The RED Campaign

Jennifer Garner, Apollo Ono, Penelope Cruz all posed for the new Gap (RED) advertisements. Bobby Shriver and Bono teamed up to raise awareness and money for the global funds to fight the war against AIDS in Africa.

Bono and Shrivers mission; to use GAP, Armani Exchange, Apple, Motorola, American Express and Converse all joined together to sell products that dedicate a certain amount of proced to the (RED) Campaign Global Fund.

Bono's RED initiative is aiming to pour money into Africa and support those suffering from AIDS. A group of Gap executives, Bono, and camera crews fly to Africa to witness the seriousness of the issue. Bono traveled to Lesotho and Rwanda to experience first hand how his idea could impact the coutnry. Bono visited Gap workshops where most of the their clothes are made, to find that one in three workers inside was infected with AIDS. Bono stayed at the workshop for hours to stay with the workers. It was this trip that truely set of the entire sweep of the RED campaign. Bono realized that if these workers made RED clothing for GAP, that they themselves would be investing in their future, their health, the life.

GAP has thrusted itself into this project, dontating half the cost of every RED clothing bought in the next five years to the Global Fund to fight for the AIDS cause.

This campaign is a short term way of dealing with the AIDS emergency. But it is a way to provide the ART drug (anti-retroviral treatment) to millions of people dying slowly of AIDS in Africa.

Bono and Shriver has created a way for these businesses to step outside their boundaries and give some of their earnings to a better cause then their own pockets. Some think this is a sceme to promote brands like Converse and bring the slowly slipping GAP back into the spotlight and heart of all again. But the fact is that Bono singled GAP out to help flourish his and Shrivers idea.

The RED Campaign is something that will help stop over 5,500 people from dying every day. Oprah herself did a show about the RED Campaign with Bono as the guest. They left the studio and visited every company that offers RED products and shopped. Oprah bought every guest in her audience RED t-shirts from the Gap. Oprah also continued her show buy saying "buy RED for Christmas." Ever since "O" said this, RED shirts and other products have been flying off the shelves leaving the GAP rushing in orders to prepare for the holiday shopping craze.

This is obviously a wonderful example of how Bono is using media to influence and better our society and the worlds population.

GO BONO!!!!

The AMA's (history, how, and results)

The American Music Awards, one of the four major annual American Music awards shows. The other being The Billboard Awards, the Grammy Awards, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. The AMA's were first created in 1973 by infamous Dick Clark to compete with the Grammys.

Michael Jackson and Donny Osmond were honored to co-host the first AMA's. The AMA winners are determined by a poll of music buyers. The shows all compete for prestige and popularity. Wining a category in the AMA's, the Billboards, and the Grammys is like a triple crown winner in horse racing.

This years awards went as followed.
Favorite Soul/RB artist: Jaimee Fox (Thought he was an actor )
Favorite RB Female Artist: Mary J. Blige (Did not know she still put out albums)
Favorite RB Band/Group: Black Eyed Peas (Of course....More Fergie-lets hope she doesnt pee her pants AGAIN)
Favorite RB Album:The Breakthrough by Mary J. Blige

Favorite Rap/Hip Hop Artist: Eminen beat out Kanye West
Favorite Rap/Hip Hop Group: Black Eyed Peas
Favorite Rap/Hip Hop Album: Monkey Business by the Black Eyed Peas

Favorite Pop/ Rock Male Artist: Julian beat out Nick Lachey and Sean Paul
Favorite Pop/Rock Group: The Red Hot Chili Peppers
Favorite Pop/Rock Album: All The Right Reasons; Nickelback

Favorite Alternative artist: Red Hot Chili Peppers

Favorite New Breakthrough Artist: Carrie Underwood (Wow)

Now what is it about these awards that lures people to watch? Or do people even watch? Why do we allow other "important" people in the music industry to choose the winners for us? Why are we more obsessed about what people wear to these award shows than we are that other people are choosing who "we...the people" think should win. I feel that it is unfair that the shows are put on under false pretense with what we want to see, rather than what is real. Sadly, these awards shows are for the celebs themselves to gain yet another object for them to worship and lose more modesty over. However, we watch the shows, even if only to see what they show up in, every year. Antisipation for disappointment year after year.

Blood Diamond

The movie Blood Diamond (which comes out Dec. 8th) sheds light to African war many know little about.

TheWarner Bros. movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio is set against in the civil war and horror during the 1990's in Sierre Leone. The movie based on a ex-mercenary and a fisherman who are both African, but have opposite lives. Then of course, their lives come together to join in the quest in finding a rare pink diamond. This diamond can change or even end their lives.

