Is Zac Efron Dating Taylor Swift?

Swifty and Zac Would Make a Great Couple

Okay, we all know how this goes: adorable A-list celebrities have a nice, quiet dinner together (just one) and suddenly they are dating (at least in the media). Sometimes the stories turn out to be true, and sometimes they don't. That's exactly what's happening with Zac Efron and country songbird Taylor Swift.

Zac and Taylor were recently spotted sharing a nice dinner together at a swanky Los Angeles, California, restaurant a couple of weeks ago. Now, reports say the dinner was a "date" and hints that they might be a new dynamic duo. Is it true? Or is this another instance where one dinner is suddenly "we're in love"?US Weekly magazine claims that Zac Efron's dinner date with Taylor Swift was "flirty." A witness in the restaurant (seriously, HOW do they track these people down anyway?) says that the hunky actor and the talented singer "were deep in conversation and very giggly." Now Taylor, I could see as "giggly." Zac Efron? Giggling?

So wait: Does this mean that Taylor Swift and Zac Efron are now boyfriend/girlfriend? No. US Weekly quotes another anonymous source as saying that they were doing "press stuff" in town together. Not shocking. They did voice work for the same (upcoming) movie, Dr. Seuss' The Lorax.

So there you go. Zac may think Taylor's hot and Taylor might think Zac is a dreamboat, but this "giggly" dinner was basically two coworkers hanging out after publicity stuff. Stay tuned, though. They would make an adorable couple. Both are talented, attractive, young and ambitious. Maybe they should have more flirty dinners together!
 

Utah School Board: The Word "Cougar" is Offensive to Middle-Aged Women

Could the people in Utah be any more uptight?

Utah cougars are apparently more easily offended than the cougars in Washington state; the students at Corner Canyon High School chose to adopt the cougar as their mascot. But the School Board decided that the cougar mascot might offend older women in the Salt Lake City region because of the negative association with the term cougar and forced the high school students to choose a different mascot.  

According to THIS article from Yahoo, the term cougar has transcended beyond the Urban Dictionary and is now in the Webster Dictionary for its slang use. The second definition is: "a middle-aged woman seeking a romantic relationship with a younger man."

 

Neither the article, nor the dictionary defines either the age of a middle-aged woman or the age of “a much younger man.” Perhaps the conservative school board members are worried that their female teachers will be tempted by the very word “cougar” and will try to seduce one of their students. I doubt that’s happened before at Corner Canyon High School, but teacher-student relationships presumably instigated by cougars have happened in the past.

 

The worst example of a Cougar-student relationship that comes to my mind is that of Seattle resident Mary Kay Letourneau who had two kids while in jail. The father was her former 13-year-old student. The best example of a cougar is probably Mrs. Robinson from “The Graduate.”

 

Still, it’s hard to imagine that the word Cougar would be so offensive to anyone that they would force the school to choose a new mascot. That said, I disagree with many decisions made in the state of Utah, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.

 

Instead of being the Corner Canyon High School Cougars, the school will be Corner Canyon High School Chargers; I’m guessing that no one in Utah is offended by the Energizer Bunny or anything battery-related. (Oooops, I take back the part about the lack of offense to anything battery-related. Sex toys are legal to sell in Utah, but again, it’s highly doubtful that this particular school board would condone the use of sex toys before, during, or after school hours.)

 

I can understand other un-politically correct mascots being changed, but the Cougar mascot should be perfectly acceptable. There are far worse mascots in use at high schools and colleges today. Consider the Oregon State Beavers. I don’t know about you, but that term might be a little more offensive to women than Cougars.

 

Just saying.

Image credit: http://naturemappingfoundation.org/natmap/facts/cougar_k6.html

The Latest Horrible Rumor: Khloe Kardashian, Not a Kardashian?

Khloe's stepmothers claim she's illegitimate

This might just be the single worst, most hurtful rumor EVER spread about any Kardashian, ever. Two of Khloe Kardashian's stepmothers claim that she's not the biological daughter of Robert Kardashian. Welcome to Scandals and Nasty Rumors 2012, people.

