Tag Archives: Celebrities

Say goodbye to Brangelina

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By ELIZABETH GELBAUGH

After more than a decade together, celebrity power couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie separated on Sept. 15. According to CNN, Jolie filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.

Though the pair were only married for two and a half years, they share six children, three biological and three adopted.

Brangelina fans around the world were shocked and craved more insider information. Millennials feed off of the latest celebrity gossip and entertainment news, but where should entertainment news media draw the line when it comes to delving into the relationships and breakups of celebrity families?

Whenever children are involved, divorces always seem to be messier. But how will constant publicity and prying eyes play a factor in the couple’s ability to divorce peacefully?

Many celebrities go to great lengths to keep their children out of the spotlight and give them a “normal” childhood. However, the Jolie-Pitt children will have even more difficulty coping with their parents’ divorce than ordinary kids with headlines plastered on every front page and media website, from tabloids in supermarket checkout lines to media alerts and twitter feeds.

“I am very saddened by this, but what matters most now is the well-being of our kids,” Pitt said Tuesday in a statement to CNN. “I kindly ask the press to give them the space they deserve during this challenging time.”

Unfortunately, I doubt reporters and paparazzi will take the pleas of this concerned father to heart.

So why do tabloids and even reputable news organizations, such as CNN and the New York Times, continue to report on celebrity divorces, regardless of the strain placed on the families, especially children, involved?

The answer is simple: money. News media organizations need revenue to survive and more eyeballs mean more ad revenue.

The news media are driven by the public’s voyeuristic interest, but coverage of private lives, even of public figures, seems incredibly invasive. In the case of Brangelina, not only are the media dragging the private details of a celebrity relationship out into the open, but they are taking innocent, and potentially unwilling, children along for the ride.

With this breed of celebrity news taking over, it’s easy to forget that the media’s original role is to act as a watchdog on government and serve the needs, not merely the wants, of the people.

Bosh ‘ready’ to begin new NBA season

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By NICHOLAS BRUENS

Chris Bosh is one of the NBA’s best big men and was on his way to another amazing season.  He was averaging 19.1 points per game and 46.7 percent shooting. Sadly, his season was cut short when he was diagnosed with blood clots and forced to end his 2015-16 season.

That was eight months ago.  Since his diagnosis. Bosh has been doing everything in his power to rejoin his teammates for training camp. He believes he has done so.

“I’m ready,” Bosh told the Bleacher Report podcast, “Uninterrupted.” “I’ve done all my work. I’ve done what I need to do working with the doctors.”

Bosh, who had the previous two seasons cut short by blood clots, plans to attend the Miami Heat’s training camp in Nassau, Bahamas, when it opens on Sept. 27.

The story presents an interesting choice for the news media and how they will follow it.  They can continue to portray it as a mystery or they could make this an uplifting comeback tale of an athlete overcoming odds.

Until this point, sports journalists have presented Bosh’s story as a “will he or won’t he” story about whether or not he could return or forced to retire. This angle is warranted considering the severity of the condition and that he has had multiple occurrences.

But now that he has stated he is back and “ready to play,” the news media have a chance to change their angle to a more positive view. Bosh could be represented as a hero type character or role model as some who represents the notion that people shouldn’t let the issues be handicaps. Or, we could see the other, more pessimistic, view, asking if he will be forced to end his season again.

That’s what makes this story interesting, it allows for the news media to look at how they wish to present it and make a decision based on how they want to portray Bosh as central figure of the story.

Documentary highlights fashion world

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By MIA POLLACK

Andrew Rossi’s fashion-filled documentary is taking audiences into fashion’s most exclusive party. Last night marked the opening of the Tribeca Film Festival and, with that, the premier of “The First Monday in May“

The documentary, directed by Andrew Rossi, focuses on the orchestration of the 2015 Metropolitan Museum’s annual Costume Institute Ball and pays full attention to the curator of the exhibit, Andrew Bolton, and his partner through the planning, Anna Wintour, the infamous editor-in-chief at American Vogue.

Vogue editors, models and fashion royalty alike hit up the red carpet at the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center last night to witness the events leading up to the Super Bowl of fashion.

Both Bolton and Rossi sat down with fashion industry rag Women’s Wear Daily to talk about the film and the process to which they filmed.

