andPOP - Pop Culture With Substance

Spencer Pratt is one of those boys who, even at the age of 25, will always be a boy.

He’s the villain from the fake-reality TV show ‘The Hills.’ And while most people beyond Lauren Conrad cannot stand sitting in the same room as him, he does work hard at being the privileged son of a successful dentist.

Some us know it takes a lot to be obnoxious, spoiled and damn right irritating.

And while I resisted ranting about Spencer for several months now, his most recent  “headline” was simply the last straw (number 1 on the list below). In other words, with a move like that, Spencer is begging for some word bashing.

But why do most people really express a deep hatred or dislike toward Spencer? While there are countless of reasons, I struggled to narrow it down.

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I know what you’re thinking.

James Morrison

Since when do I rave more than rant? It appears that my admiration for certain figures in the pop-culture world outweighs my dislike for others. Odd but true. However, I assure you one thing:

It won’t last long.

But the reason for my back-to-back raves is due to one celebrity in particular—singer James Morrison (please note: not to be mistaken with Jim Morrison from ‘The Doors’).

James Morrison, the 24-year-old English singer-songwriter and guitarist, surely knows how to melt my heart. In 2006, his debut single “You Give Me Something” became a hit in Australia, Japan and Europe. His first album “Undiscovered” debuted at the top of the UK Album Chart and made Morrison the best selling male solo artist of 2006 in the UK.
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There’s something about certain male actors over the age of 40 (but have yet to hit the 50 mark) that makes ladies and men of all ages goo-goo-gaa-gaa for them.

You know who these men are. They are the actors that straight men will shamelessly admit that even they would fantasize about these stars.

These men are charming, attractive and, most importantly, talented.

So whether you are fifteen years their junior or ten years their senior, here are five (although there are many more) contemporary actors who still capture our hearts and make us blush like little schoolgirls.

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Music artists and movie stars never fail to entertain me (however, I do get easily amused). Whether I laugh with them (or, in most cases, at them) or actually pity their heartaches and failures (which doesn’t happen often)—I always look forward to the next celebrity hook-up/screw-up.

And the month of April did not disappoint. Here are the five best and worst moments in pop culture that made me grateful that such somewhat petty life moments in my life aren’t publicized for the world:

BEST:

5) Pink Reunites with H(e)art:

One can’t help but assume the following:

a) Pink’s estranged husband Carey Hart decided to give his relationship another try after watching the boyfriend/husband torturing, knee-breaking video his wife created for her single ‘Please Don’t Leave Me.’

Or

b) Pink and Carey realized that they are meant to be with one another, at least for another year.

Either way, I’m happy.

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Granted, parenthood is complex.  Children need unconditional love, stability and guidance. 

When parents fail to provide any of those needs, you end up with the childhood version of Drew Barrymore.

Based on the number of celebs who have entered rehab in recent years, it’s obvious that more than a handful have some loose screws. While many blame a star’s inability to adjust to a lifestyle of fame and fortune for their problems, perhaps more responsibility should be placed on those who have raised them.

Before you leave me a 500-word thrashing on how I must not understand the difficulties of parenthood, realize that I am not claiming that any parent of a celebrity is a horrible person—just someone in vital need of re-evaluating their very questionable parenting skills.

Without further ado, here are parents of celebrities who, like many of their children, need some mental help:

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Singer-songwriter, dancer, fashion model, actress Ciara is quite the force to be reckoned with. Even if you tried to, it’s almost impossible to deny her rising influence in the music industry.

After the 23-year-old artist first released her single and album ‘Goodies,’ (which sold over five million records worldwide) in 2004, rumours surrounding Ciara’s sex arose. Some critics assumed that this foolish speculation would result in an early demise for this young singer. 

But, in one of those (many) life moments, they were proven wrong.

