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Tue, 02/26/2013 - 12:02pm

Naturally everyone has an opinion on this, and the fact that a major amount of money on the groom's side creates even more speculation.  But in a time when transparency is becoming more and more valued, we see that the primary concern is about the hidden element of the marriage.  We're questioning the definition of privacy more and more, what its value is and when and where things should be revealed.  In a digital era where all can be exposed in a flash, society ponders just what to share and what not.  We don't think it's any coincidence that Jodie Foster made such a big statement about privacy (albeit in front of millions via television) as well.  As we re-evaluate celebrity and privacy, watch for more unexpected events to take place which will reinforce values for some and create departures in values for others.  In the meantime, we'd love to know what little wedding gift you give your hubby-to-be who has everything material already.  Wow.

Singer, actress Janet Jackson knows how to marry and keep the world away. For a second time in her life, she married and no one knew about it. The media is abuzz today with the fact that the American pop singer, 46, married her billionaire businessman boyfriend Wissam Al Mana, 37, last year. Jackson's spokesperson confirmed the "old" news earlier today. In a statement, the couple said that the ceremony was "quiet, private and beautiful." In an interview months ago, Jackson said that she and Al Mana had a "deep bond, deep connection." The first secret marriage for Jackson took place in 1991 when she wed Rene Elizondo Jr. They divorced in 2000.  Let's see what fans think...

What Others Are Saying...

... She no longer needs to try to steal her brother’s children’s money. ... She’s broke and spent all of her millions so she ... tried to get MJ’s money. She’s got herself a billionaire ... and can now leave MJ’s kids alone.

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... I wonder why they kept the marriage secret - look at all the well wishers. I guess they're sorry she didn't do it Kardashian-style and make a reality TV show season out of it. ...

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... She also dated Jermaine Dupri for 7 years (he didn't want to get married, his loss). ... She definitely has her own money, but it don't hurt when he has more. It seems she wanted some time to enjoy being married before all the paps start circling. ... She also has to consider her husband who is mega rich, but is not high profile and wants to keep it that way. ...

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Sat, 02/02/2013 - 6:14pm

So, we said that there would be more and more of a celeb re-evaluation (see past posts in the celebrity category); and it is further unfolding before our very eyes.  Celebrity plus transparency equals an uneasy mix, as we see.  But for those who want to maintain relevance in the new SmartPower era, it will be essential.  Even for Beyonce, effects of the trust-deficit are more and more apparent.  It is clear, though, that she was not prepared for this not being cognizant of social change.  For celeb brands and corporate brands, that is the danger now, isn't it?  The test will take place as comments are made during the actual performance during Superbowl.  We can't wait to track it for ya, and give you our analysis.  Stay tuned!!

Beyoncé Knowles held a press conference in New Orleans this week where she talked about her highly anticipated Super Bowl half-time performance. Beyoncé walked onto the  stage and asked the audience to rise, giving a LIVE acapella performance of the National Anthem. Following her performance Beyoncé was questioned abouther performance at the Presidential Inauguration. “I am a perfectionist ... I did not have time to rehearse with the orchestra, it was a live television show," Knowles explained. "Due to the weather, due to the delay, due to no proper sound check I did not feel comfortable taking the risk." She continued to explain that she was too busy rehearsing for the Super Bowl to practice for the inauguration and "it was always the plan" to sing with a back track. Beyoncé was then asked if she planned to sing live on Sunday or sing with a pre-recorded track like Madonna did last year.  Beyoncé responded “I am well rehearsed and I will absolutely be singing live... ." Hmmmm...let's see if the fans believe it.

What Others Are Saying...

... The fact is Beyonce, there is no performance if you didn't actually perform, and make all the excuses you want about the cold weather and the delay and the sound check. The fact is, she showed up with a pre-recorded track. She didn't record it real quick when she found out the situation. It was finished, auto-tuned, and ready to go when she arrived which, to me, says that she NEVER had any intention of singing live. Kelly Clarkson ... sang live, and she knocked it out of the park. Why couldn't Beyonce?

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...This sounds horrible. No wonder she had to pre-record it.

