Jennifer Love Hewitt, How Low Can You Go?

Recently, Jennifer Love Hewitt appeared on the Ellen show - wearing a very low cut dress. Let me say that many people, myself included, felt that the dress was inappropriate for a family friendly show like Ellen. In fact, Ms DeGeneres herself asked Hewitt, "were you just sewing your dress?... Did you run out of time or what's happening?"

It's a horrible dress anyway, may I add. Anyway, if you want to see the whole thing: (you have been warned)


In fact, she used to put out some good music, I think. Maybe she should just go back to that. Now.

By TaraElla (News, Website)

Family Tattoo? Obama's a Genius!

President Obama has revealed his tactic to prevent his daughters from getting tattoos on NBC's Today show recently. "What we've said to the girls is, 'If you guys ever decide you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will get the exact same tattoo, in the same place, and we'll go on YouTube and show it off as a family tattoo," he said.

Obama's really a genius, isn't he?

I guess people should have the freedom to have a tattoo, but I think they are disgusting frankly, and if I ever have children they will not be permitted to have a tattoo, ever. For those of us who don't like tattoos, however, Hollywood has been unhelpful recently, with a slew of celebrities getting tattoos everywhere (e.g. I love Miley Cyrus but her tattooing behaviour is turning me off a bit, frankly). I guess I may have to steal Obama's tactic if I have kids one day.

By TaraElla (News, Website)

Amy Poehler Isn't Really That Smart

Amy Poehler's YouTube channel may be called "Amy Poehler's Smart Girls", but is she really that smart?

Recently, she was asked by a 16 year old girl who was facing peer pressure to watch pointless online videos. Her response was, well, long winded, and almost felt indecisive to me. Anything, here's the whole thing, if you want to watch it.



Smart? I don't think so. I would just have made it clear that it was important to resist peer pressure.

By TaraElla (News, Website)

Carly Rae Jepsen Continues her Success

These days, Carly Rae Jepsen is a major mainstream success story. She just won a Juno award - over Justin Bieber. Pretty unimaginable just a few years ago, when most of my friends didn't even know her (that 'survey' was taken when Bucket came out, by the way).

Meanwhile, the song that started her international mainstream success, Call Me Maybe, has been re-done by Glee actor Darren Criss into an anthem for gay rights, calling for the end of DOMA and Prop 8. I think she would be pleased with this, as she is herself passionate about ending gay exclusion in the American Boy Scouts.

Carly Rae Jepsen has a great story, has proven herself to be no one-hit-wonder, and most importantly, still has her heart in the right place despite all the success. We wish her all the best!

By TaraElla (News, Website)

I was Tagged to do this, I may as well do it...

1. Do you have any pets?
No, my mom doesn't like it.

2. Name three things that are physically close to you
My computer, my desk, my bed.

3. What's the weather like right now?
Quite warm actually. I have the air-con on though.

4. Do you drive, if so have you crashed?
I don't drive.

5. What time did you wake up this morning?
I forgot. Maybe 9am.

6. When's the last time you showered?
Today.

7. What's the last movie you saw?
Les Miserables. It was great!

8. What does your last text say?
Something about I won something in the lottery. I hate that crap.

9. What's your ringtone?
Psy - Gangnam Style

10. Have you ever been to another country?
Yes

11. Do you like sushi?
Yes

12. Where do you buy your groceries?
The supermarket in the next neighbourhood

13. Have you ever taken medication to help you fall asleep faster?
No, why would I need that

14. How many siblings do you have?
None

15. Do you have a desktop computer of a laptop?
I have both, but the desktop broke down a long time ago, so I don't know if that counts.

16. How old will you be on your next birthday?
I'm not answering that...

17. Do you wear contacts or glasses?
No

18. Do you colour your hair?
I would like to, but my mom would hate it, so no

19. What are you planning on doing today?
Staying in bed because I broke my leg

20. When's the last time you cried?
A week ago

21. What's your perfect pizza topping?
Salmon, cheese, eggs, bacon

22. Hamburger or cheeseburger?
Cheeseburger maybe. I don't eat either all that often.

23. Have you ever had an all-nighter?
Yes, but didn't really enjoy it

24. What's your eye colour?
Dark brown

25. Can you taste the difference between Pepsi and Coke?
No, I'm not that sensitive, I guess

By TaraElla (News, Website)

Maybe Pink Should Just be a Songwriter

Pink does write great songs. But to be honest, sometimes I think that her voice isn't really suitable for all her songs. Her latest hit, Just Give Me a Reason, is a good example. I really can't enjoy the original very much, her voice sounds annoying in it.




However, two great YouTube covers have changed my perception of the song.





What do you think?

By TaraElla (News, Website)

Beyonce and Jay-Z Can't Even Holiday in Peace?

Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z have come under fire for spending their fifth anniversary holiday in Cuba. Some Cuban-Americans have apparently slammed the couple as insensitive because people are still 'fighting for their freedom' there.

For some background, even Amazing Race Australia had a Cuba leg on its most recent series. Nobody slammed any of the contestants as 'insensitive'.

Maybe, by this reasoning, anybody visiting most of Africa and the Middle East could also be 'insensitive'. After all, gay people still get jailed over there.

