Red Carpet Fashion & Celebrity » celebrity gossip

Your Favorite Gossip Girl Cast: Blake Lively in Real Life

salsabilahanun — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:33:53 +0000

Blake Christina Lively, a favorite Gossip Girl cast member, is never new to the world of Hollywood. Born to actors Elaine and Ernie Lively in Tarzana, California, and the youngest of 5 children, Lively was indeed meant to thread a path in Hollywood belonging to a family that has been involved in the industry herself. However, Blake was not initially set on following her family’s path. Instead of getting involved in showbiz at an early age, she enjoyed a normal life in school.

As a child, Blake was homeschooled. She moved on to attend Burbank High School wherein she became a cheerleader, class president and a member of the National Show Choir. She was set on attending Stanford University until Hollywood fame came knocking at her door.

Blake’s Shot to Fame

Her first taste of Hollywood came when she starred in her father’s film, Sandman in which she portrayed the role of Trixie, the Tooth Fairy at age 11. Her biggest break took place when she bagged the role of Bridget in the teen hit movie, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, in 2005 opposite other famous young stars, America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel. It is said that Blake’s similarity with her character in the film was so obvious that the mere act of turning in her picture already got her the part. Her amazing performance in the movie won her the Teen Choice Award for Best Breakout Actress. The success of the said film led to a sequel that stars the same cast. Lively also starred in a college comedy, Accepted, opposite Justin Long in 2006 and the film, Elvis and Anabelle in 2007 alongside Keith Carradine and Mary Steenburgen.

Gossip Girl Affair with Penn Badgley

Not long after, she got the lead role as Serena van der Woodsen in Gossip Girl. This project really cast her name in Hollywood as one of the upcoming stars of the generation. Like a chameleon, Blake was able to transform herself into the complex character she portrays in the show. Gossip Girl also paved the way for her to be reunited with childhood friend and classmate, Penn Badgley, who stars as Dan Humphrey, Serena’s love interest in the teen drama. Their rumored relationship off screen was the headline of all tabloids, but the two initially never confirmed the affair. It was only when a magazine featured photos of them on a vacation together in Mexico that Lively and Badgley came out with their relationship.

Recent Project

Many doors have been opened to Lively because of her Gossip Girl fame. She is set to star in New York, I Love You with Hollywood A-listers, Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, and Brett Ratner. The movie is expected to hit theaters late this year.

We can definitely say that Blake has everything going for her. A member of the Gossip Girl cast, role model, and an amazing actress, she is one of the most sought after talent of this generation. There’s no doubt about it. Blake is the next best thing in Hollywood.

Impact of Celebrity Magazines on Hollywood

salsabilahanun — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 08:35:18 +0000

There has always been attention given to the activities of various celebrities. In recent years, celebrity news has become more popular. This trend has paved the way for more celebrity magazines to emerge in order to satisfy the public’s appetite for celebrity gossip. However, although celebrity magazines have had an impact on the magazine world, the magazines have also had an impact on Hollywood as well.

With the dramatic increase in attention the celebrity magazines provide, there has been both positive and negative effects in Hollywood. For instance, in a positive development, there has been a giant push for celebrities to promote charities and other organizations that strive to benefit humankind and the world at large. This promotion is done often through the celebrity magazines. When one of these stories is picked up by the gossip magazines, millions of people are made aware of these causes and can contribute to these benevolent organizations. Putting pressure on major organizations to enact change is something positive that celebrity magazines have done. Also, due to the fact that celebrities have recognizable names and therefore powerful voices, what celebrities say and the organizations that they support receive an increase in attention through celebrity magazines and other venues.

It is important to remember, however, that celebrity magazines are for entertainment. In many cases, no matter what magazines say about celebrities, the individuals that they are covering are sometimes people who do not want the hype. Obviously, these artists and power-brokers are in the public eye, but, in the end, many are just hardworking individuals who are doing what they love to do, and are not looking for extra attention. Nowadays, with so many celebrity magazines on the market, more reporters and photographers than ever before are fighting for stories and photos. This can be distracting to those that simply want to work in Hollywood or elsewhere, and in the worst cases, can affect the quality of their work. .

Consequently, the more celebrity magazines that are available to the public means more pages that are needed to be filled with celebrity gossip. The various magazines require stories and pictures to satisfy their readership. What this leads to, ultimately, is that each magazine must develop an angle to attract the reader, and sometimes these angles might not be accurate, or even an obvious lie. Some couples claim that the constant pressure from the celebrity magazines is what ultimately led to their breakups, and some claim that by doing these things out in public where everyone can see them, the couples themselves have allowed the magazines to have an impact on what they are doing and where they are going as a couple. This can be very entertaining for readers, but perhaps damaging to the stars’ career. Managing these situations from a public relations point of view is crucial to the stars maintaining a positive image.

