The Name Game-Celebs Whose Fame Came Through Their Notable Last Names

Only in Hollywood does a last name carry such an instant stigma. You wouldn't immediately trust a surgeon solely on the fact that his father was a good surgeon. You wouldn't trust a dentist just because his mother was a good dentist. Stars such as Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Kim Kardashian, and Kim Stewart are all considered celebrities, however no one can really pin point their talent that made them famous. Essentially, these girls are just the wealthy, attractive young girls who go out and party a lot and have a recognizable last name.

Famous For What?

Art or Pornography?

15-year-old Miley Cyrus, star of favorite pre-teen show Hannah Montana, posed topless (chest covered) for the cover of Vanity Fair. Above is just one of the many photos of Cyrus that has caused controversy. The Vanity Fair photo shoot was done by famed photographer Annie Liebovitz. According to Cyrus, the shoot was Liebovitz's idea, and that her aim was an "artistic" shoot. The outcome, however was parental outrage - including parents who call for a "bonfire" for the Hannah Montana merchandise. Today's children are growing up too fast as it is. Childhood is being usurped by mass media and pop culture. There is a lack of positive role models at the moment within television and film for pre-teens. Perhaps this is a need that media should be focusing on - rather than creating sexualized versions of young teenagers in order to sell magazines.

Paparazzi & Celeb's Kids

Should paparazzi be held accountable for taking photographs of children? I think so. I was reading an interview with Julia Roberts where she discussed her distaste for photographers that tried to get a picture of her child stating "I get pissed off, because I think that it's inhuman to chase a woman with her children." I think its one thing to take pictures of the celebrities, but their children should not be hounded, nor should they be when they are with their children. Celebrities knew what they were getting themselves into when they decided to become stars, but their children had no choice in the matter and should be left alone.

Below is the link to Julia's Interview with Vanity Fair.
http://www.vanityfair.com/services/presscenter/pressrelease/julia_roberts200712

Celebrity Sacndal

Celebrities are people we look up to and admire from a distance. We place them on a pedestal and assume they can do no wrong. But this myth is shattered each year as we see our favorite celebrities go bad and do things that make us blush or make us angry. Tiger Woods recently endured a lot of public flack for his infidelities, and as a result lost many sponsors. In the new Nike ad he tries to redeem himself. After his public apologies and his stint in therapy do you think the public will be able to forgive him? Do you think they will be able to support him as a golf pro at least, or do you think it will be impossible for the public to separate his private life from his professional life? Lastly, is it really any of our business what he does in his private life, after all he is a professional golfer and he did not do anything to disrupt the golf industry, impair his golf performance, or hurt his fans personally.

Below is the ad for Tiger's Nike ad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpJFFPnk5ZU&feature=related

Celebrity Look-a-Likes

Celebrity culture is no doubt something our society is obsessed with. More people tune into entertainment news programs than they do actual informative ones. This is just proof that of our society's infatuation with celebrity culture. Recently Facebook launched a campaign called doppleganger that calls for people to use an application that allows you to find your celeb look-a-like, and then set their picture as your default for all your facebook friends to see. Many people took part in this because its fun to see which celeb you look like, because it brings us closer to celeb culture. People in general like anything they can relate to and they like when they can relate to celebrities Another reason why people may have enjoyed this application is because they want to be like celebrities and being told you look like one makes you feel like one.

Below is a site that allows you to find you celebrity face twin.
http://www.facedouble.com/

Is Reality Tv Real?

Reality TV has become the leading genre in television recently. Its suppose to contain documentary footage of real people in their natural states living their real lives, but the camera often alters personalities and creates "fake" documentation. Show such as MTV's the Hills has been criticized for be fake and scripted, but by adding a camera into the mix doesn't that create an unreal and unnatural situation in the first place, so no matter what wouldn't "reality" TV be an impossible concept? And do we really care as long as it provides us with entertainment?

