Chris Brown and Rihanna: Isn't there anything else to talk about?

Cut to Monday, February 9th, the day after the Grammy’s... my drive home from school in rush hour traffic after another stressful day of meeting deadlines, chasing stories and trying to organize my life over the next few weeks. My best friend called me and the first topic of conversation was about Chris Brown and Rihanna. Not being a mainstream, entertainment junkie who reads Perez Hilton everyday, it didn’t really mean much to me to hear the gossip about how he allegedly beat her up. Not that I’m insensitive to the fact that of course, it’s a horrible thing to hear another woman in the world has suffered domestic abuse, but more bothered by the fact that it’s gossip that the world could do without. It’s a private matter that should remain behind closed doors and yet after standing in lines at the grocery store or walking through the magazine aisles at the book store, I couldn’t help but notice magazine upon magazine with pictures of the couple, each with rumours that no one has confirmed.

The National Enquirer claims that Brown, 19, was in an under aged, “booze-fueled rage” when Rihanna confronted him about his “roving eyes” towards other women. The Enquirer went as far as saying, "There is a pretty female guitarist that she's very jealous of, and I'm sure she played into their altercation. Chris had been drinking and he went off - way off." However, no names were mentioned as to who this guitarist is.

Thepaparrazis.com posted on their website The National Enquirer also published the dramatic news that Rihanna was pregnant with Brown’s baby during their battle, and that it was in fact the pregnancy that got him all stirred up. According to this site, these weekly tabloid magazines said, Rihanna told her friends, ‘“Oh my God, I could lose the baby!”’ moments after Brown battered her. ‘“If Rihanna is pregnant, Chris could have killed the baby,”’ a “distressed insider said.”
Who knows if any of this holds truth. Celebtv.com released a story that holds none of those rumours. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6tU4JClYPA

This is what happens in Hollywood when something tragic happens; it becomes the news of every paper and magazine, rumours start flying around, and we lose concentration and energy on the real matters. What about every other woman in the world who suffers domestic abuse? Maybe we should talk about that and not how Chris Brown really did a number on his girlfriend. People make profit on the tragedies of others and with the picture that leaked on the internet of Rihanna’s bumps and bruises, I could only wish that people in this society would have more respect for humanity than to make public something so personal.

So unless Chris Brown and Rihanna’s very public dispute and downfall will somehow reduce the number of domestic abuse cases and better our society as a whole, I don’t want to hear about it because to me, it’s just Hollywood gossip that I could really do without, and that I think the world could do without. Maybe it shouldn’t be how Brown beat up Rihanna. Maybe it should be about how domestic abuse stop. Let’s stop magnifying the lives of celebrities and take a look at the real issues that lie in front of us.

- Jen Korson

Etta James Denounces Beyonce

Legendary singer Etta James had an outburst at a Seattle Concert, going on a rampage about Beyonce singing at Inauguration.
James was extremely insulted that Beyonce sang "at last" at President Obama's Inauguration and expressed that she should have been the one to sing the song that she is most recognized for. She also expressed that she wanted to give Beyonce an "ass-whooping" and said that she had no right to be up there singing that song.
On one hand, I can understand why James is so upset: this is a song that she has sang for a long time and that practically catipulted her to fame. Whenever people hear this song, they think "Etta James". Obviously, this is a song very special to the woman's heart and that holds personal sentiment for her. So when she saw Beyonce singing "her" song, she probably got very angry and let her temper get the best of her.
On the other hand, I can completely understand why it made sense for Beyonce to sing the song. President Barack Obama is all about change and bringing in the new. Beyonce is huge in the music industry and represents a very modernized time, capable of change. It makes more sense to get somebody fresh and new with a different twist to sing at the Inauguration. After all, that's what President Barack Obama is about, too.
However, James went off the deep end, insulting both Beyonce and President Barack Obama, calling him "the president with the big ears". It's understandable that she's upset over the situation but there really is no need for namecalling. And really, just how important is the singer at Inauguration? Sure, it's an honour and a priviledge but let's not forget the real reason for this elaborate celebration: the President himself. The singer is not the reason for the celebration and what James has done by creating such a hoopla, is shift the spotlight away from the President to her. It's not about her. She should put her pettiness aside and enjoy the celebration because this is a proud moment in history, no matter who sings for him.
Lastly, after James made this huge scene, she says she was only "joking".After listening to the audio clip, I find it outright impossible to believe that she was only "joking". The tone of her voice and the severity of her words speak for themselves.My rationalization is that Etta James must have a very good publicist who told her that she needed a good cover-up story, pronto.This is probably the same publicist who told Britney Spears to say she goes shoeless in public bathrooms due to a leg injury...
James will have a lot of trouble covering up this poor excuse for a "joke". Her alibi is really just insulting to the public because it's so unbelievable. There is no way that she can be joking when she spews insults that are irrelevant. How is it funny that she says the President has big ears?
By this nasty outburst, the public has seen what kind of person Etta James is: an overspoiled, dried-up diva with anger management problems.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5_SQRVytB4


