LOYALTY & SUCCESS (DUTCHESS LATTIMORE "PRETTY IN INK")

LOYALTY & SUCCESS (DUTCHESS LATTIMORE OWNER OF "PRETTY IN INK" TATTOO SHOP):

SUCCESS IS THE SWEETEST REVENGE TO A DISLOYAL MAN.


A Woman's loyalty to a Man is tested when a Man has NOTHING.

A Man's loyalty to a Woman is tested when a Man has EVERYTHING.


Sources: VH-1, YouTube

YOUTUBERS EXPOSING BLACK FAMILY DRAMA FOR PROFITS

YOUTUBERS EXPOSING BLACK FAMILY DRAMA FOR PROFITS:

YOUTUBE FAMILY DRAMA HAS REPLACED SOAP OPERA SHOWS.

CHILDREN OF THESE YOUTUBERS WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR PARENTS' GREED.

"Don't answer the foolish arguments of fools, or you will become as foolish as they are."
Proverbs 26:4


Sources: YouTube, Google


Many Black women have discovered a new LEGAL way to earn money to help support their families.

Posting home videos on YouTube and making money from ads which play on those videos has provided a lucrative opportunity for Black mothers to remain at home while still bringing home the bacon.

The most lucrative YouTube videos within the Black community appear to be those filled with Ghetto drama from their own families.

So uploading videos of Black husbands and wives fighting is worth big bucks from YouTube and Google.

Can you say watching Ratchet videos on YouTube while exposing family drama has replaced watching Soap Operas on television??

Sounds great right?

Sounds too good to be true right?

Guess what?

It is true however there are caveats.

One day when Ratchet, Ghetto YouTube channels from these Black women are no longer in high demand, will these Women long term suffer consequences by not being able to become gainfully employed?

One day when Ratchet, Ghetto YouTube channels from these Black women are no longer in high demand, will the Children of these Women suffer consequences by not being able to be accepted to good colleges?

At what future risk are these Black Women willing to pay just to earn a lucrative YouTube check today?

I can hear the sounds of REGRET and Ruined REPUTATIONS fast approaching.

"CLOSURE" BY PASTOR KIM POTHIER OF GEORGIA (DOMESTIC VIOLENCE)

"CLOSURE" BY PASTOR KIM POTHIER OF GEORGIA:  (DOMESTIC VIOLENCE)

BLACK CHURCHES OFTEN PUNISH & BLAME WOMEN WHO ARE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

"You don't need Closure. You just need to give yourself permission to move on."

"Let go of Toxic relationships. GOD has a great plan for your life."

Quotes above by Pastor KIM POTHIER ("Preachers of Atlanta" on OXYGEN)

*** Note:
Pastor Kim ministers to Women who are victims of DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

The Church community, especially BLACK Churches, often punish and blame Women who suffer Domestic Violence in their homes.

Sources: Oxygen network, Youtube

LOVE & HIP HOP vs SORORITY SISTERS: BLACK WOMEN vs BLACK WOMEN

#SororitySisters

LOVE & HIP HOP vs SORORITY SISTERS:

BLACK WOMEN vs BLACK WOMEN

MONA SCOTT- YOUNG is an Intelligent BLACK Business Woman and Queen of BLACK Reality tv.
She created & produced such hit shows as the "Love & Hip Hop" series and "Sorority Sisters".
"Love & Hip Hop" is a widely known, popular reality series to showcase "Ratchet", television, while "Sorority Sisters" was bashed for making BLACK professional Women appear in a similar "Ratchet" manner.

So now BLACK Women are fighting against BLACK Women regarding which group of BLACK Women is better received in American society and by the BLACK Community.
Amid public backlash from the BLACK Greek community, "Sorority Sisters" was Cancelled after one season.

Post Sources: Black Enterprise, V-1, YouTube

"SORORITY SISTERS" VH-1 REALITY TV SHOW BACKLASH & FOOLISH DEATH THREATS (AREN'T THERE MORE IMPORTANT ISSUES??)

#SororitySisters

VH-1's "SORORITY SISTERS" FOOLISH BACKLASH & DEATH THREATS:

Attention All BLACK Greek Sorors who have communicated DEATH THREATS to the Cast members of VH-1's new reality tv show "SORORITY SISTERS", and who launched a Petition to Shut down the show........

Please Stop Hating!

It's just a TV SHOW!

It does NOT Represent, nor Misrepresent the Integrity of BLACK Greek Sororities!

The Women on this television show were Intelligent enough to seize a LEGAL, Lucrative Business Opportunity.

What is WRONG with that??

Where were all of these BLACK Greek Soror Haters when RAY RICE was Beating the hell out of JANAY RICE in an Elevator??

ATLANTA, Ga remains the top U.S. City for Human Trafficking and Prostitution of Young Girls.

