I can’t believe that today is the last day of 2010, and that when we wake up tomorrow morning (or afternoon, if you’re planning a really great night out – which if you are you might want to read Candace’s latest blog) it will not only be the start of a brand new year, but the start of a brand new decade! But before we jump into our resolutions and get all optimistic for all that the promise that a new year holds, let’s take a minute, get nostalgic, and reflect on my Top 10 People/Events/Moments of 2010.
10. LOST – The Series Finale
The television show that captivated North America – that prompted more conspiracy theories than Tom Cruise and Scientology – the show that we loved to watch every Thursday, ended. Beloved characters returned, but in the end the show that I loved to love became the show I loved to hate. While so many were happy with the ending, I couldn’t help but feel betrayed by the writers who obviously just ran out of ideas in the end. But I have to thank them for giving me a 5 solid seasons and 1 fairly lacklustre final season. The finale makes #10 in my Top 10 Best Moments of 2010 because it reminded me that all good things must come to an end.
9. Grayson Chance
There are many videos that make the morning social media rounds – of kids dancing in their parent’s cars – funny animals, cute cartoons – you get the picture. But one morning in May a video of a young boy showed up in my Facebook stream that had everybody talking. In it, 12 year old Grayson Chance, in a 6th grade music festival, performed his very own version of ‘Paparazzi’ by Lady Gaga. Chance put tears in my eyes as I watched this young man sing and play piano, and I wasn’t the only one. Ellen DeGeneres saw the clip and had him on her show, and before you knew it he was a guest at awards shows and rubbing elbows with Justin Bieber. I watched his video again while I was writing this and it put tears in my eyes and goose bumps on my arms again. That’s why he’s on my Top 10 Best Moments of 2010.
8. Flash Mobs
Here a flash mob, there a flash mob, everywhere a flash mob! This incredible phenomenon really kicked off when The Black Eyed Peas and Oprah opened her last season with a huge flash mob in Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. After that flash mobs popped up everywhere, from Glee flash mobs in Seattle and Germany, to T-Mobile flash mobs in Heathrow airport, to the lovely food court flash mob that took place in a little mall in Welland, Ontario. No one doesn’t like flash mobs – and no matter how many times I watch them I always cry. That’s how happy they make me – and being a part of one still remains the only item on my bucket list. For that, flash mobs are #8 on my Top 10 Best Moments of 2010.
7. Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock had a year she’ll never forget in 2010. It started out strong for Bullock, with a Golden Globe and Oscar nomination for her role in The Blind Side, culminating in wins at both ceremonies. But, before they could even get her Oscar engraved came the cheating scandal where poor Sandy discovered that her husband was cheating on her with someone that I think I can only describe as ‘skeezy’. But not one to wallow in her own self-pity (Jen Aniston – take note) Sandra bounced back with a new baby and a new outlook on life. She divorced that cheating no good husband of hers, became a single mother, and really, never looked back. And for that Sandra Bullock lands at #7 on my Top 10 Best People of 2010.
6. Kanye West
While the infamous Kanye West/Taylor Swift debacle technically happened in 2009, no can deny the fact that Kanye dominated much of the entertainment talk in 2010! But Kanye was smart, and he laid low, he stayed out of the spotlight for a while, and he seemed to genuinely apologize to Taylor Swift for his actions. He seemed remorseful (Chris Brown – take note of how to do that). And slowly Kanye revealed himself back to the world, little by little, mostly through his twitter stream, culminating in a totally self-deprecating performance on this year’s MTV VMA’s. West performed a musical apology of sorts to Taylor Swift – further making the entire situation about himself. If you follow Kanye on twitter you have no doubt been entertained by him on more than one occasion through his tweets, which really are little pieces of gold. And the thing I love about Kanye is that Kanye really believes that Kanye is a piece of gold, and how can you not love that!? And that’s why Kanye West is #6 on my Top 10 Best Moments of 2010.
