Celebrity: The Life for Me?

I have always dreamed of being in the spotlight. Singing, acting, dancing, whatever. It didn’t matter to me. I just wanted FAME. Now, I’m not so sure. The scandal, rumors, and lies associated with the life of a celebrity seem to outweigh the benefits of renowned adoration and money. Besides, we all know money can’t buy you happiness, or love for that matter. (Don’t believe me – Ask New York if she has found Mr. Right yet) I would much rather have the love and adoration of a husband and children one day. The TRUE love that is. My life – Perfect the way it is.

-Blessings!

Privacy when it's convient!

Celebrities say they want privacy but how much do they really want it? It seems like they complain about the paparazzi and the bad media they get when things are going bad but what about when things are going bad. When celebrities have a good, drama free life going they want their privacy but when things are going bad or they feel they have fallen from the public radar they can’t get enough coverage. Some of the same celebs who bash the media in good times want to produce their own show on their road to recovery. They invite the media when they need them, i.e. using the media, so what makes them think the media won’t do the same when they need a good cover story?

Celebrities have been known to have their fair share of legal battles with the media over the appropriateness of some of the photos and videos that are shown to the public. Is it me or is there a double standard? When you are trying to enjoy life on the beach you want the media to stay away but when you are trying to recover from a drug addiction or alcoholism that has taken your career through a downward spiral, then you want the exposure so everyone can see what a triumphant person you are.

Celebrities need to make up their minds. Celebs like Steve-O who now has a show soon to premiere entitled, “Rise and Demise”. He has had a drug addiction and been an alcoholic for years but now wants the media to cover his road to recovery.

I do understand celebs want to do better with their lives but I wish they would make up their minds when it comes to their face being in the media. If you want the coverage when things are bad you shouldn’t mind when they are good.

"What"ter?!

Twitter. What does that word even mean? I don’t know. Personally, I don’t care. But the site seems to be all the rage today, often used in conjunction with my personal addiction Facebook.

I am not on twitter, have never been on the site, and do not plan on getting on it. Why? Because I see no point at all for it. At all. From what I understand about the site, in a nutshell, people get on to set a status about what they think or what they are doing in their lives at the moment. You also have ability to subscribe to others people’s feeds. (did I mention I find it pointless)

In order for this thing to work, I would have to find some way to access the Internet all day to tell random people my life’s events. Let’s see: “Went to class” – 9 am, “Ate. It was good” – 11 am, “Bored in class” – 2 pm… The only good I see in this is for the person that may decide it’s a fine time to stalk me now.

And what was the deal with the whole Ashton Kutcher and CNN following. A waste of life to me. Okay, so you have all these followers. Now what? Must have been the highlight of their year.

Needless to say, this is one person who won’t be joining the ranks of twitter… Can someone please tell me what that means!?

Real Love or Real Fake?

“For the Love of Ray J?” “Flavor of Love?” “Flavor of Love 2?” “Flavor of Love 3?” “I Love New York?” “I Love New York 2?” Wow. I don’t know where to start. In the past years, reality TV shows have taken on the task of being a matchmaker. Every show seems to be “The Bachelor” on steroids. Bringing complete strangers together under one roof and having them compete for the love of a below b-list celebrity (I use the word celebrity oh-so-loosely). At the end of about a month, two people are supposed to be in love and live happily ever after. Complete crap. (I am STILL disgusted that anyone would even think to touch any body part of the above man known as Flava Flav!)

Who finds love in a month?! Each of these shows start off with about thirty or so contestants and they are expected to find true love in thirty days or less. Some people cannot find true love in thirty years. Complete bullshit. They completely go against the idea of “finding true love”. The shows are very similar. There is always one crazy male or female on the show that keep you watching from week to week. And of course they don’t win the lover at the end, but they (usually) do win their very own show and a free ride to “celebrity” status (again, I use the word loosely). Many of the love scenes in the shows are really soft core porn scenes. The idea of love is a mockery.

Most of the characters on the shows are looking for exposure and trying to launch their own acting careers. In “Flavor of Love”, one of the contestants eventually got her own show and was seen in a movie confirming that she was clearly looking to start a career in acting. Love – merely a sidebar. There are right ways and wrong ways to find love and show like these are definitely the wrong way.

Some people look at these shows, see the behavior, and think it is appropriate, especially the younger generation. If they base love off of reality shows, all they need to find is a couple of drunken whores willing to screw them on regular intervals. Now that’s a whole lot of love!

Now, do I watch these shows? YES, I do. There is something about the mindless entertainment that pulls me in weekly. Note the phrase mindless entertainment” though. I can decipher reality from “reality”. As long as I can do that, I will continue to watch. Hey, I need a good laugh every once in a while.

Redemption or Reaction to Getting Caught?

Clifford Harris Jr. a.k.a. “T.I.” has been in and out of the spotlight for almost a decade. He performed numerous concerts and has recorded six albums on his path to worldwide fame. Most believed he had overcome his hard past to become a true Hip Hop icon.