Below is a link discussing the topic
http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2007/11/so-the-hills-is-sort-of-scripted-does-anyone-care/

Too Thin- Celebs That Contribute To Body Image Problems

Many Celebrities have been criticized for being too thin. Britney Murphy, Kate Moss and Calista Flockhart are all celebs that have taken a hit for their thin frames and been accused of contributing to image issues of young girls and an eating disorder epidemic among young girls. However, many of them claim that they have a naturally thin frame and can't help it. Is this all just a bunch of BS or is it the media picking scapegoats? The media and the public have bashed celebrities that are too thin and has revolted against this look with ad campaigns such as the Dove one. People have also boycotted fashion shows and labels that feature models at unhealthy weights. Is this a step in the right direction towards improving body image and encouraging a healthy one, or is it unnecessary ridicule against celebrities who have naturally thin frames? And who's responsibility is it to monitor the celebrities who portray a poor body image?

below is an website bashing celebrities who have become to thin.

http://teens.aol.com/style/skinny-stars

Whats Hot & Whats Not-Celebrity Styles & Trends

Celebrities are the ones who set the trends for us, particularly when it comes to fashion. Nicole Richie and Misha Barton are responsible for elevating the "hippy chic" look that has been so popular for years. What is your opinion about celebrities being given the power to set trends with in our culture? Do you think it means they have a the luxury of deciding whats cool, or do they have a responsibility to the public to create responsible and proactive trends? Do you think their position allows them to dictate our culture?
Below is a website discussing style and showing celebrities engaging in the latest trends

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://celebritytrends.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/what-is-it-all-about.jpg&imgrefurl=http://celebrityfix.net/celebrity-trends-what-is-it-all-about/&h=319&w=277&sz=32&tbnid=gurvXAOj48eM0M:&tbnh=118&tbnw=102&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcelebrity%2Btrends&usg=__NR268zfLh-cTkLClrNE5oL_2BIA=&ei=ZejYS8_uGMH78Ab8_7iYBg&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=6&ct=image&ved=0CCIQ9QEwBQ

Should Celebrities Be Considered Role Modles?

Celebrities often get criticized for their poor behavior and decisions because they suppose to be role models. Celebrities such as Brittney Spears and Christina Aguilera have said repeatedly that they do not want to be considered role models, they just want to entertain and live their lives. But considering their position as a celebrity and the constant media attention they receive is it possible to not pay attention to them, idolize them, or even make them our role models? Do you think that celebrities have the right to say that they shouldn't be considered role models, even though their position as a celebrity requires for them to have a fan base? Below is an article about Britney Spears being voted the worst role model.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/16381980/

Success via YouTube

With the invention of YouTube and Myspace and many other Internet outlets people are reaching celebrity status from the comfort of their homes. Mike Posner and Soulja Boy both used Myspace and YouTube to post their music in order to create a fan base. Their use of the Internet to promote their work has not only elevated them to celebrity status but also helped get them "discovered" and signed my record labels. Sarah Hyland is an actress/ comedian who also you YouTube to create a fan base and get "discovered", after her "La Sarah" YouTube video became an Internet hit, shows such as MadTV and Punked asked her to be part of their programs.
below is a link to Sarah Hyland's YouTube video and Mike Posner's Myspace.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYmBrLofu5Y
http://www.myspace.com/mikeposner

Heidi Montage's 10 Plastic Surgeries in 1 day!

At just 23 years old, The Hills star Heidi Montage decided to go under the knife for a second time and have a staggering 10 plastic-surgery procedures in one day! Heidi has been highly criticized for her actions by the media, fans and even by her family. But is there another side to the story? Everyone, especially the media, been so shocked by the initially story of her getting 10 plastic surgery procedures done that they have neglected to report on the underlying reasons for her actions. Montage attributes her decisions to undergo plastic surgery to years of being teased, the pressures in L.A. and her deep insecurities and her lack of comfort with her appearance.
"I was made fun of when I was younger, and so I had insecurities, especially after I moved to L.A. People said I had a "Jay Leno chin"; they'd circle it on blogs and say nasty things. It bothered me. And when I watched myself on The Hills, my ears would be sticking out likle Dumbo! I just wanted to feel more confident and look in the mirror and be like, "Whoa! That's me!" I was an ugly duckling before."-Heidi Montage (www.huffingtonpost.com)
Although I am not justifying her actions or decisions, I think most of what she did was unnecessary and ridiculous, I think the media did a poor job of reporting on the story because they only told it from one side. however, this often happens with entertainment media and celebrities stories-they report on the actions and decisions celebrities make everyday, but celebrities' voices are rarely ever heard on these matters. One of the biggest problems with celebrity and entertainment news and the fact that it doesn't capture stories from many angles nor does it ever give the celebrity a chance to defend themselves-it just puts them in an arena with a bunch of lions and no means of protecting themselves.

