Tag Archives: Entertainment news

Weatherman swears on live TV

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BY: Gianna Sanchez

When watching the “Today Show,” most people expect a fun, bubbly morning show to help them wake up and have a good start to their day. While this is usually how the show may be, things took a turn for the worst Thursday morning.

Al Roker was tossing from the show to a weather forecast for the weekend. The meteorologist, Chris Cimino, must not have realized that he was live. When the camera cut to Cimino, he was featured saying “It’s just a weird f–ing thing, it’s just strange. Um, but I think if I didn’t do that, I wouldn’t have allowed myself.”

That’s all the audience got to hear until the mic was cut off. After, the 20-second silence, the show pictured a 10-day forecast on the screen with Roker going back on the screen. While some people, like Twitter user JDocMartin, found the mistake amusing by saying “Did I imagine it or did Chris Cimino accidentally drop the F bomb? #YourMicisHot,” others like Renny Hurst believe this “is not acceptable when my 6 year old is setting next to me watching the news.” An NBC spokesman issued an apology to all their viewers later that day.

How did this happen in the first place? Was it the fault of a producer for not telling Cimino he was about to be live, an audio board operator who lazily left on the mic for too long or was it Cimino himself? Regardless of whose fault it is, this type of behavior is unacceptable, especially for a show that is marketed to be for a family-type atmosphere.

NBC and Cimino definitely learned their lesson and it will probably come at a hefty price from the Federal Communications Commission. Cimino might be joining George Carlin for his colorful language on the popular morning show.

‘Endgame’ tickets selling rapidly

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By LESLIE ANNE DOMINIQUE

The blockbuster motion picture event of the year is arriving on April 26, with the release of “Avengers: Endgame.” However, if you want to get tickets, get in line.

Earlier this week “Endgame” tickets officially went on pre-sale. Due to popular demand of the coveted tickets, movie websites such as Cinemark and AMC crashed instantaneously

According to Fandango, in a matter of six hours, Marvel’s most recent project broke the record for highest pre-sale tickets purchased in 24 hours, a record that was held briefly by “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” But it doesn’t just stop there, Marvel fanatics are offering to pay hundreds and even thousands of dollars to get their hands on “Endgame” tickets.

Tickets for the movie have been appearing all over the internet on websites such as eBay. There are nearly 400 listings currently on eBay ranging from $100 to $15,000. In fact a pair of tickets was sold for $15,000 in New Jersey.

Starring Scarlett Johansson, Brie Larson, Chris Hemsworth and Chadwick Boseman, “Avengers: Endgame” is set to break box office records. Latest projections estimate that “Endgame” will bring in at least $250 million in revenue its opening weekend. If “Endgame” meets these expectations, it will beat “Infinity War” sales as well as “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” making “Endgame” the biggest domestic opening weekend in history.

“Endgame” targeted anticipation from audiences for an entire year. After the intense cliffhanger at the end of “Infinity War” and the introduction of a new superhero in “Captain Marvel,” fans will definitely be showing support for the movie event. Truth will be told when the Avengers unite to save the Marvel Universe on April 26.

This story has been released by multiple entertainment news sources such Wired and ForTheWin. Each website is reporting with the numbers to provide evidence of how influential this movie will be. “Endgame” is predicted to be the biggest movie money maker this year so, it makes sense for this story to be reported.

Avicii’s final album coming soon

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By ALEXA ECKEMBRECHER

Avicii’s family and friends are making sure fans get to hear what Avicii was working on prior to his unexpected death.

Tim Bergling, a.k.a Avicii, was a Grammy-nominated, genre-defining dance-pop songwriter and producer. He performed around the world at sold-out venues. Some of his most famous hits were “Levels” and “Wake Me Up”. However, Bergling died on April 20, 2018, near Muscat, Oman, when he was 28.

In a statement by his family and close collaborators on Friday, Avicii was close to completing his new album before he died nearly a year ago.

