Media Hype over Sex and the City Movie

Ever since the announcement of the Sex and the City movie, the date May 3oth has taken on a sort of mini-holiday for women everywhere. There is some major advertising and promotion going on! I must admit I am a biased author here, because I own every season on DVD, so I too have high hopes. I already have my agenda for May 30th planned out group of friends. High expectations are riding on the film that will either honor, or dishonor the HBO cult phenomenon series.

The Simpsons was another television hit turned movie that had high hopes and was met with positive reviews. Rottentomatoes.com, my go to movie rating guide, gave The Simpsons movie a 89%, pretty darn high for the website that mixes hundreds of reviews into one single score. The Simpsons made about $185,000,000 at the box office, very respectable. But there is always a risk of tarnishing the image of a well known and loved sitcom.

Part of the plot line for the Sex and The City movie has been given to the public, the women are now older and more mature. The major plot line is that Carrie's (Sarah Jessica Parker) relationship with Big (Chris Noth) is serious, and there is a wedding being planned for. Whether or not there will be a major dilemma, or antagonist, for the Sex cast is left unknown, although the television series was known for its light, fun material. However, Jennifer Hudson's role as Carries assistant is supposedly left a secret because of a major plot twist she is involved with. HMMM..

Here is my blog prediction: Mr.Big (Chris Noth) is going to have some serious cold feet about getting married, Jennifer Hudson is going to be an assistant who somehow tries to sabotage Carrie, maybe she is a spy for another publication (Carrie works for Vogue in the movie). I also see the movie making $200,000 + at the box office.

Can't wait to "Get Carried Away"!

All Colors Together

As a prospective advertising student, I saw this Obama '08 poster and I was so inspired by its simplicity and originality that I had to find out more about it. I did a little research and found out it was created by a Brazilian graphic designer named Daniel Molin. Incredible work! It's so effective.

The Costume Institute's Party of the Year.. Best and Worst Dressed!

Worst Dressed: Stephanie Seymour

Best Dressed Selections:

Lauren Remington Platt in Dolce and Gabbana

Allison Sarofim in Alexander McQueen

Crazy, but fun: Zac Posen and Kate Mara both in Zac Posen

Tom Brady in Tom Ford and Gisele Bundchen in Versace

David and Victoria Beckham both in Armani

This may not be media news to all, but yesterday The Costume Institute's Party of the Year was thrown at the Metropolitan Museum and as some may know it's one of the best style events of the year. The invitations go out to only a select few and the celebrities and socialite's wear some of the most daring pieces you will see all year . None of those boring Academy Award dresses here! Above are my choices for the best dressed, and sorry Stephanie Seymour but the worst as well. Seriously Stephanie there is no excuse for that dress! Not flattering at all.

To see more pictures of the event go to http://www.style.com/peopleparties/parties/scoop/050608MET

Update: Vanity Fair's Piece on Miley Cyrus

Last week I blogged about the controversy Miley Cyrus is facing over a Vanity Fair photo shoot (another controversial photo is shown above) but I had not actually read the article that Bruce Handy wrote on Cyrus, which by the way is entitled "Miley Knows Best". The article itself was well written and I thought it was very interesting. Handy wrote about Miley's struggle to remain grounded and frankly not go crazy like the child stars before her. Here are some interesting quotes from the article:

Between sold-out concerts, multi-platinum records, and a hit TV series, Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus has some serious business riding on her 15-year-old shoulders—not to mention paparazzi on her tail and tabloid editors praying for her to pull a Britney.

... That said, I can’t imagine that her minders at the Walt Disney Company want to see Miley Cyrus’s name anywhere near the word “sex,” not in an era when every under-age actress in Hollywood is stalked by the Ghost of Britney Future. And not when so much money is riding on this one’s continued public innocence.

.... The series premiered in March 2006, was an instant hit, and what with everything else going on, Cyrus says, she hasn’t had more than a day off since Christmas 2006 and doesn’t expect to get another break until at least this Christmas. She hasn’t been in regular school since the sixth grade; she’s in 10th grade now, tutored on set or on the road for three hours a day. At least she doesn’t have homework.