Plastic Surgery Addicted Celebs

Its no secret that celebs often go under the knife in order to stay looking young and to enhance their chances at getting roles. Many people criticize celebrities for getting plastic surgery, yet we trash them if they don't look perfect. Take Jessica Simpson for example, she has recently been criticized for putting on weight. Her recent change in size has been the subject of tabloid magazine headlines, blogged about and mocked in comedic skits. Disney's Ashley Tisdale, and Ashley Simpson are two young celebrities who have both recently had nose augmentation in order to enhance their appearance. People worry that the personal choices of these celebrities will have a negatively affect on young fans, the mother of a young Ashley Tisdale fan comments on the matter by saying "It concerns me that my daughter looks up to these girls, because they are so beautiful to begin with, and then when they get plastic surgery they are sending a terrible message to their young fans?"-Entertainment Tonight

As much as I understand where this mother is coming from and although I believe Hollywood contributes to the body images issues and self esteem problems of many young girls, I think that celebrities have the right to make the personal choice to enhance their appearance. Although celebrities are often role models and their actions have immense influence on their fans, I don't think the message they are sending to young girls is all that bad; although their actions aren't suggesting to young girls that everyone is perfect just they way they are, they are sending a message of reality- that if you don't like something about yourself, you have the choice to alter it if it will make you feel better, and that sometimes you have to do things to further your career- in the case of celebrities they have to "maintain their appearance" in order to stay employed.
However, if people don't like the messages celebrities are sending by getting plastic surgery, then they have the power to change that. Ultimately, we are the ones putting the pressure on them; the celebrities are controlled by the entertainment industry, but we control the entertainment industry through our viewing choices. In the late 90s and early Millennium when models and actresses were reaching unhealthy weights, people fought back boycotted shows and certian fashion labels until a change was made. I think the public often underestimates their ability to provoke change in Hollywood and the amount of influence their choices have the entertainment business- such as buying tabloid magazines and blogging about celebrities gaining weight.

Celebrities and the paparazzi who photograph them have long had a strained relationship. Flashbulbs welcomed by celebs at movie premieres are annoying at the grocery store.
But what was once considered intrusive behavior by the photographers may now be construed in some quarters as criminal.

"When Lindsay Lohan got into a car accident last week in Los Angeles, police arrested a photographer for intentionally driving into her car."A crime is a crime and we are going to enforce the law," says William Hodgman of the L.A. district attorney's office.
He adds that some paparazzi have gone too far in their hunt for celebrity prey: "What is clear, at least at ground level, at the paparazzi level, is that there is a competition to get a shot, that is purchased by others, and that the intensity of this conduct is crossing the line into criminal behavior." -CBS News Online

Paparazzi are the devil to many celebrities, they are the reason celebrities have no privacy, often feel harasses and violated. but without Paparazzi we wouldn't have access to celebrity track to the extent that we do today, celebrity culture wouldn't be the phenomenon that it is, and reality TV stars would be long forgotten quickly after they were off their show. What do you think? Do you think Paparazzis are all bad? and Do you think they are responsible for celebrity culture being as huge as it is?

Is Celebrity Culture Bad For Kids?

Children of all ages watch TV and movies and become enthralled with the celebrities in them. But, is this affecting them in a negative ways, and if so if it affecting them worse than it has in the past? When author Jake Halpern surveyed several hundred middle-schoolers in upstate New York for his book Fame Junkies: The Hidden Truths Behind America’s Favorite Addiction, a little under fifty percent said that when they grew up they would prefer to work as a personal assistant to a celebrity than be a university president, corporate CEO, Navy Seal or U.S. Senator. And when the Pew Research Center polled 18-25 year olds in 2007, they discovered the vast majority listed fortune and fame as the top two goals of members of their generation, as opposed to helping others or becoming leaders in the community.The current increase in obsession with celebrity culture as aposed to a generation ago, could stem from the increase in entertainment television, gossip magazines, and celebrity news programs features on tv and the radio. The internet may also be responsible, because it is loaded with tons of pictures and information about celebrities and is constantly infiltrating our culture with these things.