“He left behind a collection of nearly finished songs, along with notes, email conversations and text messages about the music,” read the statement. “The songwriters that Tim was collaborating with on this album have continued the process to get as close to his vision as possible.”

His new single “SOS” will be released on April 10 and will be the first off of the album, titled “TIM,” which will be released on June 6. It is expected to have 16 tracks on it.

Avicii’s team also added that “Since Tim’s passing, the family decided not to keep the music locked away — instead they wanted to share it with his fans all around the world.”

The statement also included a heartwarming video featuring Avicii in the studio with tributes from his family.

Proceeds from the upcoming album will benefit the Tim Bergling Foundation, which raises money to support people and organizations in the field of mental illness and suicide prevention.

I reckon that his untimely death sparked more conversations about mental health and I appreciate that most of the reports mention this. Likewise, I find it equally as important that the outlets mention that the proceeds will benefit the foundation that his family started a month ago.

Rapper Nispey Hussle killed

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By SHANIKA ISAACS

Nipsey Hussle was an American rapper and song writer from Los Angeles who was killed on April 3, creating an uproar in the black community.

His caused of death was as a result of obtaining gunshot wounds to the head and torso. According to Stacia Brown who wrote an article to The Washington Post, the conspiracy theory of Hussle being killed due to his connection with Dr. Sebi and HIV, proved to be false.

Many people believed that the documentary Hussle was working on with the herbal doctor, would prove that he was killed by government officials, for having the cure for HIV aids. A claim that would have dismantled the multi-billion-dollar pharmaceutical empire that ran the country.   

She explained in her article that this type of response from the black community was a form of grief where many were bewildered by his death as they searched for a deeper explanation. Hussle quickly moved from a hero status to a martyr. The murder suspect Eric Holder, Hussle’s best friend, was arrested and charged for his friend’s death and attempted murder for bystanders who got injured. However, Holder pleaded not guilty on Thursday to these charges with a $5 million bail.

Loughlin, Huffman appear in court

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By NAOMI FEINSTEIN

Actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman made brief appearances in federal court on Wednesday in Boston, both facing mail fraud charges for their participation in the recent college admissions scandal.

Both allegedly paid a college prep company to cheat on standardized tests or bribe college coaches to get into top colleges. They are among dozens of wealthy parents accused of participating in the scheme.

In court, Huffman and Loughlin both waived their rights for a preliminary hearing and were free to leave. Prosecutors are seeking prison for the defendants and these charges carry a maximum of 20 years. While others entered plea deals, Loughlin and Huffman have not.

Loughlin’s fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, was in court with her as he is also charged in the scheme; however, Huffman’s husband, “Shameless” star William H. Macy, has yet to be charged.

In the immediate aftermath of the case, the Hallmark Channel dropped Loughlin and she will no longer have a reoccurring role on Netflix’s “Fuller House.” As for her daughters, Olivia Jade and Isabella, they are still in enrolled at the University of Southern California despite their parents being accused of bribing the USC rowing coach to get their daughters onto the team even though they never participated in crew. However, USC officials said they are reviewing their enrollment.

The next court date has not been set, but prosecutors are going to make sure the defendants pay the price for what they did. Hopefully, the government can learn from this scandal and improve the college admissions process to ensure equality for all students. The amount of money one has should not be a factor in the college admissions process rather it should be focused on the students’ abilities.

Royal couple expecting first child

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By: KARLI FEINSTEIN

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are set to expect their first child within the next few weeks. The Duke and Duchess both announced they were expecting in early October 2018 during their 16 – day tour of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Tonga.

It’s only been 11 months since the wedding last May and the couple is already making way for the child to be seventh in line to the throne. Not only will this be the first child of both Meghan and Harry but also will become the first British-American baby born into royal descent.

Officials at Kensington Palace have been very secretive about the Duchess of Sussex’s exact due date. Meghan is said to have told members of the public at numerous royal events that the baby is set to be due around the end of April or the beginning of May. 

