simply can off of their TV fame. Those very projects usually end up forgotten and severely mocked. No talent + no significant contributions to the entertainment industry + no awards or recognition = no respect.

The day Hollywood becomes desperate will be the day a highly rated reality series is valued more than a critically acclaimed scripted TV series, but until then, don’t hold your breath for an Emmy Award nomination, cemented handprints at the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, or a Star on the Walk of Fame for your favorite reality tv stars.

If You Are Going to Come at the Big O, COME CORRECT!

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 23:37:50 -0400

Last night Oprah had to address a young man on Twitter about her contributions to the “ghetto.” The debate about what Oprah has done for the African American community can go on for days. While there is always room to do more, the fact is that Oprah has done for the African American community, so this young man got embarrassed and put in his place by the Queen of Talk Shows.

C’mon, isn’t it kinda funny to see Oprah put someone in check via TWITTER?! Who knew she was that hip!

Dear Twilight Fans,

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 23:20:57 -0400

I need you all to do the rest of a world a big favor.

For those of you that were devastated over Kristen Stewart publicly admitting to cheating on boyfriend Robert Pattinson, there is something you need to get through your heads.

Lean in closely now so you can hear me.

ROBERT AND KRISTEN ARE NOT REALLY EDWARD AND BELLA! This revelation will not change the outcome of the 5th and final Twilight movie, which has already finished filming. Edward and Bella will be ok (I think.)

While I am not a fan of the book series, I am 100% sure that Kristen’s infidelity will not alter Bella’s actions in the final movie, nor will Robert’s reaction change what Edward does.

What Kristen has done cannot be changed now, and the decisions made between the two of them should be just that, between Kristen and Robert.

And no, Edward Cullen, a fictitious character, will not fall in love with YOU because of the fact that the actress that played Bella hooked up with the married Snow White & The Huntsman director.

So please, stop it with the Tweets, Facebook Fan Pages, petitions for US Weekly and People Magazine to retract their stories, photos and ACTUAL apologies from Kristen and Rupert Sanders, and the attacking & spamming of comment sections under news stories. All you have to do is go see the final Twilight film when it is released in theaters this November. And guess what else you all can do? Buy all 5 movies on Blu-Ray and relive the tale of Edward and Bella over and over and over and over and over again! Yayyyyyyy!

Sincerely,
The Rest of the Internet

Oh, The Jackson Family...

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 23:18:28 -0400

One day last week when I came home, my mother was watching the news coverage of the Jackson Family’s latest drama. After the news moved on to the next segment, my mother proclaimed “The Jackson Family have been a public circus since the 1960s.” My mother is kinda right.

Ever since the success of The Jackson 5 in 1964 the family has lived under the celebrity microscope at their own or against their will. The attention of the family as a whole accelerated in the 1980 with Michael and Janet’s rises to super-stardom. Shortly after, stories of Joe’s alleged abusive ways and infidelity made headlines, Michael couldn’t blink an eye without the paparazzi following him while he was trying to live his life the way he wanted (Bubbles the Chimp, Neverland Ranch, the birth of his kids, etc.,) and despite Janet’s attempts to keep her life as private as possible, we all found out about her secret marriage to James DeBarge in 1985 and her second marriage to Rene Elizondo after they divorced in 2000.

We know that the press makes everything they do a major news story. To this day we are still seeing reports about appeals made in the FCC’s case against CBS for Janet’s “nipple-gate” at the hands of Justin Timberlake in the 2004 Super Bowl. The press can never get enough of the alleged plastic surgeries that various members of the family have gotten (they particularly came after Michael and La Toya the most, until recently when Jermaine began appearing in public with hair that looks like black paint.) Then there are those who attack the family and bring them unwanted attention. Michael was was accused twice of sexual molestation in his adult life, while La Toya was a victim of an abusive marriage and had a best-selling book based off of lies forced by then husband Jack Gordon along with a Playboy spread and video to match. But, every now and then, a member of the family manages to make a spectacle of themselves; Joe attempting to promote a new artist shortly after Michael’s death and a cologne in the family name, Jermaine appearing on the UK version of Celebrity Big Brother, and The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty are just a few examples. Now, in the recent weeks, the Jackson family drama has been brought to the forefront by the children.

