Confessions of a Pop Culture Junkie

Mandy Moore gets married (cue the pregancy rumors), people can’t stop gushing over The Bachelor’s Melissa on Dancing with the Stars (we can all stop feeling bad for her … she already has a new boyfriend), and Chris Brown removes his name from the Kids Choice Awards ballot (smart idea). Just another day in Hollywood headlines. But the one that really caught my attention today was this one: "Bye-bye bob! Katie Holmes goes long again." Talk about super important news!!

Yes, Katie Holmes now has hair extenstions. I’m actually mad about it and here’s why: Katie Holmes was one of the only celebrities who, until now, seemed to stay away from synthetic hair. She embraced short hair and wore it well. She never seemed to be one to bow to the pressure to look like a brunette Jessica Simpson (the queen of perfectly curled extensions). I personally think she looked great with short hair, and she inspired many others to go short, too. But now what? She looks like everyone else.

Here’s hoping little Suri yanks them out!

I can’t figure out why I keep putting myself through this. I’m talking about The Bachelor show. Clearly I’m not alone. Dozens of my friends had Bachelor status updates on Facebook tonight. Apparently we’re all nuts.

Every year I say it will be the last. The couples don’t last, I get way too invested, and I’m left feeling like I’m the one who got dumped. Tonight’s episode was no different. I even knew the ending going into it. Yet it was still disturbing and shocking to see it unfold.

First, I felt horrible watching Molly get dumped. But then I felt even worse watching Melissa get proposed to and jump merrily into the swimming pool with Jason and little Ty. I knew their fates. Sure enough, Melissa got dumped on the After the Final Rose and Jason now plans to pursue a relationship with Molly.

Seriously. I didn’t like Melissa a ton, but I feel so bad for this girl. Awful. If what some bloggers are saying is true, and the whole show and ending was a set-up, well that’s just despicable. I can’t bring myself to believe that, though. The emotions seemed to raw and real, and you’d have to be completely idiotic to go along with such a thing. And while I think Jason is a confused guy, I don’t think he’s that mean.

In some odd way, I root for him and Molly even though I’m very mad at Jason. And yet I – and apparently millions of other Americans – are suckers for a good love story so we keep going along with the shenanigans.

So will I watch next season? I’d like to say no, but I know better. On Tuesday they’ll announce Jillian as the next Bachelorette and she seems sane and cool. Maybe there’s hope for this franchise yet …

Apparently all is forgiven.

Just about three weeks after Chris Brown was accused of beating the living daylights out of girlfriend Rihanna, the two are back together … or so says "a source close to the couple" who told People magazine, who told me (well OK, the People Web site did.) I don’t think this move is going to go over well with the public, nor is a good thing for Rihanna’s career, nor is it a good thing for women anywhere. But I guess I don’t know the whole of it, so I’ll let it go and will let them sort out their issues. In fact, I have no way of knowing that Rihanna actually has forgiven Chris Brown. When I said that, I actually was talking abut local Fargo radio station Y-94.

After the incident, Y-94 announced that it would stop playing Chris Brown music to send a message. But guess who I heard on the radio this afternooon when I was in my car? Yep, you guessed it. Chris Brown. On Y-94. It was his song with Jordin Sparks, "No Air."

So I guess Rihanna took him back, so now the radio station did, too. Well isn’t that interesting. And that’s all I’m going to say about that.

Aren’t there any young, childless American Idol contestants anymore?

I truly don’t mean to sound harsh here. Kids are cool. I’ve got no issues with people who have them. But what once the unique hard-luck, single-mom story – anyone remember Fantasia Barrino – is now almost cliche, and American Idol is exploiting that. Now everyone is a single mom. Including – which I didn’t know – Jesse Langseth, the Fargoan turned Minneapolisian. Maybe I’m just a scrooge. I think I’m just wishing American Idol would turn out a new story one of these years. Maybe that’s why I’m a Gokey fan.

