Well, well looks like Bobby Brown has packed on the pounds. Bobby
and his double chin will be sweating it out on “Celebrity Fit Club” scheduled to air in 2010.

According to TMZ, he will be joined by cast members from “High School Musical”, “Baywatch” and “The Practice,” which will include Shar Jackson, Nicole Eggert, Tanisha Thomas, Casey Stroh, and Michael Badalucco. Is this the best Celebrity Fit Club can come up with?

I wonder if Bobby, who has always been tough to handle (to say the least) will succumb to the grueling boot camp and all the rules of “Celebrity Fit Club.” Many “stars” *cough* before him, like for instance Dustin (a-hole) Diamond aka “Screech” of “Saved By The Bell” fame, did not fair too well and had too much of an attitude to be on the show and ended up leaving.

Bobby’s track record of being an abusive crack smoking husband 
married to Whitney Houston (although she is not innocent by any means) certainly has crushed his popularity over the years.

Bobby better decide if he still wants to use his “My Prerogative” attitude or man up and stay on the show.

I happen to catch Bobby on D.L. Hughley’s show one night, and he sang My Prerogative, (it WAS a kick ass dance song) or I should say, he attempted to sing it. It was SO bad, it was painful to hear. His years of drug abuse, alcoholism and cigarettes really reeked havoc on his voice. It was totally shot. Don’t get me wrong, I do not have one smidgen of sympathy for this man.

His years or partying, abuse and just being an all around IDIOT have really caught up to him.

A Young Bobby Brown Back In  The Day

It's anyone's bet whether or not Brown will show up on "Celebrity Fit Club." The man can not seem to stay out of trouble. After all... he has been juggling living at two different homes over the years. *snicker*

But then again, ”reality” tv shows have to film their shows way in advance, so maybe this show has already wrapped?  Who knows. I just may have to tune into Celebrity Fit Club this time around, just to see Bobby sweating his butt off and being told what to do.

Will Whitney be at home watching with a big tub of popcorn? I only hope she will be tickled silly over getting to see a little pay back 
served up to Brown, rather than her cheering him on, because I never want to see Whitney, or anyone for that matter, looking like this again.

Crack is Definitely Whack!

To be fair, Bobby wasn’t all to blame for their insane relationship. It takes two to tango don’t forget. (geez! I sound like my Dad)
They were total partners in crime. And she should have left long ago. And of course Brown has always said that he never did cocaine before Whitney came along. HIS WORDS. Yeah ok.

I just know that I saw Whitney go from a vibrant and beautiful singer to an abused and skinny drug abuser after the two of them hooked up.

Their reality show they did together, “Being Bobby Brown” was short lived and a disaster, and Whitney ended up paying a huge price for standing by her man.

Now I was never a Whitney Houston fan, “I Will Always Love You,” has always pierced my brain, but she does have a beautiful voice. Even though her music is not my style, I do hope her recovery continues and that “The Voice” is able to get more of it back.

Her recent appearance singing on “Good Morning America” in Central Park and her talk with Oprah had her fans out in droves. Houston’s interview with Oprah was a far cry from her raspy voiced  interview with Diane Sawyer on Prime Time  (part 1) back in 2002, which is where her infamous “crack Is whack” quote came from. It was beyond obvious that she was in much denial, and very defensive. And Here is Part 2 of the interview, where she talks about her past missed appearances, drugs and actual footage of their marriage to Brown along with their 800 guests in her $40,000 wedding gown. 

In that interview, Whitney and Bobby were already married for 10 years and at that time she said she didn’t want to let go of Brown. I am just glad, as well as her fans, she finally did let go of him.
Bobby ends up joining the interview later on and denied he ever hit her and he said he was diagnosed as being bi-polar and denied all other drug use except smoking pot. *snicker* (Here are parts 3, 4, and 5 of that  2002 interview  if you are interested.)

Whitney’s recent interview with Oprah was like night and day in comparison to the interview with Diane Sawyer back in 2002. She looked like Whitney again. Finally Whitney came clean about the drug abuse, Bobby’s physical abuse and his infidelity and how her mother saved her life with an intervention and valiantly had Whitney removed from her house and forced her into rehab. Thank you Mom!

Her recent performance on GMA in Central Park definitely showed how much her voice has suffered from years of ”partying” and it was quite obvious that she wasn’t able to sing all the parts of the song and she seemed quite winded.

Rumors have it that ABC “digitally sweetened” her songs as reported by Gawker. But  it didn’t matter to her fans one iota, who seemed very elated to see her and were there to support her. Whitney is very fortunate that so many of her fans have never left her side.

Now back to Bobby…

Bobby’s fans? He has never had anywhere near as many as Whitney to begin with, and the ones he had, I think have totally given up on him for the most part. Partly because he has dropped out of the music scene long ago and because people blamed Bobby for ruining Whitney’s life. 

The man has always been his own demise. So your guess is as good as mine as to what the future will hold for him. My gut feeling is that he isn’t done abusing himself or others and he may stay clean for a while, but I don’t know how long that will last.

He is destined for a meeting with karma somewhere down the line, and he’s the only one who can change that.

Such A Cutey

Poor Jessica Simpson. Her dog Daisy was nabbed by a coyote right in front of her eyes. What a terrible thing to have to witness.
Frantically she went on Twitter to see if anyone has seen her beloved Daisy.
Eonline reported:

The dingo coyote took her baby!

Jessica Simpson is holding out hope that her most faithful of companions, her 5-year-old maltipoo, Daisy, will have a safe return after she witnessed a four-legged predator snatch her beloved dog.

“My heart is broken because a coyote took my precious Daisy right in front of our eyes,” Simpson tweeted yesterday evening. “HORROR! We are searching. Hoping. Please help!”

