I cannot believe this is my last and final blog. It has been fun sharing my thoughts with anyone who is reading and voicing my opinions about the entertainment industry. 

Recently Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz announced their engagement! Engagements and weddings are always such an exciting time for couples, so in my opinion it is a fun topic to read about and discuss. The pair have been dating for a little over two years, and have always seemed like a perfect fit. 

Wentz, 28, is a member of popular rock band Fall Out Boy. Simpson, 23, is a singer and songwriter and also the younger sister of singer Jessica Simpson. The pair released the following statement through People magazine on Wednesday night:

“We know there has been a lot of speculation recently about Pete and I, and we wanted our fans to be the first to know, because you guys are the best. Yes, we are thrilled to share that we are happily engaged. Thank you for all of your support and well wishes — it means the world to us. We consider this to be a very private matter, and we wanted to be the first to tell you and to hear it straight from us.”

Sadly, amidst all of the excitement of their engagement there are rumors going around. Rumors that Ashlee Simpson is pregnant and that is the reason for the engagement. Why can’t people just leave them alone and let them enjoy this exciting time? I do not understand why people cannot just be happy for a young couple in love. If I was Simpson on Wentz’s publicists I would be very offended by this. They have done everything right by releasing a statement and being open about their engagement and still they face backlash. As a publicist that would be so frustrating.

I hope this couple can look past the annoying speculation and enjoy this exciting time in their lives!

Thanks for Reading…

Just My Thoughts… B. 

Possibly one of the most are they or aren’t they couples has supposedly set a date for their wedding. Beyonce and Jay-Z have been dating for about six years but have never officially confirmed or released statements on their relationship. Their wedding has been said to take place today or very soon!!! There are so many rumors circulating their wedding it is hard to believe what is true.

It is rumored that they picked their wedding date because Beyonce’s birthday is Sept. 4, and Jay-Z’s birthday is Dec. 4… So, April 4 seemed like the perfect day for the couple! In fact, it almost seems too perfect. In addition to the birthday theory, it is also rumored that the pair got matching tattoos of the roman numerals for April 4, 2008 tattooed on their wedding ring fingers.

According to People Magazine, the pair recently filed for a marriage license. Oh the theories and rumors for celebrities!!! So far no official comment or statement has been released about their wedding.

I think the most important mystery about the wedding is what will Beyonce’s wedding dress look like?! J Tina Knowles, Beyonce’s mother, is known for her fantastic fashion and clothing sense. Tina is best known for creating the amazing wardrobe for Destiny’s Child, as well as the clothing line House of Dereon. I am sure for her daughter only the best and most original will do!

I’m sure whenever their wedding actually happens it will be beautiful. 

 Reality Star, Celebrity, Fashion Designer. 

It is obvious in today’s entertainment industry many are famous for just being famous- Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, Nicole Richie. You do not have to possess an amazing talent to be a ‘celebrity’ anymore, which has opened the door for people like Heidi Montag to make their mark on the world. I’m sure Heidi is a sweet girl but she is not an actress, she is on a reality show! Why does showcasing her MTV staged life to millions of viewers make her a celebrity? I guess it is the society we live in, and we have single-handedly created.

The real topic of my blog today is her upcoming fashion line, Heidiwood. The name in itself could be a reason for an entire blog post- Heidiwood obviously a play on ‘Hollywood,’ how creative. I know, I know, many are waiting at the edge of their seats to have the opportunity to buy something from her line… Geez, I hope not. Knowledge of her clothing line was released last fall but recently more publicity has been surrounding the line because of the season premier of her reality show and the upcoming launch of her new line.

Lauren Conrad, her archrival on the show, also has her own insanely over-priced clothing line. Conrad’s designs can be purchased at different websites online, and have a completely different look than Montag’s line is expected to have. Best friends turned reality stars, turned fashion designers will now be dueling against each other not over boys or friends but profits in the market place. Interesting. 

In another publicity begging turn by Team Montag, she is now holding a contest prior to the launch of her new fashion line. Montag is on the search for nine girls who look like her to help debut the fabulous clothes from Heidiwood next month. So, not only is the name of her line a little self-indulgent but she wants the models to be modeled after her… Really Heidi???

On Sunday August 28, 2008 big-screen funny man Owen Wilson, 38, attempted suicide in his home. Wilson has always been known for his hilarious on-screen personality in such movies as Wedding Crashers, Zoolander, and many more. After this incident, obviously there is a much darker side to Owen Wilson. On Sunday afternoon Santa Monica police responded to a call from Wilson’s California home, and he was immediately taken to the hospital. After his emergency hospitalization and recovery, production on his two upcoming films was postponed causing havoc to the studios.   

