Feb 28, 2010

Take a Ride on my MJ Bike


Save the "are you kidding" comments for later, A-Listers. We have a contest to win! The official Marc Jacobs twitter account is giving away one of these darling bikes to the 1000th person to tweet "I want a free bike." Can't you picture me riding around midtown Toronto on this beauty? It's so old school, yet simple. I'm OBSESSED.

From Italian to Chilean to Jewish?

Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, the star of the boisterous Jersey Shore, celebrated the Jewish holiday of Purim last night in New York City.

Though Snooki's cultural affiliation has already been attacked once, the star had no problem showing her support for her Jewish friends. Saturday's Masks and Mayhem Purim event was held in the glass atrium by Solo restaurant in Manhattan. Also attended Jersey Shore's Vinnie Guadagnino and Sex and the City's Chris Noth, the stars had quite a scare when the atrium's glass roof collapsed.

Snooki tweeted, "Omg roof just collapsed at the purim event! We thought the dj was beatin the beat hardcore but nope, the roof couldn't handle snooki and vin"

Hope your next cultural experience goes a little smoother Snookers!

(Photo Credit: Jemitt Clark/WireImage.com)

Making Baby's Day


I guess crybabies really do get their way. After the video of three year old Cody crying over Justin Bieber went viral, the tot got a chance to meet the 15 year old Canadian crooner.

Obviously touched by Cody's "I love Justin Bieber" fit, Jimmy Kimmel set up the meet-and-greet for a March 1 segment of Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Justin tweeted, "Makin faces with Cody, Ciera, and @chynanny325!! Awsome family and Cody isn't crying..haha. Happy to supr"

Expect to see lots more YouTube videos like these!

Gold Canada Gold

Forget owning the podium, Canada owns the GOLD. Today's hockey game resulted in mass outbreak of Canadian pride and patriotism as our boys beat Team USA in a 3-2 overtime. Twenty-two year old skating god Sidney Crosby scored Team Canada's winning goal, propelling our boys into hockey stardom. This game will be called a classic for generations to come.

In other news, Canada has now broken the record for the most gold medals won by a country in the winter games. We may have finished third in the medal standings, but 14 gold medals is something to be proud of. Gold Canada Gold!

Feb 25, 2010

DWTS: Who Do You Prefer?

Dancing with the Stars is searching for a new co-host to fill the void left by Samantha Harris' departure. The front-runners are Mel B and Brooke Burke.

The Spice Girl (left) was a season five fan favorite and even managed to snag second place, while model Burke (right) was the recipient of season seven's mirror ball trophy. Who do you want to see as season 10's co-host?

Update: According to US Weekly, Melissa Rycroft (third place, season eight) and Kelly Osbourne (third place, season nine) are also in the running. The race is on!

Leave it to PETA


Tiger Woods may have lost many of his lucrative endorsement deals since his cheating scandal, but there is one ad that the golf pro probably wishes dropped him. PETA pokes fun at Tiger's sex scandal in a new ad campaign.

Known for their controversial advertising campaigns, PETA's ad includes the message, "Too much sex can be a bad thing...for little tigers too. Help keep cats (and dogs) out of trouble: Always spay and neuter!"

While Tiger's behavior and fame warrants the surge of media interest, his name certainly makes the matter more interesting. Honestly, if Earl and Kultida Woods had named their cub something other than Tiger, the jokes would have already stopped. It's just too easy to make fun of a Tiger...

SeaWorld Trauma: Killer Whale Attack

SeaWorld is mourning the loss of trainer Dawn Brancheau who died in a killer whale attack yesterday. Tilikum, a 12,000-pound killer whale, thrashed his trainer around underwater as dozens of horrified tourists watched. Brancheau, 40, was finishing a session with the whale after a midday show when it grabbed her, disappeared underwater with her and swam to the other side of the tank, flailing her around.





Brancheau died at the fins of the mammal she loved. Her mother laments that Brancheau fell in love with killer whales at age nine and dreamed of being a trainer.

This horrifying incident has caused people to once again question the ethics of holding mammals in captivity. As wild animals, killer whales are known as gentle creatures who only attack if provoked. While yesterday's incident marks Tilikum's third attack, can we really blame him for being aggressive? The whale has been cooped up in a pool for the past 28 years, after being captured off the coast of Iceland at age two. Being kept in such a confing space has obviously irritated the young whale.

