Don't Think Anna Kendrick is Pretty? You May Not Be Alone.

Apparently some people think that Anna Kendrick is not pretty. I'm surprised, really, but it's true.

She won't be upset by that, though.

"The most common thing that I get is, 'Am I the only one who doesn't think that Anna Kendrick is pretty?' And you're like, 'No, you're not the only one. Arguably, all of the boys in my high school agree with you'," she recently told Marie Claire.

What a great answer!

The Secret to Taylor Swift's Success?

What is Taylor Swift's secret for success? I'm pretty sure many would like to know, seeing that she is probably the most successful pop singer right now. Recent comments by her friend Selena Gomez may have shed some light on that.

"She was actually at my house the other day and we were sitting by the fire and I was talking about relationships and business in my life and she just kind of looked at me and was like, 'Selena, if you’re the smartest person in the room, I think you’re going to be in the wrong room'," Selena Gomez told The Talk Friday recently.

"She thinks I should constantly surround myself with people who are going to make me better, that are going to challenge and motive me," Selena added.

I think that's a good approach to life. We all need role models, people who we can look up to, people who can make us better. Learning to emulate the best in other people is a big factor in success indeed.

Freedom is the Only Way

It's sad that so many people want our governments to restrict freedom, to put a ban on things they don't like to see. It's totally misguided.

These are just a few reasons why freedom is so important:

The Adaptive Politics Manifesto

I am a Proud 'Liberaltarian'

Revisiting Citizen Initiated Referenda

Non-Judgmentalism, Miley Cyrus and Springbreakers

Recently, one of my readers expressed concern that they found several of my posts in 2013 a bit 'judgmental'. Specifically, those were posts on Miley Cyrus and the movie Springbreakers. Let me provide my answer to that accusation here.

My criticism of Miley was not about judging anyone, or their actions. It was about a 'clash of values'. I'm more than happy to respect a friend choosing to dress and act like Miley did. But Miley was not just doing those things in 2013, she was doing interviews, expressing ideas and viewpoints. In other words, she was not just having fun, she was promoting a particular cultural worldview, a culture that was against my own values. Therefore, I had to say something about it. Otherwise, I wouldn't have values at all, right? It's the same as taking a stance against someone promoting racism or homophobia to me, and just as important. In fact, recently I wrote an opinion piece on the difference between judging someone and standing up for your values, you can read it here if you are interested.

Regarding my criticism of Springbreakers, it was some of Selena Gomez's comments regarding the filming that made me think about the possibility of popular culture making women do things they are not entirely comfortable with, something I think would be important to address. Or maybe I was overly sensitive. But either way, it wasn't meant to be a critique of the way people dressed in the film at all.

Am I A Feminist?

After some of my recent posts, some people have asked me this question: are you a feminist?

I usually don't like labels. However, to answer this question, I think I'll have to use some. You see, there are two main types of feminism: liberal feminism and radical feminism. As with all things liberal vs radical, I support all of liberal feminism but none of radical feminism.

Liberal feminism, as with all things liberal, is about removing inequalities that are clearly identified in the system, for example unequal education opportunities for women or unequal pay for women for the same job. These inequalities are objective, and are clearly unfair. Fortunately, the work of liberal feminism is over in the West, but we always have to keep the cause up for the sake of women living outside the West.

Radical feminism, on the other hand, is all about a perceived structure to society that disfavours women and must be changed, even when there are no clearly identified inequalities. In radical feminism, people and society are analysed by looking at who has more 'privilege'. Trouble is, this is highly subjective. Thus radical feminism is a subjective ideology. I personally have a particular problem with subjective ideologies - that thing called 'conservatism' that I ran away from was just such an ideology. Conservatism is always able to justify itself, even without looking at objective results, which is often the misery of other people. Radical feminism, for me, carries the same worries. Therefore, it is something I just cannot support.