Along with the tweet, the distraught Simpson, who received Daisy as a surprise gift onstage from her ex-husband, Nick Lachey, a half-decade ago, posted an online flyer with a picture of the MIA pooch; the words “I miss my mommy”; an email address for people or, presumably, literate coyotes to write with information; and the promise of a reward for the canine’s safe return.

Dog-speed, Daisy.

I sincerely hope that the email she posted doesn’t get abused by people just wanting to say hey! or gives her false hope and lies about seeing her dog. If someone says they have her dog, let’s hope she has the smarts (rolls eyes) to bring enough people with her for protection to go check it out. Or have someone else check it out for her. Of course people can always bring a similar looking dog to her for the chance of meeting her. Sorry to be so paranoid, but there’s are a lot of sick people out there, and there are also many over zealous fans.

And speaking of sick people, I have already read several comments that people have left on articles and blogs around the internet and they are above and beyond cruel. Here is just one lovely part of a comment I found by a lovely person:
“knowing Joe Simpson and his idiot daughter, I wouldn’t put it past either of them to make this story up to get attention for Jessica”

That comment was tame compared to some of the ones I read. We all know how hurtful people can be in the comment sections! Right?

Now I am not a fan of Jessica Simpson myself, and never was, and I know she has a reputation for not being the sharpest tool in the box, but this isn’t the time to ridicule someone that has just lost a dear friend.

Yes, many non-famous people have lost their pets and it isn’t in the tabloids, we all know this. But hey, if you were famous, it would be. And even though eveyrone knows the chances of finding Daisy are slim to none because of the circumstances, she is desperate and heart broken. So I feel compelled to say, hey! back off douche bags!

So back to coyotes. I live in an area that looks like we would never see coyotes, but yet a few months ago, a coyote went through a neighbor’s yard only five houses down from me and her small children where in the backyard playing and thought it was a dog. And more and more are being seen in the adjacent streets.

Coyotes are very stealth like and fast. There have been many reports of coyotes attacking children in many states. They have also been attacking cats in our neighborhood too. The more and more areas get developed, the more coyotes search farther for food.

So word of caution people…
Keep an eye on your kids and your pets. Keep your dog on a leash. If you have a cat, keep it indoors, and make the sacrifice and get a damn litter box. It is worth it if you love your cat. There is nothing safe for cats outside anyways. There’s not only fleas, ticks, worms, animals with rabies, other cats, the chance of being hit by a car, and now being carried off by a coyote. Besides, if you take away all the other potential dangers of an outside cat, your vet bills may end up being a lot cheaper for you with an indoor cat. 

Just use your noggins people if you love your pets. Help them to live a long and happy life!

And to Jessica, sorry about your baby.

Actor Patrick Swayze has lost his fight with pancreatic cancer. The man best known for playing a ghost seeking closure with his life, passed away yesterday after a bravely fought battle for the last 20 months.

Swayze, who starred in two hugely popular films, “Ghost” and “Dirty Dancing” became a heart throb through his sincere and earnest performances, making women swoon. He even had a hit song, “She’s Like The Wind,” from the “Dirty Dancing” soundtrack.

What makes Patrick unique in Hollywood is his anti-Hollywood persona. Married to his childhood sweetheart for the past 34 years and no hint of personal drama, Swayze was all class to the very end. His film choices and the passion in which he infused in his characters left an indelible mark on popular culture — plus his Texas charm and good looks made him loved by many women. He was like a genuinely gentle cowboy. Sigh.

CNN reports:

Patrick Wayne Swayze was born on August 18, 1952, in Houston, Texas. His father was an engineering draftsman; his mother was a ballet dancer and later the director of the Houston Ballet Dance Company.

She led her son into the dancing world, which wasn’t always easy for a Texas male. Indeed, the young Swayze played football, practiced martial arts and was an accomplished diver and track star while growing up, though he was good enough at dance to earn a college scholarship.

After an early professional job playing Prince Charming in an early ’70s version of “Disney on Ice,” Swayze returned to Houston, where he met Lisa Niemi, a student of his mother’s. The two were married in 1975 and moved to New York to pursue their careers. See timeline of Swayze’s life »

Swayze seemed set on a dance career: He studied with the prestigious Joffrey Ballet and joined another company, the Eliot Feld Ballet Company. But surgery for an old football injury ended his ballet career and he turned to acting, nabbing the lead role of Danny Zuko in the long-running Broadway production of “Grease” in 1978, around the time the movie starring John Travolta was hitting theaters. “Grease” earned him some Hollywood attention, and he and Niemi moved West.

After a couple of bit parts, including one in a 1981 episode of “M*A*S*H,” Swayze picked up the role of Darrel Curtis in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1983 film of “The Outsiders,” which also included future stars Matt Dillon, Rob Lowe, Ralph Macchio, Emilio Estevez and Tom Cruise. Swayze was also one of the leads in 1984’s “Red Dawn,” about teenagers defending their town from a Soviet attack on America.

“Not only did we lose a fine actor today, I lost my older ‘Outsiders’ brother,” said actor C. Thomas Howell, who also starred with Swayze in “Red Dawn” and “Grandview, U.S.A.”

But it was with “Dirty Dancing” that Swayze hit it big. The film about a girl’s coming of age at a Catskills resort in the early ’60s was intended for a limited release but became one of the decade’s biggest sleeper hits and made Swayze and Grey household names.

The film gave birth to a catchphrase — “Nobody puts Baby in a corner,” spoken by Swayze’s character to Grey’s domineering father (Jerry Orbach) — and eventually led to a follow-up, 2004’s “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights.” Swayze even sang a Top 10 hit, “She’s Like the Wind,” on the film’s soundtrack.

