Tag Archives: Celebrities

UNICEF, Armani provide water to world

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By NICK CARRA

UNICEF and Giorgio Armani have joined forces to help those who do not have water by challenging those who cannot put their cell phones down.

The challenge is to not touch your phone for 10 minutes and, by doing so, donating one day’s worth of water for a person in need.

To take the challenge, visit uniceftapproject.org on your phone, then follow the instructions on screen. I took the challenge and have a record of one hour and two minutes. Enough time and water to give to six people who do not have enough to get by.

I also have a couple of 10 minute attempts, but when I saw that day’s record of 254 hours, 27 minutes and 42 seconds, the competitive side in me was inspired to leave my phone for just a bit longer each time to boost my record.

While the page is active it flashes facts to keep you entertained such as how much water you have currently supplied, how much water you will supply in the next 10 minutes and even how many smiley face text-messages have been sent in the time you have not used your phone.

It’s good to see a big name company like Armani involved in a project like this, not only is it good marketing for Armani, but it also benefits children and others in developing countries. The Web page gave me a good feeling.  Get away from your phone, you don’t really need it.

Not all riots are merciless

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By NICOLE LOPEZ-ALVAR

Members of Pussy Riot, the Russian feminist art collective based in Moscow, were attacked this week while eating at a McDonald’s in Russia.

Six men wearing political paraphernalia came after two of the group’s primary members, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina, with paint from syringes and threw garbage at them as they were eating breakfast.

This is neither the first nor the last time the dissident members of Pussy Riot will be in the headlines for being targeted by government officials and radicals.

However, with the power of social media and video documentation, Pussy Riot has been able to make a positive, yet controversial, mark in Russia and across the Western hemisphere. It has done so by promoting an equal rights agenda through provocative musical performances.

These performances and “riots” are videotaped and spread around the Internet until government officials demand for them to stop. Only issue is, they never stop.

After this week’s attack, the women took to YouTube immediately to affirm the obscene behavior they had unfortunately encountered from sexist and prejudiced individuals. Even in 2014, the art collective continues to strike a nerve in Russia.

“It hurts! Why are you doing this?” Tolokonnikova said in the video, with green stains on her face and hands. “You don’t have the right to hurt me. Please don’t do that to anyone anymore.”

After the band members posted the video of the attack online, the global response was proliferating — and in retrospect, all publicity is good publicity for such activists. This assault is another example of the corrupt mentality plaguing Russia.

Pussy Riot is distinguished in the West as a group of courageous activists who continue to fight for the most basic human right — the freedom of speech. However, as illustrated in this post, the group’s provocative and, at times, disruptive approaches to art activism are still unappealing to the ultra conservative, “Putinistic,” eye.

Does God live in Hollywood?

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By KELLY BRODY

The Oscars this past Sunday had it all: a pizza party, Meryl Streep and Pharell dancing, a record breaking selfie and, of course, many memorable acceptance speeches.

There was Jared Leto, whose heart-touching speech thanked his mom, acknowledged the tragedy in Venezuela and Ukraine, and was dedicated to the millions of people around the world with AIDs. Lupita Nyong’o made her speech all about following your dreams, saying, “When I look down at this golden statue, may it remind me and every little child that no matter where you’re from, your dreams are valid.” And of course, most every actor who accepted an award thanked their directors, fellow co-stars, and producers.

But this year, a common figure to thank in Oscar acceptance speeches was missing–God. It seems as though, in years past, the first person an award winner would thank would be God or Jesus. The only individual to mention God in their speech this year was the quintessential southern christian boy, Matthew McConaughey.

He did not just briefly mention God’s name either. McConaughey stated, “I want to thank God, because that’s who I look up to. He’s graced my life with opportunities that I know are not of my end or any other human end. He has shown me that it is a scientific fact that gratitude reciprocates. When you’ve got God, you’ve got a friend.”

Many people responded negatively to McConaughey’s religious devotion in his speech. Tweets like, “Shhh McConaughey stop talking about god you’re ruining it” (@astral_cars) and “When did Matthew McConaughey turn into Joel Osteen?” (@LaineyGossip) swirled about the “Twittersphere” during and after his speech. Even the audience in attendance did not respond too warmly to the God part of McConaughey’s speech, as there was timid applause in comparison to when McConaughey mentioned his dad in heaven and even quoted Dazed and Confused, McConaughey’s first major role, with “Alright, Alright Alright.”

Hollywood has always been seen as a more liberal land, with more libertarian views rather than the conservative. Strong religious views have been mocked and practicing religion is often seen as an ultra conservative activity in Hollywood, versus atheism or not practicing or declaring a religion at all. Hollywood is becoming very secular.

McConaughey’s breakaway from secularization and the negative response he received because of it is proof of the lessening presence of faith in our modern society. We treat those who are religious as the minority now, even “jesus freaks.” It’s just not “cool” or “hip” to be religious.

Maybe McConaughey, with his southern drawl, drug past, beautiful wife and shiny new award will change Hollywood’s perception of religion and mentioning God in a speech will draw actual applause rather than backlash.

People continue to love Woody Allen

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By NICOLE LOPEZ-ALVAR

Film director Woody Allen has held both the most reputable and most controversial reputation in Hollywood during the past 50 years.

However, the biggest controversy to date involves a 22-year-old child molestation allegation against Allen, who is nominated for an Oscar for best original screenplay for his latest film, “Blue Jasmine.”