While complete details are still fuzzy, it appears that there is a rift in the family over the late King of Pop’s estate, with Janet, Jermaine, Randy and Rebbie (the only Jackson that manages to stay out of the public eye) on one side and Michael’s kids Paris, Prince Michael I and Prince Michael II (Blanket) on the other, according to reports. After a missing person’s report was filed and Paris took to her Twitter account to inform the WORLD that her grandmother, Katherine was “missing,” Jermaine took to Twitter as well to proclaim that Katherine was taking a much needed break in Arizona, even posting a picture of her playing UNO with friends. Paris continued to count the days that she had not heard from her grandmother on Twitter, and shortly after a week, all hell broke loose.

A surveillance video of an altercation between Janet and Paris made its way through the internet, with Janet allegedly slapping her niece, attempting to take her phone, and calling her that “b” word that means “a female dog.” Prince posted text messages from Janet on Twitter, Katherine lost custody of the kids to Tito’s son TJ, and the fight for Michael’s estate continues on, and every move of it is documented by family members and the media via Twitter.

Jackson Family, enough is enough.

Michael is rolling over in his grave not only over the fact that his family is involved in a bitter war, but the fact that he fought so hard for his kids to have a normal, private life yet they continue to make all of their personal business known on Twitter. This has gone so far that other people are throwing their two cents in, including Gladys Knight saying she would knock Paris’ teeth out, Chris Brown begging the family to stop for the sake of the kids (because we all know he is still convinced he is Michael Jackson) and Kiah, the rapper who is still bitter at Janet over the “So Excited” song, tweeting the kids offering her support as “Auntie Kiah” ( ._.)

There have been almost 5 decades worth of the Jackson Family’s most private moments made public, so you would think the family would know when enough was enough, right? It is really time for the Jackson family to finally come together and say “Let’s keep all of our family struggles private. Let’s try to keep the press away and let’s not go act out in public while we settle this, ok?”

I know that kids will be kids, and while Paris & Prince are too young for Twitter anyway (it REALLY should be 18+, but i digress,) someone needs to step in, teach them about privacy, and explain to them what their father REALLY went through in his struggles with fame and why Tweeting every little detail about their lives is not what he would have wanted.

Jermaine, please get off Twitter.

And Janet, girl. I know you are asserting your authority as an adult, which you should do, but you should know by now that kids are more savvy with technology than adults are. Watch what you say on the phone. And you know that house has surveillance cameras. If you are going to discipline the kids, do it AWAY from the camera!

Come on now. La Toya is the one begging for this to stop for the sake of the family’s image. La Toya!

In all, it has been 5 long decades, and the Jackson Family should know the meaning of “privacy” by now. Do it for Michael’s sake. Maybe if the Jackson’s weren’t so busy fighting, they would have seen how the first episode of the new Adult Swim show Black Dynamite ripped them all a new one (in a so wrong, yet so hilarious way.) But, I digress, again.

The Sick Obsession With Celebrity Kids

Sun, 22 Jul 2012 20:33:00 -0400

Do you remember how it was deemed “weird” for Michael Jackson to have his children Paris, Prince Michael I and Prince Michael II (Blanket) wear masks and blankets over their faces whenever they stepped out in public? Or how people were “annoyed” that Halle Berry did not opt to sell the first photos of her baby girl Nahla after giving birth? Or how “odd” it is that Beyoncé and Jay-Z to constantly cover Blue Ivy’s face whenever they brought her out of the house?

Well, it all makes sense to me now. People have taken a weird obsession with celebrity babies.

Let me say this again. PEOPLE have taken a weird OBSESSION with CELEBRITY babies.