Swayze, known as a down-to-earth, nice-guy actor, was determined not to follow a predictable career path.

I loved Patrick in “Ghost,” perhaps one the most romantic movies ever. His wife Lisa is a lucky woman and our hearts goes out to her and Patrick’s family.

R.I.P

It pains me to report stories like this.
Ethan Zohn, only 35 years old, who was the winner of Survivor Africa, has just learned that sadly his cancer has returned.

Ethan has Hodgkin’s disease which is a type of lymphoma cancer. Thankfully, Hodgkin’s disease is one of the more curable cancers and has a track record of being very treatable if caught in its early stages and there is a very high survival rate.

Eonline reported :

We really wish we could give him immunity.

Ethan Zohn, the grand prize winner of Survivor: Africa, has disclosed that after three months of intensive chemotherapy, his cancer has returned.

“I was running up to seven miles (training for the New York Marathon),” the 35-year-old told People. “I was happy, I was going out.”

Everything was going well until Aug. 26, when he learned the bad news.

“It was a complete punch in the face,” said Zohn, who has shaved off his trademark locks after losing much of his mane during chemo. “I have never been so scared in my life, for my life.”

“Then I’m cured,” he said, adding, “Whatever things are thrown at you, you’ve got to battle through with a smile on your face…and the important people in your life around you.

Zohn will now undergo a new treatment, including a stem-cell transplant, to battle the rare form of Hodgkin’s disease.

We wish Ethan courage and strength and hope to see him running in the NY Marathon again very soon.

The economy today has had an effect on retail sales across the board. Even celebrity fragrances have been hit with tough times.  Oh the inhumanity! *snicker*

Just two years ago, Forbes reported that according to Euromonitor International, (a Chicago-based market research firm) sales  totaled $353.6 million for the top seven celeb fragrances. Geez! No wonder why so many stars have their own scents.

This year however, overall sales are down 10%. Yep, the celebrity fragrance market is just not as hot as it used to be. Perhaps people just can’t afford it. Or maybe people are wising up to the fact that celebrity fragrances are just plain silly and embarrassing to wear? Could that be the culprit?

The celebrity fragrance market unlike other fragrances are way more fickle. If a celeb was caught in a scandal and their career turned lukewarm in the public eye, it can put a big damper on the popularity of the scent. Because that’s just how silly people are. Ridiculous but true.

So which celeb’s scents are currently top sellers?
Well, P Diddy, or Sean Puffy Combs, or Sean John, or Sean Combs, or just plain Diddy (wish he would make up his freakin’ mind) had a best seller with Unforgivable  that brought in brought a whopping $74.9 million in the past. And Britney’s scents are still selling VERY well and defying all odds even with the recent slump of other celebs fragrances. Maybe Diddy’s and Britney’s stuff just smells better?

The NY Daily News reported:

Fragrance peddler Parlux France relies heavily on its celebrity branded scents and has taken a hit for it. The company produces Queen Latifah’s Queen, Jessica Simpson’s  Fancy and Fancy Love, Andy Roddick’s Andy Roddick and all of Paris Hilton’s many fragrances (Paris Hilton, Paris Hilton for Men, Heir, Heiress, Just Me, Can Can, Fairy Dust and Siren).

The company lost $4.3 million last year and $2.5 in the second quarter of this year alone.
While the prestige fragrance market as a whole is down 10% from last year, Britney Spears is one celeb who appears to be bucking the odds.

Sales of her fragrances – Fantasy Britney Spears, Britney Spears Believe, Curious Britney Spears and Curious in Control Britney Spears – rose 13% in the June quarter. Elizabeth Arden, the company behind the ageing pop tart’s perfumes, just brought out Circus Fantasy, named after her latest tour and album. Then again, she’s global.

“More than half of the sales of Britney brands were sold of outside of North America,” said an Arden company spokesman.
Also doing well are classics like Chanel’s Coco, Mademoiselle and No. 5 and Dolce and Gabbana’s Light Blue. But it remains to be seen how Forever Mariah Carey, Derek Jeter Driven Black or Sara Jessica Parker’s Lovely will fare in recessionary times.

So even if the scent is sold globally and has a huge advantage over others, it still seems more important if the star selling the perfume is currently a hot commodity. Perhaps Paris Hilton’s perfumes have taken a nose dive due to her failing popularity. I think people are just sick to death of her. I know I am.

Mariah Carey’s ” Forever”is due to hit this September because she has a new album coming out. She also has a movie coming out this November. Anyone remember her movie *cough* Glitter?  Only time will tell how long ”Forever” will be around.

With over 100 fragrances coming out each year both from stars and regular companies, the market has become flooded. The competition has become fierce for celebs to have their scent be the next big hit. So many celebs in the music industry are scheduling their fragrances to coincide with their CD releases. This can be a risky move if the album totally bombs, because then the fragrance becomes a reminder of that failed album and then in turn becomes an embarrassment to wear to most.

Some celebs fragrances have stayed around for a while, like Sarah Jessica Parker’s Lovely and Covet .  Covet debuted two years ago when her Sex In The City Movie was released. Perhaps Sex in the City’s popularity has kept it’s ratings up? (the perfume that is)

I am sorry, I just think the whole celebrity fragrance thing is so cheesy. What’s next celebrity scented candles?

Especially for the fact that these fragrances’ popularity stem from whether or not the star is hot or not. If you find a fragrance you like and it was put out by a star that everyone now thinks is washed up or has failed in the popularity poles… would you stop wearing their fragrance even if you liked it? Would you be embarrassed to say,  “oh yes I still wear Clay Aiken’s Evening In The Stable” *snicker*
But this is exactly what happens.