The scandal, which involved ex-wife Mia Farrow many years ago, was revisited in a recent open letter to The New York Times, where Dylan Farrow spoke publicly about the accusations that her adoptive father, Woody Allen, had sexually abused her when she was seven years old. “He told me to lay on my stomach and play with my brother’s electric train set,” she said in the letter. “Then he sexually assaulted me.”

While Woody Allen was neither charged nor convicted of the crime, news coverage of the controversy has left a permanent mark on his image in the public eye.

Despite the on-going media coverage of accusations and rumors, as his fans and movie connoisseurs well know, audiences worldwide have continued to adore his work, which is exemplified with his recent Oscar nomination.

It is fascinating how a person’s talent, impressive career, or honor in a field can have the magnitude to surpass all controversy.

A prime example of this type of spectacle is the infamous “Charlie Sheen meltdown” of 2011, where his multiple rehabilitation attempts led him to absolute mayhem and embarrassment — for Warner Bros., that is.

Behind all of the accusations and rumors that were being spread daily, he continued to be one of the highest paid actors of all time, and his show, “Two And a Half Men,” continued to be at the top of the ratings. In retrospect, his “breakdown” was drawing in more of an audience than ever before.

While these individuals continue to gain the power that comes with fame and success, there will always be thousands of incredible artists in the field that will never get the amount of attention they deserve. While this is no news, it is something to reflect upon this upcoming Academy Award season.

Instafame and social relationships

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By CLARA BENDAYAN

“Wait, wait, wait! Let me take a picture of the sushi before you eat it. My followers are going to love how artsy it looks.”

Sounds familiar, right? Welcome to the age of Microfame and Instafame.

Not sure what that is? It’s simple, really. Social media and internet fame is sweeping the world.

With the influx of social media applications at our fingertips, regular people are becoming overnight celebrities by simply uploading five-second videos to Vine containing their daily shenanigans.

Being a celebrity used to involve the overwhelming process of going through auditions, facing rejection, living on low salary jobs just to pay the rent while you struck gold in Hollywood. Now, however, television and movies aren’t the only platforms that exist, and becoming famous isn’t as difficult as it used to be at least when it comes to social media notoriety.

With this platform, it’s easier to form some sort of connection with social media celebrities as opposed to famous Hollywood actors who rarely are able to reply back. Applications such as Vine, Instagram and Kik give users the option to answer their fans on a personal level.

“It’s a new kind of celebrity landscape because they can also reply back to you and it creates a more intimate connection,” said Jo Piazza, executive news director of In Touch and Life & Style magazines.

A documentary titled “Instafame” is going around Vimeo and it follows the life of Shawn Megira, a 15-year-old from Long Island, N.Y., who has more than 81,000 followers on Instagram.

His mom explains that she’s seen masses of fangirls crowd around him whenever they go out in public, only because they recognize him from his Instagram pictures.

I’ve seen countless Facebook friends post pictures with Instagram or Vine celebrities as well, and it begs the question of how social media fame affects teens and how it will affect them in the long run.

“It’s a very strong high. They’re getting a lot of attention but it’s not fulfilling what they deeply need and want in terms of this kind of human connection,” said Niobe Way, professor of psychology at New York University.

This social media is also creating a sense of validation for many people. Receiving 100 likes on an Instagram picture makes people feel good about themselves and gives them self worth. They feel validated by a group of peers or fans.

Another possible issue is that people seem to be living in the social media moment instead of basking in real life events. We all have at least one friend who cannot go a day without Instagramming a picture of their breakfast. Or another the friend that stops their car on the side of the road (or even worse, snaps a picture while driving) to take a picture of the sunset because they know that when they add a filter, their friends and followers are going to love it.

Is social media negatively affecting the way humans interact with each other? Are we wasting precious moments with loved ones while we snap the artsiest pictures for our followers? Is microfame the new sensation or is it just a dwindling fad?

Time will tell for the latter, as this topic is fairly new and the effects cannot yet be measured. In terms of the former, many people would argue that while social media bridges the gaps between people in different countries and facilitates communication, it is also playing a big role in making people antisocial.

Can social media end marriages?

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By KYLA THORPE

Paula Patton announced  her separation from her husband of eight years, Robin Thicke on Monday.

This came as a shock to many, as these two usually seem to be happy and in love.

Many sites are rumoring that the split is because of Thicke’s behavior with Miley Cyrus during the MTV Video Music Awards last August. Apparently, the whole “twerking” thing didn’t go over well with Patton.

Now, I’m not saying necessarily that he should or should not have participated with Cyrus in the raunchy performance. While both he and Cyrus received a lot of backlash from groups ranging from parents to feminists, the performance caught a lot of attention — which is good in Hollywood.

Being an actress herself, I don’t feel like merely the performance would have upset Patton to such a degree. She understands that, as an entertainer, you have to entertain. I feel like to way it blew up afterwards, might’ve driven her to this point.

At first, she had claimed to not have been bothered by the performance, even liking it. That was just the morning after. Days, even weeks later, people were tweeting, reading, and seeing commentary of the performance on the news.

However, Patton truly felt about the performance originally, she felt 10 times worse after it blew up on social media.

I’ve heard about marriages breaking up over social media before, but many times it’s because one person in the relationship is found to be talking to someone else online, leaving inappropriate comments on pictures, and so forth.

