The effects of reality TV – Part 4

Reality television has officially killed the creativity and imagination of the nation. The work of Twain, Hemingway, Thoreau, etc. are vastly overridden by Hollywood’s lazy endowment of this superficial venue. Scarier yet, we eat it up. In a world where wit and intelligence are rare commodities, television executives seem to have given up trying to create art, motivated more by the dollar. The byproducts are appalling.

Our children can’t think, not surprising, since their main avenues of entertainment require it not of them. Educators fight an uphill battle to bestow hope and inspiration through learning, but the main protagonists on television encourage the opposite. On shows like “Survivor” and “The Real World” children instead learn success is inversely proportional to the amount of work you have to put in to something. It is better to con, form alliances, and be beautiful than it is to contribute an effort.

The American dream was once that hard work and fortitude can propel anyone to a comfortable living. Somehow we’ve lost that. Instead, children perceive people with no applicable skills to the real world gaining fame and earning thousands of dollars merely because they are controversial in their tactics. Rather than persevering during hardship, they find a scapegoat and execute him. Yes, this has always been an individualistic society, but before reality television it was not so unanimously at the expense of others.

There is no creativity in reality television. People are mostly just placed together in an attempt for conflict. Pitting people against each other is wrong and depraved, yet reality television holds that green carrot over people’s heads. They give people absolute opportunity to debase themselves on national t.v. The viewers are entertained at home at the folly of others. Entertainment should not be about laughing at others for their mistakes, but rather applauding writers and actors for their successes. We have turned into a nation of train wreck watchers instead of scenery appreciators. We have turned into a nation of cruelty.

Since 1776, the United States has been searching for a national identity. Unfortunately, reality television has been the inspiration. We are a nation of narcissism, everyone knowing that beauty wins over brains, slyness wins over might, and ethics need to be forgotten in success. Future generations will hopefully laugh at the juxtaposed priorities of the time and see reality television as a passing fad. However, I fear our generation has caused a festering cancer, that will eat away at the collective intelligence of America.

‘desperate Housewives’ Star Going to Brickyard

Desperate Housewives star James Denton isn’t hushing about his love for baseball, in fact, he’s proud of it! He even bought his own team, the Fullerton Flyers in March. Lately, baseball isn’t the only sport that has been making him preoccupied. Later this month, Denton is set to appear at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana.

Last week, an announcement was made that he will be serving as the Grand Marshall for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. July 29 will mark the race’s 14th run, which will be the season’s first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series event aired on ESPN.

James Denton, who plays plumber Mike Delfino on the ABC hit series, is expected to also appear in the pre-race activities, including the waving of the ceremonial green flag that signals the start of the race.

“This is an incredible honor to be named the grand marshal for this year’s Allstate 400 at the Brickyard,” Denton said enthusiastically. “I’m a huge sports fan, so to be able to wave the green flag at one of NASCAR’s premier races is going to be an amazing experience.”

The 44 year old actor entered the entertainment industry at quite a late age, however, he has proven himself worthy of the fame, as he has done a number of projects such as his appearances on films Primary Colors and Face-Off. He also recently concluded work on two new movies, Tortured and Custody. As for television, he has appeared as guest on several shows, but Desperate Housewives was the show to launch him to fame.

In talking about Denton, Joe Tripodi, Allstate chief marketing officer, said, “As a well-known TV personality on a very popular show and an avid sports enthusiast, James is an ideal ambassador for this monumental race. We are proud to make him an integral part of the festivities.”

Tickets for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard are available for purchase at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s official website or the Ticket Office, which can be reached by phone. Parking and camping permits are also available through the website, phone or the Ticket Office.

For more resources about Desperate Housewives or for the full story of Desperate Housewives Star Going to Brickyard please review this link http://www.buddytv.com

Are celebrity adoptions helping or hurting international adoption relations? – Part 1

More and more big name celebrities are adopting children from abroad. The media is awash with images of well known faces clutching their newly acquired children. We have heard the heart wrenching stories and how the celebrities fell in love at first sight with their children. Hearts have been touched once again by the actions of celebrities.

While hearts are being touched, sadly, the protection of children diminishes. Recognizing the need and understanding adoption awareness also means accepting corruption. Baby trafficking and child abduction for adoption is a lucrative industry. The flow of baby smuggling is nearly always between the under developed and poorest countries to the developed countries.

The Hague Convention unilateral inter country adoption agreement was set up to protect children from illegal adoption and stop the trafficking and selling of babies. At the last count there were approximately 65 country members signed up to the international treaty, all working together as a central governing body.