This violent attack is forcing SeaWorld to quickly determine how to handle the whale. While a spokesperson told MSNBC that precautions had previously been in place to limit whale-trainer interaction, new measures must now be taken. Naomi Rose, a senior scientist at the Humane Society of the United States suggested Tikilum be retired to a sea pen in Iceland, like Keiko (Free Willy). SeaWorld has yet to make a statement regarding the care of Tikilum, although it has cancelled all aquatic shows.


This incident reminded me of my visit to Miami Seaquarium this past January. The park's lead attraction, Lolita the Killer Whale, was unavailable to the public until showtime. The process was quite controlled, as security ushered spectators in and out of the stadium immediately prior to and following the performance.

I spoke with a trainer about the reason for the rule. She informed me that it was a safety precaution aimed to calm the agitated whale. Miami Seaquarium's trainers had noticed that the whale was irritable when surrounded by people. The whale would not listen to instructions when she was in a "mood." To prevent an attack, they chose to limit the number of people in Lolita's tank. Note, this information is not available on their website. With a massive killer whale known to be anxious and unresponsive, I hope the park takes the proper precautions and releases Lolita into the wild.

(Photo Credit: AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel, Julie Fletcher)

One True Love

Newly engaged Nicole Richie was not referring to fiance Joel Madden when she tweeted "In the City of Lights with my True Love." Holding son Sparrow James Midnight Madden, Richie and her son are the perfect supplement to the classic backdrop. Adorable!

Charity: i[y]2

Zac Efron is giving cancer the bird for I'm Too Young for This!

The High School Musical hottie has teamed up with the cancer foundation to raise awareness of cancer affecting young adults. Nearly 70,000 Americans in their teens, 20s and 30s are diagnosed with cancer each year. This is not okay and Zac is helping their voice to be heard.

The i[2]y Cancer Foundation is the nation's leading grassroots advocate for the next generation of survivors and caregivers.

As a celebrity endorser, Zac has the power to influence young adults to support the much needed charity. Help Zac and his friends give cancer the bird and know that 100% of your purchase goes directly to helping survivors regain their dignity and live their lives.

Feb 22, 2010

Twin-Tastic!

The littlest Jolie-Pitts are finally showing their angelic faces to the anxious world. After much speculation about their lack of public appearances, Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Leon have surfaced in Italy for the second time in two weeks. The twins are beyond adorable and look exactly like their big sister Shiloh. Brad and Angie are certainly pros at reproducing!
(Image Credit: News Pictures/WENN.com)

Music Monday: Rude Boy


Newest song obsession: Rihanna's Rude Boy. Love the graphics, love the song, love the girl. 

Media Training

She's not known for her way with words, but the girl needs some serious media training!

Twilight actress Kristen Stewart accepted her Orange Rising Star award at the BAFTA's last night. Her public speaking is painful to watch, given her obvious lack of confidence, lack of eye contact and constant hair movement. Even the audience seemed horrified! Her PR people need to put her in media training pronto.

Feb 21, 2010

Voight-Jolie-Pitt Reunion

The Jolie-Pitt clan has been spotted out and about in Italy, but the clan recently gained an extra member. Angie's estranged father, Jon Voight, seems to have patched things up with the daughter he once referred to as "troubled"and is now in with the world's most beloved family.

Voight joined the Jolie-Pitts for a trip down Venice's Grand Canal. Today marks the first time Jolie and her father have been photographed together in sevral years.
Does anyone else notice the look of disgust on Zahara's face? Perhaps the youngster is giving her grandfather attitude for mistakenly calling her "Shakira" to a magazine.

(Photo Credits: Laurent Despois/Splash News Online (above) and Ramey (below)) 

Feb 20, 2010

Welcome to the Family!

Getting ready to welcome a new sister to the family, Walkers?

Brothers & Sisters star Dave Annable is engaged to his girlfriend of a year-and-a-half, Odette Yustman. The actor, 30, proposed to Yustman, 24, last weekend in Santa Barbara. They are planning a 2010 wedding.