I'm sure radical feminists are well intentioned. But so are conservatives. And it doesn't mean they aren't wrong. Social engineering, especially when working with anything other than objective evidence, is dangerous.

Hilary Duff: Best Comeback Ever?

Music comebacks make us excited, but some comebacks are better than others, right?



Anyway, I think you would agree that it is a great comeback.

Taylor Swift's Latest Video, and the Myth of Cultural Appropriation

Taylor Swift's latest video, for the new track Shake It Off, has arrived, and predictably everyone's talking about it. Some like it, some don't, and personally I am undecided. I do think it's one of the better mainstream music videos this year, but I have come to expect so much of Taylor that I am a bit disappointed.

But a troubling aspect of the recent criticism is that around 'cultural appropriation'. I know this will be controversial, but I have to say this: I believe there is nothing wrong with so-called cultural appropriation, and it happens all the time. It happens when white people celebrate the Lunar New Year, for example. It also happens when non-Christians celebrate Christmas. You can even say it happens when straight people go to gay pride. In fact, it's called borrowing from other cultures. And we do it because it's fun and enriching. As long as everyone remains respectful, there's nothing wrong with it. (And I think it's clear that Taylor was very respectful in the video.)

Propagating the myth of 'cultural appropriation' leads to cultural racial segregation. I don't think segregation is good for anyone. It also leads to a heightened awareness of race and racial boundaries in society, which may be cause for racial tension. Again, this would be very unhealthy. Therefore, I urge everyone to let go of this myth.

Taylor Swift and the Ferguson Protests

There's no relationship between Taylor Swift and the protests in Ferguson. Except when some people think there is.

Apparently, for some people, releasing a cheerful song when there is a tragedy is 'insensitive'. Since record company releases are usually scheduled, I guess every artist risks being insensitive 'lucky draw' style, then.

Some have said they thought it was insensitive because of the twerking and hip hop elements in the video. But again, as these elements were not done disrespectfully, I just cannot see the insensitivity in there.

My conclusion: there's absolutely no relationship between Taylor Swift and the protests in Ferguson. Case closed.

Avril Lavigne Profile: I'm Confused, Actually

Avril Lavigne was actually the artist of the year for 2002 for me. And how far down she's come since then!

Her debut year was impressive: Complicated, Skater Boi and I'm With You were all hits I really liked. Sadly the quality of her work became so inconsistent, and her image - let's not go there.

There was also this thing about her being the 'anti-Britney' - I believed that for a while, but then I was 15, and she hadn't shown her 'true colours' yet. She is anything but anti-Britney, I think.

The question I still have is: would the real Avril please stand up?

Original and Cover: La La La

The original: Naughty Boy ft Sam Smith


The cover: Megan Nicole and Jason Chen


Cover beats original in my opinion. What do you think?

Demi Lovato Profile: The Last One Standing

Of the rising young stars of the late 00s, Demi Lovato stood out the least for me. At that time, Miley Cyrus was probably the standout, and Selena Gomez had plenty of success too. Both Miley and Selena had their respective Disney shows, which I didn't watch because I was certainly too old for it, but their music did register well. Miranda Cosgrove also released a few great hits that made quite an impression, even though I was really WAY too old to appreciate iCarly. Demi, on the other hand, never really hit my radar in any way.

Fast forward five years. Amongst her peers, Demi is now the one I most respect. This is especially true after Selena did Springbreakers and the 'new Miley' happened. She's the 'last one standing' of the three from Disney, really. But that's not the whole story. She's come through a tough time in life, and is now using her experience to help others. She's speaking out about the reality of drug addiction, whilst the rest of Hollywood just pretends that there isn't an issue about that. She's doing some important work out there, in other words.

Beyonce Knowles Most Powerful Star?

The latest Forbes Celebrity 100 has named Beyonce Knowles the most powerful star in the world.