The importance of the Hague agreement goes so much deeper than stopping the flow of human traffik. It ensures that all cross country adoptions follow the same guide lines and most importantly all documentation relating to the adoption is held safe in a governing central place. Prospective adoptive parents must all follow the same guide lines. Applying to adopt in their own country and then if accepted applying in the same manner to the country they want to adopt from.

Ensuring that adoptions are carried out this way is vital for the children, their families and the adoptive parents. Parents are interviewed to make sure they fully understand the implications of freeing their child for adoption and DNA test are carried out to ensure they are the true parents and that the child has not been abducted. All paperwork crosses the two countries and guarantees the adoption is recognized and legal in both.

All together the country agreements halt the supply and call for trafficking. Adoptive parents will have full medical knowledge for their child and most importantly the adopted child will when adult have access to their adoption records and true information regarding their birth, family and heritage.

How are the latest celebrity adopters damaging the international adoption efforts? Malawi, not a signed member of the Hague convention agreement. Madonna laughingly told how they had to make the adoption laws up as they went along. Malawi does have one adoption ‘law’. The adoptive parents must be from Malawi or spend at least 18 months as residents of the country. Madonna and Guy spent nine days in total.

Cambodia, not a signed member of the Hague convention agreement. Ethiopia, not a member of the Hague convention agreement. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jollie chose both countries to adopt their children.

Child trafficking and illegal adoptions would fail to exist without the people eager to take these children. More and more countries are realizing the importance of protecting the rights of children and are joining the Hague convention.

It is time to ask, did these celebrities chose their countries of adoption through ignorance or did they choose them because they could take their pick with rapid collection.

Is rehab the new trend for celebrities?

Rehab seems to definitely be the new trend for celebrities. Whether it’s their desperate need, or their publicists’ wishes, or even a publicity stunt, rehab seems to be as hot as The Ivy.

First, it is important to consider the fact that rehab might seem more popular among celebrities than it actually might be. Since they are in the public eye and often in our magazines and news stories, we always hear when a celebrity is heading to rehab, and rarely when everything is just fine.

But celebrity culture does undoubtedly add to the common stints at Promises and The Betty Ford Center. Celebrities have a lot of access to drugs, and they have a lot of money to spend on drugs. But statistically, drug use among celebrities is not too different from drug use in the general population. What sets celebrities apart is that they can also afford rehab, and when a celebrity has a drinking problem they have tons of people advising them to seek treatment.

Many times, this leads to return trips to rehab. If someone goes to rehab to appease their family members or entourage, they will not get better. Rehab is really only effective when you recognize your problem and want to fix it. Since this is not true for a lot of celebrities, they will be out of rehab in a couple of months and back to their old reckless behavior soon thereafter.

Aside from genuine concerns from their peers, some celebrities use rehab to get back in the public eye. People think kindly of those who are going through rough times and trying to get better. Many actors revitalize their careers after getting clean. They are more hirable when sober and more interesting than the average actor because they have a success story to share. This sells like hotcakes.

Arguably, amidst the drug addicts that are unwilling to change there are some true innocents in Hollywood. Addiction is a disease and when a regular person suffers from alcoholism, we are quick to offer a helping hand, but when it’s a celebrity, we are often judgmental and quick to point fingers.

Being suddenly famous can be stressful and the life of an actor or touring rock star does not suit many people. If newfound fame is handled incorrectly, it can lead to drug and alcohol use. Some stars, like Drew Barrymore, use rehab to get cleaned up and go on to have a successful career without relapse.

It doesn’t look like this pattern of celebrities in rehab is going to slow down anytime soon. As long as there are drugs and as long as celebrities can afford them, rehabs around the country will have plenty of business.

Celebrity gossip: Hugh Hefner planning to marry again

Will Hugh Hefner marry again? Only Hef knows. Should he marry again? If you are Holly Madison your answer would be YES and Right now!

Rumors have been spreading that Hef will marry his “Number 1 Girl” by the end of the year. Holly Madison, the beautiful and intelligent 27 year old, seems to be madly in love with the 81 year old Hef.

Hugh is believed to be as equally in love with Holly, the woman he shares his bed and bedroom with. During an April 2006 interview with Alan Colmes, Hefner stated that Madison was the true “love of his life.” He has also been quoted saying that his relationship with Holly “It’s as perfect a relationship as I’ve ever had.”

