Y&R Discussion Group

Topic: Madonna has done it again, and other celebrity gossip

I am not one much for celeb gossip.  And I am harshly opposed to celebrity bashing.  I think that these people, ESPECIALLY in today's high profile and easy access world, pay a big price and make huge sacrifices to do the jobs they do.  Even a relative unknown, making pretty low pay, can become the object of a fixation and a stalker.  It is often untrue that some of the lower end celebrities have the means to properly protect themselves and pay for all the enormous upkeep they need once they become a star, however small that star may be.

That being said, I can't help but comment (read, not judge) on a couple things.  First off, it seems that Madonna has once again found her place at the top of the news, where she belongs??  She can certainly still sell a lot of papers.  God knows, it won't be because of her music these days, or the once-promising film career she had at one point.  She actually did a few fine performances in her day, especially in the early 90's with films like "A League of their own" and the underground movie "A Dangerous Game".  When she came within inches of an Oscar nomination for Evita, there was hope that she may continue along that path but, alas, she went into another direction.  I still liked alot of her music but this latest album seems regressive and narcisstic, perhaps her Achilles' heal.

This latest "scandal" (by the way I hate that word, because so little that people do remains truly scandalous anymore, as if we don't all have sex anyway) has at once a tinge of both shock and familiarity.  It's sad that it seems she may be divorcing; then again a marriage of 8 years need not be labelled a failure.  Perhaps in this day and age where the universe is now, it is very hard if not impossible to really stay with someone as long as you both shall live.  Inevitably new people enter your life, and that wall of monogamy which is to some degree possessively restrictive, is no longer as powerful.  People feel threatened by sexual energy and take it personally if their partner enters into sexual relations with another.  As hard as it may be, it has little bearing on their main relationship, unless of course there are other problems to begin with, in which the affair or straying is merely a symptomous reaction to the themes of that coupling.

AND WHAT IS UP WITH THIS RIDICULOUS RE-NAMING OF CELEBRITIES!!!  I REALLY, REALLY HATE THIS A-ROD BS.  HIS NAME IS ALEX RODRIGUEZ.  I Guess everyone wants the cool sounding names so they felt the urge to rename him??  Some of the names you can understand, like J-Lo.. but then everyone started doing it, or doing it for others... SCARJO?  if I was Scarlett Johanssen (damn, spelling?) I would definitely say sumthing about that, cuz that doesn't even make sense.. nor does the way they morph couple's names into a word that isn't clever, but neither are they and they have nothing to work with but they do it anyway.. then we have loathsome words like BRANGELINA!!! in our vocabulary... UGH!

and though it's her decision to marry him, I am really kind of getting sick and tired of seeing Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon on MediaDomain all the time!....

''A marriage of eight years may not be deemed a failure''.

Tell that to the seven year old kid.

Have we really sunk that low? Marriage is no big deal, just ditch your partner like a sofa that you bought and no longer like?

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well despite my liberal views, i am a faithful person. but i have become realistic that most are not like that.. i guess the best you can do is be the best person u can be and one day u will meet a similar person. u dont find it in bars or the internet usually. just live ur life and someone will come along. but sumtimes thats a lonely way of living too.. i have only asked one person to be my bf and he said no at the time... the only bf i did ever have, asked me, i agreed and it ended it a disaster i wouldnt wish on my worst enemy. now i am out of the race, working on myself again and one day, whenever that is, will find someone again. eom.Zach

sometimes, the mother and father remain friends and the breakup isn't messy. it may be regrettable but not a disaster if the child knows and feels he is loved. done the right way, they will also welcome a new stepmother and father into their life and have an even larger support system than they had before. it is not the norm but it happens. eom/Zach

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Posted by: cook
Date posted: Sat Jul 12 11:00:51 2008
Message:
I think it is just awful what the paps do these days! I saw an interview with 2 brothers who are the youngest paps at something like 10 & 12 (?). They told how REGULARLY they ran red lights (they have an older partner) . They said if the light turns yellow or even red after the prey they HAVE to run the light. Sometimes they are the 6th or even 7th car running the light. They referred to it as a train. That it wasn't dangerous because they were a long line of cars running the light to keep up.

I also saw Antonio Banderas on Ellen one day. He said they caught some throwing broken bottles over his fence under his kid's swing set. They were hoping one of the kids would be injured so badly that they would rush them to the hospital. Or worse, need an ambulance. Providing an opportunity for all kinds of photographs!! Unbelievable!

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Posted by: Noront
Date posted: Sat Jul 12 8:48:14 2008
Message:

I think the paparazzi could drive anyone over the brink.  They are stalkers.  I can't imagine never having a moments peace when out in public.  I don't think it should be the price you have to pay for being a celebrity.   But, we are a voyeur society and in most cases thrive on bringing people down and enjoy seeing famous people at their worst or suffering.  Why people find that entertainment is beyond me.  Imagine being Brad and Angelina, Brittany Spears, Michael Jackson...it must be living hell.

 I think there should be open hunting season on paparazzi.  I was married to a pro athlete and it is annoying when you're eating a meal for example and people think it's their right to interrupt and spoil your evening because they are fans and feel you owe them.  IMO, you don't owe them your private life.  You want to chat, come to a game, that's working hours.

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Posted by: Penny
Date posted: Fri Jul 11 23:51:35 2008
Message:
I don't mind, care or otherwise regarding celeb nicknames. In the big (and small) scheme of things, I think, big deal it's only a nickname.

Anyone can be the object of a stalker. Tons of 'non-celebs' have stalkers and harassers so why be upset about how bad celebrities have it? If they felt that they "pay a big price and make huge sacrifices to do the jobs they do" then they should make another "huge sacrifice" and find another job, just like us "little people" do when we're dissatified with our job. I don't sit around worrying about poor down-trodden celebrities who have to put up with bad nicknames.