It is unlikely the baby will be delivered at the Lindo Wing at London’s St. Mary’s Hospital. This hospital is where Prince William and Harry were born, as well as where the Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine Middleton, gave birth to her three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. The couple is likely to choose another hospital, one closer to their home.

The sex of the baby has not yet been revealed. At an event in February, the Duchess of Sussex was overheard saying that the couple does not want to find out the gender of the baby until it is born.

When the baby finally arrives, both the royal family and Meghan’s family will be the first to be informed. British Prime Minister Theresa May and the Governor General of each Commonwealth Nation will also be informed, before the public, of the new baby’s birth.

Jane Merrick, a writer for CNN stated, “The new prince or princess will not only have that American heritage but will also be the first biracial baby in line to the British throne.”

What is happening here is something historical. The fact that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are about to have the first British-American, biracial baby is a thought no one in the royal family has ever had. I like to see that certain boundaries can be broken without the discrimination of race and ethnicity. 

Fans suspect a Hannah Montana reboot

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By LAUREN YELNER

After an eight-year hiatus, fans of Miley Cyrus, often known as Hannah Montana are expecting a reboot of the character than so many know and love.

The speculation comes weeks after another Disney Channel favorite band, the Jonas Brothers created an Instagram for themselves, and ultimately ended up reuniting and putting out music. The reunion of this band apparently made Cyrus nostalgic of her days on Disney with the “Jo-Bros,” who are some of her best friends.

Fans noticed an Instagram handle made for @Hannahmontana, the same way that the Jonas Brothers sneakily hinted that they would be reuniting. Cyrus later posted on her personal account a video of her in the famous Hannah Montana wig, singing the theme song to the Disney show.

She also featured a post on her Snapchat account wearing the same wig Hannah wore in the show where she said to fans “it was so hard going back and forth so I think I’ll just be Hannah forever!”

The statement is inspired by the Disney Channel show, “Hannah Montana” which premiered 13 years ago. The show followed a seemingly normal teenage girl, Miley Stewart, as she tried to balance being a regular teenage girl with also being a worldwide pop star when she put on her blonde wig.

Both Montana and Cyrus created music that many fans enjoyed. After the show ended, Cyrus continued on as a musician and actress and had a very successful career. Many girls look up to her as she has not only been around since the childhood of many, but she is also very philanthropic, starting her very own Happy Hippie Foundation. Speculation will continue about a Hannah Montana comeback, but no one will know the truth until it happens.

Charges dropped against Smollett

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By NAOMI FEINSTEIN

In a stunning twist, Chicago prosecutors dropped all charges against “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett on Tuesday after he was accused of staging a racist and anti-gay attack on himself. However, Smollett still maintains innocence.

Despite refuting Smollett’s claim of being a victim rather than the mastermind behind the attack, prosecutors felt Smollett’s completion of 16 community service hours and $10,000 bond donated to the city was a sufficient punishment.

Chicago police and Mayor Rahm Emanual are angered by the prosecutors’ decision, believing Smollett staged the attack upon himself to gain publicity and advance his career.

This shocking decision leaves many people confused across the state as well as the nation because the Chicago police had said it had plenty of evidence that Smollett did orchestrate the attack on himself.

In hearing this decision, I was shocked myself because I saw the sharp criticism against Smollett and calls for justice all over the news and social media. Top officials made appearances promising that Smollett will be properly punished for his crimes.

I am left wondering as well as many others if Smollett’s fame played a factor in handling of this case. If this was a regular individual, would they receive the same punishment for 16 felony charges? I do not think so. Not only that but Smollett continues to lie about really happened so he did not seem to gain any lessons from his community service hours. Is there something happening within the State Attorney’s Office of Chicago that we don’t know about? It definitely seems like it as the office has completely changed its stance regarding this case for no apparent reason. Hopefully, the Fourth Estate can get to work in exposing what is really going on here and provide people answers to their questions.