The two told WWD that shooting began in fall 2014 and that Rossi “…thought it was a fascinating opportunity to revisit what we qualify as art, why we have museums, and how they are changing, through the work of Andrew Bolton.”

Bolton, the curator for the costume institute at the Met told the publication that, “fashion is highly performative, as is film, and there’s a strong connection between the idea of creating identity.”

I have only seen the trailer, but from the looks of it, Rossi did and his team did an impeccable job of taking the audience on this journey of how this spectacle of a night is planned, as well as what happens when the lucky guests enter fashion’s most exclusive party. As The Guardian said it best, “Rossi pulls out all the stops to offer what amounts to ultimate VIP access.”

The Met is the epitome of all museums, and these costume exhibitions get better and better each year, I am really looking forward to getting a peak into a night that has fascinated me since I could fathom what the Met Gala was. The film is out in theaters tomorrow and there’s only a few more weeks left until Vogue and Bolton do it all again.

Swift unrecognizable on Vogue cover

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By SARAH BRANDT

Taylor Swift is on the cover of the May issue of Vogue. She looks completely different than usual in a rock and role style outfit and a completely different hairstyle. Taylor has already been on the cover of Vogue several times before, yet this is a new change for her.

This cover has gotten a lot of attention since it was released to the media. Swift is well known all over the world, which is probably a reason as to why her cover is attracting a lot of attention. But the main reason as to why everyone is taking about this specific one is because of her hair. Taylor has rocked many long hairstyles but no matter what she still manages to look awesome and have people talking about her.

Another reason as to why her Vogue cover has gotten a lot of attention is the story inside. Taylor mentions that for the first time in 10 years she does not have a specific plan of what she wants to do. She did not mention any new music yet, but she for sure is working on something very soon.

Additionally she addressed Kanye West’s new song where he says he made Taylor famous. For this we have to rewind to seven years ago when West argues at the MTV Video Music Awards that Beyoncé should have won the award instead of Taylor.

Overall, Taylor Swift will continue to attract the news media’s attention. No matter if it is posting pictures on Instagram with her boyfriend Calvin Harris or changing up her style for a magazine cover.

Model, 56, changes her industry

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By SIDNEY STERLING

What do SLiNK, the only plus-size fashion magazine in print and Sports Illustrated have in common? 56-year-old British supermodel, Nicola Griffin.

This past month, SLiNK’s Passion Issue hit the stands featuring Griffin. Instead of just focusing on plus-size models they decided to take the publication a step further. If size does not matter in the fashion world, why should age?

Following her feature in SLiNK, Griffin also flaunted her physique for a Swimsuitsforall campaign inside the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.

Once consumers and readers caught a glimpse of Griffin’s pieces, an equal amount of positive and negative opinions immediately created waves in the fashion industry.

However, at the end of the day, Griffin was not trying to offend anyone. Instead, she intended to make a bold statement and raise awareness.

In an interview with People magazine, Griffin stated, “”Young girls open magazines and it influences them so much about body image. I particularly think it is very good for them to see different sized women, because otherwise they can feel bad about themselves if they do not look like the models they are constantly viewing.”

Social media outlets and various respected fashion news sites are praising Griffin for her brave statements.

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In an article, Bustle.com stated, “I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that if anyone were to become the next mature supermodel, it would be Griffin. Her positive attitude towards body acceptance, age, and her beautiful gray mane are inspiring, to say the least. Here’s hoping that she will star in another editorial very soon.”

To my surprise, after searching Twitter and various news sites I could not find one negative comment about Griffin’s pieces.

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People on Twitter fell in love with Griffin, her body and everything she stands for.

Do you think our society will benefit from including a more diverse group of models in everyday publications?

‘Trump’s New York’ on a ferry ride

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By KATIE HOVAN

Philip Rucker of The Washington Post published an article Wednesday depicting Donald Trump’s New York supporters that were seated on a New York ferry during the evening rush hour to Staten Island.

Rucker describes several of the passengers through their jobs, appearance and background and he even juxtaposes a construction worker, a Hungarian immigrant, and a fashion model who all support the Republican candidate. The article is meant to be colorful and intimate, while shedding light on the different types of Trump followers and their reasons for supporting him.