Two years later, Ciara’s second album ‘Ciara: The Evolution’ went platinum five weeks after its release. Her chart topping singles “Get Up”, “Like a Boy” and “Promise” and her appearance in Missy Elliot’s Grammy award winning video “Lose Control” proved this artist was just starting to make her mark.

Now, Ciara’s upcoming highly anticipated third album “Fantasy Ride” is certain to be her biggest career hit to date. According to reports, the album includes guest appearances by Ludacris, Young Jeezy, Missy Elliot and the now media disgraced Chris Brown.

Both her collaborations with Enrique Iglesias for “Takin’ Back My Love” and Justin Timberlake for “Love Sex Magic” exude an overwhelming mixture of sexiness and classiness. In both videos, even with the presence of good/bad boys Enrique and Justin, Ciara manages to steal the spotlight.

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Back in the day, the word “Disney” brought thoughts of fairy godmothers, evil stepsisters and happily ever afters into our minds. The Disney stars that most of us looked up to were Cinderella, Pocahontas and, of course, Mickey Mouse (although now I’m not sure why).

But nowadays, all that has changed. When most children and teenagers hear the word “Disney,” they tend to think of the famous actors whose careers were launched on the television network, the Disney Channel. 

Due to shows like ‘Hannah Montana’ or the Disney Channel Original Movie ‘High School Musical,’ it is now virtually impossible to ignore any gossip associated with Disney’s princess Miley Cyrus or Brangelina wannabes Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens.

With plenty of shame, I will admit that even I watch some of these shows on a somewhat regular basis (I fully blame my boyfriend’s younger nieces for my sudden semi-addiction to shows like ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’ and ‘Sonny With a Chance’).

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When it comes to artists twenty and under, I tend to, how do I put this, ignore them.

If, on the rare occasion, these stars actually pen the music they sing, I have a difficult time relating to their stories about bubblegum and falling madly in love at the age of twelve.

But, in recent years, the likes of Rihanna, Joss Stone, Adele and, more specifically, Taylor Swift, have proved me (*cringe*) wrong.

And no, I do not consider Miley Cyrus or The Jonas Brothers remotely close in that category.  

From all of the young artists who have emerged in the last few years or so, Taylor Swift, without a doubt, is my favourite. Although barely 20, Taylor has cemented her place in the country-pop world.

Here are five reasons why I think Taylor will rock for years to come:

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When The Pussycat Dolls shot to worldwide fame after they released their dance hit “Don’t Cha,” perhaps above and beyond the other group members, critics and fans adored Queen Doll Nicole Scherzinger.

Now, four years later, it seems that the group’s lead vocalist receives more negative criticism than support. On sites like YouTube and other message board forums, countless of “fans” accuse Nicole of constantly providing lead vocals while other vocally talented members, most notably Melody Thornton, rarely, if ever, sing. 

But why does that still surprise people?

When the group originally signed their record deal, Nicole was specifically given the role of lead singer. At no point were Thornton, Jessica Sutta, Ashley Roberts, Kimberly Wyatt or ex-member Carmit Bachar given equal status in the group.

So yes, while the name Nicole and The Pussycat Dolls may be more suitable, I have yet to hear the other Dolls complain that they are just merely background dancers to Nicole.
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From time to time, I’m all down for some self-pity music. Once in awhile, I even like (some) lyrics that belt about broken hearts and broken dreams. But while some find such songs always comforting, others find an overuse extremely annoying.

I, of course, agree with the latter.

Let’s face it. We all have problems.  Some of us confide our hatred for life on our Facebook statuses or on Twitter (oh you know who you are).

Others, like myself, prefer to keep our sorrow to ourselves.

The best complainers are artists who whine about the roads they’ve paved. Oh and about the millions of dollars they earned. And about how their ridiculous fame is too much for them to handle, as though they had no choice in the matter.  

So, without further ado, here’s to the top five whiniest music singles (although there is many more) written by singers who, for one reason or another, think they have it a lot  worse than their fans.

(Warning: Do not be alarmed if Simple Plan takes up most of the five spots).

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