Kraft faces video evidence problem

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By KARLI FEINSTEIN

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is facing bigger problems than just getting charged with two misdemeanors of soliciting prostitution. Authorities say Kraft was recorded on video paying for and receiving sex acts. 

On Wednesday morning, Kraft and 14 other men who were charged in the scandal, filed a motion trying to prevent videos and any other evidence from being released to the public.

Antonio Williams, an associate professor at Indiana University’s School of Public Health who specializes in brand management in sports states, “If the footage shows what prosecutors and police claim it shows, it will be difficult for Kraft to deny engaging in illegal activity, and even harder for the NFL to minimize his alleged behavior when weighing possible sanctions.”

Kraft is the cases most famous defendant and could be facing a potential life time of humiliation if the video of him receiving an illicit massage goes public.

A complaint was filed on Feb. 25 in regard to the footage being illegally obtained in violation to the plaintiffs’ right of privacy.

Mark O’Mara an attorney based in Florida states, “Because the footage was obtained through a warrant, it’s likely to be upheld as legal, what’s in the defendants’ best interest is ensuring the footage doesn’t become public record. They can do that by keeping it out of the court file”.

In the motion filed on Wednesday Kraft, his lawyers, and the other plaintiffs mirrored the notion stating the evidence was completely confidential and discharged from disclosure due to the evidence not being produced in discovery.

Diana Moskovitz, a senior editor for sports website Deadspin, says the most serious consequence Kraft could face is losing his football team.

“For better or worse, he has such immense wealth and power it’s really hard to punish him,” she said. “He’ll still probably own the team. He’ll still have Tom Brady as his quarterback. Bill Belichick still gets to be his coach.”

Hearing a story like this is honestly not surprising. Rich and famous people are known for being involved in sexual scandals. I love Robert Kraft, but I think this situation could really take a turn for the worst. Even if you are billionaire, it doesn’t exempt you from being humiliated for the rest of your life.  

Media track Kelly, Jackson scandals

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By RYAN  GRILLE

Recently, two major scandals involving big name music artists were in the headlines. The first involved a heated CBS interview with R. Kelly after he was indicted for several counts of sexual abuse. The other involved a documentary series presented by HBO entitled “Leaving Neverland” that led to a revaluation about Michael Jackson’s legacy in the news media. Both were excellent examples of the power of journalism in public discourse.

The interview with R. Kelly was conducted by Gayle King for “CBS This Morning.” Throughout the interview, R. Kelly tired to defend himself from the charges made against him. The most memorable and most widely reported incident occurred when Kelly had an emotional breakdown. King was able to keep her composure while Kelly was throwing a tantrum. This led to widespread ridicule and disgust on the Internet. King’s interview with Kelly, along with her follow-up interview with Kelly’s girlfriends, are an excellent example of a reporter’s power to influence public opinion.

HBO’s investigative documentary focused on allegations of sexual abuse made towards Michael Jackson. Specifically, it focused a few key witnesses most notably Wade Robson and James Safechuck. Both men and their families gave testimonials that included graphic details on how Jackson groomed and abused them. Crucially, the documentary uses video and audio recordings, as well as several photographs, to back up the claims made by the interviewees.

The documentary resulted in many articles and outlets condemning Michael Jackson for his actions and questioning his legacy as the “King of Pop”. Despite this, many hardcore fans of Michael Jackson have attempted to rally against the documentary and discredit the claims made against him. While it is still up in the air as to the documentary’s long-term effect, the conversations it has opened up have been dominating the Internet.

Taylor Swift’s stalker breaks in, again

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By ALEXA ECKEMBRECHER

Last Thursday, a Taylor Swift-obsessed stalker was arrested in New York City again after being released from jail just 30 days prior for committing the same crime: breaking into her home.