As for people feeling threatened and taking it personally if their partner has sex with someone else you are completely WRONG, it has a LOT of bearing on their relationship. A hell of a lot more than a bad nickname has on a celebrity! Unreal...

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As I said, I have a gay perspective on this. I honestly don't see ANY of my friends have a snowball's chance in hell of having a relationship that is going to last more than a few years, and certainly not monogamously. And I am talking about alot of people I have observed and gotten to know. Maybe it is different in the str8 world, but I have alwways found women to be extremely clingy and demasculating. How guys fall in love with you is beyond me... my guess is that they don't, or not in the same way, since male and female brains are different. It's no wonder so many men cheat versus the # of women who cheat. Alot of women seem very clueless about how the male mind works and they look ridiculous to me. Witness the bridezilla phenomenon. eom/Zach

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Posted by: Mrs. Betty Slocombe
Date posted: Fri Jul 11 21:01:27 2008
Message:
I will address the nicknames thing. I don't like the merged names either, and nicknames for celebrities should be their own choice. As far as athletes go, they pretty much all have nicknames. It's just the way it goes in the sports world. Hockey has its share of interesting ones. Most are appropriate. My current favourite is a San Jose Sharks player whose last name is Vlasic. Of course his nickname is ''Pickles.'' And then there's George Herman Ruth Jr. It doesn't have the same appeal as ''Babe.''

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Posted by: GailJ
Date posted: Fri Jul 11 16:50:31 2008
Message:

I would agree that you have to expect a certain amount of inconveniences...ie: paparazzi, autograph hounds, etc. when you are in the public eye, whether you are an athelete, movie or TV star, politician, etal.  But it must be a horrible thing to have your personal life splattered all over the media.  Case in point, Christi Brinkley's divorce.  I can't believe that it is "headline" news.  I would expect to see it on the cover of the Enquirer or on Entertainment Tonight but I was watching GMA this morning and it was one of their main news stories.  I feel sorry for this couple having their private affairs (no pun intended) aired for all the world to see.  But the sad part is, inquiring minds want to know...it sells! 

Madonna has supposedly been introducing  A-Rod into her Kabbalah religious belief system...or so say some papers.  It's described by some as ancient Jewish mysticism.  I guess inquiring minds want to know about that too?

As for the nick names...I hate them too.  I heard that Jennifer Lopez made a deal with People Magazine when she let them have first dibs on her baby's pics:  they had to STOP calling her J-Lo.  And the couple naming, ie: TomKat, Brangelina, and so on just makes my skin crawl.  I told my husband we would be "Mail"...lol.   Everybody is doing it.  Go to the Y&R Discussion board and you see Phick for Phyllis and Nick, Lane for Lily and Cane, Shack for Sharon and Jack.  YUCK! (sticks finger in mouth..gag!)

 

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There are a few couples, whose individual names merge well.. but when they don't why force it? because it sounds so stupid. BTW THANX for the TomKat reference because I hate that one too.. though for them it is kind of fitting. I HONESTLY DONT KNOW what has happened to KATIE HOLMES> she looks NOTHING like the girl she used to since she married him. In MAD MONEY, We finally got to see the old Katie, for once. I am not against TC or his scientology but even I have to say there is sumthing very zombie-ish about her. It's like he is her personal stylist, and if it doesn't come from the inside, it won't work on the out. She looks elegant, but because she looks awkward in these suddenly mature clothes, it just doesn't work IMHO. eom/ZAch

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Posted by: ingyandbert
Date posted: Fri Jul 11 16:23:30 2008
Message:

Reading your long post, I'm having a hard time figuring out exactly what it is you claim Madonna has done.  But I did get a hearty laugh out of this line: 

People ...take it personally if their partner enters into sexual relations with another.

Ya think?

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I think that humankind is moving away from the paradigm of marriage. I think a certain group of people have loving relationships with friends and others, which includes sex, and they don't feel the point of tying themselves down. The other group of people are wringing their hands wondering why so-and-so doesn't love them and can't be faithful. It is this latter group of people who are going to have to accept the growing changes that are coming in human interpersonal relationships. Marriage may survive, but the idea of ownership has fallen away.. and I think the monogamy aspect, for many people is going to be next to go. eom/Zach

Maybe to you, but not most of us. I think your opinions on this are not the norm. Most people want a loving relationship with one person, not sex with friends and not a relationship where you and your partner are free to have sex with other people. I don't know where you are getting your interpersonal info from-I think you're just making it up. Penny

What most people want is based on their belief system and experiences. These days people's beliefs and experiences are changing at lightening speed, hence so is what they want. I am just commenting on things I have observed and experiences I have had. I am sure there is alot of information about this on the internet. Even if you live under a rock, you would know the many ways marriage and partnerships are being redefined. I don't think many people these days are sophisticated enough to understand life without monogamy. Maybe it is because in the gay community, open relationships are very much the norm. And I personally think that the mere act of having sex with someone else doesn't in and of itself shouldn't be condemned. Are we in 5th grade that we are going to say 'shame on you'? Gay men are not at all into feeling guilty about having sex and don't buy into conservative BS or care about how the conservative right defines what they should or shouldn't do. I am not saying I live this kind of lifestyle right now, but I think people expect WAY too much from a partner and their relationship troubles have mostly to do with projections of their own insecurities and hangups. Maybe the ideal is to have a 1 on 1 marriage, but the last time we checked, this world is not ideal in any other way and relationships are definitely no exception either. Few people have a loving, HAPPY and monogamous marriage. I see alot of middle-aged and overweight couples walking around, going shopping, going through the motions, and clearly miserable on the inside. Not saying sex itself has to do with this, but they clearly have problems. eom/Zach

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