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Why is she lying about always singing live? Her track skipped at the Europe Music Awards 03. She never sung live at the VMAs. She lipped "At Last" at the President's last inauguration. Like get real woman. She is a liar. She lied about her pregnancy. She is so consumed with being perfect that there is nothing real about this woman...

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Sat, 12/29/2012 - 12:48pm

Here we see more of the trend in celebrity push-back. More leaderful comments demanding transparency, innovation.  In an era were people are becoming increasingly self-determinant, we just may say the celebrity spokesperson either be held to much higher standards of accountability or even move toward that of fellow consumers.  Watch for more change in 2013 in this arena.  In the meantime, don't miss our digi-socio year end look via podcast now at ldcoleman.com/radio

Pop singer and fashion designer Jessica Simpson appears on the cover of Weight Watchersmagzine's January/February 2013 issue.  However, the 32-year-old entertainer recently confirmed her second pregnancy. While Jessica Simpson had reportedly signed a $4 million contract with the weight management company she will not be full filling it until after her pregnancy.  What do fans have to say about this quick turn of events?

What Others Are Saying...

I read that she had a personal chef who makes her meals and her meal plans for her ... She doesnt have to think about what to eat or how it affects her since she doesnt have to do it herself ... she shouldnt be giving out weight-loss advice when she has other people doing the thinking for her ...

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Not sure why a pregnancy Weight Watchers program can't be adapted. Add more protein but keep everything balanced...

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What evidence do we have that she followed Weight Watchers when she wasn't pregnant? Weight Watchers has squandered shareholder money and was silly to have hired a celebrity spokeswoman who clearly did not listen to her OB-GYN as gaining 80 pounds during a pregnancy is not normal, not healthy, and was probably done against medical advice...

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Fri, 12/21/2012 - 4:48pm

Here again we see the media focusing on an issue that seems to be a non-issue judging from the comment-sphere.  Why does this happen?  Who is setting the agenda?  How is entertainment taking the heat, and in an almost non-related way?  In an era where people are becoming more and more self-competent, it is not as easy as before to create consensus because people are kinda, well, thinking!  Poor Ke$ha, though.  Looks like she can't catch a break whether it's from this or E!'s "Fashion Police."

 Due to the recent Newtown school shootings, pop star Kesha has tweeted an apology for her supposed controversial lyrics to "Die Young" after the song was taken off the airwaves. In the new hit Kesha lyric's including a call to party like "it’s our last night on earth". In the tweet she expressed her deepest sympathies for the families of the victims shot in and around the kindergarten classroom at Sandy Hook Elementary. She also tweeted she was forced to sing those lyrics. That tweet was deleted shortly after that. What are the people saying?  Let’s see…

What Others Are Saying...

How could [Kesha] have known something like [the shootings] would happen?

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Nobody should be apologizing. The songs weren’t in that context.... There is nothing wrong with the art of these songs even if you don’t agree with them.

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…The connection between this song and the shooting is almost nonexistent, and I feel like her twitter rant made a non-issue into an issue.

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Fri, 12/14/2012 - 11:58am

Like many traditions and gurus of old, Ms. Walters time of relevancy just may be up.  If one looks across the comment-sphere on this - and believe us, there is no shortage of chatter on this subject - we see what we are calling a very "leaderful" approach. (see editor-in-chief's book "Rise of the SmartPower Class").  This is not about those at the "top" telling the masses who is or isn't "fascinating" any longer.  They'll decide for themselves, thank you - or, at best, this is about collaborating in the effort.  Further, the "decider" is then even ridiculed and questioned, further indicating the bottom-up shift in culture.  If all this is accurate, you better get ready for an interesting ride that will surely be fascinating for 2013.  Saddle up!

Legacy journalist Barbara Walters came out with her top 10 Most Fascinating People list yet again this year and on the top of it was none other than Gen. David Petraeus. Other notable mentions were Olympic Gold-winning gymnast Gabby Douglas, the British boy band One Direction, actor Ben Affleck, and multi-hyphenate Seth Macfarlane. Walters' stated that she picked Petraeus to for the number one position for different reasons this time than when she picked him for the same spot in 2010. She claimed the story behind the infamous Petraeus love triangle was irresistible to the public, with new facts and secrets being uncovered all the time. However, lots of people do not agree with her on this pick . Let's jump into the soup.