Roger Alvarado, a 23-year-old Florida native, allegedly climbed a ladder and broke a glass door to get inside of Swift’s townhouse at around 2:30 a.m., police said.

According to sources, the pop star was out of town at the time and so police were alerted to the singer’s apartment by its automated security system. The sources also added that Alvarado did not steal anything from the property.

Alvarado, who is on probation after getting out of jail Feb. 5, has since been charged with stalking, burglary and felony criminal contempt for violating an order of protection.

This is, at least, the third time he has been arrested at Swift’s home.

In the previous break-in, which happened last April, police say Alvarado used Swift’s shower and slept in her bed. This offense is what sent him to jail for more than nine months and as part of the sentence, the judge ordered him to complete a mental-health program.

But two months before that, Alvarado was arrested for reportedly breaking Swift’s front door with a shovel.

In my opinion, I believe these situations occur more frequently because of websites and tabloids. They dedicate themselves to exposing celebrities and putting their last bits of privacy, like their personal home addresses, out for everyone to see at a grander scale. I think there should be more caution on what is reported on, in order to make sure public figures aren’t placed in even more danger.

Kacey Musgraves pays tribute to Selena

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By ALEXA ECKEMBRECHER

Kacey Musgraves paid tribute to her fellow Texan and icon, Selena Quintanilla in Houston earlier this week.

Almost exactly 24 years after the late Tejano singer performed her last live and broadcast concert, the Grammy-winning country star covered one of the adored singer’s most popular songs at the same exact venue.

Musgraves, 30, was scheduled to appear last Monday at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at the NRG Astrodome. She performed many of her hit singles, including songs from her Grammy-wining album “Golden Hour”, prior to surprising fans with Quintanilla’s song “Como La Flor”. Quintanilla, known simply as Selena, performed at the then Houston Astrodome on Feb. 26, 1995. Over a month later, on March 31, 1996, she was then murdered by Yolanda Saldívar, her former fan club president. Selena was 23 at her untimely death.

Musgraves posted about her performave on Tuesday on to her Instagram stories. She wrote “24 years ago Selena performed her last concert here. It was a dream of mine to be able to pay my respects to her iconic legacy.”

Musgraves also tweeted about the event on her twitter account. She wrote “Houston Rodeo! My Texan dreams came true last night. It was everything to me” in one tweet and then “Siempre Selena” in another, attached with a link to a video of her covering the song.

This caught the attention of Suzette Quintanilla, the late singer’s sister, who posted a clip of the performance on her own Instagram. “Awww this makes me wanna shed a tear! Takes me back,” the caption read. “A Big Big Thank you @spaceykacey for the love at the Houston Rodeo tonite with that SELENA Y LOS DINOS Jam!”

Fans all over the world praised Musgraves performance of all social media platforms.

I am glad this topic was covered because I am a big Kacey Musgraves fan and I absolutely love Selena’s music. Likewise, I am glad that all the articles I read mentioned the fact that Selena’s sister acknowledged Kacey’s tribute. Personally, I believe it made the occasion that much more special to Musgraves and the fans that were in attendance.


How, why media cover the Oscars

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By RUAN GRILLE

The 91st Academy Awards were broadcast live on ABC last Sunday. It was the first Oscars ceremony since 1989 that did not feature a host, as Kevin Hart withdrew from hosting following a controversy emerging from anti-gay statements he had made in the past. As they do every year, the media covered the event from various angles.

As the event featured many celebrity appearances, special attention was given to the fashion seen at the ceremony. One notable fashion moment was Melissa McCarthy’s bunny dress while presenting the Oscar for Best Costume Design. There were also many opinion pieces that commented on how the Academy Awards are a reflection of current trends in the larger Hollywood film industry, as well as the artistic merit of the films nominated. Notably, there was debate about whether “Green Book” was truly worthy of its Best Picture win.

