Archive for the 'Celebrities' Category

Against Me! Lead Singer Tom Gabel Comes Out as Transgender

By: alex.chrum, May 9, 2012 in Celebrities and Music. Closed Tags: , , .

Tom Gabel, lead singer of the punk rock band Against Me!, has come out as transgender in a new issue of Rolling Stone magazine that will hit stands this Friday.

Gabel at her recording studio in St. Augustine, FL

Gabel (hereto referred to with feminine pronouns) formed Against Me! in 1997, and the group soon became a staple in the underground punk scene with albums such as “Reinventing Axel Rose” and “As the Eternal Cowboy.” The band hit it big in the mainstream in 2007 with their first charting single “Thrash Unreal” from the album “New Wave.”

In an interview with Josh Eells, Gabel speaks of her private struggles with gender dysphoria, her decision to transition and the process by which she will do so. The singer will eventually take the name Laura Jane Grace, and will soon begin undergoing hormone therapy and electrolysis treatments.

Gender dysphoria, classified in the DSM-IV as gender identity disorder, describes the condition of individuals who experience discontent or disconnection with the biological sex and/or the gender they were assigned at birth. While this is by no means an uncommon condition, Gabel’s revelation marks the first time a major rock star has admitted to these struggles and has undergone the transition in the public eye.

For this reason, it is important for the singer to come out publicly and be open about her decision. “I’m going to have embarrassing moments,” she says, “and that won’t be fun. But that’s part of what talking to you is about—is hoping people will understand, and hoping they’ll be fairly kind.” The singer will remain married to her wife Heather, who has been “super-amazing and understanding,” according to Gabel. Continue reading ‘Against Me! Lead Singer Tom Gabel Comes Out as Transgender’

George Lindsey, Andy Griffith Show Character Goober Pyle, Dies at 83

By: alex.chrum, May 7, 2012 in Celebrities, News, Passings and Television. Closed Tags: , , , .

George Lindsey, who gained fame for his role of gas station attendant Goober on both “The Andy Griffith Show” and “Hee Haw,” passed away early Sunday morning after a short-term illness.

Lindsey joined the cast of “The Andy Griffith Show” in 1964 when Jim Nabors, who played the character Gomer Pyle, left the program.

Lindsey (left) and Griffith (right) on the set of "The Andy Griffith Show"

Goober Pyle, who was once mentioned briefly as Gomer’s cousin, took Gomer’s place, making both Lindsey and Goober household names.

Lindsey played Goober on “The Andy Griffith Show” from 1964 to 1968 and on its successor, “Mayberry RFD,” from 1968 until 1971. Then, he took Goober’s character to the show “Hee Haw,” which ran from 1971 until 1993.

“America has grown up with me,” Lindsey said in an Associated Press interview in 1985. “Goober is every man; everyone finds something to like about ol’ Goober.”

In a statement released through the funeral home, Andy Griffith said of his dear friend, “I had great respect for [George’s] talent and his human spirit. In recent years, we spoke often by telephone. Our last conversation was a few days ago…I am happy to say that as we found ourselves in our eighties, we were not afraid to say, ‘I love you.’ That was the last thing George and I had to say to each other. ‘I love you.’”

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“Bachelor” Host Chris Harrison and Wife Gwen Announce Split

By: alex.chrum, May 4, 2012 in Celebrities and Television. Closed Tags: , , .

Chris Harrison, host of TV dating show “The Bachelor,” has announced that he and his wife of 18 years, Gwen Harrison, are separating from one another “after much heartfelt consideration.” Harrison, who has hosted “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” for all 23 of their combined seasons, has two children with Gwen, Joshua, 9, and Taylor, 7. He coaches both kids’ soccer teams and is, according to a 2010 interview with Gwen, “an amazing father. He’s very loving and involved.”

"Bachelor" host Chris Harrison and wife have announced their amicable split

The couple announced their split in a joint statement Thursday, saying, “Though we have made this incredibly difficult decision to separate, our love and mutual respect remain, and we look forward to sharing in the lives of our wonderful children.”