When Holly moved into the Playboy Mansion in 2001 Hef had 7 girlfriends. Over the years the number of live in girlfriends has dwindled down to only two other girls, Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson. The three girlfriends of Hef are now the stars of the hit reality TV show “The Girls Next Door” on E!. They three women seem to be great friends with each other and they have one common goal, to make Hugh happy. But Holly would like to, she says, “settle down with him eventually”. When asked about it being just the two of them some day by Allison Kugel of pr.com, Holly says “We’ve discussed it a little bit, but not seriously. It’s not something that I’m really counting on or believe until it happens.”

On episodes of The Girls Next Door, Madison has said she wants children with Hefner and often gives him hints. She would like to have two girls with Hef and name them Marilyn and Daisy.

Right now Holly is just happy to be Hef’s #1 girlfriend, but she would just love to be officially his one and only. The monogamy of marriage, may be what Holly has in mind, but what would happen to “Girls Next Door”?

Desperate Housewives Paints the Town

Desperate Housewives, ABC’s hit television series which returns this fall, has made their come-back known to the residents of New York and Los Angeles through the use of a spanking new advertising campaign. The show aimed to remind people of its fouth season, which will premiere on Sunday, September 30.

Parking spots seemingly designated for Desperate Housewives were seen by shoppers at Granary Square in Valencia, Santa Clarita, California. They were even more intrigued at whether cast members of the highly-watched show might be on hand. Nonetheless, the people checked out the delineating markers which were covered with tapes that read “Parking for Desperate Housewives. They’re back Sunday 9pm.”

A positive reaction was garnered by this successful campaign as homemaker and shopper Kathleen Sharp even called it “creative” and “eye-catching.”

These markers were spread across a dozen parking lots from Valencia to Oceanside. This was a product of a New York advertising agency hired by ABC to come up with a new and innovative marketing campaign for the return of the show. The parking stripe concept itself, however, comes from the Parking Stripe Advertising Company based in Colorado.

The Desperate Housewives parking stripes, which can also be found in various spots in the Big Apple, are among Parking Stripe Advertising’s first projects in the Southern California area.

Aside from Granary Square, the Desperate Housewives parking stripes were also found at Fallbrook Mall in West Hills, the Westfield Promenade in Woodland Hills and the Westside Pavilion.

Debbie Wideroe, professor of communications at Pepperdine University said that this campaign was “brilliant,” adding that “It’s clever because you have to cut through the clutter and a parking stripe is a clean slate. It’s capturing your attention in an innovative way. I think it’s really aligned with the target audience.”

“The parking lot’s the last domain; there’s not much to compete with parking lot stripes,” Becky Osborne, president of Parking Stripe Advertising said. “When you step out of your car, you’re going to look down. We felt it was a really great way to reach people. They’re not expecting it and they’re going to have to look.”

Michael Benson, executive vice president of marketing at ABC Entertainment, knows that these non-traditional advertising ventures are risky and tricky, but admits that they are still open to various ways to reach their customers.

“We’re always looking for different ways to reach our consumers and this is an appropriate way to reach this audience,” Benson admitted.

For more resources about Desperate Housewives Paints the Town or for the full story of Desperate Housewives please review this link http://www.buddytv.com

Fiction vs. reality TV – Part 4

Television is enjoyed by many as a means of escape. It fulfills a basic need in all of us; the need for something, bigger, better, more exciting. Television producers and executives put characters into situations where they face drama and conflict as they know it satisfies the audience. However, reality TV has come to offer the same excitement and successfully drawn thousands of people away from long favoured fictional shows. In recent years, reality television has shocked and surprised audiences in a way that fictional shows have not. Our once jaded TV palettes have been once again titillated by the outlandish behaviour of reality TV stars.

Reality television is commonly perceived as some kind of latter day freak show. The people who apply to be on these shows come across as desperate, fame-hungry losers, willing to do anything to achieve five minutes of infamy and an affair with a minor league footballer. We the public are quick to judge these fleeting celebrities harshly but who is really at fault? The very people we criticise have been created to meet our demand. The more desperate and bizarre their behaviour, the more we love to watch (and judge) them.

This is the appeal that reality TV shows have over fictional ones; they meet the human desire to validate one’s own actions by criticising and discrediting those of others. This desire cannot be met by fictional programs because of their very nature. Reality shows over a wider and more satisfying spectrum of human disgraces; drunkenness, casual sex acts, arrogance, lack of intelligence. Viewers lap this up like a delicious opposite of the milk of human kindness gaining a sick yet satisfying enjoyment that cannot be offered by fictional shows.

Another criticism of reality television is its lack of structure. Many Big Brother addicts have found themselves closely watching hours of live Internet streaming of…people sleeping. But this is part of the attraction of reality shows; at any given moment, anything could happen. Reality TV is a very appealing form of entertainment. It is light, easy and the very faults of its characters are what make us sympathise and engage with them. We rarely develop the kind of relationships with fictional characters that we do with the stars of reality TV.