One of my all time favorite celebrities is Tinsley Mortimer and she's getting a new show on the CW. Tinsley Mortimer is a blonde socialite who lives in Manhattan and has been described as "New York's pre-eminent young socialite". Drama is sure to ensue, because where ever Tinsely goes there's drama; for years the New York Socialite blogs are been tracking her every move and her pictures was guaranteed to be on front and center on Page 6 every morning. I think the show will be a major hit due to the on going media attention she has received for-and the demand for it- as well as because the show bosts a similar plot line to the successful CW TV show Gossip Girl, except its for real; Tinsley's lives the real life "Gossip Girl" lifestyle as the Queen bee of Manhattan's elite.

Art Imitating Life or Life Imitating Art

Ever notice that celebrities seem to constantly be dating their costars, especially costars of movies and shows where romance is in the plot. Celebrities have very unusual lives and are constantly on the go, they work long hours, their position in the public eye makes it difficult for them to have any real sense of normalcy, and thus interaction with everyday people or engaging in everyday activities like dating is very difficult for them. With all the obstacles present to a celebrity in terms of dating, its no wonder they date their costars-they're working long hours with them so they have time to get to know them, they're thrown into a romantic situation with them on set which can in some ways seem like a date (since dating is very hard for them) or be the chance for them to engage in dating activities, and once they're back on the go, they don't have to see eachother agian and can move onto the next romantic fling with the next costar.

gossip girl costars Penn Badgley and Blake Lively

Twilight costars Robert Patterson and Kristen Stewart

The Break Up costars Jennifer Anniston and Vince Von

Is 'Celebrity News' Gossip Or News?

This morning a report posted on a celebrity gossip forum read "Amy Winehouse ended up in the hospital over the weekend after falling in a drunken stupor and bruising her ribs. Read more on Amy below.

Troubled singer Amy Winehouse was wasted and fell, bruising her breasts, ribs and hitting her head. Thank goodness she didn’t pop her new boobs!"(PerezHilton.com)

Celebrity sightings, and tracings is often considered 'news' by the entertainment industry; there are countless 'celebrity news' shows and stations that report only on the behaviors and events of celebrities. But is this 'news' actually 'news'? I wouldn't consider it anything more than ceelebrity gossip and entertainment news whose success can be attributed to a society with as obsession with celebrity culture. In order for something to qualify as news is must be informative and educational and the level of report is professional and phrases such as "Thank goodness she didn’t pop her new boobs!" don't appear because proper etiquette is used and an unbiased method is followed which ensures that just facts are being delivered, not opinions.

Wow! Jessica Simpson Is Getting Fat!

Jessica Simpson stepped on stage at a chili cook-off looking much fuller-figured. So is Jessica Simpson letting herself go and getting fat? After stepping on the stage a chilli-cook-off looking a bit heavier than usual, media reports of Jessica Simpson gaining weight ran rapid through the media. Reports surfaced saying "Jessica has gained to a size 16 after years of hard diets and exercise." and witty comments were made saying "Jessica Simpson has apparently been enjoying her “game snacks” while watching boyfriend Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys".

But why do we care so much if a celebrity gains weight? Many of us fluctuate in weight and if someone of ordinary stature gains weight its not regarded as a major deal. With more than half of America overweight why does the public demand that our celebrities have absolutely flawless figures? One reason may be because we hold celebrities in such high regard and put them on such a pedestal that we have unrealistic expectation for them. We forget that they are human, just like us and because we treat them like Gods and Goddesses we expect them to be perfect.

Anyone Can Be A Celebrity

Snooki

From the Racheal Ray Cooking show to lat night T.V. with Jay Leno, the cast of MTV's Jersey Shore is everywhere! What started out as a controversial show with immense opposition for Italian American groups has become a cultural phenomenon. With the invention of reality T.V. any one can now be a celebrity, but what enables these ordinary people to reach celebrity status, the only difference between what a reality T.V. star is doing and any other person is the fact that they have a camera on them. I think reality T.V. stars fall into a completely separate sector of celebrity because they are actually normal people who have been given a lot of exposure and have become recognizable to a mass audience, but unlike tradition celebrities-actors, actresses, athletes, singers, musicians, models, ect.- these people are not reconizable for a talent, and will probably fade from the public's memory very quickly.