The only reason I'm writing about this now is to express my fury - not to perpetuate the Hollywood rumor mill. Khloe is actually the only Kardashian I genuinely like. She seems more genuine than her famous sisters, Kim and Kourtney K. So when I read the stories today, in which Robert Kardashian's ex-wives claim Khloe is illegitimate, I got really, really angry. And so did Khloe.Here's the short version: Jan Ashley and Ellen Kardashian are both exes of Khloe's dad, the late Robert Kardashian. Both women claim in a story in Star magazine (and leaked on RadarOnline)that Robert said Khloe is not his bio daughter. Both women claim they're telling the truth - but the rest of the Kardashians, including mom Kris Jenner, say this is a completely false story. Will we see a lawsuit come out of this? Let's hope so. Celebrities are celebrities, sure, and they're used to crazy rumors - but this goes way too far. Can you imagine how hurt Khloe must be by all of this?

And angry, I mentioned angry. Khloe's furious, and rightly so. Fortunately, she has Twitter to fire back - and she did just that, hours after the story broke. Khloe tweeted, "The audacity you have to mention my father’s name like this! Should be ashamed of urself! I let a lot of things slide but this one is really low… YOU ARE DISGUSTING! (yes you know who YOU are)."

Good for her! And yeah, Khloe lets things slide often - but this is one of those situations where someone's attacked her very, very personally. Again, hopefully the Kardashians will consider suing over this one.
 

Small Incidents of Racism Against Asians in the United States Continue to Annoy the Majority of the American Population

Check out this Papa John's Receipt.

 

 

Today in stupid clerk news brings us the story of an Asian woman in New York, New York who noticed the following on her receipt at a Papa John’s: lady chinky eyes.

 

Nice going, Papa John’s. 

I don’t know the woman personally, but she must have felt so proud of her Asian roots at that particular moment in time. I’m guessing that the pizza left a bitter taste in her mouth. As Gawker points out, this small instance  of racism against Asians isn’t the first; unfortunately, I’m guessing that it won’t be the last. 

 

Another recent, truthfully viral, and unfortunate instance of racism comes from UCLA student  Alexandra Wallace who had her constant library epiphanies interrupted by Asian students in the UCLA library. The annoyed Ms. Wallace posted a video on YouTube complaining about how hard it was for her to think when people were speaking languages that she could not understand.  (From Ms. Wallace’s video, which can be found HERE, it is clear to see that Ms. Wallace seems to think there is one regional language common to all Asians, a statement which puts her on par with the famed Ms. South Carolina from the Miss USA Teen beauty pageant of 2007.)

 

But it is probably true that Ms. Wallace had less epiphanies because of the distractions in the library. 

 

Before you sympathize too much for poor Alexandra Wallace, listen to the “ Ching Ching Means I Love You” song posted by an Asian American in response to her viral rant against the Asian community in Los Angeles. 

 

It’s entirely clear from the video, which also went viral, that Ms. Wallace is loved by at least one member of the Asian American community. (NOT)  Hopefully, now that the foreign words have been translated for the student, she will understand more fully what they mean. Love, is after all, what makes the world go round; attitudes like Ms. Wallace’s are altogether too easy spread. 

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And, as for the offensive Papa John’s receipt, I’m just waiting for a viral video response. It’s harder to write a song in response to a receipt than to the face of an idiot on camera, but I’d like to challenge any aspiring songwriters out there to put the word out that this is the United States and that “chinky eyes” is inappropriate and in poor taste. 

Leonardo DiCaprio and Erin Heatherton Dating: Are They Getting Serious?

Leo took Erin to meet his mother

Leonardo DiCaprio and Erin Heatherton have only been dating for a short time, but already things between the sexy actor and his new Victoria's Secret model girlfriend are getting pretty serious. He's taken her to meet his mother, even!


It's worth a mention that Erin is one of several stunningly beautiful models and/or actresses seen on Leo's arm in recent months (think Blake Lively, Karlie Kloss and of course, ex-girlfriend Bar Refaeli. No doubt Bar knows Leonardo's mom, but did he take Blake home too?


And now, the burning question: Could Erin Heatherton finally be the woman Leo settles down with? Is this merely a passing fling, like so many other Leo conquests, or is this the real deal?

Apparently, Erin Heatherton and Leo are majorly into each other. She's already met DiCaprio's mom during a brunch on New Year's Day at the posh Four Seasons Hotel in L.A. Now the New York Post's Page Six reports that Leonardo DiCaprio's mother really seemed to enjoy her time with the 22-year-old Heatherton. The Post quotes a source as saying that "the meeting went well" and that both women "were seen laughing." Laughing about what, exactly? Did she break out the photo albums from Leo's younger days? Tell any funny family stories? Whatever happened, things went swimmingly well. It seems Ms. Heatherton made a great impression.