At any rate, this week is a tough one. Lots of marginally good talent. I’m kind of an Adam fan, even though I think his performance was overdramatic. I like the red-haired chick and even liked the other red-haired chick (Langseth) tonight which I didn’t expect. Oh, and I sort of like that Megan girl, who is really pretty, sorta quirky, and a so-so singer. But there’s something cool about her.

I suppose one of these weeks I’ll remember all of their names.

OK, so this is borderline pop culture for sure, but just go with me for a second …

Am I the only one whose coffee drinking experience is affected by the cup I’m drinking it out of?

Case in point: I went to brand-new coffee shop this morning in Fargo. I typically bring my own from home each morning since it’s a whole lot cheaper than buying it every day. But today I branched out since this new store opened in my neighborhood. I don’t want to take anything away from the place. It was actually pretty cute inside and looks like it would be a great place to meet up with people for coffee. But the cups. Oh, the cups. I’m pretty sure they sell them in the paperware isle at Wal-Mart. If I’m going to go out for coffee, I want to have a cup special to that store. I want to feel like I didn’t bring my own coffee from home. Am I a coffee cup snob? Perhaps.

I even have preferences among the places that do have their own coffee cups. For example, I can’t stand dark-colored paper cups. I have no idea why. They just feel cheap to me. I love the regular Starbucks white cups but don’t like it as much at Christmas time when they switch to red. And God forbid someone serve me my coffee in a styrofoam cup. Gross. I’m even a bit particular with my "real" coffee cups at home. If I’m drinking out a ho-hum cup, the coffee just doesn’t taste as good.

I sound like a real head case. I just happen to be one of those people for whom coffee drinking is as much about the experience as it is the taste. Of course, none of this explains why I’m a sucker for the BK Joe coffee at Burger King. It breaks all the rules. But, I guess there always have to be exceptions.

If you’d ready any of my blogs, you are expecting me to write about my favorite TV show of all time, The Bachelor. But I’m going to skip it because tonight’s episode only confirmed what I knew and wrote about last week, thanks to my favorite blogger Realitv Steve. Jason gets engaged to Melissa but dumps her and now is with Molly. Notice how there was no mention tonight of him being engaged. If he were still engaged, they would be bragging. So, I get on with my night …

I actually just want to talk a little fashion. It just dawned on me this weekend when I was walking around the mall … the 80s are back and seem to be as big as my bangs circa 1987.

I’ve seen it coming: The skinny jeans, the bright green, blue and purple eyeshadows, the legwarmers. But lately it’s taken a turn, and the fashions are absolutely insane (or rad as some might say) now. Wet Seal is actually selling pink and purple frosted jeans (I’d go with the purple if I could fit it anything in that store). I saw a telephone belt (I remember being the first one in my 1st grade class to have one and oh how proud I was) at another one of the tweener stores, and I saw multi-colored neon tennies as one of the shoe places. There was more, too, but these things made my jaw drop. It’s just strange, don’t you think, when a decade comes back in fashion that you actually lived through and remember?!

I really do hope the hair comes next. Because honestly, I can’t pull off the skinny jeans anymore. But big hair? That’s something I can totally get behind. Bring on the Aquanet!

Let’s talk Oscars.

We’ll start with Ryan Seacrest.  It is so painful to listen to him. Like when he tried talking to the kids from "Slumdog Millionare". Only one problem: half of them don’t speak English. (Reminded me of when he tried to high five the blind guy on American Idol) Or when he tells Evan Rachel Wood that he can smell her. In his defense, he’s actually better than some of the red carpet hosts, like Lisa Rinna, Joey Fatone and Joan Rivers. But still. I almost prefer to watch the red carpet part of the night on mute.

