The Xhibit P Pop UP!!

The Pop Up: 2011-12-08

WRITTEN BY AFIYA AUGUSTINE

Posted by Patrice Peck on 8/12/11 • Categorized as Blog,Celebrities,Film,Music,Television

Hollywood moves fast, so we keep the pace for you. “The Pop Up” brings you the latest news happening in pop culture, to keep you up to speed in your daily conversations. We weed out the wackness, and deliver quality links that will make you the go-to person for the inside scoop.

It can be said that Bob Marley’s music was an influential force that allowed the people of South Africa to deal with apartheid and bring it to its knees. Now, Bob Marley’s music is once again bringing the people of Africa some ease in the continent’s hour of need. Using a line from Marley’s song “High Tide of Low Tide,” a new social media campaign called “I’m Gonna Be Your Friend,” kicked off Tuesday, has celebrities like Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Jay-Z and Britney Spears urging fans to help alleviate the widespread famine going on in East Africa. As it stands twelve million people have been affected by the hunger crisis, Somalia getting the worst of the sting.

Through promoting a short film on the crisis in East Africa by award-winning director Kevin MacDonald (Last King in Scotland) set to “High Tide or Low Tide” on twitter and facebook pages, celebs are hoping that fans will watch the video and donate money with proceeds going to the Save the Children foundation in an effort to provide food, water and medicine. The video is also on sale with

proceeds going towards the foundation as well.

“Not one child should be denied food nor water. Not one child should suffer,” said Rita Marley, Bob Marley’s wife. “Along with Save the Children, we must stand up together as friends to put a stop to this, to feed our children and to save their lives,”

In other news, High School Musical director Kenny Ortega has announced that he will direct a re-make to the 1987 cult-classic Dirty Dancing. The original film featured the fancy footwork (choreographed by Ortega himself) performed by the late Patrick Swayze and Dancing with the Stars

winner Jennifer Grey and contained the infamous line –“No one puts Baby in a corner.” The film made both actors unforgettable and songs like “She’s like the Wind,” “I Had the Time of My Life,” and “Hungry Eyes,” the most recognizable tunes throughout the years. While many fear the re-make will not live up to the legacy the original has created, Grey tweeted yesterday that she supported the re-make: “I love @Kennyortega and trust that he will do something special #DirtyDancingRemake.” Fans are skeptical about the re-make and are holding their breath to see who will fill those great big dancing shoes.

Funny man and 30 Rock actor Alec Baldwin has announced that he would like to run for the NYC Mayoral seat , but after 2013 when he “learns more about the job.” Currently he resides in LI, but intends on living permanently in the city before running.

And in case you haven’t heard, thanks to persistent internet demands, Nickelodeon has brought back all its hit ‘90s shows for their now post-college audience every night at 12 midnight on Teen Nick. That’s right, favorite shows including “All That,” “Kenan & Kel,” “Clarissa Explains it All,” and “Doug” will show on the station until 4 a.m. with the opportunity to expand and include more shows depending on viewer suggestions.

Another Place Where You Can Read My Words!

My Guilty Pop Pleasure: RuPaul’s Drag Race


WRITTEN BY AFIYA AUGUSTINE


Posted by Patrice Peck on 7/22/11 • Categorized as Blog,Celebrities,Television
I will admit it. For a person who believes reality TV is the end of civilization as we know it, I take much pleasure in watchingRuPaul’s Drag Race just as much as the budding drag queen living in the West Village does. While many may laugh and cringe as the thought of the show, this show has some truly fine points.


First, let’s explore the premise of the show: RuPaul and his panel of judges find men across the country who either live their lives or have livelihoods consisting of female impersonation who want to vie for the chance to be a Drag Superstar. The men arrive to the show, and are given work spaces filled with all knick-knacks possible to complete a daunting task every episode. Of course, throughout the season, feuds are ignited and some cat fights ensue. There are tearful breakdowns, and full-on verbal assaults laced with so much wit or shade (as the queens call it), that I think I’d be really scared to ever encounter a gay man on a bad day. At the end of each show, the two weakest showgirls must lip-synch for their lives with RuPaul giving his famous warning “Don’t F*ck It Up.” The lights dim and the competitors go at it, usually incorporating tons of finger-waving, hair flicking, vogue dancing and sometimes wig-pulling, gymnastic tumbling and split-tricks.


