Entertainment & Celebrity News Stories

Teen Sexting, Texting, and Suicide

2011-01-22T16:26:00.000-08:00

Eighteen year old Cincinnati area girl, Jessica Logan, made a grievous mistake, an all-too-common mistake being made by perhaps millions of other teenagers, predominantly by teen girls. She had texted, "sexted" is the popular term, compromising pictures of herself to a boyfriend and, after their breakup, he and/or five of her "friends" forwarded the pictures to hundreds of other girls.

The actual forwarders seem in dispute but what is incontrovertible is that some of her peers in and around Jessica's high school chose to share her pictures with countless others.

The result for Jessica was a living hell. She was shunned, expelled from parties, taunted and bullied on Facebook and MySpace, and she received endless, random phone calls accusing her of being a slut. She ended her personal hell by resorting to what she felt was her only recourse. Jessie hanged herself in her bedroom last July 3rd.

To her parent's great credit, only months after that horrific event which caused her mother's mental breakdown, they are now speaking out in hopes of forestalling "copycat" suicides by other teens as a consequence of such sexting. Following their daughter's lead-Jessica had gone public on television in May, "to make sure no one else will have to go through this again"-Cynthia and Albert Logan have launched a nationwide effort to help curb sexting by children and are seeking stringent laws to limit or eliminate such activity.

We hear a great deal about rights nowadays, and precious little about
responsibilities. "Rights advocates," (the ACLU), have now entered the sexting picture, with little concern for the hapless victims of that craze, and have instituted legal actions to defend, preserve, and protect the right of minors to willingly exhibit their bodies for public viewing.

The constitutional question of freedom of speech should be irrelevant as applied to this current craze of teen sexting. I would go so far as to dare "constitutional scholars" to go to court contending that minors have that right and privilege, via either text/sex messaging or direct internet postings. They would, or should, be laughed out of court.

Then again, such objections could be upheld in today's liberal tribunals.

Sometimes we forget, and despite their efforts to appear otherwise and despite nature's efforts to make them appear adults, adolescents are far from adulthood. Whether their chronological ages are 12 or anywhere up to 17, they are still children both legally and insofar as their intellectual and emotional maturation. Many are able to "pass" as older and many of those are the ones most in danger from themselves and from the adult world they are all too eager to join.

Jessie, an only child, may have been one of those kids who are so enthralled with the allure of the trappings and freedoms of adult life that in their haste to be full-fledged "grown ups," they are rendered oblivious of the pitfalls and challenges of that stage of life.

Jessica Logan was a typical Ohio teenage girl, vivacious, compassionate, artistic, outgoing. All of those traits were thrown into reverse when she learned that what she had thought were her private pictures had been widely disseminated. Jessie learned the very hard way that life can teach extremely stern lessons.

There has been no definitive study on precisely how many teens actually do engage in the dangerous practice of sexting. One estimate says 22%, although some high schools report that up to 50% of students have "inappropriate" pictures on cell phones. Still other stats suggest that 39% of teens have sexted and 48% of teens admit to receiving such messages: http://www.momlogic.com/2009/03/when_sexting_leads_to_suicide.php .

"Inappropriate" was not defined but many of those pictures evidently go beyond merely inappropriate and whatever the actual numbers, they are significant and too many.

What has been confirmed is that teens are taking nude or semi-nude photographs of themselves on their cells, then sending the pictures on to friends. Some of those trusted and equally-foolish, or vindictive, friends transmit those pictures to an unknown number of others. Some post them on the internet, effectively sharing them with millions of total strangers worldwide.

Knowingly or not, those amateur pornagraphers are advertising themselves and their sexually-explicit photos for all the world to see. As the parents of Jessica Logan discovered too late, doing so can have long-term and disastrous effects on the girls involved. No matter their ages, the teens are not immune from charges of possessing and transmitting child pornography, either, even with regard to their own pictures.

Why they get involved in such self-destructive behavior is a complex topic only partially explicable by immaturity. There is also our highly-sexualized culture, the movies teens see, the music they listen to, the resultant moral decline, parental laxity and, the most dominating influence, peer pressure.

Since kids spend so many of their waking hours in their schools, it would be more than reasonable to expect that those schools be involved not only in student curriculum but in any illicit extracurricular activities. Unfortunately, that would be an incorrect assumption, which proved to be yet another revelation to the Logans.

Officials at Jessica's school, not unexpectedly, were not only ineffectual but they virtually ignored Jessica's plight. Fully aware of the harassment she was enduring both during and after school hours, they did nothing constructive to shield her from the bullying: "The Logans said [that her high school] and the school resource officer didn't do enough to help Jessie. [They] sent truancy notices... but no calls or letters about what was happening to [their] daughter in school and no notices to other parents about explicit cell-phone photos. And no charges were filed by the resource officer."

School administrators are usually far more inclined to take the path of least resistance and to avoid bringing attention to serious problems in hopes they will go away on their own. Involving law enforcement authorities would inevitably mean negative publicity which is as anathema to school administrators as it is to politicians. So, for all intents and purposes, Jessica was set adrift to contend with her personal devils and ultimately succumbed to what her mother called her "torture."

America's youths, especially young girls, are in a dire crisis. Sexting is but one more spoke in their crisis wheel which, added to the many other critical challenges they face, has the potential of destroying many more young lives.

Gene Lalor, author of An Immodest Proposal for Ending and Winning the War on Terror, available at Amazon.com

The original article on "Teen Sexting . . ." may be read on Ezine and at my website, http://genelalor.com/

Preventing Teen Dating Violence

2011-01-22T16:25:00.000-08:00

Teen dating violence seems to become more and more common every year. With the current rates of teen dating violence affecting up to fifty percent of teens, the problem affects individuals regardless of gender, race, age or socioeconomic status. Rates do show that boys injure girls more frequently and with more severity than girls injure boys. But it is not only physical abuse that affects teens - abuse can also be sexual or psychological.

Peer pressure has long been a problem among teens, and this certainly spills over into the realm of dating. Current studies show that "one in five teen girls and one in ten younger teen girls (ages 13 to 16) have electronically sent or posted nude or semi-nude photos or videos of themselves." Of those young girls up to twelve percent reported that they felt they were "pressured" to do so.

If you are the parent of a teen or a pre-teen, whether a daughter or son, it is important to prepare yourself for this possibility by learning what to look for. Warning signs that teen dating abuse may be occurring include: sudden change in appearance or attitude, reports of name calling or jealousy, making excuses for a partner's behavior, or unexplainable injuries. Having a support network of friends and family that can notice the warning signs is one of the first steps necessary to preventing teen dating violence from occurring.

Prevention of teen violence begins with an active support network that provides teens with a positive and supportive environment. Parents and educators can discuss the warning signs, dangers and implications of dating violence with teens prior to any dangerous situations. It's generally advisable for parents to talk to teens about the dangers of violence prior to teens dating.

There are a number of non-profit organizations that provide support for teens and their families. Familiarize yourself with these resources now, before your son or daughter comes to you for help, so that you know where to turn in a time of need. Ranging from tips for the prevention of violence to help for those who are experiencing dating violence, these non-profits and groups provide tools and resources of all varieties.

Teens should be aware of how they should be treated and should be provided with the tools necessary to extricate themselves from dangerous situations. While as a parent you of course want your teen to come to you with any problems, it is also important to enable them to get out of a dangerous situation themselves.

Consider providing your teen with a personal alarm or, depending on the laws in your state, with pepper spray. Doing so can ensure that your teen can escape a violent or potentially violent situation, ranging from dating violence to a mugger or rapist. Though you surely don't want to think about your son or daughter being placed in such a situation, it is also important to realize that they are growing up and in need of something to protect themselves from these very real dangers.

Resist Attack has a full range of TASER devices to keep you and your family safe. Also check for current specials on ASP batons.

Sexting Teens.Put Their Futures at Risk

2011-01-22T16:24:00.000-08:00

Love may not last forever, but dirty photos sent between cell phones do. That message is one educators are trying to get across to teens naively texting one another revealing photos that could haunt them for the rest of their lives.

Bill Alberts, from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancies, says it's important teens understand that online images can potentially be viewed by anyone from family and friends to college scouts and potential employers.

"You know, I'm not sure many young people understand that this is sort of a cyber-tattoo," he told CBS News. "Once you press 'send' it is out of your hands and it can be used in ways that are a complete surprise to you."

"Sex and Tech," a survey conducted by Albert's group, found one in five teens and one in three young adults has sexted nude or semi-nude images. Forty-four per cent said it's common for sexually suggestive text messages and images to be shared with people the sender never intended.

Lifelong Consequences

An 18-year-old Ohio boy is all too familiar with the "surprising" consequences Alberts talks about. The teen was convicted of distributing child pornography after he forwarded nude photos of his ex-girlfriend to everyone in his address book. He was kicked out of college and is now a registered sex offender who can't leave the country or live with his father, who lives near a school.

"Other kids need to know that this is not something that they should be doing," he told Nancy Grace in a radio interview. "Their life could change and it will be ruined because of it."

Girls who send provocative photos may find themselves embarrassed, teased, or bullied like Cincinnati teen Jesse Logan, who committed suicide after a racy photo she sent to her then-boyfriend was sent from phone to phone. And in Pennsylvania, a group of girls face pornography charges after posing for revealing photos.

Statistics Show Sexting Prevalent

Teens and young adults taking part in the "Sex and Tech" survey said sexting is "fun and flirtatious." Many said technology makes them more forward and aggressive.

The survey found:

• 22% of teen girls and 18% of boys have sent or posted nude or semi nude images of themselves
• 39% of teens have sent or posted sexually suggestive messages
• 48% of teens have received sexually suggestive messages
• 47% of teens say "pressure from guys" is the main reason girls and women send and post sexually suggestive messages and images
• 67% of teens said sending sexually suggestive content could have serious consequences, but nearly 25% said it was no big deal
• 39% of boys and 21% of girls said they've sent sexually suggestive messages and images to people they want to hook up with or date
• 15% of teens who sent sexually suggestive content sent it to people they only know online
• 11% of girls between the ages of 13 and 16 years have sexted

Gordon C. Hay is executive director and founder of Venture Academy for Troubled Teens, a residential treatment program that provides an alternative to boot camps for teens. Venture Academy for Troubled Teens offers programs in Ontario and BC and serves clientele from throughout the US and Canada including those in Alberta, Newfoundland, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Visit http://www.ventureacademy.ca for details on Venture Academy's unique programs for troubled teens.

Multiple Diaper Coupons

2011-01-22T16:22:00.000-08:00

If you have children, then you are fully well aware of how much it costs to purchase diapers for a baby. In fact, you may not be aware of this, but diapers are one of the most expensive things that parents by each and every time that they go to the grocery store. Fortunately for those with children still in diapers, there is a way to lower the overall costs of these necessities. By using diaper coupons and combining them with your grocery stores sale items, you can save yourself quite a bit of money that will add up over the year.

If you're interested in collecting diaper coupons but a bi concerned that you will not be able to purchase your preferred brand of diapers, there isn't easy way that you can have your cake and eat it too. Let's say that you use Huggies diapers, you can obtain Huggies coupons directly from that company's web site. All you need to do is visit the site and sign up for their customer appreciation club. This will gain you access to a slew of various printable coupons. Even if you do not use Huggies as your preferred brand of diapers, many other name brand companies also provide similar services. This is an excellent way for you to build up your diaper coupons collection and save even more money.

Aside from the previous method, you can also try searching for an online forum that is based on frugal living and parenting. This may very well be an excellent source for you to get information as to where to find more brand specific coupons, such as, Huggies coupons. By using these two methods as well as searching your local newspaper, you will have more than enough brands specific coupons to help you save money but each and every one of your purchases.

If living a more frugal lifestyle is something that you wish you could do, it is quite obvious that diaper coupons can help you do so.

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Act Da Fool: A Creative Blend Of Film, Fashion And Philosophy

2011-01-22T16:21:00.001-08:00

In the current world of professional entertainment, it is often that we (both the viewers, and creators) experience film and television work blending with fashion design. For instance, the star's of the hot CW network television series, Gossip Girl are blossoming into fashion icons because of the way they wear the hottest couture in their television roles as the newest generation of Manhattan's elite high society. However, connections between film and fashion design don't stop there. In fact, lately they have been getting much more literal...

Recent trends show that several high-end luxury fashion lines have commissioned renowned film directors to create cinematic short films to advertise their clothing lines. For example, director Martin Scorsese has worked with the house of Chanel on short films. Additionally, director Kenneth Anger has been commissioned by Missoni for the same, and famous film auteur, David Lynch has directed shorts for both Gucci and Dior. When considering such projects, one might wonder how fashion designers have convinced such prolific directors to work on cinematic shorts that shamelessly advertise their designs. While the shorts can hardly be classified as commercials, they certainly walk a fine line between art and pure advertisement. In the budget-less world of luxury fashion, the success struggle is a race to the height of sophistication, as well as finding creative ways to advertise with a certain cool duplicity. It is to show off the clothes without being overt. It is a science. Since money is no object for both the famed designers and film directors, they work together to challenge each other in other ways. The fashion line strives to advertise in the least conventional way, and the director strives to take the superficial idea of a fashion line and derive from it his own creative vision in film. The result is a marriage in style. The literal style of a designer's work is complimented by the director's working style. This culmination of style is what makes these cinematic fashion shorts so powerful.

In 2010, the luxury clothing line Proenza Schouler released a short film directed by offbeat filmmaker, Harmony Korine. In the short, entitled Act Da Fool, Korine tells the story of a group of young women living in poverty, and entertaining themselves with child-like antics on the slummy streets of a town in Tennessee. All the while, the girls are dressed to the nines in Proenza Schouler's latest designs. What is perhaps captivating about Act Da Fool is the stark contrast between the lives of the characters in the short film, and the clientele to which a high-end fashion line like Proenza Schouler is actually available to. The obvious disconnect between the world of luxury couture and the universe of hopelessness in which Act Da Fool exists must be trying to say something beyond the admiration of clothes, or the fetishism of a lifestyle of poverty. Perhaps there is a connection to be drawn between the nihilism of the life of a street kid and the nihilism of the utter excess of the fashion world. Both are fetishized, romanticized and in their own ways, useless, yet existing nevertheless.

This is the reason in which several fashion designers decide to work with famed film directors to create fashion shorts. They are looking for advertisements that say more than just, "buy my clothes!".

Looking to learn more about advertising and fashion design? Visit fashion colleges for more info.

All nude teen girl_on_girl_action

2010-04-10T16:37:00.002-07:00

Blog reader Patsy suggests, a couple posts down, that I blogged about Matthew McConaughey just to bump up my search results.

The funny part is that Patsy did not complain about my subsequent Eagles post until I pointed out it was pretty much a free ad for their upcoming tour. It doesn't get much more uncritical than me talking about the Eagles. Blog readers such as John and the Nimble Assistant have applauded this blog for being "genuine." The fact is, I genuinely love the music of the Eagles. I'm fully aware of their faults -- blog reader George points out how he considers the band boring in the extreme, and I can't disagree -- but I also can't deny I'm a huge fan. I've asked this question before: Does being genuine count only when I'm critical? Shouldn't it count when I'm being enthusiastic as well? As for search results, I do find my blog posts are popping up in Google News more often these days. I credit Google, not my choice of topics. But if I wanted to artificially inflate my numbers, believe me -- I know the search terms that would work.

Second Arrest in Nude Teen Photos and Video

2010-04-10T16:37:00.001-07:00

SACRAMENTO - Last month, police arrested 35-year-old Michael Gilles for lewd acts with a 13-year-old girl and providing teens with ecstasy.

"The investigation continued and the detectives were able to identify a second suspect who had assisted Gilles in photographing these women, these young girls in either unclothed or in some kind of sexual manner," Sacramento police Ofc. Laura Peck said.

That second suspect is 21-year-old Joseph Tien. And one more disturbing detail investigators uncovered...

"One of the victims, and she is listed as a victim, was luring other, either missing persons or other young women to the location," Peck said.

That location was a Gilles' Del Paso Heights apartment, where the alleged crimes took place.

In the living room, Gilles name was spray painted above two large beds. The back room had more graffiti and beds.

We spoke to Gilles' landlady last month, outside the courtroom where he was arraigned. She said she saw a boy and girl sprawled out on one mattress.

"He had this little 12-year-old, or 13-year-old in there. He said that it was his niece. That she got beat up from her father and that he was trying to find a safe house for her to go to," Gilles' landlord, Mary Godfrey said.

Police found that to be untrue.

"He had no actual relationship as far as them being related," Peck added.

Green Bay police reopen sex case involving teacher Ryan Zellner, accused of sex assaults at Kiel High School

2010-04-10T16:35:00.000-07:00

GREEN BAY — Kiel school officials were hearing rumors in June about teacher Ryan Zellner and inappropriate relationships with students, Superintendent John Lewis said Thursday. But they couldn’t substantiate the rumors, and they heard nothing that would have indicated the scope of the case that could involve victims numbering in double-digits, Lewis said. “It amazes me — especially finding out what went on — that there was not a hint of this until last week, not a hint,” Lewis said. “This man is very good at this predator stuff, very good.”

Allegations go “the whole range” of sexual offenses, Lewis said, adding, “It just makes me sick.”

Zellner is awaiting formal charges Monday in Manitowoc County court for a possible variety of sex charges allegedly happening during his tenure as teacher and girls basketball coach at Kiel High School. He was there from 2007 until last week.

Lewis said the “double digits” of students involved multiple school districts where Zellner taught. Green Bay Southwest High School and the West De Pere School District were the only other jobs Zellner had that Lewis was aware of.

Green Bay police said Thursday they’re taking a second look at a case that went nowhere against Zellner in 2006, when he was a Southwest teacher and girls basketball coach.

Zellner, now 32 and living in Allouez, earlier taught and coached in the West De Pere school district. Captain Dale Haagen of the De Pere police said he wasn’t aware of any allegations against Zellner there but said investigators are looking into it.

Green Bay and De Pere police have joined a task force created for the case. Other members include Kiel police, the Brown and Manitowoc county sheriff’s departments and the state Department of Justice. The group met Thursday to discuss the case, Green Bay police Capt. Todd Thomas said.

Thomas said police investigated a sexual allegation in 2006 against Zellner, involving a Southwest High School student, but closed the case for lack of evidence.

“There was not enough probable cause to make an arrest or obtain warrants,” Thomas said. “We’re reopening it, to take another look. Maybe now that Mr. Zellner has been arrested, there might be other witnesses or victims more willing to talk about it.”

Thomas would provide no details of the local case.

Lewis said one of his staff members heard in June that Zellner had been fired from Southwest for having an inappropriate relationship with a student.

Zellner claimed the story was made up by his ex-wife as a strategy in their custody fight, Lewis said.

Lewis said he called the Green Bay school district but did not receive information confirming or denying the rumor.

Zellner had in fact not been fired — his contract was not renewed, according to John Wilson, assistant superintendent for human resources for the Green Bay school district.

Zellner was a basketball coach at Southwest for the 2005-2006 season and taught social studies there from 2005 through June 2007.

It was probationary contract, and, on Wilson’s recommendation, the contract was not renewed. Wilson said he can’t provide details.

Wilson confirmed that Lewis called him in June to ask about Zellner.

“I told him at that time that I wasn’t sure if a document was in place that would preclude me from answering that question,” Wilson said.

When contracts are terminated, teachers and districts often make severance agreements that allow only date of employment and position to be released, Wilson said. He said when Lewis called, Wilson couldn’t remember whether such a document existed but he said his answer to Lewis was intended to send “a huge red flag.” An ex-employee likely would only ask for such an agreement if he or she had something to hide from potential subsequent employers, Wilson said.

Lewis asked him why Zellner had left the Green Bay district, Wilson said. He said he answered, “Have you asked Mr. Zellner?” That question, too, was intended as a warning, Wilson said.

Lewis never asked him to check whether a severance agreement in fact had been made, Wilson said.

Lewis said Thursday that Wilson’s comment would indeed have raised a red flag “If I were hiring” but didn’t because Zellner had worked for the district for two years already.

“It was a red flag of sorts, but they didn’t have evidence, I didn’t have evidence,” Lewis said. “How are you going to fire somebody over a non-thing? … How do you non-renew a person for rumors and hearsay? I don’t know that you can.”

Zellner was an excellent classroom teacher at Kiel, Lewis said. The only problem with him surfaced early this school year when Lewis received reports that Zellner was text-messaging students well outside the scope of classroom and basketball issues, Lewis said.

“I don’t want to use the term ‘inappropriate,’ but texting other than schooling and coaching,” Lewis said.

Lewis told him it had to stop and later learned that school principal Dario Talerico also warned Zellner against the texting.

Later in the year, Lewis met Zellner in the hallway, and Zellner assured him he no longer was texting except as it related to classroom and basketball, Lewis said.

Last week, co-workers reported that Zellner was again texting students excessively and on nonschool topics, Lewis said.

When school officials investigated, one of the girls who’d been involved with the texting came forth and said it went beyond phone messages, that it involved inappropriate touching, too, Lewis said.

That’s when the police were brought in.

Zellner is scheduled for an initial appearance Monday in Manitowoc County court.

Police there say he used intimidation and manipulation to target girls younger than age 16, sexually assaulted at least one girl in his classroom and solicited nude pictures from her while at a state basketball tournament in Madison. Zellner also sent the 15-year-old girl nude photos of himself, police said. Other alleged victims have accused Zellner of similar actions, police say.

Police are seeking four felony charges, including sexual assault of a child, child enticement, use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, and sexual assault of a child by a school staff person.
Earlier story: Authorities say former Kiel teacher and coach preyed on girls for sex

MANITOWOC — Police and prosecutors said Wednesday they suspect a 32-year-old former Kiel teacher and girls' basketball coach used his authority to solicit sex from multiple girls during employment at several northeast Wisconsin schools.

Kiel Police Chief David Funkhouser and Manitowoc County Dist. Atty. Mark Rohrer said Ryan Zellner used intimidation and manipulation to target girls younger than 16.

Funkhouser said police think Zellner's "predatory" behavior was premeditated, based on significant amounts of evidence brought forth from several victims and informants since Tuesday.

A Manitowoc County court commissioner set Zellner's bail at $100,000 cash Wednesday, but charges were not filed against him. His initial court appearance is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Monday.

On Tuesday, authorities recommended prosecutors charge him with second-degree sexual assault of a child, child enticement, sexual assault by a school employee and using a computer to facilitate a sex crime.

Rohrer said he expects Zellner to receive additional "significant charges well beyond Manitowoc County."

Zellner is accused of sexually assaulting at least one girl in his classroom and soliciting nude pictures from her while at a state basketball tournament in Madison, according to court documents. Zellner also sent the 15-year-old girl nude photos of himself.

In the documents, the victim said Zellner used "guilt, psychological pressure and basketball playing time" to manipulate her into the acts.

Funkhouser said the other victims have said Zellner acted similarly toward them.

"The information we have is very disturbing," he said, calling Zellner's actions methodical and well planned.

Funkhouser said because multiple victims and school districts are involved, a regional task force is being organized to investigate the matter.

Zellner was a teacher and coach in the West De Pere and Green Bay school districts. He was the girls' varsity basketball coach at Green Bay Southwest High School in the 2005-06 season. Funkhouser did not say what schools the victims attended.

Zellner, who worked at Kiel High School from 2007 until last week, was arrested Monday night at his home in Allouez. He resigned as the girls' varsity basketball coach and social studies teacher after his arrest.

The conditions of Zellner's bail require he have no contact with anyone under the age of 18 except his own children, report to the Brown County Jail daily, and refrain from coaching or teaching.

Zellner is married and expecting the birth of his second child next month. He has no prior criminal record.

Minisink Valley student charged with sexting

2010-04-10T16:25:00.000-07:00

A Minisink Valley High School student is charged with possessing a sexual performance by a child, a felony.

State Police alleged that on April 7, Joshua Poveda, 17, of Greenville, sent a sexually explicit photo via cell phone to another student at the school. Police learned one photo of a partially nude female under the age of 16 had been sent to another person at the school. The girl was an acquaintance of Poveda.

Poveda was processed on the arrest by the State Police and released on an appearance ticket returnable in Town of Greenville Court.

The incident is part of the relatively recent phenomenon known as “sexting” in which individuals send emails containing sexually explicit images, to others.

Several states are reviewing statutes pertaining to the practice and are questioning whether the full force of existing ‘child pornography’ laws should apply.

Mindy McCready stars in VH1's "Celebrity Rehab" tonight

2010-01-07T12:40:00.001-08:00

Country singer Mindy McCready stars in the new season of "Celebrity Rehab" tonight - alongside basketball player Dennis Rodman, former "Hollywood Madam" Heidi Fleiss and actor Tom Sizemore. The hit VH1 reality show premieres its new season at 9 p.m.

The "Celebrity Rehab" series follows fallen actors, singers and other famous and semi-famous people as they go through drug and alcohol treatment. McCready - a North Fort Myers native - has battled drug abuse since her hit 1996 single "Guys Do It All the Time."

Calls to McCready's mother in North Fort Myers, her agent and VH1 weren't returned.

Other cast members include actress Mackenzie Phillips of the TV show "One Day At A Time," model Lisa D'Amato, former Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr, ex-Miss United States Teen Kari Ann Peniche and "Real World Hollywood" cast member Joey Kovar.

The series follows their 21-day rehab program over eight episodes.

The TV show is part of McCready's planned comeback - a plan that includes a book she's writing about her life, a self-released album and possibly more reality TV shows, McCready told "Entertainment Weekly" magazine.

McCready spent time in a rehab center last summer, she told the magazine, but "Celebrity Rehab" helped her focus less on substance abuse and more on her problems with codependency.

"I have put myself in harm's way in almost every relationship I'm in," McCready said. "I know now. I am a beacon for anybody that wants to take advantage of me."

Her high-profile relationships have included ex-boyfriend William McKnight (the father of her 3-year-old son) and baseball star Roger Clemens (she claims she had a sexual relationship with the married Clemens when she was a teenager - a claim Clemens denies).

Celebrity Big Brother – Day 4 highlights

2010-01-07T12:38:00.002-08:00

Alex and Stephanie are in the lounge doing stretches on the floor lifting their knees to near their heads with bums in the air. Alex “This is great for relieving headaches.”
Stephanie…”we need it”

Vinnie talks to Big Brother who asks how he has been keeping busy. Vinnie “just tidying up being busy, washing up, keeping the kitchen nice and clean and looking at that wall”
Vinnie is talks about birds, the feathered variety, and a little robin he’s keen to get into the garden. Big Brother.. “Vinnie are you a twitcher?” Vinnie “No, I am a scratcher”.

In the Garden Sov is starting to build a snowman. “Argh it burns, it burns, argh it burns”

Inside keeping warm Jonas rubs feet with Katia on the sofa.. Jonas then touches toes with Katia and says “wanna feel my feet?”

In the bedroom Stephen can’t believe all the rules and regulations about the laundry, half joking he says “it’s really inconvenient, to try and get everything done that one might need to get one in the normal average day with all of these rules about what you can do, what you can’t do and when you can do it…”

1.32pm Jonas is seen in the garden rolling up more snow to add to the snowman when the tree in the garden begins to whisper to Jonas who is building the snowman, saying
“Psst… Jonas.. it’s me the tree.. sshh don’t let anyone know I’m talking to you.. come over to see me slowly. Don’t arouse suspicion. Jonas you must tell anyone about this conversation. Do you understand?”
The tree whispers how he can win Stephanie some Egyptian cotton sheets. All he has to do is sprinkle some sand provided in the tree trunk on another housemates bed. Jonas says he won’t do the task at first saying ‘I cant do it without being seen’ but with some encouragement from the tree who says ‘you can do it Jonas’ Jonas takes the bottle of sand from the tree and walks away.

2.27pm In the bedroom Sisqo is singing to Heidi, Stephanie and Dane

Alex is in the lounge exercising with Nicola. Stephen walks past and announces he will teach Alex something he ‘learnt from Mike Tyson’
He says to Alex “I’m going to teach you what Mike Tyson taught me…. Ready do the same thing and drop when you do it.”
.
In the Bedroom Dane Heidi and Vinnie are watching Stephen teaching Alex, Dane says ‘Stephen is teaching Alex how to box’ to which Vinnie exclaims ‘but Alex is a professional fighter’ … “He’d sell snow to the Eskimos”.

3.32pm
Stephen is in the Diary Room he tells Big Brother who he has bonded with the most in the house he says he finds Dane is the least interesting ‘He chops a mean cucumber and grills a good salmon but after all that, what good is he?’

