The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2010

                                                                          

  Some of the Angels from the 2010 fashion show.

        

  Millions of viewers around the world were glued to their televisions last night for the airing of The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2010, which took place in Manhattan at the New York State Armory.

            Some of the most gorgeous women in the globe – including Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Chanel Iman, Rosie Huntington and Candice Swanepoel – strutted their stuff down the glitter-covered runway in front of more viewers than the NFL Superbowl receives.

            In addition, superstar Katy Perry performed many of her hits, including “Teenage Dream,” “California Girls” and her newest hit “Firework.” Akon also performed his new song, appropriately titled “Angels.” While he was performing, the Victoria Secret Angels glided down the runway.

            Overall, the show was upbeat and exciting. It was divided into segments, including Wild Thing, in which the supermodels sported jungle inspired clothing, and dream world, in which the models wore funky clothes and accessories such as knee-high rainbow socks, while Katy Perry crooned “Teenage Dream” in the background. It was also refreshing to see that the models had a lot of fun on the runway. They waved to the audience, smiled and winked, which was a nice change from the usual grim-faced models displayed in fashion shows.

            The show offered more than just showing the catwalk. It provided backstage footage and short interviews with the models. However, I felt that the models’ responses were very contrived and scripted. They all attempted to give the viewer the impression that the Angels are one, big happy family who spend all their time together and genuinely love each other. It even went as far as having the models describe each other in terms such as ‘smokin’ hot’ and ‘the sexy bomb.’

While Victoria’s Secret is all about fantasy, this fantasy is just a little too ridiculous. There is no way that these models all get along as well as they’d like you to believe. Do you really expect us to believe that no drama was caused between the girls over the fact that Adriana Lima got to wear the most expensive bra of the evening – the Bombshell Fantasy Bra – estimated to be worth $2 million? The company was clearly just trying to create an allusion to sell clothes.

But overall, the show was very entertaining, and it attracted both male and female viewers, which is a hard feat to accomplish.

Missed the show? Catch it here.

2010 American Music Awards

The 2010 American Music Awards aired on Sunday night, and it did not disappoint.

One highlight of the night was Katy Perry dropping from the ceiling of the Nokia Theater before singing her newest hit Firework.

Christina Aguilera also performed a song titled Express from her new movie Burlesque. Her skimpy outfit, knee high boots and provocative chair dancing was reminiscent of the old school Xtina from her Lady Marmalade and Dirrty days. It was great that she could let loose and put on a fun performance like she used to in the midst of going through a divorce with husband Jordan Bratman.

Other performances included Usher, Rihanna, Black Eyed Peas, Diddy, Bon Jovi, Santana, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Kid Rock, Train and a pregnant Pink, who all dazzled the audience with their latest hits.

Yet, my absolute favorite AMA performance was not any of the newest hits. It was Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block performing a medley mashup of their combined greatest hits, dramatized by high-tech lights, explosions and special effects. The nine men did their most infamous boy band dance moves, while crooning songs which girls swooned over about a decade ago. In fact, the camera constantly panned to smiling and clapping women in the audience lip-syncing every word of the songs.  While their vocals were a little dusty, the two groups definitely captivated the audience and evoked a high level of energy.

Also, Justin Bieber cleaned up in the trophy department, winning all the awards he was nominated for. The 16-year-old singing sensation became the youngest person to win the top award of the night, favorite artist, beating out megastars Eminem, Usher, Katy Perry, K$sha and Lady Gaga. He also won favorite pop/rock album, favorite pop/rock male, and the AMA breakthrough artist award. He thanked his mentor Usher while receiving an award, as shown in the picture.

Other award winners included Lady Gaga (favorite pop/rock female), Brad Paisley (favorite male country artist), Taylor Swift (favorite female country artist) and Eminem (favorite male rap/hiphop artist).

Check out a complete list of the 2010 award winners.

Jersey Shore's Angelina releases single

The Jersey Shore's most hated housemate Angelina Pivarnick has released her first single, titled "I'm hot as ice." Will this girl ever go away?