I have to say that I am a bit surprised. She certainly isn't 'powerful' in the circles that I move in. If anything, her 'power' seems to be on the decrease amongst my friends. Even Justin Bieber has more 'power'.

So who should be the most powerful star? Ellen Degeneres, I think, just from the top of my head. Or maybe it's actually Harry Styles, looking at it from another angle.

Three Questions: Iggy Azalea

If I ever get to interview Iggy, here are the three questions I would like to ask.

1. You have put emphasis on saying that you are 'real'. In fact, in your lyrics for Fancy, you say 'first things first, I'm the realest'. Why do you have to do that, though? I am not going to doubt that you are 'real' either way, you know. Of all the singers that I have listened to, I think Katie Melua would likely be the 'realest', yet I don't hear her going around saying that at all. What does 'I'm the realest' mean anyway?

2. You have a very special story. You know, living in rural Australia, then going to the US on your own, and finding your feet there. We want to know more, seriously. Will you write an autobiography someday?

3. Having lived in both Australia and different parts of the US, you are quite a mix of cultures, right? I have a similar experience and I think it makes me the unique person that I am. How would you say that the different cultures have shaped you?

Three Questions: Miley Cyrus

If I ever get to interview Miley, here are the three questions I would like to ask. I know that these are quite tough questions, but life is all about asking the tough questions, right?

1. You said that what we are seeing now is the real you, rather than what you were in the past few years. I have to say that I was a fan of the 'old' you. Can you look me in the eye and tell me that I was a fan of a fake persona all that time?

2. It's definitely all right that you want to live your life a certain way. However, if I was having lunch in a restaurant and the lady sitting at the table next to me suddenly took off their clothes and started licking the tables and chairs, I would feel quite offended. Not that I think people can't ever do these things if that's what they like, but there's a time and place for everything, and I think you would agree that actions like that would be suited more to a private audience, and I really shouldn't be forced to watch while I eat. Whilst I haven't had the misfortune of having that exact appearance, a few months back I had a very similar experience. You see, your Wrecking Ball video was on TV at a restaurant where I ate. Don't you think that was a bit, well, inappropriate?

3. You are very positive towards marijuana, I understand. However, there is some evidence that marijuana can be harmful for the brain. I do believe people should be able to live however they choose to, and therefore I believe in marijuana legalisation. But I also believe that people choosing a particular course of action should have all the information available to them. Don't you think that glorifying marijuana whilst not mentioning any of the potential cons to its use may not be the most responsible thing to do?

I 'Hate Iggy Azalea' Because I 'Hate Hip Hop'? Not really.

After my recent comments about my dislike of Iggy Azalea's current hit Fancy, some have apparently linked that to my previous comments a few years ago about my then negative views about hip hop. Well, firstly I have made it clear that I don't hate hip hop anymore, I was concerned about the racism, sexism and homophobia it sometimes displayed, but I think things are getting better there. Hip hop will never be my favourite genre, but I have nothing against it. I even promoted Macklemore's Same Love amongst my friends last year!

And I don't hate Iggy either. I don't hate people without good reason. I only hate people whose actions have negative consequences on others' lives - like Australia's current Prime Minister Tony Abbott (look it up if you want to know how bad he is). However, I have to honestly say that I dislike that song. I don't understand how anyone would like it either - all I can say is that I respect everyone's tastes in music.

In short: It was purely about dislike of a song, not a person, and definitely not a whole genre.

Miley "grotesque" and "disgusting"? I Think She Actually Needs Help

There have been rumours that one well known musician said that Miley Cyrus's recent VMA performance was "grotesque" and "disgusting", rumours that have since been reported to be false. (In the interest of not spreading false rumours, I will not name the said celebrity.) Even though we now know the story is untrue, some of my friends did say that they agreed that the performance would deserve those harsh words. One even said that everything Miley did in the past year would fit that description.

