Les News, 042009
Hawking hospitalized, Speidi confirms wedding date, Tori Amos reviewed
- 17 Again was the #1 movie at the box office this weekend.
- Insanely brilliant scientist Stephen Hawking has been hospitalized.
- Oprah Winfrey cancels her planned Columbine Anniversary episode.
- Speidi confirm that the original wedding date of April 25 is back on.
- Lars Ulrich of Metallica reveal that their fans made interesting requests of them.
- Is Governor Patterson of New York more progressive than President Obama?
- Jason Lewis brings the gay to Brothers and Sisters.
- Jason Statham + mega-nipple clamps = Go See Crank: High Voltage
- Is Michelle Obama making Fashion more diverse?
- Jessica Biel gets NEKKID in Powder Blue.
- Yikes!
- Miss California proves that she is unqualified to be Miss USA. Congrats goes out to Miss North Carolina on becoming the new Miss USA.
- Robert Pattinson goes about his biz.
- Vicky B. takes the young’ns to The Grove.
- Joey Lawrence is 33, Carmen Electra is 37, Crispin Glover is 45 and George Takei is 72 years old today. Click HERE to see who else is celebrating a birthday today.
- Bill Murray gives an autograph to the woman he injured with his golf ball.
- HERE is the first published review of Tori Amos‘s Abnormally Attracted to Sin.
- Jane’s Addiction is planning a DVD/CD box set that is sure to please fans new and old alike.
- Pete Wentz wants you to Come to the Rescue.
It’s Miss USA.
yup, definitely Miss USA, not Miss America.
Okay, I am officially trying to jump on the Tori Amos train and want to download some songs but I don’t know which ones are her best or which cds to start with. Can someone please help a sister out and point me towards the definitive Tori? I really appreciate it, guys!!
You know, it’s really irritating that people are attacking Miss California..She stated what she believed..I completely disagree with her, but why are people attacking her for her opinion?? She TOTALLY could have handled the question in a more PC way, but maybe that’s not how she rolls, yo! ;)
Wow, that is QUITE the Tori review.
@whatever man – if I were you, I’d start with the first album Little Earthquakes. From there, imho, ya can’t go wrong w/ To Venus & Back, Boys for Pele, Songs from the Choirgirl Hotel.
Thanks a bunch, Kent! Really appreciate it! I’m off to iTunes!
@ Kendra – I agree 100%! It just makes me mad, really. Even though I’m a homosexual myself, I find it SUPER annoying how some gays can just be so contradicting. For example: some of us demand equality right now but yet some of us don’t go out and protest. A lot of people just bitch about it instead of doing something about it. I realize that there is only so much you can do, but still. I 110% disagree with her opinion but it’s her opinion after all. You can’t satisfy everyone. Yes, the question was hard and she could’ve said it a different way but I give the girl props for standing on her two feet. She shouldn’t be ridiculed to death. And Trent, I’m disappointed with you. Just because she does something that your, or I don’t agree with doesn’t mean she’s unqualified at all. Obviously, she was first runner up so she must be qualified in some level, right? How do we not know Miss North Carolina didn’t feel the same? Oh, right, she wasn’t asked that question. I bet if she did feel the same way about Miss California you wouldn’t congratulating her now, would you? I think not. Don’t get me wrong, I love your blog and it is your own and I visit it vigorously but sometimes you can be just a little bit unfair. You hate when people judge you (just like we all do) but then you go judging a religion and make fun of it such as Scientology. I’m not a Scientologist (I’m actually Christian) but even I can some what respect the religion even though I don’t necessarily agree with it. <– example
@Chase — I see where you are coming from but it is absolutely my contention that any person who does not believe in equal rights should not be selected to represent anyone. Sure, a beauty pageant isn’t anything substantial in the grand scheme of things but until people learn to live and let live, then there can be no progress. Miss California is free to believe in whatever she choose to believe in but when she goes on a national scale, is put to the test and is exposed for what she truly believes then she has to deal with the consequences. As much as some people are offended by what she said, there are others that champion her beliefs … it is her opinion and I’m glad that it is being criticized. It wasn’t that long ago that a question like that wouldn’t even be asked. I cannot tell you how thrilled I am that there is a backlash against her opinion on this matter. As for my personal opinions, I cannot profess to being completely fair in all instances. There are things that I don’t believe in. As far as my opinions, I guess take them or leave them. Because my blog is very personal in nature, my personal beliefs and opinions are gonna win out because they are the only things I know to write about.
well actually i think that someone who doesn’t believe in equal rights for citizens is NOT qualified to represent a nation in ANY capacity. also, she didn’t even answer the question that was asked. it was do you think all of the states should follow suit, why or why not. i agree that she’s entitled to her opinion (however ignorant, close-minded and DISGUSTING i may find it) but she didn’t answer the question and obviously believes in denying rights to certain citizens which is NOT who i want representing anything.
Thank you Kendra and Chase. Couldn’t have said it better myself. :)
My problem with Miss California’s response is not solely in the content alone. Although I disagree with her view, her answer alluded to the belief that homosexuality is something that is chosen, and her categorization of heterosexual marriage as “opposite marriage” was just moronic.
I respect her for stating her actual opinion, but she could have put it in a more eloquent way. She could have stated that she did not believe that all states should follow suit because of her personal values that she was raised with, and then she could have substantiated her view with actual reasons. She failed to do that, and gave a very one-dimensional response as a result of that. I felt that her answer was lacking because she CLEARLY stumbled over her words, and then gave a ridiculously simple answer which she failed to actually back up with logic.
With that being said, I think some of the responses to Prejean’s answer is ridiculous. Perez Hilton actually said that she should’ve answered it was a states rights issue. But that wasn’t her belief at all, and you couldn’t get anything like that from what she had already stated. It’s mornonic for people to be criticizing her and saying she should’ve answered ABC when ABC is in no related to her initial answer!
Have to agree with Trent here. It’s an issue of equality, it’s as simple as that. This is a time of transition in terms of legislature and opinion, much like the 60′s was for the civil rights movement. Her opinion reflects an outmoded, predjudiced way of thinking, and that’s simply not acceptable for someone who is meant to be representing the country (in what capacity, I don’t know – what the hell do beauty queens do these days?). Would you feel the same if she said she didn’t believe in interracial marriage? Because that was outlawed for decades as well. Moreover, Perez wasn’t actually asking for her opinion on the morality of same-sex marriage. He asked if she thought it should be legalised. I didn’t hear her address that at all, and that, ultimately, is probably what lost her the marks in that section. Well, that and the laughable “opposite marriage” comment. Which I’m totally adopting into my common lexicon, by the way. It’s up there with George W’s “at the whim of a hat.”
Miss Cali is entitled to her opinion. It’s true, she is. But if the same discussion/question was about whether or not interacial marriage should be legal or something equivalent, people would be horrified at her response. People do not choose to be gay no more than someone chooses their race or gender.
On top of that, she did a really poor job of answering the question. She contemplated riding the fence, couldn’t pull it off and ended up not only looking ignorant in her beliefs but in her ability to answer a question directly.
@Deb – Personally, I don’t think that being against gay marriage is being prejudiced..My mom is against gay marriage because of her religion and just the way she was raised, yet her favorite out of all of my friends is my very gay buddy Matt..She loves him like a son and visits him even when I’m not around!! She doesn’t have a problem with gay people..Just the marriage aspect of it..I’ve had long discussions with her about it and really wish she thought different, but it is what it is..
She stated “It’s great that we get to choose” … Only, American gays & lesbians don’t get to choose. For that silly statement alone, she deserved to lose. Sorry.
What troubles me most about watching that Miss California clip is to realize that dude was hired to judge a beauty contest. I’m just stupefied to the core about that.
Wow, ya’ll… #1- Trent is obvs a gay man so we know where he sits on the issue of gay marriage/gay rights. Don’t be shocked at his opinions! I personally think he typically IS respectful with his opinions. Which is why I love reading them, whether I agree with them or not. It’s informative without being pushy… and that, in my eyes, shows intelligence. #2- BEAUTY PAGEANT!!!! Get over it! How insignificant are these things?! Women still get judged for their bodies in a swimsuit. Does anyone REALLY think this is a forward thinking group? #3- If you don’t agree with homosexuality, then don’t practice it. But don’t hate people in the name of religion. That is an oxymoron. Vote within your state when the issue comes up and then let the majority rule the law. Afterall, that is what this country is all about!
Re: Kendra’s post:
“Personally, I don’t think that being against gay marriage is being prejudiced..My mom is against gay marriage because of her religion and just the way she was raised, yet her favorite out of all of my friends is my very gay buddy Matt..She loves him like a son and visits him even when I’m not around!! She doesn’t have a problem with gay people..Just the marriage aspect of it..”
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Okay— take your mother’s beliefs/the way she was raised and apply them to the issue of race. Would you consider her racist if she thought black people or any other minority didn’t have the right to marry? And would you understand why others WOULD consider her racist? This is the SAME ISSUE. People don’t choose their race and they don’t choose their sexual preference. People used biblical text to support slavery and bigotry for decades just as they try to with the issues involving gay civil liberties. Our country is based upon separation of church and state. You cannot use the religious beliefs of some to justify laws that affect others. People cannot hide behind the bible and say “I am not homophobic—it is just my religious beliefs.” Sorry but you are. This IS a civil rights issue.
And on the idea of going with what the majority decides—If the majority decided to deny basic rights to women again, would that be okay? What about African Americans? Hey, what about Hispanics and Latinos? We all know the right answer when it comes to gender and race. It’s about damn time we knew the right answer when it comes to sexual preference too.