Megan Fox: America's Sexiest Bad Girl

America's Sexiest Bad Girl? I'd say they're pretty right on with this, especially if you ask any random guy walking down the street. The whole male race seems to be captivated by this woman. I have yet to come across anyone who doesn't agree with her sexy reputation. But sexy is about as far as it goes. Yes, this image has done great things for her success but what else does she have? In the seven possible cover photos for this issue offered online, in only one of them is she not posing as a seductress. She almost looks a bit awkward in her smiling picture...it seems totally forced. But everyone likes a badass right? So I guess if you take a badass with a rockin bod and put her in some leather number, Megan Fox is what you get.

Rolling Stone
October 1, 2009

To All You Rebels Out There...

To all those literary rebels out there, yesterday kicked off National Banned Book Week. Held in the last week of September every year, National Banned Book Week celebrates the First Amendment and readers' choice to read books deemed controversial. Books can earn a spot on the list by containing material that is "sexually explicit", "violent", "unsuited to age group", has "offensive language", themes of "homosexuality", or is "anti-family". This year's top ten list of books includes some books I've never heard of and some that I am familiar with. The Kite Runner, Gossip Girl, The Perks of Being a Wallflower are some that caught my eye. I had to laugh when I saw Scary Stories by Alvin Schwartz on the list because as a child, that was a favorite book among my sisters, brother, and me...and I turned out OK! I am proud to say that I am pretty well-read on books that have made the list in past years. Harry Potter, The Catcher in the Rye, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Go Ask Alice, The Bluest Eye, and The Color Purple are some of those included. So go out this week and celebrate your right to read challenging and offensive books!

-Alyssa

Is Your Baby Racist?

Kids as young as 6 months judge others based on skin color. What's a parent to do? Front page of Newsweek bore this heading pictured alongside an African American baby. So what, now babies are racist too? The article discussed a study on whether or not children's stories with multicultural storylines have a beneficial effect on children's racial attitudes. The children were asked how many white people are mean, and the primary answer checked was "almost none". When they were asked how many black people are mean, the primary answers checked were "some" and "a lot". This is remarkably shocking because children are born into this mentality whether or not parents realize it. The real problem at hand is that parents reassure their children over and over again that all people are equal, but they fail to talk about the actual issue. Children are giving these responses because their parents don't talk to them openly about racial issues. You can be told time and time again that all people are equal, but until you get down to the nitty gritty truth about the discrimination of certain skin colors, the children will never really learn. This is a scary reality but it goes to show how these mindsets are formed among out youths today.

Newsweek
September 14, 2009

Kardashian Marries Odom

This past weekend, Khloe Kardashian married LA Lakers star Lamar Odom. The abrupt wedding came as a surprise to many since the pair dated for only a month prior to their wedding. People.com reports that Kardashian wore a Vera Wang wedding gown and was walked down the aisle by her stepfather, Bruce Jenner. Khloe's sisters Kim and Kourtney were among the bridesmaids. The reception was held at family friend Irving Azoff's home and was themed to look like a nightclub. Some celebrity guests in attendance were Ryan Seacrest, Luke Wilson, Chelsea Handler, and Odom's teammate Kobe Bryant. Curious fans can see footage of the wedding in a future episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians.

-Alyssa

Jessica Can't Catch a Break

Jessica Simpson has had a rough year. After her very public divorce with Nick Lachey, the media has since portrayed her as a sad, heartbroken woman. Things were looking up for Jess when she started dating Dallas Cowboys quarterback, Tony Romo, in November of 2007. But all good things come to an end. The couple split this past July, just a day before Simpson's 29th birthday. Last week, headlines read that Jessica's signature dog, Daisy, had gone missing. It was reported that the dog had been taken by a wild coyote. Jessica Tweeted her way through the disaster and finally said on Friday that the search had been called off. Jessica now has to face yet another loss in her life with the disappearance of her beloved Daisy.

-Alyssa

Photo courtesy of People.com

Worst: Her performance was undoubtedly hot, but Christina Aguilera's mermaid frock and fried mane certainly were not.

OOh...ya I'd say mermaid sounds about right. What is she doing with this? She's still got a rockin' little bod so why make it look so froppy with this saltwater smock? Yahoo claimed Christina as one of the worst dressed at the VMAs last night and I think they were right on. If she's trying to make a comeback in this industry, she needs to be improving her image, not making it worse. The color combinations are extremely dull and it almost seems a little too formal for the trendy VMA attire we're used to seeing. However, I don't think her hair looks like a "fried mame". Yes, it's dull but it's definitely the least of her worries with this outfit.

http://omg.yahoo.com/photos/best-and-worst-dressed-at-the-vmas/2266

More Kanye Drama

The big news that I can't get away from is Kanye's outburst at the MTV VMAs last night. When Taylor Swift won the moonman for Best Female Video, Kanye burst onstage to steal her moment and declare that fellow nominee Beyonce had the best video of the decade. Kanye proved once again that he is a rude, unclassy, asshole. Taylor was visibly upset but I think she handled it well. Later in the show when Beyonce won video of the year, she invited Taylor back onstage to have 'her moment'. This specific episode made me realize how prevalent pop culture and media outlets are in people's lives. I was not even watching the VMAs when this happened, but about 10 of my friends had something to say about it as their Facebook status. Since then, the story has been everywhere. Kanye apologized for his behavior to Taylor and his fans on his blog. Other celebrities like Pink, Kelly Clarkson, and Kellie Pickler have used Twitter and other media outlets to show love for Taylor and rant about Kanye. Word travles faster than ever thanks to blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking/media sites.

-Alyssa

Photo from Yahoo.com

When Your Hoo-ha's Burning: Don't Use This Common Cure!

I couldn't pass this one up without reading about it. Right there on the front cover, they're throwing terms like "hoo-ha" out there. But when I looked inside at the story, I didn't find what I expected. Along with the "hoo-ha" problem, this story covered seven other tips about when seeking professional medical attention is recommended. And all of the seven dealt with much more serious sounding conditions, straying from any slang terms like the cover indicated. So what is this "common cure"? Cranberry products! I can't say that that was common knowledge to me. So I guess next time you feel the burn...put the juice down and go see the doc.

Cosmopolitan
September 2009

Jessica Rocks a Kimono!

She goes from rockin a Romo jersey to a kimono...interesting transition. Simpson is in Tokyo filming for her new VH1 show The Price of Beauty. It's going to cost her a lot to turn this image around.

US Weekly,
August 31, 2009

Image from celebrityviplounge.com