I myself have been quite harsh on Miley too, shocked by her sudden change. She was one of my favourite artists before, you know. But on further thinking, maybe I was a bit too tough. Honestly, I have to say that the VMA performance was horrible, as were most of the recent performances and music videos. But really, in Miley I still see someone in need of help rather than condemnation.

Surely I don't like her new music anymore. It doesn't mean I have no sympathy about her condition. I think she doesn't know how to 'grow up' and project a confident, interesting and unique persona. Surely, being controversial gets people talking. But I think one has to understand that there are better ways to be 'interesting'. I hope she learns one day. I also happen to think that this is a problem facing many young people today. I think it's something we all need to think about, collectively.

Iggy Azalea's Fancy: Most Annoying #1 Ever?

The latest Billboard Hot 100 #1 is not your average #1 hit. It's a rap hit by a white Australian woman, who however raps in a Southern accent. This alone has caused lots of controversy. I personally don't believe that just because someone is white or Australian they should not rap, but I do think her voice is so annoying! And her attitude is, frankly, off putting.

By the way, here she is:


What do you think? Do you agree with me?

Glee's Audience Keeps Tumbling Down: Is There Any Way Back Up?

A friend was talking to me the other day about Glee. Yes, that TV show that used to have 10 million plus audiences in the USA alone. That show where one of the most popular characters died a tragic death. Another season of that show ended just last week, and the closing episode apparently scored another new low in audience ratings. And after next season, it's been decided that it's all coming to an end.

Many people have written the show off entirely by now. But not me. You see, there's always a way back up.

I suggest that they look at returning some of the cast that stopped appearing in the middle of last season. In particular the character Marley (played by Melissa Benoist). It's the best character Glee has ever had, in my opinion. Unlike most others on the show, she's actually inspiring. That's probably because she isn't selfish, annoying, and sometimes borderline immoral like many other Glee characters. It's something you can actually identify with, I would say.

Not to mention how she has a great relationship with her mother. Great family relationships should always be celebrated as an important part of our culture, I believe!

Angelina Jolie in Politics? Maybe. I'd Support Her.

Angelina Jolie has done a lot of great things. Maybe she could do well with a career in politics? Recently when she was asked, she left the door open on that.

"You know, if I thought I'd be effective, I would," she told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America. "But I'm not sure if I would ever be taken seriously in that way, and be able to be effective."

I personally think I may be able to support her, from what I've seen of her. I mean, you can't go wrong with being humanitarian and freedom loving, right?

Peaches Geldof, Gone too Soon

Peaches Geldof has died at the age of 25.

Nobody should die that young. It's really sad, I think.

Cherish your life. We never know when it ends. Don't have any regrets.

Eminem, the Second Best Selling Male Artist of All Time in the US

Eminem has become the second best selling male artist of all time in the USA, with his sales now at 44.9 million. He knocked off country singer George Strait, and is now only behind Garth Brooks.

I don't really like Eminem's stuff much myself. But I do have friends that love his stuff. And I can see how it appeals - unlike much of the music out there nowadays, Eminem deals with real issues, issues with deep meaning, issues that people can connect with. It's not just entertainment.

There are also plenty of other artists out there who do this today, actually. Sadly, the media promotion machine hasn't been kind enough to most of them. As a result, many people haven't heard of them.

Maybe it will just be a long road ahead for artists who focus on meaningful work rather than commercial appeal. Maybe one day they will sell a lot too.


Download the full song here.

Ellen Page says "Being gay isn’t a belief"

Ellen Page's very public coming out last month provoked lots of responses. Most of it was supportive, but some of it was not.

Recently, she decided to reply to a pastor who was not supportive. "Being gay isn’t a belief," she tweeted.

I think she put it very well here. I actually can't believe that in this day and age there are still people who believe being gay can be a choice. It's a ridiculous idea, like thinking the Earth is flat. Whilst we need to be respectful of different opinions and ideologies, I don't think we need to entertain seriously the idea that the Earth is flat, when there is plenty enough evidence that this isn't the case, right?