Back in the lounge Jonas gathers the housemates. He announces he had a secret task from the tree in the garden and he refused to do it, he explains that he had to put salt (he actually means sand) in a bed in exchange for Egyptian cotton sheets for Stephanie, but now has to suffer the wrath of the tree.

Alex “The games have begun I like it!”

4.10pm
Following the revelation about secret tasks Sisqo tells Big Brother how he feels ‘frazzled’ as he didn’t think people would be turning on each other like this in the house, he mentions that he doesn’t know who to trust saying ‘I saw the Devil on the way in but took it lightly, this is a test of endurance’

Back in the Lounge Alex is saying how he didn’t crave fame but it found him, he says he doesn’t want it as it has caused him a lot of trouble. “Fame it’s not something I crave, because I’ve realised it’s the double edged sword that it is.. ”

Heidi agrees to an extent but says she is lucky even with the bad times because of the experiences. She goes on to mention prison as an experience.
She’s asked how prison was and replies “Lesbian Hell, I’d look around and I’d be like, I thought this was a women’s prison.

4.33pm
Stephen is in the lounge reading passages from the bible, from Genesis in order to explain the creation of man and Adam and Eve to the other housemates.
Stephanie asks “Are you a creationist?” Stephen.. “I’m somebody that believes in the word faith.
Stephanie “are you a creationist? Do you believe in evolution?” Stephen “No, I don’t believe in evolution”.

Jonas tells them ‘I’m a science man there are so many religions, how can there be one right thing to believe’.

6.19pm
Jonas is on the bed resting and Katia walks over to him to ask him if he is ok.
In the Lounge Sov, Stephanie and Stephen discuss the possibility that Jonas and Katia are flirting with each other. Sov “she asked me she goes, um are we flirting?”

Back in the bedroom Katia opens up by explaining that she is in the house because she went out with someone famous.
Jonas “I don’t know anyone.. I don’t follow music I don’t know their professions.
I don’t watch tv, I don’t listen to radio and I don’t read newspapers.
Katia “I just went out with someone famous and then we broke up and it was really dramatic”…”Everyone wanted to know about it and it was in the papers all the time.”

9.12pm
Jonas is called to the Diary room where Big brother explains for breaking his task to the tree of temptation he must nominate one other housemate to share the punishment with him. “Sov I am very, very sorry but you and me we have to go to the big task room and await further instructions”

In the task room they discover nothing but a bed with hessian sheets in the middle of the room with two sandwiches and an apple on each side. Sov, “you should have called Katia in here you could have had your way.”
As the door locks behind them Jonas’s song from Basshunter ‘All I ever wanted’ is played into the task room to which Sov remarks ‘oh my god we are going to be in here for hours and that songs on repeat’

12.15am
Jonas and Sov again listening to ‘all I ever wanted’ to which Sov says ‘Why did you make this song’

In the Diary Room Nicola talks to Big Brother about the shock of Jonas taking Sov into the task room for the punishment. She assumed he would take Kat with whom he is developing a connection saying ‘I sensed chemistry and romance’ although admits that perhaps she is just ‘trying to be a bit of a Cilla’. www.unrealitytv.co.uk

Jason Alexander joins Valerie Bertinelli as the newest celebrity spokesperson for Jenny Craig

2010-01-07T12:38:00.001-08:00

He may not end up as thin as a Festivus pole, but former "Seinfeld" star Jason Alexander plans to drop a load of pounds as the new spokesman for weight-loss company Jenny Craig.

Alexander, who played the portly George Costanza on the hit 90s sitcom, decided to try the Jenny Craig program after watching himself in a recent "Curb Your Enthusiasm" episode — and hating what he saw.

"I looked at myself playing a character I started playing 20 years ago and yes, he had aged - but what was disturbing is that he was no longer in a body I cared to recognize," Alexander said.

"It's like someone's clubbing me over the head it's so obvious I should be doing this," he told People.com.

Alexander, who joins Valerie Bertinelli as a Jenny Craig spokesperson, said he was inspired to get on the program after seeing how she successfully slimmed down.

"I'm trying not only to do it for myself but I'm encouraging other guys to come on board and say we can do this," said Alexander, who blames the extra pounds on the sympathy-weight he gained during his wife's pregnancies — plus the good food served on the "Seinfeld" set.

Alexander said his goal was to shed 30 to 40 pounds — about the same amount of weight he gained since the early days of "Seinfeld."

"If somebody goes, ‘Well, if George can do it, I can do it!' – that's great," he said. "Whatever it takes to get you heading in the right direction. If I'm it, great!"

Khloe Kardashian's Rehearsal Dinner (A.k.a. Prelude to a fake wedding because Lamar wants a pre-nup)

2009-09-27T15:47:00.000-07:00

Seen here at their rehearsal dinner at Lobster in Santa Monica, Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom are apparently in the midst of a giant legal battle surrounding their impromptu wedding. Turns out Lamar wants a pre-nup while Khloe wants to make sure her Sasquatch mitts stay full of gold. TMZ reports:

Odom has lawyered up and so has Khloe. The problem is ... they have to get married on Sunday and there isn't enough time to hash out the details of a prenuptial agreement.
Why, you ask, isn't there enough time? We've learned they must get married on Sunday because one of the Kardashian reality shows is footing the $1 million bill for the wedding, but the deal is that the wedding must be shot this Sunday.
So we're told Lamar wants a postnup -- meaning the agreement will be hashed out and hopefully signed after Sunday's event.
Now here's the intrigue. There's talk that Sunday's wedding might not be the real deal -- it could be a non-binding ceremony. It's common with a postnup that bride and groom would not officially tie the knot until after they sign the document. What they typically do sign before the ceremony is an acknowledgment that it's not really an official wedding, to prevent misunderstandings down the road.

So, basically, the wedding is a giant sham for ratings and nobody's really getting married. I don't think there's a single person on Earth who didn't call this one. Tribes in the rain-forest probably sent off smoke signals that read "Bitch is faking it!"

source

Pedophile Roman Polanski Arrested!

2009-09-27T15:39:00.000-07:00

Finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Director Roman Polanski was arrested and detained in Switzerland on Saturday morning due to his 1978 conviction for having sex with a 13-year-old girl in California.

For over 30 years, Polanski has managed to dodge police enforcement, but on Saturday, Roman's luck finally ran out.

Polanski was due to receive an honorary award at the Zurich Film Festival, but U.S. authorities made an arrest request to the Swiss Justice Ministry and was immediately taken into custody upon his arrival in Switzerland.

The French-born director pled guilty unlawful sexual intercourse with then 13-year-old Samantha Geimer in 1978, but after an initial 42-day evaluation, Polanski fled from the U.S. and a warrant for his arrest was immediately issued.

Roman will remain in Switzerland until the extradition process is complete, which could keep Polanski in Switzerland for up to 60 days. http://perezhilton.com/

A desastrada aventura de Xuxa pelo Twitter

2009-08-26T12:05:00.000-07:00

Na segunda-feira, 3 de agosto, 23 dias atrás, Xuxa Meneghel começou a brincar no Twitter. Atraída pela nova mídia, mas sem traquejo, logo estava digitando suas mensagens em caixa alta, como esta, comentando convite recebido de Zeca Pagodinho: “ZECA CHAMOU PRA IR A XEREM. E ELE JA SABE EU NAO BEBO, NAO FUMO E NAO COMO CHURRASCO, MAS FICO COM AS CRIANÇAS. TIPO BABÁ.VOU AMAR XEREM.”

Os fãs digitalmente mais alfabetizados logo informaram a Xuxa que escrever em caixa alta equivale a gritar. Assim, depois de pouco mais de duas semanas no Twitter, a apresentadora foi obrigada a se explicar pela primeira vez: “EU NÃO ESTOU GRITANDO, NEM QUERO SER MAL EDUCADA, GALERA. SEMPRE QUE ESCREVO NO COMPUTADOR, ESCREVO ASSIM. É O MEU JEITINHO!”

Como muitas celebridades já perceberam, o Twitter permite um contato inédito com o fã. As mensagens alcançam o usuário, e são lidas, independentemente da sua disposição para respondê-las. Xuxa deu um primeiro sinal de que não estava acostumada com esse novo tipo de assédio na segunda-feira, 24. Em meio a outras tuitadas, desabafou: “PÔ PAREM DE CRITICAR”.

Nesse mesmo dia, foi obrigada a se explicar com os fãs, que já somam 72 mil seguidores: “OUTRA COISA , NÃO FIQUEM TRISTE POR EU NÃO RESPONDER TUDO EU FICO DOIDINHA , VOU APRENDER AOS POUCOS TÁ”. Desajeitada com a língua portuguesa, como pode-se notar, ela tentou se explicar em seguida, mais uma vez tropeçando na gramática e na ortografia: “OPS , ESCREVI SEM LER SAIU ERROS DE PORTUGUES”.

Chateada com as críticas ao seu “jeitinho” de escrever, Xuxa passou a digitar as suas mensagens em caixa baixa, como todos os demais usuários do serviço. Mas deixou claro que não gostou das críticas: “eu adoro esse jeitinho, mas falaram tanta coisa feia q tô eu aqui de igual prá igual”.

Em seu último dia no Twitter, na terça-feira, 25 de agosto, Xuxa avisou que estava tuitando do set de filmagens de “Xuxa e o Mistério de Feiurinha”. Informou que Sasha estava participando das filmagens e relatou que iria trabalhar até de madrugada. Depois contou que o filme tem Hebe Camargo no papel de sogra e Angélica como cunhada, além de Fafi Siqueira, Alexandra Richter e Bruna Marquezine no papel de bruxas.

O caldo entornou já de noite, depois de Xuxa avisar: “sasha filmou com um bode e agora vai filmar com uma cobra”. Na sequência, a filha da apresentadora escreveu: “Sou eu Sasha. Estou aqui filmando e vai ser um ótimo filme. Tenho que ir… Vou fazer uma sena com a cobra”.

Os fãs de Xuxa logo começaram a fazer observações sobre o erro de ortografia cometido pela menina de 11 anos (“sena” no lugar de “cena”). Magoada, a apresentadora reagiu com um palavrão: “pra quem não sabe minha filha foi alfabetizada em inglês, vou pensar muito em colocar ela pra falar com vcs, ela não merece ouvir certas m…”

Como as críticas e ironias não cessaram, Xuxa, muito irritada, encerrou seu dia no Twitter com um desabafo: “fui vcs não merecem falar comigo nem com meu anjo”. E, como observou Lu Lacerda, às 2h50 da manhã, eliminou a mensagem com erro da filha.

Naturalmente, o erro de Sasha e a reação de Xuxa ganharam as páginas com velocidade. Na manhã de quarta-feira, a palavra “Xuxa” estava entre as dez mais mencionadas por brasileiros no Twitter. E as mensagens que ela escreveu na noite anterior estavam entre as três mais reenviadas (retuitadas) por outros usuários.

Wagner Martins, o Mr. Manson, criador do célebre blog Cocadaboa, foi quem talvez resumiu melhor a nova situação: “Celebridades no Twitter tornaram possível um sonho de infância: xingar a TV. E ser ouvido. Obrigado Internets.” Xuxa, com certeza, não se esquecerá desta lição. read more

Police in Parker-Broderick case arraigned in Ohio

2009-08-03T11:32:00.000-07:00

Two Ohio police chiefs accused of snooping on the surrogate mother for actors Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick were charged with several felonies on Friday.

Special prosecutor T. Shawn Hervey said the men conspired to take items from the woman's eastern Ohio home to sell to celebrity photographers.

At an arraignment Friday, Martins Ferry Police Chief Barry Carpenter was charged with two counts of burglary, one count of receiving stolen property, one count of theft in office, one count of unauthorized use of property or services and one count of tampering with evidence.

Bridgeport Police Chief Chad Dojack, 30, was charged with two counts of complicity to burglary and one count of complicity to receiving stolen property.

Both men pleaded not guilty and are free on their own recognizance. Neither of the men could be reached for comment. There are no residential telephone listings for them.

Carpenter could face 21 1/2 years in prison if convicted on all charges, and Dojack could face up to 14 1/2 years if convicted on all charges against him.

Martins Ferry Mayor Phil Wallace said he gave Carpenter the day off on Friday and still considered him the working police chief. Wallace said he planned to meet with Carpenter Monday morning and would make a decision later next week on whether to suspend the chief.

The mayor declined to comment specifically on the allegations but indicated he was concerned about the scandal reflecting poorly on his community.

"I'm really disappointed that things have to happen like this in a small town. It's bad, and I wish it wouldn't have happened. But it did, so we've just got to put up with it," Wallace said.

Messages seeking comment from Bridgeport Mayor John Callarik were left at his office Friday. Bridgeport police wouldn't comment on whether Dojack is still on the job.

Hervey said that Carpenter is alleged to have entered the home of Michelle Ross and removed items from the home identifying Ross as the surrogate mother. Along with Dojack, Carpenter attempted to sell the items to photographers, Hervey said.

Carpenter, 32, also is accused of using his office to commit the crimes, destroying evidence and illegally using a law enforcement computer system, Hervey said.

"It is extremely troubling that the persons sworn to uphold the law and protect the public are now charged with violating those oaths," Hervey said.

He also said it was troubling that society "is so celebrity crazed that a market exists and tens of thousands of dollars are exchanged for pictures and stories of celebrity scandal."

"Unfortunately, the city and Belmont County are now living their own Hollywood soap opera," the prosecutor said.

The alleged burglary took place in mid-May in the eastern Ohio town of Martins Ferry, and the allegations against Carpenter and Dojack surfaced about a week later.

Ross is no longer believed to be staying in the Martins Ferry area, officials have said.

The surrogate mother, who gave birth to twins June 22 at an Ohio hospital, was not home at the time of the alleged burglary. Read more

Meeting Set To Decide Future Of Local Police Chiefs

2009-08-03T11:30:00.000-07:00

The status of two local police chiefs charged in a scandal surrounding the surrogate mother for actress Sarah Jessica Parker is expected to be learned Monday morning.Martins Ferry Mayor Phil Wallace told NEWS9 that a pre-disciplinary hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday to determine if Chief Barry Carpenter will remain on the job.Also, Monday night, the Bridgeport City Council will meet to decide the immediate future of Chief Chad Dojack.

The mayors of both towns told NEWS9 they would not comment on the status of each chief until after the respective meetings.Dojack, Carpenter and a third man all face felony charges.Martins Ferry Police Chief Barry Carpenter, Bridgeport Police Chief Chad Dojack and Bruce Callarik -- the son of Bridgeport’s mayor and Dojack's father-in-law -- were arraigned Friday morning after they were served with copies of their grand jury indictments.

Carpenter is charged with six felonies including two counts of burglary, one count of receiving stolen property, one count of theft in office, one count of unauthorized use of telecommunications property and one count of tampering with evidence. He faces a maximum of 21 ½ years in prison if convicted and up to a $45,000 fine. His trial is scheduled for October.Harrison County Prosecutor Shawn Hervey said Carpenter is accused of breaking into the home of Michelle Ross, the surrogate for the celebrity couple, in an effort to give information to tabloid media.

"The charges in this matter stem from a conspiracy between the defendants to acquire and sell items identifying Michelle Ross as the surrogate for Sarah Jessica Parker to celebrity photographers for monetary gain," Hervey said. "It's further alleged that the Martins Ferry police chief entered the home of Michelle Ross and removed items from the house and, along with Dojack, attempted to sell the items to the photographers.

"Hervey said that Carpenter is accused of also using his office to commit the crimes, destroying evidence and illegally using a law enforcement computer system.Dojack is charged with complicity to commit burglary, a felony punishable by eight years in prison. He was also charged with one count of complicity to receive stolen property. He faces a maximum of 14 ½ years in prison and up to $30,000 fine. His trial is scheduled for Nov. 17.Both chiefs pleaded not guilty and remain free on their own recognizance.Callarik is charged with a felony count of complicity to receiving stolen property and also pleaded not guilty. He faces 18 month in prison and a $5,000 fine. He is also free on his own recognizance.

Hervey said Callarik is accused of facilitating the meeting and had knowledge of the stolen items.Callarik owns the Hillside Motel near Blaine. People there said they saw tabloid photographers at the hotel for several days. One motel employee described Callarik as a good man to work for, a man who would be there if she needed help.On Wednesday, Hervey, who was acting as a special prosecutor for Belmont County, presented a case to a grand jury involving an incident related to Ross, the surrogate mother for Parker and Broderick. Ross gave birth to twins in Martins Ferry in June.On her MySpace.com page, Ross, of Martins Ferry, describes herself as a proud parent who is in college.

Her occupations are listed as greyhounds, surrogate and student.Friday, she wrote on her page: "Wonder how those police chiefs and the mayor's son like their metal bracelets? Can't wait 'til they get their new orange pajamas!"Ross describes herself as independent, strong-willed, ambitious, determined, sensitive and compassionate.

She says she wants to meet interesting people-- believers in truth not fame- and those that can be proud without being jealous. She says she doesn't want to meet "self-centered, judgmental, careless and self-serving fools who don't care how their actions affect those around them."Carpenter confirmed for NEWS9 several weeks ago that he was under investigation in connection with the case and has maintained his innocence. He is still on the job but Martins Ferry Mayor Phil Wallace said he gave the chief the day off on Thursday and Friday pending a pre-disciplinary hearing on Monday.Wallace said, "I just want to say this to the citizens of Martins Ferry: that our police department is 100 percent full-time and we know of no shutdown and they will be protected to the fullest."In addition to serving as the Martins Ferry police chief, Carpenter is also the commander for the South Eastern Allied Response.

According to their Web site, Carpenter is a state certified firearms instructor and has instructor status on many different weapons systems. He has been on numerous high-risk missions and is active with both the entry and sniper elements of the team. He is also responsible for training logistics, media relations and administrative details.Dojack is also off the job. Friday, the Bridgeport mayor said Dojack is suspended pending a city council meeting Monday at 7 p.m. The mayor and Dojack are related by marriage.

The men had voluntarily turned themselves in for "anticipatory processing" Wednesday night. Belmont County Sheriff Fred Thompson said even though the men were not charged at that time, they were preparing to be indicted.By being processed at the jail before being charged, the men avoided media attention.Hervey said he was disappointed that the case involves men sworn in to protect local people. He said it is troubling that a celebrity case of this magnitude is happening here in the Ohio Valley.

"It is extremely troubling that persons sworn to uphold the law and protect the public are now charged with violating those oaths," Hervey said. "It is equally troubling that our society is so celebrity crazed that a market exists and tens of thousands of dollars are exchanged for celebrity scandal." Read more

What was Michael Jackson's last interview?

2009-07-17T11:42:00.000-07:00

Ebony's December 2007 issue

This article is part of Examiner.com’s "Info 101" series, which answers questions that people may have about the topics covered by Examiner.com writers.

The last interview that Michael Jackson gave was in Ebony magazine’s December 2007 issue. To understand how notable that interview is in music history is to also understand how rare it was for Jackson to do this kind of interview in the last few decades of his life.

Doing an interview with certain hard-to-get celebrities is almost like winning the Olympic gold medal of entertainment journalism: it only happens to a limited number of people every few years. Jackson was one of those hard-to-get stars.

During his years with the Jackson 5 and in his early solo career, Jackson could regularly be seen doing interviews and making promotional appearances. But it’s a well-known fact that Jackson became more reclusive with the media after the phenomenal success of his 1982 "Thriller" album. He became even more inaccessible in the ‘90s; perhaps the biggest notable exception in that decade was his live TV interview with Oprah Winfrey in January 1993.

In the 21st century, Jackson did a select number of interviews and promotional appearances for his 2001 "Dangerous" album. Then there was Jackson's participation in journalist Martin Bashir’s infamous 2003 documentary "Living With Michael Jackson," which many people believe led to Jackson being arrested later that year for child molestation. (Jackson was acquitted of the charges in 2005.)

It’s unknown if Jackson would have done interviews to promote the series concerts that he had been scheduled to perform in London as of July 2009. On March 5, 2009, Jackson held a press conference to announce the concerts, but he only made a brief statement and he did not take questions at the press conference. Although all the concerts were sold-out, Jackson never did the shows because of his tragic death on June 25, 2009.

Jackson’s last interview in Ebony’s December 2007 issue was conducted in New York City by Bryan Monroe, who was then the vice president and editorial director of Ebony and Jet. Photos by Matthew Rolston accompanied the article.

The interview, which was done to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of "Thriller," had restrictions: No questions about Jackson’s personal life were allowed. However, it stands as the last media interview that Jackson did, and it offers some insight into his thoughts at the time. www.examiner.com

Barkley 499-1 long shot at Lake Tahoe celebrity golf tourney

2009-07-17T11:41:00.001-07:00

Charles Barkley goes into the 20th annual Lake Tahoe Celebrity Golf Championship at the bottom of the tote board.

He doesn't expect to make it on to the leader board. "Let's be realistic," said Barkley, given one chance in 500 to win the 75-player tournament. "There's probably five to 10 guys who have a legitimate shot at winning this thing."

Barkley has finished last twice and tied for the bottom spot another time. He's never lacked for fans, though. He tends to draw the largest, most rollicking galleries, along with actors Ray Romano and Kevin Nealon.

The top golfers among the past and present sports stars and celebrities when the tournament begins Friday at Lake Tahoe will include ex-major league pitcher Rick Rhoden, former hockey stars Dan Quinn and Grant Fuhr and current Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.

Rhoden, the 9-5 favourite who barely missed qualifying for the U.S. Senior Open earlier this month, is the defending champ in search of a record eighth career victory in the 54-hole tournament at Edgewood-Tahoe Golf Course.

Other multiple champs include Quinn, who has done it four times, and ex-quarterback Billy Joe Tolliver, who has won twice, most recently in 2005.

But there's always a number of competitions within the tournament, side wagers like when Barkley and former NBA star Chris Webber bet US$50,000 on who would finish last in 2005 and 2006.

Webber collected both times for his favourite charity.

It turns out there is one contest Barkley thinks he someday might have a chance to win - thanks to a monthslong series of lessons from Tiger Woods' swing coach, Hank Haney.

"One of my goals is to win the Black Masters one year. That's my only goal," Barkley said during a teleconference promoting NBC Sports' made-for-TV event.

"We call Lake Tahoe the Black Masters because we have our own tournament. You've got to be a quarterback or hockey player (to win) so the black guys, we joke around, we call it the Black Masters," he said.

Barkley said his real purpose at the event is to enjoy the beauty of Lake Tahoe, socialize with friends, talk with fans - and sing karaoke in the casino lounges.

"Marcus Allen is the karaoke king, just for the record. We've got Jerry Rice and all those guys up there singing karaoke for three or four hours. It is crazy every night," he said.

"It ain't like I'm going to bed at 10 o'clock. Ain't like I'm going to lose the tournament because I didn't get a good night's sleep."

Barkley admits he might change his ways if he ever managed to put together three good rounds of golf.

"Hypothetically in the next few years if I'm leading the Black Masters one night, you can be damn sure I'm going to go to bed and try to get the major."

Former all-star outfielder Vince Coleman said he, Barkley, Michael Jordan and Ahmad Rashad launched the special competition a decade ago because most of the black former pro athletes playing at Tahoe then had started golfing only after their careers in other sports ended.

"We haven't talked about that in years. But now Charles is bringing it up again because he's all excited about his new golf swing," Coleman told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Former NBA all-star Alonzo Mourning is among this year's tourney newcomers and is already focused on the first tee.

"Don't shank it. That's it. Just hit it straight," said Mourning, who has memberships at five different golf courses in south Florida.

"I'm not going to go out there and embarrass myself. I'll hold my own," he said. "But if I played this game for a living, I'd be homeless." http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5g9RSy08x9V0LdeWxl1yRjseKkVMQ

Soon-to-debut Celebrity cruise ship fends off measles outbreak

2009-07-17T11:39:00.000-07:00

Two crew members on the soon-to-debut Celebrity Equinox have come down with the measles, prompting a massive vaccination effort to keep the highly contagious disease from spreading across the ship.

A spokeswoman for Royal Caribbean, the parent company of Celebrity Cruises, tells USA TODAY the company has ordered 1,000 doses of measles vaccine for the ship's crew and is administering it to anyone who hasn't had or can't prove that they have had the vaccine in the past.

While most North Americans receive measles vaccines in childhood, "some of these crew members come from countries where the vaccination isn't as common," says the Royal Caribbean spokeswoman, Cynthia Martinez. read more www.usatoday.com

Leighton Meester In Sex Tape Scandal

2009-06-20T08:12:00.000-07:00

See More... Oh Lord, here we go again. Yet another celebrity sex tape is about to hit the shelves, and I could not be more surprised at the star. "Gossip Girl"'s Leighton Meester evidently made a very raunchy video two years ago with an as yet unidentified boyfriend who is now shopping the tape around to various companies including celebhotline.com who is said to be in the later stages of negotiations for ...Read More at Slacker Chic

Carrie Prejean Playboy Scandal

2009-06-12T15:55:00.000-07:00

carrie-prejean-playboy
Carrie Prejean is hitting back at Donald Trump, Shanna Moakler and the Miss USA California organization saying that she was forced out.

Prejean says that she was asked to do a semi-nude Playboy spread for $140,000 and appear on “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!”, by one of the head pageant organizers, Keith Lewis. She says she refused both offers.

On the other hand, Lewis claims that Prejean was never told she HAD to take the jobs, and adds that she had specifically requested that all and any offers be brought to the table.

The former Miss USA California went on to tell TMZ that she is “shocked” and had no idea that she was going to be fired. She says she actually found out online. How’s that for a slap in the face?

She is also denying Donald Trump’s claim that she missed numerous events under her contract.

She even hinted at Shanna Moakler as being the mastermind behind her firing. She says:

“What’s behind this I think is a political debate. They don’t agree with the stance that I took. Shanna is trying to bash me. They don’t like me. From day one they wanted me out and they got what they wanted.”

Trump might just want to step aside because this is turning into a ‘Carrie Prejean vs. Shanna Moakler’ Celebrity Deathmatch! www.celebritysmackblog.com

Philippines ensnared in sex scandal

2009-06-04T11:17:00.000-07:00


Hayden Kho

HONG KONG -- The Philippines has been gripped by a monthlong celebrity sex scandal that has touched the film industry, disgraced politicians and driven up TV ratings.

Breaking in mid-May, the scandal involves a well-known plastic surgeon, Hayden Kho, and at least four female patients. Video footage of their trysts has appeared on the Internet and bootleg DVDs and VCDs that are openly being sold on the streets of Manila. Actress Katrina Halili has identified herself as one of the victims and is suing Kho.

The case has many echoes of the Edison Chen scandal that last year rocked Hong Kong. Kho has issued a public apology and suspended his medical activities. But, while he admits that he filmed the trysts, he denies having leaked them into the public domain.

Last year, up and coming actor Chen saw more than 1,300 photos that he shot of himself in action with a dozen girlfriends appear on the Internet. The shock waves seriously damaged the careers of at least two top Hong Kong actresses and caused an outcry that was felt in Legco, the territory's parliament.

"In our culture, this will stigmatize me for life," said Halili, who insists she did not know she was being videotaped by Kho. Her picture already has been removed from billboards, and there are reports she has lost endorsement, modeling and film offers.

Last week, Kho and Halili made to explain themselves to a Senate committee considering legislation to strengthen laws against pornography and exploitation of women and children.

"Every time we saw each other, there was no conversation. It was all drugs and sex," said the handsome doctor, who claims Halili introduced him to Ecstasy. Adding to the drama, the hearing, which was carried live on TV and radio to huge audiences, was interrupted when a member of the public threw water at Kho.

As in Hong Kong, the case has caused legislators to look again at the adequacy of the laws defining obscenity and publishing and protecting intellectual property. The Philippines 2003 Optical Media Act, for example, only protects copyright in disc format, not on the Internet.

In another parallel, the Kho case has been tinged with the shady presence of organized crime. There have been reports of substantial sums offered for other sex tapes involving Kho's sometime lover (and another celebrity surgeon) Vicki Belo. There have been suggestions by Sen. Maria Ana Consuelo Madrigal that the syndicate believed to be responsible for distribution of the sex videos may be the same group supplying drugs to some entertainment luminaries.

A report this week ranked the Philippines' porn industry as the eighth largest in the world, worth at least $1 billion. The report by the Top Ten Reviews Web site suggests that because pornography and prostitution are illegal in the Philippines, the industry thrives underground instead.

Despite death threats and the menace of mutilation by triads, Chen last week abandoned his yearlong, self imposed exile and returned to Hong Kong. Chen said he is able to talk about the incident now that a trial concerning the uploading of photos from his computer has come to a conclusion.

