I Got Your Back

Within two weeks of each other, the news of eight-time gold medal winner Michael Phelps’ bong picture and Chris Brown’s still unfolding assault situation hit the media circuit. As sad as it is, these types of situations are nothing new. Lindsay Lohan has the substance abuse topic locked up, and several celebs such as Busta Rhymes and Kid Rock have been tangled in the assault web. But the charges seem to be where the similarity is drawn. After a few weeks, maybe months, LiLo and Kid are out of the public eye and back to doing…well, whatever it is they do. But for celebs such as Phelps and Brown, the consequences of their actions go far deeper than a few negative blurbs in a tabloid.

Despite Phelps’ immediate public apology, rumors of Phelps losing several of his endorsements began flying. Although it has only been confirmed that Kellogg has officially dropped Phelps as an endorser, the repercussions of Phelps’ actions are clearly running deep.

Although the situation with Chris Brown and Rihanna (or not Rihanna) has yet to be clarified, Wrigley’s has already separated themselves after a two-year partnership with Brown. The news is, Wrigley’s severance from the star is temporary, pending the outcome of the charges.

Do you think that, in either case, the endorsers’ decision to isolate themselves from their celebrity partners is a good one? A fair one? Or do you think that endorsers should take a route similar to Phelps’ endorser, Omega Watches? For those that missed it, the quote was as follows:

“You can’t buy this kind of product placement — believe me, we’ve tried!” a spokesman for Omega Watches said, giddily. “He’s modeling one of our blinged-out products as he expertly removes the carb from the bong, which we will also be selling replicas of: The Poseidon, as we are proudly calling it, holds actual water, just like what Michael Phelps swims in!”

Words Jonnine Yarbrough

Grammys Eclipsed by Controversy

Whatever happened to the idea of someone being innocent until proven guilty? Though the case appears pretty clear-cut with the Chris Brown/Rihanna chaos, we still don’t have a clear, official record of what actually happened. All that Brown has been charged with, at this point, is felony criminal threats – nobody is actually claiming he laid a hand on anyone. This reminds us how powerful the media is and just how fast news circulates nowadays, especially in the music world. An artist falling at a concert, taking questionable pictures (Miley Cyrus, Kayne or even Phelps), or making off-color remarks is sure to make its way across the Internet in a matter of hours, if not minutes. Often times these little blunders will hog the spotlight for days, overshadowing anything else in the news. I’m sure Michael Phelps is jumping up and down as the harsh media spotlight has shifted to Chris Brown. While people were screaming “woman beater!” everyone seemed to forget about the actual Grammy Awards. Who the hell are Robert Plant and Allison Krauss who won Album of the Year?! So what if Blink-182 announced their reunion, Green Day revealed the release date of their highly anticipated album or M.I.A. nearly gave birth on stage while getting her “Swagga” on? I wanna know what the eff happened with Rihanna and Chris Brown, down to every last gritty detail!

It’s a sad yet true case in today’s news environment that people are quick to flock to scandal. Tabloid Web sites, like Perezhilton.com or TMZ.com, now have enormous clout as they feed the public’s appetite. As much as they won’t admit it, people tend to love drama – especially when it’s real life. Maybe it gives us something interesting to talk about during what otherwise might be a boring day. And hey, I’m definitely not claiming innocence. I’ve probably been keeping as close an eye on the story as anyone else. What I don’t know is what makes us enjoy, closely follow or laugh at other people’s misfortune or problems? Yeah, they’re celebrities and, to a certain extent, place themselves under the hot lamps, but shouldn’t we also be keeping up on news with real substance? What about celebrating people’s success? Maybe that’s just asking too much…

Words Rene Perez

Under the Veil Part 2 Antonio Tarver and Nelly

Event photos from the MOSI event (Superbowl Weekend)

ESPN The Magazine Red Carpet Event (Superbowl Weekend)

Event photos from ESPN The Magazine Red Carpet (Super Bowl Weekend)

The OOOwie Effect

The Rinsing of Hip-Hop – Can It Survive Without The Herb?
It’s 1990, Erlangen, Germany. I’m in a limo with my black-and-white, striped Adidas gleaming like a pearl-coated set of piano keys, and I’m chilling with some iconic hip-hop artists. We were on the way to a club called Marilyn’s to cop some hashish. They needed a hundred dollar piece and my friend told them that I could find it for them. Well, I did it, and we instantly became best friends once the potent smoke hit their lungs. When I got out of that limo, I had a permanent joker smile for months. Fast forward to 2008. I’m sitting on the couch at some recording studio in Orlando, FL; the producer is cramped up in the soundproof room, hot boxing with the artist. I started seeing double and caught the munchies as I caught a whiff of the potent kush smoke they let escape from the room. As I watched, I started to wonder, “What would hip-hop be like without the mood-altering herb?”

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