The music press also reported on the musical performances at the ceremony, especially that of Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s performance of “Shallow”. On the political side, there were articles both praising and deriding the identity politics of the event. Notably, Donald Trump responded harshly to Spike Lee’s acceptance speech after he won an Oscar for “BlacKkKlansman”.

So why do the Academy Awards receive so much coverage?

The easiest answer is that the Academy Awards are arguably the most important and prestigious awards ceremony for film. As such, entertainment reporters cover the event thoroughly in order to gain stronger views. Despite this, the Oscars have been steadily losing viewers every year, despise this year’s viewership increasing 12 percent over last year. Essentially, the entertainment media cover the Oscars in much the same way sports media cover the Super Bowl, although admittedly not as zealously. Among the general public, however, there is an ever-growing antipathy towards the Oscars. Time will tell how the media will react to the Oscars in the years to come.

‘Empire’ actor charged for fa​lse report

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By KARLI FEINSTEIN

Actor Jussie Smollett, one of the stars from the Fox Television show “Empire,” is currently facing a felony charge of disorderly conduct due to a fake police report claiming two men attacked him in Chicago last month.

The Chicago Police believe Smollett paid two men $3,500 to conduct an assault on him. Chicago Police Department Superintendent Eddie Johnson said the “Empire” actor staged the attack on himself because he was unhappy with his salary.

According to Johnson, Smollett first “attempted to gain attention by sending a false letter that relied on racial, homophobic and political language.” This was a reference to a letter Smollett sent to to the “Empire” set before the attack.

Smollet first reported the “attack” on Jan. 29. He claimed two men were yelling out homophobic and racial slurs like “‘Empire’ fa***t” and “‘Empire’ n***er.” The men then apparently proceeded to choke him with a rope and pour an unknown substance on top of him.

The two men who allegedly attacked Smollett are brothers, identified as Olabinjo Osundairo and Abimbola Osundairo. They were arrested on Wednesday, but released without charges on Friday morning after police recognized new evidence of the case.

“When we discovered the actual motive, quite frankly, it pissed everybody off because we have to invest valuable resources,” Johnson said.

This case caused such chaos for no reason at all. The Chicago police were very upset that this gained so much attention when there are much more drastic scenarios happening right now in Chicago as we speak. 

At a press conference, Johnson said, “Before I get started, I look out into the crowd, I just wish that the families of gun violence in this city got this much attention because that’s who really deserves the amount of attention that we are giving to this particular in distinct.”

Hearing this story really bums me out, especially since I’m a big fan of the show “Empire.” Smollett took total advantage of his fame in this situation. He thought by faking an attack he could gain more money from the show and more respect from his fans. This behavior is so disgusting and I’m glad he will reap the consequences from it.

Actor Jussie Smollett no longer a victim

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By NAOMI FEINSTEIN

After “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett reported last month that he was victim of a racist and homophobic attack, Chicago Police now believe he orchestrated the attack upon himself, charging him with a felony of disorderly conduct for filing a false police report. He is being held on $100,000 bail and must surrender his passport.

Initially, Smollett told the police that he was beaten by two masked men as they yelled racist and homophobic slurs at him, placed a rope around his neck, and poured an unknown substance on him. Additionally, the studio where “Empire” is filmed received a letter filled with homophobic and racist language just a week before the attack.

Police were skeptical of Smollett’s story from the beginning, but still treated him as a victim until they completed the investigation. In a press conference, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said Smollett paid two brothers $3,500 to stage the attack as well as provided money for the materials. Johnson believes this was a stunt for Smollett to increase his publicity in hopes of receiving a salary promotion. Smollett, however, denies the allegations.

“Actor Jussie Smollett took advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career,” Johnson said. “Why would anyone especially an African American man use the symbolism of a noose to make false accusations?”

In the immediate aftermath of the attack, the news and entertainment media glorified Smollett as a symbol for the gay and African-American communities. However, many, including Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, were dissatisfied with how quick media organizations were to cover the attack.