What Others Are Saying...

...Hitler was [once named] Time's "Man of the Year" it isn't always good, but influence that determines those things.

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How is that one of the most boring people in media is deciding who the most interesting people are?...

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Her definition of fascinating must be very loose…she [probably] needs a dictionary

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Fri, 11/30/2012 - 8:37am

Ah, poor LiLo.  What can you say?  But if it's true that certain sociologists say that we use celebrities to work out values in a changing society, this behavior by this one seems to be something almost everyone can agree upon.  What is particularly telling is the last comment.  More shift in what we are thinking celebrity is, how it should be treated, and if how we have handled in the past is appropriate for the new SmartPower era. 

The 26-year-old actress was arrested in front of a popular nightclub in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York city last night for allegedly punching a woman. Tiffany Eve Mitchell, 28, said Lohan assaulted her in the VIP section of the club after a scuffle broke out between different groups. The Liz and Dick actress was caught while running out of the club to her friend's car. She was taken to the 10th Precinct where she stayed overnight and walked out this morning with a coat over her head to avoid the paparazzi. Her plan failed and now this story is all over the internet. Sorry Lindsay, maybe next time?

What Others Are Saying...

She has seven mug shots. SEVEN! Any one of us wouldn't have that many because we'd be doing a lot of time after probably the third one....

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I think we’re all just waiting for the day when we come on here and it says “Lindsay Lohan Found Dead”. Harsh but true.

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Perhaps if they treated these "Hollywood Stars" like they do everyone else, these people would learn the lesson. She was given every opportunity to turn her life around....

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Tue, 11/27/2012 - 9:16pm

More on implied racism here without any overt racially charged words being used.  Second time this week (see our anaylsis on the Florida cop offering to kill President Obama).   Our original analysis still stands but now we think this could be a new phenomenon.  Stay tuned!!!!

Rock star Steven Tyler said if Bob Dylan appeared on the show, new Americon Idol judge Nicki Minaj would have sent him to a cornfield. Minaj replied by calling Tyler a racist because he has not seen her judge a single contestant yet, and she felt his comment implied that due to her race and genre specialty that she would not be a fan of Dylan. In a series of tweets, Minaj also cursed at Tyler and told him to speak to the producers of the show since he wanted to keep his job so badly. Tyler made the comments while criticizing the alleged Mariah Carey - Minaj beef. Ooooh-weeeee....

What Others Are Saying...

... How dare she be so disrespectful to legends like Steven Tyler, Mariah Carey, etc who have more talent in their pinkies than she does in her entire body?! There was nothing racist about what Steven said ... It’s ridiculous she’s so quick to pull the race card ... I need her to go away and become irrelevant ASAP.

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... Back in the slave days ... blacks were forced to come and work on white peoples corn fields for next to nothing or food and water. So what Tyler is saying is that in Bob Dylan's day when the slave trade was still in force Nikki would have sent him to the corn fields along with the other black slaves rather than notice his talents. ... Bringing the fact she is black and would have sent another black person into a situation like that is wrong in my eyes.

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Send Bob Dylan back to the”Cornfield” as Bob Dylan was born and raised in a rural town in Minnesota. Don’t see how this statement could possibly be racist ... Anyone of intelligence just doesn’t fall for the race card thing anymore. ...

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Sat, 10/27/2012 - 5:03pm

Okay, so, cool for those who believe Timberlake genuinely knew nothing about the creation of this and did not condone its release. But for those who do not, and the comment soup leans a great deal toward that, Timberlake's true sentiment is being questioned.  As we've said before, in this age of social change watch for celebrities to have to answer to the public in terms of how they are helping with social justice in an on-going (not one-off) manner.  Celebs seems to actually be accelerating this shift via the actions they elect to be a part of, funny enough (see Jay-Z and Beyonce).  This is going to be an interesting ride, Ladies and Gents, so watch carefully!