Although it’s pleasing to read and I gained a greater perspective on the different types of people who support Trump and their reasons for doing so, I found that Rucker’s reporting itself is a bit too rightward leaning for my taste.

I feel that it’s important to be much more careful about how writers portray such a large group of people with so many different views. A Staten Island ferry ride may give a glimpse at Trump supporters, but it doesn’t speak for everyone.

I’ll admit that Rucker makes several attempts to express the voices of opposing New Yorkers, but the piece projects Staten Island, and New York, as a predominantly Republican area. The title itself gives the impression that most New York and Staten Island residents support Trump, and after reading the article, that’s is the idea that I was left with.

For me, it all boils down to perception. If I finish reading a piece and am left with a single idea about a large group of people, I consider it to be too predisposed.

I’m sure that my criticism is too harsh, given the fact that a writer can’t possibly listen to the individual opinions of all 8.4 million New York City residents, but I’d like to believe that there is a lot more diversity in opinion than those few people on the ferry who believe Donald Trump is representative of the typical New Yorker.

Equal Pay Day gains nation’s attention

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By ROBYN SHAPIRO

Every since World War I and World War II, when women started working the same jobs as men, there has been a gap in the earnings between them and their fellow male counterparts. Every since 1963 when the Equal Pay Act was established, women were supposed to get paid the same amount as men for doing the same job, however this has not been the case.

Although in the past 20 years the pay gap between men and women has decreased by 20 percent, at this rate it will not be until 2059 that women will receive equal pay to men.

This discrepancy between men and women is relevant to both low paying and high paying jobs. Back in October, Jennifer Lawrence spoke out saying that she was paid less than her male co-stars in the film “American Hustle.” This was discovered when Sony e-mails were leaked by hackers who called themselves the “Guardians of Peace,” in which other messages about Angelina Jolie and even President Obama were exposed.

“When the Sony hack happened and I found out how much less I was being paid than the lucky people with dicks, I didn’t get mad at Sony. I got mad at myself,” she writes. “I failed as a negotiator because I gave up early.”

Women often receive a lesser pay than men because they don’t know they should be negotiating for more money. Most of the time the women are not aware of the fact that their male counter part is getting paid more.

I think the discrepancy of salary between men and women in this era is unacceptable considering both genders can occupy the same jobs. As the media’s role to be the watch dog of society, I hope that giving more light to this topic will make women more skeptical of their salary and more active to receive the pay that they deserve.

Body image at center of attention

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By ROBYN SHAPIRO

For decades, the news media has provided society with our standards “beauty.”

Today, when someone thinks of a model they think thin, tall, structurally defined, striking, and other adjectives. Girls and boys alike use glamorous movie stars as their standards for beauty and often when they feel they can’t live up to those standards, they feel negatively about themselves.

Recently, CNN posted an article called “model has a cheeky response to fat-shamer” about British model Iska Lawrence who responded to a comment on an instagram photo where someone called her “a fat cow.” She responded of a series of photos, one where she is eating a bag of chips and flipping off the camera and another where she surrounds herself with bags of chips lying down. In the first caption she said “who gives an F what anyone thinks of you. YOU are the one who decides your self worth.” Lawrence is a model for Aerie lingerie and also a co-editor for Runway Riot, which promotes beauty at any size.

While the news media is making an effort to recognize the impractical beauty standards, I feel it will be difficult to solve the deep seeded societal standard.

In the second half of the article, the writer talks about how famous comedian Amy Schumer was featured in Glamour Magazine in an issue that “celebrated plus size.” Schmuer was not aware of this issue and was insulted by their feature.

“I think there’s nothing wrong with being plus size. Beautiful healthy women. Plus size is considered size 16 in America. I go between a size 6 and an 8. @glamourmag put me in their plus size only issue without asking or letting me know and it doesn’t feel right to me. Young girls seeing my body type thinking that is plus size? What are your thoughts? Mine are not cool glamour not glamorous,” said Schumer.

While in the first half of the comment she celebrates plus sized women, as the comment continues it is apparent she was insulted the fact the magazine considered her “plus size.” If being plus sized is beautiful and healthy, then why would she be insulted to be recognized in the feature?