However, I do have to say that I don't agree with the other part of the tweet, where she said "I don’t want arms of Heavenly Father around me.A girls arms? Yes." I think that was quite impolite of her. Whatever one's religious beliefs, one must be able to show they respect others' religious beliefs too.

By the way, if you still aren't angry about people thinking gay is a choice, you need to see this:

"Divergent" and "Hunger Games" Pro-Capitalist and Anti-Collectivism?

An article appeared recently on Salon criticising the popular movie series The Hunger Games, as well as the new movie Divergent. It basically said that both movies glorify individualism and personal liberty, and therefore are panegyrics to capitalism.

I really don't agree there. There's more to individualism and personal liberty than capitalism. One can even be a libertarian socialist, right? Our generation remains divided on the left-right economic spectrum. But one thing almost all of us can agree is that the government has no business in regulating the behaviour of individuals where it doesn't hurt others. That's why no matter where we come from, the majority of us support things like legal euthanasia, decriminalising marijuana, and the freedom to marry for everyone (I personally go further to support marriage privatization). I personally am on the traditionalist side of my generation, and yet I proudly support all the above.

The basic lesson: our generation likes the idea of individualism. Socialist and capitalist alike, we support freedom. The glorification of individualism and personal liberty is not necessarily tied to consumerism for us, and does not exist only in capitalist circles. It's not 1974 anymore.

By the way, both stories are beautiful stories, aren't they?


Download the full song here.

Lady Gaga's Financial Difficulties During 'Monster's Ball'

Lady Gaga's Monster's Ball surely was the talk of the town back in 2009. But one thing we did not know until very recently is that she spent all her money making the show, landing herself in financial difficulty.

"I had $3 million dollars in the bank to my name and I threw it all in to make my stage. So I was bankrupt during the show," she recently said.

The music business has become a very costly business indeed nowadays. Most people do not have $3 million to spend in the first place - no wonder they can't do concerts like Gaga.

Brad Pitt on the Privileges of Being a Father

Brad Pitt has opened up to the media about one of the greatest things about being a parent.

"It's fun watching our kids getting older and learning more. That's one of the great privileges of being a father - you get to teach them things.

"All you have to do is just give them a little inspiration and encouragement and the next thing you know, they're reading everything they can about a subject. Then they try and show you how much they've learnt. It really is so beautiful," he said.

We agree wholeheartedly!

Justin Bieber Calls Selena Gomez a Princess, TaraElla Says Anyone can be a Princess if they want to

Justin Bieber has called Selena Gomez the "most elegant princess in the world" on instagram, it has been reported. Of course, this led to speculation about a possible reunion for the former couple. At this stage, it seems that speculation is all there is, however.

I think that everyone, young and old, can make their lives better and make the world a better place too if they subscribe to the princess spirit. "The princess spirit never grew old for me. It never will either," is my favourite quote.

Here's some other recent noteworthy celebrity news items:
* Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher are now engaged, in case you don't know it yet.
* Taylor Swift has gotten a Restraining Order against a man. The man had claimed he was married to Taylor previously, it was reported.
* Jewel recently opened up about her previous battles with severe anxiety, saying writing songs helped her overcome those problems. Maybe all us anxious people out there should try songwriting too.

From Yeezus to Sheezus

Lily Allen will release a new album later this year, and now it has a name. One that we never would have imagined.

Lily has apparently named the new album Sheezus, like Kanye West's 2013 album Yeezus but with the first letter changed.

"It's a confident title choice - and a little nod to Kanye West," she told The Graham Norton Show.

What a surprise!

Anyway, here's one of our favourite Lily Allen hits ever:

Let It Go by Idina Menzel / Demi Lovato - after going through Google Translate

Disney's Frozen is a major box office success, and Let It Go from its soundtrack, available in both the Idina Menzel and Demi Lovato versions, has become a major hit.