Click the URL to hear the song...if you dare.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np8WIQIeF_8

Weezy doesn't get off easy

                                                                       Lil Wayne

            “Free Weezy!” Lil Wayne fans chanted for months when their favorite rapper was arrested for gun possession and drugs in February 2010. While the celebrity has been released from behind bars this week, he better not find himself behind an actual bar – or back to prison he will go!

            According to the terms of his three year probation, Lil Wayne “may not consume or drink any substance containing alcohol” for the 36 month period, according to TMZ. He also must undergo unsupervised probation, 360 hours of community service and drug and alcohol testing by the probation department.

Additionally, Lil Wayne cannot knowingly associate with any person engaged in criminal activity or anyone with a criminal record without prior written approval.

If he violates his probation, Wayne may be sent back to prison to serve the rest of his term. If he can manage to obey all the terms of his probation, his felony drug charge will be dropped to a misdemeanor.

He was arrested in 2008 after authorities found cocaine, ecstasy and a handgun on his tour bus at a U.S Border Patrol checkpoint near Yuma. “Weezy pled guilty to one count of felony possession of a dangerous drug -- while the other drug charges and the gun charge were all thrown out,” according to TMZ.

Despite getting off on a few charges, the terms of Lil Wayne’s probation seem a little harsh when compared to how easy other celebrities have gotten off for past offenses. Two words: Paris Hilton. The reckless socialite was slapped with a DUI in 2006 and had her license suspended. In 2007, she was pulled over again for driving with the suspended license, and again later that year for driving 70 mph in a 30 mph zone with the same license. She was supposed to serve 45 days in jail, but only served 2 days and was re-sentenced to 40 days home confinement…in her mansion.

Sidekick Nicole Richie was arrested after drunkenly entering the freeway from the exit ramp and traveling in the wrong direction. The rich girl was sentenced to four days in jail but only served 82 minutes.

Another socialite, Khloe Kardashian, was arrested in March 2007 on DUI charges. She was sentenced to 30 days in jail but was released less than three hours into her jail time.

            Do I even have to waste my energy talking about Lindsay Lohan? The actress has messed up time and time again and still is able to get by on a mixture of tears and cock and bull excuses.

            What’s the common denominator with all the examples above? They are all rich, white, attractive women. There seems to be a double standard with who society feels comfortable punishing.

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon

Mariah Carey, 41, and her hubby Nick Cannon, 30, are expecting their first child together. I guess Carey has gone from “robbing the cradle” to rocking the cradle.

Jamie Lee and Tony Curtis

           Jamie Lee and her father Tony Curtis

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis spoke out about her legendary father, actor Tony Curtis, who died of a heart attack at age 85 last month.

In her first interview since her father’s death, Curtis discussed her father, who she was estranged from for most of her life. “Children, as we all know, are complicated and messy. He was not a father and he was not interested in being a father,” she said on The Talk. She continued, “He did what he was supposed to do from a financial standpoint, which was honourable of him, but he was not an involved father.”

            Tony Curtis was a huge movie star in the 1950s, appearing in Some Like It Hot with Marilyn Monroe, for instance, and winning an Oscar nomination for The Defiant Ones in 1959.

            He was an incurable womanizer, however, marrying six times and becoming a father to six. He had Jamie Lee with his first wife, actress Janet Leigh. When he wasn’t tying the knot, he was dating high profile girlfriends such as Natalie Wood and Marilyn Monroe.

            Despite all of this, Jamie Lee was still saddened by the death of her father. At his funeral earlier this month, Jamie Lee cried while describing her father as “A little mashugana (the Yiddish word for crazy) but always full of life.”

            Jamie Lee, growing up in the limelight with such a chaotic family structure, not surprisingly, has had some serious issues in her life. She was once addicted to alcohol and pain killers. She got sober in 1999, however, and says that recovery is the greatest achievement of her life.