The real question is: How do you grow up in public, both as a person and as a commodity? For every Jodie Foster or Brooke Shields there are a dozen Gary Colemans. Michael Jackson’s face speaks volumes. So did Judy Garland’s medicine cabinet. In Cyrus’s case, there has been a concerted effort, on the commodity side, to slowly draw her out from under Hannah’s shadow.

The full Vanity Fair article can be found at: http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2008/06/miley200806?currentPage=1

Ready for Battle

On Tuesday, Indiana and North Carolina will have its primaries that could very well determine who the democratic candidate will be in the 08' campaign, but it will also measure the damage of the Reverend Wright scandal on Obama's campaign. The media has milked Reverend Wright for all the drama he could give and now it's time for the voters to decide if Obama's appeal was tarnished from the situation. We'll see what happens!

UPDATE: Obama won the North Carolina primary by 14 points and Hilary Clinton won a narrow 2 point victory in Indiana. Hilary plans to continue in her campaign for the presidency.

The Last Disney Princess?

Miley Cyrus is a teen phenomenon whose television show, c.d's and concerts are wildly consumed by her loyal tween base. "The Hannah Montana brand includes 15 million related books sold, two multi-platinum records, a sold-out concert tour and film, as well as fan gear, like lunch boxes, bed sheets and MP3 players. Reports in the New York Times and New York Post suggest that if her popularity continues to grow, the teen star could be worth $1 billion by the time she is 18. " Source: Susan James, author of "Should 'Hannah Montana' be sexy?"

But now Miley's image that has long rested on her being a wholesome teenage role models is being tarnished by a "revealing" photo shoot by Annie Leobovitz (controversial photo shown above). The photo which one can judge for themselves is being said to be highly provocative for the 15 year old, and Disney is speaking out that the young star was manipulated by Vanity Fair for their own self promotion.

Photos like these are not unusual in 2003, a 16 year old former Disney mousekeeter, named Britney Spears posed for a racy cover of Rolling Stone magazine. The cover introduced Britney's sexuality and it wasn't long before she was dancing half naked with snakes and singing songs like "I'm a Slave for You". Jamie Lynn Spears is another Disney princess gone array, the 16 year old star of Zoey 101 recently revealed she is expecting a child.

Child stars gone wild is not a new phenomenon, it's a trend that just continues to repeat itself. However, call me nuts but I don't think Miley Cyrus is going to be another Britney, in the past Miley has demonstrated responsibility in her new found celebrity and has publicly stated she tries to be a role model for her young fans.

Miley has come out and publicly apologized for the photographs that she says she's "embarrassed" of. My opinion of the photo: The only thing that shocks me about it is how badly she needs a tan. I think she still has a chance of being the celebrity that young girls can look up to, hang in there Miley! These teenage years will be the biggest temptation to sexualize your image, but it's possible to make it to the other side, just look at Hilary Duff ( a former Disney princess).

Reputation on the Line: The Texas Showdown

Warning: Biased and Controversial Material Ahead

When Texas stormed the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-day Saints compound in El Dorado, Texas, many felt that the move was justified. The raid was prompted be a 16 year old girl named "Sarah" claiming she was married at 14 years old to a man who was now abusing her. Although, many believe that the Texas authorities had been waiting for their chance to storm the ranch, as they had been practicing the procedure that would take place had they ever had to go into the compound.

Texas authorities used the Jaws of Life, to open the large gate enclosing the compound, then broke down doors inside the facility to raid. The police had weapons, and shields ready for opposition, but none occurred. The men prayed and some cried while the women and children were being taken away.

The move although dramatic was defended by officials who said it was necessary. But now, officials have come forward to say that the infamous "Sarah" may have in fact been a mentally-ill Colorado woman named Rozita Swinton. According to ABC News, "A phone number used to allege abuse at a polygamist ranch in West Texas is associated with a woman in Colorado who has been accused of making several unrelated false abuse claims in calls to authorities, court documents say."

Uh oh. One has to wonder why this claim was not thoroughly investigated pre-raid? How would a 16 year old with no internet, television, or permission to leave the compound she calls home come across the number to an abuse hot line? With 417 children taken away from their mothers and now being placed in temporary foster homes, many question how this may play out for Texas.

Meanwhile, the mothers of the cult who normally never reach out to society, are begging the media and public for help. A group of mothers allowed themselves to be interviewed for Larry King Live, where they even gave Larry a tour of their compound and adamantly insisted throughout the broadcast that their children were happy there.

