What are you wearing?

The Oscars 81st Annual Academy Awards aired on Sunday night. It was a glamorous awards show, and Hugh Jackman did a wonderful job at entertaining the audience! We all know that the Oscars, is one of the most important events of the year for film and entertainment industries.
But, did you know that it is equally as important to what you wear to the event!
We already knew how successful these movie writers/producers/directors and stars are, but you can't truly know until they're on the Red Carpet.

While the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been celebrating film's best and brightest for more than 80 years, the glamor we associate with the Oscars truly started in the 1950s. Since then, the red carpet has been a can't miss highlight of the evening. Hollywood's hottest stars work with a number of people a.k.a. their "glam squad" in hopes they will go down in fashion history!

Do you actually know how much these hollywood hotties are spending on to look on just that one evening? Thousands of dollars, sometimes even millions! Honestly, what recesion? People in the world are starving and homeless and Natalie Portman wears $25,000 hair pins! I mean, really? Has the simplicity of an award show meant to honor films and those who are involved in them, gone to something extreme?

From Fame to Blame..

I'm sure everyone is well aware of the unfortunate story behind the arrest of R&B singer Chris Brown. Actually, I am sure everyone has heard several different stories about the fight between Brown and his girlfriend Rihanna. This is because it seems that different media outlets have reported different aspects of the story, and Brown and Rihanna cannot truly tell their stories until legal teams allow it.

It is frustrating when you hear different stories, because which one is believable? I honestly hope that their is more to the story than what most are saying, at least for Chris Browns' sake. Not only is physically hurting your girlfriend w r o n g on so many levels, but the media is having a frenzy with putting the story out there! I hope he has a really good PR team working for his, with a well constructed crisis plan mapped out. But, I am sure that only time can tell!

Be Mine.. V A L E N T I N E ..

As the holiday of love rolls around this weekend, I thought it would be fun to look as some interesting St. Valentine's Day Facts! After all, it is a holiday celebrated by using interpersonal communication and sending and recieving messages and symbols of love!!

According to the U.S. Census Bureau
_180 million is the Number of Valentine’s Day cards exchanged annually, making Valentine’s Day the second-most popular greeting-card-giving occasion.
_120 is the Number of single men (i.e., never married, widowed or divorced) who are in their 20s and looking for love for every 100 single women of the same ages.
_Below are names of the most romantic-sounding places:
Valentine, Neb.
Lovelady, Texas
Loving County, Texas
Loveland, Colo.
According to the National Geographic
_Even as the economy crumbles, today's relatively tame Valentine's Day celebration is expected to generate some $14.7 billion in retail sales in the United States.
_About eight billion candy hearts will be made in 2009, the association says—enough to stretch from Rome, Italy, to Valentine, Arizona, and back again 20 times.

Those are some fun facts about Valentine's Day!! And if you are somebody who doesn't care for the holiday you mine as well stay in bed!! Because you are bound to hear it all over the media on February 14th! Love Songs on the radio..Romance stories on television... with that said..

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Do You Twitter?

It wasn't until last semester when my professor told our class ' You must create a twitter account, because future employers are going to ask you if you have one'. So, I could not help but think what the heck is twitter? It's similar to facebook and myspace but it's just twitter! Twitter is a more 'professional' version if that description fits.
Like facebook and Myspace it is a social-network with a micro-blogging service that allows users to send and recieve updates..these are called tweets (how cute is that?)

Twitter itself was created in March of 2006 and instantly gained popularity. Twitter has been used as a social justice tool to connect groups of people in critical situations. Twitter is free to use, so why not sign up? Even Barack Obama is tweeting!! You can see what he's doing and thinking by tweets he posts lol. But honestly, we are about to graduate and while yes hopefully there is jobs out there for us to try and get- there is going to be alot more people trying to get that job too! And, what if the only difference between you......and him.. is if You Twitter!!!

Obama's 'New Deal'

According to thebostonchannel.com a 67-31 vote passed in the House to allow a $838 Billion dollar stimulus package that Obama had constructed.
This stimulus package is different than the recent one we have had under the reigns of President Bush, this one is not going to bail out the banks or to buy CEO's more yachts. This one means a lot more to the citizens and America. Obama is hoping with this money to help the economy reach stable ground, to help the oh so many jobless become employed again, to restore faith and happiness in this country!
His stimulus package could be compared to Roosevelt's 'New Deal' that took place in the 1930's. The New Deal provided economic relief to the unemployed, reform of business and financial practices, and recovery of the economy during the great depression.

So, Please Mr. Obama can you do it? Can you create a 'New Deal' for our generation? The country is counting on you!

Kellogg's has it all wrong!!

Kelloggs, the huge empire of cereal, breakfast foods, snacks, and recipes has been the most recent news story to hit the media frenzy!! We are hearing about them on the radio, news, and internet.
This is because for the past several weeks, Kellogg's crackers have been recalled. Recalled meaning -Oops, don't buy these crackers they contain peanut butter which has tested very positive for salmonella. This is a horrible incident, because many of unfortunate people are getting very ill and several have even died!!

So- what does a massive coorporation do in a time like this?!

Well, if I learned anything from Dr. Van Leuven last semester in crisis comm. It is time to have your Crisis Comm. Plan come into action!! This means thinking strategically, having factsheets in place, spokespeople, preparing for difficult questions etc.