Last week paparazzi successfully caught a photo of Beyoncé holding her daughter with her face showing, and the photo managed to find its way onto social media sites before Bey & Blue could leave the store. Naturally, the peanut gallery had comments. Her die hard fans and people who genuinely think that Blue Ivy is a cute baby had noting but nice things to say about the 6-month-old (I personally think that she is a cute lil chubby baby,) but there are those who made comments that were worthy of a Comedy Central roast, minus the element of comedy. We all know that Beyoncé has some serious haters out there in the blogosphere and they couldn’t wait until the next photo of Blue Ivy’s face surfaced to let out those obvious comments we all knew were coming; Blue has a lot of her father’s facial features, therefore making her “ugly” in their eyes. Oh, and you can’t only blame the haters on this one. Even people who never pay Beyoncé the time of day on a regular basis went out of their way to vent about Blue’s facial features.

There’s nothing wrong with seeing a cute picture of a celebrity parent with their kids every now and then. It reminds us that celebrities are humans too. But I wonder why the media and the general public care so much about celebrity babies to the point of being a fan of a child that hasn’t done anything to show off their talent as of yet. I also wondered why celebrities cared that the public cares so much, until I realized that there is a catch 22 to it: If a celebrity doesn’t show their baby’s face, people speculate and criticize over what the couple could be hiding, but showing them off allows people to criticize their appearance. Celebrity parents really can’t win. And in the age of people finding a brand new set of cojones behind their laptops without having to show their faces, people find their soap box to vent about it on a celebrity blog or social network (usually, these people have too much free time on their hands.)

Take the case of Suri Cruise. Shortly after she was born, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes did not run to a tabloid for $5 million for her first public photos. They didn’t release pictures to the public through their own website. They just went on with their lives, leaving the public to speculate & demand photos of their new born baby girl, some even saying that Suri might have been an alien baby because of the misunderstandings of Scientology in the general public (which was just plain mean.) Eventually Tom & Katie gave in and did a photo shoot with Vanity Fair and the world got to see little brown haired, blue eyed Suri, and from that day on, the tabloids and the fans were obsessed. Suri, now 6-years-old, made a Best Dressed list, beating out the likes of many Hollywood starlets. A. Best. Dressed. List. People care so much about what a 6-year-old wears that they place her on a list competing with women in their 20s & 30s, praising her for her “fashion sense” knowing damn well that Tom and Katie still help her get dressed in the morning.

Angelina Jolie gave birth to her first child Shiloh in 2006 (she had already adopted Maddox and Zahara and their faces were already tabloid regulars.) Prior to Shiloh’s birth, there was a media frenzy complete with an hour long VH1 special on the unborn child and multiple computer-simulated pictures of what she was going to look like. After she was born, Angie and Brad Pitt sold her first pics to People Magazine for millions of dollars and the issue sold millions. Fast-forward to a few years later, “fans” and spectators began criticizing Shiloh for her choice in wearing boy’s clothing, some even going as far as calling her a lesbian and a transgender. -__- Seriously. She’s a child. Many girls go through a TomBoy phase and that is most likely what she is going through too.

And speaking of exclusive photos of children for magazines, the media has unintentionally began placing a price tag on the importance of a baby. Why was it top news that Kris Jenner cannot get “top dollar” for photos of daughter Kourtney’s new born baby girl? Why are people comparing the fact that Jessica Simpson “only” received $800,000 for exclusive photos of her baby Maxwell to the $14 million Brad and Angelina received for the first public pictures of their twins? This is sick, actually. The popularity of a celebrity now plays into how much their child is worth in dollars? *shakes head* Thank goodness Brad & Angie donated that money to charity.

It is easy to see where celebrities come from when defending their kids. Yes, we know that celebrities should not care what the common folk say about their kids, but we also know that NO ONE on this earth takes it lightly when someone says ANYTHING negative about their child. Michael Jackson knew first hand how cruel people can be to famous children after being made fun of for his appearance while going through puberty. He was not about to let the world pick on is kids for they looked. He would be livid if he were alive and heard the way people talk about Blanket’s long hair and Paris’ “lack of black facial features.”

It is really unfair to publicly scrutinize a child. Celebrities have to sacrifice privacy for fame, but the child did not ask to be known by the public nor did they ask to be. We know that they are not going to live the normal life that we lived as kids, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t still KIDS. LET THEM LIVE! Let their parents be parents, and if you have kids of your own go take care of them. If a baby is cute then they’re cute, if they’re not then their not, but if you spend hours of your time online obsessing over them, then you need a new hobby. And paparazzi need to realize that stalking kids is just plain creepy. If you happen to see them out with their parents and catch a picture, cool. But if you are staking out to catch them, then you’re a creep.