What are the BLACK Greek Sorors doing to help Protect those Young Girls??

But yet you BLACK Greek Sorors are going to communicate DEATH THREATS to Women who signed on to appear on a Reality TV Show??

You should be Ashamed of yourselves!

I think many of you are just JEALOUS Haters, Angry at VH-1 producers for Not Casting you for this Show.

HILLARY CLINTON is preparing to make History as the First WOMAN U.S. President.

Get on Board and Support other Women who are trying to Make it in a Man's World!

You are Not GOD, nor the Lord JESUS CHRIST.

Get Over Yourself, Shut Up and Grow Up!

I'm just saying.

Sources: VH-1; TMZ Sports; Youtube

CHRISSY LAMPKIN Arrested But She's Still A Money Maker!.....LADY VAMP

#ChrissyLampkin

CHRISSY LAMPKIN, fiancee' of Rapper & Businessman JIM JONES, was ARRESTED last Sunday for Fighting in New Jersey.

Of course JIM Bailed her out.

So what else is new?? Everyone knows NOT to mess with CHRISSY!

The value of her "LADY VAMP" Clothing line just increased!

"Chrissy Lampkin, 'Love & Hip Hop' Star, Arrested After New Jersey Bar Brawl"


Police say the reality star who's engaged to rapper Jim Jones sent her sparring partner to the hospital after a dust-up over a sofa on Sunday morning.

Reality set in for a “Love and Hip Hop” star after an arrest for a bloody brawl in a New Jersey bar early Sunday morning.

Chrissy Lampkin was charged with aggravated assault and disorderly conduct at 2:30 a.m., said Edgewater, N.J., police.

The 42-year-old stylist’s sparring partner was hospitalized with injuries and received stitches above the eye, TMZ reported.

The altercation was reportedly sparked when Lampkin took objection to another woman sitting on the same sofa in the bar — and then accidentally bumping into someone, according to the gossip site.

Lampkin was released hours after her arrest when her fiance, rapper Jim Jones, bailed her out.

The Harlem-born Lampkin also starred with her long-time boyfriend in the VH1 reality series, “Chrissy & Mr. Jones,” on which she also served as a producer.

Sources: NY Daily News, TMZ, VH-1, Youtube

Rachel Zoe's New Line Is "Bananas!! From Stylist To Designer!

Rachel Zoe: The Stylist As Celebrity Designer

In a dressing room at the Saks Club on the third floor of the Fifth Avenue flagship, Rachel Zoe is advising a petite, strawberry-blonde 17-year-old shopping with her mother on how to wear a white sequin blazer. “I like to wear it a little bigger, so you can wear a zero or a two or a four,” she tells her. “If this part is too low,” she says, explaining the seam should not hit below the shoulder for the coolest slouchy effect, “you can’t cheat it.”

As a stylist, movie stars pay Zoe a rumored $10,000 a day for such dressing advice, but today, she’s not just styling, she’s also up-selling her brand-new clothing line, Rachel Zoe Collection, which hit more than 100 retail sales floors in the U.S. and Canada four weeks ago.

The seventies- and boho-inspired wares, which include suiting, long dresses, blouses, sequin minidresses, and faux-fur vests, look exactly like something Zoe would wear. “It’s insta-chic,” she tells her next client, a 30-ish hedge fund manager, helping her into a camel cape. “I don’t mean to sound like a walking advertisement, but it is.” That $695 wool cape has already sold out at Nordstrom, which will reorder it before the weather actually feels like fall, at which time they’ll probably sell out of it again.

Zoe has been a boldfaced tabloid name since 2004, when she made over Nicole Richie in her boho-chic image. But she became a star in her own right after her Bravo reality show The Rachel Zoe Project debuted in 2008, with the last season finale attracting 1.1. million viewers (the show’s fourth season premieres tonight).

So when her collection debuted at New York Fashion Week last February, it did so as yet another clothing line by a celebrity. But Zoe’s line, unlike a lot of celebrity lines, is neither cheap nor fleeting nor forgettably drab.

The difference may be the fashion credibility she earned after working for many years behind the scenes, not only dressing folks like Britney Spears and Jennifer Garner, but styling fashion shoots for magazines like Harper’s Bazaar and ad campaigns for brands like True Religion.

No one knew that red-carpet stylists existed until Barbara Tfank famously dressed Uma Thurman in Prada for the 1995 Oscars (it was one of the first times a star appeared in something you could actually buy off the rack, as opposed to a specially made gown). Since then, none have become as famous as Zoe, thanks to the public's increasing fascination with the machinations of the fashion industry (thanks in part to reality shows like hers!) and the rapid proliferation of fashion websites in need of their own celebrities.