Justin Timberlake turned to his website to publicly apologize over a video  his friends made to celebrate his wedding to Jessica Biel. The video comprises of vagrants, transsexuals, and street musicians congratulating the couple on their recent lavished nuptials in Italy. Timberlake has claimed that he had nothing to do with the creation of the video, but by association is holding himself accountable. What are people saying about his apology, and this act mocking the homeless?

What Others Are Saying...

Great friends you have there JT. Just as arrogant as you!...This is immature, cruel, and classless. Just because you’re very fortunate in life, doesn’t mean you have to ridicule homeless people...

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How much do you guys want to bet that Justin Timberlake's PR people are doing damage control...How long before Justin "donates money to a charity dealing with shelters and homeless people?" It won't be genuine...

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...this is the opposite of an "I’m sorry you were offended for not getting the joke" apology...read what the man said, he is NOT defending the video and he is  "deeply sorry to anyone who was offended by the video."

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Sat, 10/20/2012 - 7:46pm

Wow. The comment soup seems kind hard on these kidz.  Truth be told, this seems to be just another sign that the sentiment toward celebrity is shifting.  The moves of those at such a level will come under greater and greater scrutiny regarding their personal depth, assistance in social change and justice.  This era seems truly less on fluff and extravagance and more on scrutiny.  Thing is, are those in these celeb positions listening or just letting the good times roll?  At any rate, who caught the bouquet?

After dating for 5 years, Justin Timberlake, 31, and Jessica Biel, 30, have finally gotten married on Friday at the Borgo Egnazia Resort in Fasano, Italy. The told People they were "very happy". It is reported that they spent over $6 million on the wedding, and could have rented out the entire hotel at the resort in Italy. Spending large sums of money on the event isn't unheard of; Brat Pitt and Jennifer Anniston, and Madonna and Guy Ritchie both expended $1.5 million. Hopefully this couple's future will go better...

What Others Are Saying...

Why the f**k would anyone spend $6 million on a wedding? A bit of charity would be nice...

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Why are they talking to People already? They can’t even take a breath...seriously they are such fame and attention whores. Take a page from Megan Fox - we don’t hear a peep about her baby until 2 weeks after he was already born!

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 "It's great to be married", said the newly wed couple. Yeah, they should know after being married for one day!

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Fri, 10/05/2012 - 3:56pm

More indication of the SmartPower vision: flipping things that were once held as norm.  The first male to promote a woman's fragrance.  Kinda makes sense though, given that that is who it is supposed to attract, at least if the buyer is heterosexual.  But this also says something more.  It's become more and more of a trend to use celebrity to drive consumerism rather than models.  This seems to be about using the cult of celebrity to re-introduce a brand to people on a global level.  But if you look closely at the comment-sphere, we are starting to see some push-back about that.  It's not just generally accepted any longer. If celebrity is said to represent the re-fashioned American Dream, what does it mean when that dream is being quickly re-defined for new times where each individual is more celebrated, thanks to social media and a new mindset, more and more every day?  Wondering Angelina gets a gang of free Chanel goodies as a result. Probably.  If there's too much for you Angie, we'll gladly email you our address. :-)

The Hollywood star is the first man ever to promote the women's fragrance. The ad, for which Pitt was reportedly paid $7 million, will air in the middle of October. The buzz on it just hit the media earlier today. The ad will also appear in print in several magazine in November. Chanel No. 5 is an iconic perfume created 91 years ago and is also the company's leading product. Other celebrities who have been the face of the perfume include Catherine Deneuve, Nicole Kidman, Audrey Tautou. In the ad, at the beginning appears that Pitt is speaking to a woman, but by the end it's clear that it's the scent that is actually talking. 

What Others Are Saying...

But it's a woman’s fragrance! ... Its amazing though, an Iconic scent, with an Iconic man!

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... They should accept the fact that Brad Pitt is chosen for being a new model of channel No5. How come he is greedy? ...

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He looks like he needs to take a shower and wash his hair followed by a serious laxative to relieve his constipation.... This isn't my definition of a real man.

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