Dicky Sze Ho-chun, a 24-year-old computer technician, was last month found guilty of three counts of theft from Chen's laptop, which was being repaired, and of burning a computer disc with the images. Although the court did not hear evidence which linked him to the uploading of the images to the Internet, Sze is now serving an 8 1/2-month jail sentence.

Chen, who refused to travel to Hong Kong in February for the Sze trial and instead forced a panel of magistrates to fly to him in Vancouver, is not returning quietly. Camped out in the territory's newest celebrity hotel, the W in Kowloon, Chen will make an appearance on CNN's Talk Asia this week. He describes the ordeal of locking himself away in a darkened room for a week and of traveling around the city in the trunks of taxis. "I have a lot to say," he told the TV news network. source

Donald Trump's Miss California Carrie Prejean scandal is 'Celebrity Apprentice 2.0'

2009-05-13T15:25:00.000-07:00

So here's the genius of Donald Trump.

He's got these two entertainment properties. One, the NBC show "Celebrity Apprentice," is thriving. Another, the Miss USA pageant, is doing okay, but like most beauty pageants feels a little outdated in today's blizzard of celebrity action.

But now, for the second time in four years, Miss USA has magically turned into high celebrity drama that builds and builds to a boiling point at which Trump himself must jump in to decide whether a Miss USA contestant will be fired: "Celebrity Apprentice," version 2.0.

Just for the record, both times Trump has decided she can stay.

He won't fire Miss California Carrie Prejean this year over some semi-nude underwear modeling pictures, just as he didn't fire Miss USA Tara Conner in 2006 when she admitted she had imbibed demon rum before turning 21.

Tara ended up in rehab, you might remember. Carrie is ending up with a regular slot of James Dobson's Focus on the Family show, where she has become an embattled but proud defender of the Traditional Family.

The specifics, however, don't really matter.

They will fade away as soon as the next round of celebrity chatter involving beautiful young women rolls around. That's not a knock on the women involved, just the way the game works.

Herd ‘em in, herd ‘em out. What's most impressive here is that at a time when even the once-rock-solid Miss America pageant is desperately struggling to keep its fond place in American culture, Miss USA has managed to capture stacks of headlines and hours of TV talk time.

And Donald Trump has reinforced his image as the national Decider.

Now some might say Donald is just lucky — that he didn't lure Tara Conner to drink and didn't coach Carrie Prejean on what to say about gay marriage.

But luck is also the product of design — positioning yourself to take advantage of a situation should it occur.

At the very least, Trump understands the possibilities of his position.
www.nydailynews.com

he Celebrity Apprentice Picked Up For Third Season

2009-04-30T09:04:00.001-07:00

Last week we saw Joan Rivers walk out after Melissa Rivers got fired. Perhaps that was too much drama for one's liking, but hey, that's what The Celebrity Apprentice is tasked to supply. And we're getting another round of (probably) just that come next year. NBC has announced that it's picked up the reality show, currently airing on Sundays, for a third season, slated to air in Spring 2010.

For those who aren't aware, the series pits sixteen celebrities against each other, as they try to make the most out of their business savvy and wide network of contacts to accomplish tasks and win prizes for the charities they support--else they get the distinction of getting Donald Trump's "you're fired!" line.
"The Celebrity Apprentice is the ultimate business and reality show at the top of its game and has exploded in popularity this season while also raising an impressive amount of money for charity," network executive Paul Telegdy said in a statement. "It's a valuable franchise and proven competitor and we're thrilled to have [the team] back to create another brilliant season."

"The Apprentice and The Celebrity Apprentice have been an amazing adventure for me and, obviously, a very popular show with the public," said Trump, who also acts as the show's executive producer. "Its Emmy nominations and great success have translated into a wonderful experience. Working with [producer] Mark Burnett has been terrific, and I am greatly honored that NBC has renewed us for yet another season, our ninth."

After working six seasons in its original format, The Celebrity Apprentice launched in 2008 to success in the ratings, and Piers Morgan winning the top slot. The second season is currently airing and--yes, that's where Joan and Melissa walked out. The current run has taken in around 8.6 million viewers on average.
Henrik Batallones, BuddyTV Staff Columnist Source: NBC

Celebrity sexphotos scandal suspect found guilty

2009-04-30T09:01:00.001-07:00

A computer technician was found guilty yesterday of stealing explicit photos from Hongkong pop star Edison Chen, triggering a massive scandal involving a number of young starlets.

Sze Ho-chun, 24, downloaded explicit images from the laptop computer of the singer-actor that showed Chen engaging in sex acts with a number of well-known women, a Hongkong court found.

He now faces a possible jail term of up to five years over the distribution of the photographs which were seen by millions of internet users in China and around the world in early 2008.

The 1,300 pictures showed stars including singer Gillian Chung and actress Cecilia Cheung naked with Chen, creating a scandal which tarnished the squeaky clean image of Hongkong's Canto-pop stars.

Chen, 28, was forced to issue a public apology, flee Hongkong for Canada and announce his temporary retirement from showbiz.

At Wednesday's hearing in Hongkong's Kowloon City Court, Sze was convicted of three counts of obtaining access to a computer with dishonest intent. He had denied all charges.

The magistrate told Sze he had been irresponsible and dishonest and stole the images knowing he had no right to them. He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on May 13.

The trial earlier this month included evidence from Chen, which was given in a court in Vancouver when he refused to return to Hongkong for the trial.

Prosecutors said Chen was a regular customer of Sze at the computer shop where he worked and alleged that Sze passed the photographs to another person who uploaded them onto the internet.
Sze, is said to have downloaded the images while repairing Chen's laptop.

The distribution of the explicit photographs had a huge impact on the careers and personal lives on the women featured in them, who later hit out at Chen for failing to apologise to them.

Chen earlier this year received a warning letter containing a bullet telling him to keep out of the public eye after he made his first public appearance since the scandal.

Celebrity Dog Lover: Miley Cyrus

2009-04-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

Miley, Loco and Roadie - Animal Fair Photo

Miley Cyrus is the teen sensation who stole America’s heart through her TV character Hannah Montana. To date, we’ve heard a lot about her family life, love interests and famous father Billy Ray Cyrus. However, what we haven’t heard much about are her animals.

Miley Cyrus has a love for our furry friends, which is why she has four dogs. They’re named Roadie, Loco, Juicy and Minnie Pearl. Consecutively, the breeds of her dogs are a Yorkshire Terrier, Shih Tzu, Dalmatian and miniature Poodle.

If you see Ms. Cyrus on the street, you will sometimes see her with one of her dogs. Of course, mostly, she plays with them at home. Two of her dogs (Roadie and Loco) have received awards. What was it? They were named top dogs for the most eligible dogs of the year by Animal Fair Magazine.

PHOTOS OF MILEY AND HER DOGS

Mel And Robyn Gibson’s Divorce May Be Most Expensive In Celebrity History

2009-04-14T10:19:00.000-07:00

Written by: Stephen Ruback

People Magazine is speculating that Robyn Gibson is legally entitled to half of Mel Gibson’s earnings over the past twenty-eight years

There have been numerous celebrities who have been placed in the public spotlight due to financially devastating divorce cases in the past and Mel Gibson is now the latest to endure this circumstance.

Due to the fact that there is no indication that Mel Gibson and Robyn Gibson had a prenuptial agreement, it appears that Robyn Gibson is legally entitled to half of everything that her estranged husband has earned since the date of their marriage.

The two individuals initially tied the knot back in 1980 and Robyn Gibson is expected to attempt to take half of her ex-husband’s fortune, which according to People.com is estimated to be $1 billion. The actor, director and producer has accumulated millions of dollars over the years for his involvement in various films and television projects as well as calculated real estate investments.

Los Angeles family lawyer Lynn Soodik, who has followed many Hollywood divorces in the past, provided a statement about the speculation surrounding this divorce case. Soodik said, "This could easily be one of the biggest divorce settlements in Hollywood history. Any attorney would advise her to take half."

According to People.com, Soodik is not directly involved in this particular case, but due to the amount of money that is involved in this divorce, she expects that the estranged couple may come to a financial settlement as opposed to enduring a drawn-out court battle. source

Celebrity Scandal! Giselle Bundchen Loves Her Stepson!

2009-04-14T10:18:00.000-07:00

I guess we might as well weigh in on the HUGE SCANDAL involving New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's wife Giselle Bundchen (pictured). I mean, why pass up the opportunity to post a photo of two really good-looking people, right?

As you almost certainly know by now, the HUGE SCANDAL is about what Bundchen said in an interview with Vanity Fair magazine. Brady fathered a child, John Edward who is 18 months old, with Bridget Moynahan, but dumped her and married Bundchen. Vanity Fair apparently asked Bundchen about her relationship with the boy.

Warning: the following statement may be inappropriate for younger or more sensitive readers.

Here is what Bundchen said: "It's not like because somebody else delivered him, that's not my child. I love him the same way as if he were mine. I already feel like he's my son, from the first day."

For those of you who, like me, don't quite grasp the horror of those words, here's an article to explain it to you (Examiner, 4/3/09).

In a nutshell, this is all about the Mommy Turf Wars between biological mom and stepmother. Note that nothing in the article indicates that Moynahan herself objects to Bundchen's statement, or to her love for little John Edward. "Her side," whoever that is, takes exception to Bundchen being photographed with the child. If "her side" actually represents Moynahan's viewpoint on the matter, then it looks suspiciously like she and Bundchen take somewhat different approaches to child raising. Can that possibly surprise anyone?

More to the point is the claim that Bundchen "crossed a line" by saying what she did. What line? Well, that's unclear, but it seems to be the old familiar circle that mothers so often draw around themselves and their children - the one that doesn't allow anyone else inside, sometimes including the father. Moynahan's demand, if she made it, that the child not be photographed in public, suggests that to her, childrearing must be done only one way - her way.

The other possibility is that Bundchen is trying to draw her own circle around herself and the boy. Maybe she's marking territory with John Edward as part of it.

Who knows what's going on exactly? But one thing the two might consider is to just get along with each other. Is it the worst thing in the world for a child to have a stepmother who sincerely loves him? Is it possible to put his needs before the petty grievances of adults? I suppose we'll find out.

For now, this "scandal" looks to be mostly in the minds of a few people with nothing better to do than microscopically examine the private lives of celebrities. What Moynahan herself thinks of the matter remains conspicuously absent from the article. But if she's as exclusionary as "her side" seems to think she is, then there's a storm brewing on the horizon between her and Bundchen.

At the eye of the storm is an 18-month-old boy.

Thanks to Martin for the heads-up. source

Celebrity pop quiz - Anna Faris

2009-04-05T15:13:00.000-07:00

Poor Anna Faris.

In real life, she's witty and whip smart, but on-screen the 32-year-old actress specializes in bimbos, whether adorable ("The House Bunny") or irritating ("Lost in Translation," "Just Friends").

Faris mines that inner idiot again in her latest film, "Observe and Report," opening Friday. The action is set in a generic Anywhereville mall, and Faris plays the acrylic-nailed, lead-hearted cosmetics salesgirl Brandi, lust object of schlumpy security guard Seth Rogen.

Brandi is quite an achievement: In a very dark black comedy, she stands out as an astonishing b-.

She is awful. I guess she's just the girl we all knew growing up - catty and bitchy and obnoxious, really mean. She's so awful I hope people are laughing at her. Brandi feels she's very sophisticated, like she's a little too big for this town. The long nails always got me into character because, naturally, I'm a bit of a nail biter.

Did you go to the mall and watch the mean makeup girls at work for inspiration?

No. I'm one of the lazier actors you may speak with. I don't do any research. I just remember, at our mall at a certain age, I was enamored of the makeup counter girls and I so wanted to be one. ... But I did at least attempt, though you can't really tell, to have Brandi doing makeup really poorly - overdo the lip liner and the eyeliner, overpluck the arched eyebrows. read more

Celebrity side dish: Alec Baldwin has some advice for President Obama

2009-04-05T15:08:00.000-07:00

Alec Baldwin thinks that President Obama faces as many threats from the Democratic Congress as from the GOP. “There’s no real leadership in the Congress,” the “30 Rock” star told us at the National Resources Defense Council’s Forces of Nature gala. “I like Teddy Kennedy. I like Chuck Schumer. But, in the House, there is no real reform-minded drive there. Obama wants real reform. ... There are Democrats and Republicans who will support him, only if it suits their purposes.”

Jackie Kennedy’s famously eccentric aunt and cousin, Big Edie and Little Edie Beale, turned their East Hampton mansion into a fetid home for wayward cats that Albert and David Maysles chronicled in their 1975 cult documentary, “Grey Gardens.” Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore, who brought the batty Beales to life onscreen, are due at the April 14 Zeigfeld premiere of Michael Sucsy’s new film. Meanwhile, HBO’s Richard Plepler and Frances Hayward are hosting a special screeing next Saturday in East Hampton, followed by a party at the Beales’ former home. Joining producers Rachael Horovitz and Lucy Donnelly will be the house’s current owners, Washington power couple Ben Bradlee and Sally Quinn, who spent a fortune ridding it of its feline stench.

What United Arab Emirates ruler is cross with his son now that his heir has had a second “shooting accident” that claimed the life of a rival for his dad’s affections? The prince fled the country for a while but has been told he can come back, providing he doesn’t do it again.

Surveillance: Billy Crudup got what he wanted when he sang the “Sesame Street” song, “I Love Trash,” at the Blue School benefit. The Blue Man Group dumped a load of rancid garbage on the “Watchmen” star, much to the delight of Jon Stewart, Rachel Weisz, Darren Aronofsky and Narciso Rodriguez. Also announced at the gala: the Dalai Lama has invited by Oprah Winfrey to moderate a panel at his 2009 Peace Summit in Vancouver on Sept. 27. ...

PETA activists bombarded Joey Morrissey’s M2 club with angry calls when they heard a baby lion would walk the runway at the Dressed to Kilt Scottish fashion show. Organizers relented, instead painting a lion (the Scots’ mascot) on the back of Marcus Schenkenberg. ... Edie Falco, Gretchen Mol and Idina Menzel beautified Thursday’s debut of Neil LaBute’s “reasons to be pretty” at the Lyceum. LaBute stuck with his policy of boycotting his plays’ opening nights. ... Donald Trump fired questions at human cannonball Brian Miser backstage at the Ringling Bros. circus while wife, Melania, and son Baron schmoozed the clowns. ...

Restaurateur Giuseppe Cipriani was shocked to see father-son legal team Barry and Stuart Slotnick at his London joint. “I must owe you money if you are coming here!” Cipriani told the New York barristers. So many power players stopped by the Slotnicks’ table that one British companion asked, “Are you paying these people to talk to you so we’ll be impressed?" ...Lou Reed, James Blunt, Suzanne Vega, Willem Dafoe, Philip Glass and Angelique Kidjo helped p.r. goddess Annie Ohayon celebrate her birthday at the Cooper Square Hotel's penthouse...

Drew Nieporent, who helped create Nobu, Corton, Centrico and Mai House, stopped by the Mets' new stadium to put the finishing touches on his ballpark boite, Acela…. "Twilight" heartthrob Robert Pattison, "Bachelor" Jason Nesnick, Tom Selleck and The Bare Naked Ladies partied at Vacouver's swining Opus Hotel… Sean Combs spent 45 minutes on the elliptical at Equinox South Beach -- no doubt getting in shape for the April Fool's Day "wedding" he'd announced a few hours before. read more

South Korean star's suicide sparks scandal

2009-04-05T15:05:00.000-07:00

In this country obsessed with soap operas, a real-life spectacle involving sex, a starlet's suicide and the country's most powerful entertainment executives has South Koreans riveted.

The drama began when Jang Ja-yeon, 27, star of a popular TV soap, was found hanged inside her suburban Seoul apartment on March 7.

The plot soon thickened with the discovery of a purported suicide note that claims she had been repeatedly forced to have sex with entertainment executives. Their names have not been revealed.

The story has since featured more plot twists than an episode of Boys Over Flowers, the soap that featured Jang as a social-climbing high school bully. One of her managers has attempted suicide, and police are seeking to extradite a former manager from Japan.

While police continue their investigation, media reports have brought near-daily speculation on the identities of the TV executives. Although it is still unclear who might have forced Jang into sexual relations, commentators are calling into question the secret relationship between power and celebrity in South Korea.

"Throughout our recent history, including the past military regimes, there has been the idea that powerful authorities consider celebrities as their possessions," said Lee Myoung-jin, a sociology professor at Korea University in Seoul.

Jang's is the latest of several South Korean celebrity suicides.

TV actor Ahn Jae-hwan killed himself in September after reportedly struggling with mounting debts. Soon afterward, actress Choi Jin-sil committed suicide amid rampant speculation on the Internet that she was the one to whom Ahn owed large sums of money.

There is mystery around Jang's death. Within hours, talent manager Yoo Jang-ho claimed he possessed a suicide note from Jang but did not reveal its contents. A Seoul TV station reported the details of the purported note but withheld the executives' names.

Soon after, amid rumours that he was involved in the hanging, a shamed Yoo attempted suicide.

According to media reports, about 10 high-powered figures, including TV producers and chief executives of two newspaper companies, were named in the purported suicide note.

In mid-March, after his release from hospital, Yoo stated his innocence.

"I believe Jang killed herself because she was being treated so badly," he told reporters. "The truth will definitely be revealed through the investigation."

On his blog, Yoo wrote: "There is a public enemy who is responsible for her death. All who work in the entertainment business know who that guy is."

So far, entertainment executives have kept silent about the case. But a former producer for the Korean Broadcasting System suggested in an op-ed piece that Jang's case has inspired a witch hunt.

"Some people are more interested in making public the alleged list of the men whom she was forced to have sex with rather than actually paying attention to the substance of her death," Park Mun-yeong wrote.

According to a TV report here, the suicide note suggested Jang felt like a prostitute. "I was called to a bar and pressured to accept a request for a sexual relationship," she wrote, according to the report.

Park questioned the pressure on celebrities to keep in the public eye, saying those "who do not make frequent appearances are treated like losers. To avoid this, they often have to go too far." source

Twitter Becomes Minor Celebrity Scandal Resource

2009-03-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

Well, one thing Twitter’s good for: a little celebrity drama. According to a British tabloid quoting an American tabloid, singer John Mayer tweeted his way to a break up with Jennifer Aniston about the same time Ashton Kutcher posted a photo of Demi Moore’s heiney to TwitPics.

Give me a break; when you cover all things Twitter this is news. It’s also pretty funny.

Anyway, anonymous sources close to Jennifer Aniston, so says the tabloid quoting a tabloid, say Aniston broke up with Mayer because his constant tweeting proved him to be a liar. Interesting way to frame it. The same sources say Mayer stopped calling her or returning emails, and when Aniston finally caught up with him, he told her he’d been swamped with work.

His Twitter account, though, showed he sure had time to tweet, and if you got time to tweet, you got time to talk to your hot megastar girlfriend. Maybe it’s a good time to recommend the film “He’s Just Not That Into You.”

Demi's Backside
Ashton Kutcher via twitpic.com

Demi Moore can skip that one, though. Boy-toy hubby Ashton Kutcher is into her enough that he “secretly” snapped a pic of her bent over in her swimsuit and put it on the Internet.

Ooh, ooh. Let me try a different clever transition. While Mayer’s busy making an ass of himself, Ashton Kutcher…on second thought, let’s just move on with what we’ve got.

Demi called him “a sneak” and noted the picture was taken while she was steaming his suit for attending her ex-husband Bruce Willis’s wedding.

Ah, celebrity love. Ah, weird, alternate universes.

So put that on your list of things one can do with Twitter. If everybody knowing what’s going on your life at all times is good for your career, then Twitter is a perfect tool for TMI. source

Ashley Biden's Cocaine Video Scandal

2009-03-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

By Keith Girard

Better pick your friends carefully. Ashley Biden, the daughter of Vice President Joe Biden is reportedly the latest celebrity to be betrayed by a “friend,” who is trying to hawk a video that purportedly shows the comely 27-year-old snorting cocaine and acting raucously at a party.

Click here to see Twilight star Kristen Stewart taking a toke!

The incident follows closely on the heels of a photo that recently blazed across the Internet showing Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps taking hit from a marijuana bong. UK singer Amy Winehouse and Twilight actress Kristen Stewart have also been captured on film or video using drugs.

The episode involving Biden is particularly ironic because of the relatively high profile role she played in her father’s campaign as running-mate to President Barack Obama. Biden has been a particularly strident opponent of drug use and particularly cocaine use. But the existence of the video raises as many questions about the media as it does about Ashely Biden's behavior and its reflection on her father. How far will the media go to get the scoop on a celebrity scandal. How about $2 million?

In this case, The New York Post reports that a lawyer representing the owner of the video approached the newspaper seeking $2 million for the video file, which is reported to be more than 40 minutes long.

The Post reported that it was shown about 90 seconds of the video, but in the end declined to purchase it, even after the price had been reduced to $400,000.

High-five Post owner Rupert Murdoch for passing on the tape. It’s an odds on bet that he was consulted about it, before the post declined the offer. The Post, like most other newspapers, must been cash poor because of the intense media recession, or Murdoch has finally developed at least some measure of a conscience.

As a younger man, Murdoch bought and published diaries that were claimed to have been written by Adolph Hitler. But the writings later proved to be a faked, and Murdoch ended up with egg on his face.

This is where reports diverge. In a breathless dispatch, Radaronline reported in a “worldwide exclusive” that it, too, was aware of the Ashley Biden tape. But The Post had a far more details, and the two reports conflicted on key points.

Click here to see Amy Winehouse caught on video doing drugs!

For example, The Post said the woman in the video, who is not conclusively identified as Biden, used a red straw to snort the cocaine; the online magazine said it was a dollar bill. Details, details!

The drug user was described by the tabloid as a “20-something woman with light skin and long brown hair.” She took “ a red straw from her mouth, bending over a desk, inserting the straw into her nostril and snorting lines of white powder.”

Radar, its print publication already a victim of the recession, reports that a man in the video hands the woman a rolled-up dollar bill. “She proceeds to walk a few steps to a table where the cocaine is cut. She pulls her hair back, bends down and snorts a line,” it says.

Like The Post, the online magazine stops short of positively indentifying the woman as Biden. It says the tape was made without her knowledge, and is being shopped for $250,000. The Post said it was told that the tape was legally obtained, and that the woman was aware she was being filmed.

There is also some question as to when the video was made. Radar reported that the scene was shot this year, but other reports say Biden was 21 or 22 when it was made, which would make it about six years old.

If true, that would certainly lessen the impact of the “scandal.” The technology used to make the video as described by The Post, sounds more 2003 than 2009. And youthful indescretion is far more mitigating than if she has been tooting blow after the presidential campaign.

If the tape is indeed of Ashley Biden, there is also some question as to whether this “scandal” rises to the same level as, say, the infamous Michael Phelps bong hit.

Phelps is internationally known for his historic gold medal performance at the Olympics. He is undeniably a public role model and was being paid handsomely to pitch a number of high-profile products, including Wheaties.

Biden is a social worker in Delaware, where the scene was allegedly filmed, and would seem to have a much stronger claim to privacy. A high public official with wayward children is hardly a new story. The Bush twins had their own embarrassing moments with drunkenness in public, although no allegations of drug use was ever made.

Even ex-President Bush admitted to heavy drinking and drug use in college and continued drinking heavily up until his 40s. And, don’t even ask about the Kennedys.

Meanwhile, celebrities too numerous to mention have been caught on camera or video using drugs or in public displays of drunkenness. UK singer Winehouse was videotaped last year openly snorting drugs in a London night club. And, Twilight star Stewart was photographed sitting on the steps of a building, taking a hit on a marijuana pipe, shortly after the cult vampire film vaulted her to notoriety.

If the tape does make it to light – reportedly overseas publications have offered as much as $250,000 for it – it is unlikely, in the end, to affect the White House or the Vice President. His position on drugs is abundantly clear.

Ashley was arrested for possessing pot marijuana while she was a college student in 1999. And in 2002, about the time some reports say the video was shot, she was arrested for obstructing a Chicago police officer outside a Chicago bar.

So, she definitely has wild-child credentials. But what the Vice President’s adult daughter does with her time, even if it is stupid, embarrassing and ultimately regrettable, is her own business.

Keith Girard is the editor-in-chief of TheImproper.com.

Tyrese Gibson Says Scandal Taking Toll on Chris Brown

2009-03-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

By Shruti Dhalwala and Michael Y. Park

Originally posted Monday March 23, 2009 12:55 PM EDT

Rihanna and Chris Brown Photo by: Fame (2)

Chris Brown may not be the most popular guy right now, but friend Tyrese Gibson says everyone needs to take a step back and give him and Rihanna breathing room while they sort through a trying time.

"Although he appears to be really strong through all of this, it's really taking a toll on his spirit," Gibson said at Sunday's 2009 Ball Up Street Ball Tour. "People like me and Puff, we're just trying to show him love and keep his spirits up while he's going through all of the heat, and there are a lot people doing the same for Rihanna."

In February, Brown, 19, allegedly assaulted the Barbadian singer and his name has since appeared in countless negative articles and discussions of domestic abuse. Rihanna, too, has faced fallout, including criticism for taking Brown back. (According to one source, they have since decided to take a break.)

"It's really hard for him to focus right now on his music, even though he really wants to," said Gibson. "At the end of the day, I'm not trying to justify it because wrong is wrong, but unfortunately, us as entertainers, we have to grow up on stage with a lot of people looking at us. And a lot of people forget that he's 19, she's only 21."

Sex tape scandal follows Rihanna and Chris

2009-03-20T12:13:00.000-07:00

Are Rihanna and her her 19-year-old boyfriend the latest celebrity couple to be associated with a supposed sex tape? The 'Umbrella' singer and Chris – who has been charged with felony assault and making criminal threats following his alleged assault on her last month – are said to have filmed themselves engaging in some wild and 'kinky' acts.

Picture: REUTERS

Fact or Fiction: Is the sex tape scandal just a naughty rumor or is there really some kinky footage on the loose?

The newest piece of gossip concerning the ongoing Rihanna-Chris Brown saga concerns the apparent existence of their very own sex tape. Is this just a naughty rumor or do they have a justified reason to be concerned? A source told America’s Star magazine: “Chris and Rihanna enjoy an aggressive love life that would shock many people. Rihanna loves dressing up – including as a dominatrix – and role playing. They both have kinky sides.”

Rihanna - who reconciled with Chris shortly after their altercation, but is now said to be taking time away from him to contemplate their relationship – has become increasingly concerned the footage could be made public and is desperate to keep it under wraps.

The source added: “Rihanna has no issues with her sexuality. She can be really out there. But she’d be mortified if her friends and family found this out. “Rihanna isn’t always the little goody-two-shoes everyone thinks she is, and Chris doesn’t want or need another scandal.” Chris is accused of hitting, biting and choking Rihanna until she was unconscious in his rented silver Lamborghini.

The pair are not the first famous faces to film their bedroom antics, Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee’s homemade video was famously made public when their home was burgled. Paris Hilton, Colin Farrell and Tom Sizemore have all also appeared in sex tapes. Meanwhile, Rihanna has been spotted cosying up to ‘That 70s Show’ actor Wilmer Valderrama at Los Angeles nightspot Les Deux. An onlooker said: “I couldn’t tell whether they were kissing or just talking really close together, but something was definitely going on there.” source

NBC's Celebrity Apprentice, Joe Biden's f-bomb, what's journalism anyway?

2009-03-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

NBC's reality drama "Celebrity Apprentice," aired Sunday night at 10 eastern, ~~will not air tonight because of~~ it was pushed back one hour due to a two-hour premiere of "Kings."

Tom Green was fired.

What about more serious topics, like the banking crisis that still grips the international financial system, you might ask.

Television still drives much of what gets played as news.

Are you telling me that John Stewart's smackdown of Jim Cramer is news? Most definitely.

And Joe Biden saying into a live mic that one word you can't say on television without being fined by the FCC? That's news, too? You gotta be f--king kidding me!

I suppose next you'll be searching for Rihanna and Chris Brown. Well, it's news about how the media treats it like news, maybe.

AP photo/LA Times

Whatever your judgment of these topics, they are the types of stories that people flock to online. Mostly you find that scandal, sex and celebrity are the hottest topics. But some people like to pass judgment on this fact and shoot the messenger to boot.

My blog post about Joe Biden saying "gimme a [redacted]-ing break" attracted the most hits this blog has ever received for a single post. By far the most common objection by commenters was "this is not news."

So I have to ask, why do these commenters think it's so important to comment? If this is "not news," why do so many people read it and react so strongly?

lotek says: BFD...Jeez I can't believe a politician would actually say that! Get a real &*%#in' story. March 15, 11:38 AM

I have to laugh.

