andPOP - Pop Culture With Substance

As a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency, Angelina Jolie, accompanied by her partner, Brad Pitt, travelled to Syria to raise awareness of the situation there regarding Iraqi refugees.

In addition to meeting with President Bashar al-Assad and his wife, Asma, the couple visited two refugee families in the capital, Damascus, reports Perez Hilton.

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The Pitt family are becoming quite the impressive humanitarians. Brad Pitt’s brother Doug announced that the Brad Pitt family (including Angelina and the kids), Doug and his wife Lisa and Rob and Julie Neal (Brad’s sister) are making a $1 million donation to St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, Missouri.

According to perezhilton.com, the donation will be used to pay cancer specialists staffed by the hospital, as well as “new 31 pediatric unit, a 10-bedroom hospital-based Ronald McDonald House; and double the size the neonatal intensive and pediatric intensive care units.”

Because of the generous donation, the center will be renamed St. John’s Jane Pitt Pediatric Cancer Center, after their mother.

Angelina Jolie managed to take the post previously held by Oprah Winfrey on Ford’s list of The World’s Most Powerful Celebrities.

Their reason: She’s a gossip column favourite and never fails to get Oscar nods. But most importantly, Jolie’s latest blockbuster “Wanted” raked in an impressive $340 million at the box office.

Oprah doesn’t have too much to worry about. The self-made billionaire came in second and shows no signs of slowing down. Winfrey continues to host “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and a monthly magazine. The talk-show host has also sealed herself a three-year $55 million contract with XM Satellite radio and has developed a partnership with Discovery Communications to create an Oprah Winfrey Network.

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Angelina Jolie is reportedly back on the set of her latest movie after being taken to the hospital for a minor bump to the head.

The actress was shooting an action sequence for the thriller “Salt” in New York on Friday when she sustained the injury.

According to Columbia Pictures spokesman Steve Elzer, Jolie was taken to a local hospital as a precautionary measure, examined and released.

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5. George Clooney

This actor, was dubbed the sexiest man alive, is slowly shedding that reputation in place for one as one of Hollywood´s leading activists. Clooney is known for his passionate beliefs about ending the violence in Darfur and has said he will build support for the work the UN carry out,”critically important work in some of the most difficult, dangerous and dire places in the world”.

4. Sir Bob Gedolf

Best known for organising the 2005 Live 8 and 1985 Live Aids benefit concerts, this scruffy singer/journalist is tremendously well-informed on a broad range of global and national issues. Currently, he is heavily involved in the Make Poverty History Campaign, a campaign against third world poverty.  Bob was recognized by Time Magazine as one of the 2005 European Hero’s and made the front cover of their European Edition in 2005. With such an impressive portfolio, it´s a wonder this philanthropist has any time for making music.

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We are all familiar with this pandemic. We complain, gripe and moan about these starlets every move, but never admit that we revel in watching them struggle. We love them for their inability to maintain a clean slate, and in contrast, their remarkable ability to infiltrate our daily conversations.

5) Angelina Jolie

Why do females hate Angelina Jolie? There is one reason: jealousy. Not only did she steal Brad Pitt from his “golden marriage,” she also happens to be one of the most beautiful women in the world and has the nerve to be  happy with her ever-increasing family. Why do males hate Angelina Jolie? Because they can’t have her.

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Now this rant isn’t about Brad Pitt as an actor because, I’ll admit, I’m quite a big fan of both his performances and his movie career choices.

But it’s his personal life that I’m not the biggest fan of whatsoever. 

He’s like the forbidden fruit – the apple that most women around the world would love to sink their teeth into.  Just ask Angelina Jolie or, years before, Jennifer Aniston. (Yes, I just mentioned those two in a sentence without picking one over the other. It’s possible you know).

Yet as people continue to argue that Angelina is a home-wrecker (because she partially is) and that Jennifer makes shitty movies (because, for the most part, she does) I’ve always wondered why no one bothered to look at the real problem here.

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E! Online reported Warner Bros. has confirmed plans for a third “Tomb Raider” movie, which would feature changes for its leading character, Lara Croft according to the Hollywood Reporter. These changes will include the main character’s origin story as well as new missions, villains and love interests.

But the most notable change is a new Lara Croft. Producers have said they have not yet selected the new leading lady because they are waiting for a writer and a director to sign onto the project.

Although “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” and “Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life,” its sequel, were both produced by Paramount Pictures, Eidos has obtained the rights to its video game.

The first “Tomb Raider” film scored big at the box office in 2001, earning $275 million worldwide. The sequel however did not gross as high, but managed to pull in an impressive $157 million. Meanwhile the video game series has made more than $1 billion since its release in 1996.