This is a new aspect on the matter, however, because it would appear that Patton was humiliated after the performance when it went rampantly viral, changing her mind about being okay with it and pulling the plug on the marriage.

Granted, marriages aren’t perfect and there are always other things happening behind the scenes that could’ve ended this one, but this whole situation is a great example of how social media can follow you everywhere and eventually become your downfall.

Dangers of life in the fast lane

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By KELLY BRODY

A Grammy-award winning photographer, Ian Cuttler Sala, was killed on Sunday as the passenger of a car crash with Salma Hayek’s brother, Sami Hayek. Hayek, who was driving the 2006 Ford GT, survived the crash with facial lacerations and broken ribs. Sala and Hayek collided with a pickup truck driven by 20-year-old Alvin Javier Gomez, who suffered only minor injuries including a broken foot.

Police believe that the crash was caused by Hayek’s inability to handle the vehicle, which can reach an upwards of 205 mph. This crash marks the second deadly car accident in which the passenger, rather than the driver of the vehicle, has died. The first notable accident was the death of “Fast and Furious” movie series star Paul Walker back in November. Both in this case and Walker’s, no alcohol or drugs were involved in the accidents.

It’s become ingrained in American culture to worship fast cars. The luxury sports car market is one of male adoration, and they’re often used as a status symbol. Movies such as the Fast and Furious series, which garnered a cult fan base and amassed millions of dollars in the box office are a testament to America’s obsession with sports vehicles. Many popular video games also feature the “thrill” of driving fast cars. More points are rewarded if you drive fast, and often, destructively.

Unfortunately, the movies and video games don’t show the destruction that can amount from driving too fast. Justin Bieber tested his luck when he tried drag racing in a sports car in Miami Beach not too long ago and it amounted in an arrest. His fate was much better than that of Walker and Sala, who paid for the thrill of driving a fast sports car with the ultimate price — their lives.

While luxury sports cars provide nice eye candy, it should be noted that their fast nature should not be taken advantage of, and should be left to experts. Like many things in Hollywood, everything is not as it seems, and while it seems exhilarating to drive sports vehicles extremely fast, it is a dangerous activity that can have severe consequences.

Hopefully, news coverage of the deaths of Sala and Walker will bring attention to this growing issue. In the age of texting-while-driving, and driving while intoxicated, another danger on the road is the last thing we need.

Is Miley Cyrus taking things too far?

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By CLARA BENDAYAN

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions Miley Cyrus? Eight years ago, one would most likely begin to hum the tune of the catchy song “Best of Both Worlds.” As of late, however, most of us are thinking rather “what in the world is she doing?”

It’s no secret that being in constant scrutiny by the media is agonizing and unbearable for some celebrities as we’ve seen countless stars spiral into drug abuse and eating disorders, as well as rebellious stages where they become hardcore partiers.

Narrowing the category of celebrities to teen stars or Disney stars, one begins to see a recent influx of child stars gone bad.

“High School Musical” sweetheart, Vanessa Hudgens’ nudes swept the Internet while she was at her pinnacle of fame, and Lindsay Lohan’s been in and out of rehab and court more times than we can count.

Who can forget the recent events surrounding Amanda Bynes’ downward spiral that eventually lead to her being hospitalized under a 5150 mental evaluation hold?

There are too many child or Disney stars gone wrong to mention, but it seems like Miley Cyrus has been one of the biggest shockers for teenagers and adults alike.

When Hannah Montana first aired in 2006, Miley was only 13 years old. She practically skyrocketed to stardom overnight, as Hannah Montana memorabilia was everywhere and concerts were selling out around the world.

After she parted ways with the show, she began to pursue a more serious career dedicated to making music. Her 2009 performance of “Party in the USA” at the Teen Choice Awards showed her dancing semi provocatively on a pole and wearing very short shorts. This sparked incredible outrage and people were beginning to question if Miley shed her “good girl Disney image.”

It’s crazy to look back and see how outrageous this event seemed at the time, as it seems completely harmless when comparing it to her recent antics.

It all began with her revolutionary haircut when she chopped off those famous long locks. Her new edgy look wasn’t well received by all, but she still seemed like the same Miley we grew up with on the show.

The criticism she is getting lately is not because she cut her hair or because she wears revealing clothing. It lies in the fact that she seems to be taking this new persona to a completely different level. She is crossing the line between tasteful and raunchy; socially acceptable and overtly provocative and lascivious.

It seems that this sexual persona emerged and began to blow up social media internationally over the summer when she released her music video for “We Can’t Stop.” She twerked, made drug references, repeatedly stuck out her tongue (it seems to be her favorite facial expression lately), and officially waved goodbye to Hannah Montana.

Then came the unforgettable 2013 MTV Video Music Awards performance with Robin Thicke, which made every newspaper headline for the next few days. She came out in some sort of rubber two-piece that left very little to the imagination, as she danced provocatively with Thicke while thrusting a foam finger in a very blatant sexual manner.

Her next music video was for “Wrecking Ball,” where she was completely naked save for a pair of worn-down boots. She also thought it best to provocatively lick a hammer several times.

The latest news is of her Bangerz Tour. She has truly pushed the envelope even further. Did you think the VMA performance was full of sexual innuendos? Just take a look at some of the pictures of her suggestively touching her body intimately all while donning a marijuana patterned leotard from her recent concerts.

