Up Or Down List - Now Weekly

Reminder:
This is a new feature coming to TaraElla's column. Every week, we will look at who is moving up and who is moving down in TaraElla's books. A running total will also be kept.

+1 = normal rise. Someone did something good, according to TaraElla
+5 = big rise. Someone did something very good, according to TaraElla
-1 = normal fall. Someone did something bad, according to TaraElla
-5 = big fall. Someone did something very bad, according to TaraElla

This week (read recent posts on this blog for further info on the following):
+5 Taylor Swift - visited sick kids in hospital
-5 Miley Cyrus - disowns the past Miley which we liked
-5 Miley Cyrus - encouraged controversy with her lyrics
+1 Demi Lovato - reminded us that drug abuse is a tragic disease, not something to be judged
-1 Selena Gomez - released bad video for Slow Down

Running total:
Demi Lovato 6 (+1 this week)
Taylor Swift 5 (+5 this week)
Britney Spears 1
Rihanna -5
Miley Cyrus -10 (-10 this week)

By TaraElla (News, Website)

Up Or Down List

This is a new feature coming to TaraElla's column. Every week, we will look at who is moving up and who is moving down in TaraElla's books. A running total will also be kept.

+1 = normal rise. Someone did something good, according to TaraElla
+5 = big rise. Someone did something very good, according to TaraElla
-1 = normal fall. Someone did something bad, according to TaraElla
-5 = big fall. Someone did something very bad, according to TaraElla

The past month (read recent posts on this blog for further info on the following):
+1 Britney Spears - Ooh La La Video was a welcome change to her recent stuff
+5 Demi Lovato - Launches foundation in honour of her father
+1 Miley Cyrus - Encouraging the new inclusiveness at Disney Channel
-5 Rihanna - Glorified Marijuana Use
-1 Miley Cyrus - Released horrible video for We Can't Stop

Running Total:
Demi Lovato 5 (+5)
Britney Spears 1 (+1)
Rihanna -5 (-5)

By TaraElla (News, Website)

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)

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)

Miley Cyrus vs Perez Hilton

Perez Hilton recently published a piece on Miley Cyrus being spotted together with Ed Westwick and speculated on what the two may have been doing. Now Miley has said that she hasn't been together with Ed Westwick ever, and is telling him off for trying to ruin her life.

Now I do believe in Miley more than Perez, so I do believe the whole piece was a lie from the start, something that Perez would not be above doing in my opinion. The photos on his site also don't seem to support his story. But even if they were spotted together, to go from there and suggest the possibility of an affair is really low life behaviour. So in my opinion Perez has really overstepped any boundaries of basic decency here. Not new for him, either.

What we need is more family friendly Hollywood bloggers, and less scum like Perez Hilton.

By TaraElla (News, Website)

Directioners vs Miranda Cosgrove - Enough is Enough

It's been over a year since the feud between some 'Directioners' (fans of One Direction) and some Miranda Cosgrove fans started. But the wounds still haven't healed for some involved, sadly.

It all started with One Direction guest starring on an episode of iCarly, Miranda's show, titled 'iGot Jungle Worms'. Some Directioners thought that by introducing iCarly viewers, who they view as mostly immature and very young, to One Direction, their beloved band would be forced to change forever.

One year later, One Direction is still One Direction - but the Miranda hate hasn't completely died down either. Maybe it's now just people who are jealous of Miranda herself. Anyway, Miranda is a nice girl who has done nothing bad to any of you out there, and this needs to stop. I like One Direction too but I can't stand to see this happen.

By TaraKate (News, Website)

Leave Beyonce Alone!

Beyonce Knowles continues to suffer from the consequences of allegedly lip-syncing the American National Anthem at President Obama's inauguration. Luckily, many other artists have come to her backing.

We should all leave her alone, I think. Everybody has their ups and downs. It isn't easy trying to be perfect all the time.

By TaraKate (News, Website)

American Idol: My Worst Fears Confirmed

American Idol has premiered in America, and across the world, including here in Australia, for another year. This year is different, however. With the departure of judges from last year, Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj were appointed the new judges. Nicki Minaj would have to be the most unqualified judge ever, in my opinion.

I also feared this would ruin the show, and it seems I was right. Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey couldn't stop fighting, it seems. Now this may seem like good entertainment for the auditions, but when it's time for the serious stuff, the show would just be discredited.

There's still enough time to change things. C'mon producers!

By TaraElla (News, Website)

Carrie Underwood Doesn't Fear Husband Cheating, Re-Affirms Marriage Equality Support

Yesterday we talked about LeAnn Rimes and her very real fears of her husband cheating again. Now here's a case of a much healthier relationship. Fellow country singer Carrie Underwood is married to hockey player Mike Fisher, and is not a bit worried about him cheating. "I've never had to worry about him, because I've never trusted anybody so completely. Or I didn't know the true meaning of trust. He just...he just wouldn't do that," she told Allure magazine recently.

That's the way relationships should be, I think. Trusting, and never breaking that trust.

Meanwhile, in the same interview Carrie re-affirmed her support for marriage equality. Good on her!

By TaraElla (News, Website)

LeAnn Rimes Has Feared Husband Cheating

LeAnn Rimes has been in a lot of trouble lately, and some of it at least has to do with her current relationship, which stemmed from an affair whilst both parties were married. This topic has been revisited yet again recently. When asked if she feared that her new husband Eddie Cibrian may cheat again, she said 'it's definitely creeped into my mind'.

Look, I've decided that I do like LeAnn Rimes after all, and I really wish people would give her a chance to get her career back on track. People's reactions to her recent X Factor performance was, for example, disappointing. I'm not going to be judgmental, but let's take it as a lesson for everyone. The reality is that nothing good comes out of cheating, ever. So there's plenty of reason to feel insecure in such a relationship.

By TaraElla (News, Website)

Frankie Muniz Tells Lindsay Lohan and Amanda Bynes to Go Away for a Little Bit

Frankie Muniz, once an actor who received lots of media attention, has been out of the spotlight for quite a while since he moved away from LA to Phoenix, Arizona. Now he advises his friends Lindsay Lohan and Amanda Bynes to do similarly.

"I almost just wanna tell them, just go away for a little bit, get away from the world, get away from the photographers and the people following you around and find yourself and maybe you'll be happier," he told talk show host Katie Couric.

I guess that's really good advice. I mean, Hollywood can be crazy, and when you've got enough troubles already, you shouldn't have to deal with that.

By TaraElla (News, Website)