The fisherman is forced to work in the diamond fields, and find the rare diamond and hides it even though at great risk. When word gets out people go hunting for the diamond and the fisherman life. Now I wont spoil anymore. However the war about diamonds sadly continues. Diamonds have funded devistating wars in South Africa killing millions.

Diamonds were sold in order to fund armed battle. Sadly the profits from the diamond trade is in the billions, thought the country so poor, were used by warlords and rebels to buy guns and arms during the wars. The war in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone, have costed an estimated 3.7 million lives.

The physical war is over, though the lives are still lost. The issue with Diamonds in South Africa is still at large. There are still diamond mines controlled by rebels. Other issue continue with the smuggling of diamonds into surrounding countries as exports of the legitimate diamond trade.

Finally, a governement program called the Kimberly Process was put into place to help control and stem the flow of diamonds. The proces is trying to create sales that do not allow conflict or blood diamonds to be sold.

So when Christmas comes around, or Valentines Day, an engagement and a girl recieves a diamond. Who really knows whether someone died for it? There are ways to help our culture and the society of South Africa by being cautious of how or where you buy the sparkling jewelry. Asking questions is a start.

We all remember Kanye West's song "Diamonds are Forever" which features a replica of a diamond mine in his video. He is resonding to the horrible history of diamonds from Africa. Another artist Ziggy Marley has created the song "Still the Storms Come" which refers to the continuance of deaths and aftermath of the wars. He sings that Africa was effected in ways no one really knows both from Slavery and the Diamond war.

Well, the war has ended and precautions have been put into place, but are people even aware that millions of people died for a simple peice of jewelry? The lives that were lost do not cost one carat. I feel horrible that our country glorifies the size of a womans ring, or wishes for a diamond necklace for an gift without realizing what it took to get that diamond onto your hand or neck.

I hope this movie opens peoples eyes to the situations across the world. And I hope that maybe people will be ever so less materialistic after seeing what happened to so many lives.

Divorce in Hollywood

Hollywoods couples are falling apart left and right. Handling a public divorce is never easy, but life is getting far more disastrious for couple Reese and Ryan. Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillipe that is. The celeb couple who have been married for 7 years and bearing two children Ava (7) and Deacon (3).

This couple was once the epitmy of celebrity marriage. Now, due to Ryans alleged affairs with Abbie Cornish, a co-star on his new movie Stop Loss. Poor Reese, the devoted wife who makes a reported $29 million dollars per movie is now husbandless. The couple announced their split in Oct. 30th.

Ryan, the potential cheater, is now saying he is happier than before now having some freedom in his life again. Well Ryan....you still have kids. Reese, known for her roles in Cruel Intentions and Legally Blond, has suspected that Ryan has been less than faithful for some time, yet put on a brave face to hold the family together. Reese still cares for the father of her two children, but is learning to let go of a failed marriage.

The couple who has put serious effort into their marriage awhile back, publically amitting attending couples counseling, has shock America with the split. Not to say it doesnt happen quite often in "Hollywood," but Reese and Ryan were the one sure-thang couple that stood the hands of time...I guess til now right.

Well Reese is not the only star that has been betrayed. Other cheating couples include the infamous scandel between Jude Law and Sienna Miller (the babysitter love fest), as well as the infedelity of Eric Benet to beautiful Halle Berry. Not to mention Hugh Grants preference for prostitutes over Elizabeth Hurley (what was he thinking right?) and cheating Ethan Hawk losing Uma Thurman over some lousy model while Ethan was on vacation.

Well, not to make a point but it seems to me, that men have a hard time remaining faithful to their more successful girlfriends or wives in the celeb world. Maye its because the guy feels threatened if the woman is more successful than he, maybe its a way for them to even the score...either way it seems that they lose the game anyway.

Well, poor Ryan Phillipe, and poor Reese Witherspoon who will retain most of the couples assets will share custody of the children. How will Hollywood ever survive without them and their "stong and secure marriage" ? I guess we will have to see.

I dont want to blame the guys for their huge mistakes, but honestly what are they thinking. Why cheat on a successful and amazingly gorgeous girlfriend/wife for what, for the thrill? Or for the insanity that people fall in lust while shooting a movie. It happens everytime. Look at Angelina and Brad....together after filming the sexy movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith, same thing for Jennifer Aniston and Vince....together after shooting The Break Up, Vanessa Minillo and Nick Lachey after shooting Nicks "whats left of me" music video. Whats next for Hollywood? We all know that Britney and Kevin are divorcing or at least will go through a lot more public fighting......but who didnt know really? But honestly, which couple is next? If there is one.