            This is a big statement to make if you consider just how many achievements this woman has made in her lifetime. She has starred in hit movies, television shows and advertisements, adopted two children, written New York Times best seller books for children, and even patented her own invention.

            It’s sad when children don’t have a good relationship with their parents, especially when their parent is a celebrated actor. But at least Jamie Lee can acknowledge that her dad was only human – a human with both good and bad traits.

Check out photos, profiles, and fun facts about Jamie Lee Curtis.

Xtina "X's" her Husband

Christina Aguilera and Jordan Bratman

Too bad a ‘genie in a bottle’ can’t save Christina Aguilera’s marriage.

            Christina Aguilera and her music executive husband Jordan Bratman have filed for divorce, after separating on September 11, 2010. The reason for the split is cited as “irreconcilable differences,” according to court papers.

            However, there are allegations that Aguilera, 29, cheated on Bratman, 33, but this has not yet been confirmed.

            The couple has one child – Max, age 2 – who they are seeking joint physical and legal custody of.

            This news is very upsetting to me because I grew up in the ‘90s, idolizing celebrities like Christina Aguilera. In fact, hers was the first concert I ever attended. And now she’s getting a divorce. The same thing happened with Britney Spears. Growing up, she was the girl all my friends wanted to be. My sister and I had a huge poster of her on our bedroom wall. And now she’s a walking disaster that people feel sorry for. It’s strange to watch your childhood idols grow up and become real people with real problems.

            But Aguilera has positive things to focus on in her life. She is co-starring with Cher in a new movie, Burlesque, set to premiere on Thanksgiving. She also has her son to focus on. She told PEOPLE, "Although Jordan and I are separated, our commitment to our son Max remains as strong as ever."

             Hopefully Aguilera can remain strong during this difficult time in her life.

"The Office": The Show Must Go On

Steve Carell plays the ridiculous boss Michael Scott in "The Office." 

Millions of “The Office” fans were shocked a few months ago when Steve Carell, the show’s star, announced that this would be his seventh and final season as the hysterically clueless boss Michael Scott.

             “I just think it's time,” Carell told E! in June. “When I first signed on I had a contract for seven seasons, and this coming year is my seventh. I just thought it was time for my character to go."

            Seems like a flimsy excuse, considering the show is one of NBC’s most popular comedies, and doesn’t seem to need any character changes.

            Perhaps Carell is planning on going back to the big screen? Afterall, he found much success in his past movies such as Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, The 40-Year Old Virgin, Little Miss Sunshine, and Get Smart, just to name a few.

            Or maybe the 48-year-old actor just wants to spend more time with his family. He is married to Saturday Night Live alumna Nancy Carell, and the couple has two young children, ages nine and six.

            Whatever Carell’s true reason for leaving, one thing is definite: the show must go on.  

            Season seven is underway, and many fans are curious as to how Carell will be phased out. The writers’ plan is to devote the first half of the season to celebrating Carell’s final year while highlighting different actors on the show, all of whom have potential to become the boss next season. The second half of the season will be more closely devoted to Carell leaving and who his replacement will be, which will be announced by the end of the season.

            NBC is looking at this opportunity with optimism; they are attempting to give the show new momentum and launch it even higher in popularity. For instance, NBC plans to launch online tie-ins in the spring, such as polls, to increase the fans’ anticipation about who should replace Carell. NBC has also scheduled many celebrity guest stars to be sprinkled throughout the season, such as Timothy Olyphant, Kathy Bates, and Amy Ryan.

            It is hard to predict whether “The Office” will continue to be successful without Carell. Many shows have crashed and burned in the past after losing main characters, such as “The O.C.” after losing Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton). On the other hand, shows such as “ER”, were able to recreate themselves after losing a main character.

            Hopefully “The Office” writers can act like “ER” doctors and resuscitate the show for season eight.

Steve Carell talks to Access Hollywood about his reasons for leaving “The Office.” Do you think he sounds genuine?

Bieber Fever...or Disease?

It seems like everyone has Bieber fever these days.