Now stylists like Zoe, Nicola Formichetti (who became creative director of Mugler after styling Lady Gaga), and Taylor Tomasi-Hill (who consults for Sigerson Morrison) are almost as famous as the stars they dress, and creating a personality is part of the job — something agents look for when signing new talent.

For a first-time line, the Rachel Zoe Collection’s launch was unusually large. Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, and Intermix all picked it up, and they claim they’re already having trouble keeping the pieces, which range from $250 to $700, in stock. “It’s been a long time since we’ve taken that kind of risk with a first-time designer at Bloomingdale’s,” says Stephanie Solomon, the women’s fashion director at the chain, which normally launches new lines in only “a handful of stores” (the Zoe line is in eight).

Nordstrom’s vice-president of designer apparel, Jennifer Wheeler, agrees that something felt different about this line: “It’s great when you have a name, but if you don’t have the goods — if the collection wasn’t good — it wouldn’t work,” she says. Nordstrom executives say the sell-through rate has quadrupled expectations. Colleen Sherin, senior fashion director of Saks, also describes the volume Saks bought of the collection as “unusual.” “It’s not just a one-season kind of thing,” Sherin says. “She’s in this as a serious business.”

Zoe, whose favorite words and phrases are maj (short for major),bananas, and “I die,” may not sound like your typical businesswoman. But she emphatically prefers to call herself that, rather than a “celebrity.”

And the strategic moves she made in conceiving this line indicate that she is indeed a businesswoman — and a very good one. First, she partnered with Li & Fung, the highly successful manufacturer that did $16 billion in sales last year and counts House of Deréon, Jennifer Lopez’s Kohl’s line, and Sean John men’s sportswear among its brands. Catherine Moellering, executive vice-president of Tobe, a retail trend consulting company, suspects Li & Fung gave retailers confidence, practically speaking.

She explains, “With Li & Fung, [retailers] feel very comfortable stepping out with it from a production standpoint. It’s going to be flawless, and there are not always great examples of celebrity start-ups that can execute. Li & Fung just knows how to do it — they understand the profitability dance.”

Second, Zoe positioned the line in an underserved part of the market. The price point of the Rachel Zoe Collection puts it “right on the cusp of bridge” — a category that includes Tory Burch and Elie Tahari — “which is consistently the most problematic in the department store puzzle,” Moellering says.

Moellering wonders if Li & Fung, which boasts strong relationships with many retailers, tapped its network to find out where the greatest market share would be for Zoe: “In relation to the market, and where there is a void, that seems very smart to me.”

Zoe says she made a conscious decision about pricing “because I think that there are enough brilliant designers doing the designer clothes at this point.” She adds, “I was really maniacal about keeping prices down. And I remember there were certain pieces that I loved the sample, and I would sit with my design team and it was like this is this amount of money, and I was like, I'm not going above that price point. It's too expensive.”

She made a bold debut with tailoring, which is never easy to do and especially not for a first collection, including pantsuits in plaid, black, and tan. Sequined frocks and tiered cocktail dresses in cream and leopard also figure prominently. The outerwear included faux-fur vests and coats with faux-fur paneling — easy shortcuts for those who want to copy the stylist’s trademark look. The line is more L.A. glam than New York cool — stylish but not so stylish that it’s scary to casual observers of fashion.

Moellering easily sees Zoe’s brand becoming the “full-on lifestyle” kind, growing until it encompasses everything from clothes to jewelry to swimwear to fragrance. “Li & Fung, they’re not doing this to be a $20 million dollar business, they are doing this because they want it to be a multi-billion-dollar business.”

Zoe will tell you she works hard for all this. “I've worked with a lot of designers. I really understand the design process,” she says. “It is so much fun, but it is a lot of work.

I picked this sequin out of ten thousand sequins, I picked this wool out of a hundred wools, I picked this faux fur out of four hundred samples of faux fur.” Such claims are not uncommon from celebrities with clothing lines, who often tell the press they know how to make great clothes when they’ve actually had little to do with the line that bears their name. But Zoe’s background as a stylist brings her extra credibility. “She’s a celebrity because she’s an incredible stylist,” notes Nordstrom’s Wheeler.

“The two are very interrelated. She always had her finger on the pulse of where fashion is going, and she indeed helped push it in that direction. And she knows what makes women look good.” Though Zoe says she didn’t know her aesthetic would be huge on the runways when she launched the line, that’s exactly what happened. “Who really does boho and seventies better than Rachel?” Moellering says. “And those have to be two of the biggest trends right now.”

Zoe admits it’s not easy to go from stylist to designer in the rarified world of high fashion. “I have sat with these buyers and fashion directors of these retail stores for many, many years,” she says. “And the editor-in-chiefs and things — the thought of being judged by them is petrifying. Petrifying.”

