Inspired by GOOD GOSSIPInspired by GOOD GOSSIP

3

4

GOOD GOSSIPSama Al-Gailani Angelo Macatangay Liza Haddad Andrew Perucho

Brad Pitt Helping Out One Nail at A TimeBy LIZA HADDAD

Brad Pitt

GOOD GOSSIPN

ove

mb

er 2

6, 2

009

Idol Gives Back.In the picture

Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacre-st

American IdolIdols Just Keeps GivingBy SAMA AL-GAILANI

Brad Pitt, left his wife and ran off with another woman. That is the story the media focuses on, but what about proud father? Humanitarian? Inspiration? Behind all the negativity lies a man who donates his time, money and hands to better the world. Brad Pitt is one of many celebrities that help the world, but these positive actions are disregarded while the negative stories are sensationalized. Brad Pitt, seen in the photo, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity is helping out the world, one nail at a time. Grab a hammer, make a difference.

Idol just keeps giving! Every year American Idol gathers all its stars (platinum status stars) and travels around the world to help the unfortunate. Millions vote each week for their favourite stars and thousands donate in hopes to give back to the very world that is producing these idols. Behind every idol is a story and behind every story there is hope. With hope comes inspiration and with inspiration comes empowerment.

Last year, due to economic reasons, American Idol did not give back. This upcoming season, the show returns to raise awareness and help Americans and many others around the world rise out of poverty.

Lil’ WayneGet a Load of Wayne’s WorldBy Liza Haddad

Lilʼ Wayne is misunderstood, and he knows it. With those very words tattooed on the side of his face, Mr. Carter uses his music as a outlet to better understand him. Born and raised in the Big Easy, Weezy holds his city next to his heart and as he says in one of his songs he “wears his city on his fitted”.

He has inspired millions, and has sold billions but none of that matters to his die hard fans. What you may not know about Mr. Carter is that he is actively involved in rebuilding New Orleans, years after the Katrina disaster or that he is was given a full scholarship to

university, sure he left to pursue other things but what about the fact that he has re-enrolled? After conquering the music business, he is now conquering the educational world, pursuing his degree in psychology. What is not empowering about that?

We spoke to a die hard Weezy fan, Anthony Lowe and he told Good Gossip “Wayne is more than just a rapper, people donʼt know him like his fans know him. We see fun loving, caring side as well as the lyrical genius...when you listen to his music, you feel what heʼs saying, you feel his pain and you know that you can do and be a better person”

Lil Wayne has donated over 1 Million dollars to his city, visited over 30 schools but this isnʼt the focus of his career. People donʼt see him for the positive, parents only see how he can negatively impact their children. What about the millions of kids everyday that are inspired to express themselves creatively?

Itʼs time we see the champaign bottle as half full, rather than half empty.

Lil Wayne - In Concert supporting New Orleans

GOOD GOSSIPN

ove

mb

er 2

6, 2

009

Lady GagaBehind the Poker FaceBy SAMA AL GAILANI

One celebrity that sort of inspires me [ok well, not me in particular, but you know] is Lady Gaga. You're probably wondering why I think so highly of a celebrity that's is so weird, but that's okay. Lady Gaga, compared to artists like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, is new to the music industry.

She managed to rise to one of the top rated artists within a year, and I think we can all agree that her style had a lot to do with that. Yes, her music is awesome, but she brings a whole new trend of uniqueness to her style that not a lot of artists have done throughout their career. Many people judged the way she dresses, the lyrics to her songs and her openness about sexuality.

She sort of in a way used that negativity and turned it into something that benefited her career. She used all

that negativity and created something positive from it.

Magazines, entertainment shows, blogs and other gossip sites made head l ines abou t Lady Gaga 's "shocking MTV VMA fashion". Okay, I agree, the woman does have a different sense of style, but so what? I love how she doesn't respond or get affected by what people say about her and how much they bash her style and music and whatever else.

Seriously, how many artists can you think of that accept an award wearing a face mask? Or wearing a bird nest on their head? People are so concerned about appearance and the glamor life and what celebrities wear and how they wear it and how it makes them look. it's ridiculous.