Whatever the case, the way to a man's heart is sometimes directly through his mother. In Leonardo DiCaprio's situation, this appears to be the case. And if mom approves, Erin might well be Leo's new official girlfriend.

Russell Brand and Katy Perry Are Divorcing

Celeb pair splitting up after just over a year of marriage

Sadly, rumors that Katy Perry and Russell Brand were having serious marital problems were apparently true. Earlier today, Brand filed for divorce from the pop star. The official reason stated: the dreaded "irreconcilable differences." I hate to hear this, as I honestly thought these two were such a fun-loving couple.
What happened? There's no way to be sure (see: "irreconcilable differences"). Problems were reported in recent weeks, and both Brand and Perry were spotted not wearing wedding rings during separate Christmas holiday vacations. I suppose that was one of the biggest red flags - one I tried to ignore, hoping they'd find a way to work things out.Apparently Katy Perry and Russell Brand's problems were just too big to overcome. Now more questions surface: Was it an ugly split? Did they have a prenup?
Russell Brand issued a brief statement today, saying that he'd "always adore" Katy Perry and that he knows they will "remain friends." Let's hope so. Both Katy and Russell are firecrackers - if things get ugly, we could wind up with a Twitter war of epic proportions.
As for the possible prenup, TMZ says the divorce documents that Brand filed today mention "community property assets." This could well mean that either the couple didn't have a prenuptial agreement OR that it wasn't all-encompassing. Both have enjoyed great successes since they married - Russell with his movies (yeah I know 'Arthur' bombed, but still) and Katy with her music. I sure hope they don't start fighting about money publicly...
And so we wrap up 2011 with one of the biggest celebrity splits of the year (second only, in my mind, to the whole Demi Moore/Ashton Kutcher divorce mess). Boo!

Is Supermodel Kate Upton Dating Mark Sanchez?

It's game on for SI swimsuit beauty and Jets QB

Well, well, well. Another story involving a supermodel dating a famous athlete? Shocking, I know. In this case, it's Victoria's Secret and Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Kate Upton. Who is the blond bombshell hooking up with? Why, none other than New York Jets' quarterback Mark Sanchez! At least, that's the rumor at the moment.
Wait, what? Just a few days ago I learned that Mark Sanchez was apparently a big-time player, somehow juggling two women at once (and in the same night, in the same posh New York City hotel room even). What happened between now and then, I wonder? How do you go from major player to Mr. Commitment?

Did Mark Sanchez suddenly decide he could no longer spread his hotness all over the world to all women? Oh, no. Never mind. Kate Upton: Supermodel. As in a model, who is super. She's gorgeous, that's for sure. Landing a supermodel girlfriend and/or fiance and/or wife can really help to enhance your NFL profile (just ask Tom Brady). Mark finally figured it out! Supposedly these two are keeping their relationship on the down-low. Why? They're simply two blindingly attractive people who were drawn to each other because...well...they're blindingly attractive. Why not share this news with the world!

I actually like Kate Upton. I think it's because she knows how to Dougie so well.

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Bet that's what Mark sees in her too. I give her this: She's one SI swimsuit model who isn't afraid to act completely goofy in front of millions.

Paris Jackson Talks to Ellen DeGeneres

Michael Jackson's daughter discusses her dad and what life is like without him

Paris Jackson, in case you haven't noticed, is growing up very, very quickly. And Michael Jackson's daughter is making big news lately, after landing a major role in her first movie, among other things. Now, this beautiful and well-spoken teen is making a solo appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to discuss, among other things, what life is like for her now, with her famous father gone.

I'll go ahead and say this right here, right now: Paris Jackson is going to be famous. And in her own right - not just because of her famous father. I've watched footage of her for years now, and I'm seeing a star bloom before my very eyes. This young lady is incredibly poised and has so much grace for someone so young. Mark my words: Paris Jackson will be a superstar. As big as her dad? No, probably not. That would be virtually impossible.