While the standards are progressing to become more realistic and accepting, when role- model like celebrities can’t truly accept them it becomes harder for the rest of society to accept them as well. I appreciate the movement to accept all body types, but I believe it will be a gradual acceptance before the thoughts of body love will be solidified in society’s mind.

Clinton takes a ride on New York subway

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By BREANA ROSS

The amount of times celebrities and politicians are deemed “newsworthy” for doing things that are completely normal, day-to-day actions is amusing. From attending baseball games to eating at a particular restaurant, anything politicians do that seems to remotely line up with the lives of “normal people” is attractive to the public.

Yesterday, Hillary Clinton made headlines for utilizing one of the most common forms of transportation in her home state: the New York subway.

Thursday morning, Democratic presidential candidate Clinton rode the train one stop from the Yankee Stadium at 167th Street up to 170th Street. News coverage included that Clinton’s metro card failed to work at first but she eventually was able to get into the station. She hopped onto the train, rode for one stop, hopped off, and proceeded to a nearby diner for dinner. Clinton’s experience is a normal, daily course of actions for many people. So why is it special that she is doing something that millions of Americans do everyday?

First of all, Clinton’s New York subway excursion was no accident or coincidence. Politicians pull stunts like this all of the time to show a sense of normality in their lives. They want to seem relatable to the average American. Clinton’s subway ride was not a spur-of-the-moment decision. It was a pry for publicity, a campaign stunt.

The media fell right into the trap. Clinton did something to portray that she is relatable to the American public and the news media was right there to cover it, as if someone riding the subway is “newsworthy.” Riding a New York subway still does not make Hillary Clinton relatable to the average person because if you or I were to take a ride on the train, there certainly would not be a team of news media there to capture the moment.

Amy Schumer slams Glamour Magazine

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By MIA POLLACK

The Condé Nast publication Glamour Magazine has included Amy Schumer in a special “plus size” edition without permission.

Earlier this week, actress-comedienne Amy Schumer, called out Glamour Magazine on Instagram for including her in their special-edition issue for plus-sized fashion.

Schumer, 34, is best known for her Emmy-Award winning show, “Inside Amy Schumer” and summer 2015 hit, “Trainwreck.” She has certainly been received well considering her accolades in comedy and in Hollywood. She is the reigning funny lady, and even when it comes to body image, has joked about it herself, but I think this cover line pushed her limits a bit too far.

The line read: “women who inspire us,” and the list included voluptuous super model Ashley Graham (who also graces the cover), Melissa McCarthy and Adele. Schumer wrote back in response to the line that she, “…thinks there is nothing wrong with being plus sized. Beautiful healthy women. Plus sized is considered size 16 in America. I go between a size 6 and an 8.”

Being included in this list of women obviously came as a shock to Schumer, who also wrote that, “@glamourmag put me in their plus size only issue without asking or letting me know and it doesn’t feel right to me.”

Eventually, Schumer took her frustrations to Twitter, asking her followers what they thought of the flub that the Condé Nast publication made, leading to the mag’s editor-in-chief Cindi Lieve to respond.

Lieve wrote in her tweet that, ““We love Amy Schumer, & would never want to offend her,” wrote Leive. “To be clear, @glamourmag special edition never called her plus-size.”

According to the Toronto Star, the special edition issue of the magazine included Schumer in their pages due to the fact that in a 2015 cover-interview, Schumer talked in length about body positivity and that talking back to body shamers IS inspiring.

Schumer also got a ton of support from Lena Dunham, star and creator of HBO original series GIRLS. Following Schumer’s strongly worded message to the publication, Dunham spoke to People Magazine that there should not be categorization in fashion.

“I think fashion should be for women and it should be for all women,” says Dunham, 29.

Schumer’s reaction disappoints me, just as much it did her following: it amounts to body negativity for the young girls who look up to her for her confidence in herself, no matter if she was a size 0, 6, 8 or 16.

Weekend in Naples gains world attention

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By SARAH BRANDT

She is 20 years old, he is 23. If you have recently been reading about fashion, the name Gigi Hadid is not uncommon to you. She is a famous model, who recently walked her first Victoria’s Secret runway show with best-friend Kendall Jenner. Gigi’s recent boyfriend is the former one-directoner Zayn Malik.