ANGEL KHATTRA

Stephen A Smith (Glass) Rumor (Fabrication)

Trade rumors in any sport are similar to celebrity gossip; entertaining but groundless. The writers never seem to source their information and when reporters ask the individuals involved, the reporters are laughed at and mocked. The GMs are spin doctors and lie to the media as easily as they put their suits on. Also most of the trade deadline "rumors"don't even happen. So why do people pay attention? Because this is the only time newspapers and major television networks are able to get away with fabricating stories.

Trade scenarios in the NBA run rampant. A new rumor is generated almost weekly and some are forgotten just as quickly. However, there are certain rumors that refuse to die and have a nasty habit of popping up again like a bad case of herpes. I’m talking about the “Bosh wants out of Toronto” rumor (created) by the tenacious (cantankerous) ESPN writer Stephen A. Smith. I used to listen to Smith’s ESPN podcast for some reason. Then I found out people with basketball knowledge also make podcasts.

Smith claims that Bosh told Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo that, Bosh wants out of Toronto and he won’t be resigning in 2010. I understand that Bosh is frustrated with the Raptors current losing season. I understand that he might be homesick and might want to play in his hometown of Dallas. I also understand that the Raptors have a history of not being able to retain their star players.

What I don’t understand is how Stephen A. Smith still has a job. When Utah Jazz Forward, Carlos Boozer publicly stated he was going to opt out next summer, Carlos Boozer publicly stated he was going to opt out next summer. Oh look at that. I am SOURCING my story. Ironically it's an ESPN source.

If Chris Bosh actually said this, where is the quote? Who is Smith’s mystery source that he has to protect from the terrifying NBA players that read to children in in their free time?

Here's another event from three days ago via The Sun

Bosh is part of the scary 2003 draft year with LeBron and Wade, whose contracts also expire in 2010. The year 2010 is also a year and a half away. To make a major decision about your future this early is an incredibly foolish thing to do. It’s also something Bosh is aware of.



I’ve watched teams dominate entire seasons and falter early in the playoffs (2007 Mavericks) I’ve also watched teams string together an obscene amount of wins and resurrect a losing season by making the playoffs (2002 Raptors). Almost anything can happen in the next 18 months. Almost anything can happen in the next 18 days. Even though the Raptors are mired in a losing season, they also have the GM that performs best after a losing season. Colangelo is the man that made the Phoenix Suns go from lottery team to best record in the league in one season. To prove it wasn’t a fluke, Colangelo joined the Raptors in 2006 and improved their club’s record by 20 wins in one season as well. The NBA recognized his ability of doing his job well and gave him two gold stars in the form of Executive of the Year trophies.



So, Bosh. If you were ranting and being pissy after a loss and said that you weren’t going to resign in 2010 like how us regular humans swear we’re going to quit our job, don’t do it within earshot of anyone in the media. Smith, for fucks sake stop making shit up and stop reminding everyone that ESPN hired you to be the story instead of telling the story. I understand you have a masochistic desire for Raptors fans to verbally assault you, but seriously, join an S&M club if you enjoy pain. It’s getting annoying.




PS

The trade that did take place with Shawn Marion, is part of Colangelo's architectural design of making the Raptors a fast paced running team. Just like he did with his former team the Phoenix Suns, who the Raptors face Friday.



-Juan A Sison

"Fat" Jessica Simpson

Jessica Simpson is fat, or so a recent media frenzy would like you to believe.

The 28-year-old’s body has been painstakingly picked apart over the last few weeks, all due to a 15 pound weight gain. That, and she allowed herself to be seen in those unflattering high-waisted jeans that will, no matter how thin you are, give you a horrible “mom bum.”

It would seem that in the celebrity world, or at least in the opinion of low grade entertainment news--think TMZ--even the slightest shift in poundage is breaking news. 