These Artists Are Long Overdue for a New Album

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 10:06:00 -0400

Basking in the glories of the highly anticipated returns of R&B artist D’Angelo and rock group No Doubt, I came across a few more artists that should come back & make an album.

Justin Timberlake, you top this list. It has been 6 years since he dropped the amazing FutureSex/LoveSounds and he only holds 2 solo efforts under his belt at this point. When he is not randomly showing up on the set of Saturday Night Live for a random cameo, Justin is making movies… lots of movies. With the exception of The Social Network Justin’s movies either bomb in the box office or are panned by critics, or both (he was called “box office poision” at one point.) What the hell was In Time? And why does his IMDB say that he has three movies in post-production with a fourth in the works? I know you are getting ready to wife up Jessica Biel, but if you can find it in your heart Justin, please return to the recording studio. That “other” Justin is coming for your spot.

It wouldn’t be fair to start this off without mentioning that Missy Elliott has been privately battling with Graves Disease for years, and that very fact is why we have not heard from her in so long. While her fans are glad that she has gotten better, we are also desperately missing Missy’s music! The rap game needs Missy, it really does. She is a dope MC with a beautiful singing voice, monster producing skills, and music videos that put her in a class of her own. We will never forget Missy wearing a garbage bag in “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” or extending her head and neck in “Get Your Freak On.” Missy’s last album, The Cookbook dropped in 2005 and after overcoming illness she released the single ”Ching-a-Ling” in 2008, made guest appearances on songs with Katy Perry and J. Cole and began working on her new album, Block Party. So Missy, take your time, but we do miss you.

We know that Big Boi released Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty in 2007 and that Andre 3000 makes random appearances on various with various artists, but the last time we received a collective effort from the two emcees under the moniker OutKast was on the soundtrack to the movie Idlewild 2006. We have heard from Big Boi and Dre separately, but can we please have another OutKast album? It’s not like yall broke up as a group! It doesn’t matter if its another double album like Speakerboxx/ The Love Below or anything like your classics Aquemini and Stankonia, but now that OutKast as a group have signed to Epic Records under L.A. Reid, it’s time to get that collective magic going again! That is, of course, after Dre finishes shooting the Jimi Hendrix movie.

Hip-Hop fans already knew to give up on hopes of the now urban legend-like album Detox. If you still believe that Dr. Dre will release an album, this article by Hiphopwired.com will change your mind (and make you laugh.) I don’t ever want to hear Dr. Dre mention the word “detox” ever again unless he is stating a release date after it. It has been 13 years, I repeat THIRTEEN YEARS since Dre dropped 2001. (It was released in 1999. This can be a bit confusing lol.) Between then and now, Dre worked with artists like Eminem, 50 Cent, and more recently, Kendrick Lamar. He has also hit the gym extra hard, but still managed to make a guest appearance here and there on some tracks. Then, the man made headphones. Not just any headphones, but BEATS by Dre headphones that are selling like hot cakes. The reality is, at this point Dre doesn’t need to release an album, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t nor does it mean that he will. So until he puts the dumbbell down and takes his Beats off his ears, we have a better chance of getting an album from Hologram Tupac. I personally think that Dr. Pepper should make the same bet wit Dre that they did with Guns N’ Roses. Maybe that will light a fire under his foot.

The undisputed queen of “Were is Your New Music”-dom is Lauryn Hill. We all know the story. L-Boogie dropped the classic The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1998, sold millions, won 5 Grammys, and solidified her stance as a star separate from the Fugees. Then she went into hiding after being dissatisfied with the music industry, and we were all sad. You made an appearance on MTV Unplugged with some new material, but a full length album did not follow. At one point there was an effort for a Fugees reunion, but after one new song with Lauryn, Wyclef Jean, and Pras, the reunion fell apart. She then began touring again, and every time we think Miss Hill is about to make a musical comeback, something happens. Most of the time this road block is pregnancy which is fine, but failing to pay your taxes is not ok. Hopefully, Lauryn’s sentence will be short, and after she comes out of jail (if she ends up serving jail time) she’ll go straight to the studio. There is too much talent there for her not to!