I've written about serious topics and more frivolous ones. The more frivolous ones attract more attention than the serious ones. So, what should I do? "Give the people what they want?"

This is the question everyone should be asking themselves.

But you know what? Who cares? source

Sesame Street explains Bernie Madoff scandal

2009-03-17T11:09:00.000-07:00

Having trouble understanding all those big, complicated phrases like Ponzi scheme? The Madoff financial mess is broken down by Ernie and Cookie Monster -- courtesy of Jimmy Kimmel Live -- so even the youngest minds can understand just what happened to Mommy and Daddy's investment accounts. And why there's no money in them for their inheritance.

'Celebrity Apprentice' recap: Say yes to the dress

2009-03-17T11:06:00.000-07:00

Thanks to their third loss in a row, the men have definitely got a bit of a complex and feel like the deck is stacked against them. Despite any attempt at suspense, you just knew the women would win the wedding dress challenge. There were only a few questions that came out of the show: Do you really think that a cat allergy was the reason why Dennis Rodman didn't show up that day? Who would have guessed that we'd see Tom Green in a dress before Dennis? Could Brian McKnight have been any more uncomfortable when Tom asked him to zip up his dress (see below)? Who do you think should have been fired last night? source

Has Rihanna Scandal Damaged Cover Girl Brand?

2009-03-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

Is Procter & Gamble Co.'s Cover Girl suffering from spokeswoman Rihanna going back to her alleged batterer Chris Brown? Rival Revlon wants to know, according to celebrity blog TMZ.com.

Rihanna has been a spokesmodel for CoverGirl for three years amid a strong run for Cover Girl.

The site reports that Harris Interactive is conducting a poll for Revlon to answer that question.

Spokeswomen for Harris and P&G couldn't immediately be reached for comment. An assistant to a Revlon spokeswoman said, "As far as I'm aware, we have no comment," but the spokeswoman could not immediately be reached.

According to TMZ, the survey features a current Cover Girl mascara TV ad featuring Rihanna, then asks respondents if they have heard about her in the news lately and whether they have an opinion on if she's an appropriate spokeswoman for the product.

Permanent news fixture
Rihanna, 21, and Mr. Brown, 19, have been in the news since they canceled an appearance on last month's Grammy Awards. A police photo showing a battered Rihanna circulated widely, and Mr. Brown was later charged with two felony counts of assault. But according to reports, she has taken him back.

Even Oprah Winfrey has weighed in on the subject, saying on a recent show, "If a man hits you once, he will hit you again," and adding that Rihanna's story sets a bad example for young women.

Rihanna has been a spokesmodel for CoverGirl for three years amid a strong run for the brand, which has gained more share, particularly in eye makeup, than any other mass brand in the past year. Her Cover Girl-sponsored "Umbrella" video alone has generated tens of millions of online views. The brand's agency is Grey Global Group, New York. source

The singer has been an endorser for P&G brands since she was 17, starting well before she fully broke out to national celebrity, doing mall appearances for the Secret deodorant brand.

Atlantic city Entertainment schedule

2009-03-04T12:14:00.000-08:00

Atlantic City Shows & Entertainment

Tagged: Atlantic City Shows, Atlantic City Concerts, Atlantic City Outings, Atlantic City Fun
Atlantic city is a wonderful place to visit, no matter what type of person you are. Whatever it is that you like to do on your vacations, Atlantic City Shows has something for everyone. Whether you like historical museums or amusement parks with the family, Atlantic City offers that and everything in between. You are sure to be impressed, when you find out how much there really is to do. They offer fun activities for the whole family, such as the Ocean Life Center. At the Ocean Life Center, you will find yourself fascinated with all the different types of ocean life, in their live aquariums.

If you love to shop, you can visit Atlantic City's only shopping mall. It is open all year long, and features over 100 specialty stores, and an international food court. Checking out the ocean, and all of its aspects is one of the biggest attractions in Atlantic City. Visit Tuckerton Seaport, for a truly amazing experience to visit, and check out all the different areas of the ocean. Meet lighthouse keepers, fishermen, whalers, lifesavers, and ship captains. You are able to take a ferry ride year round between Cape May, New Jersey, and Lewes, Delaware. On the ferry ride, you are able to go on foot, or take your car along with you.

If you plan to bring your family to Atlantic City, there couldn't be a better place to relax and see things you couldn't see anywhere else. Atlantic City offers so many family attractions for you and your children, such as taking them to an amusement park that they are sure to love. Steel Pier offers 24 rides and games, a food court, and free admission. Another great place to take the kids, is Storybook Land. It is a 20 acre family fun park, with over 50 storybook adventures from classic children's storybooks. Maybe you are someone who likes to sit and relax on the beach, will then you are in luck. Lenape Park offers a wonderful sandy beach, and clean calm waters from Lake Lenape for water sports. As you can see, there is so much to see and do in Atlantic City, you will find yourself coming back again to finish your first vacation.

M. Dubson is a writter and traveler who enjoys spending time in Atlantic City and seeing great Atlantic City Shows at hotels like Bally's Atlantic City!

Celebrity Cruise Line : A Luxurious Cruise Vacation At Sea

2009-01-12T16:05:00.000-08:00

Celebrity Cruise Line is a top-rated premium cruise line with a taste of luxury and is known for its eclectic taste of style. It is one of the most luxurious cruise lines in the world. Celebrity Cruise Line is consistently rated one of the world's finest Cruise Lines. The cruise line is among the finest premium, higher class lines along with Holland America and Princess Cruises.

About Celebrity Cruises

The Celebrity Cruise Line is known for being more high end than some of the other cruises because of the services and amenities available to every guest. There is a reason why it is the highest-rated premium cruise line, with consistent five and six star ratings. source

Norwegian Cruise Line vs. Celebrity Cruise Line?

2009-01-12T15:57:00.000-08:00

Last year I was on a cruise with Celebrity Cruise Lines and absolutely loved it. I would like to go on another next year and initially thought of Celebrity first, but I am thinking of thinking of possibly going with Norwegian. Has anyone been on both Norwegian and Celebrity? If so, how do they rate compared to each other? FYI: I would like to try to avoid kid - related cruises if possible. I loved Celebrity for that reason. It's not too terribly important but I didn't know if Norwegian was the same Responses:

NCL is the worst i have ever been on, the food the service, is just so nothing more, I call it the big X for Celebrity, the best all around, sorry NCL you in all categories
If you loved Celebrity, you won't like NCL. You could go to CruiseCritic.com, c on "Reviews" "Member Reviews" and / or "Boards" to see what past cruisers think. I know someone who has been on many Carnival cruises and decided to try NCL for something different. Carnival is often maligned as being "the WalMart of cruises". This person said that if Carnival is = WalMart, then NCL is = the Dollar Store. I've never been on NCL and never will, but have been on Celebrity and other lines. I loved Celebrity

source

Celebrity Shortens Summit Cruise; Ship Headed to Dry Dock

2009-01-10T15:25:00.000-08:00

Celebrity Cruises has confirmed that Celebrity Summit's January 31 cruise, originally a seven-night Southern Caribbean cruise out of San Juan, has been shortened by a day. The cruise will now end on Friday, February 6 (instead of the 7th). The ship will then immediately head into dry dock to undergo repairs for what the line describes as "an electrical problem."

There was no word from Celebrity regarding the expected duration of the dry dock or how future cruises would be impacted. The next cruise aboard Celebrity Summit as listed on Celebritycruises.com is scheduled to depart from San Juan on February 14. We do not know at this point what Celebrity Summit was scheduled to do on February 7; there was no cruise listed on the line's Web site -- or a Cruise Critic roll call for the date -- so it's possible the ship was chartered. We will keep you posted.

According to the line, the cruise departing January 31 will now sail an altered itinerary. A previously scheduled visit to Scarborough, Tobago on Wednesday has been canceled. The new six-night itinerary is as follows: St. Maarten on Monday; Roseau, Dominica on Tuesday; St. George's, Grenada on Wednesday; Barbados on Thursday; at sea on Friday; return to San Juan on Saturday.

The line will be offering the following compensation for passengers booked on the cruise.
source

City woman paid to cruise the world

2009-01-10T15:21:00.000-08:00

Melanie Mowat, of Fredericton, and Stephen Belyea, of Norton, are two lucky New Brunswickers who combine their love of travel with a job that pays them to see the world.

Mowat and Belyea both work on the Azamara Quest, a 700-passenger upscale cruise ship that's part of the giant Celebrity Cruise organization.

Mowat is now a five-year veteran of the hospitality industry. "It all started in Fredericton," she said. "Through a friend I met a director from Celebrity Cruises and he recommended me for the job. It was a perfect fit." Over the years she's risen through the ranks and is now cruise sales manager.

Belyea graduated this spring from the broadcast journalism program at Seneca College in Toronto. While interning with a film company in Saint John, his boss recommended a cruise ship as a great way to pay off debt and learn how to run a complex technical set-up.

He got the job of media technician with responsibility for videotaping, editing and playing back all lectures and announcements on the ship as well as backstage work during production shows.

Pay is not bad, he added, but it's easy to save lots of money. "The food and the room are free. And the food is wonderful, certainly a lot better than the last two years when I was studying."

Mowat started in the entertainment department at Celebrity Cruises, then worked in cruise sales, as the frequent cruise representative (called Captain's Club on Celebrity and Azamara) and then as event co-ordinator.
source

THE YEAR CELEBRITY SCANDAL DIED

2009-01-02T11:44:00.000-08:00

Amy Winehouse imploded, Tina Fey triumphed, Heath Ledger overdosed -- and so did the tabloid era. Finally.

By Sarah Hepola
If you care deeply about Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt -- "The Hills" stars whose cloying mugs and romantic melodrama dominated the cover of an alarming number of gossip rags -- then 2008 was a banner year for you. If you savor hand-wringing debate over Miley Cyrus' exposed body parts, if you actually give a rip that Madonna ditched her husband for a baseball star who resembles a wax statue, if you crave constant updates on the spermination of Angelina Jolie -- well, then, this was a great year in celebrity scandal.

For the rest of us? Not so much. The year kicked off on January 22 with the shocking accidental death of Heath Ledger. The story had all the familiar and sordid mixings of juicy tabloid tragedy: Drugs! Depression! A heartbroken (and famous) ex-wife! An Olsen twin! And yet, Ledger's death wasn't fun, wasn't funny, wasn't the kind of downward spiral whose images you pass around like Christmas snapshots -- images like, say, a bald Britney Spears banging on an SUV with an umbrella or Lindsay Lohan passed out in a car. No, the demise of Heath Ledger was dark, baffling, sad. For years, as celebrity shenanigans grew increasingly more ridiculous, more desperate and anguished, it seemed inevitable that some public tragedy would cast a pall over the bitchy fun of celebrity gossip. Who knew it would involve a spotlight-shunning actor who had only just completed his most stunning performance yet?

The celebrity industrial complex was already maxing out in 2007, when Heather Havrilesky wrote, "What's fascinating and disturbing about this moment in our culture is this pervasive feeling of vertigo, the push and pull of new media marginalizing the more historically weighty stories while the flashiest trivia holds the camera's gaze." It seemed that nothing mattered as much as David Hasselhoff drunkenly snarfing a burger or Alec Baldwin screaming at his poor daughter, and it looked like that trend might continue until, as Mike Judge had joked in his 2006 satire "Idiocracy," the country was run by a camera-hogging professional wrestler. Celebrity minutiae and misdeeds became a kind of media wallpaper overshadowing real stories like the war in Iraq and concern about the economy. (The economy? Who cared about the economy?)

But then, the culture shifted. Politics seemed, weirdly, like something we could believe in again. Empty gossip felt, well, emptier. As Rebecca Traister wrote back in March, in a terrific and prescient piece about the demise of celebrity gossip, "The pleasure we take in snurfling through the trash bins of those more rich and famous than we seems to be waning, leaving me a little sad," Traister wrote, "but perhaps, at the end of the day, just a little less dumb."

As the most stirring election in recent memory revved up, the daily banalities of A-list celebs like Tom Cruise, Jennifer Aniston, George Clooney and Brad Pitt took a back seat to rumor-mongering about Sarah Palin and a discussion of whether or not Barack Obama wore boxers or briefs. In May, Us Weekly editor Janice Min told the New York Times, "When you look at the great celebrity dramas of the last few years, you have Team Aniston, Team Jolie, Team Heidi and Team Lauren. And now we have Team Hillary and Team Barack."

But it wasn't merely the high voltage of the political season that tanked celebrity gossip. The industry itself had badly overreached -- like Wall Street, the real estate market, Starbucks and every other American enterprise bent on total domination. Supermarket stands had become a hot mess of tawdry tabloids. (Who were the people so unsatisfied with Star, People and Us Weekly that they required Celebrity Living, too? Well, whoever they were, there weren't enough of them. The magazine folded earlier this year.)

By late December, even celeb site Jossip raised the white flag in a post called, "Gossip's Dead and It's Everyone's Fault." The item offered a brief summation of the fallen soldiers on the field: "Ben Widdicombe was the first to go, ankling his post as the New York Daily News' most respected gossip columnist. Next were Rush & Molloy, the married gossips who since 1995 had also penned a column for the Daily News -- they wanted to focus on other stories for the paper. Then Jo Piazza, whose scuttlebutt replaced Widdicombe's, quit, too. Jossip's gossip-oriented sister site Mollygood shut down, much like the short-lived PageSix.com before it. Also, tabloid sales continued to shrink." Layoffs hit Gawker and its sister site Jezebel. TMZ, which had so zealously launched its own TV show in 2007, ended the year with a decrease in readership -- a rare occurrence online, where new users appear by the minute. It seemed deeply symbolic when Mr. Blackwell -- the bitchy tabloid queen responsible for "The Worst Dressed List," a Schadenfreude tradition that gave birth to a gazillion "fashion police" -- passed away in October. It was fitting, almost. The end of an era. Or, depending on your perspective -- an error.

It was 20 years ago that Brat Pack pretty boy Rob Lowe scandalized the country by making a sex tape with two women he'd picked up in a bar, one of whom turned out to be (gasp!) 16 years old. The event was, in many ways, the beginning of the modern tabloid age and a glimpse at the two decades to come, in which celebrity scandal captivated the public imagination, whether it was pop royalty dethroned (Michael Jackson, Britney Spears) or beloved role models besmirched (OJ Simpson, Woody Allen and, of course, Michael Jackson) or pretty-boys-turned-prison-mates (Robert Downey Jr., Tupac, Kiefer Sutherland) or the parade of attention-starved exhibitionists who seized the spotlight in the first part of this decade, the LiLos and the Brit-Brits and the MTV reality queens. It is almost quaint to think of Lowe's sex tape now: A romp with two chicks, one of whom lied about her age. People were outraged! Fast forward 15 years or so, and R. Kelly is pissing on 14-year-old girls and still making hotly anticipated albums.

But the sheer volume of celebrity scandal has ground us down, made us cynical and mean-spirited. It's damned hard to care anymore, to respond to souls in crisis with little more than a sneer of contempt and one giant eye roll. Just consider the case of Amy Winehouse, the English crooner and tabloid favorite who has been in a spiritual and chemical freefall since she first hit the charts in 2006. Things looked bright when she finally fled to rehab in January 2008 -- after a series of epic, bloody blowouts -- but by June she was flailing again, with cuts on her arms and troubling reports of early-stage emphysema. By December 2008, she was back in rehab once more. And all of it was so grim, so ugly and hopeless -- an implosion via RSS feed -- that you would be forgiven for failing to care. After all, was it really such sport to laugh at a woman with a black eye and a fat lip, a woman lurching through a darkened street with broken heels and a glazed, pained look in her eyes? Was it really still funny? Had it ever been?

Of course, there were a few celebrity scandals of the old-fashioned variety in 2008. Lindsay Lohan began dating a woman, Samantha Ronson (and appeared -- finally, if only temporarily -- calmed by it); Britney Spears made yet another comeback and was dogged by yet another series of reports about her dangerous weight loss and failures at mommyhood; Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay's Chris Martin were reportedly on the outs; Hulk Hogan split with his wife Linda, who began dating a 19-year-old. Then there were the happy endings and silver linings: the surprise weddings (Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon), the shotgun weddings (Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz), the high-pressure engagements (Jamie-Lynn Spears and whoever is engaged to Jamie-Lynn Spears), the about-time weddings (Jay-Z and Beyonce Knowles) and the straight-up tear-jerkers (Ellen Degeneres and Portia de Rossi). Oh, and I almost forgot: Clay Aiken's gay. Does that count as celebrity scandal? Hmm. I didn't think so.

Oddly, the year's most interesting celebrity gossip came from a thoroughly unlikely source: Tina Fey. Bolstered in no small part by her eerie resemblance to a certain vice-presidential nominee (and her classic "Saturday Night Live" performances), Fey found herself in the national spotlight and landed a $6 million book deal at a time when the bottom was practically falling out of the publishing world. Her NBC comedy "30 Rock" -- once dismissed as a doomed critical darling -- boasted cameos from no less than Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Aniston and Steve Martin. Fey graced the cover of Vanity Fair twice in one year, with a profile that painted her as the ultimate anti-celebrity: a teetotaler, a tireless worker, a boring homebody happily married to a nice guy. And the story of how she got that mysterious scar on her chin -- she was cut in her front yard at the age of 5 -- made national news. (Our Tina Fey? Yes, our Tina Fey!) As Britney Spears continued to disappoint, as critics threw tomatoes at Tom Cruise in their early reviews of "Valkyrie," Fey emerged as the scrappy hero of recession-era America: a self-made woman with real brains -- and real boobs!

They say that celebrity is a reflection of how a culture would like to see itself. And though I shudder to think what the long and shameful reign of Paris Hilton says about our country, what I do know is that I'm glad Tina Fey has the crown these days. It was about damn time for a regime change.

Sex-scandal 2nd in Hong Kong

2009-01-02T11:42:00.000-08:00

Hong Kong - A pop star at the centre of a celebrity sex photo scandal was narrowly beaten to the title Person of 2008 in a Hong Kong government radio station poll.

Edison Chen, 27, who fled Hong Kong after pictures of him romping with a string of young women starlets appeared on the internet, was runner-up to US president-elect Barack Obama in the poll.

Chen collected just under 30% of votes in the Person of the Year survey by government-run RTHK radio compared to Obama's 35.67%.

Third place went to Hong Kong anti-smoking campaigner Tony Hedley with 12% of the votes while the Dalai Lama collected 6% of votes, twice as many as Chinese premier Wen Jiabao.

Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang, whose popularity has fallen sharply since the onset of the economic crisis, was at the bottom of a shortlist of 10 people nominated for the award.

Retirement and apologies

The scandal involving Edison Chen erupted last January when pictures were downloaded from his laptop computer after he took it in for repairs. The pictures were then distributed over the internet.

Millions of internet users viewed the images, and Chen was forced to announce his early retirement from show business and apologise to the women involved including Twins singer Gillian Chung.

Several people have been arrested and charged in connection with the downloading and distribution of the photos from Chen's laptop. Criminal proceedings are ongoing.

RTHK's annual Person of the Year title traditionally goes to anti-establishment figures.

Previous winners have included outspoken Catholic church leader and China critic Cardinal Joseph Zen and an escaped crocodile that won celebrity status by avoiding capture for months.
Source

Teen scandals rule Web

2008-12-25T03:24:00.000-08:00

Celebrity Brat Pack

By Lawrence Yee, OMG! senior producer

If there are two things that Hollywood is constantly looking for, they are the next big thing and the latest celebrity scandal.

In 2008, tabloid staples cleaned up their acts due to court-ordered conservatorships (Britney Spears), pledges of sobriety (Lindsay Lohan), and motherhood (Nicole Richie). As a result, celebrity rags and bloggers shifted their focus to a new, younger set of headline makers: the New Brat Pack.

Like their 1980s counterparts, the New Brat Pack appear in each other's movies, music videos, and social circles. They're all young (21 and under), popular, and major money makers. Their youth, though, subjects them to greater public scrutiny.

Camp Rocky

Disney stars are abundant in Search, and for good reason. When one of the wholesome brand's stars breaks the happy family façade, chaos ensues. A December Vanity Fair cover featuring 33-year-old actress Kate Winslet in nothing but an overcoat and heels barely raised an eyebrow, but an earlier photo shoot that showed a teenaged Miley Cyrus with an exposed back caused a national furor.

The "miley cyrus photo scandal," as people referred to the incident in Search, threatened the reign of the Teen Queen, a title she's earned for good reason. The 16-year-old is the face of the billion-dollar "Hannah Montana" Disney brand and a platinum-selling pop star. While kids may eat up Cyrus' sugary-sweet persona, her real-life actions had grown-ups talking, and not just the parents of her fans.

Following the photo shoot, Cyrus issued a public apology, saying she was embarrassed by photos she thought were supposed to be "artistic." Parent company Disney swooped in to protect its young star, claiming that the shoot was manipulated to sell more covers.

The backlash—online and off—forced renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz to defend her work. Vanity Fair posted a behind-the-scenes account that showed Cyrus' parents and handlers on the set. The furor didn't let up when shots of the bikini-clad star goofing off with friends surfaced online and news came out about her recent relationship with 20-year-old underwear model Justin Gaston. Taking flirty photos and hanging out with older guys may be typical adolescent girl behavior, but for the Teen Queen, they became royal scandals. Fans responded, and for the first time, searches on "miley cyrus" outpaced those of her alter-ego.

Cyrus wasn't the only Disney star with a photo scandal. When nude shots of actress/singer Vanessa Hudgens hit the Web in 2007, there was speculation that she would be dropped from the Mouse House's hit "High School Musical" franchise. What could have been a public relations nightmare for Disney became a boon: Hudgens became a household name and even got a pay raise to star in the feature-film version. Thanks to her and boyfriend Zac Efron, "High School Musical 3" became one of 2008's biggest box-office hits.

Like Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers—Kevin, Joe, and Nick—parlayed their Disney series into a successful recording career and the original movie "Camp Rock." Unlike Cyrus, the brothers remained relatively immune from scandal. The rockers still found themselves as tabloid fodder for, of all things, their insistence on . That inspired fans to search on terms like "purity rings."

Songbirds and Lovebirds

R&B singers Chris Brown and Rihanna each have major followings, but their relationship catapulted their online popularity to another level. Although they've been photographed kissing and vacationing together, Brown continually downplayed their relationship—denials that only fueled more interest.

Taylor Swift owed her quick ascent to her girl-next-door looks and catchy country songs. The 18-year-old singer made her way into the New Brat Pack after she began dating Joe Jonas, and model Gaston starred in her "Love Story" music video as her romantic interest. Fame came at a cost, or at least heartache: Swift topped headlines and pulled searches in November after revealing she was unceremoniously dumped in a 27-second phone call.

Growing Up Fast

Although the NBC cult favorite "Heroes" slipped in viewers in 2008, series breakout Hayden Panettiere continued to generate interest. The 19-year-old's relationship with her 31-year-old costar Milo Ventimiglia .

However, nothing was more shocking than pregnancy of 17-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears, Britney's younger sister. The actress broke the news in late 2007. Executives at Nickelodeon, the network that aired her show "Zoey 101," considered pulling the show out of concern for the message her condition might send to young viewers. However, the show's fourth and final season (which was pre-taped) aired through May, and Spears gave birth to daughter Maddie Briann in June.

The younger Spears' situation fueled discussions on pop culture's influence and some say glamorization of teen pregnancy—a hot online topic fueled by the 2007 film "Juno," the ABC Family series "The Secret Life of the American Teenager," and the pregnant daughter of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

The Next Generation's Next Generation

The life cycle of a teen star lasts only about four to six years. Afterwards, they must move onto adult celebrity or fall forever out of favor.

Selena Gomez, the latest in the line of Disney TV stars with musical aspirations, has already been dubbed "the next Miley Cyrus." Gomez didn't escape 2008 entirely scandal-free—she and peer Demi Lovato posted a YouTube video mocking Cyrus. The mild smackdown wasn't the same order of magnitude as other teen stars' troubles, and, as her fellow New Brat Packers have proved, a little scandal actually can take a career to the next level. And if she doesn't make it, the next big thing is ready to take her place.

Illinois scandal from politician's view

2008-12-15T14:55:00.000-08:00

The prosecution of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald is a match made in heaven.

Have you ever seen two people more in love with the spotlight?

In all my years of practicing law, I have never seen a U.S. attorney take to the podium to announce an arrest, then answer any and all questions while at the same time condemning the accused as if he'd already been convicted.

But I'm telling you now, for all the accusations about Blagojevich trying to sell the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama, the feds had better come up with something more solid than just a couple of guys sitting around and talking.

Otherwise, this case could go up in smoke.

Keep in mind, politics is a crazy business. When you're appointing people, you expect them to be supportive of you. You expect them to be loyal to you. You expect them to work for your re-election.

If someone tells you, "I bring the gay community to the table with me, and they will be supportive of your re-election if you appoint me," and then you appoint him, is that a quid pro quo?

Or take Caroline Kennedy, who looks like she's in line to get Hillary Rodham Clinton's Senate seat in New York. If she goes to the governor, David Paterson, and tells him, "I'm Caroline Kennedy, and I have distinguished myself. And I am able to raise a ton of money" - and he appoints her - is there a quid pro quo if she then goes and raises money for him?

I'm not sure. But I do know that those are the kinds of things that come up in discussions about whether a politician will or won't appoint someone to a job.

From the public's perspective, it's not pretty. Most people condemn that kind of this-for-that talk.

But the reality is, I'm not going to look among my enemies to find the best-qualified people.

I'm going to look among my friends, my previous supporters - or people I want to turn into my supporters.

That's all part of the democratic system. Whether Blagojevich went beyond that is open to question.

Don't get me wrong. If Blagojevich did anything inconsistent with his sworn duties, or tried to use the appointment to financially benefit himself or his wife, then he should cut his losses, resign and end the embarrassment.

But if his bargaining over the Senate seat was for political gain, not financial benefit, then he ought to hold tight.

That said, I can't help but take stories like this personally. Any politician's downfall reflects on every other politician. It demeans your history, your record. People look at you and figure, yeah, you just didn't get caught.

By the way, to toot my own horn: Months ago, I predicted that Kennedy's role in helping Obama pick his vice presidential candidate was her first move in a future political run.

Now her name is in play to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate, and I think she'll get it.

Paterson would be out to lunch if he didn't appoint her.

There's been a lot of talk about people canceling their holiday parties, especially from me - for the sake of the catering industry, the decorators and all the other people whose livelihoods depend on them, the show must go on.

So it was great to see First Republic Bank throw a big one last week at City Hall, complete with snow machines.

And then there was Shreve's, which had a party the other night at the St. Regis. Shreve's gave everybody a $500 coupon with any purchase. You can go down there and buy a $750 piece and pay $250 for it. Now that is a valuable item.

Speaking of valuable items - I was one of the celebrity waiters at the San Francisco Education Fund's dinner auction at the St. Francis Hotel on Thursday, and one of the items on the block was a personal tour of the Capitol by Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough.

Just as the bidding got hot, one guy yelled out, "Why not throw in a Senate seat as well!"

We had a big food giveaway Thursday down at Pier 48 with the NBA Players Association.

They rolled in with these big 18-wheeler trucks filled with boxed food. All the needy lined up in an orderly manner. Everyone got the food and a box from Avon full of personal care products.

And on the way out the door, we gave them all two frozen chickens left over from Elihu Harris' last campaign.

Just kidding.

But I did happen to notice this one cat in line I've seen on the street before, so I went up and asked him, "Aren't you homeless?"

He said, "Yeah."

"So this food - how are you going to cook it?"

He looked back at me a bit sheepishly.

"You ever hear of selling?"

Want to sound off? Send an e-mail to wbrown@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page B - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Top 5 celebrity scandals of 2008

2008-12-15T14:51:00.000-08:00

#5: Anne Hathaway had a great year career-wise, but her personal life crumbled when after breaking up with long-time boyfriend Raffaello Follieri, he was arrested. Anne’s place was searched, bad publicity surrounded her and the police even took her diary trying to find clues to support a case for money laundering and fraud against the Italian.

#4: The Hills were alive with a lot of drama this year! Lauren Conrad got caught in another scandal—not related to Heidi Montag or Spencer Pratt this time—when roommate Audrina Patridge accused her of “hooking up” with boyfriend Justin Bobby. LC denied it and even dedicated a blog to Audrina telling her she should know her better. Audrina talked about the rumor in every TV show and moved out.