5. Social Media
We all know how much I love twitter, and it seems that this is the year that everyone else does too! With movies like ‘The Social Network’, the focus on facebook and twitter as a means of socialization has taken over. I challenge you to find a website these days that doesn’t have a social media ‘sharing’ toolbar on it. Social Media has changed how we think, how we write, and how we do business. And I love it. And for that reason it’s #5 on my Top 10 of 2010!
4. Celebrity Deaths
Sadly, every year we must say good bye to some of our most beloved entertainers, and of course 2010 was no different. We lost such entertainers as Teena Marie, Corey Haim, Denis Hopper, Dixie Carter, Gary Coleman, Jill Clayburgh, Lena Horne, Lynn Redgrave, Tom Bosley, and Tony Curtis, to name a few. And while it’s never a happy occasion to see stars leave us, it is nice to have the opportunity to remember them. And that’s why it’s #4 on my Top 10 of 2010.
3. Celebrity Births
With the sadness that comes with celebrity deaths we can revel in the magic that comes with celebrity births! This year we saw a lot of new babies being born to some of our favourite stars – with even a few Christmas babies thrown in for good measure! Stars who welcomed babies in 2010 include; Alicia Keyes, Mario Lopez, Amy Adams, Matthew McConaughey, Neil Patrick Harris, Alannis Morisette, Elton John, Vince Vaughn and Kelly Preston, Celine Dion and a whole lot of Teen Moms! Who doesn’t love new babies?! I know I do, and that’s why celebrity babies made it to #3 on my list of Top 10 of 2010.
2. The Chilean Miners
Were you glued to your computer or television watching?! I know you were, because I was too, and we tweeted and facebooked and blogged about it. After 10 weeks stuck in a collapsed mine, the entire world watched as all 33 miners were safely brought to the surface. And we cried as each of them reunited with their families, and we didn’t care about the supposed ‘mistress’ scandals that some networks tried to force on us, because we were so full with happiness and relief and wonder and marvel at the human spirit of these men that all we could do was cry and chant ‘Chi Chi Chi, le le Le’ along with them. And that is why the Chilean Miners land at #2 on my Top 10 of 2010.
1. The Vancouver Olympics
This was hard, because the Chilean Miners would have been my #1 in any other year, but the Winter Olympics were on home turf this year, and there were too many incredible moments to not award it the #1 spot. The Vancouver Winter Olympics started off rocky - with a tragic death, uncooperative weather, and protesters. But Vancouver did not disappoint, and nor did our athletes. We saw incredible performances by all of our athletes, with Alexandre Bilodeau winning our first gold medal of the games, but definitely not the last. We saw figure skater Joannie Rochette come back after experiencing the death of her mother to win a silver medal, ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir winning gold and Jon Montgomery walking through Athlete’s village with a pitcher of beer celebrating his win in the skeleton. But no one can forget the goal heard across the country, when Sid the Kid scored the winning goal in overtime to confirm that hockey really is our game. And whether you’re a hockey fan or not, I guarantee you jumped and screamed and yelled when that goal went in. Vancouver put on one hell of an Olympics and for 16 glorious days the entire country united to support athletes, and they didn’t disappoint. And for that, The Vancouver Winter Olympic Games is #1 in my Top 10 of 2010.
Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed my wrap up of 2010 – from the best breakups to the best hook-ups to the most overrated – and the best of 2010. Let me know if you think I’ve missed anything in the comments. I wish you all a safe and happy New Years Eve and a wonderful and prosperous 2011! Be safe, don’t drink and drive, and thank you to all of you for reading, and indulging my passion for celebrity pop culture for yet another year.
Here’s to a perfectly smutty 2011! Happy New Year!
Scene and Heard
Confessions from a Pop Culture Mummy
OK, so we've seen my Top 10 Breakups of 2010, and my Top 10 Hookups of 2010 so far! and we all know I love pop culture – I love everything about pop culture, but this year there have been some things that I’m just tired of seeing. I mean, this has been the year when I’ve had enough! So here is my list of the Top 10 Most Overexposed of 2010!
