It’s the winter season and that means celebrities think it’s justified to roam around Hollywood in a ridiculously cheesy Christmas sweater. Said sweater does have it’s benefits. For example, if you’ve been at Nana’s house and ate a little too much roast beef, you can cover up your bloated belly with a Christmas sweater.

Some celebrities like Justin Bieber can look cute in just about anything. But men like Cee Lo Green and John Mayer only end up looking like clowns. You may argue Snoop Dogg doesn’t belong in a Christmas sweater because he’s “too gangster” but that’s precisely why he can rock it.

Let’s take a look at some of our favourite celebrities looking ridiculous yet festive. You can check out more holiday madness at Oh No They Didn’t.

Justin Bieber

John Mayer 

Cee Lo Green

 That hot dude from Criminal Minds

Snoop Dogg 

Conan O’Brien with Mike Tyson, Max Weinberg and Andy Richter

Hanson

Kristen Dunst

Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin 

Hilary Clinton

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

I’d obviously find it strage if Hanson were to launch a line or perfumes or handbags, given  the fact that they’re girls. So, I guess the manliest form of a money grab would be to launch your own beer.

NME reports the three brothers from Tulsa Oklahoma, who have been making music since the ’90s, will release an Indian pale ale called “MMMhop” next year. It’s obviously named ater their 1997 smash hit “MMMbop”. That song is seriously catchier than anything any cast member of Jersey Shore’s ever gotten.

Drummer Zac Hanson spoke out at the Oxford Union two days ago, saying “it’s vital our fans trust in everything Hanson do. We are soon going to be selling our own beer. I’m not joking – Mmmhop IPA anyone?”

The southern brothers have launched other products in the past, but Zac promises nothing too questions will ever be released under their name.

“We have a board game and even a record player to play our last record on, but we will never make dolls, lunch boxes or toothbrushes that play our songs for example,” he says. Hallelujah!

If anything, I hope Hanson’s beer tastes better than Dan Akroyd’s red wine.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

It turns out that Amy Winehouse was inspired to get into music by the band Hanson.

Isaac Hanson, the oldest of the brothers, only learned this recently and was touched by the news.

He tells WENN, ”It is tragic to see people not be able to fully deal with that inner turmoil, which unfortunately, most artists, including myself, have. You have this tortured element within you and you’re throwing yourself out there emotionally.

“God rest her soul. I feel so bad for her that she was not able to reconcile whatever was going on inside her… It sounds like there were so many lovely, lovely elements of who she was and unfortunately there were some darker elements that clearly got the better of her.

“I didn’t know that she was a fan.”

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

So what do you prefer? New Hanson or old Hanson? We put both music videos beside each other below and you tell us.

Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’

HANSON | MySpace Music Videos

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

Taylor Hanson is expecting a fourth child, People magazine has confirmed.

Hanson, 25, and wife Natalie, 26, will be expecting their newest addition in the winter.

“Each of our kids has made life richer and more exciting,” they told the mag. They also appear to be having another boy, saying, “We can’t wait for this guy to join the party.”

Taylor’s brothers and bandmates have a lot of catching up to do. Isaac, the oldest, has two children, while Zac just recently welcomed his first child.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

Hanson are touring in support of their latest album, “The Walk,” and they want you to join them in doing exactly that to help raise awareness of poverty and AIDS in Africa.

The brothers have embarked on a barefoot mile-long walk before each of their shows, and they’re inviting fans to join them on their trek.

Their goal: to improve the quality of life in Africa by inspiring action. According to middle brother Taylor, the shoeless walks represent the idea of walking in someone else’s shoes by “being in need.”

The walks are part of an initiative undertaken by Hanson and TOMS Shoes. After each of their walks, the band sells TOMS shoes. For every pair bought, another is donated to African communities.

The band’s efforts have already seen tens of thousands of shoes donated to needy children. The Hanson brothers delivered many of these shoes during a trip to Africa earlier in November.

TOMS was created by Blake Mycoskie in 2006 as a way to help impoverished children, with a “one for one” policy of donating a pair of shoes to an impoverished child for every pair that is purchased. Last fall, Mycoskie donated 8,000 pairs to children in Argentina.

Hanson became involved in the cause when they travelled to Africa and recorded their “Great Divide” charity single, which features a children’s choir from Soweto, South Africa.

Canadian fans, take note: Hanson will walk outside at 3 p.m. prior to their 9:30 p.m. shows at each of these venues:

- Dec. 2 Toronto, ON @ Phoenix
- Dec. 3 Hamilton, ON @ Studio Centre
- Dec. 5 Ottawa, ON @ Bronson Theatre
- Dec. 6 London, ON @ Cowboy’s Ranch

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

Taylor Hanson sounds exhausted. Our phone conversation is interrupted frequently by his long yawns.

You’ve got to give it to the man: he has every right to be craving a little extra bit of shut-eye. At just 24 years old, Taylor is co-running his own record label with two of his six siblings, promoting his album, “The Walk,” and organizing barefoot walk-a-thons to raise awareness of poverty and AIDS in Africa.