I am not a big fan of perfume to begin with. I can’t tell you how many times someone has walked by me and I literally choked from whatever perfume that took a bath in before they stepped out their door. Some people slather it on so heavy, that their perfume arrives before they do and stays long after they’re gone. Thank God Poison is no longer popular. That stuff used to literally kill me. It was appropriately named.

One time I actually had to change my seat on an airplane due to the women sitting next to me. She must have dumped an entire bottle of Woah! Do I Stink! all over herself. I got an immediate headache, my throat was closing up, and I couldn’t even breath. I say wearing heavy perfume should be banned on airplanes. And that goes double for any of my gal OR guy pals who want to climb in my car. Whatever happened to the oh so silly move of spraying the room and then walking into it? *snicker*

Ok, enough of my drama on perfume.
Except I have to say that I would never buy something based on a star’s popularity and I have never bought a celebrity fragrance.
I have been wearing Alyssa Ashley Musk by Houbigant for ever. It’s less than $30.00 for a good sized bottle and I have received mega compliments on it over the years. It’s all I wear AND I am proud to wear it. I am just not caught up in the whole perfume mania. You will never hear me say “oh I am wearing The Beckhams Intimately Line” (you would actually have to pay ME to wear it)  Their promo picture alone is beyond pretentious.

Look How Sexy We Are!

Speaking of which, I wonder why Beckham’s  BFF Tom Cruise hasn’t come out with an entire line of Scientology cult scents yet? I am sure he would be able to talk Scientology cult members into buying Galactic Spice, or how about KSW Cologne (their acronym for Keeping Scientology Working), OT Orchard  for the gals or perhaps a line of body splashes like Body Thetan Splash. Oh I can go on forever, the possibilites are endless.

Of course Cruise would never use those particular names because….what is the first rule about Scientology? Don’t talk about Scientology.
So maybe he would have to kick it old school and name it something like Risky Business. After all, the name Risky Business does describe any company investing in any new movie projects with Cruise now. Oh snap!
But at the very least, we all know he would be the authority on fragrances. *tee hee*

Awesome! Got My First Order!

Aaaaanyways….
If you are going to buy celebrity fragrances in the first place, than you should buy it because you like it. Don’t be like all the other sheeple who buy what’s popular because the celebrity had another hit movie or a CD release. Because if this is the way you think, then that sixty clams you once plunked down for Jaylo’s Glow *snicker* has surely been wasted. Unless you want to lie about what your wearing. Yes some people are that ridiculous.

One fragrance that has stood the test of time is the hilarious Elizabeth Taylor’s White Diamonds (of course with the much older crowd)

Sorry Liz, no dis intended, but White Diamonds always reminds me of a friend of mine whose husband bought her White Diamonds for Christmas. She hated it, but didn’t want to hurt his feelings so she acted appreciative. She left the bottle in plain site unopened, hoping he would get the hint that she never used it. But the following Christmas she received yet another bottle. We laughed are asses off. Men!

Perfume’s popularity has gone through many changes over the years. Sure the old standards like Channel No. 5 are here to stay. But the classics are a breed all their own, and cost a lot more to boot. I think celebrity fragrances have their own little group.

bellasugar posted The Top Ten Fragrances that You Loved or (Hated) in Jr High School.
 Which was a blast from the past.
They listed Jean Nate, Charlie, The Body Shop Perfume Oil, Heaven, Electric Youth,The Entire Roster of Designer Imposters, Sunflowers, Exclamation, Ck One, and Love’s Baby Soft.

The most popular fragrance when I was in school, was Patchouli Oil. And yes I wore it for quite a while, and I stil like it, but I haven’t worn it since then. So I guess I am guilty of changing fragrances for the changing times. (I also don’t want my car searched if I am pulled over) *snicker*

I also remember using  “Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific” shampoo, which was so fragrant, it killed two birds with one stone. Sure wish I can find some of that stuff today just to smell it once again.

There were plenty of fragrances that used to be popular way back when. (including the guys stuff)
Some biggies were English Leather, Old Spice, Aqua Velva After Shave, Tabu, Tigress, Shalimar, L’Eur Du Temps, Windsong, O’ de London, Rive Gauche, and the infamous Evening in Paris, just to name a VERY few.

Whoops! Almost forgot Hai Karate After Shave!
Who can forget their commericals of girls going wild?

Today it has been replaced with the more updated AXE which uses the same girls gone wild idea for their AXE “you have been warned” commercials. YouTube has many parodies of their commercials, but one of my all time favorite fragrance parodies was for a pseudo cologne, called Douche Cologne. Click here and giggle. (it’s a tad racy in one part, so if you are easily offended, you may want to pass)

It’s any one’s guess which celebrity fragrance is going to be the next big seller and if it has any staying power in today’s economy and the fickleness of the market. With over 100 fragrances coming out each year world wide, the market has become flooded. The competition has become very fierce to have that next big hit.

I am surprised others in the music industry haven’t come out with their own fragrances. Doesn’t seem to be any rocker’s fragrances . The Stone’s Brown Sugar would be a no brainer, and I am sure with all the Beatles flap lately, if they were to come out with a fragrance it just may work. It would probably have hints of Apple *tee hee*

OR how about for the younger crowd? Perhaps Green Day Garden or Blink 182 Bouquet would sell? Probably not. The target audience is not the same. But you never know. Hey I want 10% if I see any of these on the market!

Even other celebs like Donald (ick) Trump and Simon (ick) Cowell jumped on the fragrance band wagon. I guess they needed the cash?
Wonder how Donald Trump’s stuff is selling? Maybe it’s selling better than his Trump Water?