 While examining various mainstream media articles I found the coverage to be very similar. I read through articles from TIME Magazine, E! Online, MTV, Variety Magazine, ABC News, and the New York Post. All of the articles held Wilson in a positive light rather than from a negative perspective. Even though Wilson’s suicide attempt was a shock to many, the mainstream coverage did not try to bash him or put him down. Most articles had an encouraging tone to them and the hope that he would get better. Many of the mainstream articles were accompanied by Wilson’s immediate statement, “ I respectfully ask that the media allow me to receive care and heal in private during this difficult time.” Although the comment was short and sweet, it does get right to the point and surprisingly most mainstream media outlets respected Wilson’s desires in this desperate time. Also, one central theme of the articles was his recent break up with actress Kate Hudson as a possible reason for the suicide attempt. When it comes to the issue of quotes in these articles, there really were not that many. Almost all of the articles were accompanied by Wilson’s statement and some quoted Wilson’s friends, but that was about it. All in all, it is pretty obvious that the major media outlets have respect for Wilson and were not out to exploit his unfortunate incident, but to do their job and relay information.

 The Blog coverage was very similar to the mainstream coverage, still positive and encouraging. I examined PerezHilton, The Superficial, PopSugar, and Damn I’m Cute when looking at blog coverage on Owen Wilson’s suicide attmept. All of the blogs were favorable towards Wilson but were more gossipy than the mainstream articles. The Blogs were emphasizing more the drama side of the suicide attempt than the health side, and focused on his recent break-up and drug abuse. This particular incident was such a surprise that the coverage did not have to be outlandish and rude to attract attention because audiences were shocked the incident even happened. 

Surprisingly the blog coverage was very similar to the mainstream media coverage. Many times the blog coverage and the mainstream media tell the story in very different ways. Owen Wilson is such a well-liked celebrity, so his coverage on this sad incident was mostly positive and encouraging. One difference between the two was in the writing, the content was similar but the tone of the blogs was more casual. Another difference between the two is the blogs placed more focus on the break-up between him and Kate Hudson, and reasons why he might have committed suicide than just the plain facts. 

I firmly believe Owen Wilson and his publicist did an excellent job in this crisis. Most of the coverage for such a negative incident was pretty positive. Since it was such a serious incident I believe everything was done correctly. If I was Wilson’s publicist I do not think I would have done anything differently, I believe they handled the situation in a classy, respectful way. Obviously Wilson and his publicist did a pretty great job because Wilson is still a well-respected celebrity and this incident did not affect his reputation.  

Blog Articles 

Mainstream Media Articles

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1657561,00.html

http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=627fa316-b5d8-483e-b337-6598b481ac0f

http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1568417/story.jhtml

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117970956.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1&query=owen wilson+suicide

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=3526977

http://www.nypost.com/seven/08282007/news/nationalnews/owen_in_suicide_attempt.htm

 Blog Articles 

http://perezhilton.com/category/owen-wilson/page/2/

http://thesuperficial.com/2007/08/owen_wilson_attempts_suicide.php

http://www.damnimcute.com/the-juicy/owen-wilson-slashed-wrists-over-kate-hudson/

http://popsugar.com/570791

As everyone knows the Oscars are this Sunday on ABC – I love the Oscars! It’s a night of glamour, beauty, and people’s dreams coming true! As weird as it sounds, I feel like when I watch the Oscars the celebrities become these wonderful people with insecurities and vulnerabilities because all the nominees are sitting there praying for the same thing – an Oscar. Its nice to see them respond and act like normal people, watching them feel nervous and insecure shows they ARE real people! I think because of all of the hoopla with the writers strike this year has been more exciting than ever because there was so much curiosity on whether or not it was actually going to happen.

I think if I could be anyone’s publicist this week it would be Ellen Page, the star of this year’s hot film ‘Juno.’ She is all over the top Hollywood magazines and entertainment television and she is even being interviewed by Barbara Walters right before the Oscars – she is the ‘it’ girl right now!!! If you have seen the movie ‘Juno’ you would know her Oscar nomination is very worthy. I think it would be exciting to be her publicist right now because you would get to be a part of this young, humble girl’s dreams coming true, what is more exciting than that?

I know this post is not as gossipy as my others but I thought it was important to discuss an event like the Oscars.