#3: Miley Cyrus’ Vanity Fair semi-nude pictures, taken by famous photographer Annie Leibovitz, were the cherry on the scandal cake after pictures featuring Miley in a green bra invaded the Internet. Miley’s parents were criticized for exploiting their teen daughter, the Disney Channel was urged to drop the actress from Hannah Montana, Cyrus apologized and blamed it all on Annie.

#2: Heath Ledger’s mysterious death and Mary-Kate Olsen’s involvement in the scandal still remain a question mark. Why did the masseuse who found Heath’s body in his New York apartment try to call Mary-Kate before calling 911? Why did MK refuse to talk about her relationship to Heath? Scandalous!

#1: Britney Spears’ rocky year takes the price for biggest scandal of 2008. The night that several police cars arrived at her house in California followed by tens of paparazzi, the world stopped fearing a sad ending for the princess of pop. The picture of Britney being taken into the hospital almost naked and completely disoriented is the most shocking picture of the year—specially because she has managed to recover and record the album of the moment.

For the top 5 celebrity mug shots of 2008, click here.

For 5 celebrity holiday pictures, go here.

Go here for a list of gifts for the celebrity-obsessed.

For more info:

http://www.usmagazine.com/photos/2008s-biggest-scandals

Scientist christens newest Celebrity Cruises ship, the Celebrity Solstice

2008-11-18T16:27:00.000-08:00

FORT LAUDERDALE -- Many lines seek out royalty to christen their new ships. Others call on celebrities. Celebrity Cruises, by contrast, turned to a scientist today to do the honors for its latest vessel, the much-ballyhooed Celebrity Solstice.

Sharon Smith, a renowned expert on the world's oceans, named the white-hulled, 2,850-passenger vessel late this afternoon in Fort Lauderdale during an uplifting ceremony in the ship's spacious Solstice Theatre.

The event, kicked off by a rousing serenade of bagpipe music by the St. Andrews Pipe Band of Miami, included a performance of Celebrity theme song's -- U2's A Beautiful Day -- by violinist Lucia Micarelli and vocalist Antonio Sol. Richard Fain, the chairman and CEO of Celebrity's parent company, Royal Caribbean Cruises, addressed a crowd of more than a thousand invited guests.

Smith, a biological oceanographer, is billed as the first scientists to christen a cruise ship. Having devoted her career to studying some of the smallest components of ocean food webs such as zoo-plankton, she now serves as the Dean of the Undergraduate Program in Marine Science at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. She also co-directs the university’s Oceans and Human Health Center.

Smith also is an outspoken advocate for breast cancer research and early detection efforts. She overcame cancer herself not once but twice, having suffered from both breast cancer and uterine cancer during the 1990s. Celebrity is holding a fundraiser on the Solstice next week with the United Way to raise $100,000 for breast cancer programs aimed at lower-income women.

The Solstice begins its inaugural season Nov. 23 with a series of seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale. In spring 2009, the vessel will head to Europe for a series of 10- and 11-night Mediterranean sailings roundtrip from Rome.

Cruise Loggers, have you booked a trip yet on Solstice or its coming sister ship, the Celebrity Equinox?

Photo courtesy Celebrity Cruises
Source

Royal Caribbean Cruises ends fuel charges for now

2008-10-25T13:55:00.000-07:00

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. said Friday it's ending fuel surcharges for now for certain cruises because the global price of oil has come down and stabilized.

"Because it has done those things, we feel it is appropriate to end our fuel supplement," said Royal Caribbean spokesman Michael Sheehan.

After Nov. 10, the cruise line will not charge the fees for new bookings on the Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises for departures worldwide on or after Jan. 1, 2010.

Royal Caribbean also said refunds of fuel charges for bookings made before Nov. 10 for sailings in 2009 and beyond will be determined quarterly.

Refunds will be given if the closing price of the West Texas Intermediate crude is $65 or lower per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, two weeks before the start of the next calendar quarter.

For instance, closing fuel prices on Dec. 18 will determine refunds in the first quarter of 2009. Refunds will take the form of onboard credits.

Royal Caribbean said it could reinstate fuel surcharges if oil prices trend up.

The company is following in the footsteps of rival Carnival Cruise Lines, which announced two weeks ago that it was dropping its fuel surcharge starting Oct. 31 for new bookings on 2010 sailings. Carnival also pegged a refund on the closing price of crude oil.

Royal Caribbean announced a fuel surcharge in November for sailings on and after Feb. 1, 2008. It has since revised its fuel fees twice.

Currently, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity ships charge $10 per person daily for the first two guests in a stateroom, capped at $140 per person for each cruise. Additional guests pay $5 per person daily with a maximum of $70 per person for each cruise.

Azamara ships charge $15 per person daily for the first two guests in a stateroom, with no caps. But additional guests do not pay a fuel supplement.

While Royal Caribbean stands to lose income from fees, analysts said that these will be offset by savings in fuel.

On Thursday, Goldman Sachs analyst Steven Kent raised his 2008 earnings estimate for Royal Caribbean to $2.68 per share from $2.57 per share because of fuel savings. Analyst Robert LaFleur of Susquehanna Financial Group also expects Royal Caribbean to capitalize on falling oil prices.

He said cheaper oil, ample liquidity and access to sufficient levels of credit should enable Royal Caribbean to weather the current financial storm.

Shares of Royal Caribbean fell 46 cents, or 2.9 percent, to $15.64. Source

Jessica Biel Talks The Hardest Thing About Being A Celebrity

2008-10-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

Her compaint is similar to that of many of Hollywood’s stars

The hardest part about beinig a celebrity in the United States is the fact that your entire public life seems to be recorded.

Biel is talking about the paparazzi, who have been following since she started dating Justin Timberlake back in 2007.

The 26-year-old admits that she often has scary run-ins with the photogs - many of which leave her in tears.

"It's hard. The hardest part of this whole wonderful, bizarre lifestyle and profession," she says. "You have to be Zen about it., because it can make you crazy."

She goes on to describe what she feels is the problem.

"There are times when I have been followed by men with giant cameras in giant SUVs all day long. It scares the crap out of me and I literally come home and emotionally erupt and cry it out and sit on the floor and think, 'Do I really want this?'" Source

Rodney King and Drew Pinsky talk `Celebrity Rehab'

2008-10-25T13:50:00.000-07:00

Rodney King is swigging a beer as he talks with TV's "Dr. Drew" Pinsky.

"Every day I wake up with a beer is a good day," he says as he drains the bottle.

King, whose 1991 beating by Los Angeles police led to deadly rioting the next year, is among eight famous people set to face their addictions on the second season of VH1's "Celebrity Rehab."

The premiere episode, airing Thursday, shows actors Jeff Conaway, Gary Busey, Amber Smith and Tawny Kitaen hooked on opiate painkillers; King and former "American Idol" finalist Nikki McKibbin dealing with drug and alcohol dependencies; and rockers Sean Stewart and Steven Adler struggling to stay away from street drugs, prescription pills and alcohol.

Patients are either referred to the show by their counselors or approached by the casting team, said executive producer John Irwin. The group spends about 21 days in the live-in Pasadena Recovery Center, a real chemical-dependency unit that's open to the public. The current cast completed treatment in June. All have made strides in recovery, and many have remained clean and sober, Irwin said, adding that Pinsky runs an aftercare program for show alumni.

King calls his participation on the show and newfound sobriety "a blessing." In separate interviews, he and Pinsky discussed their experiences with on-camera rehabilitation.

___

AP: Talk about the concept of televising celebrities in rehab.

Pinsky: The only thing the public has ever really known about (addiction treatment) is either patients' memoirs ... or the way the entertainment press reports it. One of the reasons that pushed us toward doing the show was that we were tired of people talking about celebrities with a life-threatening illness as though they were engaged in some sort of a publicity stunt... There's a whole field of addiction medicine that is how do you motivate people to get better. There are experiments going on out there where they paid patients to get better. Well, we did the same thing. We paid them and we put them on TV.

AP: How do TV cameras affect treatment?

Pinsky: The experience is so inspiring that they have a natural tendency to want to share it with other people. And it's in their personalities — they are celebrities after all — but they want people to understand them in this transformative experience. The other thing that the cameras have done that's a net positive is it made them feel a sense of obligation to the community, like, 'We want to be an example to other people.' ... It also kept them, I don't want to say more honest, but more in the game.

King: It felt like I was, in one way, helping a generation before me and a generation coming up after me, to let them see a good, fairly decent human being struggle with this disease. After a while, I didn't even really notice the cameras. I threw that out of my mind and just focused on me and what I was there for. What I was there for was to help myself, and at the same time I knew that by me being upfront with this thing that other people would see and they might think, 'It's not so embarrassing, let me go get myself some help.'

AP: How does it affect the dynamic to be a public figure who isn't a performer?

King: I'm a simple guy. They were so nice and so welcoming, I just felt like part of the fellowship being among them. They were really encouraging. I was very happy and very lucky to be around so many successful people who are struggling with whatever they're going through. To see them front their problems right there on camera, it made it a lot easier on me.

Pinsky: He is the unwitting, the unwilling celebrity... But he does understand his life has been lived under the shadow of those events, so he is a celebrity, he is a public figure, he knows that... He was a great story in this. I ended up using him as a leader among his peers to help stabilize some of the problems that developed in the unit. He's a really interesting guy. And he tells his story for the first time. He does the Barbara Walters sort of interview with me about that night. I didn't expect that but we got into it in great detail.

AP: How was your "Celebrity Rehab" experience?

Pinsky: It is so dramatic, it is so impactful, it is so human. I knew people would be interested in it. I didn't know how it would turn out, whether it would be entertaining. And my gravest concern would be that it do no harm... I was very anxious about that. I knew we could do good treatment, but I worried that the cameras would somehow have a negative effect on the treatment process — which it did not, it had a net positive effect.

King: It was a real positive experience, just getting myself to be alert again and dealing with life on life's terms. It was a good experience to face some demons... It just felt good to have people still out there rooting for me and giving me the strength and the encouragement to go get some help.

The Fug Girls: In These Trying Times, Where Is Our Celebrity Gossip?

2008-10-11T14:03:00.001-07:00

Horsewomen of the gossip apocalypse.Photo: Getty Images

We know that this is one stressed-out country right now: Between the contentious presidential election and our collapsing economy, all we want to do is cry into a pint of Ben and Jerry's — but we can't, because going to buy it burns too much expensive gas. That's why now, more than ever, we need to maintain a steady diet of shallow and salacious celebrity gossip stories to take our mind off our own troubles. But as the banks have failed, so too has our beloved rumor mill. Instead of scandal, we're getting D-list drama; Hollywood is serving us lukewarm leftovers when what we REALLY need is a nice, palate-cleansing gossip sorbet. What gives, Tinseltown? Where's the love?

Think about it: Have you heard many ridiculous celebrity rumors lately? Once upon a time, the big Katie Holmes news was whether she secretly faked her pregnancy or was locked in a tower somewhere to prevent her from fleeing her handlers. Now all we've got is that she might be half-decent in All My Sons. Those annoying "Angelina Jolie Is Allegedly Addicted To Starvation/Drugs/Children" headlines seem like a nourishing oasis in the gossip desert compared to the recent earth-shattering revelation (and, we kid you not, People.com's most-read story) that Clint Eastwood thinks she has a gorgeous face. We'd even prefer the ludicrous whispers that skinny Nicole Kidman faked her baby bump over the pointless assertions we have heard — from the foremost authority: rapper Q-Tip — that she is “a good mother.” What a relief! Talk to us when Sean Combs blogs his concerns about, say, Melissa Joan Hart's parenting skills.

We're tired of feeling the pinch both in the tabloids and in our stock portfolios. People can't spend 24 hours a day tracking the markets' demise or interpreting the latest polls. Without even just a few minutes of fanciful distraction to keep us from eating our feelings, we’ll go crazier than Anne Heche on an alien spirit-walk through Fresno. Secret weddings, blood feuds, and high-profile breakups fit the bill; it's deeply inconsiderate of our celebrities to be so preoccupied with important global and financial crises that they fail us in our hour of need.

However, the tide may be turning again, albeit slowly: As much as we don't want to care, we are curious about whether Lauren Conrad hooked up with Justin-Bobby and/or hung up on Audrina when she called to talk about it. Ten points to Sharon Stone for being crazy enough to incite whispers that she wants to Botox her son's feet, although her denials quickly spiked that story (besides, juvenile pedi-Botox is hardly as delicious as a dragon biting your husband). And we owe a public thank-you to Mariah Carey, whose covert wedding to Nick Cannon has finally borne new fruit in the form of pregnancy rumors. It's not much, but it'll do, and we hope the rest of the rich and famous will follow suit. Consider it philanthropy for the psychologically needy: We’re not asking for loans, we just need a shocking tidbit or two to chat about when we’re tired of discussing swing states and the price of bread. So, stars of the world — and we never thought we'd hear ourselves say this — please do as Mariah has done. Throw us a juicy bone. Or at the very least, throw up somewhere in public. Thanks in advance.

Jennifer: I suffered a nervous breakdown

2008-10-11T13:58:00.000-07:00

STUNNER Jennifer Lopez has revealed how, six years ago, she suffered ‘a kind of nervous breakdown’, blaming overwork and stress.

It happened while she was filming the video for Enough.

She said: “I was like – I don’t want to move. I don’t want to talk. I don’t want to do anything.

“You really don’t know what’s happening at first. I was going, what’s going on? I just didn’t want people to think I was falling apart.”

In a recent interview she told how people were preparing her for postnatal depression following the birth of twins Max and Emme in February, but that it ‘didn’t happen’.

Although the singer did say: “At the tenth day all that chemical stuff did peak – and I did cry a lot that day.”

Jennifer is also battling with her weight following the birth of the twins.

Foot injury forces J. Lo to miss ‘Runway’ finale

2008-09-24T13:31:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Lopez has canceled her appearance as guest judge for “Project Runway’s” finale, Access Hollywood has learned.

On Friday morning, Heidi Klum announced that Lopez would be absent from Bryant Park “due to a foot injury.” The show’s resident style guru, Tim Gunn, will fill in for J.Lo as a judge for the finale.

The announcement was made in New York at the “Project Runway” Season Five Finale Fashion show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

Following in the footsteps of last year’s celebrity judge, Victoria Beckham, Lopez was set to help Klum, Michael Kors and Nina Garcia pick this year’s top designer.

On the heels of the announcement, a rep for Lopez confirmed to Access that while the injury will prevent her from her “Runway” gig, the star still plans to participate in this weekend’s triathlon in Malibu, Calif.

The rep went on to say said that the singer was ordered to rest and complete some physical rehab to help with the injury.

Lopez has been training for the triathlon for two months and remains committed to raising money for the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, according to her rep. “She’s determined to get through the race,” the rep told Access.

The first-time mom of twins Max and Emme, with husband Marc Anthony, told “Good Morning America” in August that she was inspired to take on the heavy-duty athletic competition during her third trimester.

“It actually came up when I was about eight months pregnant, and I was beached … like a whale, and I was watching TV and I saw a triathlon and I said, ‘You know what? I think I could do that. That would be great for me to do, maybe I’ll do it this year,’” she told “GMA.” “Everybody told me I was crazy.”

As for “Runway,” where a foot injury is a model’s worst nightmare, host Klum told Access that she doesn’t know what to expect from the finale, but said nerves are running high with the contestants showing at Bryant Park.

“They’re really nervous, they’re anxious,” Klum said of the finalists.

This season, six contestants will get to show their collections in order to keep the audience guessing who are the final three.

Source

Celebrity Cruises To Set Sail Out Of Baltimore

2008-09-24T13:28:00.000-07:00

Celebrity Cruises has signed on as the fourth ocean liner to port in Baltimore.

Celebrity’s Mercury, a 1,900-guest ship, will take 10 trips from the Port of Baltimore’s Locust Point cruise terminal from November 2009 to February 2010.

It joins Carnival Cruise Lines as a recent addition to the port’s cruise business. Carnival announced in June it would begin year-round cruises in September 2009. Royal Caribbean and Norwegian cruise lines will also continue Baltimore service.

Celebrity’s first trip will leave Nov. 9, 2009, for a 12-night trip to St. Thomas, St. Kitts, Antigua, St. Maarten and Tortola.

That trip will be offered four other times, and there will also be five nine-night cruises to Charleston, S.C., Key West, Fla., and Cococay and Nassau in the Bahamas.

“Celebrity’s decision to offer cruises from Maryland confirms once again that the international cruise industry recognizes Maryland as a viable departure location,” Gov. Martin O’Malley said in a statement.

Norwegian Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean Cruise lines are the only liners to call on Baltimore in 2008. But the addition of Celebrity and Carnival bring the port near a high of 60 cruises offered in 2004.

In 2009, Celebrity is scheduled for five trips, Norwegian for 15, Royal Caribbean for 23 and Carnival for 16, for a total of 59.

Royal Caribbean was scheduled to take 16 trips in spring and fall 2008, while Norwegian was scheduled to take 11 trips in summer 2008, starting June 21.

The cruise industry has a $148 million economic impact on the state, according to a 2007 report of Cruise Lines International Association. That includes any jobs related to the cruise industry or any trips state residents take on cruises.

The Maryland Port Administration estimated a $56 million impact from 125,000 passengers in 2006 and a $63 million impact from 100,000 passengers in 2008.

Doping Scandal Saddens Hammer King

2008-09-24T13:25:00.000-07:00

Ken Marantz / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter

KAWASAKI--As he revels in his newly won status as Olympic champion, Slovenian hammer thrower Primoz Kozmus is also saddened by the latest doping scandal that has hit the event.

"That's not good for sport and absolutely not good for the hammer throw," Kozmus told The Daily Yomiuri here Monday on the positive doping tests that may cost Belarus' Vadim Devyatovskiy and Ivan Tsikhan their medals from the Beijing Olympics.

"These things happen, we know, in athletics, but I'm a little bit sad for these guys because I know them--we were good friends. But if they used drugs, that's not fair. We'll see what will happen."

Kozmus will look to conclude his golden season with a victory at today's Seiko Super Meet at Todoroki Stadium, where he will face Hungary's Krisztian Pars and Japan's Koji Murofushi, who are in line to receive the two Olympic medals should the IOC decide to strip Devyatovskiy and Tsikhan of theirs.

Devyatovskiy and Tsikhan, the silver and bronze medalists, respectively, in Beijing, tested positive for elevated levels of testoterone. The IOC began hearing their case Sunday.

Murofushi, who was awarded the gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics when Adrian Annus was stripped of the title due to a doping violation and finished fifth in Beijing, skipped a pre-meet press conference Monday after coming down with a fever several days ago, but is expected to compete, organizers announced.

Kozmus, coming off a victory at the World Athletic Final in Stuttgart, Germany, said he is looking forward to facing Murofushi on his home turf.

"Koji and I, we are friends and I always want to compete with him, and I'm sure he wants to compete with me," said Kozmus, whose only two losses this season came to Pars. "It doesn't matter what happens, it will be a good competition, so I hope the spectators will enjoy it."

Becoming Slovenia's first-ever gold medalist in athletics has thrust a new level of celebrity on Kozmus, who had a personal meeting with the mayor of Kawasaki.

"In Slovenia, I'm very popular now and everyone wants to have photos and everything," he said. "But it's OK, it's nice to be Olympic champion and I enjoy it."

Meanwhile, retiring sprinter Nobuharu Asahara has told his relay teammates from Beijing to give it all they've got in the final race of his career.

"If it's a close race, the worst thing they could do is see the situation and think, 'you first, Asahara,'" the 35-year-old Asahara said. "Win or lose, I want them to go hard to the end, and I want to win."

Asahara will be facing Naoki Tsukahara, Shingo Suetsugu and Shinji Takahira, with whom he combined to win the bronze medal in the 4x100 relay, Japan's first Olympic track medal in 80 years. Source

A Sarah Palin Pregnancy Scandal?

2008-09-02T12:17:00.000-07:00

Please note that the political celebrity gossip story below is based on circumstantial, albeit fairly compelling, evidence. There is no proof, though that's how it was with Rielle Hunter, and we know how that turned out.
Just saying. The Daily Kos is reporting that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican nominee for Vice President, is not the mother of her fifth child, four-month-old Trig Palin. Rather, her 16-year-old daughter Bristol is.
The "evidence" for this - you can read the full, and far more comprehensive account here - includes the following:

On March 6, the governor announced she was seven months pregnant, to the surprise of everyone.
Sarah Palin's water broke a month before Trig was due, but she kept a speaking date in Texas, then flew eight hours, direct, home to Alaska.
Upon going into labor, instead of heading to an Anchorage medical facility that could best accommodate a premature birth, she drove 45 minutes to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, outside Wasilla, where she was mayor.
On April 18, 2008, Trig Palin, who has Down's Syndrome, was born a month premature. Sarah Palin returned to work after just three days.
Bristol Palin was taken out of Anchorage High School due to "mononucleosis." She was absent from school for 5-8 months (accounts vary).

Some believe 16-year-old Bristol Palin (right), not Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, was the one pregnant in this family photo from early 2008.
It's an interesting conspiracy theory, but the thing we don't get is why a major public figure would risk the humiliation of being exposed as a liar when the thing she's trying to cover up isn't that unusual or scandalous.

At least with John Edwards, he knew his political career would be over the second his affair with Rielle Hunter was exposed, so he might as well have rolled the dice to see if he could get away with it. It makes sense.
With approval ratings above 80 percent, would her daughter Bristol becoming pregnant at 16 really damage Sarah Palin's image that much?

Enough to jeopardize her chances at become Vice President? Possibly. But wouldn't fallout be 10 times worse after having lied repeatedly? The desire to protect her daughter from scrutiny couldn't be worth it, could it?

Either way, the mother stuck to her guns and did not have an abortion, which regardless of how you feel about that issue, proves Sarah Palin is true to her stated conservative beliefs. We're curious to hear what you think.

Celebrity Photographer Annie Leibovitz $715,000 In Debt

2008-09-02T12:15:00.000-07:00

Another week, another celebrity bankruptcy scandal. This time it's lenser-to-the-stars Annie Leibovitz, who's $715,000 in debt. Evidently her $2 million annual salary at Vanity Fair wasn't enough to pay the bills. Perhaps after the success of Miley Cyrus's nudegate, she should get $3 million.

NY Post: Artistic shots of Miley Cyrus and Lebron James apparently don't pay enough for famed photographer Annie Leibovitz to keep up with her bills, court records show.

Despite a Vanity Fair contract reportedly worth more than $2 million a year and a portfolio full of controversial and iconic celebrity portraits, Leibovitz has racked up $715,000 worth of debt, court documents show.

The 58-year-old photographer allegedly owes money for unpaid taxes, an aborted book project, and outstanding equipment rental fees. She's also at least a year overdue in paying for renovations to her Greenwich Village townhouse, according to the documents.

Democrats race to counter positive effects of Sarah Palin scandals

2008-09-02T12:14:00.000-07:00

Washington – When John McCain Running Mate Sarah Palin was lauded for her decision to keep her baby with Down syndrome, few were surprised. After all, here was an example of someone putting theory into practice. Palin is a staunch Pro Lifer.

However, the fact that she is being wildly praised for her 17-year-old daughter Bristol's out-of-wedlock pregnancy is now causing democrats to panic. Far from causing a scandal, the surprise announcement has earned her enthusiastic praise for being "down to earth" and "remarkably unremarkable," seemingly a powerful complement to Republican charges that Obama is a celebrity.

Eager to build on the momentum, Palin aides quickly distributed press releases reminding reporters that hubby Todd Palin had been slapped with a DUI at the age of 22 and that the family is currently embroiled in a "nasty child custody battle involving a family member."

Hoping to avoid being caught flatfooted, the Obama campaign shifted into high gear, announcing that Michelle Obama, effective immediately, was actively courting suitors in an effort to participate in the "long American tradition of adultery, a tradition we can and will honor right along with the next American," according to Obama spokeswoman Jean Kips.

A task force, headed by Democrat strategist James Carville, will name the suitor within a week. Clearly in a race against time, the task force got off to an awkward start when Carville was forced to repeatedly deny that that one prominent figure – former President Bill Clinton – was an early front runner in the selection process.

Meanwhile, in an impassioned speech earlier today, Obama noted that, while his daughters (ages 10 and seven) are too young – even by today's standards – to offer a down-to-earth, out-of-wedlock procreation scandal in time for the election, voters should "have the audacity to think ahead. In my second term – maybe even my first – I commit to you that I, too, will have an out-of-wedlock grandchild through which I can further fortify the values I share with the commoners of this great land."

Even hardened political analysts were amazed by the rapid turn of events. "We're seeing hardcore Religious Right groups effectively cheering on fornication," noted Lice M. Harem, political analyst with IMHO, a nonpartisan Thinktank in Greely, Colo. "If this were going on in the 90s, President Clinton would already have a face carved out for him on
Mt. Rushmore."

Idols still getting used to newfound celebrity status

2008-08-19T14:06:00.000-07:00

heri Block, CTV.ca

Ashley Currie may have met the Canadian Idol competitors before, but it didn't stop the 16-year-old fan from becoming incredibly nervous while waiting in the autograph line to meet them again.

"It's really exciting and I get nervous every single time, even though I've already met them. I'm standing there and I'm shaking," said Currie, who hails from Guelph, Ont.

She has been coming to the live shows faithfully for the past three seasons and says she can't help but think of the Idols as celebrities because they're on TV.

"You're here and you're like, 'Oooh famous!' and you get home and you're like, 'They're just people.'"

She is one of just hundreds of fans, many of them teenage girls, who wait after the performance shows each week to meet their favourite Idol.

Armed with digital cameras, souvenir programs and T-shirts ready to be signed, meeting the Idols is a dream come true for many of their fans.

"Just the sense that they're famous, maybe not like to the extent of Britney Spears, but they're still really known to people in Canada," said Shirley Brule, 13, from Ottawa, Ont.

Their fans may think nothing of referring to them as celebrities, but the Idols admit they're still getting used to this newfound fame.

"I still refuse to believe that I'm considered that. I just usually think that they're confusing me with someone else," said Mookie Morris, who has even gotten a few marriage proposals from fans on his online blog.

"It's definitely not something I'm used to. Yeah, I don't really know what to say about it. I think it's flattering and super nice that these people are putting themselves out there and actually care that much. It's scary to see the effect that something so innocent can have on these people."

Mitch MacDonald can't believe that he now gets recognized while walking down the street in Toronto.

He was walking into a music store recently with Drew Wright and Amberly Thiessen when they saw two teenage girls whose jaws dropped at the sight of the Idols.

"We're like, 'Hi,' and they couldn't even speak so we just kept walking. They were just so wowed by seeing us on the street. That was weird but I guess that's just the way people get star struck I guess," said MacDonald.

It's also hard for MacDonald to believe people will wait so long in the autograph line just to meet them.

"People just line up for like a couple hours to get your name on a piece of paper that has your picture on it, that's just like, 'Wow, it's awesome.' It's just weird and surreal and overwhelming but that's what being a so-called celebrity is about I guess."

"It's so sudden," said Amberly Thiessen, before being voted off Top 6. "It hasn't been like a gradual thing for me. I was doing small open mic stuff to wow, TV and all of Canada gets to witness me growing as a performer, as an artist."

Drew Wright shared a similar sentiment about the quick rise to the top.

"With this show it's like you go from zero to 60 in like .5 seconds and after the show's over you can potentially hit a brick wall and come to a sudden stop so you've got to do your best to stay focused and put out the best work you can," said Wright.

Theo Tams said this is not the way it typically works in the music business.

"It's really tough especially on a show like Idol when it is backwards. You get all of this exposure but then each performance, you have to prove you deserve all that exposure, where it's usually like you prove yourself and then you get exposure."

Earl Stevenson said having fans is a necessary part of doing the show.

"You can expect it to happen I think. If you keep progressing and going on in the contest it's not rocket science that it's going to happen but it's cool. Music and art wouldn't exist if there wasn't people encouraging it."

But even so, Stevenson wonders if there might be a flipside to all of this.

"I laugh about it a lot to myself, like I can't stop laughing sometimes but at the same time you're kind of scared in a way, you don't know how much this can escalate because once this happens, once all these people know you, it's not like you can just decide that you don't want them to know you anymore."

Wright said it's important to keep the "celebrity" side separate from the performance side and remember the reason why you're in the competition in the first place.

"It's silly to get your head wrapped around that and think you're something more than you are. It's a television show and if people are seeing you and they like what you do you can feel blessed for that and hopefully you can carry on," said Wright.

Tams said he keeps it in perspective by believing it's all about the music.

