New Man, New 'Do for Britney Spears

Britney Spears is notoriously known for changing her hairstyle at the slightest change in her mood. And since there has been plenty of mood swings for Britney Spears in the recent past owing to her very colorful career and love life, it follows that her hair has been in a constant state of turmoil ever since.

That is why the recent hair change -- from blonde to brunette -- is seen by the Daily Mail (UK) as a virtual confession that Britney Spears is indeed in love, and probably engaged, to new boyfriend Jason Trawick. In a recent shopping trip with rumored fiancé Jason Trawick at a Bed Bath and Beyond store in Los Angeles, Britney Spears wears arrestingly long and dark tresses, when just a day earlier it was shoulder-length and wavy blonde. The two are laughing gaily, and Britney's huge sparkling diamond ring is sparking rumors of an engagement.

Britney Spears has been fearless in hairstyle experimentation in the past, sporting all manners of hair color. The most controversial hairstyle she wore? The no-hairstyle bald 'do, of course.


Source: Daily Mail (UK)

Photo: Hot Shots Worldwide, Splash

"False Emotions" for Michael Jackson?

Are those claiming to grieve over Michael Jackson's death just pretending? Is this collective outpouring of grief from everyone everywhere around the globe all a big balloon of . . . hot air?

It's a hard question to ask, and the answer is even harder to tackle. But Hadley Freeman from the Guardian dares to ask and answer this question anyway. It's not easy given the current situation, where all TV and radio stations across the world broadcast the story of the life, music and death of the iconic Michael Jackson, hour after hour, over and over again. With Hollywood celebrities coming out of the woodwork to "pay tribute" of the "what a great man Michael Jackson was" variety, to "fans" gazing forlornly in front of the camera saying they love Michael Jackson so, and that they have tickets to his upcoming concert this year "This is it!"

Hadley Freeman thinks "that the desire for collective emotion leads only to false emotion" in the case of the death of Michael Jackson. Freeman touches on the "multiplicity" of media, saying "Jackson's was not an unblemished life and this makes it tricky for the news channels and tweeting celebrities who long for nothing more than to bathe in the soapy, sudsy pleasure of hyperbolic adoration and eulogies."

Many people share the same skepticism. While not in any way disdaining the feelings of truly grieving Michael Jackson fans, it's worth remembering that when he was alive, the Hollywood press fed Michael Jackson's quirky life unmercifully to the voracious appetite of fans. They consumed him and all that he was, but seldom was there a show of support for the man, more a show of mockery for his quirks. And now with his sudden passing and faced with all this belated tributes and accolades, well.... the irony of it is just too striking to ignore.

Source: Guardian (UK)

Photo: AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko

Sean Penn's Puzzling Moves

The Hollywood press is perplexed over recent decisions and actions made by long-time actor and Oscar winner Sean Penn, according to the New York Post. And it is not easy to perplex the media, more so the Hollywood paparazzi who eats perplexing Hollywood celebrity stunts day in and day out. They don't often flinch when LiLo or Paris get a DUI, and love it when Britney gets a new hairdo.

Nevertheless, Hollywood is "stunned and perplexed" by Penn's recent antics. Why? The guy is on a blitzkrieg of unpredictable moves, from reconciling with wife Robin Wright Penn for the second time, to cancelling two Hollywood movie projects ("Cartel" about a father protecting his son from a Mexican drug cartel and "The Three Stooges" with Jim Carrey and Benicio Del Toro), to dating 27-year old Hollywood actress Natalie Portman.

What's up with him? He has announced he is putting his career on hold to spend more time with family. Let's just take his word on it for now. Many think he only got back with his wife because Portman ditched him. If this is true, let's hope this guy straightens himself out. Being perplexed is so... inconvenient.

Source: New York Post

Photo: AP Photo/Jeff Christensen

LiLo's Tweeting Spree

Hollywood perennial headliner Lindsay Lohan is rumored to be so upset over her recent split with Samantha Ronson that now she uses Twitter to rant and rave over her current doldrums. Sun UK reported on this depressed (a very Hollywood) behavior and anyone with access to Twitter can check it out and confirm that LiLo does love to tweet, no more so than the rest of us. The only difference is that LiLo's tweets are of pictures of herself, naked, and of some other Hollywood celebrities doing their sweet and supposedly private stuff.

Some of the tweets she fired are cryptic, like intended for certain people: "Old habits die hard ;) - for some of us."

Shortly after: "I can't sleep. Samantha Ronson - it's your fault." In Hollywood, bluntness is sometimes next to cleanliness or something like that.

Then some more: "I love being alone. Feels safe coz I can only trust myself. Ya, sad. But I'm cool with it." Inane mutterings so common in Twitter but if you're one of Hollywood's princesses, could be read by tens of thousands of Twitter people.

And this clue-filled salvo: "Why do people cheat? When love is always standing right in front of their face(s)?? SR?"

If Twitter followers expected a tweet to end world hunger, they were disapointed.

Source: Twitter, Sun UK

Photo: Lindsay Lohan

Hot "Baile" for Clinton?

Shades of Monica or not? He's not from the Hollywood set, but former President Bill Clinton's sojourn to Buenos Aires just recently was covered by the Washington Post. And one of the juiciest tidbits that surfaced in that trip (and closest to Hollywood-style tidbits at that) was that Clinton and his pals partied in a famous cabaret called Crocodilo for a "noche de soltero" (boys' night out). And that a well-endowed brunette by the name of Andrea Rincón danced a "baile hot" private number for him.

The Post went on to say that the hot baile dancer was paid "very well" for that lap dance, but not by Clinton. Rincón says she just danced, and did not speak to him.

Clinton's camp countered that Rincón's story "is completely false. They were at the hotel playing cards with the former and current presidents". They were playing "Oh, Hell," a spokesman said.

Oh, well.

Source: Washington Post
Photo: AP Photo/Matt Sayles

Cher's Daughter Will Become Her Son

Multi-hyphenated Hollywood-royalty-civil-rights-advocate-journalist-author-musician Chastity Bono is about to add a new hyphen to her name: Cher's-daughter-turned-son.

TMZ reported that Sonny and Cher's darling daughter has began the process of changing his/her gender to become their son.

"Yes, it's true -- Chaz, after many years of consideration, has made the courageous decision to honor his true identity," says Howard Bragman, who is Bono's publicist. He says Chastity already turned Chaz when he/she "came out" in his/her early twenties, and now asks for the respect of the media to complete the process.

Oh well, there goes the dream of all-dolled-up tiny little Chers!

Source: TMZ
Photo: Getty Images