In February 2010, Bachelor contestant Rozlyn Papa called Harrison a cheater, and accused him of making a pass at a producer’s wife during the show’s taping in New Zealand. “I won’t even dignify that with a response,” Harrison said during the “The Bachelor: Women Tell All” special.

Harrison, now 40, met his wife while they were students at Oklahoma City University. A rep confirms that they “happily remain committed and caring friends with great love and mutual admiration for each other.”

The eighth season of “The Bachelorette” premieres on May 14 on ABC, and stars Emily Maynard, bachelor Brad Womack’s ex-fiancé.

Rocker Ted Nugent Interviewed by Secret Service Agents

By: alex.chrum, April 19, 2012 in Celebrities, Government, Music and Politics. Closed Tags: , , , .

Controversial rocker Ted Nugent, who is currently receiving criticism for his vicious remarks about President Obama, met with the Commander in Chief’s Secret Service agents Thursday to discuss the possibility of violent intent.

"If Barack Obama becomes the president in November again," Nugent said, "I will either be dead or in jail by this time next year."

This past weekend, at the annual meeting of the National Rifle Association in St. Louis, Nugent told audiences, “If Barack Obama becomes the president in November again, I will either be dead or in jail by this time next year.”

Many have questioned whether or not Nugent was alluding to violence against the President in these remarks. “If you can’t go home and get everybody in your lives to clean house in this vile, evil, American-hating administration,” he continued, “I don’t even know what you’re made out of.”

As a result of his comments, Nugent was asked to meet with Secret Service agents in an attempt to flesh out the true motive behind his remarks. A U.S. official said that it is Secret Service policy to recognize every American’s right to free speech while still deciding an individual’s intent. Continue reading ‘Rocker Ted Nugent Interviewed by Secret Service Agents’

Tupac Hologram Coming to a City Near You

By: alex.chrum, April 17, 2012 in Celebrities, Music and Technology. Closed Tags: , , , , .

This past Sunday, hip hop legend Tupac Shakur delivered an almost unbelievable posthumous performance at the Coachella music festival in California, alongside rappers Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. Tupac, who was shot and killed in 1996, joined Snoop and Dre via hologram, rapping on the songs “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted” and “Hail Mary,” while name checking Coachella and hyping the audience.

Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Tupac performing on Sunday at Coachella

‘Pac’s performance garnered paramount attention, and drew less skepticism than perhaps expected. Overall, it seems, viewers around the world were pleased with the 2D representation of one of music’s most elusive figures. Since his death in 1996, conspiracy theorists have claimed the rapper is still alive, an idea that is only compounded by the fact that he has released roughly eight albums after his death, with ominous titles such as “Still I Rise” and “Tupac: Resurrection.”

In a move that will surely only add fuel to these conspiracy flames, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre have now announced that they are considering taking Tupac’s virtual counterpart on the road with them. According to a source close to the camps, representatives for Snoop and Dre plan to discuss logistics for a tour which would include the two performers and a virtual Tupac.

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Transcendental Meditation Works for Oprah, David Lynch, and Start-Ups

By: alex.chrum, March 26, 2012 in Celebrities. Closed Tags: , , , .

The topic of transcendental meditation, or TM, has garnered much attention these past few weeks, as both Oprah Winfrey and David Lynch have stepped forward to endorse the practice as an unparalleled means of finding peace and relaxation. Most recently, Forbes writer Peter Cohan boasted the advantages this practice can have for start-up companies looking to change things for the better.

Oprah practicing TM on last night's show

Last night, Oprah devoted her OWN show entirely to the topic of TM, as she visited Maharishi University in Fairfield, Iowa, named after the founder of the TM movement, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Oprah claims she found the practice last year, and introduced it to her employees with staggering results.

“You can’t imagine what has happened in the company. People who used to have migraines, don’t. People are sleeping better. People have better relationships. People interact with other people better. It’s been fantastic,” she told Dr. Oz last year.

Filmmaker and Twin Peaks director David Lynch, always a media ambiguity, also recently came forward to attest to the hope he found in TM. “I was filled with an anger and sorrows and doubts and melancholy. And I took it out on my first wife. I made her life pretty much a hell,” he said. “So I started transcendental meditation, and two weeks later she comes to me and says, ‘What is going on? This anger, where did it go?’ Things lift away so naturally.”