"You need to think they're fans of your music and they're fans of what you do, they're not fans of you as a person," said Tams. "At least I need to think of it that way because if I start thinking that they're fans of me that's when it's very easy to get lost in at all."

But it still won't stop people like Ashley Currie from loving Tams for a couple other reasons.

"I like him because he has an eyebrow ring and he can sing really well and he's cute and I want to marry him," said Currie with a smile.

DeGeneres weds de Rossi

2008-08-19T14:02:00.000-07:00

Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres married girlfriend Portia de Rossi over the weekend. The couple were wed Saturday night in a small ceremony at their home in Los Angeles, according to their spokesperson. DeGeneres, 50, and de Rossi, 35, both wore Zac Posen and exchanged rings by Neil Lane during the ceremony. The ceremony was attended by 19 guests, including DeGeneres's mom, Betty, and de Rossi's mother, Margaret Rogers, who flew in from Australia for the occasion. The pair have been together since December 2004.

Goodbye to Mac

Thousands of mourners turned out for a memorial service in Chicago honoring Bernie Mac Saturday. Some fans had slept outside overnight to get a seat in the House of Hope church on the city's South Side, according to the Chicago Tribune. Chris Rock, Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, and Rev. Jesse Jackson attended the emotional service, during which photos from the comedian's career were shown on projectors and the White Sox presented Mac's widow, Rhonda, with a No. 1 jersey bearing his name, said the paper. Oprah Winfrey, Barack Obama, and Andy Garcia also sent condolences. Mac, who suffered from the autoimmune disease sarcoidosis, passed away a week ago from complications relating to pneumonia.

'Thunder' rolls

Batman was finally overwhelmed at the box office, ceding its No. 1 spot after four weeks to "Tropic Thunder," starring Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, and Tom Cruise. The comedy debuted with $26 million, bumping "The Dark Knight" to second place, according to studio estimates yesterday. The Batman flick pulled in $16.8 million to raise its total to $471.5 million. "The Dark Knight" passed the original "Star Wars" and now ranks No. 2 on the all-time domestic charts, behind only "Titanic," which earned $600.8 million. The animated tale "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" opened at No. 3 with $15.5 million. "Tropic Thunder" was the third R-rated comedy to open well in recent weeks, following "Pineapple Express" and "Step Brothers."
Source

Celebrity Pals Hail Isaac Hayes at Memorial

2008-08-19T13:59:00.000-07:00

by Josh Grossberg

Jo Hale/Getty Images

Isaac Hayes got an all-star send-off fit for the Black Moses.

Tom Cruise, Denzel Washington and Wesley Snipes were among those attending Sunday's private burial service for the Oscar- and Grammy-winning music legend, while Shaft star Richard Roundtree, Chuck D, Bootsy Collins, Doug E. Fresh, Kelly Preston, Anne Archer and the Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson were among the 3,000 mourners at today's public memorial in Memphis.

"He was a lovely man, always involved with causes," said Jackson before the service. "Literacy, civil rights. He was always there, and that's why we're all here for him."

During the four-hour service, which included video and music, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen said that the city should celebrate Hayes as it does Elvis Presley, even floating the idea of naming the local airport after the seminal soul singer.

"He is a person who the world will miss," Cohen said.

AP Photo/Bill Waugh

Hayes was found dead in his Memphis-area home of an apparent stroke on Aug. 10. He was 65.

Also speaking at the commemoration at the Hope Presbyterian Church was James Alexander, a member of the R&B band the Bar-Kays, who was one of Hayes' closest friends and the bass player on Hayes' Academy Award-winning theme song from Shaft.

Alexander described Hayes' humble upbringing, raised by his poor grandparents in Covington, Tenn., and how he learned to play the piano and saxophone by ear.

Other speakers praised Hayes for his humanitarian work, including the Isaac Hayes Foundation established in 1999, his support of Bono's One campaign and his construction of a school in Ghana.

Also in attendance was Hayes' songwriting partner David Porter. Together, the two helped define Stax Records and pioneer the Memphis Sound.

The farewell wasn't without controversy, however. The pastor at Hope Presbyterian received threats from anti-Scientologists for allowing the services to take place, and picketers stood outside the church. Hayes was an outspoken Scientologist and many high-profile practitioners, including Cruise, Preston and Archer, were on hand to remember him during the past two days.

In the end, though, nothing could obscure the celebration of the man.

Said Jackson: "Thank God for Isaac living 65 years and making a difference in our lives."

OPEN Sports Debuts All-Star Talent Lineup for Sports Entertainment Content

2008-08-19T13:56:00.000-07:00

OPEN Sports ( www.opensports.com), a new online sports destination and brainchild of Mike Levy, former CEO and founder of CBS Sportsline.com, is introducing an all-star lineup of sports entertainment personalities and content.

OPEN Sports' new programs will give fans a regular dose of commentary, analysis, opinion, and fantasy sports insight. The show lineup will include:

-- "OPEN Sports Page" - Sid Rosenberg and Amber Wilson bring their high-energy personalities together to talk sports and pop culture, including interviews with mainstream sports figures and celebrities

-- "Salisbury's Take" - Sean Salisbury brings his "tell-it-like-it-is" persona to dish up NFL and College Football analysis seven days a week, including going head-to-head with some of today's most celebrated athletes

-- "It's a Shaw Thing" - Keep up-to-date with the latest in fantasy football with Rob Shaw

-- "Charch Chat" - Fantasy Football strategy broken down by one of the best in the industry, Paul Charchian

-- "The Why Guys" - Pull up a stool and join the off-center conversation with David Gonos and the OPEN Sports writers, as they break down why things happen in life and sports

-- "Amber in the A.M." - Rise and shine with Amber Wilson for her daily sports recap every morning

-- "The OPEN Sports Odds Couple" - Sid Rosenberg brings in handicapping expert Marc Lawrence twice a week breaking down NFL and NCAAF games with an eye toward uncovering the week's best bets

-- "Amber on Campus" - An on-the-ground and in-studio report covering all-things college football with Amber Wilson

"We've brought together a dynamic group of sports personalities that will spark discussion because they are not afraid to share their opinions," said Mike Levy, chairman and CEO, OPEN Sports. "To showcase their talent, we've produced a diverse lineup of programs that sports enthusiasts will want to frequently tune in for news and knowledge."

Salisbury adds, "Being a part of OPEN Sports Network has me more excited for football season than I have ever been. We as a team will make this the best and most informative and opinionated site in sports. I'm pumped to interact with fans and have them be a huge part of OPENSports.com."

The OPEN Sports personality roster includes:

Sean Salisbury is best known for his 12-year stint as an NFL analyst on ESPN "SportsCenter" and "NFL Live." Salisbury will bring his no-holds barred approach to football commentary and analysis to OPEN Sports. Prior to his tenure with ESPN, he had a successful football playing career in the NFL and CFL.

Sid Rosenberg is a familiar voice to NFL fans and is well known for his radio show on WFAN (New York's first sports talk radio station). While at WFAN, Rosenberg also provided sports commentary on "The Imus in the Morning Show." Over the course of his career, he has also worked with such popular outlets as New York Daily News, Fox Online and "Best Damn Sports Show."

Paul Charchian was the co-founder of Fanball.com, one of the largest pure-play fantasy sites. In addition, he published more than 200 issues of Fantasy Football Weekly, making him one of the most read authors in the field. Charchian hosts a weekly fantasy sports radio show heard throughout the Midwest. He appears regularly on Fox Sports Radio and ESPN. Presently, Charchian is the chairman of the board for the Fantasy Sports Trade Association.

Marc Lawrence has been handicapping sports professionally for more than 35 years, having won more documented Top 10 Handicapping Achievement Awards than any other handicapper in the nation. Lawrence hosts a syndicated radio show, "Marc Lawrence Against the Spread," which is heard on more than 100 stations nationwide.

David Gonos is a fantasy sportswriting veteran that has also co-hosted weekly video segments and created experts leagues for several major sports. Gonos was a senior fantasy writer at CBSSports.com.

Rob Shaw is a long-time fan of fantasy sports. A Florida area sports anchor and the creator/host of "Shports Talk," a 30-minute fantasy TV show, Shaw is ready to share his passion and expertise.

Amber Wilson comes to OPEN Sports from CBSSports.com, where she hosted daily and weekly shows dealing with a variety of sports with an emphasis on fantasy.

About OPEN Sports:

OPEN Sports is led by Mike Levy, founder of CBS SportsLine.com, Rob Phythian, founder of Fanball.com, and other executives and advisors, including Christos Cotsakos, former CEO, E-Trade; David Fuente, former Chairman and CEO, Office Depot; Dr. Salomon Melgen, CEO, Vitreo-Retinal; and Peter Pezaris, CEO, Multiply. OPEN Sports' mission is to serve every sports fan with a next-generation experience that is guided by a user-first philosophy. Leveraging its cutting-edge platform, OPENSports.com delivers a new approach to sports entertainment that enables fans to connect, inform and participate in a passionate community through its deep content, diverse programming and innovative applications.

If you would like more information about OPEN Sports, or if you would like to schedule an interview with Mike Levy or other members of the OPEN Sports management team, please contact Don Silvestri, VP of Marketing & Public Relations at 954-312-3337 or Rogers & Cowan via email at pr@opensports.com.

SOURCE: OPEN Sports

OPEN Sports
Don Silvestri, VP of Marketing & Public Relations
954-312-3337
or
Rogers & Cowan
pr@opensports.com

John McCain, Barack Obama spar over 'celebrity'

2008-08-17T16:17:00.000-07:00

Politicians from both parties seek new and even more daring ways of connecting with mass audiences via entertainment.

By Tina Daunt, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

WHEN then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton made his storied appearance with saxophone in hand on "The Arsenio Hall Show" 16 years ago, he changed presidential politics -- turning pop culture's hippest TV shows into the contemporary equivalent of campaign whistle-stops.

Plenty of politicians from both parties have followed Clinton's lead, seeking new and even more daring ways of connecting with mass audiences via entertainment.

Some might argue that it's been downhill ever since.

Witness the ongoing ad fight between John McCain and Barack Obama, each accusing the other of being . . . well, celebrities. These days, every campaign manufactures its own vocabulary. Turning "celebrity" into an epithet may seem like a long shot, but four years ago "swift boat" described a Vietnam War relic.

To members of the entertainment industry, the charge is ridiculous: Of course both Obama and McCain are celebrities, as every ambitious politician on the scene these days hopes to be. Modern day politics in America requires it of them.

"There's a reason pop culture attracts viewers: It's entertaining," said political consultant and former Clinton White House staffer Chad Griffin, who has a large Hollywood clientele. "Politics, on the other hand, is not something people usually enjoy. So what do you do? You make yourself more visible to the public in a more entertaining way."

McCain and Obama have been enthusiastic participants in this system, working talk-show hosts as they would a crowd in Ohio.

As a result, the path Clinton blazed is indeed well traveled:

You go on with Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert so that people can see you're able to take a joke, even at your own expense. You go on with Jay Leno to show you're a regular guy and can carry on a conversation like one. Oprah Winfrey shows you've got soul and David Letterman demonstrates you're hip and smart but unpretentious.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, who understands celebrity from every angle, took things a step further and actually announced his candidacy for governor of California on Leno. Actor Fred Thompson followed suit, announcing that he was running for president on the show's Burbank soundstage last year.

Politicians before Clinton occasionally appeared on TV programs. ( Richard Nixon played the piano on Jack Paar in 1960). But it was always clear they stood apart from entertainment.

Clinton seemed like a natural part of the cast. He instinctively understood pop culture and was at ease with the connections it made with ordinary people. (He also had friends in Hollywood and routinely turned to them for advice.)

After Clinton played his sax version of "Heartbreak Hotel" during his June 1992 appearance on Hall's show, the host quipped: "It's nice to see a Democrat blow something besides the election."

The audience was smitten. Political strategists took notice.

Obama has played pop culture with the same polished aplomb as Clinton. McCain looks a bit goofy on the TV shows, but in an affable and charming sort of way.

If their ads attacking the other's celebrity continue to get much traction, it will be because they connect with another, darker pop cultural current -- America's love/hate relationship with its celebrities amid an endless cycle of alternately building stars up and tearing them down.

"We feel that these people in Hollywood have made a fortune having a good time," said presidential historian and author Douglas Brinkley. "People like to see them take a fall and get their comeuppance."

The same holds true, it seems, for this new hybrid of celebrity politicians.

" 'Celebrity' has become a dirty word in 2008," said Darrell M. West, an academic with the Brookings Institute and co-author of the book "Celebrity Politics." "Neither McCain nor Obama want to be seen as celebrities. Yet both of them are. So what we have here is both hypocrisy and absurdity."

Even so, McCain's celebrity attack ads on Obama are having an effect.

According to the Pew Foundation's Project for Excellence in Journalism study of campaign coverage, McCain last week virtually tied Barack Obama in the battle for press attention for the first time since the kickoff of the general election.

McCain -- who started his ads hammering Obama on his celebrity status in mid-July -- appeared as a significant or dominant factor in 78% of election stories the week of July 28-Aug. 3, compared with 81% for Obama. It marked McCain's highest amount of coverage since the general election season began in early June.

The study noted that one major catalyst for coverage of McCain was his ad that described Obama as "the biggest celebrity in the world" and included images of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. At 10% of the available news space, the subject of campaign advertising was the second-biggest campaign story line of the week.

The ad also generated other media narratives, including whether McCain's campaign has gone too negative (6% of the news space).

Brinkley believes that Obama should avoid being spotted with any stars, at least for now.

"McCain needs to paint Obama as a Harvard elite egghead celebrity," Brinkley said. "Now he feels like he's ringing the pinball machine. The last thing Obama needs is to be seen in a photograph with a celebrity."

That should make Denver interesting. You won't be able to throw a stone without hitting a star or two at the Democratic National Convention. It would be easier to avoid them on the Oscar red carpet.

But here's the ultimate test: Come late October, when the campaign is neck-and-neck, will either McCain or Obama turn down an invitation to be on Leno?

Stay tuned.

tina.daunt@latimes.com

Celebrity Mile-High Meltdowns: Victoria Osteen Gets Relief From Jury

2008-08-17T16:15:00.000-07:00

By Keith Walters Jones
Aug 17, 2008

From flight-attendant brawls to concealed weapons, celebrities are flying the "unfriendly skies" at times and this week a jury in Texas found that Pastor Joel Osteen's wife Victoria Osteen did not do anything wrong when she was accused of assaulting an attendant after finding a stain on her first class seat and asking to have it cleaned up by one of the flight attendants.

Celebrity Mile-High Meltdowns: Victoria Osteen Gets Relief from Texas Jury (Image: Wenn)

The whole trial seemed almost ridiculous at times as the flight attendant first asked for ten percent of Victoria Osteen's net worth for what she claimed were conditions that resulted in the supposed altercation. The Osteens are co-pastors of Lakewood Church. She even blamed the alleged incident for problems with hemorrhoids.

***

But she is not the first celebrity to have troubles in the skies. Us Weekly magazine puts together a few of the reports that have made it down from about 35,000 feet that have caused all kinds of trouble for a variety of celebs.

Clay Aiken - The singer, 29, reportedly got in a midflight scuffle last year after placing his foot on a female passenger's armrest. Later, at a concert, her joked of getting beaten up by a girl.

Courtney Love - "I cussed at a lady - my daughter always said I had a potty mouth," said the rocker, 44, after an arrest for an alleged air-rage incident. She was released with a warning after nine hours in custody.

Naomi Campbell - Fearing her luggage was lost, the model, 38, cursed at the pilot of her British Airways flight, then kicked cops escorting her off the plane. She was fined and ordered to do community service.

Poll: Adults worry about celebrity births impact

2008-08-17T16:12:00.000-07:00

By JEFFREY GOLD |Associated Press Writer NEWARK, N.J. - Most New Jersey adults believe that recent publicity about young celebrities becoming pregnant makes teen parenthood seem more acceptable to teens, according to a poll released Sunday.

In addition, about six in 10 New Jersey adults consider teen pregnancy a major problem in the state, and nearly all support teaching about birth control in high school, the Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey Poll found.

"Some may view recent news about Britney Spears and her sister Jamie Lynn as cautionary tales for young people and parenthood," said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute. "However, New Jersey adults worry that media coverage of celebrity pregnancy may be having the opposite effect on the average teenager."

Jamie Lynn Spears, 17, who starred on the Nickelodeon sitcom "Zoey 101," gave birth to a daughter in June.

Teen pregnancy rates have been falling in New Jersey, from 112 per 1,000 in 1988, to 90 per 1,000 in 2000, according to figures from the Guttmacher Institute of New York. The national rate declined from 111 in 1988 to 84 in 2000.

However, the teen birth rate in New Jersey edged upward in 2006, to 12.4 births per 1,000 girls, compared to 11.9 in 2005, according to preliminary figures from the state Department of Health and Senior Services.

Only about 30 percent of New Jersey adults think sex education encourages teens to have sex earlier than they otherwise would, while nearly 60 percent disagree with that.

Over 90 percent of adults support teaching about birth control in high school, while three-quarters say that starting this type of sex education at the middle school level is appropriate. However, just one in six favor sex education in elementary school.

"The poll revealed some surprising differences in opinion among parents of teenage daughters," Murray said. "They appear to be less worried than other parents about teenage pregnancy and slightly less supportive of sex education."

For example, only about half the parents with daughters age 12 to 17 viewed teen pregnancy as a major problem.

One-third of those surveyed said schools should also teach that sex is right only within the confines of marriage, but nearly 40 percent said schools should teach that sex is a matter of personal choice.

The telephone poll of 1,004 New Jersey adults was conducted from July 17-21 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

On the Net:

http://www.monmouth.edu/polling/reports.asp

Celebrity Mamas Fuel Post-Baby Body Blues

2008-08-11T14:18:00.000-07:00

Elaine Schoch once loved nothing more than spending her Sunday mornings flipping through the "mind-numbing" celebrity-filled pages of Us Weekly.

Then something happened: her daughter Samantha, born Feb. 4, 2008.

"I decided to subscribe right before I had my baby so I could still read the gossip every weekend," says Schoch, a 31-year-old public relations maven from Denver. "But then I just got depressed. They'd have all these beautiful pictures of Christina Aguilera and Nicole Richie and they'd be talking about how they lost all their baby weight. It made me feel bad about myself. So I canceled my subscription."

Schoch isn't the only one who has come down with the celebrity baby body blues. A survey by the San Francisco-based Web site Babycenter.com on the impact of "teeny and toned new celebrity moms" found 31 percent of moms felt angry about the "extra pressure on regular moms to look that way" and 24 percent simply felt depressed.

And truly, who can blame them? Celebrity moms are not only dropping their baby weight quickly, they seem to be engaged in some sort of Postpartum Weight Loss Olympics. One week, the tabloids will be abuzz with the news that Marcia Cross has lost her baby weight (from twins!) in three months' time; the next, a svelte Halle Berry will be rocking the red carpet just six short weeks after delivery. In the most recent case of celebrity shrinkdown, Nicole Kidman's post-baby body was declared "Already Hot After 2 Weeks!" by the New York Post Chronicle.

But the lightning fast weight loss is only part of the picture. Hollywood moms are also stripping down in order to rub their perfectly restored bodies in our dimpled, dumbfounded faces.

From pregnant to Playboy
Former Bond girl Denise Richards, who gained 30 pounds while carrying her first daughter Sam took it all off (the weight and her clothes) for Playboy magazine just five months after she delivered. Not to be outdone, supermodel Heidi Klum hit the Victoria's Secret catwalk - in an electric bra and thong, no less - just eight weeks after giving birth to son, Henry.

Is it any wonder that normal everyday moms are baring something, as well? Namely their claws.

"Thanks to celeb moms who show up on the red carpet svelte and perfect weeks after giving birth, regular women are faced with a ridiculous standard to meet," one commenter posted on Jezebel.com.

"So now we're supposed to look like anorexic teenagers as soon as we squeeze Junior out?" added another.

Kristyn Wilson, a 30-year-old media relations specialist from Columbus, Ohio, who gave birth to son, Jack, 10 months ago, says she's had it up to here with stars and their instantaneously streamlined bodies.

"Pushing women to lose so much weight and lose it so quickly when you're just trying to figure out how to be a mom and balance your life is mean and unfair," says Wilson. "It puts undue pressure on women and promotes an unfair image to husbands who think 'If Christina Aguilera can get her body back so quickly, why can't my wife?'"

Experts, meanwhile, warn that the raising of this beauty bar can be unhealthy for mom and baby, no matter how famous they are.

Most doctors don't advise extreme dieting or vigorous workouts immediately after giving birth. The La Leche League International, a breast-feeding support organization, recommends mothers not deliberately try to lose weight the first two months after having a baby to establish a good milk supply and let their bodies recover from childbirth.

Women who want to lose weight still need between 1,500 and 1,800 calories a day to maintain good milk production, the organization says. On the flip side, nursing burns up to 500 calories a day so Junior can help you in your quest to shed pounds.

No fair!
Perhaps the most painful part about the new celebumom standard is that it's managed to infiltrate the last bastion of the female experience. Years ago, moms got a pass - even moms with movie deals. Now even motherhood - the great equalizer - has gotten a brutally hot makeover.

Wilson says standards have become so distorted that a "normal" mom body is now viewed as "unattractive."

"The tabloids and TV make it seem like it's not normal that your body looks different after you've had a baby," she says. "It's like there's something wrong with you physically - or you're lazy - if you're not able to get back to the exact same shape and size that you were prior to conceiving a child. And that's impossible."

Impossible, that is, if you don't happen to have a personal trainer, personal chef, nutritionist, nanny, night nurse, and three or four full-time assistants.

"Celebs have 24-hour 'round the clock care," says Suzanne Schlosberg, mother to 13-month-old twin boys and co-author of "The Active Woman's Pregnancy Log: A Day-to-Day Diary and Guide to a Fit and Healthy Pregnancy." "They've got somebody to take care of baby while they do their workouts with their $250-an-hour trainer. They've got a fancy personal chef creating their perfect 200-calorie meals. It's not an even playing field. They have all these advantages that real people don't have."

They even sleep better in Hollywood
One simple, and perhaps underrated, advantage is the fact that 'round the clock care means celebs can get their beauty sleep, which according to a recent study in the American Journal of Epidemiology, makes a big difference when it comes to postpartum weight.

Researchers at Harvard looked at 940 women and found that moms who slept five hours or less per day when their babies were 6 months old were three times as likely to still be carrying extra weight six months later than moms who slept seven hours a day.

But even with all the sleeping, pampering and personal training, stars can't exactly hire people to lose the weight for them, says Galina Espinoza, senior editor at People magazine.

"Granted, they're not getting up in the middle of the night to feed their babies. They're not sleep deprived and exhausted. But they still have to go to the gym every day. They still have to do the work."

Work that pays off with amazing results, which Espinoza says inspires many of the magazine's readers.

"There's always a little bit of schadenfreude when they struggle to lose weight, but celebs can also be motivating and inspiring," she says. "They can encourage women that it's possible to get their figure back even after having kids."

Catherine Lang-Cline, who gave birth to daughter, Audrey, four months ago, says the Christina Aguilera carrot works for her.

"I don't feel any pressure to keep up with celebrities because it's their job to look good," says Lang-Cline, 42, the co-owner of a creative staffing agency in Columbus, Ohio. "Otherwise they'll end up with their cellulite on Page One. But I do find it inspiring that I don't have to stay the flabby lump of goo that I feel I am now. Celebrities show that it's possible to look good after having a baby. Granted, they'll probably do it in half the time, but at least it's possible."

But new mother Elaine Schoch, who has shed nearly all of her baby weight since giving birth five months ago, isn't quite feeling it.

"Maybe some women are inspired, but I'm not," she says. "If they gave you real tips - real meal plans, real workout times that you could do - then it might be more inspiring. But the stars are, like, 'I work out five days a week for four hours a day.' That's one of their tips. Great."

Hollywood's rail-thin baby brigade hasn't done much for the thousands of women psychologist Shoshana Bennett of San Ramon, California, has counseled over the years, either.

"There's a loud argument going on in the minds of everyday moms," says Bennett, founder of Postpartum Assistance for Mothers and author of "Postpartum Depression for Dummies." "Even though intellectually they know that these celebs have a team of image professionals working with them, on an emotional level it still has an impact. There's a constant comparison going on. They know better, but they still put themselves down,"

And though the celebrity yardstick by which we've come to measure ourselves is usually just a pain in the (flabby) behind, for some, it can be much more problematic.

"Having unrealistic expectations can certainly feed into a postpartum depression or anxiety," says Bennett. "I don't think it would be the only factor, but it could make it worse. You bet."

Mommy makeover
Of course, many moms don't get mad or sad, they get even - or at least try to even the playing field - by embracing plastic surgery's latest nip-and-tuck trend, the "mommy makeover." According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, "mommy makeover" procedures such as tummy tucks, breast augmentations and breast lifts rose 6 percent in 20- to 39-year-old women in 2007 (in 2006, they went up by 11 percent).

But the magic bullet approach isn't necessary, says Dr. Laura E. Riley, director of labor and delivery at Massachusetts General Hospital and author of "You and Your Baby: Pregnancy." A realistic amount of time - coupled with healthy eating and exercise - will still do the trick.

"It probably takes on average four to six months to lose a normal amount of baby weight gain," she says. "It took you nine months to put it on. It's not going to come off in nine weeks."

If it does, there may be something else going on.

"I suspect a fair number of celebrities do calorie restriction while pregnant so that their weight isn't so high," she says. "If you only gain 15 pounds during pregnancy, you have a lot less to lose than someone who gains the recommended 25 to 30 pounds. I think it's a celebrity thing, but it's caught on in a lot of places, like New York. I'm not so sure that's a good thing. The mom's nutritional fat during pregnancy is incredibly important."

The tendency to cut calories and over-exercise in order to stay thin even while pregnant -dubbed "pregorexia" - is just one explanation for instantly-skinny celeb moms (and their die-hard devotees). Not surprisingly, there are dozens of other theories bandied about on blogs and pregnancy sites as to how celebs have managed to pull the wool - and the baby blanket - over Mother Nature's eyes. They're not breast-feeding; no, they're breast-feeding too much. They've had Thermage to eradicate all their stretch marks. Or they're wearing special "belly wraps" to tighten up after birth (indeed, reality TV host, hottie and 36-year-old mother of four Brooke Burke has developed her own post-baby girdle called Taut).

The mythic C-tuck
One of the more persistent rumors is that of the mythic C-tuck, a combination tummy tuck/Caesarean section said to be used by certain stars to consolidate their childbirth experience with a quick cosmetic cover-up. Plastic surgeons pooh-pooh the rumor and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons says tummy tucks should happen no sooner than six months after delivery, yet the procedure is whispered about on mommy forums like a delivery room Holy Grail.

For many women, though, it's not surgical sleight-of-hand or stick-thin celebs and their immaculate brand of motherhood that provides inspiration. It's their friends and fellow moms.

Two years ago, the blog Theshapeofamother.com began posting photos of moms of all ages, shapes, and sizes "so we can finally see what women really look like sans airbrushes and plastic surgery." Thousands of stories and starkly honest images later, reader comments refer to restored self-esteem and newfound confidence.

According to Kristyn Wilson, mother of Jack, that same kind of support is available offline, as well.

"Last week, my friends and I had a pool party and none of us cared about each others' stretch marks, pregnancy lines or dimples," says Wilson. "My one girlfriend, with a 20-month-old, showed up in a bikini. She still had that line on her belly from being pregnant, the linea nigra. She hadn't just put on weight, you could see the physical aftermath of having a child. But god bless her, she looked so cute. I went ahead a put a bikini on, too."

Diane Mapes is a Seattle freelance writer and author of the recently released "How to Date in a Post-Dating World." Source

Secret celebrity entrepreneurs

2008-08-11T14:16:00.000-07:00

Reuters File Sandra Bullock (actress) -- Bess Bistro and Bessence -- While the Hollywood leading actress micromanaged every aspect of this down-home Austin, Texas, bistro -- from the menu to the brothel-inspired décor

Some brands will forever be linked with their celebrity endorsers. What would women's wear line Kate Moss Topshop be without, well, Kate Moss? Or Gisele Bündchen's sandal line, Ipanema by Gisele, without the supermodel's name, image and unrelenting promotion?

And yet other bold-face celebs have chosen a decidedly less in-your-face approach. Who but the most fanatical know that the William Rast jeans line isn't owned by anyone named William Rast, but instead is backed by the guy who "brought sexy back," crooner Justin Timberlake?

Or, that if you stop by Bess Bistro in Austin, Texas, every offering on the menu--as well as the bistro-branded Bessence candles for sale at the counter--were all crafted by actress Sandra Bullock?