The added workload of the line is no small obstacle, either. New labels typically have much more time to plan their first collection than their second, third, fourth, and so on, and those subsequent collections really tell retailers how much endurance a line will have. Zoe says she is primed to handle the fabled pace of fashion.

“Now I’m styling spring for the presentation in a couple of weeks, but the next day we started doing the fabrics and sketches for fall, so it’s kind of keeping your head in one place and being clear about what season you’re in. But I’ve always had to deal with that as a stylist and fashion editor as well — the models are wearing fur in June and bikinis in December.” She says you can expect the boot-cut pant in some iteration every season — along with sequins and faux fur, naturally. Also in the works: fragrance, jewelry, and beauty products.

Back to the Saks Fifth Avenue Club, when Zoe wraps up her visits with private clients, Saks CEO Steven I. Sadove pulls Zoe aside. “Did you see your windows? It’s our feature window,” he tells her. She hasn’t, but she will take a look after she greets a packed roomful of adoring fans at a cocktail reception a few floors up.

“I'm always going to style. It's the core of what I do. It's who I am. I love my clients,” Zoe says. Many of them will happily support her by wearing the line. But, Zoe adds, “If they wear it, great. If they don't, that's okay too. Definitely not forcing it in their faces.” And yet Jennifer Lopez, who is not a client of Zoe’s, has already worn pieces from the collection for two public appearances.

InStyle endorsed it with a party in L.A. in June, where celebrities like Amber Valetta and Ali Larter happily wore the pieces. Marketing opportunities like that don’t just happen to anyone with a clothing line — and that is why a name like Zoe’s is so valuable.


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Sources: Bravo, CNN, NY Magazine, US Magazine, Google Maps

Taylor Armstrong's Ex-Husband Russell Found Dead! Andy Cohen Responds ("Housewives" Curse?)

'Housewives,' Bravo Respond To Russell Armstrong's Death

After news broke that "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star, Taylor Armstrong's husband, Russell Armstrong had committed suicide in his Los Angeles home, the Bravo family has taken to Twitter to lend their support for Taylor and the couple's 5-year-old daughter, Kennedy.

Sympathy for Taylor and her deceased 47-year-old husband, from whom she recently split, has been pouring out via the social networking platform. From Bravo executive and host, Andy Cohen, to Taylor's "Housewives" castmate, Camille Grammer, and New York "Housewives," Ramona Singer and LuAnn de Lesseps.

New York cast members Alex and Simon McCord told Us Weekly, "[We] hadn't heard yet. Our hearts go out to the family."

Bravo similarly issued a statement with their condolences for the family: “All of us at Bravo are deeply saddened by this tragic news. Our sympathy and thoughts are with the Armstrong family at this difficult time."



Russell Armstrong Death: Is Divorce From Taylor Armstrong To Blame?

Russell Armstrong's apparent suicide Monday evening has us wondering: Was his upcoming divorce from reality star Taylor Armstrong partially to blame?

Russell's lawyer Ronald Richards told TMZ that Russell was "extremely bummed out about the divorce with Taylor," but that his financial woes may also have been a factor. The investment banker and venture capitalist filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2005 and was recently sued for $1.5 million by one of his former clients.

Taylor, who stars in the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," filed for divorce last month after five years of marriage. The Armstrongs' ongoing marital problems were a focal point on the first season of the show, and their marriage counseling sessions were to be featured on the upcoming season, which is scheduled to premier September 5. Bravo TV has not yet indicated how it will handle the footage in light of Russell's death.

Following the divorce filing, Taylor accused her estranged spouse of physical and verbal abuse, which created a media frenzy given her advocacy for domestic abuse victims. Russell responded to the allegations in People magazine.

"Did I push her? Yes, maybe things happened in the heat of the moment, but it was during a time in our lives that was not characteristic of who we were," he said in late July 2011. "This show has literally pushed us to the limit."

Russell's ex-wife Barbara Frederickson, with whom he has a 13-year-old son, blames Taylor for his death.

“I don’t care for her at all. I think she’s the reason for this,” she told RadarOnline. "I think she drove him into financial stress and it just ruined him.”

Russell has two other children--a five-year-old daughter, Kennedy, with Taylor, and an 11-year-old son with former fiancee Milette Fields.

Taylor's manager's office indicated that a statement by Taylor was being prepared. According to RadarOnline, she is 'hysterical' after learning about the death Monday night. She has reportedly not yet told their daughter, Kennedy.


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Sources: ABC News, AP, Bravo, Huffington Post, Youtube, Google Maps

Shaunie O'Neal Defends Her "Basketball Wives" Reality TV Show (Videos)

Tags:
Basketball Wives, Shaunie O'Neal, Evelyn Lozada, Shows

Tags:
Basketball Wives, Shaunie O'Neal, Evelyn Lozada, Shows

http://www.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/TV/07/01/black.women.reality.tv/


I'll be honest, I love reality TV.