Who would ever admit to wearing Trump or Cowell’s stuff anyways?
Or maybe your more of an Antonio Banderas fan? Look he even has his hand extended on the display, as if to say (in Antonios’s accent of course) “Come… come… take a whiff of sexy” *snicker*  

Speaking of celeb fragrances that people may be (or should be) embarrased to wear…
How about Britney Spears new Circus Fantasy?

Some how the name Circus Fantasy doesn’t sound appealing to me. I know it is a reference to Britney’s album and tour, but Circus Fantasy? Really? Has Elizabeth Arden lost their damn minds?

Even the packaging looks tacky. Looks like it comes with candy circus peanuts (the worst candy ever). And at $55.00 a pop, it should come with popcorn or a candy apple at the very least.

Sorry, but a perfume with the word circus in it, reminds me of  clowns and something that would smell like elephant poop stuck to a clown’s shoe and cotton candy all in one. Others may be reminded of a sexy trapeze artist, or perhaps a day at the circus with their family? Or dancing circus dogs in little hats and tutus? Ummm…. again, I just dont’ get it.

But hey, maybe she will be laughing all the way to the bank with this one. After all her fragrance Curious was a best seller in celebrity fragrance world.

For me, the word circus makes my mind go right back to the image of CLOWNS. Scary freakin’ clowns.
And clowns have always freaked me out! *shudder*

Every once in a while, the world of entertainment outdoes itself in douche-yness, even beyond its standard level of douchedome. Last night was just the night for such heights of douchery. Ok, I think I’ve given “douche” its props.

KANYE WEST (all caps, just the way he likes it) is well known for being an opinionated, obnoxious ass, but he went too far last night during Taylor Swift’s acceptance for “Best Female Video” for her hit song, “You Belong With Me.” Taylor, who had just begun her gracious speech was saying, “I always dreamed about what it would be like to win one of these one day. I never thought it would happen.”, when Kanye burst on to the stage, grabbing the mic from the startled Swift and dropped this gem, “Hey Taylor, I’m really happy for you, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time.”

There was all the requisite booing and hissing from the audience and poor, sweet Taylor (she really does seem sweet, hence why we’ve never talked about her on Glosslip) was clearly confused and embarrassed.

I am sure there are a million blogs blabbing about this incident today in defense of Taylor and outraged by Kanye, but this is hardly a one-time moment of stupidity for West. West has made a cottage industry off of his boorish, loutish and garish displays of arrogance, inhumanity and a general lack of appreciation for his fellow artists. Dude is an A-ONE ASSHOLE. So much so, I know many people who refuse to listen to his otherwise good music because they JUST CAN’T STAND HIM.

There is a place for assertiveness and confidence, but that place is not during someone else’s acceptance speech — and this was hardly U2’s Bono up there accepting their billionth award. This was a young woman (19) who is at the beginning of what will hopefully be a long career. In the world of bad role models for girls, Taylor Swift is like a breath of fresh air, with her tasteful and girlish appeal and seemingly genuine sweetness. I am no country music fan, but I have nothing but good things to say about Swift and her music.

What Kanye West did was single-handledly dismiss a young woman who WRITES HER OWN SONGS, PLAYS HER OWN INSTRUMENTS and CAN PACK ARENAS. And it’s not just kids who like her, lots of adults dig her too.

No offense against Beyonce, who was herself very gracious by calling Swift on stage with her during her acceptance for “Best Video Of The Year,” but this doesn’t change the fact Beyonce is manufactured entertainment, NOT a musician. Here’s Beyonce’s moment of true class:

There is a real difference between an artist like Swift and Beyonce, whether folks want to admit it or not. And keeping in true form, West was clearly not stricken with any sense of shame, even after being admonished by fiesty singer Pink. More from MTV’s blog:

His protest against Swift, however, was not well received. West stood briefly on the stage after his comments as the crowd was silent. Audience members then began to clap in support of Swift after West left the stage.

According to reports from inside the house, once cameras cut away from the action, West flipped off the crowd and returned to his seat. Wale then said to the crowd, “You can’t blame a man for speaking his mind.” His words were met with boos, and Wale then said, “Kanye, I tried.” During the next commercial break, Pink walked by the rapper and appeared to shake her head in disgust before security escorted her away. West remained steadfast amidst the commotion as he kissed his girlfriend Amber Rose.

The testament of a true artist (and human for that matter) is the ability to see the world around you and recognize your place in it, and hopefully learn from your mistakes. Kanye is clearly incapable of learning, growing or maturing from his. I hope the ghost of his deceased mom, the only person who seemed to have any influence over his bloated ego, visits him and slaps the crap of him and tells him it’s NOT ok to disrespect women. That’s Chris Brown’s job DAMMIT.

*The use of caps was Kanye approved for this post!

Rocking It Out With Barack

Everyone knows how much Ellen DeGeneres loves to rock out and dance with her DJ Tony Okungbowa in the beginning of all her shows. But recently, Telepictures Productions was slapped with a lawsuit for using unlicensed songs.

Ellen has been dancing to songs during her show intro for years. I wonder why this lawsuit showed up now? Seems like something the record companies would have caught a long time ago. Maybe they are just hurting by the almighty crush of the internet and can use some cash. Remember that song back in 1979, Video Killed The Radio Star by the Buggles? Well the record companies must be singing, “The internet killed the record companies.”

Eonline reported:

Not everything can go Ellen DeGeneres’ way all the time.

It turns out that several major record companies think the dance-happy host rocks out a little too much and are suing Telepictures Productions over the unlicensed use of more than 1,000 songs on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

You know how Ellen and in-house DJ Tony Okungbowa love their block-rockin’ beats. Per the suit, reps for Ellen said they don’t “roll that way” when the labels asked why they had not licensed the tunes.

