How Could You Be So Heartless. LOL.

For the last 36 hours the internet has been abuzz and at the top of the trending topics and google searches is one man, Kanye West. During Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards, Mr. West went on stage after they announced Taylor Swift’s name for the Female Video of the year. Now I will be the first to admit that when they announced Taylor’s name as opposed to Beyonce, Pink, or even Lady Gaga, I was twittering away about my surprise at the choice but none of us could have prepared for Kanye’s stunt. He climbed on stage during her speech and snatched the microphone away from her. He then proclaimed that Beyonce should have won. (please see the video clip below). While he was doing it I kicked out about five tweets, and about 20 minutes later, he was a trending topic.

Kanye’s Beyonce outburst mimicked everyone’s thoughts when they read Taylor swift’s name, fortunately or unfortunately, he was in the position and obviously inebriated enough to jump on stage and say it. I read some of the public tweets and there was talk of racism, with the n word being tossed around, lots of douche bags (The AntiPopBlog called him the Doucher of the Day), and a slew of other negative things that I thought were a bit over the top, but were all a reflection of how people felt nonetheless. While I thought what Kanye did was mean, I never felt like he was the devil or evil, or stealing candy from a baby as some tweets pointed out. Maybe I am heartless or maybe I just didn’t see it as a big deal. West later took to his website to issue an apology and did the same today as well.

http://www.kanyeuniversecity.com/blog/

Today proved to be one of Kanye’s worst days as a celebrity, sure but lucky for him he had a chance to redeem himself, in the form of Jay Leno’s premiere on which he was slated to perform with Jay-Z and Rhianna. Prior to the performance, Jay Leno brought out Kanye who requested a chance to speak. He was apologetic and based on his appearance, it was clear that he was sincere. Jay asked him how his mother would feel about it and his 20 second pause and struggle to hold back tears showed his sincerity.

I must say that I am kinda on Kanye’s side. As far as what he did to Taylor, it was rude, but in his defense, we were all thinking the same thing, he just had the balls to voice his opinion. And while its not an excuse, he had been sipping on Hennessey the whole night, starting from the red carpet.

I think when he sobered up and realized it didn’t go over as well as his drunk mind may have thought it would’ve, he sincerely apologized. So I suppose now the question becomes do we forgive this man who continues to act out? A man who lost his mother, who was one of his closest friends, and never took time to mourn. A man who is fed up with not being able to lead a private life when he wants to, as he is constantly hounded by paparazzi. A man who is egotistical and also emotionally unstable. How do we deal with him when he acts out? I honestly think we expect too much of celebrities. They are still people. They can be mean, they can be rude, they can be nice, then can be anything that someone in your everyday life is. We expect them to be perfect, but why? If we look at all of the deaths that have happened as of late, we can see what happens when celebrities are pushed to the limits, while they don’t deal with financial issues, such as job loss, and healthcare, they deal with things that most regular people cannot imagine. They end up addicted to drugs, they party too hard, and they act out in egotistical ways. Imagine not being able to do something as simple as going to Target. That is something Kanye can’t do and something Michael Jackson couldn’t do. Imagine how that could effect someone. When my ex put me on a pedestal I couldn’t stand it, imagine the whole world putting you on a pedestal. So while I feel bad for what happened to Taylor Swift during her special moment, nothing in me wanted to jump on the I Hate Kanye band wagon.

Fashion’s First Ladies: Michelle O. vs. Jackie O.

There are many reasons to be excited about Obama’s presidency and one of them is the new first lady Michelle Obama. Michelle Obama brings a chic confidence back into the white house, something that has been missing since the 1960s, the last time we witnessed feminine swagger in the white house. Mrs. Obama has been turning heads since inauguration day. We’ll start there, since I’m sure we all remember that awful misstep in Chicago, the night of Obama’s victory speech. I shudder to even think about the red and black Nirciso Rodriguez dress. From the greenish gold Isabel Toledo number that she sported during the day at the inauguration events, to the gorgeous white ball gown designed by the little known Jason Wu, Michelle has been making moves towards becoming a fashion icon. But let me be the first to say she is not there just yet. While I can appreciate Michelle O’s simplicity, style, confidence, and grace, Jackie O is still the stand out First Lady. A fashion icon is one whose style transcends time. While Michelle O is too new to be described as a fashion icon, time is on Jackie O’s side and although her reign in the white house ended in 1963 (yes, that’s almost 56 years ago) with JFK’s assassination, and she passed nearly 15 years ago, her impression on fashion lives on. Her style was classic, elegant, and timeless. Many women are still sporting the large, Jackie O. inspired sunglasses. I know I own a pair. And judging from a few of Michelle O’s looks, she too has been inspired by Jackie O.