Finding Nemo 2 and the Movie Sequel Gamble

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 11:23:18 -0400

*Deep Sighs* Another day, another movie sequel announced.

According to the Entertainment Weekly, director Andrew Stanton has announced plans to release a sequel to the 2003 smash Disney/Pixar animated film Finding Nemo, having already chosen a producer and screenwriter for the project.

The original film, the heartwarming story of a father clown fish traveling the Great Barrier Reef in search of his son abducted by a big scary man with a snorkel became a worldwide hit, grossing over $800 million in the box office and winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Picture and added to the Disney/Pixar reign that just won’t let up.

At the ending of the film after Marlin finds Nemo and returns home, you got that “Well this story has a happy ending, it’s a done deal” feeling, but as the credits rolled, you were hit with the “Oh wait. This is a critically acclaimed and successful DISNEY film. There will be an inevitable sequel in the coming years” thought if you kept in mind pattern of recent Hollywood films.

It feels like Hollywood is running out of film ideas these days, and among all of the (usually sub-par) classic movie remakes and TV shows or Broadway plays being made into films, an original idea will come along, be made into a film, and become a huge success. Then what happens? A sequel is announced in an attempt to milk that film for all it is worth. It is so predictable now that you can basically count on an additional movie being made for any film that makes more that $50 million in the box office or for a movie idea that producers know from the jump will be a cash cow. Example: Captain America and The Avengers sequels were already in talks before the movies were even released because of a huge multi-picture deal made since film versions of classic comics usually bring in the big bucks.

Sequels are so common now that in 2011, a record 27 sequels to films were released, an all time high. The problem with sequels are their hit or miss risk. An addition to a movie can either build upon the film franchises legacy or put a minor (sometimes HUGE) dent in it, especially with films that weren’t made to have sequels originally.

Perfect example. Grease was released in 1978. The film version of the Broadway musical was a commercial success and critically acclaimed. It remains popular ever with a new generation, so much so that you can almost always guarantee for it to trend on Twitter every time is airs on VH1. What happened after its initial success? Paramount released Grease 2 in 1982, that’s what. This movie was plagued with problems. For oneall of the seniors (except Frenchie) were set to graduate at the end of the first musical, so why go on? And since all of the seniors graduated, none of the original cast returned for the sequel (except Frenchie.) It’s always a bad sign when an additional movie installment fails to keep its stars on board. To top it all off the script just wasn’t good, and Grease 2 was panned by critics and underperformed in ticket sales upon its release.

There are many movies that were meant to have more than one installment. Christopher Nolan’s Batman was meant to be a trilogy with The Dark Knight being better than Batman Begins. Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill ended up being so long that the film had to be cut into two volumes. Movies based on a series of novels like Harry Potter, Twilight, The Hunger Games, and the up-and-coming 50 Shades of Grey continue on until the books series ends, as long as the previous film performs well.

But surprise hits like The Hangover take a chance when wanting to capitalize on the success of one film with more movies. Fans and critics of
the first film were not as welcoming to The Hangover 2. The Matrix was acclaimed, The Matrix Reloaded was so-so, while The Matrix Revolutions was just a let down. Barbershop became an unexpected sensation, while we really could have done without Barbershop 2: Back in Business. Remember when most of the sequels in Disney’s “Renaissance Era” (The Little Mermaid, Beauty & The Beast, The Lion King) were sent straight to VHS without a theatrical release in the 90s/early 00s? Exactly.

Don’t get me wrong, some movies have surprisingly great additions. Toy Story 3 was amazing (almost brought me to tears.) X2: X-Men United is often said to be better that the first X-Men film released. But for every Bourne Supremacy & Ultimatum, Spiderman II and Godfather II you have a Bluesbrothers 2000, a Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights and a Godfather III.