Twerking with midgets, suggestively rubbing her body, glorifying drug use (she lit up a blunt on stage at the 2013 MTV Europe Music Awards), having souvenir $40 gold embellished rolling papers for pot lovers and opening her concert as she slides down a large than life version of her tongue are all in store at the 2014 Bangerz Tour should you choose to attend.

It’s reportedly so sexual and inappropriate that parents all over are calling for cancellations, and Forbes magazine reports that her salacious stage antics may be affecting ticket sales.

Overall, I don’t mean to offend anyone who supports Miley or her music. I’ll admit that her songs are quite catchy and I find myself listening to them sometimes.

She is an adult and she is at liberty to live her life as she pleases. However, she also needs to remember that she has amassed a fan base over the years of teenage girls who are looking to her as a role model. Unfortunately, it’s what comes with the fame. She can’t act like a normal girl her age without it showing up on the news the next day.

I am in no position to understand the pressures of growing up in Hollywood, but if Hilary Duff was able to come out of a very successful Disney channel show and still pursue music and acting, along with getting married and having a child, it seems as though Miley may have taken things a bit too far.

Click the link to see the provocative pics: http://www.cosmopolitan.com.au/celebrity/celebrity-gossip/2014/2/miley-cyrus-bangerz-tour-weirdest-moments/oh-miley!-image-22/

Why can’t Hollywood be more original?

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By KYLA THORPE

It seems to happen nearly every year. Movie producers in Hollywood are often doing reboots of films that were big hits.

Why can’t they just leave the original film alone? Don’t they realize that it’s a little strange to recreate movies, with new actors, when the original actors are still alive and well, able to continue their previous roles?

I can understand rebooting a film that was created 40 or more years ago. The film could’ve been terrible back then and producers want to make something big of it now.  Maybe Hollywood wants to bring a trend back, make some extra cash. I get it, it’s a business.

What really annoys me is how movies that were terrific not even more than 10 years ago are being remade into newer films with terrible reviews.

For example, I remember seeing the original Spider-Man movie in the theater in 2002. I loved it. The world loved it. Tobey Maguire played this role until 2007, ending the series with Spider-Man 3.

So why was it rebooted in 2012 and called the Amazing Spider-Man, with a new actor, Andrew Garfield?

This is strange to me and confusing. Between the original Spider-Man and the Amazing Spider-Man, there isn’t even 10 years. They could’ve just asked Tobey Maguire to come back and restart the series!

Doesn’t Hollywood hire script writers to create new material? Are there no other superheroes within the Marvel or DC Comic Universe for them to create an extensive series about?

The reason why I’m asking this question is that, today, the cast for the new Fantastic Four movie was released. The Fantastic Four movie, that I also saw in the theater, came out in 2005. The new one is slated for 2015.

Reboots for movies that aren’t at least 20 years old are unnecessary. The point of a reboot is to make something better, to bring it more to life.

Reboots are usually rated lower, have around the same CGI and have similar story lines where the audience is not at all very surprised by the ending.

When will Hollywood stop doing this?

Celebrity weight: Is it news?

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By KELLY BRODY

There is usually a separation between “real” news and tabloid news, but in the age of online journalism, the two previously separated genres often rub shoulders. A look at the home page of Yahoo! or the Daily Mail will show a political story or a piece on uprisings in Kiev next to an article about Kim Kardashian’s derriere.

The Kardashians are a staple in American pop culture. Kim continues to be one of the most searched celebrities year after year, and the whole family’s every move is scrutinized and reported on by the media.

One of the examples of a magazine cover bashing Kim’s weight gain- something normal for people who are pregnant. Source: perezhilton.com

While some things seem worth reporting on; her engagement to Kanye West and subsequent wedding plans being one, Kim’s weight and body shape don’t seem to be as newsworthy.

Still, multiple articles have been written about her fluctuating body. During her pregnancy, the media had a frenzy criticizing how Kim’s once toned and voluptuous figure had taken a turn towards the chunkier size.

In fact, entire magazine covers have been devoted to slamming Kim’s weight gain. One headline from the South African magazine You read “Kate the Waif vs. Kim the Whale,” (“Kate” referring to Kate Middleton, who was similarly tortured for being too skinny while pregnant.)

Now that her pregnancy is over, the news has switched from her weight gain to her rapid baby-weight loss. Kim’s back to gracing the tabloid covers, but the same amount of criticism remains. A Life and Style cover claims Kim is a “Weight Loss Cheater” who “took the easy way out with $80,000 worth of secret procedures,” and an article from the Daily Mail reports that Kim has had “fat injected into her bottom” that was taken from her stomach and thighs.

Kim, like many other celebrities, cannot catch a break when it comes to their own bodies. Body shape, and weight gain/loss is a very personal matter, and I do not believe that it is quite newsworthy. The way that media, across all platforms, exploits celebrities’ bodies for the sake of a story is despicable, as it promotes self-hatred and encourages body shaming.

Celebrities are people too, and do not deserve the amount exposure they receive for their weight. How would you feel if every time you gained a pound it was deemed “news” and reported on across the country? Out of all the the things to make news out of in terms of celebrities, I do not think weight should be one of them.