“I just wish that the families of gun violence in this city got this much attention,” Johnson said.

Although hate crimes are widespread and happen daily, they rarely make the news. But in this case, it did because it involved a public figure. Thus, it was alarming that the media is so quick to publish a story about a celebrity, but when a common citizen deals with such an ordeal, it is rarely mentioned. Even staffers working for Good Morning America had doubts about Smollett’s story after he had an interview with GMA host Robin Roberts.

Some feel this will negatively impact future victims of hate crimes as they may be afraid to speak up in fear of being accused of making it all up. Smollett could have been a great leader, but his ego got in the way.

This ordeal will definitely further divide our country as the media will be under a lot of scrutiny for believing Smollett’s story and not waiting for the investigation to be concluded. In the end, Smollett damaged his reputation and the media’s credibility with individuals accusing media organizations for distorting reality.

Oliver entertains, informs his audience

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By RYAN GRILLE

British comedian John Oliver has become a leading figure in late night television in recent years. His HBO series “Last Week Tonight” has garnered critical acclaim and receives millions of views on YouTube. His most recent video, which was part of the first episode of the sixth season, touched on the Brexit controversy and the serious consequences it could have on the United Kingdom. This video is a perfect illustration of how Oliver entertains and informs his audience.

First of all, John Oliver’s videos are highly researched. The sources used to explain the situation at hand are often presented as a graphic on screen or even brought out as physical items. For example, during the video, he produced a physical copy of Theresa May’s Brexit transition plan. In addition, Oliver uses video footage from other media in order to more fully illustrate his points. For example, he will use footage of a local news station reporting on Brexit to legitimize his points.

Primarily, however, his show is concerned with comedy. Oliver not only uses each topic in order to craft a joke, but he often uses humor in order to get across important information to his audience. In this video, for example, he uses a Dutch boy band in order to further illustrate the EU’s response to Brexit. This approach keeps his audience entertained while supplying them with information.

While John Oliver’s content is informative and entertaining, it is certainly not flawless. One major criticism that can be lobbied against him is that his content is extremely left leaning in its discussion of politics. Also, while his videos are highly researched, he has been known to make a few errors from time to time. This can mainly be attributed to the format of his show being only 30 minutes in length and thus being forced to simplify a lot of information. Despite this, John Oliver’s content has not only impacted real legislation, but has also managed to build up a large fan following.

Grammys criticized for Motown tribute

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By LESLIE ANNE DOMINIQUE

Uh Oh! Did the Grammys really just do that? On Sunday’s biggest night in music, Jennifer Lopez graced the stage to perform a tribute in honor of Motown Records at the 61st annual Grammy Awards, and fans were not impressed.

Lopez took the stage took the stage to perform hits such as “Dancing in the Street,” “The Best Things in Life Are Free,” “Please Mr. Postman” and “Do You Love Me?” She also joined Smokey Robinson in a performance of “My Girl.” While, the performance was entertaining, her style of dress and salsa dancing had no relation to the Motown label.

For those who have been missing for the past century, Motown Records is a legendary Detroit record label known for popularizing Black music. Motown is responsible for the success of legends such as Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and, you guessed it, Michael Jackson. So maybe it can be understood why Motown fans were surprised to see Lopez parading the Staples Center stage in full leotard, to honor the label.

Fans took to Twitter to complain about the disaster. Many questioned why in Black History Month, on the eve of Motown’s 60th anniversary, would the Grammy’s choose Lopez, instead of a successful African American artist, to perform. Motown is a staple in the Black community and generated the first genuine respect for Black artists, thus the decision to choose Lopez was not fully thought through.

In response to all the controversy, Lopez spoke to “Entertainment Tonight” saying, “The thing about music is that it inspires all. Any type of music can inspire any type of artist. You can’t tell people what to love.” She went on to say, “It was for my mom. I could cry. It’s such a good moment. It’s just a dream come true.” Many find J-Lo’s defense to be sub- par.