However, his former life eventually caught up with him. In recent years he has been in and out of the courtroom battling for his freedom and recently he was convicted on weapons charges that landed him in more trouble than he could have ever imagined. This violation of his probation has assured him one thing - he will be going to jail. The question is, for how long.

Knowing he will be facing jail time, Harris suddenly decided to change the lives of young men and women who were headed down the same path he was, the wrong path. Through MTV, he named and created a show, “Road to Redemption”. In this show, Harris visits with young people to show them the consequences of staying in the streets and leading a life of crime. He was determined to change these young men’s lives before he was sentenced. Or that’s what he wants the public to believe.

The idea of this show came under the terms of Harris’s sentence. He was ordered to perform community service in order to pay his debt to society. In return, he would receive some leniency from the judge. Hmmmm…. One has to wonder (and I do) if he was doing this just to be on TV or if he was genuinely trying to change others lives or if all he was worried about was a lesser sentence. And who is to say that the lives of the young people are actually being changed? It takes more than a day or two to change a LIFESTYLE. If the cameras were in front of me, and T.I. was at my side, I would pretend to be changed too. Is this show indeed a “show”?

Personally, I believe Harris is somewhat genuine in his attempt to change lives. For some, it takes the threat of having something precious (such as freedom) stripped away before they see the wrong they have been doing. Some may see this show and think the artist is putting on this act because he was caught. I think he recognizes that he broke the law and must be punished for his actions but only to an extent. I still question whether he is a changed man. Needless to say, I am looking forward to seeing what his life will be like after he is released.

From Meal Plans to Millions

For a few lucky college players, the professional draft for their respective sports is a life changing experience. Going from a college dorm to a million dollar condo is every players dream. But are they ready for the responsibility of being a professional ballplayer AND a celebrity? Do they really comprehend what the new lifestyle brings? Being a professional adds millions of dollars to your bank account but it also adds you to the spotlight. Being in the spotlight is the equivalent of having ZERO privacy. You are almost required to have a “perfect” life. The smallest mistake can turn into the biggest story of the year.

Often, we have seen celebrities get bad press for incidents you and I see occurring daily, especially on a college campus. Simple traffic violations for a celeb can be seen on TMZ, Entertainment Tonight, and any other network that will air the story. What these professional have to remember is that their lives are not considered normal. In college, administration and coaches can have bad grades and DUIs swept under the rug. Life after college is totally different. The players are expected to enjoy life but enjoy it under a high-powered microscope.

While celebs have more responsibility than the average Joe, I do believe they should be free to live their own lives without fear of having their picture being taken during one of life’s awkward moments. Athletes, I also charge you with upholding the standards that those who idolize you believe you posses. Remember the days when you were young, watching your favorite player, hoping, dreaming, wishing that were you in ten years. Don’t take that dream away.

Time to Equal The "Punishing" Field

Recently celebrity Chris Brown was arrested for physically assaulting R&B singer Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty. The two were known to have been in a relationship for a while before the incident occurred. There were rumors that Brown and Fenty had an argument that got heated and turned into a physical altercation between the two. Brown turned himself in and was charged with felony battery charges. Almost immediately, the press turned the story into a media circus.

Both performers immediately pulled out of their appearances at the Grammy’s. For Brown, the bad times had just begun. He was scheduled to make an appearance on the upcoming Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards. Once the charges had surfaced, people started to show concern and asked that Brown either be pulled from the show or remove himself. Brown voluntarily pulled out of the show and lost even more fans. The media coverage continued and Brown’s name continued to be dragged through the dirt. He also had a Wrigley’s chewing gum commercial in rotation on several networks that was very popular. The commercial was pulled almost immediately after the story broke.

There are hundreds of cases of assault on women reported each year. The men that are guilty in these cases are almost never reported and if they are reported they are not given as bad a rap as Chris Brown received. No, I’m not saying that assault is okay for celebrities to get away with. However, I feel like the only reason Brown got the coverage he got is because he is a celebrity. Scratch that, I KNOW the only reason is because he is a celebrity. Anyone else would have been given a pass or at least been out of jail within a days time, free to resume their normal functioning lives.

Whether it is a celebrity or a regular citizen, assault is assault. Whether it is a female or a male, abuse should not be overlooked for a regular citizen yet sensationalized for a celebrity. While I am not giving Brown a pass for what he did, I do feel like he is being ostracized for the wrong reasons. Yes he did cross the line when he physically harmed a female but he should be treated just like any other woman beater rather than crucify him because he is a celebrity. Or perhaps we can use his case to set a stricter standard for regular citizens. I urge police, lawmakers, politicians… anyone with a voice to demand harsher laws for ANYONE who has the audacity to put their hands on someone else. In this case, for once, let’s put everyone on an equal playing field.