Actually it's one of my guilty pleasure past times. Even before "Basketball Wives" I had my favorites, and I watched them faithfully. There is something appealing about seeing people deal with real life drama as you're watching. Now, as executive producer of "Basketball Wives," I know that's not exactly how it happens, but it's still fun to watch.

What isn't so fun to watch, however, is this new generation of reality TV. It seems to be more about the drama and less about the storyline. That concerns me, especially now that I'm producing a reality show.

I have gotten both good and bad responses from viewers about "Basketball Wives," and I certainly understand the opinion that the shows portrayal of black women is beginning to look somewhat negative.

As you see on the show, I'm not a big supporter of the bickering, drink throwing and fighting, but when you put a group of strong, independent and vocal women who are going through or just came out of a bad relationship together, there's bound to be a little drama.

Let's face it, we all know women like the ones on "Basketball Wives" and countless other reality shows: Women who are vocal if you cross them.

The problem for me is when black women are portrayed as only being that way and labeled different than their non-black counterparts for the same type of behavior. That's when it becomes negative and damaging to our image.

I'm not saying we have to create shows that only paint a pretty picture about who we are, but there should be a balance and most of all some integrity to the shows we create.

I do believe some of the shows featuring African-American women have positive story lines and are not meant to tear black women down. Shows like [BET's] "Tiny & Toya" and "Monica: Still Standing," [TVOne's] "LisaRaye: The Real McCoy," [VH1's] "What Chili Wants" and [WE tv's] "The Braxtons."

They all have the same core storyline -- single, exes of high profile men, trying to raise their children and get their lives back on track. I believe that is positive and when handled properly can be very uplifting and empowering for women going through the same issues, no matter their race.

That's why I wanted to do "Basketball Wives." I wanted to show what life is really like when you are with a professional athlete --- and that sometimes all that glitters isn't gold.

When I signed on to executive produce the show I had big plans and a long list of ideas. But boy did all that change as we started filming and I learned what all goes into executive producing a show. It's a lot of work, and there are a lot of politics involved, but at the end of the day I do believe that the overall message is being told.

Look at Tami Roman (ex-wife of former NBA player Kenny Anderson and a member of the "Basketball Wives" cast). She was such an appealing addition to the cast because of her rags to riches to rags story of being married to a pro basketball player and after their divorce almost being homeless.

That's the heart of "Basketball Wives," and I believe that if you look closely and beyond the arguing and the fighting, you'll see a group of women trying to get their lives back on track and figure out who they really are.

My role as executive producer of the show does not negate my concern for how black women are portrayed on reality TV, but I do believe that there are some shows attempting to strike a balance and have a positive message despite the drama. I'm personally working with Shed Media and VH1 to make sure that "Basketball Wives" stands among them.


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Sources: CNN, VH1, Google Maps

Abdi Farah Wins Bravo's "Work Of Art" & Brooklyn Museum Exhibit!

The "Work Of Art" Exit Interview: WINNER Abdi Farah


ARTINFO spoke with Abdi Farah, the conquering hero of Bravo's reality television show whose triumphant work will go on display at the world-famous Brooklyn Museum tomorrow. The network will also fork over $100,000 to the artist, a 22-year-old recent University of Pennsylvania graduate who on his Web site refers to himself "first, as a son of God," adding that "everything else, including being an artist, is marginal." It's nice when the marginal comes with a large cash prize, but Bravo certainly couldn't have picked someone more grateful. Read on to hear Abdi gush about how wonderful it was to be on the show. This guy is really, really happy. And good for him too.

How are you?

I'm really good. I'm supergood.

I saw you at this event at the Brooklyn Museum with your mom. Are you really going to give her all the money that you won?

Why not? I figure she's a better businesswoman. She'll keep me from buying like, a Mustang or something.

Do you have anything that you know you definitely want to buy?

I'm getting into some really awesome art that's going to need a lot of money. I'm hoping to build a small foundry in my house. I'm getting into sculpture, which is way more expensive than painting, so the money will get put to very unsexy ways of fostering my career.

I don't know, a foundry's pretty sexy.

It is pretty cool, I can't lie.

You don't often hear people talking about their foundries. Like, "come hang out in my foundry." Pretty cool.

I'll probably cut my leg off or something, put a hole through the house.

So you've been making sculptures?

I've been doing both 2-D and 3-D since the end of the show, but I kind of see myself now moving more into 3-D.

How do you feel about having a show go up at the Brooklyn Museum on Saturday? Do you feel like you deserve it more than the other contestants, that you're the Next Great Artist?