At the same time, I refuse to believe in reality TV, nonetheless support it. I consider reality TV absolutely nothing short of mindless television. It’s a cheap shot at getting the public to tune in for stations to get ratings without any real work. While some claim to be doing something “that’s never been seen/done before,” others are just paying people to act stupid in front of a camera. In the beginning it wasn’t so bad when only a handful of shows were on the air. Then, it seemed like either studios were giving up on writers or writers were trying to make a quick buck because we got tons of craptastic shows. Now it’s almost as though television is heavily polluted with nothing but cameras tailing people wherever they go, setting the bar of American entertainment at an all time low. It seems to me that every reality TV show consists of drunken parties, unnecessarily staged drama, and talentless hacks that chirp all over the place talking about nothing that’ll ever matter to me, but with RuPaul, I am weak at the knees.





Why do I enjoy it so, you ask? First and foremost, it’s RuPaul! He’s the only black man who can pull off a dress and everyone in the world loves him. As a matter of fact, he’s the only black man in the world that I think people prefer to see in a pair of stilettos rocking a frock. Secondly, unlike Tyra’s America’s Next Top Model, I must say that this show is a testament to the creativity that is locked within a human being. The transformations that some of these men undergo in order to become their female persona is nothing short of talent. It’s amazing to see what make-up, wigs and duct-tape can do the man’s body to make him look like a woman. There have been a few times while watching the show with a male companion, I was told “I would’ve gotten caught out there…he looks like a real female.” The costumes, jewelry, hairstyles and runway walks make the women on Top Model look like little girls walking in their mothers’ high-heels.


The part that I most admire about the show is that for one, it’s giving gay men an outlet that they’ve never had before. Not only do they get a place to do what they do best, they are free of judgment or heckling as they would in their hometown for being homosexual males and/or female impersonators. Some of these men share their stories with the audience and it’s really endearing. Some come from homes where their parents accepting their gay lifestyle, while others were thrown out, disowned, living on the streets on the brink of suicide until someone came to them and showed how drag could make them feel better about themselves. These female alter-egos are a visual representation of their courage and determination. And as a female, it’s slightly endearing to know that a man can feel strong…while dressed as a woman albeit…in a weird way. Though we live in a homophobic society, I enjoy reveling in a show that gives the gay community something to look to and give them confidence in knowing they can live as they please and enjoy their life to the fullest. And as a woman, you can pick up a few helpful hints on how to look just that much better.

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Scientist-in-training Sydney Clark shows the boys how it's done

 

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Think science is only for nerdy boys? Think again! Meet Sydney Clark, the 12-year-old runner up in the National Middle School Science Competition, sponsored by 3M and Discovery Education.

Hailing from Austin, Texas, this home-schooled chick has always had an interest in science. After watching her favorite program, hit T.V. show Myth Busters, Sydney couldn’t wait to tackle the Young Scientist Challenge. The challenge was to create a video about everyday safety. She decided to focus on the public’s love for anti-bacterial products. “It’s important tostress that hospitals use anti-bacterial products,” she says, “but they make way for bigger germs.” The quirky and fun film took her about a month and a half to create with the help of her mother. With stop-and-go animated film clips and Barbie props, she made her point…and impressed the judges. Soon, she was making tracks through the competition. 

The judges chose a semi finalist from each state, and then the 10 semi-finalists were brought to New York City, where they are asked to conduct live experiments, compete in challenges and complete scientific analysis. 3M provided the finalists with the products that they must use. In one challenge called the Safety and Security Innovation, Sydney took on the task of ATM Security by creating a box made with the world’s most efficient translucent man-mad mirror. The thin reflective sheet not only provides the ATM customer with the ability to see through to the push pad to enter their pin, but it also reflects the image of anyone behind them, keeping their bank information completely safe. 

While Sydney did not snag the coveted first place prize, she says the laid-back atmosphere made the event an amazingly fun experience—“the best time I ever had in my life!” She re-calls the judges and coaching staff being “really helpful, really amazing being around and helping on other innovations.” 

Being a runner-up isn’t without its perks, however. “It’s almost as good as winning,” she says of her prize: Flying to San Francisco to be on the set of a live taping of Myth Busters at the end of June. While she’s not sure if she’ll actually get to be on the show, she’s got her fingers crossed! 

Sydney isn’t a 24/7 scientist-in-training—she’s part of the rock group Unsocialized and has dreams of a film or T.V.career. But she does admit that she’d love to incorporate science in the mix and create a show likeMyth Busters or Bill Nye the Science Guy. Why? She’s ready with an answer: “It’s important to get more girls into science,” she says. “I want to let girls know they can do more in the science world and it can be fun changing the world. We can learn more, do more and reach a lot more people.” 

 

 

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BY AFIYA AUGUSTINE ON 6/24/2011 8:00:00 AM

POSTED IN school, Goal Getter