I like how Lady Gaga started her career with a twisted/weird/different style and continues doing it. I'm not going lie, when I first saw her outfits at

the VMA awards I was like wtf is wrong with this woman is she serious? Now that I think about it, she has the confidence to be herself and not conform to the 'Hollywood' norms.

Lady GaGa is comfortable in her own skin and doesn't need anyone tell her what to wear, who to like, what to sing...That is what is so empowering about this woman.

Her ability to be herself through what she wears shouldn't be negatively spun, she undoubtedly has inspired millions and empowered billions to be themselves. She promotes to her fans that being different is okay, and being yourself is great.

Lady Gaga - Being different is alright.

GOOD GOSSIPN

ove

mb

er 2

6, 2

009

Britney SpearsDo You Want a Piece of Her?By ANGELO MACATANGAY

Britney Spears is a great example of a complex celebrity. She started as a young starlet making music hits in United States and later achieved pop-princess status with record-breaking album and single sales around the world. Her life is her career. She has become a regular target for media sensation.

The media has sensationalized her image with news, fact and fiction that related to various topics such as late night partying, alcohol and drug abuse, to improper care of her children. Although, some of these are facts of her life, media has taken advantage of Britney Spears and blew her showbiz life stories out of proportion.

During her early years in the showbiz industry, people idolized her for her sweet, teenager image. In the recent years, Britney has become hated by the media and this has lead to people bashing on her. What we have to

realize has media consumers is that people go through life. We need to understand that different people go to d i f f e r e n t s i t u a t i o n s . B r i t n e y experienced a fair share of mishaps in her life. It is no different with an average Joe or an average Jane’s problems but Britney’s problems has been exposed and sensationalized by the media.

I admire Br i tney’s st rength to withstand all the media bashing news. People need to see that everyone makes mistakes and Britney is just like us. We need to understand that Britney lived a complex celebrity life but she managed to be just fine. I admire Britney’s strength to be back to the top again recently, finding peace with her family.

Her confidence to deal with all the media’s negativity to continue in showbiz shows that she does not give up. Britney’s courage to withstand the negativity is a good trait that people

need to see from her. The viewers need to understand the media has focused too much on the negativity. Media’s coverage with her downfall than her comeback has been a bigger focus for Britney.

Media even forget to mention that Britney Spears is involved with four charities, one of them she manages as her own. Media does not cover the effort she put through in her concerts, albums and how she inspires many people. We as the media consumers need to understand how her life has been sensationalized so much that media has not covered it as much as the media sensationalized it.

Britney knows it, and her courage to keep on dancing and singing to the masses is a greater message for people to talk about.

Britney doing what she does best, inspire.

GOOD GOSSIPN

ove

mb

er 2

6, 2

009

Aubrey O’DayBlonde AmbitionBy LIZA HADDAD

(Aubrey O'Day is a very complex celebrity, but like many celebrities, you don't really know her until you have followed her career. From the outside looking in, she appears as just another one of 'those girls'. As someone who has followed her from day one of her career, I have to say she is one of the most inspirational people in Hollywood. It sounds ridiculous coming from a 20 year old woman, who is supposed so educated about the fallacies of Hollywood.

I believe that you become a fan (when I say fan, I mean actively following and even involved in that persons career) of someone based on how you identify with them. For me, Aubrey O'Day was and still is (despite what others say) a beautiful and educated woman. Within Hollywood, so many celebrities are sensationalized and due to this, their true message is blurred and lost in the lies (thanks to the likes of Perez Hilton).

Looking at a picture of Aubrey O'Day she's a "dumb blonde" but little do these people know that she was on her way to Law School before taking a chance at fulfilling her childhood dream. What is not

inspirational about that? Aubrey O'Day isn't a household name, she isn't an A-List, cover of Star Magazine celebrity, but she is one of the many celebrities that are displayed in a negative light.

For those of you who do not know who Aubrey O'Day is (if I could take a guess, I'd guess that no one reading this knows who she is) She was a part of Platinum selling Pop girl group Danity Kane (don't know them either?), this group lasted 5 years before they disbanded, what's the point of this? Keep reading, it's coming, I swear!