Michael Sam and the media

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By RYAN HENSELER

Earlier this week, former Missouri defensive end and NFL prospect Michael Sam came out as gay, and will likely become the first openly gay NFL player following the draft in April.

Since Sam’s announcement, the news media, especially ESPN, has covered the story non-stop. Articles on Sam have filled the pages of ESPN.com, stories about him have been covered by Sportscenter, and his NFL draft stock has been constantly analyzed.

However, while most media sources have been highly supportive of Sam, the question remains; are they really doing him any favors by constantly featuring the story? Or are they actually hurting the cause of the player that they claim to embrace?

Since Sam has come out, certain NFL executives that wished to remain anonymous have stated that his draft stock will likely fall following the revelation. Some would say that this only reinforces the macho, misogynist stereotype of the NFL.

However, most teams that pass on Sam in the draft will not do so out of hatred or homophobia, but a desire to avoid the media circus that will inevitably follow Sam throughout the season.

NFL teams are well known for trying to avoid “distractions” at all costs. Any type of story that attracts severe media coverage is seen as a threat to the team’s on-field performance.

A recent example that exemplifies this idea is the ongoing saga of former Miami Dolphins players Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin. When the story first broke of alleged bullying in the locker room, the team was above .500 and contending for the playoffs.

After the story made national headlines and became a “distraction” to players, the Dolphins lost their last two games to division rivals New York and Buffalo and missed the playoffs.

The point is, networks such as ESPN claim to be fully behind Michael Sam, but constantly adding to the story will only reinforce the idea in executives’ minds that having Sam on their team could potentially cause a distraction in the locker room that could manifest itself on the football field.

If the news media really want to help Michael Sam succeed as a professional, they should limit their coverage of the story and allow him to be seen first and foremost as a very, very good football player with NFL talent who happens to be gay, rather than simply the gay player.

Sports equality: Gay athletes in sports

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By KELLY BRODY

It seems as though we are living in the “Age of Equality.” Gay marriage is being passed in many new states and countries, and more and more celebrities are embracing a “don’t hide who you truly are” attitude.

It’s cool now to be out of the closet and most of the world, in this progressive Age of Equality, is accepting of those who choose to announce to the world their sexual orientation.Yet while Hollywood has embraced ‘coming out,’ one sector of pop culture seems to be still hidden deep in the closet and less accepting of gays — the world of sports.

Seen as a testament to one’s manhood that dates back to the testosterone-heavy first-ever Olympic Games, sports are often a sign of heterosexuality. It’s a common misunderstanding that a boy involved in sports can’t be gay, which is why many parents suspecting of the sexual orientation of their sons feel that the “cure” is sports like football.

With the recent announcement of Micheal Sam, a young NFL prospect hailing from the University of Missouri who came out as gay, the sporting world has been in shock. Not often does a football player shed his macho image and come forward about his sexual orientation. He stated, “I am an openly proud gay man,” in a New York Times piece, but his teammates have known since August. If Sam is drafted and earns a spot on a team roster, he will be the first openly gay player in the NFL.

Still, eight NFL staff and coaches that were polled by Sports Illustrated believe that Sam will drop in the draft due to his announcement. Backlash isn’t uncommon for gay athletes. Tweets often contained strong language. Two examples: “So, message to Michael Sam and those like him: Nobody wants to hear about a man who likes to suck cock. Get back in the fucking closet” (@icanhasbailout) and “Michael Sam first openly gay athlete in the NFL??? that’s freaking disgusting!!!!!! should be kicked out if the NFL and the USA” (greyclark24).

Sam’s announcement is coming off the heels of British diver Tom Daley’s coming out, which he did via a YouTube video a few months ago. The Olympian was shown massive support, which could be due to the fact that diving is seen as a “gay” sport versus the masculinity of football. Another sport that is often labelled as “gay” is men’s figure skating. Still, American men’s figure skaters are encouraged to not announce their sexual orientation for the purpose of appealing to the American public and judges.

This fear of being gay in sports is something that should not exist in the coming years. Sexual orientation does not change the athleticism of great athletes, nor does it diminish their accomplishments. For this year’s Olympics in Sochi, where being a gay athlete is abhorred, the world’s athletes responded with the utmost support for LGBTQ rights. Germany walked in the opening ceremony wearing rainbow snowsuits, Greece’s athletes had rainbow fingertips on their gloves, and Blake Skejellerup, an openly gay New Zealand speed skater, wore a rainbow pin.

With the bravery of both Michael Sam and Tom Daley, hopefully more athletes will feel safe coming out of the closet and the Sochi Olympics will open the eyes of the world, especially Russia, that discrimination of gay athletes is not something to be tolerated in our ever evolving world.

Celebrity obsession: Is it really news?

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By PHOEBE FITZ

The story of Justin Bieber’s DUI arrest was a news and entertainment media frenzy.

From newspapers to magazines, TV shows to social media, it was impossible not to be bombarded with information regarding the scandal. Why is it that the story of a teenage boy being arrested in Miami is front page news for days? How has our concept of “journalism” and “news” come to focus on what many see to be an unimportant event?

These questions have a simple answer. Bieber’s story was such big news because of the size of his following—millions and millions of tween girls. As one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, his every move is documented and analyzed, providing whoever writes about it with a plethora of internet hits or TV views.

However, does every young girl in America being in love with Bieber constitute America’s most prolific and respected news organizations to dedicate so much of their time and effort to covering the story of his arrest?