On the whole, reality TV is an enjoyable, if somewhat tacky form of entertainment.It brings out the bad side of contestants and audience alike but is harmless and fun. Reality TV is fabulous and here to stay!

Wealthy travelers: Upscale sights and activities in New York City – Part 1

New York City deemed home to celebrities, artists, the filthy rich, and the international traveler, who definitely will be returning in the near future. Frank Sinatra certainly made this city sound exciting when he sang “New York, New York” and it surely is. This is the land of diversity, and indeed cultural experiences that will differ in so many ways.

It’s your turn now, and with that decision made, you have decided to go for the best, and why not? You deserve it! Money’s no issue so reach for the heights. But a word of warning before we continue, considering the fact that you are going all out,with no major worries about costs,remember that your safety is your main concern.

Don’t flash the big bucks unless you have taken your safety into account. People have been known to be attacked and robbed, after gambling in casinos and so forth. Protect yourself at all times. And make sure those diamonds are insured!

Now having taken care of your safety, we need to find the best accommodation for you. I found the best accommodation for luxury, as well as sheer indulgence. Listed below is the very best there is on offer, and that’s an understatement. I shall give you a little information :

The Peninsula New York:

A classic hotel indeed, situated on Fifth Avenue and 55th street corner, it is right in the mist of the excitement. Close at hand to museums, designer shops, Central Park as well as the Rockefeller Center. Not far,approximately 8 miles by car or taxi is the La Guardia airport.Quite close to the hotel indeed.

The hotel brings a classic style of elegance to its guests, with superb dcor and architecture. The hotel is so beautifully decorated, with designer fittings and accessories. Such a welcoming vision it is to the traveler who wishes to be pampered far beyond their wildest dreams. There are five restaurants to choose from, each offering succulent dishes prepared by their world class chefs.

Your taste-buds will be delightfully tantalized, irrespective of which restaurant you choose. The bill of fare is a connoisseurs’ dream. Expensive indeed, yet well worth every dollar. Remember to give your compliments to the chef! And don’t forget to escape to the glass-topped Peninsula Spa, which also offers an indoor heated pool, cardio-vascular workout equipment, as well as the lovely sun terrace. You simply must get that tan to show off!

You may engage a personal trainer if you wish. (Sheds those calories and make room for that sushi you are

Should The Independent Tour Accident In Chile From Celebrity Cruise Lines Scare You?

After the deadly accident that took place in Chile, while passengers from the Celebrity Cruise Lines were touring independently, I thought I would share an excerpt from our book, How to Make “Your First Cruise the Best Vacation” of Your Life. After reading our advice from this excerpt, please see my comments on the piece and the accident at the bottom.

What About Touring? (Excerpt from the eBook)

Tours can be purchased form the cruise line, done on your own or you can combine the two. Booking it through the lines has some advantages. Some of them are obvious. The cruise line has thoroughly examined the places they will take you and will rate them according to their difficulty so you know ahead of time if this is the right tour for you. They are always run by local tour companies and these companies want to keep that business.

Their equipment is A-one and they always have English speaking tour directors. (They also supply other language guides.) You never have to wait in line to get into museums or other attractions- a big time saver. And of course, all of the work is done for you by the tour companies and the cruise line. And it is safe. The cruise lines would never put you in a dangerous situation. There are always a couple of cruise line employees on the tour to make sure no one gets lost and that the bus leaves with the same amount of people that it started with.

When going to a new or exotic port I would recommend the cruise lines excursions. Some of the most wonderful excursions we have taken were cruise line tours. Imagine flying the Spruce Goose over the mail route to outlying salmon fisheries in Alaska or hitting all the highlights of Rome in one day, or going to China Beach in Vietnam. These are things we never could have arranged on our own.

Every country has an embassy or a tourism web page to give you information on destinations, festivals, feast days, or the days of Carnival in Buenos Aires.

The shore excursion booklet will also provide you with information on how difficult or easy the tour is. This is especially important for people with any sort of disability. The duration of the trip and any stops along the way are included and on many, lunch is part of the tour. When traveling in foreign ports such as Russia you will dine on the regional food.

Really, for a first time visit this is the way to go. And if you chose this option, when the tour guide tells you to be back at the bus at a certain time, be there. By being late you are inconveniencing all the others on the tour and jeopardizing the remaining stops that are scheduled. The tour company has an appointed time to get you back to the bus and they always honor that. When you get back to the ship look all around your seat for your belongings and don’t forget the rack overhead.