Annable's Brothers & Sisters character Justin is also engaged, but hopefully life does not mirror television for this couple. In the show, Justin is failing out of medical school and his wedding with pregnant girlfriend Rebecca keeps getting postponed. Even more awkward: Emily VanCamp, who plays Rebecca, is Annable's ex-girlfriend. Hope Odette isn't the jealous type!

Feb 19, 2010

Who Do You Prefer?

Reality stars Spencer Pratt and Scott Disick have made a living off dating the rich and famous. With Heidi Montag and Kourtney Kardashian by their sides, these two douches have become the villains of reality television. The Hills has captured every moment of Heidi and Spencer's relationship, from the first date to the wedding, while Keeping Up With the Kardashians has witnessed Scott and Kourtney's tumultuous relationship and subsequent one-night-stand baby. 

If you had to choose, which douche would you settle for: Spencer (left) or Scott (right)?

Even Vegas Loves The A List



Richie-Madden Make it Official

Hollywood super couple Nicole Richie and Joel Madden are planning to make it official. After three years and two children together, the duo are engaged to be married.

Richie announced the news using mainstream media, during a taping of The Late Show with David Letterman on Monday night.

Madden took to his Twitter page to ensure that the news went viral. "Yep. i'm engaged. Very happy. Yeah we've been engaged for a while so your all kind of late on that. But Thanks for the hooplah all the same," Madden tweeted Monday night.



He also thanked relatives and friends for keeping the news a secret. "P.s. thats why i love my family and friends. None of them are sources. All good tight lipped people who let us enjoy it! Thanks everybody"
Making the engagement even more special, Madden and Richie both played a part in designing the Neil Lane flawless four carat round diamond ring. Lane told People magazine: "We designed it together. Nicole was lovely and wonderful to work with on it! She wanted a beautiful, special ring and wanted to be intimately involved in the design."

The jeweler to the stars added, "Joel just wanted her to have her dream ring." Isn't that sweet?

Richie, 28, and Madden, 30, began dating in December 2006 and are parents to daughter Harlow, 2, and son Sparrow, 5 months.

Coincidentally, Madden's ex-girlfriend Hilary Duff is also newly engaged. Guess their break-up really was for the best!

Hockey Wife-To-Be

Wedding bells are ringing for Hilary Duff and her hockey player boyfriend Mike Comrie. In what might be considered one of the most romantic moments ever captured by paparazzi, Comrie proposed to Duff on the balcony of their Maui, Hawaii hotel. The darling twosome have been dating since 2007.

The Proposal
The Ring 
Engagement Photo Credit: BauerGriffinOnline

Tiger Talks

Rattling the cage during his first public statement since the scandal broke, Tiger Woods poured his heart out on national television for 13.5 minutes.

In front of an audience of media, friends and his mother, Kutilda Woods, Tiger read a prepared statement and admitted his mistakes to the public. While not directly mentioning the affairs or the whores, Tiger said he was sorry for the pain he caused his wife, his children, his mother, his friends, his colleagues and his business sponsors.

Today's press conference marks the beginning of the long rehabilitation of his public image. Cynics thought he would use the conference as a stepping stone for his professional career. Surprisingly, he left golf and his return to the sport out of the equation. Fellow golfers have expressed their anger at his timing, stating that it takes a lot away from today's golf tournament, WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.

From a public relations standpoint, Tiger finally did everything by the book. A lot of the flack Tiger received following the car crash and the revelations about his affairs was due to his lack of transparency. Rather than making a statement, Tiger ran, leaving the media and the public to formulate stories about what might have happened. For the first time since the scandal broke, Tiger has finally listened to his PR team and is now on the road to image recovery. His team coached him beautifully. The result had Tiger looking vulnerable as he publicly took responsibility for his choices and gave us reason to sympathize.

A downfall of the press conference was the lack of a question and answer period. By reading a prepared statement and refusing to speak out on his own, Tiger seemed robotic. His words and movements were planned and left little room for actual human behavior. I understand that his PR team wanted to plan his every move, but this sort of press conference should have been done in November. It is time for Tiger to step up his game.

What do you think about Tiger's apology?

Feb 18, 2010

Shannon's Return

Maggie Grace, who played Shannon on LOST, will return to the ABC drama later this season. Executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse confirmed that Grace will reprise her role, although they did not specify how many episodes she would appear in.