The two have recently been photographed for Vogue in Paris. From sitting on a motorcycle to overlooking the city of Paris, their pictures are all over the Internet and attracting attention worldwide. Websites such as the Huffington Post, the Daily Mail and all teen websites from PopSugar, to teen Vogue have covered this as their top story of the week.

Zayn’s recent music video, Pillowtalk starred Gigi. Once this video was released the public went crazy about their relationship. This shoot with Vogue only confirms their relationship. It has attracted a lot of attention from the fashion and entertainment media. As Gigi Hadid has been on multiple front covers of magazines all over the world and walked in multiple fashion shows and Zayn used to be in One Direction, also known worldwide, it is no surprise that their photos are very popular.

This goes to show that even though they are both already very well known to the public and their fans all over the world, they can still manage to attract a lot of people by doing something as simple as a photo-shoot together.

Slimane breaks up with Saint Laurent

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By GRACE BERNARD

Hedi Slimane showed relationships really are messy for everyone after mega-fashion house Saint Lauren announced that he’s stepping down as image and creative director.

The house released a press release last Friday stating “at the end of a four-year mission, which has led to the complete repositioning of the brand, the Maison Yves Saint Laurent announces the departure of Hedi Slimane.”

On Monday, the brand’s Instagram made a drastic decision and purged itself of all things Slimane. The designer often posted pictures of everything from high-profile models in Saint Laurent clothing to palm trees branded with the Saint Laurent logo.

The rocky break-up comes as no surprise to fashion followers. Slimane’s long been in the face of controversy during his four-year relationship with the house. Rumors about his departure have been circulating all year.

Slimane time there was host to several milestones. He doubled Saint Laurent’s revenues to $787 million and completely relaunched the house’s identity.

Once known as Yves Saint Laurent, Slimane created a much more wearable brand. While this is what accounts for the brand’s huge revenue increase, it was the cause of widespread criticism of his supposed lack of originality.

The new Saint Laurent Instagram solely featuring a picture of Vacarello.

The new Saint Laurent Instagram solely featuring a picture of Vacarello.

The brand took to Instagram yet again to issue another blow to Slimane by reclaiming the acronym “YSL” in their bio. This outright reverses Slimane’s decision to drop the “Yves” from the label’s name.

As reproach for the fashion industry’s use of frail models increases, Slimane always stayed true to himself and worked almost exclusively with rail thin men and women. This decision was disapproved by many and contributed to his controversy.

While this relationship and subsequent breakup has certainly been tumultuous, it likely will sizzle out soon. Slimane has remained characteristically private throughout the entire ordeal.

The next big story out of Saint Laurent will center around where the house’s new creative director, Anthony Vacarello, will take the brand.

Kesha says she was offered ‘freedom’

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By MELISSA CABAL

In an Instagram post shared Sunday, singer Kesha says she was proposed a deal to gain her “freedom” only if she issued a public apology and retracted her accusations of sexual assault against Dr. Luke.

The pop singer first sued her former producer back in 2014 for battery and sexual assault and is seeking to cut off all contractual ties with him.

In response, Dr. Luke filed a countersuit and called her allegations “defamatory.” In his own words, he said he “didn’t rape Kesha” and “had never had sex with her.”

In the Instagram post she says, “I got offered my freedom IF i were to lie. I would have to APOLOGIZE publicly and say that I never got raped.”

“THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS behind closed doors. I will not take back the TRUTH. I would rather let the truth ruin my career than lie for a monster ever again.”

In February, a New York judge denied her bid for a preliminary injunction that would allow the singer to record music outside of her contract.

The news of the judge’s denial spread quickly which led the public and even celebrities like Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift to reach out to the singer in support.

As of now, her legal battle continues as she refuses to release music for the label until the contract is broken off.

NBA player center of cheating scandal

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By VICTORIA DE CARDENAS

A video surfaced last week of Los Angeles Laker Nick Young allegedly admitting to cheating on his rapper fiancee Iggy Azelea.

The NBA star was secretly recorded by a teammate, D’Angelo Russell.

Russell recorded Young allegedly boasting he had sex with a 19-year-old girl. It is unclear how the recording was leaked. He recorded the conversation when the two were sharing a hotel room on the road during the current NBA season.

