Balloon Boy

I'm sure you remember the "balloon boy hoax" that happened this past October, but I wanted to revisit it because the parents in this case just got their sentencing. Apparently because of the little stint they pulled to hopefully get a reality television part they have earned themselves 90 days jail time, 4 years probation and an $11,000 fine. I can't believe that these parents would put their poor children through this and make them lie to everyone just to hopefully get a part on a reality television show. Those are some seriously messed up parents. It's one thing to put yourself through something to gain attention, but it's a whole other thing to drag your children into it.

I heard that the couple met in acting school, so it's clear that they were willing to go through any length to become actors, even if that meant subjecting their children so they could live out their dream. I don't understand how someone can be that desperate for attention. Well they got attention for it, but I don't think it was the attention they necessarily wanted. And now they have a pretty hefty fine and some jail time for the attention they wanted. That's quite the price to pay for fame.

Tough Love

I don't watch many reality television shows...I don't really like them. But I do religiously watch one called Tough Love. It's kind of a boot camp where a matchmaker named Steve Ward gets a group of girls ready to date and sets them up with potential matches. Each week he puts them through certain tests to see how they do, like how they do with kids, how well they can convey specific information to their date, or even how well they listen to their date. Some of the tests can be kind of funny.

It's interesting to hear his perspective on the girls' dates and the advice he gives. Overall, he makes the girls feel better about themselves and have higher self-esteem. They don't all end up with matches in the end, but they all gain a better grasp of who they are and how to act appropriately on a date. I guess what really makes all the advice and everything worthwhile is that the man dishing out the advice is actually a man. So, he knows exactly what men are thinking when these girls say or do certain things. He can give them a clear perspective on what their date was probably thinking because he is a guy.

Girl Bands

I had my Ipod on shuffle today and the Spice Girls song, "Wannabe," came on. It got me thinking how I haven't really heard of a girl band since them and Destiny's Child that have really hit it big. There are those few girl bands that are around, I think. I actually can't think of any girl bands around right now. There were quite a few big girl bands in the 80's, like the Bangles and the Go-Go's.

After that we had the Spice Girls who really took the whole girl band thing to a whole other level. They were all about girl empowerment and girls being able to do things just as well as guys in the music industry. After them we had Destiny's Child who were the first really big girl group in R&B and hip hop genre. But since them I haven't heard of any. I'm not really sure why we haven't heard from many girl groups recently. Boy bands always make the rounds and there's always a new one even though they may not be exactly of the same breed. But girl groups seem to be missing in action.

Sherlock Holmes

I saw Sherlock Holmes this weekend and I really enjoyed it. Robert Downey Jr. is one of my favorite actors so I may be a little biased, but I thought it was really good. I've read a few of the Sherlock Holmes stories and I thought it paid homage to the books. Sherlock was little more aggressive and physical in the film than he was in the books. And I know that upset some people because that wasn't how it was in the books, but I think it did happen in the books, Doyle (the author) just didn't focus on the fighting because that wasn't what he wanted Sherlock to be known for. He wanted Sherlock to be known for his intelligence which I think they showed very well in the film.

Another interesting thing the film focused on was the relationship between Holmes and Watson. They are really close and practically like brothers. Watson has a little more common sense than Holmes, but because of his love for Holmes, Watson is always getting sucked in to whatever crazy schemes and situations he's getting into. The film overall was creative and funny and encorporated some action. Robert Downey Jr. , Jude Law, and Rachel McAdams were all great in the movie!

Gran Torino

Tonight I watched Gran Torino and it was really good. I had heard that it was a very good movie and was interested in seeing it. I waited so long to see it because the previews made it look kind of dramatic. It is indeed very dramatic because the whole premise of the movie is about an old, racist man and his relationship with his Vietnamese neighbor who is trying to withstand becoming part of a gang. Clint Eastwood produced, directed, and starred in the film. And even though it was a very dramatic movie, it was actually quite funny. The old man, Walt, played by Clint Eastwood was hilarious! He just was so awkward when it came to fitting in with the Vietnamese family next door and by the end they really accepted him as part of their family. I was pleasantly surprised with this film overall.

A Christmas Story

Every year on Christmas my family and I watch A Christmas Story. I think it is absolutely hilarious! It is the story of this little boy, Ralphie, and all he wants for Christmas is a Red Rider Bebe gun. He goes through all these ploys and different scenarios to plant it in any adults head that this is what he really should get. There is a narrator and the way he describes what is happening is absolutely hilarious! The kid who plays Ralphie is really a great actor. He had to be about 10 when he appeared in the movie and he is just amazing. His facial expressions are priceless.

My entire family loves this movie. Like my entire family! I mean all my aunts, uncles, and 22 cousins! Every year we do a yankee swap and usually there's one hot item that goes around quite a bit. And this year it was the leg lamp from the movie! We ended up with it and we put it in our window just like in the movie!

Entourage

Since I've been home for break I've recently started watching Entourage and I absolutely love it. I'm honestly not sure why I like it exactly, but I have really become addicted to it. I guess after thinking about it now, the reason why I probably like it is because I find the relationship between these 4 guys really interesting. There's the rising actor, Vince, who is becoming more famous by the minute and of course he has his entourage. His two friends from home and his brother. His friend, Eric, is there to help him choose movies and propel his career. His friend, Turtle, is there simply to have a good time and mooch off of Vince. His brother, Johnny Drama, who was once a big name actor is trying to become famous again through his brother. It's funny to watch these 4 guys help each other out and become accustomed to a new type of life style while trying to live in the moment.

I heard that the show is loosely based on Mark Wahlberg's life and I know that he is the executive producer. I think the show could really be based on almost any actor's experience rising in the entertainment industry. It's rare that an actor shows up anywhere without their entourage these days.

The Blindside

I just recently saw "The Blindside" and I thought it was amazing. It was a truly touching story about a homeless boy and the family that took him in. It's based on the true story of Michael Oher, a now professional football player. It not only was it inspiring, but it had it's funny moments as well. Sandra Bullock did a fabulous job at playing Leigh Ann, the mother who takes in Michael. The way she portrayed her was just unbelievable. And seeing a woman like that really got me inspired.

We always tend to judge people without even getting to know them and this woman pretty much saw a boy walking in the cold and invited him to spend the night and get warm. After seeing this movie, I really want to try and be less judgemental which is something I think everyone could learn from seeing this movie. Overall, it was just a phenomenal film and I would absolutely recommend it!