"We are really excited about having her back on the show and we have a good story for her," says Cuse.

An original cast member, Grace left the show in season 2 when her character was killed off. It will be interesting to see why Shannon was missing from the plane scene in the season premiere. While all the other castaways were seen on the plane landing in LAX, Shannon's stepbrother Boone mentioned that she stayed in Australia. Hopefully her return will shed some light on the alternate reality!

Feb 12, 2010

Viva Las Vegas

Greetings A-Listers!

I apologize for not keeping you all up-to-date with the most recent celebrity gossip, but my PR program took over my life this week. Tomorrow, I am on my way to LAS VEGAS for a trip I will never forget with 8 of my girls. We are staying at the luxurious Mirage Resort and Casino and I hope my blackjack lessons paid off. I cannot wait for four days of gambling, partying and eating my way through Sin City. Don't worry A-Listers, I will have a full report ready and waiting for you gossip hounds upon my arrival on Canadian soil.

Until then, be sure to catch up on the stories that have the internet and twitter buzzing:
- John Mayer had a major case of verbal diarrhea as he dished about his sex life with Jessica Simpson and his undying love for Jennifer Aniston in this month's Playboy magazine
- British fashion god Alexander McQueen was found dead in his London home after an apparent suicide
- The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games began today, albeit under unfortunate circumstances. While Canadians are proudly displaying their patriotism, the Republic of Georgia is mourning the death of luger Nodar Kumartashvil

Feb 8, 2010

Brange Bowl

Dispelling rumors while cheering on the Saints, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie got cozy at the Super Bowl.

The couple showed their love for New Orleans and for each other during a historic and victorious night for one of their favorite cities. Although they brought son Maddox along, Brange managed to steal a few kisses. How sweet!

Music Monday: Do You Remember?


Despite this week's hectic school schedule, I could not let Monday pass without giving you A-Listers a catchy beat.

Fresh on the heels of Down, Jay Sean is back with the hit song Do You Remember? I literally have been playing this song on repeat for two weeks. Featuring Lil Jon and Sean Paul, this song is off the hook.

Warning: Highly Addictive

Feb 7, 2010

Google Touchdown


Google made the bold decision to run an ad during this year's Super Bowl XLIV. While the Colts and the Saints battle for the touchdowns, an American found love in Paris. Google's inaugural television commercial introduced viewers to the joys of the search engine. The company has typically relied on online ads to publicize their services, but this commercial marks a new frontier for Google.

Funny that the online giant resorts to the high-priced Super Bowl ad time while commercial giant Pepsi recently backed down in favor of social media... 

Real Simple Housewives

Taking a cue from The Simple Life's popularity, Bravo has cast the relatives of Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie in their new show.

Brenda Harvey, mom of socialite and former reality star Nicole Richie, has been asked to join the cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Harvey is the college sweetheart and first wife of music legend Lionel Richie.




Rounding out the rest of the cast will be Hilton's aunts, Kim and Kylie Richards, and restauranteur Lisa Todd. A source says that the ladies "are all hideously wealthy. They live in these amazing houses, drive beautiful cars, live these fabulous lives and spend money like it's going out of fashion."

The Bravo show will be set in California's toniest community, Beverly Hills, and will begin shooting later this year.

Feb 3, 2010

The Beginning of the End

As 12 million of you already know, LOST's final season premiered yesterday. While producers kept up their end of the bargain and began offering loyal viewers the answers they so desperately wanted, more questions were introduced.

SPOILER ALERT
Answer 1: John Locke is the smoke monster. Since last May's season finale, fans had theorized that an entity had taken over his body. Now we know that entity is the thick black smoke that has captivated LOST' viewers since its 2004 debut. Terry O'Quinn's reaction? "I was like, 'I'm Smokey? Well, now that's freaky,'" says the actor. If only we had a name to Locke's new persona...

Question 1: Juliet's detonation of the bomb was deemed both a success and a failure. The premiere had two timelines, demonstrating alternate realities. One timeline had Oceanic 815 landing safely at LAX while the island was revealed to be submerged in the ocean. The other showed the unhappy characters still stranded on the island. This second timeline was shown in a new narrative dubbed "flash-sideways." Producer Damon Lindelof warns that the audience will have to be very patient to understand why we are being shown two stories and what their relationship is to each other. Another mystery? Drat.