I will give Michelle credit for being a fresh breath of fashionable air, but I refuse to crown her the flyest women to hit the white house. Ask me again in 40 years and maybe my thoughts will have changed.

Election Night Fright

Inauguration Sophistication

Jason Wu, woos

Jackie O's signature sunglasses

A Timeless Beauty

Timeless Style

Her Inaugural Ball Gown

Random Question of the Day

If Michael Phelps were a black athlete, would his sponsors and the IOC have been so understanding?

Bill Gates: Role Model for the Wealthy and Everyone Else

Bill Gates is one billionaire whose philanthropy I could never question. In recent years, Gates and his wife Melinda have dedicated their lives and finances to a number of worthy causes, some causes which have never effected them personally. The Gates Foundation provides college scholarships for minorities, money for AIDS research, mosquito nets and other causes affecting developing nations. In this video, Gates, a self-proclaimed optimist (we have something in common), speaks at the 2009 TED conference and poses two questions, “How do you stop a deadly disease that’s spread by mosquitoes?” and “How do you make a teacher great?”. In a mere 18 minutes he manages to touch on the problem, from a variety of angles, and even offers up solutions, some of which are currently in place.

If nothing else, this video confirmed for me why it is that I’m going to London School of Economics in pursuit of a MSc in Development Studies, to become one of the “brilliant people who care[s] and draws other people in.”

I encourage you to take the time to watch the entire video. I promise that it will be worth your time.

more about “Bill Gates: Role Model for the Wealth…“, posted with vodpod

Etta James is Wildin’ Out

How funny is this? Etta James, legendary jazz singer, 71,  said “that woman…gonna get her a** whipped” in reference to Beyonce singing her song on inauguration day. Hilarious.

Lil’ Wayne: Charisma at It’s Best

I have seen a few clips of the highly anticipated and highly unusual Katie Couric Grammy interview with Lil’ Wayne and now that I finally found the full interview, I must share it with the readers. You really see his vulnerability, his maturity, his grasp on his past, his charm, his charisma, his ignorance, his “I am who I am”ness; this interview, shows the world who Lil’ Wayne is, sober, I think.

Couric does an amazing job during the interview. She challenges his ridiculous statements and shows her disbelief of his words. She asks the tough questions about illegal activities and his thoughts on Katrina. During their bowling session, it seems that Katie actually fell for the charm, notice how she holds his arm and her flirtation is in high gear. She looks and behaves a little like a high schooler on a date with a college student, and he plays right into it. He shows his command of the situation and you can tell his is no stranger to entrancing females with his charm. The interview is well done and quite clever and I look forward to Couric’s interviews of more Rap/Hip Hop icons.

Jennifer Hudson is Back!!!!

Following the tragic slaying of her mother, brother, and nephew, in October 2008, Jennifer Hudson understandably canceled all photo shoots, video shoots, interviews and performances. After many months of mourning, Hudson reemerged on one of the world’s biggest stages, the Super Bowl!! She was tapped to sing the National Anthem and did an amazing job. She was visibly nervous, but belted out one of her best performances to date. As the camera scans the Steelers and Cardinals players, they all look touched and you can see some fighting back tears. When I watched the performance, I had chills and I too fought back tears. Congratulations Ms. Hudson on a job well done!

Love It, But Leaving It: Bandage Dresses

Love It, But Leave It: Bandage Dresses – by jnabongo on Polyvore.com

Herve Leger’s Bandage Dresses have been the craze for almost two years now and based on the Spring/Summer 2009 Ready to Wear line (http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/show.aspx/full-length-photos/id,6788), they are going to continue to ride the wave of popularity. We have seen the dresses on everyone from Victoria Beckham to Rhianna. This dress, that has been wildly popular in recent years, was actually created in the late 80s, when Leger spotted leftover pieces of fabric, considered to be garbage, and decided to put the pieces together and create a form fitting dress. The recent trend actually got its start when wearing vintage bandage dresses became popular. The bandage dress (re)debuted in the Herve Leger by Max Azria Fall 2008 Collection.