Perhaps incidents like these are a sign of changing times, of our society as a wholes’ obsession with social media and through that, celebrities. Twitter has more than 230 million active users, with 100 million of them logging in every day. The accessibility of Twitter allows many users easy access into what used to be the private world of celebrities.

Thanks to social media outlets like Twitter, it is becoming increasingly common for people to become celebrity obsessed, particularly in the case of Justin Bieber. With almost 50 million Twitter followers who are quick to defend him — in the case of his arrest — or target his potential girlfriends—actress Selena Gomez received death threats as did model Cailin Russo — Bieber’s followers are an enthusiastic bunch.

Through our obsession with social media, we are cultivating a society that is obsessed with celebrities and “celebrity news”. This category used to stand on it’s own, differentiated from regular news. Perhaps now the two are merging. Perhaps, for better or for worse, we are redefining what is truly considered “news.”

Hollywood drug abuse and news media

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By KELLY BRODY

They say death comes in threes and, after the recent celebrity deaths of Cory Monteith and Paul Walker, the loss of Phillip Seymour Hoffman this past Sunday rounds out the long-believed superstition.

Out of the three high-profile deaths, two were from drug use and overdose. Walker’s was the only true accidental death, as it involved a fatal car accident where Walker wasn’t even the one behind the wheel. Yet the news media portrayed all three deaths as equally tragic.

There’s a difference between accidental tragedy and tragedy brought on by drugs, though. The news media posted articles that outlined the slew of drugs found in both Monteith and Hoffman’s bodies, but did little to comment on the root of the problem–the oft-hidden and personal struggle that comes along with drug abuse.

More and more stars are dying from drug related deaths these days and, often enough, these deaths come as a shock. Not many suspect that A-list Hollywood stars would fall victim to the same drugs that can be easily obtained by college students, people on the streets; quite frankly, anybody.  Moreover, they don’t suspect that these stars who seem so happy and well-off on the outside are coping with inner demons to turn to drugs in the first place.

Monteith serves as a prime example of the façade celebrities can put up to the public to seem happy: he had a loving, steady girlfriend in Lea Michele, his costar on the successful and still running TV show Glee, and remained an active member in his charity Project Limelight.  His death shocked many of the young fans of Glee, and should serve as a lesson to the impressionable youth that meddling with drugs, for whatever the reason, can result in an untimely and yes, tragic death.

Instead of merely listing the toxicology report of stars who die drug related deaths, the news media should focus on transforming the deaths into a wake-up call for how society deals with drug abuse and addiction. Both Monteith and Hoffman admitted in earlier interviews of struggling with addiction on and off from a very young age. Who knows how many young starlets there are right now who are secretly struggling with addition? What would be even more beneficial than an exposé on the dangers of drug use would be an open discussion of how to cope with addiction and insight into how to recover from the disease.

Kids are taught from a young age that “drugs are bad” yet it does not stop them, or high profile celebrities, from using them. For every story about a celeb in rehab, there should be another about stars speaking out against drug abuse, or doing charity work, or enjoying sober life. Society often looks up to the Hollywood elite and, if emphasis is placed on their healthy habits, or alternatively, their morph from addiction to a state of mental and physical well being, as is the case with Demi Lovato, perhaps many drug deaths can be prevented in the future.

Dealing with the public on social media

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By MATIAS WODNER

The tragic news of actor Paul Walker’s death in a violent car accident did not arise without some controversy, shockingly. TMZ first reported that Walker was killed in the car accident, but because of their reputation of reporting false stories in the past, some began to refute the story. Other news outlets disputed the story, saying that Walker was not confirmed as one of the victims.

Local Miami reporter for NBC 6, Courtney Fallon, linked to the TMZ story on her Twitter account. Some followers of hers, probably shocked and saddened by the story, immediately attacked her for doing so, citing the other sources that could not confirm Walker’s identity. These unruly people bashed her wholeheartedly, and it was rather unfortunate to see.

An hour later, the story was confirmed by her news outlet and the situation had subsided. Other news media members took to her defense, calling her situation ridiculous and calling for those who attacked her to apologize.

This circumstance might be a learning tool for myself and for other news reporters. Not only because you should be careful about what you put out on social media, but you should be careful about how you handle the public that is following you. You need to handle Twitter and other social media followers in a professional manner and can’t let your emotions get the best of you. I applaud Courtney Fallon for handling the situation in a professional manner and I hope I will have the same mental fortitude.

Journalism’s bad reputation . . .

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By REBECCA COHEN

The dreaded news reporter is disliked by politicians, public figures and celebrities. However, a reporter is not doing his or her job correctly if he or she does not expose wrongful doings or any newsworthy items.

Being disliked is simply the price to pay for being a good reporter.

Thankfully, reporters are here to expose wayward public officials such as Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and the drug incident.

However, there are instances where reporters cross the line.

The incidents that forced celebrities like Jennifer Garner and Halle Berry to petition for more privacy rights are the result of reporters crossing the line, for example.

Jennifer Garner said in an E! Interview that she did not move to Hollywood so her children could be yelled at by photographers.

Another example involves Duchess Kate Middleton, who was photographed topless in her own backyard and had the image broadcast. It is another moment when reporters have crossed the line.

The pressure to find newsworthy stories may lead reporters to cross the line in these instances, making their stories unethical.