As we sit and wait for the upcoming sequels to Monsters, Inc, Anchorman, The Bourne Saga, Taken (they’re really going to kidnap Liam Neeson’s daughter twice though?), and The Hangover (again) all we can do is hope for a top-notch installment, but brace ourselves if it is the complete opposite.

And why would paranoid Marlin lose Nemo again anyway?

American Idol: Past, Present… Future?

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 19:35:22 -0400

Eleven seasons ago, American Idol was the show that brought former pop-star Paula Abdul back into the spotlight and introduced us to musician/record producer Randy Jackson and UK A&R Simon Cowell. We grew to love the combination of Cowell’s blunt, sometimes too blunt (often seen as tool-worthy) criticism with Abdul playing the nice character while coming across as dazed and Jackson’s usage of the word “Dawg.” While viewers were there to cheer on the likes of Kelly Clarkson (who is now a judge on another singing competition show, ABC’s “Duets”) Carrie Underwood, Fantasia Barrino, Taylor Hicks, and Jordin Sparks to name a few, people enjoyed the on-air antics of Abdul and Cowell’s sharp tongue, tuning in to hear what Abdul and Cowell had to say about the new batch of stars on the rise.

Around the 7th season, the novelty of the show started to wear off, and with the exceptions of the adorable David Archuleta and the glam-rock style of Adam Lambert, the talent presented didn’t stand out like it did in previous seasons. Let’s be honest, the talent got boring, so people stopped watching. I, too lost interest in the 7th season. In the 8th season, the show attempted to make things interesting by adding a 4th judge, songwriter Kara DioGuardi. Abdul was ousted in the 9th season, and her replacement was comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, which, although DeGeneres has a likeable personality, left viewers wondering “Why is she judging a singing competition?” DeGeneres, DioGuardi (she wasn’t received well by the audiance) and show veteran Cowell were out at the end of the 9th season. Cowell went on to host the next UK originated competition show brought to America, “The X Factor” and brought back everyone’s favorite nice judge Abdul leaving Jackson on the American Idol island all by himself, dawg.

There also was a new wave of competition shows on the rise boasting star power. With ”The X-Factor” having judges Cowell, L.A. Reid, Britney Spears, and Demi Lovato (Lovato and Spears are replacing Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger,) CBS’s “The Voice” having Christina Aguilera, Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, Cee-Lo Green and Blake Shelton, and “Duets” with Clarkson, Robin Thicke, John Legend, and Jennifer Nettles, Idol began to face stiff competition.

The 10th season brought Jackson back with two new judges, rock legend and Aerosmith front-man Steven Tyler and singer, actress, dancer, designer, and entrepreneur Jennifer Lopez. On paper, the addition of Tyler and Lopez sounded like rating gold, but the reality was, while the show saw a minor spike in ratings in the beginning of the 10th season, the show lost 23% of its views by the end of the 11th season, according to USA Today. This week, Tyler announced his departure from Idol, with Lopez doing the same the following day, and rumors have begun to surface that Jackson is also ready to leave the show after 11 seasons. So, what is next for American Idol?

Initial reports by People Magazine and other news outlets stated that Mariah Carey is in serious talks to be a judge on the show. Carey was originally in talks to be a judge on “The X Factor” with Cowell and Reid confirming her involvement with the show, but season one came and passed, with no Carey in sight. There have also been reports from various news outlets including Rolling Stone Magazine that the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin has expressed interest in being a judge for the singing competition. Canadian-born singing superstar Celine Dion and the reigning Queen of Hip-Hip Soul Mary J. Blige’s names have also been shopped around for the opportunity.

Carey would serve as a necessity to the show. Aside from bringing her legions of unwavering fans to the TV sets every week, Carey is an accomplished and well known SINGER, something the judges table has been missing in all 11 seasons. Plus, we all know Carey will bring some personality to the table, and anyone who has watched her in an interview knows this. She has a larger-than-life diva mentality with bird tendencies, (example: ”Them chickens is ash & I’m lotion”) a grade A shade thrower, still acts and dresses like she’s 18-years-old, and can talk for days with her New Yorker/I’m a Diva, dah-ling accent. Carey can bring back ratings and breath new life into the show.