Then there’s the fashion. Beyonce, what are you thinking?! Are you trying to look like an Oscar statue? Bad, bad choice. I so far haven’t seen a lot of other really bad dresses, though I will say that Heidi Klum picks the same red color for every dress she wears. She always looks the same. I’d like to see her in purple or green. Kate Winslet looks good. So does Anne Hathaway. Lots of cream-colored dresses tonight.

I suppose I better not forget about the awards. They’ll be starting any minute now. I’m disappointed that I never got to Slumdog because I have a feeling it’s going to win Best Picture. I didn’t see Benjamin Button either, but that’s because I can’t stand Brad Pitt. You heard me right. I can’t stand Brad Pitt. It’s actually Angelina I don’t like, but he’s guilty by association. I’d like to see Mickey Rourke win for The Wrestler. And Kate Winslet for "The Reader." And my guess is Heath Ledger will win supporting actor. He was good in that movie for sure, though I think Philip Seymour Hoffman will give him a run for his money. I’m rooting for Amy Adams for supporting actress.

Who actually will win? We shall see soon …

I wouldn’t call myself a huge fan of "Dancing with the Stars," though I’ll watch it if it’s on. But here’s what I can’t figure out … if this show is so popular – and it IS popular – why are they stuck with such lame "stars"? You’d think after this much time more B and C celebrities would want on. Instead they’re stuck with D-listers (or worse).

Case in point: Gilles Marini (who I read today is "heating it up" with dance partner Cheryl Burke)

What? You say you don’t know who he is? Yeah, well neither does anyone in America. I looked him up, of course. Apparently he’s best known for a nude scene in the "Sex and the City" movie. So that somehow makes him current or famous? Talk about taking a leap.

Or how about Steve Wozniak. I’m too bored by him to even tell you what he does for a living.

And you know they must be desperate when they have both Jewel and her husband, who let’s face it, is more famous for being Jewel’s husband than for being a rodeo champ.

I do look forward to seeing Shawn Johnson, Denise Richards (I actually prefer her ex-husband Charlie Sheen), and Lil Kim.

May the best D-lister win!

Clearly I have two favorite subjects (I swear my interests expand later in the spring): The Bachelor and American Idol. A couple of rants…

On American Idol, America got it right tonight with Danny and Alexis, but I’m not so sure on what’s-his-face. Seriously. I can’t even remember the third guy’s name. I don’t get the attraction of him or his voice, but people must have fallen for his aw-shucks personality. Not me. Don’t like it. He’s Josh Gracin light. I also don’t love that they’ve gone back to this voting method where they’ve divided the top 36 into groups and just a few get through. I liked it better when it was girls vs. guys all the way until the top 12. That way, everyone got to perform each week and you got more exposure to them and got more connected to individuals. The way it is, it feels like there will be good ones who slip through the cracks since they just get one shot. I fear one of those could be Jesse Langseth, the Fargo contestant who performs next week along with some other really good singers.

On The Bachelor … WOW. This is embarassing, but I got up early this morning to read Realitv Steve’s blog. He posted what he says IS the ending to the "shocking" Bachelor. I’ve read it, and I actually believe the guy knows what he’s talking about. Basically (stop reading if you don’t want to know), Jason picks Melissa, gets engaged, but then starts seeing his second choice, Molly, after the show is done. At the "After the Rose" show, which airs March 2, he dumps Melissa and admits he’s been seeing Molly on the sly and that he picks her instead. The second "After the Rose" show on March 3 is dedicated to catching up with Molly and Jason, and Melissa I suppose, to talk about the fallout. But here’s what’s more shocking, Steve’s blog says Jason agreed to pick Melissa for TV, even though he always wanted Molly. This was so that ABC could stun us with this shocking moment where he dumps his fiance on TV. ABC will claim Jason just changed his mind. I’m not sure I can believe all of this. Would Jason really do that? If so, women everywhere are going to hate this guy. Talk about falling from grace. Who knows, though. Either way, I feel strangely better knowing the outcome (assuming Steve is right). I hate surprises.