Oh, and he’s a married father of three. Not too time-consuming at all.

At least that rumour about a fourth child en route is false.

“It’s a complete rumour. We’re not expecting,” Taylor replies in a serious PR tone. But then, as an afterthought, exclaims, “I’ll tell you what though. That rumour has spread far and wide! There’s been a lot of babies in the air. We’ve got a lot of Hanson grandkids now,” he jokes. I can practically see him rubbing his face in sleepy disbelief.

Yes, the travelling Hanson family band is pretty huge already. Older brother Isaac, 27, also has a child with his wife, and Zac, 22, is married as well. Touring together must take a lot of coordination, to say the least. Taylor fondly compares it to how classic rock bands used to travel with their entourage of girlfriends and wives.

At least he gets a chance to stretch his legs. The mile-long walk-a-thons are held before every Hanson concert, where they raise money to buy needy African kids a pair of shoes.

“The walk is a symbol,” Taylor says. “By walking a mile, you’re really reminding yourself and the people that are around you that this is something that individuals are doing, but when individuals do it together it becomes something that has the ability to make a huge impact. Through the walks, we’re able to say, ‘You know what, this is what it’s like to be in need.’ When you feel the soles of your feet are raw and sore from walking that mile, you then are reminded that somebody might need something as basic as a pair of shoes.

“And it’s really not just about giving somebody shoes; it’s about starting the thinking process and asking, ‘What are the real things that I can be a part of doing? And what are the ways that I can make an impact here? And simple things that I can apply?’ And the shoes is the beginning.”

Taylor and his brothers will be strolling into Canada in early December (Dec. 2 in Toronto, Dec. 3 in Hamilton, Dec. 5 in Ottawa and Dec. 6 in London), which puts a few kinks in the whole barefoot plan. Other than the certainty of contracting hepatitis, Taylor fully realizes that braving the Canadian winter may not be the smartest move.

“We’re not saying that people absolutely have to walk barefoot. We’ll see. We’ll continue our walk regardless. One thing we don’t want to do is try and do something good and give everyone pneumonia.”

Illness is definitely not an option, especially for Isaac. Following a near-fatal pulmonary embolism last month, Isaac is preparing for more surgery.

“He’s actually doing fine,” Taylor sombrely assures me. “I mean, he has a significant issue that he has to face. Fortunately, he had the blood clot removed and is technically okay as long as he stays on top of those issues. He’s got a rib and a collar bone that are pinching the vein which is causing that to happen. So he’s going to have a rib removed at the end of the year and have to kind of take a break for six to eight weeks so that can heal. It’s definitely something we’re all very thankful that he made it through, and was just saved by being able to recognize that issue and doctors doing an amazing job. But he’s okay.”

There’s that tired voice again. The idea of losing his brother and band mate is definitely a heavy thought.

How about discussing the ways in which recording, touring and promoting have changed since the band broke up with their label in 2001 and formed their independent label, 3CG? Oh, I see that’s weighty topic as well.

“I think, honestly, the biggest thing generally was to maintain the path we’ve had creatively. We were in the process of having to adapt to this changing music business in a bad way before we left. You know, it was this very corporate system and a lot of very non-creative people that are working at this record company. It was just a matter of, we want people that really believe in what we’re doing in the long run and want to be a part of building our career. That’s what the decision to start the label was. We want to be in the position to control what we’re doing. Also, going forward, we do want to be involved in supporting other artists and helping to create a record company in an environment where we can empower other artists to succeed. [This business] is about building fanbases in the long-term, having a relationship with [your] fans and a career. Not just trying to have a quick hit single and move on.”

Yes, gone is the carefree “MMMbop” Taylor of yester-year that I fawned over while reading Tiger Beat at age nine. (Well, to be honest, Zac was my favourite. But I was not impervious to Taylor’s pretty.) And maybe it was to prove they weren’t those floppy-haired little kids anymore that they braved the Howard Stern Show this May. Taylor laughs recalling the ordeal, when Stern grilled them on their masturbatory habits, if they’d had premarital sex and whether they smoke pot (It’s all on YouTube, if you want the answers.).

“Our wives were horribly nervous, but they handled it really well and were understanding of the situation,” he recalls. “You don’t go onto Howard Stern thinking that it’s going to be clean-cut. We decided that we wanted to go on there and present our music and be kind of talking about what we’re doing with somebody who is perceived as kind of a hardliner. And what’s great about it is when you can go in there and have somebody like Howard Stern basically give you props as an artist. That’s the most important thing, because you’re speaking to an audience that’s isn’t necessarily up to date on what you’re doing. And you’ve got somebody who’s known for advocating things that he’s really into. And he was really, really supportive. So the stuff that was really embarrassing… well, it was more than embarrassing, it was awkward. You know that that’s just part of what it is to go on Howard Stern and you kind of have to deal with it.”

Yes, that’s pretty much the best way to sum up Taylor Hanson right now: he’s dealing with it. Dealing with the balancing act of being a family man on the road. Dealing with the weight of responsibility he feels to use his music as an inspirational tool. Dealing with the scary idea of his brother’s mortality. And dealing with his legions of fans who support him in everything that he does….

