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John Mayer, Wale, 'Vanity Fair'- what else is new?

by crystal
Several instances occurred recently which once again brought to light the unfortunate fact that Black women just aren't the quintessential standard of beauty. In an interview with Playboy, John Mayer insisted his private part is a white supremacist, Wale supposedly excluded dark skinned girls in his new video Pretty Girls, and Vanity Fair pretended that young Hollywood is all-white for their most recent cover.

So, what's new? Not much.

Diddy's son has a Maybach and only $10k in the bank

by crystal
Diddy's son, Justin Dior, turned 16 this past week and MTV was there to film it all for an upcoming episode of My Super Sweet 16, which shows elaborate parties thrown for kids with rich parents. Justin's party was thrown Saturday night at the M2 Ultralounge in New York City and of course Diddy was there to spoil his boy with lavish gifts. Diddy bought his 16 year old son a brand new silver Maybach (which costs about $360,000) and then gave him a $10,000 check to open a bank account.

Something's wrong here.

Everything is so simple in 'Avatar'

by crystal
I went to go see Avatar yesterday originally against my will- I'm not into sci-fi) but after leaving the theater 3 hours later, I wanted to see it all over again. Not only were the colors and animation amazing (we saw it in Imax 3D) but the message was incredible. Hollywood might not be known for its outward displays of political stances but it sure knows how to get the point across. Watching the blue people, complete with their braided hair and tribal outfits, defend their land against the sky people immediately reminded me of countless acts of terror man has committed against man: the Armenian genocide, slavery, colonization of America and Africa, the Holocaust- the list goes on and on. Avatar also contained messages about war in general, greed, the environment and spirituality.

Fame is a funny thing- just look at Kanye

by crystal
Kanye West is no doubt a little hyper and doesn't always exercise the best judgment but socially unaware is not something he inately is. Anyone remember, All Falls Down? I'd hoped he would continue on that same vein until he started rocking the mohawk, throwing tantrums and boasting about his good fortune after dropping out of college. Seems like he too is human and not at all above anything he preached against on his first album. And fame seems to be the defining and determining factor.

If Mo'Nique wins for Precious, there are decisions to be made

by crystal
Precious has received three Golden Globe nods: Best Picture, Best Actress in a Lead Role, Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Both Gabby and Monique were nominated for their performances. We've talked about Precious here before and it has a great shot at winning at both the Golden Globes and the Oscars because it appeals to people's guilt.

When Denzel Washington and Halle Berry won for Best Actor/Actress for their roles in Training Day and Monster's Ball, many were upset claiming they both won for stereotypical roles. If Mo'Nique wins for her role in Precious, will those people feel the same way? After all, as we've heard so many times, Mo'Nique plays an abusive welfare mother and grandmother who completely uses the system. Or will Mo'Nique's winning be different because this is the first time we've seen her in a dramatic role?

After Tiger, should we just expect powerful men to cheat?

by crystal
Tiger's wife, Elin, has moved out despite his efforts to make her stay by throwing money at her. He has definitely transferred $5 million into a bank account only she owns but has also, according to various reports, renegotiated their prenuptial agreement- twice. First, it was $55 million to stay for two more years (on top of the $20 million she'll already get for staying for 10 years) now, it's $80 million for eight.

Thoughts on Serena's $82,500 fine

by crystal
It was reported today that Serena Williams will have to pay a record $82,500 for her U.S. Open tirade this past summer. If she is involved in any other "major offense" over the next two years, the fine will increase to $175,000 and she'll be barred from the next U.S. Open. I seriously doubt this will happen so she's really only out of almost $85k but regardless the punitive fine is a record amount,  nearly double the last fine given in the 90s. But Serena will gladly pay because she and her team were worried that she might be suspended for one or multiple Grand Slam events—meaning she would have lost a lot more than $82,500 and possible endorsement deals too.

Does a baby really make life worth living?

by crystal
For celebrities who, to us, seemingly have it all, to them, having a baby becomes the only thing missing after all the pinnacles of success have been reached. For celebrities like Mariah Carey, Halle Berry, Celine Dion and Julia Roberts, babies weren't really on the menu in their heyday. They were younger, extremely busy, in high demand and/or unmarried. A baby would have slowed down the Hollywood train. Just look at Oprah who for whatever reason bypassed the baby thing and is now a billionaire a couple of times over.

Today, younger stars like Jessica Alba, Nicole Richie and Megan Williams have already done the baby thing at a much younger age and celebs like Berry and the wishful Carey are just now beginning to get on the baby wagon. Both Dion and Roberts were what others would deem as late in the game— they both had children well into their late 30s.

But is it okay to have a baby when you are or almost are 40? Does it matter?

Why is Sarah Palin still around, and talking to Oprah at that?

by crystal
Oprah was headed in the right direction for a while... she had Chris Rock on twice, talked to Jay-Z about Beyonce and the N-word and even aired a two part special with Whitney Houston. But now she's completely off base by inviting Sarah Palin, former presidential candidate's John McCain's running mate, on her show. We all know Palin's book Going Rogue: An American Life comes out on Tuesday—her interview with Oprah is Monday— so I can bet that Palin's book will be a New York Times bestseller. Oprah has the power to make or break a person's career.

Our society's too sick to be sick of Rihanna

by crystal
Rihanna appeared on Good Morning America this morning as a snapshot into her longer interview with Diane Sawyer on tomorrow's episode of 20/20. I know I've written a lot about Rihanna and her fiasco with Chris Brown and its probably because I can in some ways relate to what she's going through. In high school, I was involved in an emotionally abusive relationship which as we know, can and most often does, lead to physical intimate partner violence. I've never been hit—thank god—but in listening to her interview today I couldn't help but imagine what it was like for her to be so ashamed and embarassed in front of the world.