I feel supergreat to be having a show go up. I've been a fan of the Brooklyn Museum for a long time. I saw an amazing show there when I was in the eleventh grade. I saw the Basquiat retrospective when I was in twelfth grade. I've just been a big fan of the museum for a long time, so the fact that I'm going to have a show there is so awesome. As far as do I deserve it? I feel within the context of the competition, I definitely deserve it. I worked my tail off on that finale show. I feel equally, Miles [Mendenhall] and Peregrine [Honig] deserve it as well, but for some reason they chose me, so I'll take it. It's just an amazing honor in general. In the context of artists, I think whatever artist enjoys success, it's always like wow, there are so many people who work just as hard and make just as great art that will never reach this level and it's just a gift.

Do you feel that your work has gotten progressively better over the course of the show? Did working under imposed rules have any beneficial effect?

I really wish everybody could see what we experienced day in and day out working in this competition. It was by far the greatest artistic experience I've had. I expected to learn about business, I expected to learn how to work with people and not kill people when things got tough, but I learned so much about art, in and of itself. That I did not expect at all coming into this. I think it is because of the show. I feel the show has gotten a lot of bad responses because people are like, "artists don't make art in 20 hours" and "artists don't work together in one big space" but I feel like those are the things that made this show as special as it is.

But did those kinds of restrictions drive you to make good art? Or just to think about art-making differently?

I feel like throughout the entire competition every single competitor made some really good stuff, made some crazy stuff, made some bad stuff -- but to me it was all so fresh and alive and new and exciting because it was nothing that we would ever have made in our own studios, given all of our crutches that we lean upon, all of the comforts we have around us, the time to do whatever we want. I think it's through competition that you see what you really are, and it's not necessarily what you thought you were. With some of those challenges, I don't even know what I was thinking, but something subconscious spit out onto the canvas and sometimes it was good and sometimes it was bad, but it was always really revelatory. I wish I could orchestrate this for myself every couple of years when I'm feeling in a rut because it was really eye-opening.

Obviously in the end it was a very sunny experience for you -- you won. Do you think there's a danger that you'll be associated with the show for a while and it will mark your career? And for the other contestants who didn't win, do you think being on the show could affect their careers negatively?

I feel like in this crazy world anything can affect anything negatively or positively, it's really random. But for me personally, I feel like nothing in my life is random. I feel like everything is going to work out perfectly great for me, and I feel like I would only be worried about my name being connected with this show if I wasn't a fan of this show. I'm an absolute fan of this show, and I would be honored if this show was connected with my name 20 years from now. I don't care. I feel like people who are insecure about how they view themselves would care that this show is connected with them. I don't think reality competition is new. You think of "Star Search," you think of like Rosie O'Donnell or Martin Lawrence, these people got their start on "Star Search." There's nothing different between that and this. People have realized that they're more than that competition, but I'm pretty sure that they are permanently proud that they were a part of what they did there.

Why did you decide to go on "Work of Art"?

I've been waiting for something like this for a long time. I've always been a fan of "Top Chef" and "Project Runway" and these shows where people are really into their craft and competing to do really good stuff. And then I graduated from college in May of 2009 and I was working and teaching in Philadelphia, but I really didn't have a next step. I applied for a bunch of fellowships, I applied for a Fulbright, I applied for all of these residencies, and even though I did really well in college, I didn't get any of them.

How did you hear about the show?

The chair of the fine arts department at Penn sent out this mass email to the grad students and the undergrads, and he was like, "I heard about this audition for this show. I really hope I don't see any of you guys on it, but I'll let you know anyway." But as soon as I heard about it -- I was eating breakfast with some friends of mine, who I was living with -- I was like, "we've got to do it, we've got to get our portfolios together, we're going up to New York on Saturday, we're doing this, this is totally awesome!" And the whole rest of the week I was in the print shop making prints, getting my portfolio together, gathering small works together. I went up to New York on that Saturday, stood on line for seven hours, and just for some reason got moved on to the next step.

If there's a second season of this show, do you have any ideas for what might make for a good challenge? Its there anything you might want to see? Any specific guest judges?

Oh, man, it's funny, I feel like I have dreams about challenges and then I can't remember.

Like happy dreams or like nightmares?

They're exciting dreams, they're like action movie dreams. There are always, like, fire engines, and there are always, like, dirt bikes, and they're really heart-racing. The guest judges this year were so great, but maybe Jeff Koons should stop by. That would be really cool. I feel like he's so connected with what this show represents. Which is great. I'm a big fan. I like the challenges that are more akin to the second challenge, which was the electronic graveyard challenge where we were kind of brought to this place full of inspiration and full of objects to work with and they would just kind of go to town. Maybe if they took us to like an old toy store or something. I feel like they should implement video in some way and maybe have us create group videos, or something. They had some good ones, though. There were some good challenges in this one too.

Sometimes the judges could be pretty harsh. Were there any zingers that will stick with you?