There are stars, however, which use this spotlight to increase their status. The old adage, “there’s no such thing as bad press” is taken advantage of on a weekly basis. Publicity stunts are more common, as is outrageous behavior. Due to the broad spotlight that celebrity magazines cast, it has become difficult to determine whether or not a star’s behavior is genuine, or fabricated to get attention. Perhaps an artist wants attention that their roles or their records are not getting them; they can do something outrageous and get the coverage. Also, celebrities use the magazines to plug and promote the projects they are working on. A downside of this trend is that celebrity magazines pay handily for insider information, and some projects are leaked ahead of schedule. Many stars, actors in particular, feel that their believability in an on-screen role is compromised by the celebrity magazine’s focus on their personal lives. Clearly, the increase in popularity of celebrity magazines has become a force to be reckoned with in the Hollywood community.

Like many things, the impact on Hollywood from celebrity magazines has been both bad and good. For instance, there has been an upward trend in the amount of coverage that has been given to things that celebrities endorse and other organizations that celebrities feel are positive organizations. This coverage can only help those causes. Also, the magazines that talk about celebrities have a tendency to report on everything – and something that they are very good at doing is showing the nation at large that celebrities are just regular people. Because they are always going to be under scrutiny from the magazines, some celebrities try harder to project a positive image. The attention provided by celebrity magazines has engineered a general push in Hollywood for celebrities to stand as examples to the rest of the world. This has helped to provide more role models, as well. All of these things are a result of the celebrity magazines, and their current upward shift in popularity.

Four Rules Celebrities Should Follow

salsabilahanun — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 09:00:51 +0000

We live in a celebrity obsessed culture. There are news programs devoted exclusively to the lives of stars, and weekly publications that report every facet of their lives both professional and personal. They are not allowed any measure of privacy. Camera people follow them on the most mundane of tasks, await them outside their homes to take photos that can be worth thousands of dollars and even rifle through their trash to find any snippet of information.

Common sense would tell someone in this situation that they must behave in a very respectable manner at all times living in the proverbial fish bowl. Yet, most celebrities don’t seem to learn. Therefore I have compiled a list of tips that celebrities on the A, B, or even D list may want to follow.

Do Not Cheat On Your Spouse

This is not to say that they are supposed to be morally superior, or that they need to set an example. The simple truth is that with the increased level of scrutiny it is likely that they will get caught. Celebrities such as Brad Pitt, Ben Affleck, and Ryan Phillippe to name a few can attest to this. It is not a good idea of your spouse to learn of your wandering eye through the pages of Star Magazine.

Do Not Commit Any Crimes

Celebrity mug shots are the dreams of publishers of celebrity weeklies such as Star Magazine and The National Enquirer. There are websites devoted exclusively to embarrassing pictures of entertainers. Some favorites are those of Nick Nolte, Robert Downey Jr., Hugh Grant to name a few. Before the desire to pick up a prostitute, buy illegal drugs, or drive under the influence takes hold, remember every interview going forward will discuss the lapse in judgment and show the less than flattering photo provided in public records.

Do Not Lose or Gain Drastic Amounts of Weight

Most of us know that it is incredibly easy to gain weight as we age. Celebrities have no such luck. Every morsel that they consume must be monitored. A mere five pounds of extra weight gain can easily lead to false pregnancy or depression rumors. On the opposite end of the spectrum it is not unheard of for celebrities to be shamed into shedding pounds only to be questioned about their weight loss methods or about having an eating disorder once the weight loss becomes too drastic.

Do Not Marry Kevin Federline

This should be self explanatory; however, it appears that Britney Spears never got the memo. The level of criticism she received once she started to date the former back up dancer reached epic proportions. Though you should be able to date or marry whatever person you like, the same rules do not apply in the entertainment industry. Marrying Federline made Spears become a punch line. In this case the bad publicity did not bode well for her career. The rule in Hollywood for women seems to be that it is best to marry someone who has the same amount of power or more than you. In the case that your career takes off it is essential to upgrade to a more desirable spouse. Jennifer Garner and Katie Holmes are a great example of this.

Though it may seem unfair that those who choose the entertainment industry for a living have to live by a different set of rules, they do reap the rewards of their profession. Celebrities earn large amounts of money, often more in a year then many achieve in their lifetimes. They receive preferential treatment much of the time, receive complimentary expensive items when they can afford to pay. Perhaps it is fitting that they get themselves into such crazy situations. It makes life a bit more fair.