While Texas courts deal with the daunting task of the largest child custody case in United States history, one has to ask is this justified? The U.S has always tip-toed around persecuting polygamists (polygamy is illegal in the U.S) because of the separation of church and state. But while a 16 year old girl marrying an older man is illegal (unless permission is provided by her parents) and perceived as morally wrong to most members of society, can we place our morals on these people?

Don't get me wrong I love children, I've been a nanny for years and any sexual abuse should be persecuted. But I present a simple question: If the men were doing the abuse, why were the men not removed? The women and children are the victims right? Why did they have to be uprooted?

Here is my very biased opinion on the situation and what I think should happen: Sexual abuse in one couple should not justify the separation of children and mothers in the whole community. ( To be fair there is more abuse being alleged than just from Sarah, but no abuse has been confirmed yet, other than the marriage of girls under 18). It's just not right to have young children away from their mothers.

Erikson's first step in emotional developement of children is Trust vs. Mistrust where infants must form a tight bond with their mothers. In his own words.. "For a trusting relationship to exist, there must be a consistent relationship". Erikson believes that children who do not form this bond will live their lives in mistrust of others. (Babies who are nursing have been allowed to stay with their mothers, but any other child will be placed in foster care)

I think if the members, men included, could get counseling and agree to open their doors to the government to regulate their marriages and other activities, maybe we can avoid displacing 417 children into a foster care system that would destroy them. If children received a proper education and an understanding that men should not be sexual without their partners consent, maybe we can create a relationship and a dialogue between the group and the government and avoid future raids.

Either way I think the case is sad and that no one wanted to take the kids away from their mothers, but Texas is putting it's reputation on the line and it will be an interesting case to follow.

Hilary Clinton: The Fighter

Hilary Clinton won the Pennsylvania Primary 55 to 45, and the win gave Hilary a firm footing in the election. Many people have doubted Hilary, and her chances of winning against her charismatic opponent, who has better personal appeal. Obama is a hard candidate to be running against because his story of a tough upbringing, an immigrant father, rising up from nothing, isn't that the story of America (or at least the story we pride ourselves on)? Obama is the American dream, and I think something inside all of us (most of us) is rooting for him. Obama is currently leading in delegates with 1,716 to Clinton's 1,583, but Obama does not have the nomination in the bag.

With 8 more primaries to go one has to question, whether or not Clinton will obtain the victory through low blows and bitter arguments. ABC News Russell Goldman said this about the election, "In an already long and increasingly negative campaign, bitterness is the last thing Democratic voters are looking for, leaving many to wonder what effects a protracted and bloody race will have on the party and the eventual nominee's chances in the November general election"

August 25 is the date that the superdelegates will decide who the Democratic nominee will be and through now and then the race will be heated and will probably not be pretty. But while the democrats duke it out John McCain (the presumed Republican candidate) will be working his party and potential voters (which he already has been doing for months). He will have a huge head start over whoever does get the nomination leading some to fear that potential voters will cross over to the Republican party if the Democrats can not get it together.

What is clear in the race is that Clinton has been consistently underestimated throughout the election. In March, 2008 many people were calling for her withdrawal, but she stuck in there. One advantage Clinton has over Obama is older voters loyal to her ( and people over 65 are the highest age range that votes in campaigns). All I can say is this race is about to get a whole lot more interesting.

The Media's Selection of the Election

There is not much scandalous breaking news in the election and the candidates seem to actually be sort of fond of each other, things have been relatively friendly in the debates and that is a problem for the media. The media has two front runners who have very similar views on issues, who often argue about things like whose health plan covers 99% of the population vs. 100%. Not the best situation for news stations trying to earn a buck. But as in most elections the media has come up with some important non-issues to focus on. Some magic words in the election: Revered Wright, "Bitter", Financial statements, Chelsea, Bosnian gunfire, Mr.First Lady, and others.

It seems that like in most political elections the public's opinion on who to vote for will come down to the small little issues, that sway our political opinion because they are so covered by the media, even when they aren't huge deal breakers. Yes I know Barack Obama called Pennsylvanians bitter, however, I don't know anything about his foreign policy, Guess it all comes down to the media selection of the election.