But how does it sound when you put it through Google translate, cycling through a few very different languages and back to English again? Let's have a look.

Here are the originals, again:




And this is how it looks like after the translation:


Wow! Just wow!

Five 90s/00s Songs that will Recharge Your Hope for the Future

From our friends at Quarter Life Fightback

Ellen Page Comes Out as Gay

So Ellen Page has come out as gay.

News of this is spreading like wildfire out there. But here's our take on it: so what?

Thousands of people come out as gay every day. It isn't as if Ellen Page doing so would make any difference. The world will still go on as usual. We won't magically get marriage equality everywhere, gay people everywhere won't feel safer, and we as a society won't become more tolerant because of it. Life just goes on.

There's no reason to make a big deal out of it. Really.

Demi Lovato Wants Music and Film to Stop Glamorising Drugs

As news of Philip Seymour Hoffman's death spread quickly, many celebrities also paid their tributes. One of them was Demi Lovato.

But unlike many others, she was brave enough to face and talk about the disease that has taken too many lives already. "I wish more people would lose the stigma and treat addiction as the deadly and serious DISEASE that it is. Drugs are not something to glamorize in pop music or film to portray as harmless recreational fun," she wrote on Twitter.

Here at Sunny Apple, we think we really need a major society-wide conversation on this topic. Another year, and another tragedy, and yet society and culture should just sit there and do nothing? We don't think so.

TaraElla's Top 5 Britney Spears Hits of All Time

We (the new Sunny Apple team) are interviewing TaraElla for a series of mini countdowns of her best (or most memorable) five hits for a range of artists. We're starting with one of the most memorable artists of the past two decades - Britney Spears. So what are TaraElla's five biggest Britney songs?

5. Oops I Did It Again (2000)
This was when me and my friends used to look up to Britney. She just had a feeling of confidence about her back then.



4. Lucky (2000)
Also from the Oops I Did It Again album, this was quite special. By the way, is there anyone called Lucky ever?



3. Toxic (2004)
Britney's 2004 comeback hit was huge around the world, and I agree that it deserved its success.



2. Sometimes (1999)
Of the hits from Baby One More Time, I think this one sounded the best. It's a shame that it wasn't a number one in the charts out there.



1. I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman (2002)
As far as Britney hits go, this is by far my favourite. It sounds so... hopeful! That's the word to describe it, I think. Twelve years later, its spirit of hope still resonates with me.

Taylor Swift as a Countercultural Icon?

Taylor Swift was definitely a special artist for me. I didn't notice it back when I first learnt about her, but I did notice it as soon as early 2009, when she first became popular worldwide. There was something that made her different, although I couldn't quite pinpoint it.

Then in 2011, Amity Shlaes, writing in Bloomberg (Read here: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-01/taylor-swift-as-counterculture-icon-for-teens-commentary-by-amity-shlaes.html), proclaimed Taylor to be a 'Counterculture Icon for Teens'. I personally think she put it quite well in that article. Most music was "anti-parent, or at least parent-free", Shlaes explained, and that "most parents have assumed there was nothing you could change about this dynamic". At that end of the article, having examined Taylor Swift's pro-family style and her popularity, Shlaes concluded that "maybe the professional entertainers held sway too long".

Taylor Swift is what a popular cultural icon should be like, to me, and to many other people. Of course, there will always be those who prefer people like Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, Rihanna and the like, but to me, it's just normal human nature to prefer someone like Taylor Swift over them.

So do I agree that Taylor Swift can be seen as a Countercultural Icon? Yes and No. What she does can seem countercultural at times, compared to the 'norm' out there. But then, it's probably because the 'norm' has been distorted. Rather than being countercultural, I suggest that Taylor Swift represents a return to what normal everyday people desire to see in their entertainment scene, taking back power from those who have too long controlled the scene and think they know what's best.



By TaraElla (News, Website) Discuss at the Forum!

