CelebrityWorld

What a difference a year makes! Especially for Britney Spears.

Britney Spears has given what could be the performance of her life over the past 12 months, going from the queen of tabloid fodder to regaining her throne as the princess of pop. Now, Spears tells her story to ‘Glamour’ in the upcoming January issue which hits newsstands this week.

Spears, who turns 27 on December 2nd, began the year being carried from her home on a stretcher on January 3 and taken to Cedars-Sinai for psychiatric evaluation. This came after a very public meltdown in 2007 in which she shaved her head, twice entered rehab, and attempted an embarrassing performance on the MTV’s Video Music Awards in which she looked dazed and disoriented while lip-syncing what appeared to be the wrong words to her own song.

This year, after her infamous stay at the hospital and another follow up stay a few weeks later, Britney, by all accounts, has cleaned up her life. While in the hospital, Britney’s dad was granted the temporary conservator over her affairs. A few months later, a renewed Britney entered the recording studio and came out with her most critically acclaimed product in years.

The new album, “Circus” is being released on her birthday, but the album’s first release, “Womanizer”, has received generous radio airplay and brisk Internet downloads.

Thanksgiving has come and gone and the media blitz is now on to capture as much of our non-shopping viewing time as possible. Of course, there will be a full menu of the holiday classics, but there are a few new holiday movies that may be worth watching.

So, to make it easier for you, I’ve made a list which includes some holicay classics and a few recently released holiday movies that should be on your must-see list this year.

1. It’s a Wonderful Life

Sure, it’s been around forever and we’ve all seen a dozen times, but this Frank Capra classic starring Jimmy Stewart could be one of the best films ever. Stewart plays George Baily, a small town banker who decides to end his life on Christmas eve, until anangel named Clarence gives him a glimpse at what the world would be like if he were never born. It ends with a wonderful Christmas gathering that warms the heart.

2. White Christmas

This classic heart warming story stars Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye as a musical duo who teams with a female duo to raise money for a failing lodge run by their former army commander. The film also stars Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen and featured the song, ‘White Christmas’.

3. Miracle on 34th Street

This on has been remade a few times, but the original starring Edmund Gwen as Kris Kringle is still the best. This is the story of a man hired by Macys to play Santa Claus, but who actually believes that he is. He is referred for psychiatric evaluation, and is defended in court by an attorney who comes believe in him.

4. A Christmas Carol

Everyone knows this Charles Dickens story about Ebenezer Scrooge and the ghosts of Christmas’ past, present, and future. This is simply a great story that never seems to grow old.

5. Home Alone

MacCauley Culkin is all grown up now, but who could ever forget his cheek-slapping scream in this cute story about a young boy mistakenly left at home when his family leaves for vacation. While the family is away, the house is targeted by a couple of burglars played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. Culkin protects the home by coming up with makeshift gadgetry that makes for great slapstick comedy.

6. How The Grinch Stole Christmas

This remake of the Dr. Suess cartoon classic star the hilarious Jim Cary as the Grinch. Rejected by the Who’s in Whoville as a child, the miserable Grinch plans to steal Christmas until befriended by Cindy Lou Who.

7. The Santa Claus

Tm Allen plays an toy company executive who gains new respect from his son after he must replace Santa Claus, who falls off of the roof of a house. The next morning he thinks it was all a dream, but finds that because he wore Sant’s suit, he’s basically agreed to become the next Santa Clause.

8. This Christmas

This 2007 release stars pop star Chris Brown,  and is a moving story about an average family who struggles to get along through a Christmas holiday together. The movie also stars Loretta Devine and Delroy Lindo.

9. Moonlight and Mistletoe

Tom Arnold and Candace Cameron Bure, best known as playing D.J. Tanner on ‘Full House’ , star as father and daughter in this Hallmark Channel presentation. Bure’s character returns home after an accident to visit her estranged father who’s Christmas business is in financial trouble.

10. A Christmas Story

The narrarated story about a young boy in 1940’s Indiana who’s greatest Christmas wish is a Red Rider BB gun.

Rapper/producer T.I. is best known for his string of number 1 hits and his more numerous string of legal problems. But, the Atlanta media titan is less recognized for his philanthropy, or for pouring millions back into the under priviledged community from which he came.

It was the philanthropic T.I. who showed up at Atlanta’s Turner Field on Thanksgiving. Riding the wave of his current smash single, “Whatever You Like”, T.I. raised more than $100,000 to help feed more than 22,000 of Atlanta’s homeless, hungry, and needy. He also spent several hours helping to serve food at the Thanksgiving day event, which was sponsored by the community organization, Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless.

“It’s a pleasure for me to help service those who are definitely in need of the service” he said.