Borat--my least favorite movie of the year

This movie attempting to disgrace Kazakhstan and cause friction with its racist remarks really does the job.
The movie shows horrific conditions of Borats' country, then brings him to America where he is trying to learn lessons to help his own country. Well, the only lesson this movie shows is that driving across the country in a empty ice cream truck trying to find Pamela Anderson is not worth the trip.

The movie has a large amount of racists and offensive remarks, especially towards jewish people. The movie shows Kazakhstan having a "running with the Jew", similar to running with the bulls in Italy. Men from Kazakstan run away from large green heads portraying a jewish person. Borat also uses discriminating language throughout the entire movie.

His next inappropriate comment came not in what he said, but what he encouraged other to say. People from Texas were caught on camera saying things that could potentially be seen as slander towards those who are homosexual. You could feel the awkwardness in the theatres seats. Some say it is the "funniest movie of the year," well I thought it was "The most rude movie of the year."

The nakedness in the movie was funny, however, the comments made by Borat in the movie made it hardly worth the $7.00. Negative four stars from me.

Messin with Sasquatch

Jack Link's Beef Jerky has won the adversitement all time funniest commercial....by me. If you have never seen these commericals please watch them, it is marketing commedy at its best.

Jacks Links Beef Jerky has a series of commericals that involve practical jokes. The jokes are funny, but the best part is that they are all done to a sasquatch, thats right a yeti. One of the best Jacks Link's best is (hot water) a group of three guys come upon a sleeping sasquatch. The guys heat up water and quietly place the sasquatches hand in the hot water......and he urinates all over himself. The guys run and laugh behind a tree, which they are carrying a bag of jerky. Almost every commercial ends with the sasquatch throwing something at the jokesters and knocking one of them down or closelining them across the forest.

This clever commercial has grabbed the attention of many, and has been a discussion at my work place. Many people agree that the creative team behind these series of commercials is seriously genius.

The commercials are purely unrealistic and that alone makes them even more funny. Another catchy commercial involving sasquatch involves that good ole' loose salt cap. You see a two guys watching the sasquatch from behind a log, to see he is roasting a rabbit on a spit atop of a blazing fire, the guys give hand signals and one sneaks up behind sasquatch to unscrew the salt shaker cap. The sasquatch reaches for the shaker and pours it on the food to get the entire shaker full spilling out. He gets angry, and you see the guys laughing and Sasquatch comes up from behind and then it shows the Jack Links logo.

Not many commercials can pull a laugh out of me, so I consider myself a critical commercial watcher. I rarely find even superbowl commercials quite funny. However these Jack Links commerical had me laughing at every one. My personal favorite was the shaving cream one. Its a must see. The advertisements are shoving their product in our face, they are providing you with incredible humor. When a commercial is this great you share it with your friends. These commercials are not to be forgotten.

The commericals itself are not your typical commercial. I encourage all of you who have nto yet seen them to visit Messin With Sasquatch

Britney's Baby Media Mix up

Recently we all have heard that Mrs. Federline herself has had another child. While her first pregnancy drew more attention than the recent one, there might be a media mix up on our hands.

As many know Britney Spears had her first child over a year ago, which she named Sean Preston. Now there is speculation that Britney has had a girl the second time, facing controversy against multiple magazines that she has had another boy named Sutton.

The E online Web site put up a article claiming that Britney's "rap star" husband Kevin has created a stir on a Seattle radio show interview when he says its crazy when the media are telling him his childs name.

It just may seem to be that former queen of pop has had her second child and named it Jayden James Federline.
The Web site was unclear whether "Jayden" is a specifically a boy or girls name, thought there are hints that it may be a girl. The funny fact is, apparently the many magazines who told the world about "Sutton" did not even confirm the name or sex of the baby with the familys publicist. Something seems strange to me, anyone else?

Now if this is true, than amazingly multiple magazines have created a frenzy that is deemingly false. This potentially may be damaging to InTouch, Us Weekly, OK magazine reputations. While on the other hand, it may seem that the Seattle radio show is relaying false information to its public. Now who is right? Britney was seen buying pink baby outfits, and the child's photo has not been released yet. Is there a suprise on the way for America? Is someone telling falsehoods? What and where is this new "something--something" Federline?
It may not be headline news, but I am wondering who will be caught in the scandal of the baby name.