All in all, as long as the reporters do not invade the privacy of public figures, by snooping and investigating public figures, they are just doing their job.

Toronto mayor takes turn for worst

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By ALEXANDRA SILVER

A current article on CNN.com reads, “ Toronto’s Mayor is Stripped of Some Power”. After openly admitting to using drugs such as crack cocaine “in a drunken stupor” and using offensive and sexual language.

After this stunt, I would have expected to see Mayor Rob Ford leave office, but he claims that he will not be leaving his job any time soon. Despite this, he continues to make more mistakes when speaking to reporters and acting on impulse.

Mayor Rob Ford is clearly not too concerned with walking on eggshells. Although he wants to keep his job, he fires back at reporters with offensive responses that are hardly ever thought out well.

When asked about the sexual relations he had with an escort, he claimed that the woman was not in fact an escort, but rather a family friend. He explained that such “allegations” had “hurt his wife.”

 He is embarrassing the residents of Toronto and refuses to step down or take a leave of absence. According to sources, most members of the city council support the idea that Ford take a leave of absence, but he has refused, leaving the other council members powerless and helpless.

 We can only hope that he gets back on the right path and fixes his mistakes before he destroys his career.

The value of celebrities in news

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By MELISSA MALLIN

I often wonder why so many people obsess over celebrities and why famous people generate such high value in today’s news cycles.

I understand why entertainment magazines value celebrities and their gossip as news worthy. It is entertainment and that’s what the magazine is all about — the entertainment industry.

But it seems absurd, (at least to me) that CNN, Fox News, and so many other worldwide news organizations take the time to inform viewers about the lives of celebrities or, at least, contribute to the gossip about them.

So how did entertainment news and gossip become world-wide valued hard-news stories? And why are people more interested in the lives of celebrities than what’s actually going on in the world?

Celebrities represent people who are much prettier, better dressed and much wealthier than the average person. From a young age, we are predisposed to celebrities by watching TV shows and listening to music. We develop an appreciation for these artists and we become obsessed with our favorite people. Because we love our favorite actors or musicians we become eager to learn more about them and what goes on in their lives and less about our own. We focus more on when the next Britney Spears album comes out and less on doing homework and which college we’d eventually like to attend.

When we develop an interest for the characters we watch, and the actors that play them, we become obsessed and want to know everything there is to know about them. Entertainment news and gossip provide insight into the lives of everyone’s favorite celebrities. Many people consider celebrities to be their friends and, thus, want to know more about them. They show that celebrities, too, are normal people just like us who also experience heartache, destruction, and disaster.

The rise of the Internet, the invention of television and radio, as well as a slight decrease in education have all contributed to the role celebrities play in our mainstream news.

Regular news is often boring, negative, depressing and often hard to follow. Most people don’t take the time to follow or keep up with the news because it makes them feel bad. Celebrity news is entertaining, comical, relaxing and makes people feel good knowing that celebrities go through tough times just like we do. Celebrity news gives people a chance to break away from their own lives and into the lives of someone else.

But while entertainment news is interesting and provides a relief from our own everyday lives, when put into perspective, all celebrity gossip and entertainment news has done is dumb our society down by making Miley Cyrus more important and newsworthy than Congress or the president.

It seems outrageous that our news feeds would be filled with news of Kim Kardashian’s due date and Kate Middleton’s baby name than on our continued involvement in the Middle East or the ever-increasing interest rates of college loans and growing student debt.

In the long run, both beauty and fame fade (and it happens fast). By focusing and including celebrity gossip in our mainstream news, we are sending a message to younger generations that nothing matters as long as they’re famous and pretty.

But, as many of us know (at least I hope many of us know). life is not defined by how beautiful or famous we are, it is defined by the impact we make on society and the love we spread.

Being smart and intelligent is much more valuable than being famous and/or beautiful. Beauty and fame are easily disposable. Cultural significance and positive change last longer and are much more respected.

With this, I propose a change in celebrity gossip and the value they hold in our news. If the news reported on how political policy affected those in the social elite rather than just their physical appearance and wardrobe, then their coverage would be legitimately solidified. We live in a society that holds physical appearance as the only important value; if we are not beautiful or skinny, then we are not important. We need to re-evaluate and re-focus news on the things that matter — such as education.

Sure, the news holds negative and depressing stories, but that’s because our world is filled with such things. We are only hurting ourselves and our value of intelligence by dumbing ourselves down and distracting ourselves with the lives of celebrities instead of trying to improve our own.

For more please visit http://askville.amazon.com/people-interested-lives-celebrities/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=4760919 http://www.centralfloridafuture.com/opinion/coverage-of-celebrities-should-not-overpower-newsworthy-reporting-1.2830619#.Un6kHhaRTCEt

Social media can sway opinions

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By DANIELLE COHEN

Two black customers at the high-end department store Barney’s in New York City claimed to be subjects of racial profiling by the store’s employees.

According to the Huffington Post, Barney’s has been criticized for profiling African-American customers. Trayon Christian and Kayla Phillip were separate victims who recently have been examples of Barney’s profiling instances.

Christian sued Barneys after he was accused of fraud after spending money at Barney’s when he bought a Ferragamo belt in April.

Phillips filed a notice that she will sue after detectives stopped her outside of Barney’s after she made a high-end purchase of a Celine bag in February.