10. Sarah Palin
OK, I’m Canadian so I don’t really get the fascination with this woman, but she seems like a moron to me. And I don’t mean that in the mean way, I mean it in the ‘don’t let your kids play with her kids because they might catch the dumbness’ way. I mean, what does it say about you when people are more fascinated by the ‘Tina Fey’ you than the real you? Honestly – and now she has her own reality show?! WHY??? People, just refudiate Sarah Palin.
9. Dancing With the Stars
First of all, I’m renaming this show ‘Dancing with the wannabe Z-Listers’ – has a nice ring to it. And speaking of Sarah Palin, I think that the fact that her unwed teen mom of a daughter, Bristol, landed a spot on the show this year just goes to show you how appropriate my new name is! And while I don’t doubt that she did wonders for the show’s ratings – she also killed any chance of me ever watching it again. OK to be honest I never watched it in the first place except to see Kate Gosselin murder the Bossa Nova once, but that was it. Please let this show end, and take ‘Skating with the Stars with it’!
8. Lady Gaga
Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Gaga, but it seems that this year it’s been a bit of Gaga overload. Seriously – what else can she do? Ozzy Osbourne recently said that Gaga needs to go away for a bit, just to get interesting again. I mean, once you wear a dress made out of meat, what’s left to do?!
7. Kate Gosselin
Oh, how it pains me to include Kate on this list, but I must! Honestly, haven’t we all had enough of Kate Gosselin?! Obviously the woman is far too self absorbed to even understand that she had the world at her feet and she couldn’t even take enough time to focus on something other than her spray tan to capitalize on it. Kate needs to go back to Pennsylvania and focus on those kids. And stop with the trips to Mystic Tan.
6. Lindsay Lohan/Paris Hilton
If I never read about Lindsay Lohan ever again it will be too soon. How many times can one person fuck up their life and still demand another chance?! Lilo has proven that she’s still just an entitled brat who thinks that the world owes her something. Over.Her. I also don’t know why Paris Hilton is famous. And I don’t want to. Please make her go away. And make her take her zoo of pets with her.
5. Speidi
Ah yes, Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag have made a living out of keeping themselves in the tabloids, with Montag even going so far as mutilating her body in hopes of landing a cover story (which she did). After being dethroned from their position of MTV trainwreck by Jersey Shore, Speidi staged a fake break up to try and garner some attention. Then Spencer tried to pretend he was all crazy and even grew a Grizzly Adams beard (because we all know in Hollywood that when the facial hair comes out you must be crazy) but, when that didn’t work the couple reunited. Because as we all know, two morons are better than one! Now Montag is selling her ‘poor me’ story to the tabloids once again and Spencer is still trying to get attention by trashing Lauren Conrad on Twitter because he knows that she’s the only thing that ever made him relevant. Tick Tock Speidi, I think your 15 minutes are up.
4. Miley Cyrus
You know, I get that she’s growing up, but it really drives me crazy when these kids who have the world at their feet feel the need to do every clichéd ‘bad girl’ move to try and convince us all how grown up they really are. Sexy new music video – check. Racy pictures leaked online – check. Video smoking strange substance leaked – check. Ridiculous interviews speaking about how ‘deep’ and ‘mature’ you are – check. Over it already. And that mouth – that mouth makes me want to punch a wall, seriously. Come back when you really are grown up.
3. Taylor Momsen
Oh Little J, 2010 has certainly been quite the year for you! The former Gossip Girl star, at the ripe old age of 17 – waxed poetic about her love of sex toys, masturbation, smoking and anything else that made her sound ‘badass’. She also perfected the ‘drunk, homeless tramp’ look. And the entire time it really just made me wonder where her mother was?! The end of the year found Momsen out of a job on Gossip Girl, dropped by her agency and complaining about how she’s only ever been a ‘product’. That’s one product I’d like to return!