We all know about Nikki Hilton, and God knows we have heard endless gossip about Paris- but what about Barron Hilton, their younger brother?

Barron Hilton, 18, was arrested this week for suspicion of drunk driving. He is eighteen years old, I know in Hollywood that is old to be drinking, but to me it’s young! The mere fact that he is drinking is against the law, much less driving drunk. I have always been someone with zero tolerance for drunk driving, so socialite stories such as this are particularly disturbing to me! For someone’s family who has as much money as anyone – why not hire a driver, why take the risk of ruining your life or ending someone else’s?

Barron Hilton was driving his black Mercedes SUV on the Pacific Coast Highway when he was pulled over. Guess it runs in the family? If in some magical way you have forgotten, Paris Hilton was arrested last year for driving under the influence as well. His blood alcohol level was 0.14 percent while the legal level is .08 in California! The twist on this particular celebrity socialite child gone crazy is his parents did not run to his rescue to bail him out of jail – and they wouldn’t let his sister run to his rescue either. Apparently they wanted him to learn his lesson and suffer a little bit. His father released the following statement to the media and press:

“I haven’t been contacted yet by either my son or the police. If what I have heard is true, it is very disturbing and I will have a lot to say- but it will be to my son not the media.”

Hmm… So how do you handle this twist as a publicist? I’m sure they were flooded with phone calls and emails concerning why the Hilton’s did not immediately respond to their son in jail. In my opinion, the statement is kind of an awkward statement, and sounds a little unsure. I agree in the sense that he will be talking to his son and not the media – but has he tried to contact his son? I do not agree with the slightly denial / unsure / dumb act he is putting on. If I was the Hilton family publicist I definitely would have addressed this situation differently. I would have had the family wait until Barron had spoken to his parents and then develop a plan of action. I honestly cannot imagine what it is like to be the Hilton family publicist, they deal with more drama, problems, and gossip than most publicists do in a life time but I still feel this situation could have been handled slightly differently.

Just My Thoughts,

B.

I know this is something we have talked about in class, but I wanted to voice my opinion on ‘My Blog’ so you can read my opinion too!

Heath Ledger died in his New York City apartment on January 22, 2008. Ledger possessed an amazing talent and will be missed by many who knew him and many who didn’t. Unfortunately, like many celebrities deaths their families are not able to mourn in privacy but instead on the cover of magazines, on Perez Hilton’s blog, and in this case “Entertainment Tonight” Television.

I’m sure his publicist’s world spun into a realm they were not expecting – while they were thinking they would be promoting his upcoming movies they were suddenly releasing statements from his family about his death. What a job! Recently they had a huge job in front of them, to attempt to stop ‘ET’ Television from airing a video of Heath Ledger at a party and around drugs and alcohol. His public relations firm was able to get this video pulled from actually airing!

What I don’t understand is why is this a big deal? Why not just let his family grieve and remember Heath for the man, father, and son he was? This is probably one news story I will never understand; I cannot comprehend the idea of using the media to exploit someone’s deaths. In my opinion, everyone should let Heath be remembered and not fuel the fire to try and get personal information out about his death.

In Memory of Heath Ledger.

Just My Thoughts…
Bria

For the past few months it has been hard to read the entertainment news, turn on one of the Entertainment news channels, or flip through a gossip magazine without being BOMBARDED by images, stories, rumors about Britney Spears… I don’t think anyone saw her spinning out of control this much this fast… It really is sad. It is sad mainly because she has two little boys who are trapped in their lives and cannot do anything for themselves because they are so young. Who would have ever entertained the fact that K-Fed would be a better parent than Britney Spears? Although it is a sad story, I’m personally tired of hearing about it. She obviously needs help – and today she apparently finally reached out and got help- or got help. Earlier today she was taken to the hospital in an ambulance for ‘mental evaluation.’ So I’m sure this story has yet to totally evolve. I promise this will not be a “Britney Blog” but I just thought I would write about this update!

Hi! My name is Bria Wall and I am a Senior at The University of Texas. I am an Advertising Major and am also in the Business Foundations Program. Currently I am an Advertising Sales Intern with TRIBEZA Magazine, so that’s pretty fun and exciting. I am writing this blog for my PR in Entertainment Class so it will be filled with Gossip, Knowledge, and Fun Facts about what is going on in the Entertainment World. I love watching good movies, mint chocolate chip ice cream, thunderstorms, God, my friends, my family, and much more… Stay Tuned!