Franklin, renowned as one of the greatest vocalists of all time, too will fill that void of having a true vocalist on the judges panel that Idol lacks. I also see Franklin being 100% honest will each and every contestant like Cowell was but not as mean, yet giving words of encouragement to all of the newcomers (listen to Trey Songz’s debut album “Just Gotta Make It” to see what I mean.) Being the music legend that she is, Franklin will also bring her loyal fans to the show, opening the door for the show to win older viewers.

The show should go back to the format of 4 judges like it was in the 8th and 9th seasons and the formula that their competitors are using, with two vocalists (I’m over here rooting for Carey and Franklin) a musician/producer judge to provide the point of view as a musician writing and working with vocalists and an A&R to give the real deal as to what music industry executives are looking for in signing and working with a singer. The A&R and musician elements of American Idol are what made the show more realistic in the beginning, because we all know that singers do not only work with other singers in the bsuiness of music. While I highly doubt that Clive Davis (who served as a guest judge on season 3 and picked the songs for the top 3 finalists for a few more) will want do the job, I would’t mind seeing him judge the new batch of talent, since he is the man behind many music legends. Although he is not as seen publicly as Davis and Reid, Barry Weiss of Island Def Jam and Universal Music Group could fill this void, or the show can have Motown legend Berry Gordy serve as the needed A&R judge. As far as musicians/producer go, there are many worthy to sit at the Idol table. I would personally petition for Quincy Jones and/or Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black”) for this position, with Jones being a legend in music and Ronson being successful and acclaimed in recent years. And, of course, Ryan Seacrest isn’t going anywhere.

In all, American Idol is going to have to pull out the big guns (and MILLIONS of dollars) in order to be #1 again and compete with the other singing competition shows on TV.

This was the moment of the night. In light of the passing of the...

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 01:02:20 -0500

This was the moment of the night.

In light of the passing of the legendary Whitney Houston, Jennifer Hudson paid tribute to the late singer with a rendition of her signature song “I Will Always Love You.”

So touching.

Watch and be moved.

We will always love you, Whitney Houston.

ALL GOOD VIBRATIONS OVER HERE!!! The Beach Boys...

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:07:00 -0500

ALL GOOD VIBRATIONS OVER HERE!!!

The Beach Boys REUNITED!!!

Check out their first live performance in years above with Maroon 5 and Foster the People to kick off their 50 year Anniversary!!!

(Unfortunately, this is the best video of the performance I can find for now. When I find a new one, I will update this post.)

Just months after having a surgery on her throat for a vocal...

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:43:33 -0500

Just months after having a surgery on her throat for a vocal hemmorage, Adele made a triumphant return at the 2012 Grammy Awards.

Not only did she walk away with 6 awards in a single night (ties with Beyonce for most received by a female artist in one night) but she blew viewers away and received a standing ovation for her first major performance post surgery.

Watch Adele perform “Rolling In The Deep” above.

Nicki Minaj brought the controversy last night. While performing...

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:38:40 -0500

Nicki Minaj brought the controversy last night.

While performing her new single “Roman Holiday” Mz. Minaj managed to offend the Catholic Church… and then some.

You be the judge. Check out her performance above.

I personally miss the old Nicki. The Nicki that was a sick MC. Mixtape Nicki> This.

Surprisingly to me, one of the best performances of last...

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:33:32 -0500

Surprisingly to me, one of the best performances of last night’s Grammy Awards came from Rihanna!

Check out her performance with Coldplay above.

(WATCH FOR HER WILLIE BOUNCE!!!! LOL)

This is lovely. Organizers of the Dubai Mall arranged for their...

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:11:12 -0500

This is lovely.

Organizers of the Dubai Mall arranged for their beautiful fountain to synchronize to the late Whitney Houston’s signature song “And I Will Always Love You” over the weekend.

Watch above.

R.I.P. Whitney. We miss you.

30 Questions for the 2012 Grammys

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:47:41 -0500

(photo credit: Gossip on This)

The Grammys were last night… and I have a few questions (as I think we all do.)