But, T.I.’s legal problems are not far behind him. On November 21st, the rapper testified in a Cincinnati courtroom during the murder trial of Philant Johnson, who died from wounds of gunshots fired at a post concert party.

T.I. also pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal weapons charges at a courtroom in Atlanta.

It’s Thanksgiving, so I wanted to do something a little different. Today, I’m serving some of the hottest dish in the celebrity world and you’re getting it fresh out of the oven.

Following are a few recaps, some updates, and some of the latest celebrity gossip.

Julianne Hough is leaving ‘Dancing with the Stars’. Hough, a two time winner on the highly popular ABC dance show is leaving because she wants to spend more time advancing her country music career. Her first album debuted earlier this year, and went to number 1 on the country charts. She also just released a Christmas album.

We wish her well on her future endeavors.

Celebrities flock to the $20 Million resort grand opening in Dubai. This might have been the party of the year as some of the most high profile faces from around the world partied is the latest playground for the rich and famous.

Billionaire developer, Sol Kerzner, opened the Dubai Atlantis in grand style with a mega fireworks display, entertainment by Kylie Minogue, and a guest list which included the who’s-who of the entertainment industry.

Kanye West releases his new cd to mixed reviews.The bottom line is that the music critics love it, but his fans aren’t so sure. The rapper/producer strays from his usual hip hop and rap stylings to offer a product on which he sings about pain and heartache with the aid of the synthesized AutoTune. The music is fresh, but far different from his previous outtings.

Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt get married. OK, so they eloped to Mexico and shared a quiet, intimate ceremony on the beach, but recent reports indicate that the marriage may not be recognized in the United States. No one sems to be overly excited about this union except the couple, but stay tuned for future developments.

Brooke Burke and Derek Hough win ‘Dancing with the Stars’. The fomer model and E! TV host puts on a beautiful performance to win season 7 of ‘DWTS’. This is also the first win for professional dancer, Derek Hough, whose sister Julianne has won twice. Former NFL star Warren Sapp finishes second.

And here’s one hot off the presses!

We gave you the heads up last month here at CelebrityWorld , but the new Rosie O’Donnell variety show, ‘Rosie Live ‘, debuted on NBC. The concept of the show seemed like a mix between ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ and ‘The Carol Burnett Show’, with live comedy skits, tap dancing, and a live performance by r&b star, Ne-Yo.

A number of celebrity guests showed up, including Liza Minnelli, Alec Baldwin, Conan O’Brien, Gloria Estefan, Harry Connick Jr., and former American Idol finalist, Clay Aiken.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Terry Marsh

Brooke Burke, an actress and model best known as the former host of E! TV’s ‘Wild On’ and appearing nude in Playboy, won the seventh season of ‘Dancing With The Stars’ with her partner, Derek Hough.

Burke and Hough took home the well earned victory despite a close challenge from crowd favorite and former NFL star Warren Sapp, and his partner, Kym Johnson. Former N’Sync member Lance Bass and his partner, Lacy Schwimmer, finished third.

Throughout the season, Brooke Burke wowed the ‘DWTS’ judges with her consistency. In the finale’, she and Hough flawlessly performed a Viennese Waltz, on which they earned a perfect score. Sapp and Johnson performed an energetic hustle, but it was not enough to overcome the Burke/Hough points lead.

The ‘Dancing With The Stars’ finale’ was a two hour spectacle which included live performances by pop stars Alicia Keys and Miley Cyrus. But, it was Burke and Hough who were the true celebrities of the night.

When asked about how she felt about the win, Burke shouted, “Unbelievable”.

Kanye West has just released his latest cd, “808s and Heartbreak”, and it’s different. Kanye has never been one to follow the beaten path, but his latest project ventures into completely uncharted territory. At least for Kanye West , and particularly for followers of his music.

First of all, his career was launched and he earns his living as a rapper. A very good rapper at that. But, on “808s and Heartbreak “, Kayne sings through every track. And like any good vocalist, he sings about the things that have affected his life.

Since Kanye dropped “Graduation” in 2007, he has experienced the death of his mother, Dr. Donda West , the break-up with his fiance’, Alexis Phifer, and two very public run-ins with the paparazzi which cost him a little jail time. None of that seems to have deterred Kanye West from his mission in life, which is to create great music.

Unfortunately, we never really discover whether Kanye is really a good vocalist. Every song on the cd is performed using AutoTune, that synthesized vocal enhancer that has somehow become the norm on every rapper’s album since T-Pain began dabbling with it.

But, somehow Kanye West makes it work. Not so much because it deceives listeners into believing that he’s got great vocal chops. It works because it blends wonderfully with the music, and with West, it’s always been about the music and the words.