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In Pictures: Celebrity Fashion Lines

In Pictures: Crossover Stars

The celebrities' goal in keeping a healthy distance: to maintain creative control in building sustainable brands not solely reliant on their faces or fame. The other reason: "If [the business] fails, their name isn't associated with it in a big way," says Ryan Schinman, chief executive of Platinum Rye, an entertainment consulting company representing corporations, including DirectTV and AT&T Wireless, that partner with celebrities.

That flame-retardant works the other way too. If a celebrity's image evolves or -- perish the thought -- smudges, the business can still survive.

Consider the ubiquitous Olsen twins, Mary-Kate and Ashley. Not only did the perky twosome outgrow their Disney roots, they devolved into partying, cadaverous divas (without the box office numbers to back them up). In an attempt to keep a safe distance, one of the twins' clothing lines -- manufactured by L'Koral Industries, creator of Seven for All Mankind jeans -- is named after their siblings, younger sis Elizabeth and older brother James. (Despite their tarnished image, the twins, now 22, don't exactly need the cash: Their branded, teen-oriented merchandise brought them a combined $15 million last year.)

No matter the marketing strategy, only businesses that meet a real need -- and continue meeting it -- last. "The way to build a long-term brand is to make people a fan of the product," says Ramez Toubassy, president of Brand Sense Partners, the company behind Britney Spears' line of fragrances. "A celebrity may sell a product once, but after that, the product has to sell itself." Toubassy is quick to point out that, despite Spears' very public immolation, her fragrances, including Curious, Fantasy, Midnight Fantasy and Believe, are nearing $1 billion in sales.

Not that these celebrity entrepreneurs keep their distance entirely. Take Timberlake. He didn't splash his mug (or tush) on billboards, but chose a more subtle approach. Photos of him wearing his own jeans began strategically appearing in the tabloids; Timberlake also hung out at the William Rast booth at the Men's Apparel Guild in California trade show in Las Vegas.

Now the singer-songwriter is flexing more of his marketing muscle; he recently filmed a series of Internet vignettes -- appearing as the "character" William Rast, clad head-to-toe in the brand's gear -- to promote the brand. Like most celebrities, Timberlake gets an upfront fee for his troubles -- anywhere from $250,000 to $500,000 --plus a percentage (usually around 8%) of sales.

Marketers know that, when it comes to celebrities, even a little sizzle goes a long way. "As soon as we issued a press release, we were inundated with retailers," says Toubassy, who also cut a deal with singer Sheryl Crow and Canadian manufacturer Western Glove Works to create a brand of denim apparel, Bootheel Trading Company, scheduled to roll out this fall. "There's no question that Sheryl's affiliation upped the ante dramatically." While Crow's image will be used initially in the marketing blitz, the long-term plan is to let the brand fend for itself.

Unfortunately, even the warmth of a superstar's glow fades in a frigid economy. To wit: Recent plans for a Las Vegas hotel and casino, affiliated with George Clooney and Brad Pitt, have gone nowhere. "Look at what's happened to Las Vegas real estate, and you can guess what happened there," says Platinum Rye's Schinman.

Nor should celebs get the idea that, even as the most silent of partners, they can completely sidestep a conflict with their well-crafted images. Adds Schinman: "If Robert De Niro opened a candy store, I don't know if that would be successful."
Source

Celebrity Blonde Battles: Meghan McCain, Heidi Montag and Paris Hilton

2008-08-11T14:14:00.000-07:00

By Jess Snow

Paris Hilton likes to call John McCain 'that white haired guy.' The dog-toting socialite is referring to the dad of Meghan McCain, that white haired guy is named John McCain and he just happens to be running for president against Barack Obama. Heidi Montag has pledged her support for her pal Meghan McCain's dad and he has jokingly welcomed the endorsement. Meghan and Heidi are pals. Paris, maybe not so much.

Heidi Montag Sides With Meghan McCain (Image: Wenn)

So who comes out on top of this celebrity blonde battle? Many have credited an ad by John McCain that basically compared the candidacy of Barack Obama to that of the celebrity train wrecks that are Paris Hilton and Britney Spears for taking the wind out of Obama's sails. When the ad first hit Obama had a seven-point lead. Now the race is a virtual tie.

***

The thinking of the ad seems to be a comparison that Barack Obama is an empty suit and his celebrity will finally nose dive ala Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. That seems a bit harsh on Obama as Paris wound up in jail and Britney wound up in rehab but the ad really seemed to hit home to a lot of people.

So the question that is now being bandied about is how does McCain justify his daughter's new "celebrity" status of making the rounds in with paparazzi magnet and pal Heidi Montag with the Paris, Britney and Barack ad? It seems an odd comparison but of she gets as popular as Paris in Britney perhaps then it might matter. I wasn't a fan of the ad but it certainly seemed to work quite well. The wise thing would be to let it die, and move forward. Taking cheap shots at Meghan McCain certainly won't help.
Source

Barack Obama calls John McCain a celebrity. So there!

2008-08-11T14:12:00.000-07:00

Who you callin' a celebrity?

I'm not a celebrity, you''re a celebrity! No, YOU'RE a celebrity!

The presidential campaign mudslinging really gets going with Sen. Barack Obama striking back at Sen. John McCain, calling him "Washington's biggest celebrity" and showing him on talk shows and palling around with President Bush, thus linking him to the Washington insider politics-as-usual game.

"For decades, he’s been Washington’s biggest celebrity. John McCain," the new Obama ad intones, as McCain bearhugs Bush. "And as Washington embraced him, John McCain hugged right back."

Has "celebrity" become a dirty word? Who's the bigger celebrity, Obama or McCain? Which is more odious, a Hollywood celebrity or a Washington celebrity?

Did someone just say, "I'm rubber and you're glue. Whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you"?

So far, I like Paris Hilton's celebrity video best.
Source

Secret Celebrity Entrepreneurs

2008-07-29T15:16:00.000-07:00

Or, that if you stop by Bess Bistro in Austin, Texas, every offering on the menu--as well as the bistro-branded Bessence candles for sale at the counter--were all crafted by actress Sandra Bullock?

Courtesy Bootheel Trading Company

The celebrities' goal in keeping a healthy distance: to maintain creative control in building sustainable brands not solely reliant on their faces or fame. The other reason: "If [the business] fails, their name isn't associated with it in a big way," says Ryan Schinman, chief executive of Platinum Rye, an entertainment consulting company representing corporations, including DirectTV (nyse: DTV - news - people ) and AT&T Wireless, that partner with celebrities.

That flame-retardant works the other way too. If a celebrity's image evolves or--perish the thought--smudges, the business can still survive.

Consider the ubiquitous Olsen twins, Mary-Kate and Ashley. Not only did the perky twosome outgrow their Disney roots, they devolved into partying, cadaverous divas (without the box office numbers to back them up). In an attempt to keep a safe distance, one of the twins' clothing lines--manufactured by L'Koral Industries, creator of Seven for All Mankind jeans--is named after their siblings, younger sis Elizabeth and older brother James. (Despite their tarnished image, the twins, now 22, don't exactly need the cash: Their branded, teen-oriented merchandise brought them a combined $15 million last year.)

No matter the marketing strategy, only businesses that meet a real need--and continue meeting it--last. "The way to build a long-term brand is to make people a fan of the product," says Ramez Toubassy, president of Brand Sense Partners, the company behind Britney Spears' line of fragrances. "A celebrity may sell a product once, but after that, the product has to sell itself." Toubassy is quick to point out that, despite Spears' very public immolation, her fragrances, including Curious, Fantasy, Midnight Fantasy and Believe, are nearing $1 billion in sales.

Now the singer-songwriter is flexing more of his marketing muscle; he recently filmed a series of Internet vignettes--appearing as the "character" William Rast, clad head-to-toe in the brand's gear--to promote the brand. Like most celebrities, Timberlake gets an upfront fee for his troubles--anywhere from $250,000 to $500,000--plus a percentage (usually around 8%) of sales.

EA bringing Celebrity Sports Showdown to Nintendo’s Wii?

2008-07-29T15:14:00.000-07:00

Electronic Arts has only just recently admitted that it backed the wrong horse in this current generation and is now throwing its weight behind Nintendo and its Wii console, but perhaps we are already seeing the turning of the tide. According to what can only be classed as a ‘rumour’ for now, the company has a new Wii exclusive on the horizon.

CubeRevolution of the NeoGAF forums has leaked a tasty little morsel of information from his reliable retailer contact in Germany. His source has stated that Electronic Arts will be bringing Celebrity Sports Showdown to Nintendo’s Wii on 23rd October, 2008 for the regular price of 39.99 Euro / £29.99.

Coming from the same source that hit the nail on the head about Advance Wars: Dark Conflict coming to the Nintendo DS earlier this year, details of the upcoming Wii game are as follows:

It is a collection of twelve mini sports games that includes the likes of canoeing, badminton, slalom skiing, leaping of obstacles on horseback, shooting with a bow, and so on. The game will be played by caricatures of celebrities from the world of cinema and music.

Apparently the title will also be one that is accessible to all and easy to use for great fun whilst either playing alone or in the company of friends, similar to EA’s Smarty Pants on Wii.

On a seperate note, there has also been talk of the Boom Blox team already hiring more members to get cracking on its next game…

Is another sports title what you really want to see on Wii, especially one full of celebrity characters? Be sure to air your thoughts by posting below…

Celebrity Cruises plans star-studded 'Soap Cruise'

2008-07-29T15:13:00.000-07:00

C'mon, admit it: You love to watch soaps. And you'd be tickled pink to meet the stars from such daytime classics as All My Children, Days of our Lives and As the World Turns.

Now you can, even as you kick back on one of the Caribbean's most relaxing ships.

That's right, Celebrity Cruises is planning another Soap Cruise, a voyage laden with the heroes and villains of all eight of daytime TV's top shows.

The sailing on the Celebrity Century, the second of its kind, will depart Miami on Jan. 22, 2009, and include a cocktail party with the stars, autograph and photo sessions, soap opera trivia games and other events designed to get you, the soap-loving cruiser, mixing and mingling with your favorite soap stud or studette.

ALSO ONLINE: The secret to staying fit and trim when cruising

Cameron Mathison, who plays Ryan on All My Children, will host the trip, and be joined by 15 other soap stars, including fellow All My Children actors Alicia Minshew (Kendall) and Jacob Young (J.R.).

Other familiar faces will include Austin Peck (Brad) from As the World Turns; Brandon Beemer (Owen), Winsor Harmon (Thorne) and Lesli Kay (Felicia) of The Bold and the Beautiful; Nadia Bjorlin (Chloe) and Jay Johnson (Philip) of Days of Our Lives; Bradford Anderson (Spinelli) and Greg Vaughn (Lucky) of General Hospital; Murray Bartlett (Cyrus) and Ricky Paull Goldin (Jake) of All My Children; Kamar de los Reyes (Antonio) of One Life to Live; and Don Diamont (Brad) and Christian LeBlanc (Michael) of The Young and the Restless.

The actors will mix it up exclusively with guests who book the Soap Cruise package on the Jan. 22 sailing, which visits Key West, Fla., and Cozumel, Mexico (for reservations, visit www.soapcruise.com). Be warned: The line says bookings made through other avenues will not include access to the stars.

Tell us, Cruise Loggers, does the idea of a Soap Cruise get you all lathered up? If not soap stars, what type of celebrities would you like to see on your next voyage?

Will cruises cost more in 2009?

2008-07-24T06:40:00.000-07:00

There's no question that the economy is struggling, and Americans are tightening their belts. So does that mean that cruise lines will be forced to lower prices over the coming year to fill ships?

Don't count on it. In a conference call with Wall Street analysts on Tuesday, Royal Caribbean executives noted that bookings for 2009 already are coming in at a healthy clip and that's allowing them to keep prices steady. In fact, prices for cruises in 2009 actually are ahead of those in 2008.

ALSO ONLINE: What's the secret to picking the right shore excursion?

"Forward bookings for 2009 are strong, with higher load factors and higher prices in the first quarter and for the full year compared to the same time a year ago," the line said in a statement that accompanied its release of second quarter earnings.

The company, which owns Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises, said it made $84.7 million during the quarter, a 34% drop from the second quarter of 2007. But the decline wasn't due to lower prices. The culprit is the soaring cost of oil, which is up 55% since last year.

The company says its net yield for the second quarter -- the amount of money it made per cabin -- was up 1% as compared to the second quarter of 2007. It expects its net yield to grow around 2% for the third quarter of 2008 and 4% to 5% for the fourth quarter of 2008.

“Although pressure on the consumer persists and there is much uncertainty in the market, demand for our cruises and on-board spending continues to be resilient,” says Royal Caribbean's chief financial officer, Brian Rice. “Our yields should improve in all four quarters this year.”

Royal Caribbean also announced that it would eliminate 400 shore-side jobs at the company in a bid to reign in costs.

Cruise Loggers, are you willing to pay more for a cruise in 2009? Have you booked yet?

Photo of Mariner of the Seas courtesy Royal Caribbean

Celebrity Cruises For All-inclusive Vacations - Cruise Vacation

2008-07-24T06:39:00.000-07:00

If you think about it, it’s an extremely cost-effective and time-efficient way to take a holiday. Consider all the time you’d spend driving yourself to several different destinations, packing and unpacking at each hotel, and searching for restaurants and other services. On a cruise you don’t drive anywhere for seven, ten, fourteen days or even more. Even if you were on a bus tour with no driving yourself, you haul your luggage or at least one package and unpack it at every new stop. On a cruise, you check your luggage when you check in and it magically appears in your cabin, stateroom, or even suite.

You’re at home for the duration of the cruise. And the food! Every ship has several restaurants staffed by world-class chefs, and the cost of the food is included as part of the cruise. At each port, guided tours are available so you won’t miss any local attractions. Supervised activities such as snorkeling are available to keep the children occupied. And at the end of your holiday staff will pick up your luggage and place it on shore at the intended pick-up point. Taking a cruise vacation frees you from so many of the hassles of traveling, and leaves you with more time to relax and enjoy your destination.

Celebrity Cruise Lines offer some of the best deals in the business. Conde Nast Traveler consistently rates Celebrity Cruises as one of the world’s best cruise lines. Services include informative lectures about your location, upscale boutiques, and Las Vegas style entertainment created for Celebrity by Cirque du Soleil.

Try your luck in the Casino or collect fine art during an onboad auction. The nightlife spectacular at The Bar At The Edge of the Earth.

There’s a whole world of pampering waiting for you at the world-famous Aqua-Spa by Elemis. Try a deluxe manicure, a luxurious facial or a relaxing massage. There is even acupuncture by a licensed acupuncturist and Chinese medicine as well. You’ll feel renewed and invigorated.

Children feel right at home on a Celebrity Cruise. The Celebrity X-Club Youth Program has age-specific activities and entertainment for every child. Science and nature exploration, talent shows, treasure hunts, children’s dinner parties, slumber parties and more are all arranged by professional staff. Special areas of the ship are set aside for children only, such as the Shipmates Fun Factory, teen center and pools. When the ship is docked, adults have the option of going on tours by themselves while the children are supervised onboard. What could be more enjoyable or safer?

Age or disability are no impediment to cruising. Ships are designed for mobility-impaired passengers, and staff is always ready to assist. Celebrity accommodates those who need dialysis or oxygen, and other medical services can be arranged if requested beforehand. Emergency care is always available on board, saving you the trouble of finding a doctor who speaks your language in a foreign country.
Dinner is a vital event in itself on a cruise ship, a tradition dating back to the late 1800’s when cruises were for royalty and the wealthy who expected elegant formal dinners. Again, in today’s lifestyle the elegant dinner is optional, and for those who like to dine casually, food is available around the clock . However, for those who like a ritzy event where they can show off their best attire and jewelry, there are optional formal dinners where ladies wear long formal gowns or evening dresses and gentlemen have on tuxedos.

Did I forget to mention the cruise destination itself? Celebrity Cruises dock at a different port of call every day or two, depending upon distances and sailing time between points of interest. You can stay aboard the ship all day or disembark. You are free to explore every destination on your itinerary as long as you return to the ship before departure time.

For a small additional fee, Celebrity offers adventures geared toward the unique features of each destination. As an example, Caribbean cruises offer snorkeling, diving or beach excursions while Alaskan cruises offer helicopter tours or sea kayak trips. For the less adventuresome, commonly there are bus tours or even supervised shopping excursions in the local port. Every single thing, including meals, is prearranged. All you have to do is find the correct line onshore and an experienced guide handles the rest of your tour.

With all these wonderful services available at a reasonable cost, why not consider a Celebrity vacation?

By: INDERMOHAN

About the Author For more useful tips & hints, please browse for more information at our website:- www.reprintarticlesite.com www.toursguide.reprintarticlesite.com (July 2008)

Following Sex Scandals, Districts Impose Message Ban

2008-07-24T06:35:00.000-07:00

Miss. Districts Ban Texting, Social Web Sites Between Students and Teachers

By JON WIENER

Two Mississippi school districts have banned text messaging and online social network communication between faculty and their young pupils following a string of teacher-student sex scandals.

(ABCNews Photo Illustration)

The new policies, believed to be among the first in the nation, come as authorities have uncovered a growing number of teacher-student sexual misconduct incidents found to have been facilitated through text-messaging and Internet communication. Representatives of both school districts told ABC News that the policies are not the result of any particular incident.

"This was just an attempt by us to put into policy that there doesn't need to be any informal socialization between teachers and students," said Lamar County school board attorney Rick Norton.

Norton, who initiated the Internet communication policy for Lamar County schools, said it prohibits "fraternization via the Internet between employees...and students."

"The main thing is that we actually encourage interaction via the Internet for educational purposes," he said. "What we're trying to prevent is communication of an inappropriate nature."

In Mississippi and other states, inappropriate online communication between teachers and students has proved to be a factor in revelations of sexual misconduct.

A Greene County, Miss., teacher was sentenced to 10 years in prison in May for sending sexually explicit text messages to a Greene County High School student.

In January, a Biloxi teacher was charged and later admitted to sexual battery of a teenage student after police revealed text message records that indicated the pair had had sex on multiple occasions. In one message the teacher called the student her "little sex fiend," according to authorities.

The recent Mississippi cases are among many sexual misconduct incidents in America. An Associated Press investigation found 2,570 educators whose teaching credentials were revoked, denied, surrendered, or sanctioned from 2001 through 2005 following allegations of sexual misconduct.

Randy Hodges, superintendent of the Lauderdale County, Miss., school district that instituted the "no text message" policy between teachers and students, maintained that his district's new policy was not in response to any particular incident, but acknowledged that the rules were designed to prevent sexual misconduct.

"We had a lawyer who gave ... the example that three employees in the state who had inappropriate messages on their text ended up in prison, to make a long story short," Hodges said. "The messages had some sort of inappropriate language and sexual content, and this was designed to prevent just that -- it's about us trying to be proactive and not having to deal with it after the fact."

While text messaging has grown to become a favored form of communication for teenagers, the rise of Internet social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook presents an even newer source of administrative and parental concern.

Material posted by both students and teachers on social networking sites has led school boards to take disciplinary action.

"The policy is always playing catch-up to the technology, and that's what's happening with these schools," said National School Board Association (NSBA) senior staff attorney Tom Hutton. "They're relatively new policies because the use of these kinds of platforms for educational purposes is relatively new; you want to encourage the use of technology, but how do you make sure you're protecting children against some of the potential downsides?"

Ben Burnett, superintendent of the Lamar school district that banned teacher-student communication on social networking sites, said he didn't expect the national media attention that has followed the district's new policy, but added it was common sense to regulate Internet communication.

"We didn't know we would be blazing a trail with this, but I would assume that with so many people of all ages using the Internet and these kinds of sites, it would be such an easy way for children to get drawn into an inappropriate relationship with an employee," he said. "But our policy doesn't prevent students and teachers from creating and using these type of sites -- that's their First Amendment rights. This is just to restrict communication that might only occur on informal, social Web sites."

Burnett said the district has to be careful when restricting communication between students and teachers.

"The downside is that part of being a good teacher is having a good relationship with a kid. You have to get to know a child to form a relationship, and then education can happen. In fact, no learning will happen until then," he said. "But we have so many different avenues for educational communication, and have really incorporated technology in so many ways in trying to change the culture of how we educate students, that we felt we could do this for the safety of the kids." Lauderdale superintendent Hodges too admitted that communication via means such as text messaging could be beneficial for teachers and students, but said that possibility did not outweigh the risks. "Anything you do you try to use a common sense approach, but we felt you couldn't really leave a gray area. There were just too many problems that could occur."
Source

Ricco remanded after doping scandal

2008-07-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

Italian racer Riccardo Ricco, kicked off the Tour de France for doping, has been remanded in custody for "using a poisonous substance," the public prosecutor at Foix says.

Prosecutor Antoine Leroy said Ricco had been remanded for "using a substance classed poisonous under the terms of the public health code."

He added: "Ricco is placed under arrest and is banned from contacting other members of the team."

Spanish cycling team Saunier Duval earlier sacked Ricco following his positive doping control for banned blood booster EPO (erythropoietin).

Leroy said Ricco had told the examining magistrate what he had earlier told police - namely, that he is innocent.

"The racer strongly denies having used EPO and can offer no explanation as to why EPO was found in his urine sample on July 8. He denies taking this substance or any other substance banned in France and as such denies the accusations levelled against him."

The 24-year-old Ricco became one of the major attractions of this year's race when he stunned a host of big names to win two stages, one in the hilly Massif Central and the other, three days later, in the Pyrenees.

However, Ricco's Tour finished under a police escort on Thursday ahead of stage 12 following his positive test for EPO after the fourth stage time trial at Cholet on July 8.

Saunier-Duval thereupon pulled out of the event amid suspicions of organised doping which the team denies.

On Friday, the team announced it had also sacked Ricco's compatriot Leonardo Piepoli.

The 36-year-old Piepoli won the prestigious 10th stage to the summit finish of Hautacam in the Pyrenees.

Team manager Mauro Gianetti insisted he was "totally unaware of any doping practices going on in the team".

Miss Washington scandal lacks anything scandalous

2008-07-18T16:58:00.000-07:00

We aren't feeling much outrage over the embarrassing photos of Miss Washington that surfaced last week.

We're just glad our youthful indiscretions were committed before digital photography and the Internet combined to make every private moment potentially public.

The photos causing all the ruckus show Wapato native Elyse Umemoto in a less-wholesome light than pageant promoters would like, but nothing depicted goes beyond a little dorm-room rowdiness.

The 24-year-old is seen drinking alcohol and jokingly flashing some rude gestures in the photos, but there's no nudity or illegal behavior.

In fact, we're sure the pictures would be considered tame on most college campuses.

Her official pageant photos are more revealing.

Even so, Umemoto issued an immediate apology after the photos appeared on an Internet site obsessed with celebrity gossip.

A more appropriate apology would come from the friend or acquaintance who stole the photos -- most taken with Umemoto's own camera -- and leaked them to the Web.

Whether her betrayer was lashing out with jealousy or seeking financial gain, it's certain Umemoto's best interests weren't considered.

We'd be happy if her experience served as a cautionary tale for young people wondering whether it's a good idea to document their liquor-fueled escapades.

But we'll wager our camera phones that there won't be many lessons learned. Ten seconds poking around Facebook confirms that's a good bet.

To its credit, the Miss Washington organization kept the episode in perspective.

"Elyse Umemoto is an outstanding young woman and has been a brilliant representative for the Miss Washington Scholarship Organization," Mike Miller, the executive field director of the Miss Washington Scholarship Organization, said in a statement last week.

"We continue to be very proud of her."

It'd be a shame to let a handful of goofy photographs define Umemoto. Before her reign ended with last weekend's state pageant, Umemoto had made a year's worth of good impressions.

Frankly, we're a little surprised by what passes for scandal these days.

It's not like she got caught bumping fists.

Source

Celebrity spawn

2008-07-18T16:56:00.000-07:00

Ellen Himelfarb, National Post

Dave Hogan/Getty ImagesDaisy Lowe

Celebrity scandals are 10 pence a dozen in tabloid-loving Britain. But even to gossip-hardened Londoners, the 2004 scandal that hit Primrose Hill - a neighbourhood where the smoke-stained homes of Kate Moss, Jude Law and Sadie Frost, Liam Gallagher and Sienna Miller were within a cork's pop of one another - was a shocker. A DNA test revealed that Gavin Rossdale, front man for the rock group Bush and husband of Gwen Stefani, had fathered a daughter with Pearl Lowe, professional rock wife and hanger-on. They'd had a brief affair in the late '80s, and the product - a daughter, Daisy - had other illusions about her paternity. For most of her childhood she lived, obliviously, with her mother and stepfather, Danny Goffey, drummer of the British rock group Supergrass.

Daisy Lowe is the spitting image of her raven-haired, pouty-lipped, kohl-eyed mother. Though she had appeared at mom's side at the odd rock party, she wasn't in the public eye. But when the secret came out, it was only natural that Daisy should come out as well - to fashion shows, photo shoots and on the arms of rockers in their 20s. She was all of 15.

Four years later, Lowe is a regular in magazines from Elle Girl to GQ. She stars in her own BBC reality show, Class of 2008, which follows her fabulous clique as they party between the Big Smoke and the Big Apple. She dates delicious N.Y.-Lon DJ Mark Ronson (the 33-year-old son of socialite Ann Dexter-Jones and stepson of Foreigner guitarist Mick Jones). And she recently replaced the hardest working model in the business, Kate Moss, as the face of lingerie label Agent Provocateur.

Lowe Jr. is leader of the new pack of British celebrity spawn: sexy, tireless and, above all, young. Pubescently young. These kids have agents before they can legally drink; date men twice their age (admittedly not as much of a challenge as for their 30-something contemporaries); and serve as pundits alongside seasoned journalists.

Which has annoyed more than one such seasoned journalist. Tim Walker, who writes a gossip column called Mandrake in The Daily Telegraph, says he feels assailed by Lowe and her type, as they affect public opinion on everything from city politics to the acceptable length of a miniskirt.

"The trouble is that it is not cool to be obviously clever or, heaven forbid, intellectual - as with a lot of the women who preceded them, such as some of the debs," says Walker, referring to the debutantes of yore, who, though less ubiquitous, were offered all the airtime they could stand between excursions to St. Tropez. "These girls come and they go," says Walker, "almost all of them instantly forgettable."

One such spawn du jour is Coco Sumner, 16, daughter of Sting, who, between classes last winter, modelled in her first ad campaign (for Burberry) and bagged a record contract with Island. It all sounds rather above board until you hear that, along the way, Coco managed to befriend Paris Hilton and become muse to Pete Doherty, he of the heroin habit, prison record and theatrics with Kate Moss.

Then there's Jaime Winstone, 22, pixie-haired daughter of actor Ray Winstone, who made her acting debut at 17, then played a teen who turned tricks for drugs in Kidulthood, Britain's answer to Larry Clark's 1995 film Kids. Jaime dabbles in modelling and sings backup in her sister Lois's rock band. But mostly she falls out of cabs at premieres and fashion parties with boyfriend Alfie Allen (himself the brother of singer Lily Allen and son of British comedian Keith Allen). Last month, The Sunday Times called Jaime "the reigning queen of London's ‘yoof' scene" in a story that began: "I'll say one thing for Jaime Winstone: The girl can drink."

Veteran spawnette Peaches Geldof, daughter of Sir Bob, was 16 when she starred in a documentary about her "misunderstood" teenage lifestyle and was linked briefly to, yes, Pete Doherty. Thereafter she was photographed ad nauseam for the fashion and gossip press and voted, by lad mag FHM, the 53rd sexiest woman in the world. She wrote for newspapers, hosted television magazine programs and earned in the six figures. Last March, Peaches turned 19.

In London society, Peaches is already considered "old guard." But younger sister Pixie, who joined her on the scene two years ago at age 15, is still relatively fresh. Pixie has clocked up nearly as much notoriety, recently, because reporters spotted her "canoodling" with a popular 33-year-old comedian.

I asked London celebrity photographer Nikki Gannon if Pixie has usurped her sister as the new poster girl of her set.

"Let me put it this way," she told me. "I reckon it would pay in the tens of thousands" - and we're talking pounds - "for an exclusive of Pixie doing something ... dodgy." Earlier this month, for example, the Daily Mail gleefully published several frames of a not-yet-legal Pixie with Stella Artois in hand and cigarette in mouth, frolicking in a park with friends. The "story" coincided with the launch of Tatler's July issue, featuring cover girl Pixie, in which a journalist calls her "a Noughties sprite, a free spirit who is defined only by herself. Very London. Very now." What does Ms. Geldof say to deserve this? Um, well, nothing. In the six-page spread, Pixie is not quoted, not even once.