Is There Room for Women in Evening News?

When Katie Couric took over for the legendary Dan Rather as the new CBS evening news anchor it stirred attention and controversy right away. Barbara Walters had co-anchored an ABC evening news broadcast for two years in the 1970's but no woman had ever been the sole anchor for the nightly news before Couric. Katie had previously been a host for the very popular Today show, but many people wondered if Katie- know for her cheery, sunny disposition could handle the serious, demanding role of the evening news.

Before she even began anchoring many people wondered if there was a spot for women in the nightly news, but CBS and Couric took the chance. They adopted a new, lighter format that had longer feature stories and more public interest stories. Unfourtunatly things have not gone well. The CBS evening news ratings have plummeted since Katie took the prized chair. Dan Rather even made a public statement saying that Katie had "dumbed down" and "tarted up" the broadcast. Source:NY Daily News

As a result of the low ratings and public critcism, Katie is rumored to be leaving the broadcast as early as next January even though her contract is not up until 2011. CBS has denied this but several sources close to CBS say the leave is probable. Katie has openly admitted that her position was harder than she expected to be. But the question is did Katie ever really have a chance?

Men have always dominated the nightly news with legends like Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather and other men known for their deep, strong voices. The news itself has always suggests a sombernes which fits in with men's low pitched voices reading the nightly news.

But don't take my word for it, Dr.Clifford Nass a professor at Stanford University has studied to way people react to different voices for nine years. Through his work he has found that ''Our studies show that directions from a female voice are perceived as less accurate than those from a male voice,'' Dr. Nass said, ''even when the voices are reading the exact same directions. Deepness helps, too. It implies size, height and authority. Deeper voices are more credible.''

So there is truly something behind this male anchor thing. Some may perceive this male prefence as sexist but its no different than the sexism that takes place in the daytime talk shows that are dominated by women. The View, Martha Stewart, Ellen, Rachel Ray, there's no market for a man in that timespot. The nightly news male formula is one that works for that particular market. It is nonethless unfortunate that Couric did not find success, but I believe that she may be happier somewhere else where she doesn't face the criticism she does now. Either way the woman works hard and deserves more credit than what she has received.

How Far is too Far for the Paparazzi?

Heath ledgers death creates media firestorm
Britney on average day with paparazzi

























These days many celebrities are speaking out against the paparazzi. The word paparazzi itself normally generates an eye roll in itself. It's talked about to death and sorry to disappoint but this blog is no exception.

I found it ironic the other day when E! Entertainment aired a t.v program the other day entitled "Britney Under Siege" which reported on the daily harassment Britney faces and its possible connection to her mental breakdown. They didn't talk about the fact that the pictures and videos captured by the paparazzi are aired almost continually on their nightly enterainment shows.
Many say celebrities ask for it, and that it comes with a territory. But there is a question of when America's celebrity obsession becomes a compulsion. We may say the paparazzi are going to far, but they are just reacting to America's desire for celebrity footage. So the question is are we going too far?

Celebrity news will always be popular because its mindless, you can look at a celebrity website and not have to use your brain once. It's pretty entertaining and very accessible. I look at celebrity websites and magazines. I would be the hypocrite of hypocrites if I said otherwise. I think that the paparazzi has the right to photograph celebrities as long as they don't endanger the celebrity and respect the person they are following. Sometimes though, lines are crossed.

On January 22, 2008 actor Heath Ledger was found dead in his New York apartment, what followed was a media firestorm unparrelled. Reports that were unchecked and flat out false were spun out by the media who was in a hurry to report new information. Hundreds of photographers waited for hours to get pictures of his body being wheeled out to the morgue, and TMZ was streaming a live video of the event as if it was a red carpet event. Heath's ex-girlfriend, Michelle Williams and daughter Matilda became a cash prize to photograph. And when they were they looked exactly as one would expect. Williams face was tired and swollen from crying, and her two year old daughter had no idea what was going on. This all begs the question- are we that morbid of a society? Can there be a balence of reporting and respect?

Apparently so. Anderson Cooper who heads the nightly newscast Anderson Cooper 360, made the conscious decision to not comment on Heath Ledger's death until hard facts emerged. This honored Heath's death and didn't exploit the death of a celebrity just because it was easy. Cooper did not get much attention for this decision but I applaud it here because I think that the media, and entertainment industry can demonstrate more restraint and respect.