But Telepictures doesn’t appear to be sweatin’ the copyright-infringement suit, telling reporters they have already been working with the plaintiffs to resolve their issues on “amicable and reasonable terms.”

The complaint, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Nashville, does not name DeGeneres as a defendant. (Though theoretically this means she’s been dancing to the beat of somebody else’s drum all this time.)

Well I guess Telepictures isn’t worried, and I would imagine they have enough dough to make the record companies who filed the suits very happy.

Besides Ellen has bigger fish to fry these days. It was just announced that Ellen will be replacing Paula Abdul as the fourth judge on American Idol. Apparently, she is elated about being asked to join the panel, and said that she is not going to be mean like Simon Cowell, but rather will let him know when he is being too mean to contestants.

Sorry, I just have to say this. I don’t understand why Ellen was picked for judging American Idol besides her obvious love for music. It seems like everyone on the panel has had something to do with the music industry in their past and seems a little bit more savvy when it comes to judging?

Don’t get me wrong, I like Ellen. She has never bothered me, and I have always admired her courage — just wish she would talk to her Scientology buddies about leaving the cult) 

And as far as Idol goes…Randy what’s up dog? Jackson has always rubbed me the wrong way and I can’t stand Simon Cowell or the entire American Idol mania.

And remind me why Ryan Seacrest is famous again?

However, I have to give Paula Abdul kudos for her hits in her early 80’s singing career, (Opposites Attract, and Straight Up Now Tell Me) but sadly, he has become kind of ditzy over the years. Sorry Paula. 

Maybe Ellen will bring a sense of freshness and honesty to the show that they so desperately need. It seems that the panel has become bored out of their minds and less and less tolerant of contestants and it has become no secret that this show is steep with ”ringers” that are not the average joes off the street trying to make the rags to riches story become a reality. Even though Randy Jackson and Simon have been quoted as saying:

“Let’s sign them.” We’re out to find the best undiscovered [talent] and really herald that.”

Undiscovered talent?  HA!

There are handfuls of ringer contestants placed on this show which 
are actual struggling artists. Music executives are the ones deciding who should be the next star by marketing them on Idol. It doesn’t mean that these struggling artists don’t deserve a chance at stardom, but it makes the whole Idol contest process snarky and very deceptive.

Take David Archuleta for instance. At age 12 he won Star Search. During Idol’s first season, he met with finalists and sang for Kelly Clarkson and then within days it was arranged for him to be on the show.

Archuleta is only one example. There are MANY more ringers that have appeared on Idol who had previous talent, agents, careers, and gigs etc… Click here and feel silly for believing all the hype that surrounds Idol and their ability of actually finding undiscovered talent.

The truth is, that the days of Idol finding a total nobody off the street and having them make it big doesn’t exist any more. Which is why I wished this show was over long ago. It’s just not what it pretends to be. I think Paula Abdul got out just in time. I am waiting for her to write a tell-all book about Idol which would finally send Simon packing. *that would be totally dee-lish!*

American Idol will be starting up fresh this January with a brand new face on their panel. I doubt if Ellen is privy to all the ringers on the show. Why would they tell her? And if they did, would she agree with it? I would like to think she wouldn’t.

Again it’s not that these struggling artists don’t deserve a chance at making it big, or should I say bigger…. it  just seems wrong to promote the show as finding undiscovered talent. It is also sad for the other contestants, as it gives them even less of  a chance of making it in to the finals.

As quoted by Vote for the Worst  back in January of 2008:

So were the auditions just a formality this year? Because we’re fairly sure that if you have a Grammy winning duet with Alicia Keys, a band that opened for Britney Spears, or a prior relationship in show business, you probably weren’t waiting in line like the rest of the people who mistakenly assumed American Idol was a competition to find “the best undiscovered talent in America”. Then again, we all know what happens when you assume.

Count me out as far as tuning in to this “struggling artist ringer showcase”. Sorry Ellen, but at the very least, I hope you have a lot of fun on Idol cheering on the next pre-picked ringer!

During a press conferece  in Venice, actor and perpetual bachelor, George Clooney kept totally cool when he gets an unusual question from an admirer in the crowd. He didn’t seem surprised, nor were his feathers ruffled when the man proclaimed his love for George and said:

“George! Take me! Choose me, Please! Please choose me George!  May I kiss you please? Just one kiss!”

For a minute there I thought I was watching a scene from a Borat movie.

Clooney’s reaction was classic. He remained cool, calm and collected and totally owned the moment. He told the buff admirer:

“It’s hard when you take a big chance and it really doesn’t work. It’s always embarrassing when you take one real swing for the fences and it just falls flat. It’s a good try though!”

Yep, he stayed cool as a cucumber, continued cracking jokes and interestingly, complimented the man’s tie adding:

 ”There’s little ambulance on its way here. You stay there, we will get back to you.”

He was obviously dissing the man’s package size.

Then when someone from the Daily Mail gets up to ask him a question, George quips:

Take your clothes off before you answer this question.

I think George meant before you ASK this question, but we all know what he meant.

Personally, I think Clooney rather enjoyed the little (no diss intended) distraction and always seems ready to crack some jokes.
So to you Mr. Clooney…I take off my hat — that’s it though. I promise!

Recently, Juliette Lewis was interviewed by Craig Ferguson on The Late Late Show. What the hell is wrong with her? Really? Yeah, I know she has always been wacky, but she sounds totally out of her mind now more than ever.