With the leaked video, news stations are wondering what Iggy Azalea is going to do. Specifically, one questioning her response is “Inside Edition.”

I’m a big fan of “Inside Edition,” but it is not the show’s turf to ask the public what Azalea should do.

She is obviously going through a trying time and is probably very hurt by the possibility that her fiancee is a cheater and asking for public opinion about it does not make it any better, nor is it any of their business.

On Wednesday night, before the Lakers played the Miami Heat, Young went before the cameras and told reporters, “I don’t wanna get into my personal life right now.”

Russell expressed regret over the situation: “I feel as sick as possible … I wish I could make things better right away, but I can’t.” He has said he apologized to Young for the recording.

Inside Edition even took upon themselves to create a poll to ask the general public what Azalea should do.

It is no ones business what Azalea and Young do with their relationship but theirs. “Inside Edition” and other news outlets should step away from the public decision making.

Hyzagi strikes at publishers, editors

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By MIA POLLACK

This week’s fashion story has gone viral.

You’d never think a fashion industry insider would rip his peers to shreds, let alone publicly, but this week, one did.

The now deemed “blacklisted freelancer,” Jacques Hyzagi did the unthinkable; he went on a tirade, going after the publishers and editors that put his eloquent stories in their magazines, in a now viral story published by the Observer on Thursday.

He went after any major fashion publication you can think of, Vogue, The Atlantic, GQ, New York, but the most important one of all is Elle. Hyzagi described in his 4,000-word piece what it was like to work at a fashion magazine through a story in which he snagged an interview with the notoriously shy Comme Des Garcons designer, Rei Kawakubo. (Hyzagi calls her the “Bob Dylan of the fashion industry…”).

In the article, Hyzagi explains that the sought after meeting with the Japanese designer was called on and off within such a short time span, that he describes his thought so perfectly, you can imagine it yourself: “You would think that the extremely rare interview of the most sought after and talented living designer in the world would be of importance to ELLE.” But clearly, do to the unknown fate of the interview, the importance factor became less apparent.

When hunting around the Internet for reactions, fashion mega-blog Man Repeller was right on it. Deputy editor Amelia Diamond had incredible insight into the article: “I am not in the position to make fun of another’s writing or editing, nor am I remotely qualified to question another human’s mental state. Snark, no matter how tempting, is unhelpful. But I will say this — a vague, politically correct understatement for the sake of my take on professionalism: There are many things odd and off about Hyzagi’s piece that have me questioning its validity on multiple levels.”

Later she answers the question as to why the story exploded for fashion insiders and lovers. Did it explode due to the fact that the author of the article spews forth so much anger and hurt that we can’t do anything but assume it is honest? Or because we want an insane amount of honesty or this hostile kind of honesty?

From DIamon’s point of view in answering these posed questions, she states that you obviously cannot believe everything that you read, but that she is pretty sure that it’s not an accurate picture of reality.

Lakers upset at Russell for video

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By WYATT GELLER

The Los Angeles Lakers season faced more issues after rookie D’Angelo Russell filmed teammate Nick Young who admitted to cheating on his fiancée rapper Iggy Azalea.

The Lakers, who are in last place in the Western Conference with a 16-59 record, now face trust issues with Young.

“It’s bad,” one team source told ESPN.com’s Ramona Shelburne.

“It’s about as bad as it can get. There were trust issues already. Now there’s no trust,” a team member said, according to Deadspin.com.

According to sources mentioned by ESPN, Young’s teammates have isolated themselves from him and when Young tried to sit down at a team breakfast, players got up and sat elsewhere.

This season, which is primarily a farewell tour for five time NBA champion and future hall of famer Kobe Bryant, continues to be a struggle for the Lakers both on and off the court.

Russell, who is just 20 years old, has played extremely well this season after being drafted 3rd overall by the Lakers.  It appears he has some maturity to improve on and trust to regain as the season concludes.

“It’s just unfortunate, man. It’s tough,” Bryant said in the Los Angeles Times. “I’m sure he’ll evolve. I’m sure he will grow and I’m sure he’ll be better from it.”

IMG hires male ‘brawn’ model

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By SIDNEY STERLING

A few months ago, Ashley Graham, a 28-year-old plus-size model, rocked the cover of Sports Illustrated’s 2016 swimsuit edition and forced the fashion world change the perspective regarding the typical model prototype.