There were. I'm thinking Jerry Saltz had a bunch towards me. He said that my -- and this is a good one -- he said that my sculpture from episode two looked like a trophy that someone would win at an MTV Music Awards. Which I kind of like. But I don't think that was a compliment in his book.


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Sources: Artinfo, Bravo, Huffington Post, Youtube, Google Maps

"Spedi" Pratt Seeks Restraining Order Against Heidi's Mom (Videos)

The Hills - MTV Shows

Heidi Montag Calls Cops -- My Mom Is "Psychotic"


Cops have just arrived to Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag's L.A. area home after the couple called police claiming Heidi's mother is refusing to leave their property, law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

We just spoke with Heidi, who tells us, "My mom [Darlene Egelhoff] just showed up to the house unannounced ... and after what she did to me on national TV, I have no desire to see her."

Heidi's referring to a recent episode of "The Hills" in which Darlene told Heidi she did not approve of her plastic surgery. On this week's episode, Spencer claimed Darlene "tried to rape [Heidi] emotionally".

Heidi tells us she immediately notified her personal security team when her mom showed up "pounding on the door."

Heidi claims Darlene is currently speaking with police.

Montag continues, "Her showing up is completely out of line and psychotic. I’m getting a restraining order against her."

So far, no arrests have been made.

UPDATE: Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Heidi's mom has finally left the property.


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Sources: MSN, MTV, TMZ, Lifestyle Mag., NY Daily News, Google Maps

Krista White Is "America's Next Top Model" Cycle 14 (Video)

"ANTop Model" Krista White Comes Out On Top With $100,000 Contract


There is a new queen of the runway. The latest high fashion royalty is Krista, who won CW's "America's Next Top Model."

The 25 year-old from Pine Bluff, Arkansas joyously reacted to Tyra Banks' announcement by saying, "I'm glad that it's somebody like me that other people can look up to and see that she made it, she didn't give up..."

The final four competed in a mile high challenge, while en route to Queenstown, New Zealand. Once back on steady ground, Angelea and Alexandra were eliminated after they didn't get "ugly pretty" enough in a photo shoot.

Top two Raina and Krista were easy, breezy, beautiful Covergirls for a commercial to promote the cosmetics line. Then, they were seventeen again as real cover girls for a Seventeen magazine shoot. Plus, Tyra surprised the girls with family portraits, complete with special visitors--their parents--who got to strike a pose alongside their stunning daughters.

For the grand finale, Raina and Krista rocked the runway for an Anna Sui fashion show. Previously eliminated contestants also got a chance to strut their stuff one last time on the catwalk, alongside cycle 13 winner Nicole.

Who was the ringleader of the three ring circus inspired show? Krista came out on top, taking the title. Meanwhile, Raina didn't twinkle like the star she hoped to be.

The winner of Cycle 14 will be managed by Wilhelmina Models, receive a $100,000 contract with cosmetics giant CoverGirl, and appear on the cover and in a six-page fashion spread of Seventeen magazine.


Sources: America's Next Top Model, AOL, Black Voices, Cover Girl, CWtv, E!Online

Kendra James Chooses Matt Cosmos But No Longer Together (Videos)

On the last episode of Oxygen's "Love Games" Kendra chose Matt Cosmos but according to one of her recent tweets they are no longer together. I'm not surprised.

Miss Kendra James from Charlotte, NC seems to be such an Intelligent, Pretty young lady.

However I wonder if she isn't just a tad tired of the constant dating.

First on "Bad Girls" and then on "Love Games".

I know its for Entertainment and Money but its not a good look.

Kendra honey are you truly searching for someone special or just making the money while your still young?

Am I being Judgmental? No.

Am I hating on the girl? No.

Just simply expressing my opinion of which no one has to agree with.

Check out the last episode of "Love Games" below.









Here is Kendra James' most recent tweet about her former relationship with Matt Cosmos.

(about 7 hours ago 05 04 2010) No.. Not still with Matt... Still friends tho.. Me and @jreddishim tried it out for awhile still.. Just friends... Live & learn xoxxo












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Sources: Oxygen Network, "Love Games", Hulu, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Google Maps

Bret Michaels' Condition Worsens From Brain Hemorrhage (2009 Tony Awards Show Incident)

Bret Michaels Suffers Huge Brain Hemorrhage


Bret Michaels's health has taken a turn for the worse, PEOPLE magazine has learned: After an excruciating headache late Thursday night, the star was rushed to an undisclosed hospital where doctors discovered he suffered a massive subarachnoid hemorrhage (bleeding at the base of his brain stem), according to a source close to the situation.

Michaels, 47, is currently in critical condition. "After several CAT scans, MRIs and an angiogram, [doctors] decided to keep Michaels in the ICU and are running several tests to determine the cause. [It] will be touch and go for the next few days while he is under intense observation," the source says.