Poor Jessica, who has faced similar criticism before, after splitting with John Mayer in 2007, and ironically paparazzied wearing a very similar pair of high-waisted jeans, has yet to respond to the overwhelming coverage and concern encircling her “noteworthy” increase in size.

While it’s pretty apparent that a celebrity’s small fluctuation in weight is not a necessary piece of information the average person cares about, it appears that Jessica’s fellow “beautiful people” are just as confused--not to mention a little sickened--by the bloated size of the story.

Jessica’s little sister, Ashlee, sounded off on her blog, saying, “I am completely disgusted by the headlines concerning my sister’s weight . . . I find it completely embarrassing and belittling to all women to read about a woman’s weight or figure as a headline on Fox News.”
Sure, it’s completely reasonable that a family member, especially her sister, would defend her own blood when criticized, so even those who would agree that Jessica is now an enormous whale would have seen this one coming. 

But even Nick Lachey, Jessica’s estranged ex-husband, put in a few good words, expressing nausea and awe at why his ex-wife’s 15 pound difference is such a big deal to all forms of celebrity news. I think that was quite big of him, after all the “fat cow” apparently broke his heart, or at least according to that one whiny song of his.

Kim Kardashian, a woman shamelessly famous for her exaggerated curves, also stood up for Jessica, pointing out that if she beats Jessica in size, it brings forward the question: what then does the world think of her?
The words ‘obese’ and ‘monster’ come to mind.

Jessica herself, while admitting to the occasional weight gain or loss, appears to be satisfied and rather comfortable with her 5’3, 135 pound body--the general measurements of the average North American woman.

It’s not a surprise that eating disorders are hitting girls younger and younger if women like Jessica Simpson, and in recent years, Mandy Moore--women with body types deemed medically healthy--are relentlessly labeled the far worse of the two F-words.

It would almost seem that the covers of the gossip magazines should be reverse their target inwards, with headlines that read “DISTURBED.” and “COULDN’T FIND A BETTER STORY.”

But I guess this is news, Jessica Simpson is now apparently “grossly fat” and the world should know about it.

See the performance that inspired the "fat" controversy

-Melissa Hayes

The situation between Rhianna and Chris Brown is getting really annoying, really fast. Yes we feel sorry for her, and yes we hate the fact that he is an abusive thug wanna be; but can we please get over this. I mean Rhianna isn't even in the country right now and for all we know Chris Brown could be in Siberia. Or at least that would be a better form of damage control.

What's interesting now is the fact that apparently Brown is taking anger management classes with his pastor. Trust me, no matter how much he talks to the man upstairs he's not going to change the public opinion of him very soon.

Celebrities have been commenting on these situation left right and centre. Apparently Akon and T.I first made statements backing Chris Brown. However both quickly retracted their statements when the picture of Rhianna showing her injuries, finally surfaced. Of course, leave it to the ex-cons to show support for a woman beater.

To be fair, you have to look at the other side of the coin. Rhianna seems like the type of girl that has loads of attitude. You can only imagine her provoking him that point. I'm not saying this is true, but Rhianna carries herself like she is better than everyone else. Even with all that said, it still doesn't warrant a beating.

Now apparently she is taking his phone calls and he is showering her with gifts and stuff. Nice one Chris; good way to make her forget the fact that you gave her a few blows to the head, buy her diamonds. You'll be sinking even lower on the scumbag totem poll.

So now that I've exhausted all updates, maybe we can all get on with our own lives and let these two divas sort things out. The last thing we need is the media to drag out another story about celebrities. We should just let the whole thing will die out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZuOsWZsCr8

Enough with the babies, already

Nadya Suleman, a 33-year-old California woman, gained fame and infamy recently due to the birth of her eight - yes, that's right, eight - babies. At first, the birth of the octuplets was proclaimed as a miracle. How often are eight babies carried to term, and delivered successfully? (The answer: not often.)

Soon, however, news spread of Suleman's situation. Suleman was unmarried, unemployed, and living with her parents. Suleman already had six children under the age of eight.

Her grand total of children: fourteen. That’s almost a Duggar family .

Unlike the other infamously large family, Suleman’s brood is the product of several in vitro fertilization treatments. Babies one through four were single births. Babies five and six are twins. The octuplets occurred when Suleman was implanted with six embryos – the standard, she says, of all of her treatments – and some of them split into twins.

Basically, Nadya Suleman has her very own future Little League team. Her womb is like a minivan.

Like most instant celebrities today, she experienced a backlash. People called her irresponsible and unstable. Perhaps she is. Most people today wouldn’t contemplate having more than three or four children, let alone fourteen. Most women who get in vitro fertilization treatments would stop at one or two successful tries, mostly due to the cost.

Maybe there’s a screw loose there somewhere. I watched an interview: she talked a lot about her need to “connect,” with people. She had several expensive procedures to have lots of kids, because she needed to create connections? In my eyes, that’s a bit of a red flag – but people have had children for worse reasons.

A person’s body is his or her own. A woman is free to have a child, regardless of her marital or work status. Suleman could wear a T-shirt with the logo, “I’ve just had a litter! Ask me how!” Likewise, I could shave off my hair and tattoo my skull green. I wouldn’t, though, because A) I like having hair, and B) I think it would be painful to have a tattoo on my skull. I’m against feeling large amounts of pain. Plus, I think it’s dumb.

There were huge, history-making trials in the states about a woman’s right to do what she wants with her body. (Roe V. Wade, anyone?)

Now concerned citizens and child-care professionals frothing to have the octuplets given up for adoption. Abuse! Neglect! Bitch craaazy!

That may be so, but there were times when I suspected that my own mother was crazy. She still managed to raise her children to be semi-functional adults. (Also: Hi, Mom! I don’t think you’re crazy!) Unless there’s proof that a mother is abusing her children, or is an unfit parent, those children can’t be taken away from her.

What’s crazier is the host of other chaos surrounding this story. The house will be foreclosed! The grandfather is travelling overseas to work to support his daughter’s brood! A potential father has come forward because he claims he donated sperm for Suleman back in the nineties!

My favourite, though, are the rumours that Suleman did this because she wants to be like Angelina Jolie.

Access Hollywood

Really, though: who doesn’t?

Chris Bosh trade rumours

Dino fans just when you thought it couldn’t possibly get any worse for the lowly Raps it seems like it has. You may be thinking how on earth it could possibly get any worse, well apparently Chris Bosh isn’t too happy in T.O. and wants to skip out of town.

ESPN’s controversial reporter Stephen A. Smith was the man to break the news and wouldn’t back down on his statements when Chris Bosh and Brian Colangelo both came out and publicly denied the reports.

Is it just me or did I just get a little déjà vu? Let’s go back in time a few years to the early days of the Raptors. Does this remind anybody of the time when Damon Stoudamire, Chauncy Billups, Marcus Camby and a certain Mr. Vince Carter all denied the rumours that they wanted out of town and then jumped ship as soon as a deal was hammered out? or in Carter’s case when the Raptors finally decided to stop pampering the little princess’s damaged goods.

Now I can understand why those guys wanted out of town, because let’s face it when Stoudamire, Camby and Billups were around the Raptors were definitely not a team to write home about. That was all supposed to change though when Carter came around and for a while it looked like things had. However, that was short lived as Tracy McGrady was just the latest superstar to jump ship because he was tired of living in Cousin Carter’s shadow.

Can you just imagine what kind of teams T.O. could have had if those players decided to man up and stick around, does the word dynasty ring a bell for anybody?

As for Bosh, the man’s a super star! However his contract does expire at the end of the 2009-2010, which is conveniently the same year as Lebron James and Dwayne Wade are scheduled to become free agents.

But does it really matter where Bosh goes? He is a super-star and he’s going to be the best player on whatever team he goes too, well unless he joins ranks with James, Wade or Bryant. But what team could afford that kind of cash?

The real question is what is Brian Colangelo willing to do to keep this stud in a Dino’s jersey? Yeah this season has been a major disappointment, but that’s life in sports you don’t always get the win even if your team is better on paper.

The bottom line is that the fans here in T.O. love Bosh and are passionate about their team, even when they are under performing. If Bosh is to leave in a couple years time it would be the biggest loss the team has suffered in its short tenure, but we can always count on Bosh to have class. Unlike Carter, Bosh has a lot more pride for himself and respect for this city to leave under the same circumstances as Carter did.

If Bosh does leave in a couple years can any of us really say we didn’t see it coming? The guy was projected to be an all-star early on in his career so with Toronto’s history of being able to keep high profile ballers it was really only a matter of time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4EBtQrQTyQ