I absolutely love these dresses but don’t think that they are practical for those of us that are not celebrities or wealthy. Don’t get me wrong, my body is definitely tight enough to be poured into one of these gorgeous creations that hug every curve with precision, but even though I am not a celebrity, I wouldn’t be caught in the same bandage dress twice (ok, maybe I could wear it once every other year). And with a price tag ranging from around $500 to upwards of $2500 I am not sure if I could justify the purchase to my closet, knowing that hell would freeze over before I wore it twice, let alone three times. Now when Herve or Max decide to impart me with a complimentary, fresh off the runway bandage dress, I will rock it properly with a pair of Louboutins, until then, I will leave it on the rack for celebrities, the wealthy, label whores, and the rest of the fashionistas that are sometimes delusional about their finances, in the name of fashion.

Now if you feel like you absolutely must own a bandage dress I suggest a few things, if you don’t have the income to wear this dress once and toss it to the back of the closet never to be worn again: 1. Get a solid neutral color, i.e. black, gold, white. This will not stand out as much, so you could get away with wearing it twice in a year, (as long as you avoid a few cameras) but people will still recognize how awesomely amazing you look. 2. Pair the dress with different accessories every time you wear it. Large bright clutches would definitely change the look and of course, change up the shoes. 3. Don’t wear it in the same city twice. If you have the money to buy this dress, then you should be a traveler too, so feel free to wear it at Lotus in NYC, Nikki Beach in Miami, and China White in London (that way you can get away with three wears in one year. ha!)

Bandage Dress Accessories – by jnabongo on Polyvore.com

Backstage at the Inauguration

Here is some footage from the stage following the inaugural concert on Monday, January 20th. The video shows footage of Beyonce, John Legend, Queen Latifah, and Mary J. Blige. Its really interesting to see celebrities in their normal element. John Legend is all about the promotion, he also seems to act a bit snobbish towards Michele and Grandma. Maybe its me. This video also shows President Obama’s human (read: black) side. Its a bit long but enjoyable nonetheless. Enjoy.

Artist Spotlight: Sia

WHO: Sia Kate Isobelle Furler, Australian Pop Singer

WHY: Several months ago, my friend Keondra introduced me to Sia. My first introduction to this fanciful singer was her song, “Breathe Me”, which helped to catipult her to the international stage. While the song is not for the faint of heart, as it is a tale of loneliness, self-mutilation, and low self esteem, it somehow it manages to be so beautiful. I must admit that I’m only familiar with two of her albums, Colour The Small One and Some People Have Real Problems, both of which have four star ratings in my iTunes library, which is pretty hard to achieve.

Colour the Small One, which is her second album is great for background music, but offers a little something extra with its colorful lyrics. Songs such as “Sweet Potato”, which is about two lovers who want to know everything about one another and “Moon” which is an ode of admiration, offer words that make you want her music to be more than just in the background. And while I don’t find myself singing along to many of her songs, I appreciate the lyricism and fantasy.

Some People Have Real Problems, Sia’s latest project has actually edged out as my favorite of the two albums. A little more upbeat and equally as random, I love listening to it as a ride my bike to work with a huge grin on my face. Her music manages to take me to another place. Imagine an all white room with splashes of color. Somewhere light, free, and fun. The songs range from running away from an abusive relationship, to messing up a great relationship, to the comaprison of lovers to binary codes and calculators.

With song titles like, “The Girl You Lost to Cocaine”, “Death By Chocolate”, “Academia” and “Little Black Sandals”, how can you not listen, at least once.

ALBUMS:  Healing Is Difficult (2000)

Colour The Small One (2004, re-released in the US 2006)

Lady Croissant – Live LP (2007)

Some People Have Real Problems ( 2008 )

WEBSITE: www.siamusic.net

This is the video of her performance on the Late Show with David Letterman on 13 November 2008. Her excitement at the end of the performance shows her humilty and made me love her as an artist even more!