2. Jersey Shore
Not the show! I love the show in all of its incredible terrible-ness. What I need to be done with is ‘The Situation’s and The Snooki’s’ that are emerging from Jersey Shore. I don’t want to see ‘The Situation’ on another reality show, and I don’t want to see Snooki’s orange face on anything but my TV screen looking for juice heads. Jersey Shore named as one of Barbara Walter’s 10 Most Fascinating of 2010?! I don’t think so. Time for these kids to be put back in their place – which is the Jersey Shore.
1. Teen Mom
Oh if there was ever a phenomenon that had to go away, it’s this one. MTV started with a show called 16 and Pregnant that followed young girls through their pregnancies. Then they graduation to Teen Mom, where they were followed through their new lives as teen mothers. And folks, this show is not pretty. But what’s worse is that these girls are landing themselves on cover after cover of the weeklies and I have to think that the new ‘cast’ members look at landing a spot on this show as a real coup. Glamorizing teen pregnancy? – You bet your ass it is!
Sure, for those of us older than anything that ends in ‘teen’ we can see the show as something that illustrates how hard it is to be a parent when you’re a child yourself. But for those who are kids – in this generation that’s obsessed with reality TV, and where anyone (but me apparently) can get their own reality show – this is totally glamorizing teen pregnancy. And it has to stop.
So there you have it, my list of the most over-exposed of 2010! What did you think – did I miss anything? Stay tuned, because tomorrow I’ll be giving you my Top 10 Moments of 2010!
Scene and Heard
Confessions of a Pop Culture Mummy
OK – so we’ve rundown the hottest celebrity splits of 2010 so now let’s focus on the juiciest celeb hook-ups of 2010! From the sweet to the scandalous here are my pics for most talked about celeb couples of the year!
10. Jude Law and Sienna Miller
They dated, got engaged, he slept with the nanny, they broke up, she dated Balthazar Getty, broke up his marriage, they broke up, she hooked back up with Jude Law, now they seem like they’re happier than ever. Some things are just destiny people, just really gross, adulterous destiny.
9. Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner Cory Monteith John Mayer Jake Gyllenhaal
First of all, I can’t believe anyone dates this woman anymore! Seriously – if there was a poster child for the sore breakup girl, Swifty is it! Let’s face it, no matter what you do she WILL write a song about you! And when she’s writing the song, she gets to tell the story of the breakup! Seriously – how many times did that chick re-hash the ‘Joe Jonas’ broke up with me over the phone’ story?! Anyway, Swifty dated Taylor Lautner (cute), Cory Monteith (just a cover for John Mayer) John Mayer (I just threw up in my mouth a little) and is now dating Jake Gyllenhaal which I say ‘Yay for you Swifty’ but I don’t quite get the appeal for him. I give it until March – tops. Wait – when are the Grammys?
8. Joe Jonas/Demi Lovato/Ashley Greene
I love that the new generation of Hollywood knows how to play ‘the game’. Joe Jonas and Demi Lovato were dating – of course they were – there was a new ‘Camp Rock 2’ to promote. Then they broke up which apparently affected Lovato more than anyone realized. Jonas quickly hooked up with ‘Twilight’ star Greene (who is never one to shy away from a photo opp) which sent Lovato over the edge (literally). Unfortunately while they may be required to work like adults these are still just kids and it’s hard to watch your ex’s new girlfriend flaunt herself in front of you. So when Greene decided to join the Jonas tour (that Lovato just happened to be opening for) poor Demi couldn’t take it anymore. Demi allegedly took her frustrations out on one of her backup dancers and has been sitting in rehab for ‘emotional issues’ ever since. Joe and Ashley are still going strong. Ahhhh, high school.
7. Jesse James and Kat Von D
While looking at these two makes me kinda want to take a shower, I have to say that they really do look like a good pair. Or maybe it’s just all the tattoos – whatever. After James confirmed that he was the stupidest man alive by cheating on Sandra Bullock with a dirty whore, it took him a while before he stepped back out into the spotlight. And when he did it was on the arm of Kat Von D. Never without drama there has been pregnancy and breakup rumours, but they’re still together and at least he started dating her once he was a single man. Now excuse me but I need to go have a shower.