The young superstar is making $300,000 per concert. This is more than Drake and Weezer make per concert, and falls right behind Rascall Flats and Keith Urban’s earnings.

His newest album, titled My World 2.0, has proven it really is Bieber’s world. The album has been on the top 10 best-selling album charts for 27 consecutive weeks. The last album to do this was ‘NSync’s No Strings Attached.

Bieber also just launched a new website featuring exclusive Bieber merchandise, such as teddy bears, clothing, and even singing Justin action figures.

It’s great that Justin Bieber has found so much success at such a young age, but the demographic spurring his success is young kids and teens. Is it fair to market him to such a young and impressionable audience? (Teddy bears and action dolls are obviously targeting younger kids.)

Justin Bieber is being built up to a God-like status for younger kids that don’t understand he is just a teenage boy, causing dangerous repercussions. In fact, police had to shut down a Bieber concert in Australia earlier this year when screaming fans dangerously stampeded forward in waves, crushing the fans in the front against the stage. Ten people were actually treated by paramedics for fainting, and two more were taken to the hospital for more serious injuries.

It seems like Bieber ‘fever’ is turning into a full fledge disease.

You don’t get to 500 million friends – or donate $100 million – without making a few enemies

 If you were Facebook friends with the social network site’s founder Mark Zuckerberg, your “newsfeed” would inform you that the world’s youngest billionaire has recently pledged to donate $100 million to a public school system in the troubled and crime-ridden area of Newark, New Jersey.

Zuckerberg’s “About me” section would be pretty impressive. The 26-year-old has been listed as the 35^th wealthiest American on the recently-revealed Forbes’ list, surpassing Apple CEO Steve Jobs (ranked 42^nd). He also has a movie (“The Social Network”) about his life, featuring superstar Justin Timberlake, premiering in theaters October 1.

However, the tagline of the movie is “You don’t get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies,” which seems to ring true for Zuckerberg’s real life, as he is facing some harsh criticism for the timing of the announcement of his tremendous donation.

Zuckerberg is scheduled to officially announce the donation on The Oprah Winfrey Show on September 24 – the same day as the New York Film Festival’s premiere of “The Social Network.” Some critics also believe the donation is an attempt to counterbalance Zuckerberg’s new position on Forbes’ list.

Regardless of his motives, the important thing is that Zuckerberg is donating 100 MILLION DOLLARS out of his own money to improve one of America’s worst school systems. Every movie tries to receive as much publicity as possible before its premiere…at least Zuckerberg’s so-called publicity stunt will do a lot of good for a lot of people.   

See Mark Zuckerberg on The Oprah Winfrey Show: Part 1, Part 2

Mark Zuckerberg

Celebrity smack down: Kanye West vs. Taylor Swift at the VMAs

Kanye West and Taylor Swift performing at the 2010 VMAs.

Last year’s Video Music Awards made history when Kanye West jumped on stage, interrupting Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech for Best Female Video in support of Beyonce. Many wondered how the two stars would interact a year after the incident at the next VMAs. MTV increased the anticipation, airing and re-airing footage and commentary about the infamous stage crashing during the weeks leading up to the show.

So how did it all go down?

Swift showed a short montage of last year’s interruption before starting her song
 Innocent which includes lyrics “32, and still growin' up now/ Who you are is not what you did/ You're still an innocent” and “Every one of us has messed up too/…Today is never to late to be brand new.”

West, undeservingly, was granted the show’s finale, in which he performed a strange, electronic song “Runaway” literally admitting that he a “scumbag.” His satanic red getup didn’t help.

To be honest, I am not a fan of either artist’s passive aggressiveness (neither will admit their song is about last year’s event). However, if I had to choose a winner of this smack down, I’d choose Taylor. She looked classy and flawless, while forgiving the man who ruined what should have been one of the best moments of her life, while Kanye’s performance was simply bizarre and only served to reinforce what many already thought – he is a jerk.

I hope both artists can put this behind them and get on with the music.