Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Idol Gives Back


Every year the famous competition show, American Idol, holds an "Idol Gives Back" episode. This year they have raised money on three different episodes of the show. Creator, Simon Fuller, started this organization to help out with communities around the globe. Idol Gives Back is a way for the millions of Idol viewers to donate money to several different charities, while they are entertained by several different musicians who perform on the show. This year's "Idol Gives Back" was last Wednesday. It was a very successful year for "American Idol." It was a very fun and exciting show, yet very emotional as they showed different clips from people and places around the world that are suffering. The show featured celebrities like, Victoria Beckham, Morgan Freeman, Jennifer Garner, and many more. Exciting performances from artist such as, Elton John, Alicia Keys, and Carrie Underwood excited the audience. They also showed cameos from actors, Jim Carrey, Jonah Hill, and Russell Brand to bring in a comedic factor. The show was a huge success and they raised nearly 45 million dollars for five different organizations. It is also an easy way to give money, all you have to do is call the number on the screen while you watch the show! I think this is a great way to bring America together.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Why So Much Abuse?


I just recently reas about Kim Kardashian who spoke out about the four years of abuse she received from her former husband, Damon Thomas. The two secretly eloped in Las Vegas when Kim was only 19 years old. Kim claims that the abuse started very soon after the wedding, which her family did not approve of. Kim stated that Thomas punched her in the face several times and would choke her. He wouldn't only physically beat her, but he forced her into things, such as, receiving liposuction (so that she would look perfect) and cooking him meals when he would arrive home at 4 in the morning. After reading all of this, I realized how many celebrities have been victims of domestic violence, including the most recent incident between Rihanna and Chris Brown. I was surprised to hear about some others such as, Christina Applegate, Christina Aguilera, Missy Elliot, and Mary J. Blige. It was shocking for me to read about the abuse that these celebrities went through. I cannot believe what some people in this world have to live with. I can only hope that all victims of domestic violence can survive it and one day live happy lives.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Pretty Wild?


E's newest show, "Pretty Wild" is about former playboy model, Andrea Arlington, and her three wild daughters. The three girls, Tess, Alexis, and Gabby are wannabe models who are living in Los Angeles and pretty much do nothing but party and talk about the things they wish they had. I have seen one episode of this show and could barely sit through it. I know I have been complaining a lot in my past few blogs, but I am just frustrated with entertainment these days. Why is this show even on tv? There has been much noise made for years about reality television and how most of it is destroying society, but now I feel we are hitting an all time low with shows like this. Why do we want to watch three spoiled girls who are desperate to get into the spotlight. And sadly, the show has obviously been created to make fun of this crazy family. The thing that makes me the most upset is seeing how their mother lives in the shadows of her daughters. I guess the truth is, this is what the majority of our society wants to watch these days.

Monday, April 12, 2010

What is music turning into?


I don't know about you, but I am getting sick of some of the music on the radio. I feel like I am constantly changing the station because I am not satisfied with most of the songs. What happened to real musicians who wrote their own songs and could ACTUALLY SING? Don't get me wrong, I do think that there are still talented artists who can really sing, but for the most part, I think musicians nowadays are really not talented artists. One in particular that really bothers me is new artist, Kesha. The first song I heard from her was Tik Tok. How this song reached number one on the charts, I don't know? I feel like all she is doing in her music is speaking in an annoying voice. I really felt strongly about this when I saw her perform live on American Idol. It was even worse live! Now, this is all my opinion, and I don't mean to offend any of her fans. But, I would really like to know your opinions on Kesha and her music.

"Treme"


Last night was the premiere of HBO's new hit series, "Treme." David Simon and Eric Overmyer created this drama to give an insight on what life was like for New Orleanians after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. The show is set three months after the hurricane, and follows a group of people whose lives have been turned around after the horrible storm. I was very excited to see the show's premiere and have to say that I am very pleased with how it turned out. Critics have been raving about it and say that it will turn into a huge hit! There was a point in the show that really hit home for me. They showed one character walking into his house for the first time since the storm. Everything was completely destroyed and it looked like a war zone. I can remember seeing my home, and other family and friend's homes after the storm and seeing exactly what this character saw in the show. All I could think about was how many other people watching the show were feeling such real emotions, remembering when they saw their destroyed homes for the first time after the storm.
A very interesting part of the show was how they showed New Orleans's musical culture. They showed, and plan to show in future episodes a great deal of New Orleans musicians, including Kermit Ruffins and Trombone Shorty. The premiere opened with showing the first second-line since the storm, which was led by the Rebirth Brass Band. There was also alot of jazz and blues played throughout the show.
If you missed the show, I really recommend watching it next week. It's full of creative writing and is really a treat to watch!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWKSHbdwrQo

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Gaga and Beyonce's Racy Video


About ten minutes ago, E premiered Lady Gaga and Beyonce's nine minute music video for their song, "Telephone."Gaga said during an interview on E, "Most predominately i am trying to convolute what people think a pop music video is."  It was a very risque video which began with Gaga being stripped in a jail cell full of half naked inmates. While Gaga steps out into the yard of the jail wrapped in chains, she receives a call from Beyonce. Then featured is a dance around the jail cell with beer cans wrapped in Gaga's hair. Beyonce then arrives to pick up Gaga from jail where they then pull up at a diner. After poisoning Beyonce's "boyfriend," Beyonce and Gaga begin to poison the entire restaurant. The video ends in a very "Thelma and Louise" style with the two driving off in a car together. In my opinion, the video was very random. There were some cool parts with interesting graphics, but overall, I was not a fan of it. I can't uplad the video as of now, but check it out and let me know what you think. 

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

The Issue of Capital Punishment


In class we have been discussing the horrible act of lynching. This relates to the issue of capital punishment that we are dealing with in our society today. Capital Punishment is an issue that I feel very strongly about. We always hear about how if somebody commits a crime, they should be killed. Well, I completely disagree with this. How is this teaching the person who committed the crime any better? Yes, what the criminal did is absolutely horrible, but why do to them what they have done? How is this helping our society? Last month I was watching the news with my parents in my hometown of Covington. They announced that a man would be killed the next day for a crime he had committed a couple of years ago. Although I hated to hear that he had murdered his daughter, is killing him in return any better? I couldn't believe that this was still being done in the 21st century. I hope that one day in our near future the act of capital punishment will be illegal. I think this will help our society change for the better. 

Monday, March 8, 2010

The Hilarious Kristen Wiig


My ALL TIME favorite show is Saturday Night Live. I have to admit that I have been watching it since I was pretty young (even though half of what the skits meant went way over my head). SNL has entertained audiences for 35 seasons. Popular actors such as Will Ferrel, Tina Fey, Molly Shannon, Andy Samberg, etc...became famous because of their hilarious sketches on SNL. But, cast member Kristen Wiig has become one of the best they have ever had! If you are familiar with SNL, you know exactly who she is. Wiig has become famous for her characters Penelope, Gilly, a highly mischievous schoolgirl; Sue, who can't control her excitement over surprises, and The Target Lady. She has also played real-life people such as Suze Orman, Nancy Pelosi, Elizabeth from "The View," and Kathy Lee Gifford. If you are not familiar with some of Kristen's sketches, please take the time to look them up! Here is one of my favorites:
http://www.hulu.com/watch/11931/saturday-night-live-penelope--traffic-school

Sunday, February 21, 2010

We Are The World


The "We Are The World" remake brought together more than 80 of music's biggest stars. The original song was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie in support of Africa and became one of the world's biggest benefit songs. In response to the devastating earthquake in Haiti, Lionel Richie teamed up with producer Quincy Jones to re-record his 1985 hit. So, they gathered an all-star cast to benefit Haiti and it became a huge success. The artists ranged from young Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, and the Jonas Brothers, to Fergie, and even the Beach Boys'. Haitian native, Wyclef Jean, stated "I feel like a kid in a candy store," when he spoke about the remake. While watching the video, you can really see how much this song touched the artists involved. Justin Bieber, who sings the opening line, said, "The experience was out of this world." If you haven't yet seen the video or heard the song, please do so. Many people, of course, will have their own opinion about the remake of this song, but this was an incredible way for me to really realize how much Haiti truly needs us.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

1,2, win, for you, 3, 4, win, some more...!