A little etiquette while touring on a bus: Leave the front and second seats for people who are on canes or have difficulty walking. It’s hard to get down bus aisles when you have a disadvantage.

On the flip side of cruise excursions, you will be traveling in buses with lots of people. Here you will encounter lost time loading and unloading of lots of people. It will always be more expensive than doing it on your own. You’re paying for the work that has gone into the sites visited and the expertise of the guide. Then there is the problem of the people who want to shop and those who just want to see the cultural sights. And although this has never happened to me in over 50 cruises, you might get a guide that is difficult to understand.

When touring on your own, make sure you have the name and number of the port agent in case of an emergency. (This is quite handy if you miss the ship).

The cruise lines in most cases will let you know what a typical taxi ride will cost if you are only going into town. Always negotiate the cost of the tour before the taxi ride. Be sure to speak to the tour desk to find out if there are any areas that are unsafe to visit.

There have been a couple of times where we toured independently but used the cruise lines excursion list as a guide to what to see in that area of the world. If you meet some fun people on the cruise buddy up with them on the cab ride to reduce the price. If you are going to book excursions through the cruise lines do it early or better still do it before the cruise. Most lines will let you do this.

Comments after the Accident.

Though all of the above is solid advice, I would add a word of caution. In the poorer areas of the world, I believe it is much safer to go with the cruise excursions tour options. The cruise lines only hire companies that have been thoroughly screened and have superior equipment. In the third world countries, by using local companies you do not have this guarantee. I am not saying that the tour company involved in this accident was substandard, since accidents do happen, but I question the route they were taking. A local Chilean official said that the road was very dangerous, curvy and narrow. I do not believe a cruise company tour group would have taken such a route.

You must use common since when booking excursions. Of course, it will be safer to tour with the cruise lines in places like Viet Nam or China or even Africa. On the other hand you could feel perfectly safe taking an independent in tour in the Caribbean or Alaska. For more information of the eBook, “First Cruise Best Cruise” see the website below.

Copyright © 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.

Is it right for celebrities to sell pictures of their babies? – Part 4

Heck….why not sell off the family photo’s for a song!

Why have a family photo album if not to show all and sundry your favourite shots of your favourite people.

If someone was to offer me a fortune, small or otherwise (I would even accept bartered items) for my “Favourite Family Foto’s”, I would be falling over myself with joy! Why have them sitting in an old Album or an overflowing shoebox gathering dust.

We are talking about Photo’s that have been willingly given and tastefully photographed, not some paparazzi frenzied, ambushed photo opportunity shots.

The donation of monies earned being gifted to charity is an added bonus to the Photographs of Celebrity Babies.

I, for one, would definitely want to see a celebrity’s baby, just to compare the look of the child to the celebrity parent/s. We are all familiar with celebrities and know them by their work in the entertainment industry. For crying out loud we helped them reach their celebrity status by way of purchasing a movie ticket, buying a music CD or paying for one of the countless magazines on sale in every store, in every corner of the planet, in every language under the sun.

So in actual fact, it is I, for whom the baby shots are for and I would like to thank the celebrities for allowing me the opportunity of gazing into their “Family Photo Albums” and sharing their treasured moments with me. Therefore with due respect I must pay them in kind and offer them the rare opportunity to share my “Frenzied Family Foto Frolics” for a fractured fee which i will donate to my favourite charity, “The Me, Myself and I fund”. I have a piggy-bank all set up and ready to receive the donations.

I definitely know that my life would be duller having not followed the antics, gossip, rumours. highs, lows, ups and downs of the rich and famous that we share our everyday lives with. Their lives are so much more colourful then mine and i welcome the contrast.

Most people strive to be the best they can, in whatever field they choose. We are motivated by the dream of becoming rich and famous and strive for it in our own little ways everyday. Most of us know it’s just an elusive dream and won’t attain that goal, but some of us will get there. That is why we envy and worship the ones that do manage to reach that “Golden Prize” and we want to know the why’s and wherefore’s of their lives. We want to see if there is that special something they have that we might have lying dormant within us or be able to tap into and imitate what they have.

When we have our own children there is that certain wonderment as to who our child will look like and what parts of us are obvious in our children, so it is the same question when a celebrity has a child. Who will it look like, will it have Aunty Flo’s nose, Uncle Jack’s big ears, mums good looks or dads wild streak.

Watching a child grow and form is one of life’s wonders and it applies to all children, but celebrity ones get the Microscopic treatment. All children regardless should be handled with Kid Gloves

So, whether it be right or wrong the bottom line is….

It just….is!

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