Talented she may be, the Lopez Motown medley simply missed the mark and overshadowed the success and legacy of Motown Records.

This story has been widespread throughout the news media, being reported by various outlets. Some sources, such as The Grape Vine, reported rather harsh on Lopez and claimed that her performance gentrified the Motown genre. Whereas, “Entertainment Tonight” and many others defended J-Lo’s performance, not understanding the significance of the performance. Many commended her performance, missing the point of the entire backlash.

‘Modern Family’ comes to close

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By LAUREN YELNER

CNN and ABC have both recently announced the renewal of the 11th and final season of the hit show “Modern Family.” The show, which has been running for 10 years, is a favorite of many people. Each character depicts a family member that we all know and love, making it easy to relate to the show.

CNN announced the end of the show in a news story that did not come as a surprise to many. Fans understand that the writers can only come up with a few more topics before the show is exhausted. CNN included a tweet from one of the main actors of the show where he expressed that it will be very hard to leave something that meant so much to him.

The announcement also featured a quotation from the co-creator and highlighted the 21 Emmy awards, multiple Screen Actors Guild awards and the Peabody that the show received in its time on air. While many are sad to see the lovable show come to an end, many are excited to see where the characters lives will end up.

Clickbait in the news media

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By GIANNA SANCHEZ

One of the most common forms of getting someone’s attention online is the use of clickbait. Clickbait, by definition, is the content whose main purpose is to attract attention and encourage visitors to click on a link to a particular web page. I was a victim to this clickbait when USA Today posted an article titled “Liam Neeson wanted to kill someone.”

Once clicking on the article, I see that it’s not solely about Liam Neeson at all. One of the stories features him, however, the article’s main focus is what happened in news this week. The top story is about Liam Neeson, but as you read more, you can find political news and more global worming coverage.

This is a problem that I have encountered not only with this specific article, but with many news sites and articles around the internet. This wasn’t too much of a problem before the internet became prominent in the journalism world as the phrase “clickbait” hadn’t even become a phrase.

Clickbait titles almost seem like a necessity now. Every news site uses them to draw in viewers and clicks on to articles. Although it can be a good marketing tactic to get more people on a web page, it makes stories more about drama than the actual story. These titles have crazy names like the one from USA Today. They make people think they have to read it because something couldn’t possibly be so crazy.

Behind these crazy titles, however, are just the same stories we are used to seeing. Even though the style of journalism behind them hasn’t changed too much, the titles still throw off viewers and generate more excitement or drama than the articles themselves.

Rather than trying to think of a great title to get people to click on their articles, they should focus on how they are reporting their news. We should try and give the facts rather than come up with a scandalous title.

Keeping up with Rob and Chyna

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By NOELLE BARREDA

Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna are back at it again. The two seem not to let their long feud go after their uneventful split.

The new problem between the two is child support, Rob Kardashian, according to People.com, can no longer afford to pay $20,000 monthly in child support after his revenue has dropped after their split.

The domestic violence restraining order that put against Rob Kardashian from Blac Chyna is one of the main things that have impacted him in a negative way, especially since Chyna is publicly talking about it in interviews.

Robert Kardashian according to People.com went from making $100,000 a month to $10,000 month, which is a drastic drop.

Kardashian says that after his split with Chyna everything has gone downhill. All the public press and coverage from their relation has impacted him negatively. He even stopped filming for his family’s reality TV show, “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.”

The reality TV show brought him a revenue of $1 million a year or about $50,000 an episode in which he appeared, according to People.com.

Blac Chyna, on the other hand, has profited from their split and her revenue has gone up. Robert Kardashian now feels that she needs to pay child support since she is the one making the most money between the both.

According to People, “All child support obligations have been suspended while the stars work toward an agreement. Both sides have been asked to hand over several financial documents.”

The split couple is are set to meet in a court house in December to reach a settlement.