Most of us have heard about the incredible outcome of the Saints Parade Tuesday night. If you haven't heard about it, you were there to witness it! The parade was such an incredible way for the Saints to witness, first hand, how truly avid their fans are. For New Orleanians, the only thing better than Mardi Gras is a Super Bowl win. The people of New Orleans were able to see their players just loosing up and haven't a great time. Also along for the ride were owner Tom Benson and head coach Sean Payton. But, the most amazing part of the night was what happened after the parade. Quarterback, Drew Brees, made quite an appearance at a bar called Lucy's. He was so enthused to speak to anyone and everyone at the bar. He was so happy that he decided to teach his jubilant fans the infamous pre-game chant the Saints are known for: Brees:  "One."  Team:  "Two." Brees:  "Win." Team:  "For you." Brees:  "Three." Team:  "Four."  Brees:  "Win." Team:  "Some more." Brees:  "Five." Team:  "Six." Brees:  "Win." Team:  "For kicks." Brees:  "Seven." Team:  "Eight." Brees:  "Win." Team:  "It's great." Brees:  "Nine." Team:   "Ten." Brees:  "Win." Team: "Again." Brees:  "Win." Team:  "Again."

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Dynamic Duo





So I am sure we have all heard about which artists will be performing at the Grammy's tonight. I have to say, I am especially excited to see what Elton John and Lady Gaga have in store for us. The two will be teaming up to open up for the exciting show tonight. It should be very interesting seeing that these two artists are so different. The duet from this dynamic two-some has the entire Grammy press talking. While there is no word yet on which songs they will be performing, it will most likely be one of the most talked about performances of the night.
Gaga will also be nominated for 5 Grammy's, following Taylor Swift's 8 nominations, and Beyonce's 10!The question is; what are you more excited to see, the opening performace by Gaga and Elton John, or the whacky ensembles Gaga has instore for the show?!

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Invisible Children



I wanted to share with all of you something that I don't think people know enough about. I learned about Invisible Children through a girl from my high school a few years ago and became fascinated. Before I tell you how you can help out Invisible Children, I am going to tell you a little bit of what it is about. It started with the war in Northern Uganda. This war has been called "the most neglected humanitarian emergency in the world today." The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the Government of Uganda have been waging a war for the past 23 years that has left nearly two million innocent civilians trapped. The Government of Uganda has failed in many attempts to protect its citizens from this rebel militia. The LRA rebel movement started with a woman named Alice Lakwena in the 1980s. Lakwena believed the Holy Spirit spoke to her and ordered her to overthrow the Ugandan government for being unjust. Lakwena soon gained many followers and the became known as the Holy Spirit Movement. A lot happened through the years, and the rebels resorted to abducting children and adding them into their ranks. As a response to the LRA attacks , the Ugandan government began forcibly evicting thousands fromt heir homes starting in 1996. They began relocating them into overcrowded camps where they struggle to survive among the effects of poverty, rampant disease, and starvation. In recent years many acts were passed including one which declared the LRA to be a terrorist organization. The Government of Uganda and the LRA still to this day have yet to find a peaceful solution. The motives of the LRA become more and more ambiguous and their crimes only become more horrific. Invisible Children remains committed to "seek sustainable solutions to foster an environment that encourages peace." Invisible Children addresses the need for education and economic development. There are thousands and thousands of families suffering everyday from starvation, rape, and other forms of violence. There are so many ways that we can help. Please go to the Invisible Children website: www.invisiblechildren.com to help. Remember that it can only take a small amount of our time and money to help. 

Monday, January 18, 2010

"I had a dream"

So since today was Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday, I thought that it would only be necessary to talk about the incredible things he has done for our nation. I was looking up songs that have been written about him and remembered a certain song from a movie that I had seen recently. The song “I had a dream” by Common. This song was played in the movie “Freedom Writers.” I loved this movie and found it very inspiring. The lyrics in this song are so powerful and meaningful. These particular lyrics really stood out to me:

The world's seen me lookin' in the mirror, Images of me, gettin' much clearer, 
Dear Self, I wrote a letter just to better my soul, 
If I don't express it then forever I'll hold, inside 
I'm from a side where we out of control, 
Rap music in the 'hood played a fatherly role, 
My story's like yours, yo it gotta be told, 
Tryna make it from a gangsta to a godlier role,.”

I believe that there is so much said in these few lines. The last two lines stand out to me the most. I believe that it explains how everyone has a story to be told and we need to have the courage to go out into the world and tell it. This is what Martin Luther King Jr did, and because of his bravery, we are now a diverse country full of people who are willing to go out and spread their word.

 

I Have a Dream

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBa55sDTIiA