"We are happy to use pictures of them because they are quite pretty and brighten up the column," says Walker of the Telegraph's comparable enthusiasm for celebrity spawn. "But try talking to them. They have nothing at all to say for themselves. It makes it very difficult to write stories about them.

"I think most of them are pretty ghastly."

It seems like only yesterday that Britain's most celebrated offspring were Sean Lennon, now 32, Stella McCartney, 36, and Jade Jagger, 36, oft photographed daughter of Mick and Bianca. But last month Jade appeared at a London event with her daughters, Amba and Assisi Jackson, who managed to upstage even their mother in low-cut minidresses and six-inch heels. Assisi is 15; Amba is 12.

Inevitably, this was not Amba's introduction to society. Last year, aged 11, she attended a Fashion Week party in plunging neckline and heels. "A pap's dream," says Gannon.

Perhaps it's not surprising that we're seeing youth invade Adultland. Most were groomed for the cameras from their first appearance in Hello! as infants, and have, thereafter, been part of the public consciousness. (Peaches and Pixie are, after all, daughters of the late Paula Yates, no shrinking violet in her day.) They've had all the advantages known to aspiring entertainers (would Island Records be signing an inexperienced teen reggae performer if she weren't Sting's daughter?) and in some cases they have been thrust into the limelight by a trusted elder (somebody please tell me that Amba Jackson didn't beg her mum for that push-up bra).

That's not to say they don't relish their lot. Young dandy Henry Conway - who describes himself on his Facebook page as "blond, bouncy and one for the boys" - was thus thrust into the public eye last year by his father, the Tory MP Derek Conway, after a reporter revealed the politician was paying his family exorbitant salaries for "research." Henry, now 25, celebrated this dubious bit of PR at the posh London nightclub Mahiki, promising, in an e-mail to 800 friends, that he would be "storming forth in my usual skinnies and boots, and of course good hair." And if there ever was a burgeoning meritocracy in Britain, surely it died the night Conway threw a party he called "Fuck Off I'm Rich."

No, boys are no strangers to the fame game - particularly when they call society's favourite rock-throb, Bryan Ferry, Dad. At 20, Ferry's eldest, Otis, stormed the House of Commons to protest the fox-hunting ban. His brother Isaac found fame even earlier with his after-hours club brawls and "passionate" kiss with actress Sienna Miller. Both did jobs modelling for Burberry. This spring, younger brothers Tara and Merlin, now 18 and 17, did Burberry ads, too. They keep mainly to themselves, playing in rock bands and tearing up their private boarding school, Marlborough.

When will these kids just go away? When we stop watching, of course. As Walker says, we love them for being pretty and vital; yet we hate them for eating up our time with their nonsense. Either way, we're thinking about them. And what's worse, they have younger siblings to recruit.

But enough about all that. I've got to go catch Daisy Lowe on the telly.

Next up

- Princess Eugenie, 18, daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson.

- Georgia May Jagger, 16, daughter of Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall, and aunt to Assisi and Amba.

- Brooklyn Beckham, 9, son of David and Victoria Beckham.

- Gene Gallagher, 7, son of Liam Gallagher and Nicole Appleton.

- Lila Grace Hack, 5, daughter of Kate Moss and Jefferson Hack.

- Apple Martin, 4, daughter of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin.

- Kingston Rossdale, 2, son of Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale, and stepbrother to Daisy Lowe.

Source

Bikini after babies: Jennifer Lopez slips back into a two-piece

2008-07-06T08:05:00.000-07:00

She gained more than three stone while pregnant with twins Max and Emme, but less than five months later Jennifer Lopez has slipped back into a bikini.

The 38-year-old singer stripped down to a string two-piece while holidaying aboard a luxury boat in Italy.

She was joined by husband Marc Anthony, who showered her with affection as she cooled off in the sea, as well as friend and fashion designer Stefano Gabbana.

After giving birth in February, Jennifer said she was in no rush to lose her baby weight, revealing she even liked to 'play with my little leftover belly.'

She slowly reintroduced a fitness regime, working out three times a week with celebrity personal trainer Gunnar Peterson.

Her program now includes 20-30 minute walks with sets of push-ups and lunges.

The couple's summer holiday marks the end of Anthony's European tour, which took in Spain, Belgium and Italy.

Jennifer, who has barely been apart from the Latin star since their marriage in 2004, joined him on the road along with their children.

When announcing his plan to make the tour a family affair, Marc said: 'When I perform... they will inspire me.'

Jennifer is expected to resume work later this week, and has already has a number of film projects lined up including the romantic comedy Love and Other Impossible Pursuits.

Source

John Leslie: From scandal-hit celebrity to obscure property developer

2008-07-06T07:58:00.000-07:00

By Richard Alleyne

The latest rape allegation against John Leslie came as the former Blue Peter presenter thought he had finally rid himself of the scandals of his past.

The latest rape allegation against John Leslie came as the former Blue Peter presenter thought he had finally rid himself of the scandals of his past.

Five years after he was acquitted of indecent assault, the 43-year-old had given up trying to rebuild his
show-business career and settled down to relative obscurity as a property developer in his native Edinburgh.

Not without success, however. Last June he spent £1.25million on a former old people's home in Edinburgh, which he is turning into luxury flats. But it is a long way from the glamour of his celebrity life, which saw him date a string of beautiful women, not least the actress Catherine Zeta-Jones.

At the height of his fame working on ITV's This Morning, he remarked: "It's a great job, a great career and I love being in it and hopefully I will be in it for a long time, but if it finishes tomorrow I will go and do something else."

This was to prove prescient because in 2002 his world was turned upside down. Ulrika Jonsson, the television presenter, published her autobiography, in which she claimed she had been raped in a hotel room 15 years earlier when she was working as a weathergirl for TV-am.

She did not name her attacker but said it was a well-known television presenter. Mr Leslie was outed by the show-business journalist turned television presenter Matthew Wright who named him live on air – apparently by mistake.

Once the allegation became public a number of other women came forward alleging he attacked them and he was suspended from his £200,000 a year job.

Police began an investigation and eventually Mr Leslie was charged with the two counts of indecent assault on a 23-year-old actress. No action was taken on claims by two other women, a weathergirl and a showbusiness agent.

In August 2003, the case was dropped. New information was said to have been found and the judge told him he could leave "without a stain on his character".

But even then scandal continued to dog him. A video purporting to show him and his then girlfriend Abi Titmuss having sex with a woman emerged on the internet and the following week Titmuss, who had stood by him during the trial, sold her story to a Sunday newspaper in which she claimed she had bought cocaine for the threesome.

Leslie was finally sacked from his presenter role and thanks to the "smears" – topped off when another girlfriend accused him of leaving her when she was pregnant – his career on family television was over.

Source

Hong Kong computer expert faces jail over celebrity sex scandal

2008-07-06T07:56:00.000-07:00

Hong Kong - A 24-year-old computer technician Thursday pleaded guilty to distributing obscene photographs of Hong Kong celebrities after pictures of pop stars having sex were viewed by millions of people earlier this year. Kwok Chun-wai, who earlier denied the offence, admitted distributing the photographs and was remanded in custody for background reports. He will be sentenced later this month.

Kwok was arrested after nude photos of Cantopop star Edison Chen and a series of young starlets in the entertainment industry appeared on the internet in January and February. The images were copied from Chen's laptop and distributed over the internet after Chen took it to a computer shop to be repaired, Kowloon City Magistrates Court was told.

Millions of internet users viewed the pictures, setting off one of the biggest scandals in Hong Kong entertainment history and fuelling a debate on internet freedom. Actor and pop star Chen, 27, later apologized to the women involved, including Twins singer Gillian Chung, and announced he was giving up his show business career.

Kwok's arrest and detention has been criticized as excessive by some human rights campaigners. He now faces a possible jail term and was warned Thursday by Kowloon City magistrate that his offence was "serious."
Source www.earthtimes.org

Celebrity breakups: Been there, undone that

2008-07-02T11:38:00.000-07:00

By Lorena Blas, Donna Freydkin and Korina Lopez, USA TODAY

First come the whispers, then the denials. For celebrity couples, breakup buzz is a constant part of relationships. The latest marrieds under scrutiny: Madonna and film director Guy Ritchie. The Material Girl's spokeswoman has finally flatly denied that the two are on the verge of divorce.

"Madonna's husband, Guy, arrived in New York last night to be with his wife and family (not in a last-ditch attempt to save his marriage, which does not need saving)," spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg told People on Tuesday.

Madonna, 49, and Ritchie, 39, have been married seven years. Their son, Rocco, was born in 2000, and in 2006 Madonna adopted a Malawian baby, David Banda.

Rosenberg had refused to comment on British reports last week that Madonna had hired a divorce lawyer, but Tuesday said, "There are no plans for Madonna and Guy to divorce."

Rosenberg also clarified the singer's relationship with New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez. "Madonna and Alex have the same manager, Guy Oseary," Rosenberg said. "They have met. They know each other, and Madonna took her kids to a Yankees game last week. There's really not anything to comment on beyond that."

Here's a look at other couples who have battled breakup talk:

• Brad Pitt, 44, and Jennifer Aniston, 39

Back story: Hollywood's then-It couple were married in July 2000. At the time, she was a star on the hit TV series Friends and he was holding his own with Meet Joe Black and Fight Club. Reports started to heat up about Pitt's relationship with Mr. & Mrs. Smith co-star Angelina Jolie while the movie was filming in 2004. But by December that year, any doubts about his marriage appeared to be addressed when he told ABC's Primetime Live he was ready for kids. During the holidays, Pitt and Aniston spent some time on Anguilla.
What happened: Aniston and Pitt split in January 2005; their divorce became final in October of that year. Pitt and partner Jolie now have four children and are awaiting the birth of twins. Aniston is dating musician John Mayer.

• Ryan Phillippe, 33, and Reese Witherspoon, 32

Back story: Hollywood's young golden couple tied the knot in June 1999 and raised two children, but soon the scuttlebutt started, fueled in part by their candor that their relationship took work. Her career soared and his stagnated. They put on a happy face at the 2006 Oscars, where Witherspoon won a best-actress prize for Walk the Line, but seemed somber at the premiere of his war flick Flags of Our Fathers in October 2006.
What happened: The two announced their split in October 2006, and their divorce became final in June. They share custody of children Ava, 8, and Deacon, 4. Witherspoon is dating Jake Gyllenhaal; Phillippe has been seen with Stop-Loss co-star Abbie Cornish.

• Brad Pitt, 44, and Angelina Jolie, 33

Back story: Since getting together after shooting Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Jolie and Pitt have kept tabloids and paparazzi busy with ongoing and often conflicting stories about their high-profile relationship. They have disputed tales of secret weddings, breakups, hospitalizations, eating disorders and infighting. "I'm very lucky — I'm with a man who makes me feel very sexy pregnant and loves children," Jolie told USA TODAY.
What happened: Jolie and Pitt are still together and adding to their brood. On Tuesday, Jolie checked in to a French hospital to prepare for the birth of their twins, who will join siblings Maddox, 6, Pax, 4, Zahara, 3, and Shiloh, 2.

• Katie Holmes, 29, and Tom Cruise, 45

Back story: Ever since the Hollywood superstar jumped on Oprah Winfrey's couch as he exclaimed his love for the Dawson's Creek actress in spring 2005, tabloids have focused on their relationship. The couple announced her pregnancy in October 2005, but that didn't stop the questions. Cruise publicist Arnold Robinson issued a statement saying, "The couple is looking forward to a long and happy life together as a family." Their wedding in November 2006 at a castle outside Rome only seemed to fuel the focus on their marriage.
What happened: They're still together. Daughter Suri turned 2 in April, and in May Cruise addressed the persistent reports about his marriage. "That's laughable to me," he told Winfrey. "You know that (tabloids are) trying to sell it and spin it."

• Tony Parker, 26, and Eva Longoria, 33

Back story: The couple met in 2004 when the actress visited the San Antonio Spurs' locker room. Two years later, NBA star Parker proposed to the Desperate Housewives star. They were married in Europe, and the reception was at a castle. The wedding date: 07/07/07. By December, the couple publicly addressed rumors of infidelity. "I love my wife," Parker told People. "She's the best thing in my life, and I have never been happier." The couple appeared hand-in-hand publicly shortly after the reports.
What happened: As their first wedding anniversary approaches, the two have been spending time in Paris, where they have been spotted dining out and dancing.

Another new Celebrity Cruise Ship for St. Kitts

2008-07-02T11:37:00.000-07:00

A few weeks after Celebrity Cruise Lines, announced that its newest ship, the 2,850-passenger Celebrity Solstice, will have St. Kitts on its maiden voyage, the twin-island Federation is on the itinerary of another new Celebrity vessel. Celebrity Solstice will embark on its maiden voyage in November this year and make three calls to St. Kitts before December 14th, the original date.

Now Celebrity Cruise Lines has announced that the 2,850-passenger Celebrity Equinox, which will be inaugurated on August 8 2009, will have St. Kitts on its 10- and 11-night “Ultimate Caribbean” cruises roundtrip out of Fort Lauderdale.

These will also feature stops at the ports of Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; Roseau, Dominica, Bridgetown, Barbados; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Grand Cayman; Colombia; Costa Rica and Mexico. The 11-night itinerary includes a stop at Roatan, Honduras, which Celebrity has not visited since 2007.

The Celebrity Equinox will offer Celebrity Cruises'' signature standout service and dining, as well as a slate of new features unique to the Solstice class of ships. One of those is The Lawn Club, a half-acre on the top deck of the ship featuring real, growing grass, where guests can play croquet and bocce, practice their golf putting and picnic with wine and cheese. Like Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Equinox also will feature the cruise industry''s only “Hot Glass Show” at sea, a dedicated glassblowing studio where The Corning Museum of Glass will present glassblowing demonstrations.

Celebrity Solstice will sail seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruises roundtrip out of Fort Lauderdale. These will alternate between two itineraries, one featuring calls at San Juan; Basseterre, St. Kitts; and Philipsburg, St. Maarten, and the other featuring stops at San Juan, Puerto Rico; Philipsburg, St. Maarten, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands; and Labadee, Haiti.

Celebrity’s current fleet will be joined by Celebrity Solstice in 2008, Celebrity Equinox in 2009, Celebrity Eclipse in 2010, and a fourth Solstice-class ship in 2011.

Celebrity Cruises says it is giving Caribbean cruise enthusiasts something to celebrate in late 2009 and early 2010. For the first time in five years, Celebrity will offer a range of Caribbean itineraries lasting a week or longer on five of its ships: Celebrity Constellation, Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Mercury, Celebrity Solstice, and Celebrity Summit.

Together, the ships will call at 26 different ports during sailings ranging from seven to 14 nights, departing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The 2007/2008 cruise ship season is expected to bring over 400,000 passengers for the first time in the history of St. Kitts and Nevis.

Celebrity Cruises is having a last-minute 2-day sale (June 24-25)

2008-07-02T11:34:00.000-07:00

Start shopping for new cruise wear. Celebrity is having its two-day sale starting today. Book a cruise Oct. 1, 2008, through Nov. 30, 2009, and get up to $200 onboard credit per stateroom. That’s nice, but those deals are easy to find. What’s great about this sale is that your deposit is reduced by 50% if you book by tomorrow (June 25).

Since I’m not a regular cruiser, I got a little overwhelmed looking at the destinations on the sale page: Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, Bahamas, Canada/New England, Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii/Pacific Northwest, Panama Canal, South America, transatlantic.

What I wanted to know was, which cruises departed from Los Angeles. So, I called the reservation number and had a nice agent help me without any sales pressure. It turns out, there are only three cruises departing from Los Angeles during the sale period.

May 11, 2009 | The Mercury — 13-night Ultimate Alaska. The price was $1,079 per person or $2,638 for two people after taxes and fuel supplement.

April 27, 2009 | The Mercury — 14-night Ultimate Alaska. Inside cabins started at $3,079 per person based on double occupancy. The total price for two came to $6,597 after taxes and fuel supplement.

Jan. 3, 2009 | The Journey — 16-night Panama Canal cruise that departs from L.A. but ends in Miami. (I couldn’t find information about it online, call for more info.) Note: This is an Azamara brand.

Contact: Celebrity Cruises, (888) 305-9153

Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel Deal Blogger

[Photo: Thomas Haentzschel / Associated Press]

Luke Wilson Caught in Sex Scandal at BMC

2008-07-02T11:33:00.000-07:00

By Gossip Girl

Hey there, readers, Gossip Girl here.

I have the juiciest scoop for you. Spotted: the debonair Luke Wilson making his debut on Bryn Mawr’s campus, and what a world for him to trip into.

Only five minutes on campus, and I’ve already received messages that our dashing hero, L, has been seen with a Bryn Mawr girl, a blonde who looks all too familiar. Some say a replica of Elle Woods, all she’s missing is her trusty Bruiser.

I’ve been tipped of a luscious sighting of the couple. One of my most reliable sources sent me this: “Omg you won’t believe it. L and ‘Elle Woods’ are snuggling next to each other in the Cloisters!” Escapades in the Cloisters, your informant has connections to the most exclusive stories.

It’s only 50°F here in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, but things are starting to heat up.

Hannah Davis BMC ’10, 2cute4u, gushes, “I saw them wearing matching Kabbalah bracelets. He had on a brown button-down shirt, but the second button was unbuttoned. He was totally into her, his hair was kind of messy, but it had all that gel stuff in it.” L is going for a rugged appearance next to his perfectly coordinated sweetheart? It seems like opposites do attract.

While running late to her morning class, Jen Jeong BMC ’11, princessinacastle123, caught a glimpse of them, but she was in a disagreeable mood. “Listen honey, I saw Lukie all up on this chick and I was like uh, no, I know you’re with me. Gosh. People have no respect.” Does L have more than one ladylove at this college? How risqué!

What news do you have for me, xobabygurrrlxo? Alicia Van Sciver BMC ’10: “They were both drinking venti iced coffees at Starbucks and discussing his brother, Owen’s, on-off relationship with Kate Hudson. ‘Elle Woods’ knew one of the baristas, so she got a free drink, but Luke had to pay full price.” Not even a celebrity discount? Life’s tough on the Main Line.

Melani Olivares BMC ’10 spied them “catching a matinée screening of a flick at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute. While waiting to buy tickets, they were talking about her future academic goals.” Looks like L is trying to align his plans with hers, don’t you think, devilishangelzzz?

Julianne Rieders BMC ’10, bigrockcandymountain, recounts their afternoon at Milkboy Café. “They were having an in-depth conversation about existentialism and the current state of the economy.” Quite the intellectuals. I have a feeling this isn’t their first date.

With so many sightings, it’s clear that these two are just inseparable! Rachel Bessner BMC ’10 has more scoop. “Shopping spree in Suburban Square. I noticed them buying massage oils, scented candles, and bubble bath beads. At Williams-Sonoma, she bought a new coffee maker, spatula, and apron. L even tried on the apron, and it looked pretty good on him.”

This just in. xobabygurrrlxo, “While she was at Trader Joe’s, L went inside the Farmers Market to get her flowers. When he left the Market, a group of Lower Merion High School girls excitedly crowded around him to get pictures, but he kept glancing over at ‘Elle Woods,’ who was at the cash register.” Flowers for his girl? What a charmer.

Pick of city for TV celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay

2008-06-23T15:18:00.000-07:00

Ian Royall

OUTSPOKEN chef Gordon Ramsay could virtually have the pick of Melbourne to set up his planned city restaurant.

Ramsay has declared he would choose Melbourne over Sydney to open his first Australian dining establishment.

The foul-mouthed TV star would be spoilt for choice from a menu of possible locations.

Sites for an Aussie Ramsay's kitchen could include Docklands, Southbank or even nestled in one of the CBD's famed laneways.

The Flinders St station ballroom, neglected for years by the State Government, is another option.

Even though most of Ramsay's 25 restaurants around the world were based in hotels, he said he did not want to be part of a hotel or casino this time.

"I'd rather be independently set up," he said.

His first Australian restaurant would be open within 18 months and a local chef would be found to run it, he said.

Restaurant and Catering Victoria chief executive Todd Blake said the restaurant business was similar to the property business.

"It's all about location, location, location," he said.

"It could become a destination restaurant. That's where we are different to Sydney. Melbourne restaurant goers will find a good restaurant."

Leibovitz: Artist Of Celebrity?

2008-06-23T15:17:00.000-07:00

Giving your first novel a title as earnest as "All The Sad Young Literary Men" was probably always going to invite the playground bullies of cultural commentary, and New York writer Keith Gessen has been at the receiving end of increasingly critical attacks by influential New York gossip website Gawker in the last few weeks, in which Gessen is accused of elitism and pretentiousness. The author meanwhile retorted by accusing the website of malaciously attempting to destroy other's careers.

The frequent snipes and counter-snipes between the internet site and Gessen, culminated in the n+1 journal editor, blogging about his attempts to defend himself, and announcing a "Take Back The Internet" party in the wake of his experience.

Neither side comes off particularly well in the exchange, which, depending on who you read, either reflects a profound, post-modern awareness of the Debordian spectacle, or simply that narcissistic young writers and journalists will do anything to keep their name in the spotlight. Or both.

Leibovitz: Artist Of Celebrity?

While Keith Gessen has been rebuked for responding to the media, renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz has been both criticised and celebrated for shaping it. The announcement this week that the National Portrait Gallery will run a retrospective of the photographer’s work was greeted positively for the most part, with journalist Mark Brown praising the more personal aspects of Leibovitz’s newer works. In a departure from her usual territory of celebrity photographs for Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair, the new exhibition will also feature touching portraits from Leibovitz’s personal life, including a series chronicling the final days of her long-term partner Susan Sontag. However, Michael Glover at The Independent criticised Leibovitz’s celebrity portraits for being “too machine-like, too studied, too much in calculated anticipation of the effects”. He observes that “to be chosen by Leibovitz is a kind of benediction by a celebrity”, implying that, like Gessen, Leibovitz is engaged in uncomfortable interplay between hype and art.

In brief

It was only a matter of time before Euro 2008 made its way into the culture sections of the media, and blogger Paul MacInnes began with an analysis of football-chants which take their inspiration from the White Stripes and Joy Division. In the Times, writer Jeanette Winterson lived out every nerd’s greatest dream – spending an evening backstage at the British Library. And the inaugural Folkestone Triennial art exhibition was praised variously as “thoughtful” and “magical”, and a good excuse for a day trip to the seaside. Featuring new work by acclaimed artists such as Mark Wallinger, the festival runs until 14 September.

The power of celebrity

2008-06-23T15:14:00.000-07:00

Cultural critics often complain that the adoration of celebrities is damaging, a view that is doubtlessly true in cases where celebrities lead irresponsible and destructive lives. But there is an upside to celebrity worship, and we see it when celebrities decide to harness their influence and do some good in the world.

Drew Barrymore talks about hunger in Africa and, presto, the World Food Program gets $25,000 in donations. George Clooney talks about Darfur on Oprah and contributions to UNICEF instantly rise 20 per cent. Natalie Portman tells Vogue magazine about her involvement with Finca, an organization that runs microfinance projects in poor nations, and the charity is swamped with new supporters.

Indeed, as professional basketball player Derek Fisher has shown, a single statement from someone famous can accomplish more good than years of hard work by well-meaning but anonymous people.

Mr. Fisher may have been a loser this month when the Boston Celtics beat his Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA finals, but in the eyes of cancer researchers, he is a champion. Mr. Fisher's young daughter has battled a rare form of eye cancer called retinoblastoma, and in a television interview last year he urged parents to have their children checked for the disease.

Many lives have been saved because of that one interview. The world's leading researcher on retinoblastoma was recently quoted saying that Mr. Fisher "has done more for the field, more for patients, than I have done in the last 30 years, of 50 lectures and 400 publications."

For some, it might be discouraging to think that it takes movie stars and athletes to awaken our empathy and open our wallets for good causes. And our cynical sides might like to think that the rich and famous are more often than not as concerned about managing their images as they are about repairing a broken world. Yet surely even image-conscious celebrities, like the rest of us, are from time to time motivated to find a larger purpose in life outside of whatever it was that brought them fame in the first place.

In Ottawa, the exemplar continues to be Daniel Alfredsson.

Not a big man, the Senators winger excels in a world of 240-pound designated hitters looking to pound him into the boards. And yet, he leads as captain of the team through intelligence, ability and finesse.

The hockey star is now the face behind the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health's "You Know Who I Am" campaign. The promotion aims to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness.

As a pro hockey player, Mr. Alfredsson lives in a tough world, the kind where hurt players are told to "suck it up." For a long time, that was also something that people with mental illness might have heard, and probably still do. Mr. Alfredsson knows of the misconceptions surrounding the disease. Turns out that his sister Cecilia suffers from a disabling anxiety disorder and as Mr. Alfredsson now admits, he at times fell into the trap of urging her to just "get out of it."

It's not as easy as that, of course, and Mr. Alfredsson is using his celebrity to get the message out. Mental illness is a disease like diabetes or cancer, yet no one says to the diabetes or cancer patient, just "get out of it."

As with any disease, the surest way to recovery is through medical support. The dilemma here is that the social stigma attached to mental illness often prevents sufferers from seeking help.

One way to break down social stigmas is for people who have status and who are respected in society to come forward and publicly reject the stigma. In the United States, Adam Duritz, lead singer of the band Counting Crows, has recently started speaking in candid terms about his dissociative disorder. He admitted last month to ABC News that "It's very hard for me to tour because of this illness."

Stigma-breakers need not be traditional celebrities such as entertainers and professional athletes. Retired Senator Michael Kirby has performed a important service by talking about how a member of his family fought depression.

As for Daniel Alfredsson, he's long been a role model on the ice and in the community. They say that for an elite hockey player he's not a very big fellow, but now with his work for mental health, he just got a little bit bigger. source: www.canada.com

Celebrity reality TV

2008-06-23T15:11:00.000-07:00

By Denise Martin, Special to The Times

Remember that line from the beginning of “Singing in the Rain,” where Gene Kelly’s character is being interviewed about his personal motto, and he replies, “Dignity. Always dignity”? And then it shows him playing pianos in noisy bars and getting hit in the face with pies on stage? Well, his character still went on to be a big movie star, right?

So who says it can’t work out for some of Hollywood’s wannabes, those brave souls who have subjected themselves to all kinds of crazy in the hopes of becoming the next Flavor Flav, who alone revived VH1 by striking up an unlikely romance with Brigitte Nielsen on “The Surreal Life.”

There’s no shortage of opportunity for the willing: On Wednesday night, NBC’s “Celebrity Circus” bested its 10 p.m. competition among adults 18-49, and CMT just announced “Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling,” for which '80s pop singer Tiffany has already signed up, and “Outsider’s Inn,” in which Maureen McCormick, Bobby Brown and Carnie Wilson attempt to run a bed & breakfast in rural Tennessee. And we cannot wait until NBC’s upcoming “Celebrity Family Feud.”

Here’s a look at some of the more humiliating shows that the would-be famous have subjected themselves to in the name of some primetime time.

Cruise line tacks on more fuel surcharge

2008-06-23T15:09:00.000-07:00

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., the world’s second-biggest cruise line, increased the extra charge passengers will have to pay on three of its lines because of rising fuel costs.

Passengers on Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises will have to pay $ 10 per traveler per day on voyages booked on or after June 30, the Miamibased company said last week in a regulatory filing. The charge for the company’s Azamara Cruises customers will be $ 15 per person per day. The company imposed a $ 5 fuel surcharge in November and raised it to $ 8 in April.

Bunker fuel, used by ships, has soared 80 percent in Singapore in the past 12 months, going to $ 667. 50 per metric ton, from $ 371. 50.

Carnival Corp., the world’s largest cruise-line company, also began charging a $ 5 per traveler per day fuel surcharge in November; All Leisure Group Plc, the U. K.-based cruise-ship operator, announced June 5 that it’s raising prices for its 2009 summer packages to compensate for higher fuel costs.

Royal Caribbean, citing the higher prices for fuel, lowered its annual earnings forecast in April. The company said fuel costs for the year would be $ 685 million, up 15 percent from its previous projection.

Earlier that month Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services lowered its rating on the cruise line to below investment grade, or junk, because of the costs the company will incur to expand its fleet.

At the time, Standard & Poor’s said the company’s planned capital expenses of about $ 7. 1 billion to add ships in the next four years may outstrip operating cash flow. Ratings below investment grade are considered high risk.

In May, Morgan Stanley cut its rating on the company, citing a weaker profit margin and higher costs.

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