Wi th in Dan i ty Kane, Aubrey was immediately labelled the 'bad girl', the out spoken, over sexed member, but behind those (ridiculous) names she was the same person she was when she first hit the scene. Aubrey became a sex symbol, and because of the way she looked, she was labelled a, slut and immediately everything about her became obsolete. The fact that she was educated and even ran her own charity didn't matter. I can't really explain why I like her (as I write this I feel like the biggest loser, like a 13 year old girl with a Dora the explorer backpack

and a side ponytail), but there is something so empowering in seeing a woman in my age range believe in who they are, and who wants to be the best that they can be, despite what others say about her.

I find in her qualities that make me want to better myself, she finds time to donate her time to important organizations, she finds time for her fans, she makes it a priority to be heard. She isn't afraid of being called names, she isn't afraid to have an opinion and she isn't afraid of being herself.

What I'm trying to say is that behind every complex celebrity, there is a person who is adored by many, who inspires and empowers millions. I think it's time we stop focussing on the ridiculous stories and focus on the positive that these people in the public eye can do.

For me, I am inspired by Aubrey O'Day, a person that shows me that it's okay to take chances that it's okay to follow your heart and that it's okay to be an educated woman with a strong opinion.

Who inspires and empowers you?

Aubrey O’Day serves at a Thanksgiving Dinner food bank.

GOOD GOSSIPN

ove

mb

er 2

6, 2

009

Michael JacksonLooking at the Man in the MirrorBy ANDREW PERUCHO

(Please note that this was written immediately after Michael's Death. We thought it would be fitting to share this with you all as it is pure emotion...The complexity of Michael just goes to show that there are so many ways to be inspired by someone, take what you will from them but they are important to us all).

I’m going to rant, and if it doesnt make any sense.. so be it, but I felt like I needed to get this off my chest.

Today, or yesterday if you want to be politically correct was the day when Michael Jackson died. One of the true music legends who revolutionized and inspired the world was taken away at a young (but not so young) age of 50 years old. Think what you want to think about Michael - you may hate him because you think he’s ‘weird’. You can poke fun at the rape allegations or his disfigured face but honestly what for? Do you honestly feel that much superior to the guy that you have to bring him down because he has ‘issues’ with himself? Is telling MJ jokes to your friends the cool thing to do now?

I just don’t understand why people have to be so judgemental towards him. How do you think that made him feel when people who used to be his fans turned against him as he went through trials in his life? The media completely bashed his every move and created an aura of hate around him that was so completely unecessary and vile.

How are you going to do that to a guy who has obvious problems? And now that he passes away so suddenly these same media outlets and these same haters come out of the woodworks to do a complete 180 and give out their support to him and his family. I’m sure he would’ve loved that support BEFORE he passed away .. just a thought.

I mean Michael has such a pure heart that people automatically raise a red flag when they feel that something is ‘off’. How are you going to roast a guy who basically gave up his childhood but singlehandedly contributed to everyone elses?

He never learned proper social behavoir because of this and thats why he might act weird some if not most of the time.. man was just misunderstood straight up. Oh, he has a ranch and invites children to come over to play in it. WEIRDO. Oh, he has surgery for skin grafts on his face. ‘WEIRDO’. Oh, he dangled his baby for all the media to see. WEIRDO.

It’s so unecessary and blown up that it just pissed me off..leave the poor guy alone. How the hell are you going to exploit an emotionally unstable man who couldnt defend himself and was already seen as a weirdo. And people bought into the medias lies and bullshit. It's just ridiculous.

I just hope that before he passed away.. in the back of his mind.. he knew that everyone was behind him. That they understood what he was going through. That people fully realized he was not this ‘wacko-jacko’ that the media portrayed him to be. I hope he rested easy with the full knowledge and conviction and without a single doubt in his body that people never actually believed the media’s bullshit because really, that would be a downright shame.

He’s even said it himself how his upcoming concert (which sold out in mins. time) was all about winning back his old fans who reverted and its horrible that these concerts will never see the light of day. The media took everything from him but they can never take away how he changed music and the face of the world.

You know, as I listen to his songs while I write this.. they’ve become that much more powerful.. and it’s weird and I don’t think its hit home that he’s finally gone.. but when that moment comes.. I don’t think I’ll be ready for it.

RIP Michael Joseph Jackson and thank you for inspiring me to look in the mirror and make that change

Michael Jackson - Healing the World.

GOOD GOSSIPN

ove

mb

er 2

6, 2

009