I was surprised that Craig Ferguson even had her as a guest on the show and that she agreed to go on the show to begin with, especially since he has been mocking Scientology pretty heavily for quite a while now. But as usual, I would imagine because Lewis is a celebrity (I use the term lightly), that she is out of the loop as far as what is going on in the real world. Particularly if its anything anti-Scientology.

I believe that Ferguson was mocking her during the whole interview and she was too dumb to realize it. After all, Ferguson did do a parody of the famous Tom Cruise Scientology video, and seems to enjoy being snide at Scientology’s expense.

Lewis was being interviewed for her new CD called Terra Incognita. Rolling Stone gave it 2 1/2 stars. I think they were being a bit generous, okay, A LOT generous.

Not surprising to me was the fact that Terra Incognita is also the name of an article written in 1949 by Scientology cult founder L. Ron Hubbard and published in The Explorers Journal. The title of the piece was “Terra Incognita: The Mind”

Not terribly shocking, when you consider the fact Lewis is a raging Scientologist and sadly was born into it. Shame on Lewis’ parents.
Her Scientology records, shows that she went “clear” in 1997, and she has been quite the busy gal at the Celebrity Cente, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on courses and auditing. 

Her Scientology records also show she did the dangerous Purification Rundown in 1993. Juliette has also been on the Scientology cruise ship the Freewinds twice. Which means she has been exposed to asbestos twice, since it wasn’t until April 2008 when the Freewinds was shut down by the Curacao Drydock Company due to the blue asbestos on board. I also doubt Juliette knows how much of a polluter the operators of the Freewinds are.

Although she supposedly legally emancipated from her parents at age 14, I still say shame on her parents for getting her into Scientology.

Her Mom is Glenis Batley, a graphic designer and her Dad is, actor Geoffrey Lewis. He is also listed as a “clear” in the Scientology database. He is in a band called Celestial Navigations with fellow Scientologist Geoff Levin (whom he met at the Celebrity Center) Celestial Navigations is a band which started out in the late 60’s and began touring again a couple of years ago.

The band uses story telling. together with music and is way, WAY out there. I did a quickie look around their MySpace page and website and knew immediately I fell into a L. Ron Hubbard Scientology blackhole. So a word of caution, if you hear that Celestial Navigations is performing or doing a “benefit”, please know that the proceeds from your ticket purchase may just end up in Scientology’s pockets down the line.

Scientology artists sneak things into songs all the time. Several of Beck’s songs and titles have Scientology references — which all sucked. As we mentioned in a previous article, Beck did a “benefit” concert and did not tell his fans that the proceeds were going to a Scientology front group called Educating Children International. Slick move Beck.

So back to Juliette on The Late Show…

She was babbling on about being inspired by pixie dust and magic, and said:

“You know, the kind that lives in your imagination”.

Of course we know Juliette.

She goes on about her outfit, (which by the way I have to give her credit for those fabulous boots) and how she doesn’t wear animal fur (good girl) and explains that her outfit has feathers on it, not fur, and that when birds drop their feathers, you can pick them up and then put them in your clothes.  I do that all the time myself. You should see my pigeon sweater. Ick!

They discussed her new CD,  and the CD cover, which pictures her pulling a bull by a red rope. She says it was a vision that came to her and that it was a metaphor for so many things. Emphasis on the BULL Juliette.

So what has Juliette said about her band “The Licks” in the past:

“Disillusionment, joy and pain, the contrast of sound… heaven and earth, really groovy big-bottom bass and drums and then very atmospheric mercurial guitars. I was trying to get my sonic soul poured out on record. It’s like heaven in a vat of lava that’s about to explode.”

Ummmm yeah. Well I have heard the Licks and I do agree on one thing she said. The word pain. They are very painful to watch. Speaking of painful. If you didn’t catch her singing (I use the term VERY lightly)  ”I Will Survive” with Eve at a Detroit night club prepare to cringe. Click Here. 

This is the kind of crap that makes me nuts. With all the people trying to make it in the music industry today, along comes doofus Juliette Lewis and the Licks, who simply can’t sing a lick, or play for that matter, yet, they are getting gigs. Just sickening.

Juliette did announce on the show that her band was no longer going to be called The Licks, as one of the “band” members is going in another direction. Smart move dude.

As the interview continues, Lewis mentions sky diving out of nowhere. Do you think she is possibly suffers from ADD? It would make sense. Although of course any mental problems she may have do not exist in Scientology land.

Call me crazy, but I think this interview may have hurt the few sales she would have had for her CD? Of course that’s not counting all the Scientologists who are told to buy more than one copy. (suckers)

You just have to simply watch the clip of The Late Show yourself, so you can see exactly what I am talking about. Click here and be horrified.

To complete the torture, Lewis also performed a song on the show.
WHY? I hate to keep repeating myself… but again, there are so many talented people out there who will never get the chance to make it, and here’s Juliette Lewis stinking up the stage. Click here and be disappointed.

Between her former drug problems, alcohol use and Scientology helping her to further screw up what little brain cells she has left, Lewis sounds like she is on her way to a padded room. When talking about her CD she said,

 ”That’s where she wants to go sonically and physically and lyrically and all those things”.

How proud do you think Scientology is over an interview like this? If you look at the celebrity members that Scientology brags about, (you know, every “church” does that) it’s not looking too good for them.

You have Tom Cruise, who is crashing and burning, Will (I am not a Scientologist) Smith and Jada, who just opened a Scientology school, Kirstie Alley whose weight and current nuttiness has not been the best advertisement, then on to Lisa Marie Presley who has had a wacky past and is being sued by her maid, Isaac Hayes who died on a treadmill with a heart condition, and John Travolta who continues to suffer over the death of his son Jett and just may walk away from them completely (fingers crossed). Of course we can’t forget to mention the crazy sauce that is, Jenna Elfman who was quoted as saying:

 ”Aids is not a disease, it’s a state of mind”

So what have all these Scientology celebrities proven? That they have been totally duped by a cult and obviously Scientology doesn’t work AT ALL. They all seem to be getting wackier and wackier, and if anything, Scientology proves to be a real career adjuster — and not in a good way.