Flash forward to this week. Male plus-size models are also revamping the fashion field.

Zach Miko, 26, a male plus-sized model from Stratford, Conn. with a 40-inch waist, signed to IMG’s “brawn” line this past week. IMG is one of the most prestigious modeling agencies in the world and manages models like Lara Stone, Freja Beha and Gigi Hadid.

In his attempt to stray away from words such as “large” or “plus,” Miko likes to be referred to as a “brawn” model. He has also urged IMG to call their plus-size female category “curve.”

In an interview with The Guardian, Miko stated, “I don’t find “plus size” offensive, but I think it’s the same [as fat] in that plus size has grown to have a negative connotation. Plus, means additional, outside; it keeps pushing that label of not being “normal”. If you see the word “brawn”, you think about physical strength and power, just as “curve” suggests sexy and confident, as opposed to “big.”

When taking a look at Zach Miko’s modeling resume, one might notice that he has only modeled for Target. However, Target is a big retailer in the United States and Miko immediately got attention from bloggers and various sites when his work hit the stands.

In an article about Miko, Teen Vogue stated, “As the fashion industry continues to try and diversify the body types, genders, and skin tones of the models it hires, more and more people are finding themselves represented on the runway and in magazines.”

Fashion outlets are calling this shift in the modeling world “genius” and “captivating” because it embodies the average person.

The Toronto Star also stated, “He’s blond, blue-eyed and his size-13 shoes are leaving big footprints on the fashion industry.”

People just cannot get enough of Miko and his brave actions are inspiring others to break the barriers our society self imposes.

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However, people will always have negative things to say. Many bloggers and social media consumers are calling Miko “fat” and deeming women plus-size models as “fat chicks.”

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Although our society and the fashion world we live in has come a long way, thanks to strong willed people like Miko, there will always be critics to any advancement in culture.

Do you think people should stop using the term plus-size and use names like “brawn” and “curvy?” Because of this revolution, do you think this will change the perception and dynamic of the fashion world?

Former CBC host acquitted in assault

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By MIA POLLACK

Jian Ghomeshi has been no stranger to the spotlight in the last few years. Cameras have consistently been on his trail, as well as his family, since news broke from the Toronto Star that he allegedly assaulted three women, including one of his co-workers at the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. The former CBC host was charged with four counts of sexual assault in 2014.

Following the speculation, the CBC dismissed Ghomeshi from his high profile position, in which he got to interview actors, musicians, politicians and other public figures. As a one-time listener, he was good at his job, but leads me to wonder, especially with his female guests and coworkers – maybe he was a “little too good” at his job.

On March 24, Ghomeshi was acquitted of his charges, following his first court date in early February in Toronto. He plead not guilty to assaults that supposedly taken place in 2002 and 2003. The trial lasted eight days.

According to CBC News, his team of lawyers released a statement saying that he had been “rightly acquitted of his charges” and that “our system of justice, that is what must happen in every case regardless of who is accused or what crime is alleged. That is precisely what occurred in this case.”

Since CBC was Ghomeshi’s former employer and the crimes he had committed to these women took place in the public-broadcaster’s headquarters in Toronto, they had the best coverage of the events. The CBC was there every single step of the way.

Screen Shot 2016-03-25 at 12.44.01 AMIn the light of the events that took place on Thursday, Ghomeshi’s acquittal comes as a shock.

It had been revealed that the witnesses gave inconsistent testimonies; ZK2the only testimony that remained somewhat accurate was Lucy DeCoutere, leaving the judge to believe that her statements undermined her credibility.

Screen Shot 2016-03-25 at 12.51.29 AMAccording to the Toronto Star, the key factors that led to Justice William Horkins to letting Ghomeshi go included:

  • The unnamed witnesses claimed that they did not know how to navigate the Screen Shot 2016-03-25 at 12.51.56 AM“proceeding.”
  • Justice Horkins said, “all 3 witnesses had similar stories’, but the ruling had to made individually rather than a part of a pattern.
  • In the end, all Justice Horkins had for evidence were the three witnesses accounts, if he couldn’t believe them true he could not convict Mr. Ghomeshi of his crimes.