The rocker's latest hospital visit follows his emergency appendectomy in San Antonio, Texas, on April 12. There is no word yet whether this new development is related to the rocker's recent appendectomy or to his diabetes.

After his appendectomy, Michaels remained in the hospital under his doctors' care — then transferred to a rehab facility specializing in diabetic patients.

As he was recovering, Michaels — who was still in the running to win this season of NBC's Celebrity Apprentice — seemed to be in good spirits and updated fans on his progress.

"They told me that if I had gone on stage like I wanted to, [my appendix] likely would have ruptured and I could have died," he wrote in a note to his fans. "There is just no way around the fact that getting your appendix out HURTS. I have a pretty good threshold for pain, but this one hurts."

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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Sources: MSNBC, People.com, Youtube, Google Maps

Playboy Says Yes To Kim Kardashian, No To Kate Gosselin (WARNING)

Hugh Hefner Scoffs At Idea Of Kate Gosselin Posing For Playboy


Kate Gosselin may be "Dancing with the Stars," but she won't be baring all for Playboy.

That is, as long as the nudie magazine's founder Hugh Hefner continues to have a say so.

When asked about the possibility of the reality television mom posing in the pages of the men's mag, Hef told E! Online, "No! No!"

To add insult to injury, Hefner also said that he doesn't understand why Gosselin, 35, is even a contestant on the ABC dance competition program.

"I don't think she's a celebrity," he scoffed.

Another man who is reportedly not in favor of Gosselin is her own "DWTS" partner, Tony Dovolani.

"He can't wait to get rid of her, even if it means losing early," a show insider told Us Weekly.

Much like the duo's tense fight during last week's rehearsals, the "argumentative" mom is said to have recently snapped at Dovolani during one of their dance practices at her Pennsylvania home.

"I'm the reason anyone knows your name," she told her partner, according to Us. "So give me a break!"

Dovolani, 36, is said to have complained to the show's producers about how difficult it is to work with Gosselin, who he reportedly does not want to be around "unless he has to."

"They hate each other," a show insider said. "Backstage, she will back him into a wall to talk, and he won't listen or look at her."

Added another snitch, "Not only is Kate the worst dancer, but she's nasty. It's an ongoing joke how Tony got the short end of the stick when he was assigned to Kate."


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Sources: ABC, Dancing With The Stars, NY Daily News, Playboy, Youtube, Google Maps

Bobby Brown Cuts Up On Celebrity Fit Club 7, Looses Little Weight

VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip

VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip

VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip

VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club" Fails To Whip Kevin Federline And Bobby Brown Into Shape


It's not clear how we're doing with recycling cans and bottles these days, but reality television has achieved close to 100% success in recycling B- and C-list celebrities.

The latest familiar batch shows up tonight to kick off the seventh season of VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club," in which they ask a Marine DI to whip their figures back into shape.

This group includes former Skid Row lead singer Sebastian Bach; one-time "Baywatch" babe Nicole Eggert; Shar Jackson from "Moesha"; KayCee Stroh from "High School Musical"; Bobby Brown from the Whitney Houston marriage; Tanisha Thomas from "Bad Girls Club"; Jay McCarroll, first-season winner of "Project Runway," and Kevin Federline from the Britney Spears marriage.

Extra credit for any viewer who notices that Federline and Jackson have the added connection of being parents of the same baby.

That situation, which one imagines was hardly incidental to the casting staff, surfaces briefly tonight and apparently will get its whole dramatic moment further along in the nine-episode series.

Bobby Brown gets Monday's highlight-reel moment.

The other celebs look at the relatively spare surroundings in which they will live during the show and start muttering about barracks.

Brown looks around, shrugs, and says, "It's easy compared to being in jail."

For better or worse, that's about as good as it gets.

The show starts with each celeb lamenting how he or she devolved from a hot body to a wide body, or, as Brown says, from a six-pack to a keg.

None of the stories is particularly memorable and, interestingly, no one suggests that weight gain was a by-product of depression from losing the spotlight.

Retired Marine DI Harvey Walden 4th does his part to make this experience look as harrowing as possible, though, as in past seasons, it becomes clear that his power is limited.

When one celeb quits in the middle of the first exercise challenge, Walden can only say, "You gonna quit?" And the celeb says, "Yeah."

It would be fun at that point if Walden could order the whole platoon to do 200 extra pushups. It just doesn't happen.

But then, "Fit Club" isn't out to teach the country a fitness regimen. Its main goal is to stir up some passing celebrity dust.

That's why Jackson and Federline are in the same group, and why Thomas and Brown are here. Coop them up for long enough, the producers figure, and they'll do or say something provocative.

But viewers should know they might get hungry waiting around for that to happen.


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Sources: VH1, NY Daily News, Celebrity Fit Club 7, Google Maps