I hope some day these stars snap out of it and leave this crazy cult that turns their heads into jello. But if they decide to stay in, I hope they continue with their nutty behavior and shenanigans which work like kryptonite against joining Scientology.

Kudos to you, Juliette, for the lovely interview with Craig! Keep on doing exactly what you are doing. We need all the help we can get to show how much Scientology is exactly what it is…BULLSHIT!

Rumors have been circulating lately about the gender or shall I say the genders of Lady GaGa. Many people thought that The Princess of Pop (yeessh) is a hermaphrodite. For those of you who do not know what a hermaphrodite is, it is a person born with both male and female genitalia.

The picture that had everyone a-buzz, is the one below. It clearly shows a “bulge” of some sort in the crotch region.

People were wondering, if this was carefully placed “package” for shock value for her career? Or a photo-shopped picture? Or is Lady (I use the term lightly) more than just a lady?

Well Lady finally came forward and put an end to the rumors and said that “she was not offended, but her beautiful vagina was very offended”.  Thank God that is cleared up, I will no longer have sleepless nights. *snicker*

Wait….what did she say? Her beautiful vagina? Who the hell talks publicly (or at all for that matter) about having a beautiful vagina? (with the exception of the Vagina Monologues)
Wow!  Talk about being totally full of themselves.

The Examiner.com reported:

Since the hermaphrodite rumors started circling around Lady Gaga back in August, the singer has kept quiet about whether or not she has both parts.

Lady Gaga reportedly told an Australian radio station, “My beautiful vagina is very offended. I’m not offended; my vagina is offended. I’m not embarrassed. I sold four million records in six months; I’m not embarrassed about anything. I think this is society’s reaction to a strong woman.”

“The idea that we equate strength with men and a penis is a symbol of male strength, you know, it is what it is. But like I said,” the dance-pop diva reiterated, “I am not offended at all, but my vagina might be a little bit upset,” she added.

The singer has been flaunting her naked body in various magazines since the rumors began, hoping to disprove that she may have both man and lady parts, but we all know what a little Photoshop can do.

What do you think? Is Lady Gaga telling the truth or just deny, deny, denying?

My reply? Who gives a damn? Sorry, I could care less what she’s packing, and besides, what’s the difference? Are people saying if GaGa was a hermaphrodite that they wouldn’t be fans any more? Why, can’t a hermaphrodite be a diva too?

This story oddly peaked my interest and I decided to look more into GaGa’s music, since I wasn’t too familiar with it, and I wanted to see what the fuss was all about. What I discovered wasn’t much. I found an ok looking gal who loves to dress in kooky outfits and writes some really lousy songs.

GaGa is going the ol’ shock diva route because she basically needs those costumes and stage performances to hide her lack of talent. Her audience needs a lot of distractions. And now that she has a following, he crappy songs wont’ matter as much.
 
Her voice and song style comes pretty close to Madonnas, although Madonna’s songs were better written. Now I am not a fan of Madonna’s either, but nobody can deny that when Madonna blew up big in the 80’s that she was at least original and her songs were much better than GaGa’s. 

I have to say, that some of GaGa’s outfits are very cool, I will at least give her that. I love the way she sometimes meshes a vintage look with wackiness and forms some pretty outrageous get-ups. BUT…is that it? Yes, that’s it.

Let’s not forget this has been done a hundred times over in the music biz, and way before she strapped on that bubble suit for the cover of Rolling Stone.

Performers have been making names for themselves via shock for years. Way back when, Liberace was one of the first shockers and was the king of outlandish outfits. He was one of the first pioneers of  “putting on the dog“.

Although Liberace’s voice was far from good, he did play a mean piano. And look at Elton John, who started out as sort of a meek country bumpkin and ended up going all Liberace on everyone, once fame came knocking on his door.

Elton was not only an elaborate dresser, but he had quite the collection of outrageous glasses, which became a signature for him. So was Elton copying Liberace? It really didn’t matter, because he can sing and play piano to boot.

There was David Bowie who dressed up as Zigggy Stardust, and Cyndi Lauper who started an entire fashion craze with her gobs of costume jewelry, and her poofy crinoline slips.

But again like Elton, this girl can sing.

Take the band Kiss for instance, who was popular in the 1970’s. They rose up in the ranks due to their alter ego wild costumes, pyrotechnics on stage and Gene Simmons spewing blood and wiggling that long snake of a tongue. It was freaky to see a band dressed like that with full face paint back  in the 1970’s, and it was very innovative. (I was never a Kiss fan though, I think their movie ruined it for me *snicker*) But they did have some talent to back up their look.

Alice Copper, another unusual performer, used to hang himself on stage complete with an entire gallows set up on stage. He also would whip bloody plastic baby dolls on stage during his Dead Babies song… but again…Cooper had the talent to rock the house.

Let’s not forget Dee Snyder in Twisted Sister, ok… never mind, we can forget that one.

(Just have to mention, and way off topic, but I think Christina Aguilera definitely stole Dee’s look when she did the video for Moulin Rouge).

And what about Boy George? He started out rather tame with Culture Club (well sort of) and then showed up in an airport one day dressed like a Geisha girl, and got more outrageous from there. But nobody can deny that the man possessed decent set of pipes on him. We won’t get into where he is today.

Back to Madonna…
But wait, there’s more…