The Media as a Crime Solver

Media is an easy target for criticism. Media has been blamed for violence, increased sexuality, drug abuse, materialism, and the list goes on. But it is rare when the media is celebrated for something it does right. Perhaps one of the biggest values of media is the role it plays in solving crimes.

The media saturated age we live in makes crimes harder to be successfully committed. The Amber Alert, named after a murdered 9 year old named Amber Hagerman, is a system where the media broadcasts kidnappings on various mediums. Since it's creation in 1998 there has been 389 successful recoveries of children. That is about 38 children a year.

In septemeber of 2008 a picture of a three year old girl released by the F.B.I whom believed she was in danger was given to the media to broadcast. The child had been on an elicit sex tape and the F.B.I believed she was in serious danger. Within days of news stations such as ABC releasing the picture to the public, the girl had been found. A family friend recognized the child on T.V as a friend's daughter- Madison. About a week later Chester Arthur Stiles was arrested after being identified by police, to whom he said "It's me, I'm tired of running".

More recently, following the shooting of University of North Carolina student body president, Eve Carson, the media released an ATM picture to the media of a "person of interest" using the slain student's debit card. After the broadcast of the picture the police had several tips implicating Demario James Atwater. They set up survelliance at Atwater's home and arrested him the next day. Police were also able to arrest a second person, Laurence Allen Lovette, in association with the crime as well. Later it was revealed the men had committed a second murder of a male student at Duke University. Their arrest may not have happened so quickly, or at all, without the media.

America's Most Wanted is a media program that has captured 995 criminals just by showing their pictures and telling the story of the accused. Even Oprah Winfrey has launched campaigns via her television show to catch sex offenders. Winfrey offered a $100,000 reward to catch offenders and caught 5 men on the run.

Not all media shows whose goal is to catch predators is celebrated, To Catch a Predator, a MSNBC program who uses fake underage decoys online to catch men soliciting children for sex has received criticism for its tactics. One Texas man who was about to be revealed as a predator by the show committed suicide when cops and the Dateline crew showed up outside his house he shot himself. Leading the show to be slapped with a 100 million dollar lawsuit (which is still in preceedings). Others critize the show for purusing men online, and talking very sexually, which some argue is a sort of entrapment.

Even with its critisms the media is undeniably a major tool for law enforcement. Although there are no solid statistics on the number of criminals caught through media identification, one can imagine the number is very high.

Spitzer's Slip Up.. and Kristen's Career Launch

It would be some sort of a media blog crime to report on current media news and not give some sort of omage to governor Spitzer's hooker hobby. On March 11, 2008 the story broke that Governor Spitzer had been busted as "Client-9" in an upscale prostitution ring. It was the cover of many newspapers, but my personal favorite was The New York Posts article entitled "HO NO!". (Chuckle).

On the days immediately after March 11 one may have thought that Governor Spitzer would be all over the media as the disgraced politician. Which he was, however, someone stole his spotlight, Kristen a.k.a Ashley Dupre, Spitzer's sweet heart. As soon as pictures of the aspiring singer/ call girl were available people were all over the story.

Infact, a quick google search just revealed to me she ever has her own Wikipedia page. ( Which includes a "listen" key to three of her songs and a suspisious amount of biographical information that makes me wonder if she was the author ). Here is the link if you are interested, and judging from the publics reactions you probably are. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashley_Alexandra_Dupré

It seems that the scandal may be the best thing that ever happened to Ms.Dupre. She has gotten one of her songs played on the radio, has an offer from Donald Trump to star in a reality show ( Donald+ reality show + call girl = classy), has an offer from Tina Fey to guest star on her t.v show, and a reported 1 million dollar offer to pose for Maxim magazine.

It's hard to tell where this media storm has come from. Did the public's interest make the media report as much as they have? Is Alexandra the new naughty media darling? Appears so. Sex sells and when the choice is to report on a failing economy, a failing (depending on the perspective) war, or a squeaky clean geek governors sock wearing rendevous, you can guess which story comes out on top.

Up next for Ashley? Depends on how much more 10 (1,000,000) minutes of fame the media will give her.