West delivers a personal message on ‘808s’, and not everyone who listens will get where he’s coming from. Both the music and his singing is a noticeable departure from what Kanye West fans are accustomed to, but those willing to sit and listen might be pleasantly surprised by his refusal to be pigeon-holed into musical categories.

It could be that he is the musical genius that he so openly professes to be. But, regardless of one’s personal opinions about Kanye West as an individual, he makes a sound statement that his music can’t be ignored.

Review by Terry Marsh

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Hollywood stars escaping to Mexico to get married is nothing new. But, the recent marriage of Heidi Montag to Spencer Pratt , both stars of the MTV reality series ‘The Hills ‘, came as a mild surprise.

The high profile couple had been dating since the early part of 2007, and Pratt purchased an engagement ring for Montag eight months later. But the couple’s relationship has been anything but smooth sailing, and those close to Heidi openly expressed that Spencer was not the right man for her, including her mother.

Montag and Pratt took time away from each other after Pratt was acccused of hitting a woman in a night club. They reunited again in May 2008, but the relationship was still considered to be rocky.

Pratt and Montag exchanged vows during a private ceremony at Cabos San Lucas, Mexico while on vacation November 20. The 15 minute ceremony is said to have been simple, but romantic.

“Heidi, from the moment you came into my life, I knew my life would never be the same without you,” Pratt told Montag at the alter.

After the ceremony, Heidi said “The moment we said our vows I couldn’t stop crying.”

Tina Sherman has become an instant Intermet celebrity simply because of a mistake made by her husband.

Not long ago, Tina Sherman was just an ordinary housewife. Then, in July, Phillip Sherman accidentally left his cell phone behind while at a Fayetteville, Arkansas McDonalds. Suddenly, their lives changed forever. The cell phone contained nude pictures sent to him by his wife, Tina.

The Shermans were promised by the McDonalds manager, Aaron Brummley, that the cell phone would be left in a secure location until it was retrieved. However, Tina Sherman’s nude photos somehow ended up online.

The nude Tina Sherman photos were posted to a website that also published her name, address, and telephone number before Phillip Sherman was able to recover his phone. The Shermans found out only after Tina began receiving text messages and phone calls from strangers.

When the couple contacted the website to ask that the pictures be removed, they were told that it could take up to 72 hours, which further added to their distress.

Now, Philip and Tina Sherman have filed a $3 million lawsuit against the McDonalds Corporation , Mathews Mamagement Co ., which owns the franchise on Sixth Street in Fayetteville, and the restaurant manager, Aaron Brummley.

The Shermans are claiming  emotional distress, embarrassment, and damage to their reputations. The are also claiming a loss of wages, and costs related to a move in order to escape the embarrassment.

Dubai celebrated the grand opening of it’s newest resort in fashionable Hollywood style with many of the biggest names in the celebrity world. The price tag for the fete reportedly topped $20 million, and was held at the Atlantis Resort , owned  by South African billionaire Sol Kerzner.

Pop Star Kylie Minogue was paid $4 million to perform, and the more than 2000 guests included such entertainment notables as Janet Jackson, Billionaire Richard Branson , basketball great Michael Jordan, and Lidsey Lohan with her gal-pal Samantha Ronson, who was also the celebrity DJ.

Robert De Niro was there, as was Denzel Washington, and Wesley Snipes. Bollywood star and former Miss World, Priyanka Chopra, and award winning actress Charlize Theron also attended.

Festivities included the world’s largest fireworks display, which could be seen from beyond the hemisphere.

The Dubai Atlantis is the sister resort the the famed Bahama’s property. It is built on a man-made island shaped like a palm, and boasts some of the most expensive real estate per square foot in the world. The Bridge Suite at the Dubai Atlantis goes for a whopping $42,000 a night, not including breakfast.

                                       Sarah Palin’s turkey of an interview

Former Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin became better known for her wardrobe purchases and interview gaffs than she did for her political views during the recent presidential elections. But, the American public can’t seem to get enough of the Alaska governor, and she can’t seem to get enough of being a celebrity.

It’s no secret that Gov. Sarah Palin laid a few turkey’s during her interviews. But, her most recent interview may have been the biggest turkey of them all.

Just in time for the Thanksgiving Holiday, Palin was considerate enough to grant a pardon to a turkey at a farm in Alaska. But, during her interview, another turkey was being slaughtered right behind her. Talk about timing.

What makes matter worse is that Palin was oblivious to the grusome events taking place in the background. However, she was perceptive enough to tell the interviewer that she might take some flack for the interview, despite the fact that she had no idea of what was going on with the poor turkey being slaughtered.

For someone who claims to tired of the media’s scrutiny, she certainly finds ways to attract attention. Is this the celebrity image that the Republican Party hopes to carry into the 2012 presidential elections?

Watch the video, then you decide!

The World As I See It