For TV watchers, here's the deal: Paris Jackson's taped appearance on Ellen DeGeneres' show airs tomorrow (Dec. 15). During the Ellen interview, the 13-year-old Paris talks at length about her desire to become an actress (she's know that was her calling from an early age), and about how dad Michael Jackson encouraged her creativity and urged her to hone her craft. This girl has serious ambition, but she doesn't come off as pretentious in any way.

One can only think now of how incredibly proud Paris Jackson's late father would be of his only daughter. Paris tells Ellen that Michael Jackson tried very hard to protect her and her two siblings when they were younger, making a real effort to shield them from the crazed media (she uses the mask-wearing as an example). Paris seems now to understand why such protections were necessary. Hopefully, the Jackson family won't meddle too much in Paris' life, allowing her to blossom and become the star she obviously aspires to be!

Lindsay Lohan's Playboy Shoot

"Image-wise, it's certainly a departure for Lohan."
Everyone's favorite tabloid darling seems to have classed things up...at least, for some definition of the word "class". Lindsay Lohan, the infamous child star turned problem child, did a Playboy shoot whose contents recently leaked into the internet. The photos are remarkably vintage, with Lindsay taking on more of a Marilyn look than a strung-out Paris one. Her bleach-blonde hair and exaggerated red lips make her seem less like herself and more like an archetype she usually fails to reach. 
Image-wise, it's certainly a departure for Lohan. She built up her adult career by being sort of girl-next-door attractive; ginger and cute to be sure, but not outright bombshell. The whole peroxide and lipstick look is somewhat dated as is. She--or her stylists, or publicists, or whoever makes decisions for addicted celebrities looking to regain a grip on the public eye--must have had a plan for adult feminization in mind. She's no longer high-school good looking, but real world attractive. 
 
Playboy itself is an interesting choice on the part of the Lohan camp. I can't imagine people really buy the periodical much anymore, at least not for the traditional reasons, what with the gamut of porn across all of the internet. Playboy's more of a theoretical institution than a titillation these days. To feature in it is more of a tame career prod than anything else. It's not quite as negative a scandal as a leaked sex tape or nude photo, mostly because it's an intentional display of sexuality. But it's also a curious anachronism. This isn't Maxim, after all, where modern and aggressive modes of sexuality are imposed on the centerfolds. It's an excessively stylized Playboy shoot where the old world modes of beauty are distended so far as to remove a certain level of sexuality from the images. 
 
I mean, she doesn't look real. She looks like a wax sculpture, some kind of barely-living doll. By mimicking classic beauty so closely, Lindsay looks completely unlike herself. Maybe that's her strategy for re-entry--to dissociate herself visually from what she's used to being seen as, to start in the '60s and work her way back up to the present. Maybe she'll even start acting again in movies that aren't crap. Or maybe she'll be at the beck and call of the public eye, bouncing around to whatever gig her agents think could possibly bring in revenue at the time. I'm not sure how much agency she has in her career, but this is at least an interesting move. 

Harry Styles Photographed Leaving Caroline Flack's Apartment

One Direction singer is dating woman 15 years his senior

One Direction singer Harry Styles is dating Caroline Flack, and he really doesn't care who knows it! That seems to be the case, at least. Yesterday morning, paparazzi caught Styles doing the "walk of shame" -- leaving Caroline's apartment! Why is this relationship between Harry and Caroline getting so much attention? I'll tell you exactly why: Harry is 17 years old. Caroline? She's 32. Cougar, much?
Anyway, bottom line here: Harry Styles is a big, big teen hearthrob at the moment, particularly in Britain. One Direction is ridiculously popular (if you don't know the band, they placed seventh on The X Factor a while back). And now, scores of fans are going berserk once again, as Harry and Caroline's romance comes to light.

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Harry Styles' (many) fans have been up in arms about these two dating for quite some time. Back in October, when rumors first surfaced that Harry and Caroline Flack might be hooking up, fans went so far as to send Flack death threats. Twisted, yes? But think back for a second: Try to remember being oh, say, 14. Now, picture the guy you absolutely adored - the teen celeb that adorned your walls...the one you couldn't stop thinking about. Remember him? Now, picture him dating someone that could be your mom's age. See? For the record, this stuff is legal in the UK, apparently.
Now that the cat's out of the proverbial bag, Harry doesn't seem overly concerned about hiding his relationship with the woman who is 15 years older than him. He left Caroline Flack's apartment early in the morning - and he had what may or may not be an overnight bag slung over his shoulder. Yowza!

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