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Unlesss you have been living under a rock for the past couple of days then you’ve probably heard of the controversy surrounding the Miss USA pageant.

Author and Gay rights avtivist, Wayne Besen, paid Bill O’Reilly a visit to give his two cents on the situation.  Now, I normally can’t stomach five seconds of  O’Reilly, but I was extremely curious about what he had to say. 

After watching the segment, I do believe O’Reilly had a valid point.  The girl shouldn’t be punished for her views.  The fact that she has certain beliefs should not have cost her the crown (and that’s assuming she was winning before the question was asked). 

However, I think O’Reilly is missing the point (as usual).  Some highlights from the interview:

O’Reilly: “This judge punished her because he didn’t like her point of view. That’s not what we do in America.”

“You have to tow a line to be a beauty queen?”

No, Bill, you do not have to tow a line to be a beauty queen. But you do have to know how to be all inclusive when answering a question.  We would be lying if we said her answer didn’t turn some people against her. Especially since the judge who asked the question is gay.  But I don’t think her point of view is the big picture.  It is her lack of creativity that was evident on the stage.  Just because you say “no offense” doesn’t mean people won’t get offended.

No offense, Bill O’Reilly, but I think you suck.

Click here to watch the entire interview.

Photo from NYdailynews.com

Good news in the Rubina Ali story.  Ali’s father, Rafiq Qureshi, was arrested yesterday for allegations that he tried to sell his daughter to a Dubai Sheikh for almost $300,000.

Qureshi is claiming that the allegations are false.  “I politely said Rubina is happy with me and wanted to leave. After this they made an offer of money in English which I did not understand,” explained her father.

After reporters posed as a wealthy Middle Eastern family interested in buying a girl, on Monday, Britain’s News of the World reported that Ali was originally being sold for $75,000, but her father raised the price after the success of Slumdog.

After learning of Qureshi’s arrest, the producers of “Slumdog Millionaire” stepped in to help the little girl.  They have now hired a social worker to look after her.

Producer Christian Colson released a statement today saying, “Both Danny [Boyle, the director] and I remain committed to working the the trust and the family to secure Rubina’s long-term best interests.”

Photo from Gossipcheck.com

“Slumdog Millionaire star,” Rubina Ali, needs new parents.

The nine-year-old, who played the youngest version of Latika, the female lead in the Oscar winning film, is making news again and this time it’s not for an award winning movie .  Now, it is because of her no-good father, Rafiq Quereshi, who is apparently out to get as much as he can from his daughter’s success.   According to reports,  Quereshi has attempted to sell his daughter in an illegal adoption deal for close to $300,000.

His brother Mohiuddin reportedly said: “The child is special now. This is not an ordinary child. This is an Oscar child.”

This is the second time Quereshi has tried to get more money from his daughter’s role in the movie.  A few months ago he said his daughter was underpaid for appearing in “Millionaire” and asked the directors for more money.

How sad.  These children should be enjoying what is left of their childhoods and the fact that they were a part of a successful movie.   How many parents can say that about their kid?  Instead, they are  trying to make as much money as they can out of them.

I know these families live in the slums and do not have much of anything, but is this really the way to go about it?  The parents just seem like money-hungry opportunists.  It’s quite sad that these young children were given parents who view them as nothing but a meal ticket out of poverty.

Hopefully the next time we hear of these kids is when someone from another country wants to adopt them.  Goodness knows that wouldn’t be a bad thing at all.

The movie about the 2002 Hearne, TX drug bust opened this weekend.   After 20 criminals were thrown behind bars, the raid looked like a major triumph in the war on drugs.  It later proved to be an attack on African Americans in the small town of 5,000 people.

“American Violet” tells the story of  Regina Kelley, one of the few residents who did not accept a plea bargain and refusing to confess to a crime she did not do.  “I was setting an example for my girls,” said the mother of four.   “And also, learning from my mom; she’s always told me what’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong, so why would you plead something that you just know you didn’t do?”   Kelly became the lead plantiff in the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas lawsuit that accused the district attorney’s office of targeting minorities.

I haven’t seen the movie yet but it is definitely on my list. Newcomer, Nicole Beharie, plays Kelley and it looks like she does a phenomenal job in the trailer.  Not to mention Alfre Woodard and Charles S. Dutton are a couple of my favorite actors.  Watch the trailer below.

When I first heard that the American Idol judges were given even more power this season, I was a little disappointed.  For the first time in eight seasons, the judges can save a contestant from being eliminated if they have the least number of votes.

I mean, this is “American Idol” not “Paula, Simon, Randy and Kara’s Idol,” right?  But, of course, America doesn’t always get it right.  Contestant Matt Giraud was about to pack his bags when the judges decided he would be this season’s one and only “save”-  making “Idol” history.

Giraud belted out a beautiful rendition of  Bryan Adams’ “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman” for this week’s movie theme and its no wonder the judges couldn’t let this piano loving singer go.

Simon Cowell, being the optimist that he is, said  “I don’t see that you really have a chance to win the competition.”  But the other judges apparently thought otherwise.  Now, Giraud has at least one more week to prove Cowell wrong- or right.  See Giraud’s performance below.

Bravo TV Logo

Despite a floundering economy, and other networks working overtime to keep their ratings and revenue up, NBC Universal’s Bravo is doing better than ever.  According to Forbes.com, not only is ad revenue for 2009 up 21% compared to the same period last year, but the network just added 100 new advertisers and posted double-digit revenue growth in 2008.

The reality-based network, which usually showcases wealthy people and their expensive tastes, is currently working on two scripted shows. 30 Under 30, a series about a group of up-and-comers who have earned a spot on an aforementioned list, and Blue Print, a dramedy about a set of best friends–one straight, one gay–who run an upscale architecture and interior design firm in New York.

So what people really want to see while they are losing their jobs and homes is a network devoted to the rich and spoiled? Go figure.

Comedian and actor Jamie Foxx has stirred up quite some controversy with mainstream bloggers after going after Miley Cyrus on his Sirius radio show “The Foxxhole.” On the show, which aired over the weekend, Foxx was heard telling the 16-year-old to “do some heroine” and “make a sex tape and grow up.”

The comments came after a caller mentioned Cyrus’ vow to “ruin” rock band, Radiohead, for snubbing her backstage at the Grammy Awards.

Cyrus said she was so hurt by the band’s refusal to meet her that she “cried and couldn’t watch their performance.” Radiohead’s response? “When Miley grows up, she’ll learn not to have a sense of entitlement.”

Foxx was a bit out of line but if you want to be treated like a 16-year-old maybe you shouldn’t be dating a 20-year-old and taking pictures like these. I’m just saying.

Update: While on Jay Leno promoting his new movie, Foxx issued an apology, saying his comments were “just jokes.” Check out his appearance below.

Eminem on cover of XXL Magazine

Although some people are disappointed with Eminem’s latest effort “We Made You,” I couldn’t be happier with it. I know what you must be thinking. Haven’t we seen him make fun of celebrities before? Yes we have. He did something similar with his break out single “My Name Is” and with “The Real Slim Shady.”

But you have to admit that no one mocks pop culture better than The Slim Shady himself. He has a formula and we like it. The video is funny and the song is catchy with an infectious beat. It makes me even more anxious for his new album “Relapse” to come out on May 19th. Mostly because the witty, light-hearted tunes are usually followed by more hardcore classics. Judge for yourselves.

I know we did sociable media a while ago, but i found this cool blog about a sociable media group that investigates issues concerning identity and society in the networked world.  It is now on my RSS feeds!