Question 2: As a result of the bomb detonation, the lives of Oceanic 815's passengers have dramatically changed. This parallel universe depicts the characters as having nothing to live for and shows audiences that they needed to crash on the island. The island is what saved these lost souls...
- A still-alive Boone was on the plane without his sister Shannon
- Kate is still a fugitive and winds up sharing a cab with a still-pregnant Claire
- Jack still has a God complex
- Charlie tried to kill himself and was upset when Jack saved him
- Desmond never pushed buttons in the hatch, he was sitting next to Jack on the flight
- Hurley declared himself "the luckiest guy alive" rather than cursed
- Sun claimed to not speak any English
- Locke was still in a wheelchair

Jack seemed to have some subconscious recognition of the events of the past. He seemed on edge the entire flight and sensed a familiarity with many of his fellow castaways. The most touching part came when spinal-surgeon Jack passed along his business card to a wheelchair-bound Locke and uttered "nothing's irreversible." Where have we heard that one before...

Question 3: My biggest question focuses on the connection between the island and Egyptian culture. Fans may have noticed the abundance of Egyptian symbology throughout the seasons, but last night provided even further proof of a connection.
- The Temple that the castaways brought Sayid to was Egyptian in nature. The structure of the building was pyramid-like and the walls were strewn with hieroglyphics
- The object in Hurley's guitar case was of an Ankh. Symbolizing eternal life, this object must have something to do with Jacob's ability to transcend time and space
- The four-toed statue is the Egyptian god Horus. He was known as both the sky god and the warrior god
- The rug which Jacob had been working on contained Egyptian symbology

Grade: A
While the premiere was pretty amazing, it was underwhelming. Perhaps this A-Lister's expectations were too high, but here's to hoping that the finale is stronger than the premiere.

Celebrity Relief

Hollywood came together on Monday to raise money for Haitian earthquake relief. A group of 80 singers and actors performed an updated recording of Michael Jackson's hit "We Are the World" at L.A.'s Henson Studios.

The event was organized by producer Quincy Jones and singing legend Lionel Richie, who co-wrote the song with Jackson. Richie turned the event into a family affair, inviting daughter Nicole, her partner Joel Madden, and their adorable daughter Harlow, to join in.

Some celebrity voices to listen for:
- Hip Hop hotties Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Drake, LL Cool J, Will.I.Am Snoop Dogg and Akon
- Teen idols Justin Bieber, the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus
- American Idols Randy Jackson and Jennifer Hudson
- Classic chanteuses Barbara Streisand, Celine Dion and Tony Bennett
- Actors Vince Vaugh and Jeff Bridges

The song will make its world premiere during NBC's coverage of the Vancouver Winter Olympics on February 12.

The song and the accompanying video, shot by Oscar-winning "Crash" director Paul Haggis, will go on sale through traditional and online retailers.

Feb 1, 2010

B Brings Down the House


All the single ladies were on their feet to cheer on Grammy's golden girl. With her bronzed highlights and futuristic couture, Beyonce hit all the right notes with If I Were A Boy. Added bonus: she reached out to her Canadian fans by covering Alanis Morisette's hit, You Oughta Know. Pure perfection.

While B's performance earned her rave reviews, the music industry was buzzing about her record-breaking Grammy nods. Taking home six Grammys, including song of the year for Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) and pop vocal performance of the year for "Halo," B set a record for most Grammys won by a female artist in one show. Girl power!

Hometown Hero


Drake may have wowed the crowd at the Staples Centre, but it was his Toronto fans who were most impressed with his performance. Breaking into the music scene without a debut album, the hometown hero is trying to put Toronto on the hip hop map. Partnered with music greats Lil Wayne, Eminem and Travis Barker, the Grammy finale will not be forgotten. Based on his standing last night, the future looks mighty bright for Drake.

Campfire Glitz


Dave Matthews Band, the longstanding music powerhouse, gave a powerful performance of their hit, "You and Me."Introduced by a prompter-free Adam Sandler, the boys were a major hit and seriously wowed the crowd.

The A List Hits