6. Ryan Seacrest and Julianne Hough
Yeah, I know. You want to say it. You thought he was gay, didn’t you?! I’m pretty sure most of the free world thought the same, but these two actually seem to be a really cute couple! She is best known as one of the dancers on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ and he is known for, well, everything else. And while she’s quite a bit younger than him (she’s 22, he’s 36) they seem to be going pretty strong! She’s set to star in the upcoming remake of ‘Footloose’ so we’ll see how the movie does and if their relationship can withstand her rising star!
5. Ryan Philippe and Amanda Seyfried
I have this thing with cheaters – no matter how long it’s been I can never look at them the same again. Seriously, Angelina ruined Brad Pitt for me. So after Ryan Philippe cheated on Reese Witherspoon he went from being totally dreamy to totally slimy in my books. Philippe broke up with Abbie Cornish this year – the actress that he cheated on Witherspoon with – and was linked with a few other women. But in the past 6 weeks or so sightings of him and Amanda Seyfried have become more and more frequent. And he still looks like a total douche bag.
4. Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson
Oh poor Jessica! This girl just can’t catch a break in the romance department. Seriously – is it me or was the Nick/Jessica breakup the worst thing that ever happened to her? So after failed romances with John Mayer and Tony Romo, Jessica hooked up with former NFL (for like, a minute) player Eric Johnson. And less than a week after her ex-husband announces his engagement to his girlfriend of 5 years (5 years!!!) Jessica rushes to get her own ring (which she just might have bought herself) so she can announce her very own engagement. *Sigh* poor desperate Jessica, she just wants to be loved!
3. Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson
Can you hear the Twi-hards screaming from here?! Well, they’ve had this couple married from the very beginning, but pretty sure this couple only officially became a couple this year! Forever Bella and Edward to their fans, this couple is actually really quite cute. Both young and angst-y and beautiful, they do seem like a perfect fit for each other. Let’s just pray it ends well, because if it doesn’t there’s gonna be a whole lot of angry Twi-hards out there!
2. Rachel Weisz and Daniel Craig
Well this one seems like it might be a little scandalous! First, Rachel was married to Darren Aronofsky and Daniel Craig was in a long time relationship with Satsuki Mitchell. They filmed a movie together early last year. In November, TMZ reports that Weisz and Aronofsky are done hinting that Craig might be behind the split. Now they’ve been spotted holding hands over the Christmas holidays!! Scandal! So are we to assume that they actually hooked up while filming their movie and are just now trying to slowly introduce themselves as a couple!? My spidey sense is tingling!
1. LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian
First of all let me repeat – I hate cheaters! So while this couple actually puts a really bad taste in my mouth, I have to give them the #1 spot because of how trashy and scandalous their hook up has been and that they don’t seem to give a rat’s ass! So Rimes was married to Dean Sheremet and Eddie Cibrian was married to Brandi Glanville (with whom he has 2 sons). These 2 film some cheesy made for TV movie together and decide to start hooking up on the down low. Unfortunately some very incriminating photos of the 2 surface in US Magazine outing the couple as the cheating dogs they are. But since it’s ‘true love’ LeAnn leaves her husband and Eddie leaves his family and LeAnn decides to tweet out every single solitary detail of their relationship further digging the knife into Brandi Glanville’s back. The happy couple got engaged on Christmas Eve and Rimes went on a 12 hour tweet-a-thon tweeting about her ring, how it happened, why you should be happy for her, etc. I honestly can’t wait for the day that LeAnn and Eddie meet my good friend karma – I have a feeling it won’t be that long.
There you have it – my Top 10 Hook-Ups of 2010! Stay tuned because my Top 10 most Overexposed of 2010 is coming next!
Scene and Heard
Confessions from a Pop Culture Mummy
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