Where is Nicki Minaj and what has Roman done with the Nicki we originally fell in love with?
Do you think Sophia Grace & Rosie’s mommies will continue to let them sing Nicki songs after all of that?
Where you shocked that Lady Gaga didn’t walk the red carpet, perform, or win a single televised award?
Why were Jill Scott and Marsha Ambrosious not nominated for best R&B album?
What did you think of Chris Brown’s return to the Grammy stage?
Did you see that Twitter rumor that Lil’ Wayne got arrested backstage before his performance?
And what was Weezy wearing?
Do you prefer it when Rihanna doesn’t sing live?
But wasn’t her performance better than expected?
Where were Etta James & Don Cornelius in the “In Memorial” slide show?
Why didn’t Jennifer Hudson sing all of “And I Will Always Love You”?
But wasn’t it still so damn touching?
Did Adele kill it or what for someone who just got through a vocal surgery?
Who was that chick with the Machine Gun dress on the Red Carpet?
Wasn’t it great to see The Beach Boys reunited?
Bruno Mars, why you mad that Adele won that award and not you? Why did you throw a temper tantrum?
Was it really a surprise that Adele walked away with 6 awards?
Wasn’t it nice to hear Carrie Underwood sing with Tony Bennett in a genre other than country?
When will Taylor Swift stop acting all surprised when people applaud her performances & when she wins awards? (She’s so humble lol)
Do you know who Bon Iver are? (It’s a band actually.)
Katy Perry to Russel Brand… Shots fired much?
What was with that free colonoscopy commercial?
Were you nervous when Bruno Mars said he was going to “hit his James Brown”?
But weren’t you shocked that he actually killed it?
And how does Bruno keep his hair like that?
Was Tamar Braxton (Toni Braxton’s sister) mad that her husband Vince was sitting next to Lady Gaga and not her?
How long until they offer Adele’s ex money for an exclusive sit-down interview?
You think he’s mad now?
What was with that super long Chipotle commercial?
LL Cool J as a host… yay or nay?

The World lost one of its greatest voices yesterday. If you are...

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:19:17 -0500

The World lost one of its greatest voices yesterday.

If you are over the age of 18 or if you are young with a good knowledge in music history, then you know of Whitney Houston not for the tabloid stories about her personal life, not for her appearance on ex-husband Bobby Brown’s reality show, and not for her more recent performances, but for the talent that she was blessed with and shared with the world.

You know her for songs like “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” “The Greatest Love of All” “How Will I Know” “It’s Not Right, But It’s Ok” “Your Love Is My Love” and “Saving All My Love.” You know her for her movies “The Preachers Wife” “Waiting to Exhale” the TV version of “Cinderella” and “The Bodyguard.” You know her for her rendition of The National Anthem at the 1991 Super Bowl, which then became a #1 single.

You know her for her timeless hit “And I Will Always Love You” and you know that no one will ever be able to sing it the way she did. You know that is her signature song.

You know that her voice was one of a kind, and it could never be imitated nor duplicated.

Born in Newark, NJ, Whitney Houston got her roots singing Gospel with her mother Cissy Houston. After a career in modeling, Houston was introduced to Clive Davis, and the rest is undisputed music history. Her album Whitney made her the first female artist in history to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200. She is the only artist to have seven consecutive #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. She received over 400 career awards, including 6 Grammy awards, 2 Emmy Awards, 22 American Music Awards, 30 Billboard Awards, and many many more.

Houston was found dead in her room in the Beverly Hills Hotel yesterday afternoon. The cause of death is still unknown.

While Houston had a tumultuous personal life that was heavily documented and scrutinized in the public eye, there is no denying her talent and the legacy she has left in music.

Because at the end of the day, we will always know, remember, and celebrate that voice.

R.I.P. Whitney Houston.

M.I.A. is not only featured in Madonna’s new song &...

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:48:03 -0500

M.I.A. is not only featured in Madonna’s new song & video, but she has a new video out herself!

Check out one of the best videos out now “Bad Girls.”

The car tricks, the song, the dancing… THIS VIDEO IS EVERYTHING!!!