Screen Shot 2016-03-25 at 12.52.20 AMAs mentioned before, due to Ghomeshi’s high profile career, he had the opportunity to interview several actors, politicians, and other public figures on his radio show.

Zoe Kazan, an actress Screen Shot 2016-03-25 at 12.52.42 AMGhomeshi interviewed back in 2013, opened up on her Twitter about the treatment she received from the now “free man” and how she now feels about it.

It is truly absurd in my opinion that the judge felt there was not enough evidence to indict Ghomeshi on his crimes. There is evidence from the CBC that he did commit these acts, even from the witnesses, but maybe from these women, they did not speak up enough during the trial to put their assaulter away.

Beyonce hires model with disease

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By SIDNEY STERLING

This past week, Jillian Mercado, a 28-year-old model and blogger, was chosen to be the face of Beyoncé’s new “Formation” clothing line. And I know what you are thinking. In the news media we hear about models every day, so how is this different?

Mercado was born with muscular dystrophy, a hereditary condition marked by progressive weakening and wasting of the muscles. She is permanently confined to her wheelchair and often faces limitations due to her disease. However, she has not let her condition hinder her hopes and aspirations to be a model and fashion blogger.

Beyoncé and Mercado fans can access her work by going to Beyoncé’s online store (shop.beyonce.com). On the site, the world can see Mercado showcasing her talent for modeling while wearing famous Beyoncé phrases.

For example, on Beyoncé’s online shop, Mercado poses in a grey sweater that says “I twirl on them haters” and a black hoodie that says “smack it smack it smack it.”

Beyoncé hand picked Mercado to showcase her new “Formation” line because she wanted to emphasize the need for diversity and acceptance in the modeling and fashion world.

Vogue gave Beyoncé and Mercado their stamp of approval by saying in an article that they think “Beyoncé is making a statement with this move, giving light to the importance of including more models with disabilities.”

Screen Shot 2016-03-23 at 10.20.02 AMThe Today Show stated that models like Mercado “continue to break barriers in the fashion world, proving that diversity is a good thing.”

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Beyoncé, Mercado and fashion fans are praising Beyoncé for this groundbreaking choice proving the acceptance by the social media world.

However, the news media are making it seem like this is Mercado’s first rodeo. She also modeled for Diesel and Nordstrom earlier this year

Hair swap of the century?

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By SIDNEY STERLING

The apple really does not fall far from the tree. Last year, Kim Kardashian nearly “broke the Internet” when she sported her newly dyed golden hair at Paris Fashion Week.

Now, her sister, Kendall Jenner, concealed her luscious brown locks in a bright blonde wig to strut down the runway in Balmain’s showing at the 2016 Paris Fashion Week.

Balmain had some of the top supermodels in the world change their hair color to the opposite hue to walk the runway for her clothing line.

For example, blonde bombshells, Gigi Hadid, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Devon Windsor rocked brunette wigs. While, brown haired beauties, Kendall Jenner and Alessandra Ambrosio, showed off their new platinum locks.

It is safe to say that the news media went insane about the hair swap of the century.

Even ABC News gave its two cents. In an online article, ABC stated, “Adding to the hairstyle drama, Hadid, who’s also 20, strutted out straight after Jenner, and in the place of her enviable blond locks she sported dark hair with a chic center parting.” However the news outlet also observed that, “The playful hair confusion was cheered by front row attendees Kanye West and mother-in-law Kris Jenner.”

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Entertainment and fashion gurus at eonline.com simply said, “Kendall Jenner, you look different …”

Even NBC Miami could not resist covering this “extremely important” news break. In an article they stated, “It was a tongue-in-cheek move on the part of Balmain designer Olivier Rousteing.”

It is interesting to think why a local station found it imperative to cover a story that contains zero relevance to South Florida news, interest or safety.

Just like the credible news sources mentioned above, fans of Balmain and Jenner, love the bold hues and stylistic choice by the designer.

Once again, to no surprise, the Kardashian empire somehow finds a way to steal the spotlight in the news media just by slapping on a wig.

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We have more important issues to worry about and do not have time to “break the Internet” when supermodels change their hair color.

What do you think of the news media’s reaction to the swap? How do you feel about NBC Miami taking the time to cover this “extremely important” story? Is our media focusing and reporting on irrelevant news?