It's just pure PC madness.

By TaraElla (News, Website)

Spring Breakers: The Uncomfortable Truth?

I didn't watch Spring Breakers because it doesn't fit with my morals, but I do know something about it.

Films like the recent Spring Breakers may appeal to those who like sexy scenes, and I won't judge because that's not what I do, but everyone should know what people have to endure in their production. Recently it has been reported that Selena Gomez had a mini breakdown when filming Spring Breakers. "I got overwhelmed doing some of the things we were doing and having such an active audience at all times, even though I knew at heart we were super-safe," she said.

Many women really do not feel entirely comfortable doing those things, you know, and it's OK and normal according to me. In fact, I can say that I personally would not be comfortable doing that.

I Don't Get the Gaga Love

Lady Gaga is generally in my good book nowadays. She stands up for her principles, for starters. She's not as annoying as many other 'popular' people out there. I am still of the opinion she is a two-edged sword for marriage equality, and therefore is not all positive for the movement like Carrie Underwood is for example, but she is doing her bit to get the movement going and I applaud her for that. But I really cannot say that I am a fan.

I know this is controversial, but I have to say it. Aesthetically she is yucky, a total turn off. It's not the way she was born, she looks okay to me when she's all natural, it's her yucky sense of style that I find off putting. Some of her music videos are also stupid and over the top. Just compare her video for Born This Way to, for example, Macklmore's video for Same Love. One is scary, the other one is simple yet moving, and very relatable as a result.

By TaraElla (News, Website)

There Should be a Law Against This

Kelly Osbourne has revealed that she is bound by contract to have purple hair for two years.

How sad. It's one thing to be contractually bound to appear at certain events or do certain things. But something as personal as hair colour should not be decided by the powers. There should really be a law against this.

By TaraElla (News, Website)

The Silent Majority vs Noisy Fundamentalists

We are the silent majority. We are for decency, we are for equal opportunity for all people. Now this would be uncontroversial, if not for a noisy minority. A noisy minority who think they are always right and shove their particular version of religion down our throats. It is time for us to stand up to this noisy minority and put them back in their place.

A lot of us may consider that we are too busy to do that. But to defend the decency of our society should be a major priority. To ensure the equality of our brothers and sisters should be a major priority. If we don't stand up collectively, they will use their noisiness to dictate to society their version of the world, with disastrous results. We just cannot let that happen, can we?

By TaraElla (News, Website)

Lady Gaga Won't Sell Out

Lady Gaga has reportedly rejected a $1 million offer to perform at the Republican National Convention last year.

It appears that, like her or not, this woman has principles, which is more than can be said of many Hollywood people nowadays. If you really believe in something, you have to put your money where your mouth is. If you believe in marriage equality, you don't do anything to support a party that has such a strong position against it. I think we can all learn from this.

By TaraElla (News, Website)

Why do people 'hate' Taylor Swift? How about, Back Off Bullies!

Recently, I have seen many people writing about wondering why Taylor Swift has become hated by 'so many people' recently. They offer all kinds of explanation, but it really doesn't do the topic justice. In my opinion, it's a simple phenomenon that unfortunately frequently occurs in schools, although even more sadly some adults seem to never have grown out of it. It's called bullying.

Let's address the accusations first. Is she fake? We don't really know, but we don't know that about anyone else either. Is she bad for feminism? I can't see it, unless feminism means the denial of human reality and the embracing of a 'fantasy' world where girls should never act like girls. It is these people with these weird fantasies of how the world should be that have destroyed the perfectly good aspiration of being housewife for many young women, it is these people who have given feminism a bad name in some circles. Who are they to say that Taylor is bad for feminism then? Does she have too many boyfriends? She has not gone through a marriage or commitment ceremony with any of them, so she's entitled to leave whenever she wants to. Has she been mean to other women? There is no evidence of that, unless you count her songs as 'evidence'. Even more ridiculously, today I came across an article which said that it was her fault that after a year she was still saying how hurt she was at Kanye West's inappropriate behaviour, and how she was perpetuating racist stereotypes - just by telling us how she felt. Needless to say, I won't even dignify this 'argument' with a response.

So there's really no reason to dislike Taylor Swift.

My theory is that Taylor Swift is being collectively bullied, nothing more.

By TaraElla (News, Website)

All for Freedom

Ten years ago, I could not say I was totally on board with gay equality as much as I can say that now. However, this year (March specifically) marks the 10th anniversary of me actively supporting marriage equality (then simply called same-sex marriage rights). My initial support of marriage equality came from a perspective of social libertarianism, inspired by the implications of the post-911 policies of conservative administration. At that time I was angered by the decision of Blair and Howard to enter the war on Iraq, even though a clear majority of their nations simply do not agree. 'Not in my name, not with my taxes' was a standard protest slogan.

Ten years later, marriage equality has long become a number one priority for me at the ballot box and elsewhere. At this time I am now angered by politicians including some here in Australia to block equality, even though a clear majority of their nations simply do not agree. 'Not in my name, not with my taxes' seems to apply equally well now.

A constant theme that we see is that we should not give too much power to governments on social matters. To let them regulate what society should and should not do, what values our nations should have etc. is simply dangerous.

By TaraElla (News, Website)