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Kim Kardashain Flour-Bombed on the Red Carpet

By: alex.chrum, March 23, 2012 in Celebrities. Closed Tags: , .

Thursday night, reality star and Hollywood socialite Kim Kardashian was ambushed by a flour bomb at an event in Hollywood promoting her new fragrance line, True Reflection.

Kardashian on the red carpet post-flour bomb

As Kim walked down the red carpet at the London Hotel in West Hollywood, a young woman flung an entire bag of the white powder at her from behind, leaving the star, who was dressed head to toe in black, almost completely covered in cooking flour. As she did so, the apparent animal rights activist reportedly shouted, “Fur hag!” (You can watch the video here.)

Seemingly unaffected, Kim immediately resorted to a private room, where she took her jacket off, brushed the flour from her hair and quickly returned to her event.

But was she super offended?

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Rihanna and Chris Brown Collaborate

By: alex.chrum, February 22, 2012 in Celebrities, Crime, Music and News. Closed Tags: , .

After a highly-publicized domestic violence incident in 2009, music stars Rihanna and Chris Brown have now released two remixes together. Monday, Brown tweeted a remix of his song “Turn Up the Music” featuring vocals from his ex-girlfriend. Rihanna retweeted the post, and also tweeted a remix of her own song, “Birthday Cake,” that features Brown.

Rihanna (left) after being attacked by Brown (right)

Many were outraged at this year’s Grammy Awards, as Brown, a convicted felon serving five years of probation for his attacks on Rihanna, was not only asked to perform twice, but was even awarded the prestige of Best R&B Album. In her widely shared piece “I’m Not OK With Chris Brown Performing at the Grammys, and I’m Not Sure Why You Are,” writer Sasha Pasulka makes a moving argument against the music industry’s endorsement of such an individual:

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Stephen Colbert Halts Show for Sick Mother

By: alex.chrum, February 17, 2012 in Celebrities and Television. Closed Tags: , .

Earlier this week, Comedy Central abruptly announced the temporary suspension of The Colbert Report.

Colbert has taken a hiatus from his show to be with his ill mother

“Due to unforeseen circumstances,” the network said, “the show will air repeat episodes on Wednesday, February 15 and Thursday, February 16.” No further information was released, leaving room for many rumors regarding the show’s unexpected and immediate hiatus. Some suspected a labor dispute or possible cancellation. Others assumed it might have something to do with Colbert’s supposed campaign for presidency.

Today, however, the New York Post finally offered some insight on the subject. Citing sources close to the show, the newspaper said host Stephen Colbert needed to take time off to be with his mother, Lorna Colbert, with whom he is extremely close.

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Whitney Houston Honored at 54th Annual Grammy Awards

By: alex.chrum, February 13, 2012 in Celebrities, Music and Passings. Closed Tags: , , .

This Saturday, the world was rocked with the unexpected news of music legend Whitney Houston’s death. The unfortunate accident occurred just one day before the 54th annual Grammy Awards, a ceremony that has honored the diva for her achievements numerous times. Last night, singer Jennifer Hudson and host LL Cool J led the audience in paying homage to the pop star for what may be the very last time, with a musical tribute and a heartfelt prayer, respectively.

Hudson and Houston at the 51st Grammy Awards in 2009

Saturday evening, the social media landscape was on fire with the breaking news of Houston’s death. Before most major news outlets had reported the story, Facebook and Twitter were ablaze with “R.I.P. Whitney Houston” messages. For the remainder of the evening, the cause of death eluded the public, though most were quick to assume a drug overdose due to the singer’s troubled past. By Sunday, reports had surfaced that Houston had ingested a mixture of the anti-anxiety medication Xanax with alcoholic cocktails, causing her to fall asleep in the bathtub and ultimately drown.

Today, however, a recent statement from law enforcement has been released suggesting that Houston died before she was even underwater. “It looks like it was a lethal combination of prescription drugs and alcohol, but it’s still too early to rule out other causes. That’s just what it’s looking like now,” an official told Fox News. According to the superstar’s relatives, Houston did not have enough water in her lungs to have drowned.

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