The Stink Over Skinny

I'm sure you have heard about it by now and if you haven't, you have seen pictures on foxnews, cnn, or some other website. Her recent weight gain has once again placed Jessica Simpson at the top of celebrity news sites. It's been several years since Simpson and her "Dukes of Hazzard" days and I guess that was how the public wanted to continue to view Simpson - as an underweight, toned, Barbie Doll. But does the public know what she had to endure to maintain that level of fitness?How about you try two hour workouts, six days a week with a vigorous combination of squats, running, lunges, and weight resistance exercises. THEN we will see how many continue to criticize. Simpson happens to like the new shape that her her body has taken. Hell, all that should matter is that she feels comfortable in her own skin. She is a representation of the real American woman's figure and one less celebrity that woman starve themselves to look like so America will be more accepting of them. So let her live how she wants to. There are millions of Americans who are more than anorexic size but don't have loads of photographers in their face at all times of the day. Let this woman be happy with her curves! Now, Simpson does need to start thinking about clothes that would be flattering for a bigger woman, but that's a blog for another day.

Blessings!

Blackberry Blues

Last week in my information sciences class we had a pretty heated discussion and though it was in the realm of politics, it had nothing to do with the terrible economy or our views on foreign policy. It had everything to do with a small device many people use on a daily basis - a blackberry. Now before you judge, this was not a meaningless shallow conversation focused on what style is the best or the newest color craze. The conversation was one of national security so to speak... Should President Barack Obama be allowed to keep his blackberry? If you were to ask President Obama, he would quickly answer yes and tell you he intends to "hang on" to it. He told CNN just days ago that he would indeed be keeping his beloved blackberry. For him, it was a means to stay connected to the people he represents in order to break free from the bubble the presidency puts him in. And he says he understands the importance of thinking about what he writes before pressing the send button.

So what seems to be the problem? Well, most of the controversy surrounds the fact that a president is using such a device to send outbound email and every White House communication must be recorded. If President Obama no longer bore the title of president, even if he was a lesser leader, say a senator perhaps, he would still be able to keep his blackberry with no problem. For many, this is where the disagreements begin.

Because Obama is the leader of the United States, there are many that feel he should be extra careful in every aspect of his life, even if that mean sacrificing some parts of his personal life for the added security of the country. They fear communications will leak out to those who search for weakness in the government and this tool will be all the need to take over. Maybe it is just me, but that sounds a bit extremist. I'm sure intelligence of great importance would not be reduced to the mere capabilities of a cell phone. And as I recall, one of the reasons some people like President Obama so much is because he brought a younger vibe to the White House with his use of new technology. Apparently, some have forgotten that.

I think President Obama should be allowed to keep his blackberry. Yes, he is our leader, but he is also the leader of a family. Two beautiful children and a wife... Is it too much to ask for him to be able to keep in touch with his family while he is away, to communicate with them in the most efficient way possible. I think not. I mean come on... It's just a blackberry. Keep on smiling Mr. President... and feel free to make that smile by way of a text.

Spotlight on Tragedy

I would love to have a career in the entertainment world, but I have often thought to myself “at what price would this career come?” I enjoy the crowds and being around a group of people every once in a while everyone wants/needs some alone time for one reason or another. I do believe that the words “celebrity privacy” has become somewhat of an oxymoron. So, should one assume that in order to have a life of fame and worldwide recognition a person makes the conscious decision to open themselves up to every aspect of their lives no matter how intimate they are? Some would answer yes and others would respond no. Me, I’m a bit torn.

Take for instance the recent tragedy that occurred with Jennifer Hudson. Her mother, brother, and nephew were shot and killed a little more than two months ago. The estranged husband of Hudson’s sister was charged with the murders. Ever since the murders, reporters have been swarming around Hudson trying to get the perfect shot that showcases just the right amount of sorrow. To me, she did not have time to grieve privately because the whole world was watching. And what did the world seem to want to know the most – if Hudson would make it through this and regain her position among Hollywood’s elite. In “Jennifer Hudson’s Return to the Spotlight,” Marc Malkin was more than happy to “exclusively tell you that Ms. Hudson will return to the stage for the first time since her horrific family tragedy…” He then goes on to list what appearances she is rumored to make in the next coming weeks and you can tell he takes pride in this “exclusive” news. Makes you wonder if he cares more about the heartache Hudson has overcome or the promotion he is sure to get soon if his connections keep him abreast of all the latest news.

In this case, Hudson should have been given complete privacy. Yes, when a person makes the choice to step into the spotlight every aspect of their life is magnified and they will know it. If one strand of hair is out of place when leaving a hotel they must have been sleeping with someone or if one bump on their lip appears they automatically have herpes. It is the life of a celebrity. They are placed on a pedestal as the role model of role models and they know it. So yes, it becomes a trade off of sorts. But some things are just sacred and should be left alone. The triple murder is one of them. Sure, you can report on what happened and give an update when new information becomes available, but to constantly talk about her grief does nothing for her. Maybe she wanted to watch some television to get away from what was happening. That would have been pointless because for weeks she was all over the news. Yes, there are fans and people feel for her they knew nothing about Hudson to stand in masses outside of the funeral of her family. Let that time be for the real family and friends.

Yes, celebrities put themselves in the spotlight but I sometimes think we forget that they are real people made of the same flesh and blood as the rest of us. Just as we grieve, have joy, fight, and have relationships that don’t work, so do they. It is okay to look at them as role models and wonder what their life is really like but until we learn to establish a much needed line, celebrity privacy will prove to be one of the biggest oxymoron out there.