HOWEVER, when you call Kellogg's customer service hotline you have TWO options.
Press 1 - If you are interested in talking about Michael Phelps and his use.
Press 2- If you are inquiring about Peanut Butter

Now, I don't know about you but I think I would be alittle more interested in talking about the peanut butter recall that has KILLED several people rather than Phelps getting high...
I just don't think this company has their priorities in order, and Dr. Van Leuven would be very dissapointed in them!

Tabloid Love...

Who is......Dating? Breaking up? Driving Drunk? Pregnant? Gaining Weight? Losing Weight? Shopping in New York? Buying a bottle of water? Working Out? Getting a Parking Ticket? Pumping Gas? Walking their Dog?

Celebrities!! That's Who!

Cheesy? Yes, I Know! But, I can't totally help but LOVE tabloid magazines.. For some reason, it fascinates me, and I have no exact reason why. Why would I care so much about all of these strangers and what they do on a daily basis?

For some reason, to me it's pure fantasy.. I believe I fantasize what it would be like having pages full of ME! in a magazine (positive news stories hopefully). These people or even characters you could call them - are portrayed like some type of royalty on the covers of these magazines, and I can't help but be a bit envious. They are rich and famous.

The media, allows us to read different types of stories about them and be able in some ways relate to them. For example, you see a photo of Jessica Alba pumping gas at a gas station and you say to your self "Ohh wow, I got gas today too!".
Sometimes, I think I know more about Lindsay Lohan and what she did in a week than I know about my own friends..
But, is that their trick? The Magazines? They Lure you in..by tricking you into thinking your actually friends with these people in the pages! After all, you know exactly what they had for dinner at their favorite restaurant on Thursday night..
So, is it all a game in this big bad world of corporation and business?? And, you must think about the celebs for a minute who never get a real taste of privacy..

I can't tell you what it is..but..walking by any news stand you can best bet the new OK! , USweekly, In Touch, Star, and People.. are catching my eye!! AND wallet!

Dr. Phil

I happened to be flipping through television stations when I came across an interesting episode of Dr. Phil today. It was an episode about how to watch what your children are doing on their electronic devices such as the computer and cell phone. The computer and cell phone are a huge deal when it comes to new media. I would say about 80% of my communication is done through these devices.
Social Networking is unreal when it comes to the amount of users and popularity. I have never really considered about all the dangers lurking through the social networks since I am never interested in talking to strangers.
But, this is becoming more and more an issue for parents of young girls. There are so many dangers lurking on the internet, the one I am most disgusted with is predators. It is sad how many young girls and even boys fall victims to the lure of older predators they are talking to on the internet! Fortunately, police are cracking down on this serious issue attacking the internet.

Dr. Phil later went on to decode what 'kids' really mean when they are typing and texting ( I had no idea about any of these - Please let me know if you have!)

POS - Parents Over Shoulder
IWSN- I want sex now
PAC - Parents are clueless
PDK - Parents don't know
INUN- I need you now

At age 22, I feel like there is a big up and coming generation that I know nothing about! (Now I understand how my parents have always felt!) Whatever happened to LOL and BRB? I wonder what the new generation will teach me next...

*The Oscars and The Movies*

The 81st Annual Oscars will be on February 22nd at 5:00 p.m. - and I am so excited, it is one of the biggest nights of the year for movies, actors, and film lovers! I am a big film critic and I love to challenge family members to watch the show with me and make friendly bets on who is going to win each different category!
If you have seen the movie The Wrestler with Mickey Rourke, then I am sure you must know that is really a deal breaker, at least for me it is. I saw it in Cambridge a few weeks ago, I was a little skeptical because of the title and the only thing I know about wrestling is my nephews figurine collection. However, it was a really amazing and touching story about life, triumphs, and making something of yourself. So, my nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role is going to Mickey Rourke!
There have been so many films coming out that look great! I wish I had the time (and money) to spend a whole day just going to see all of them!
I would really like to see Slumdog Millionaire - because it won so many Golden Globe Awards! I would also like to see Revolutionary Road, The Reader, Benjamin Button and Milk. Has anyone seen these films yet?? I hope to before the night of the Oscars, so I have a good understanding on why different nominations are there and why they're winning!

Superbowl 2009

Ok- So of course Superbowl Sunday is a sacred day for most men and football loving fans across the nation! But, it is also a huge day for media, advertisements in particular!
When you ask the average Superbowl viewer to tell you two important things to them about the game that day. Their response would most likely be the game, and the ads!
Well, if I was working in the advertisement agency this would be a very important day to me as well! The Huffington Post newspaper states that this past Sunday February 1st, 2009- over 97 millions viewers tuned in to the game - in hopes to watch the Steelers lose of course! ( just kidding!)
This is a HUGE amount of viewers that are seeing your advertisement!! And- if it's a funny one or catches the general audience's attention, then your ad is still being talked about!!
Well, for a 30 second advertisement my friends you were paying about 2.7 mill (according to CNN) so now hopefully everyone has run out to buy your items!!
So the big topic up for discussion on the forums' is - what was your favorite ad?! Personally, I really enjoyed the Doritos commercial where he was throwing his snow globe and also the coca-cola commercial where all these insects came together and sort of camouflaged as the coca-cola bottle