When Spice Girl Mel C Turns 40

Spice Girl Mel C, who recently had her 40th birthday, told the Daily Mirror that "having a healthy lifestyle, drinking loads of water, and sleep" are key to maintaining her health and appearance.

I'm way younger than 40 myself, but I guess I have to agree with that.

When asked, she also said Emma Bunton was the best kisser in the Spice Girls. Which was quite interesting. I have always thought that Emma was the best singer of the bunch, but I have never thought about her being the best kisser.

Anyway, here's some of Mel C and Emma's latest work (which unfortunately did not even enter the UK top 100 - shocking, isn't it?)



By TaraElla (News, Website) Discuss at the Forum!

How a Tweet got One Direction's Liam Payne Misunderstood

I don't watch things like Duck Dynasty, but many people do, and many are big fans of the show. Which is understandable - some people do like that sort of thing. One of them is One Direction's Liam Payne, apparently.

After Willie's father, Phil, made some anti-gay comments in an interview with GQ magazine last month, praising Duck Dynasty's people in public has become a no-no in some sections of the community. Recently, Liam tweeted to Willie Robertson, saying 'huge love to you/your family huge respect for your business prosperities and the family values you still all behold'. This did not go down well with some sections of the internet. Some people went on and on about how disappointed with Liam they were.

Liam clarified himself later. "Being a fan of someones show and the way they still hold a family together doesnt mean i am ok with all they say," he wrote. But some people still weren't satisfied.

I am heartened to see people take a stand against homophobia, as always. But I think in this instance some people have gone a little bit overboard. I mean, I do trust that Liam didn't mean to support homphobia, it's hard to believe otherwise really. So why are some people not letting this go? It's as if nobody can say anything remotely controversial nowadays (except when it relates to drug use). It's sad, really.

Equally saddening is some people's picking on Liam's use of the 'buzzword' family values. I mean, I understand that the fundamentalist right version of 'family values' wasn't exactly gay inclusive, but haven't we moved beyond that? Family values can be inclusive of everyone, and that is the kind of family values I subscribe to myself. Indeed, it is family values that are driving me to put marriage equality at the top of my political priorities. Please don't hate on 'family values' just because some people have distorted it.

By TaraElla (News, Website) Discuss at the Forum!

Even the French Agree With Me About the Wrecking Ball Video

The French media regulator CSA have voiced their concerns about two recently popular music videos: Work B**ch by Britney Spears, and Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus. They believe that those videos are inappropriate for young viewers and should not air before 10pm.

When I first voiced my criticism about Wrecking Ball's video and how it made me unable to enjoy the song anymore, some ardent Miley fans were calling me a puritan. With the French media also have voiced their concerns now, I guess the 'puritan' accusations are no longer valid, right?

I used to be a fan of Miley's work too (and also Britney's work). But you just can't support whatever things someone does just because you like them.

Actually, I would like to remind Miley that she can do so much better than what she is doing now:



By TaraElla (News, Website) Discuss at the Forum!

One Direction's Louis Talks Friendships

Do you cherish your friendships? The boys from One Direction look like they certainly do!

"I think life's too short. If you start a friendship and you're happy with it, what's the point of losing it over something that's probably petty," One Direction's Louis Tomlinson said recently.

I think that's a pretty good way to put it. We need to make an effort to make our friendships and other relationships work, and part of it is not letting it get tied up in petty things.



By TaraElla (News, Website) Discuss at the Forum!

Ellie Goulding - How Long Will I Love You - The TaraElla Cover

By TaraElla (News, Website) Discuss at the Forum!

Katy Perry - Unconditionally - The TaraElla Cover

By TaraElla (News, Website) Discuss at the Forum!

Go 90s, Go 90s!

When I say I miss the 90s, I really mean it. In fact, I have felt this way all through the last decade. Here's an article from 2012 about just that:

By TaraElla (News, Website) Discuss at the Forum!