Bieber Fever

I know it must feel like we will never escape the era of the teen pop idol. First there was N’Sync, Brittney Spears and the Backstreet Boys. Then I loved Hilary Duff. Then Miley Cyrus tainted the franchise. The Jonas Brothers redeemed it with their boy-band-esque lovability.

            But today’s newest sensation we just cannot get away from is Justin Bieber.

            The Biebs has dominated the big and small screen, the music scene and talk show rounds for the past year. I feel like in the past week I’ve seen more of him than I’ve seen my own roommate.

            He made an appearance at the Grammys. His blunt interview on “Chelsea Lately” made me laugh. His “Glee” tribute made me swoon. But more than anything, his movie, “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never” made me fall in love with him.

            Kudos to him for surging such a marketing strategy, that we can’t get him out of our heads.

            My first impression of the teenage crooner was “Who does this childish and girly sounding kid think he is?”

            But my second impression was, “Wow, he’s cute and talented and too young for me.”

            And my final impression after seeing his movie is “He is an incredible kid.”

            He has amazing determination; he is hard working; he would do anything for a fan. I just hope he comes out the other end with a solid head on his shoulders.

            It is amazing to think he is only 16. At 16 I was having whipped cream fights with my friends and working at Which Wich. I was definitely not selling out Madison Square Garden and running from mobs of fans.

            The movie, while a little conceited, was an honest portrayal of what it takes to make a child superstar. Bieber came from a teen mom and a small town; he just happened to have immense talent and baby face good looks.

            So do I have Bieber Fever? Not a chance.

            I admire the kid for all he’s achieved, but I’m not about to cry if I see him in person. His fans are absolutely ridiculous. The movie certainly showcased that well.

            So in two years we will all probably all forget about Bieber fever, but that’s the circle of show business life.

            Enjoy it while it lasts, Justin, but in the meantime, sing it.

            “And I was like Baby, baby, baby ohh
Like baby, baby, baby noo
Like baby, baby, baby ohh.” 

The envelope please...

It is my favorite time of year. No, not Christmas, it is awards shows season.

            First the Golden Globes, then the SAGS, then the Grammy’s (which I’m not that crazy about), and the king of them all, the Oscars.

            I have loved the Oscars as long as I can remember. The dresses, the movies, the dreadfully long speeches, the tributes, the music, the stars and of course that little golden man.

            I love watching the stars gratefully, face full of shock, gracefully accept Hollywood’s greatest honor. This year is no different, except for the fact that I have actually seen more than one of the movies nominated.

            I will reveal my favorites, but these are in no way a predictor because I have not seen all the performances and stories unfold on the big or small screen.

            Lets start with my favorite category: best supporting actress. Of course best actress is the best, but it takes a true actress to play the supporting role. That, and I haven’t seen any of the movies nominated for best actress.

            Helena Bonham Carter did an excellent job playing the future Queen Mother in The King’s Speech. She was charming, sweet and enticing as a supportive wife and the true power behind the throne.

Even more impressive, is that she played the quiet queen on the weekends while playing the wicked villain, Bellatrix Lestrange of Harry Potter, during the week. To change so quickly from a frightening Death Eater to a loving companion impresses me the most.

            Hailee Steinfeld was the ever-convincing 14-year-old Mattie Ross in True Grit. Her performance was well executed with her shear determination and feminist attitude. Her tenacity to play such a strong character and to stand with the likes of her fellow nominees is an accomplishment in itself.

            The winner will probably be Melissa Leo from The Fighter, but my pick is Bonham Carter. My pure movie fan pick for best actress from the year is Emma Stone in Easy A. She is witty, has the funniest facial expression, a little nerdy and perfectly loveable, not to mention a fabulous red head. Love her or hate her, she was a great high school outcast turned fake slut turned Cinderella.  

Emma Stone as Olive Pendergast in Easy A.
My fan favorite actress of the year. 

            Now onto the noblest category, best actor. Jeff Bridges was a great Rooster Cockburn in True Grit, a true hero who complimented Hailee Steinfeld’s Mattie with stubbornness and subtle compassion. Jesse Eisenberg played Mark Zuckerberg, the “accidental billionaire” and true genius, with honesty and a certain bite that made viewers admire and sympathize with a man who so easily fell into the trap of money and betrayal of his best friend.

            But it was Colin Firth who swept audiences off their feet with his tragically uplifting story of a man who became king by default rather than choice and struggled with a disability that handicapped not only his speaking abilities but his self-confidence. Geoffrey Rush also did an amazing job as a character who never compromised and brought a little comic relief to such a serious subject. Colin Firth just has that natural ability to play a British nobleman and have audiences falling in love with the story.

            Firth is my pick for the Oscar and my fan favorite of the year.