The CEO of Barneys, Mark Lee, apologized and claimed they have hired a civil rights expert to address the situation.

This situation is not only hurtful to Christian and Phillips and the people who could relate to this situation, but it is hurting Jay-Z and his fashion collaboration.

Jay-Z, who grew up in a life of crime in Brooklyn, is now an international star and rapper. He is very aware of civil rights. He is thoughtful and thinks about his  labels and if they would be considered racist.

He also stood up and spoke about the killing of Trayvon Marton, a black teenager who was killed because he was mistaken to be dangerous just because of his race.

Jay-Z is currently in the processes of collaborating with Barney’s to create a jewelry line and clothing line for the holidays in which he would not profit in anyway. Twenty-five percent of the total profit is planning to benefit economically challenged students to help them pursue an education.

There has been discussion in the news and social media because many of his fans believe that he should not continue his collaboration with Barney’s because of their racial profiling.

Saturday, Jay-Z announced that he had been “demonized” over his new collaboration and has been under pressure from all ends of social media to end his involvement with Barneys.

There have been Twitter remarks made to Jay-Z about this situation.

An online petition was even made to convince Jay-Z to drop his partnership with Barneys. This petition spread all over social media. This petition has received 13,670 signatures.

On top of all the social media recognition about this heated petition, people have been criticizing Jay-Z for not speaking publicly about his thoughts on the issue. This has even landed him on the cover of the New York Daily News.

Yesterday, Jay-Z spoke out. He stated, “I haven’t made any comments because I am waiting on facts and the outcome of a meeting between community leaders and Barneys.”

Because Jay-Z has such fame and such a large following, any news about him could and most definitely will cause a social media uproar with people sharing their opinions. If the news was not as established as it is today, people would be unable to retrieve all the information and they wouldn’t have the capability to share their opinions within social media networks. They also would not have been able to gather so many names on a petition.

In my opinion, social media are great for advertisers and for sharing news within seconds, but they also allow for a platform of negative opinions to be shared, petitions to be made, and people’s lives and reputations to be tainted.

After understanding what Jay-Z is going through, I began to think about how peoples lives would be changed drastically if social media did not exist because people would make more of their own decisions.

Social media is essentially creating a persuasive stream of comments that are unnecessary and that just simply complicate people’s lives.

There is news being created that is simply stemming from what people say on social media. If social media was eliminated this whole era of news would be eliminated.

The ‘unusual’ element found in news

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By DANIELA LONGO

On Oct. 10, “the most beautiful night” for Venezuelans took place in Caracas.

A group of girls showed their best looks to engage the jury and have the chance of becoming “Miss Venezuela 2013” and, therefore, represent the country internationally in 2014 in the Miss Universe competition.

After the night ended, Migbelis Castellanos was chosen as Miss Venezuela 2013.

This headline appeared in every newspaper of the country, Twitter and Instagram went crazy from the beginning of night to even a week after it happened.

Radio programs, TV shows and newscasts had the winner and the four finalists as guests.

For Venezuelans,  it seems everything else pauses on this night and they are able to escape reality for a while. This event is so powerful in this nation, that has the ability to unify a divided country.

During the “most beautiful night,” it doesn’t matter your political tendency or your social class, everyone is watching. Citizens are all happy to celebrate one more year of one of the things Venezuelans do best, beauty contests.

One of the elements of a good news story is unusualness. This element help journalists to chose whether a story is sufficiently important and interest to show the audience.

One thing is that the dog bites the man and another much different is that the man bites the dog. The first one is a normal behavior that might not deserve to be published by media because it’s a common situation, everyone already knows that a dog can bite a men. However, a man biting a dog its something rare that doesn’t happen often and society should be aware.

For journalists is necessary to find the right angle that develops that touch of uniqueness that can draw peoples attention and also gives society a valuable reason to hear the story.

The main purpose of journalism is to inform society of important things happening around the world that can affect them in some way or another. However, the way journalism functions varies from one country to another. This happens because each society, city and country is different; even each person is different and unique.

Journalism in Venezuela has become a rare thing and in the last five years has turned around completely.

This began with the nation’s political situation and censoring of freedom of expression. Venezuelan journalists in first place have to be very careful on how they communicate things without being subjective or biased by the government.

Another important fact is that with so many bad things happening every day, deaths, corruption, insecurity, bad economy, and more sad things have become the daily life, the common behavior of society. Headlines and news story are always about the same topics and normally are hard to digest.

This has caused a rare phenomenon that people have stopped watching or reading the news. They prefer to not be informed of what is happening.

I’m a Venezuelan and I can tell you how many times I have heard “change the channel or turn down the radio I don’t want to hear anything about the situation in Venezuela.”

People can’t be 100 percent uninformed. As much as a person wants to be far from bad news, the information will always come to you in some way or another.

We live in a world full of media platforms and news will get to you no matter what. Even trough the most basic form of communication, person-to-person communication.

The flip side of the Venezuelan situation is that when good things happen like the selection of the new Miss Venezuela, it becomes a rare situation and gets more attention than a political or economy story.

Normally, in journalism, a story like selection of the new Miss Venezuela might not even be published on the front page of a national newspaper or be the opening story of a newscast because it is not unusual, is something that happens every year.

The case of Venezuela shows how journalism varies depending on the needs of a society, and how something so common as electing a beauty queen every year can become an unusual news story.