Oprah Winfrey and Angelina Jolie are the No. 1 women in entertainment, according to two lists released Friday by trade paper The Hollywood Reporter.

Winfrey topped the publication’s annual “Power 100″ list, which ranks the most influential women in Hollywood.

The media mogul was chosen “based on her dizzying array of Oprah-branded media and her immense cultural influence,” editor-in-chief Elizabeth Guider said in a statement Friday.

All of the other women in the top 10 were studio executives.

Meanwhile, Jolie — who came in No. 24 on the power list — topped The Hollywood Reporter’s annual ranking of the industry’s highest-paid actresses.

She earned $15 million for her role in the action flick “Wanted” and could receive $20 million to star in a possible sequel, said the trade paper.

Taking the No. 2 spot was Julia Roberts, followed by last year’s top earner, Reese Witherspoon.

It’s safe to say that if you are a fan of Angelina Jolie, you probably aren’t too fond of Jennifer Aniston. And vice-versa.

They’re like Betty and Veronica. Brenda and Kelly. Blair and Serena. Blonde vs. Brunette. Lines have been drawn. Sides must be chosen.

Say what you will, but I’m on Team Angie.

Shocker (refer back to past Prerogative posts). And it’s not because she’s with Brad – the sexiest of all sexy. Or that she’s a UN Ambassador spreading good will around the world and saving lives in the process. Or that she has the most adorable, beautifully ethnically diverse children I have ever seen.

No. It’s because Angie would NEVER date a douchebag like John Mayer. And even if she did (ahem, Billy Bob), she wouldn’t go back for seconds after he PUBLICLY proclaimed the details of their breakup to a group of paparazzi.

Seriously. John Mayer is a self-obsessed, publicity-hungry idiot. And apparently, he’s also Jennifer Aniston’s boy toy (again).

This is the guy who after dumping Jessica Simpson, took to his blog to tell her to stop calling him. Classy. He seems like a keeper.

Any self-respecting female would move on with her dignity intact. Nope. Not Jen. She cares more about appearing to be over Brad than her pride or her self-respect.

Jen’s sleepover at John Mayer’s place after his 31st birthday bash (reported by OK! mag and all the major gossip rags) came just days after Angelina’s W magazine cover (shot by Aniston’s ex-hubby) featuring the star breastfeeding her twins was released.

Just days after the W article, where Angie gushes about the six kids piling into her and Brad’s bed every night, Jennifer Aniston gets back together with John Mayer.

Coincidence? I think not.

Jen is too calculated for that. Take this year’s Toronto International Film Festival for example. Brad and Jen were in the same city for two days. Gasp! Jen and her team of publicists made sure she was out on the town every night and even planted rumours she was hooking up with Gerald Butler.

Yeah, sure. Gerald is a player. Players don’t date desperate fame whores.

Yes I just called Jennifer Aniston a fame whore. Too harsh? Maybe. But I make no apologies. Jennifer Aniston is one of those girls who can NEVER just be single and confident. I hate those girls.

Those girls are the ones who let guys like John Mayer think they are hot shit. John Mayer thinks he is the man. He got Jennifer Aniston (aka Hollywood’s Hottest Desperate Fame Whore) to come crawling back. She bought into his pseudo-sensitive, whiny love-song façade.

Don’t get me wrong; I used to get down to the smooth sounds of Mr. Mayer but I stopped believing he was “dreaming with a broken heart” right around the same time he decided to make sure the world knew HE dumped HER. And yet, Jen only cares about one thing: her image.

She should probably start caring about her career. Her next movie is about a couple who adopts a dog that becomes too much for them to handle. Oh snap. We better be on Oscar watch!

In closing, I’d like to present you all with 5 concrete reasons why I will forever be on Team Jolie.

1) She’s not afraid to speak her mind and stand up for political and social issues she believes in. The only thing Jennifer Aniston stands for is SmartWater. Enough said.

2) Angelina’s last two movies were summer blockbusters Wanted and Kung-Fu Panda. Jennifer’s were Management and The Break Up. Angie clearly trumps Jen in the talent department.

3) Angelina just admitted she and Brad “fell in love” while on the set of Mr. and Mrs. Smith while Brad was still married to Jen. This should probably be a point for Team Jen right? Wrong. Angie saved Brad from Desperate Fame Whore. Point Team Jolie.

4) Angie is an Academy Award-winner. Did I mention talent?

5) JENNIFER ANISTON DATES DOUCHEBAGS LIKE JOHN MAYER. It needed to be reiterated.

So I’m sure this post will inspire more rage-filled emails than my rant on Lynne Spears. That’s okay. Bring ‘em on Team Aniston.