Firth and Bonham Carter in the tragically
uplifting story about a king and his speech.
My pick for best supporting actress, best actor,
and best picture at the Oscars.  

            The envelope please…for best picture. This is not just considered the most important category; it is the most important category. However, I feel the Academy took some of its magnitude when it doubled the size of the category from five films to 10. But I only saw five of the 10 nominated movies so we’ll work with those.

            Inception. The moment I saw this movie, I knew it would land in the best picture category. It’s fantasy element, ensemble cast, interesting perspective of the human mind and complicated story all combined for an explosion of well-made cinema. But I just don’t think this movie can compete with the more introspective movies also nominated. So for fans of Leo Dicaprio, movies for thought and exciting visuals, this movie can stay a fan favorite rather than an Oscar winner.

            True Grit. The western tale can stand on its own two feet because of the acting that holds the story in place, but a winner this film is not.

            The Social Network. This movie is being called the movie of our generation. And this may be true. Facebook revolutionized the Internet experience, and now many people from my generation probably can’t imagine life without it. But the “true story,” while a compelling tall tale of the business world, should not win the big award. I enjoyed the film because of its interesting look at what it means to lose a few things when you make it to the top, and for its sharp dialogue.

Toy Story 3 is my favorite
movie from 2010. 

            The King’s Speech. This is a truly incredible film with the prowess to win. The cast, the story, the heartbreak and triumph combine to make a movie worth not just applause, but a standing ovation. Something about the interactions between characters, the plot, the time period and personal internal conflict can inspire viewers.

            My pick for the year, which will win an award, just not best picture, is Toy Story 3. Normally three-quels are box office and plot disasters waiting to happen, but this emotional story touched my heart. Kids my age grew up with Andy, Woody and Buzz. We were young when it was first released, we understood Jesse’s heartbreak of losing her kid when we were older, and we cried when Andy said goodbye to the best friends he had as a child. We fell in love with the friendship portrayed by the toys and their eternal devotion to their kid. So Toy Story 3, you have certainly got a friend in me.

            Enjoy the Oscars everyone, may your picks win, may your favorite stars end up on the best-dressed list and may the next year in movies be just as grand.

My Music Roller Coaster

In my first entry I want to talk about a subject I don’t particularly know well, but am certainly a connoisseur. Music.

            My music taste has been quite the rollercoaster over my lifetime. The first CDs I ever owned were Brittney Spears and N’SYNC. I was your average pre-teen in the 90s.

            As I entered middle school I began to love Hilary Duff and Disney pop. I was your average teeny bobber. Those catchy tunes about adolescence were irresistible to someone going through the not so catchy phase of adolescence.

            High school made me more aware of different music genres. But I honed in on one genre only. Show tunes. I loved musicals.

             If a show had music, I had to have a song from it. My pink iPod nano music library of High School Musical was joined by songs from “No, No Nanette,” “Oklahoma,” “The Sound of Music,” “A Chorus Line,” and every teen girl’s essential soundtrack to life, “Wicked.”

            I was obsessed. No one would let me play my iPod in the car, because they knew only show tunes would show up on the shuffle. And as Sue Sylvester would say, “Just because you like show tunes doesn’t mean you’re gay, it just means you’re awful.”

            But then one day I discovered an artist that went by the very simple and real name of Taylor Swift.

            I know, you are shocked; my music taste might have even gone from awful to horribly awful. But that opinion depends on whom you are talking to. Any female under the age of 30, and maybe even some above, would agree with me, that this “country” pop princess who is famous for revenge ballads can really rock.

            Taylor is a friend to all girls. She says what we all wish we could say. She lives a life we all envy. She writes amazing poetry that puts all that envy, excitement and pure rush of living into the sweetness of a top hit song.

            She is a good role model who can stand on her own two feet as she welcomes success and critics with open arms. She can put on a killer show in a million different outfits. She can sing under a rain machine. I would say she is pretty impressive.

            If everyone were to have their own country, they would have to choose a national anthem. Mine would definitely have to be a Taylor Swift song. I think every girl’s should be.

That doesn’t mean we can’t listen to our show tunes on the weekends, sing the top 40 hits in the shower, dance to our Spice Girls, and rock out to The Killers. It just means Taylor really knows how to put the female experience into a captivating tune with lyrics that speak to us.

My own personal favorites are “Our Song,” “Love Story,” “You Belong with Me,” and “Sparks Fly.” But my national anthem is “Mean.”

Why? You ask. Well the lyrics say it all. “Someday I’ll be livin’ in a big old city, and all you’re ever gonna be is mean.”

It gives me hope that no matter how many people push me down or discourage me from my dreams, I will make it. I will be bigger than them and all they are ever going to be is mean.

I might not have ever met her, but she will always be there for me. Thanks Taylor, for all the songs and converting me from a show tune freak to a truly empowered woman.