Well, I guess that last one helps.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

Hanson’s plans to make a comeback have been put on hold after Isaac Hanson, 26, was rushed into surgery after a concert this week. An emergency surgery was performed on the singer after a blood clot in his lungs was discovered.

According to Ken Philips, band spokesman, Isaac was diagnosed with venous thoracic outlet syndrome, which is also known as Paget-Schroetter syndrome. It is a potentially fatal ailment that occurs when a blood clot forms in an arm or shoulder vein. After experiencing pain in his side and arm, Isaac sought medical attention.

As a result, the band was forced to cancel shows in the U.S. but hope to commence the tour on Oct. 8.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

HANSON star ISAAC HANSON has become a first-time dad after his wife NICOLE gave birth to baby boy CLARKE EVERETT last week.

Hanson, 26, the eldest of the sibling trio behind 1990s mega-hit MMM…BOP, wed last September.

In a posting on the group’s website, Hanson admits the birth of his son has been a huge inspiration: “I know that his presence in my life will continue to inspire me.”

(c) 2007 WORLD ENTERTAINMENT NEWS NETWORK LTD. All global rights reserved. No unauthorized copying or re-distributing permitted.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

Isaac Hanson and long time girlfriend Nikki Dufresne will be married this Saturday, Sept. 30th, 2006.

Few other details are available, but TulsaWorld.com is reporting that the couple have obtained a marriage license.

Isaac, 26, is the eldest member of the hit 90s pop band Hanson. His brother and band mate Taylor is married with 3 children and other band mate and brother Zac is married with no children.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

Tired of the politics attached to being part of a major label, Hanson started its own label and released an independent album, Underneath, in April of 2004.

Before the album’s release, the three brothers proclaimed that if this became a success, other artists would approach them in envy, hoping to find out how they thrived without being part of a major.

Almost a year and a half later, they are immensely satisfied. The album debuted at number one on the independent charts and 25 on Billboard, and has allowed them to tour across the world, something they hadn’t done in almost four years, since their previous release.

“It’s really an invigorating and inspiring process for us,” Isaac Hanson tells andPOP.

The success is also a relief. If one of their major label releases flopped, it would be at the expense of the record company. With Underneath, Isaac, Zac and Taylor Hanson invested their own money.

“When you’re taking a risk of forming a record company and promoting it yourself, it’s obviously an immense risk,” says Isaac. “You need a long term plan, not just a short term plan. Even if Underneath didn’t do as well as it had done, it would just be one brick in a giant wall of bricks, in the sense that you’re not just relying on one thing. You’re relying on multiple things to build a future. For us, the plan not only includes more records from us but working with other bands and helping them to start careers.”

That next release will be in the form of a live album, The Best of Hanson: Live & Electric, scheduled for release October 11.

All their hits — from Mmmbop to Penny & Men — are included in live form, as well as such covers as Radiohead’s Optimistic and U2′s In A Little While. They perform their earlier hits, like the Grammy-winning Mmmbop, with different and more mature interpretations.

“Although it is a new interpretation, it is very positively familiar also,” says Isaac, 24. “It’s the same band. You’ll hear the familiarities.”

The band is also gearing up for a five-week tour starting October 18 in Atlanta. Before performing, they’ll visit universities, and present a documentary they created, “Strong Enough to Break,” which details why they took the indie-route. They’ll also speak to students about the music business.

“We’re going to be talking about the record industry, what fans can do to get more involved,” he says. In the documentary, “you see the antagonist and protagonist elements to that [major label] relationship. You see in part where artists can be overly zealous and where the record company is trying to hold on to the creative process, when in reality they should be letting the artists do their job.”

They plan to release their next studio album in 2006, and Isaac says don’t expect more of the same.

“I think people are going to get a sense of almost a live dynamic to this next record because although there are plenty of mellow songs that will be on the record, I think you’re going to feel that spontaneity that I hear in old Aretha Franklin and rock and roll records where you hear the room,” he explains. “That?s the primary goal for us, just making sure that that’s captured to its full extent.”

And after that, they’ll get back into the studio and do it all again.

“There may be plenty of other things that we do, working with other bands, that will be expansions of who this band is, but I think Hanson as a threesome will be releasing music for 20 years.”

More: E-card

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance

Four years after the release of their moderately successful second album, Hanson has returned in a big way with a fresh acoustic sound, an older look, and a new label – their own.

The trio of brothers left the major labels behind, instead starting 3CG Records and releasing “Underneath.” The album debuted at number one on the Billboard independent sales chart late last month, and was released in Canada on May 18.

Zac Hanson, now 18-years-old, took some time to speak with andPOP on a recent promotional trip to Toronto. Watch the interview to hear him talk about the new album, the new label, MmmBop, and much more. And come back soon to enter our exclusive Hanson contest where you can win some autographed Hanson goods.

If you can’t view the video, please read this.

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance