Tim Gunn Trashes Kanye West’s Fashion Line

Kanye West has been trash-talked by just about everyone, but none more cutting than Tim Gunn, whose opinion I cherish. Of the “fashion” line, Gunn said, “I think the only thing dumber than these clothes would be the people who would buy these clothes.” He furthered, “Kanye West is a sphinx without a riddle. I just don’t understand why people are so in awe. [The models in the show were] basically wearing stretch undergarments.”

For years everyone in the entertainment industry has tried to give Gunn a workable platform for his own show, none of which have taken flight. It can only be reasoned that creatives don’t quite know a proper format for the fashion titan. If it were me, it would extend his stints on Project Runway to revolve the show more around his teachings and commentary. I’d also change the format of fashion police and put him as the star. Watch the video below.

Kanye West’s Fashion Show: A Yeezy Disaster?

Is Kanye West an evil genius or just plain evil? One could argue his brand has never been bigger, and the negative press is only serving to perpetuate his popularity, given that all his pop-up shows sell out swiftly.

When the ‘Life of Pablo’ rapper debuted his Yeezy Season 4 collection in the blazing heat, hours late, and left models passing out sans water and sitting on the grass, the press rightfully erupted, and even the designer for Bergdorf Goodman came to the rescue. The editorial director for The Cut called the experience “shameful” and said “the most responsible thing we could all do would be to write NOTHING about this show.” To be fair, many models starve themselves to meet the unfair demands of the industry (not Kanye West), and West cannot control the weather. This is certainly not the first nor the worst thing anyone has been asked to do to promote a product. That being said, art often speaks for itself, and there’s no art in passed out models, broken shoes, and less-than-impressive clothes.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The death of one’s brand is low and slow, and I predict Kanye West is on his way. We can argue endlessly about whether all press is good press, and whether this is all part of some master plan, but I beg to differ. His talent is music, not fashion, and the more the public believes him to be an egomaniac, the less likely they are to support him.

The 2016 MTV VMAs — Recap + Videos


Britney Spears + G-Eazy

I will always root for Britney Spears, as will the rest of America. She’s a true comeback story, and it’s good to see that we are not defined by our worst moments. Having said that, her performance at the MTV VMAs just isn’t up to snuff. In fact, if I were on her team, I’d have kept her off the stage entirely. For starters, it was fine for her to lip sync at the beginning of her career because she was dancing. But now, there’s no excuse. She’s walking across the stage with extremely minimal choreography, And if you’re going to go that route, then the performance better be extremely high-concept to distract the audience from the issue at hand. Instead, they put her center stage sans distraction, and left her up there with nothing to fill the time. As for G-Easy, they have zero chemistry. Like I said, I love Britney, but her team just needs to do better. They have something to work with here, and they’re doing nothing.

Rihanna

Rihanna gets an A for effort. With a medley of her most-loved hits, some interesting chaps, and an overflow of pink, it was an extravaganza for the eyes. Britney’s team should take note. Though it wasn’t heavy with choreography on Rihanna’s part, there’s enough good stuff on stage to make this memorable.

Beyonce

Beyonce made the other performances feel as if a lion went up against a bunch of ants. In short, she slayed, and her 15 minute show was an extremely original, eye-catching masterpiece. It’s Beyonce’s world, and everyone else just lives in it.

Kanye West

I would encourage Kanye West to give money to charity, rather than begging for big outlets to invest in him. Actually, I’d encourage him to physically go to a shelter and feed the homeless, because his bloated display of hubris isn’t just tired, it’s sad. For a man that does only one thing well, he sure doesn’t do it often. If you love Beyonce, take notes from her, and do less talking and more performing. He will continue to get away with this for some time, because the decline of one’s brand is a slow death, and like the frog being boiled in water, it will soon be too late to recover.

Ariana Grande + Nicki Minaj

I don’t like spinning at the gym, and I certainly don’t like it on the stage. This feels like the princess version of a dance routine designed by some ladies from Brentwood who said to Grande, “You know what would be so cool?! Spin bikes on stage! OMG and the Olympics just happened so like . . . add a pommel horse!!”

Nick Jonas

I had high hopes for Nick Jonas, but this dated performance reeked of the 90’s. If he wants to convince the public that his boy band days are behind him, this was not the way to go. Jonas has marketed himself as the cool, sexy guy who was just too mature for a trio with his brothers. The only thing missing here was Nick Lachey.

Kanye West Teams With Balmain for “Wolves” Video


Kanye West has always tried to fuse fashion with music, and perhaps he found the perfect collaboration while promoting “Wolves” with Olivier Rousteing’s Fall 2016 line for Balmain. According to Rousteing, he wanted to create a campaign around Kanye’s lyrics, music, and aesthetic. Of course, the video always features Kanye’s wife and muse, who wore her arresting Balmain dress from the 2016 MET Gala. The video for ‘The Life of Pablo’ track was directed by Steven Klein and art directed by Pascal Dangin of KiDS Creative. According to Vogue, the models include: Joan Smalls, Jourdan Dunn, Alessandra Ambrosio, Jon Kortajarena, Ysaunny Brito, Josephine Skriver, Chico Lachowski, Jordan Barrett, Ronald Epps, Sasha Luss, Riley Montana, and Dilone. I think it’s safe to say Kanye finally found a way to merge art forms, and it’s refreshing that it did not involve his own clothes. There’s a way to fulfill one’s passion that actually produces an aesthetically pleasing result for all parties involved.

Tabloid Gossip: Your Week of Celebrity News

sharon-osbourne-ozzy-osbourne-1981

Kanye West paid tribute to his late mother. Mtv

Caitlyn Jenner met her grandson. Entertainment Tonight

Gerard Butler has a new lady love. Just Jared

Lindsay Lohan and her fiance had a big fight. Jezebel

Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne have reportedly reconciled. Wonderwall

Miley Cyrus got a new tattoo for Liam Hemsworth. Yahoo!

Hayden Panettiere and her family are sticking together. Pop Sugar

Iggy Azalea’s ex-fiance, Nick Young, might have impregnated another woman. ICYDK

Jack Wagner’s son is no longer missing. The Wrap

Adriana Lima might be dating Scott Eastwood after spitting from her boyfriend. Wonderwall

Khloe Kardashian kicked Lamar Odom out of his house. TMZ

Russell Brand is going to be a dad. E! Online

Liv Tyler is a mom again. D Listed

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner aren’t following through with their divorce. The Superficial

Gayle King’s ex-husband apologized for cheating on her. Too Fab

Lea Michele and Robert Buckley called it quits. Hollywood Life

 

Kim Kardashian Talks Taylor Swift on KUWTK


Kim Kardashian almost had me in the clip below, but she took an unfortunate left turn when she once again defended Kanye’s infamous Taylor Swift stage-crash. In reference to Swift “playing the victim,” Kim explains that she felt it was time to defend Kanye over a lyric in ‘The Life of Pablo’ in which Kanye claims that he “made that bitch famous.” According to Swift, she did not approve the line, but team Kardashian-West insists otherwise. It’s still unclear whether Kim personally witnessed Swift’s approval or simply heard a second-hand version from Kanye. I agree that Swift is humorless, takes herself too seriously, and is a bit of a hypocrite, but Kim should have simply stopped at “Kanye should not continue to be punished.”
Continue reading “Kim Kardashian Talks Taylor Swift on KUWTK”

Kim Kardashian Takes Aim at Taylor Swift

There are two takes on Taylor Swift. One is that she’s a sweet, shrewd ingenue with a sincere heart, and the other is that she’s a calculated mastermind that has carefully choreographed every stage of her career, even the ones that seemed unplanned. She fought Apple on behalf of indie music artists, for example, and she was praised for her brazen letter to the behemoth. KIM KARDASHIAN GQ NAKED Apple “folded,” and she signed an exclusive deal with the company shortly thereafter. But the timing was a little too close for comfort, and music industry insiders whispered that perhaps the entire event was staged, because these contracts usually take far more time than a few days. As for her Calvin Harris breakup, just when I thought his team might have trumped young Taylor with carefully placed leaks about how the DJ got “bored” with the star and she was some weepy woman begging for a ring, Swift was spotted kissing Tom Hiddleston on a public beach. It goes without saying that she won, and it also goes without saying that if you go up against the Swift machine, you don’t stand a chance. Harris learned that the hard way. But what happens when your war is with Kim Kardashian, whose ass can “break the internet,” and whose image is far different from Swift’s? It’s as if a Kangaroo and an eagle are fighting. It just feels . . . odd.

When Kanye West took a swipe at Swift in a lyric for his new album, ‘The Life of Pablo,’ claiming to have “made that b-ch famous,” Swift hit back during her Grammy speech. Kim wasn’t pleased, and both her and Kanye have long held that he requested permission for the line, and it was granted. See below:

 

Kim says Taylor’s deep emotional wound is nonsense — okay, she says it’s a lie — and that there’s video proof, because a videographer was actually filming their phone call. Why? Because Kim’s husband commissions videographers to film everything when he’s recording an album, for posterity (and possibly, one day, a documentary). And this is where it gets sticky.

“She totally approved that,” Kim says, shaking her head in annoyance. “She totally knew that that was coming out. She wanted to all of a sudden act like she didn’t. I swear, my husband gets so much shit for things [when] he really was doing proper protocol and even called to get it approved.”

… Swift, Kim insists, “totally gave the okay. Rick Rubin was there. So many respected people in the music business heard that [conversation] and knew. I mean, he’s called me a bitch in his songs. That’s just, like, what they say. I never once think,[gasping] ‘What a derogatory word! How dare he?’ Not in a million years. I don’t know why she just, you know, flipped all of a sudden.… It was funny because [on the call with Kanye, Taylor] said, ‘When I get on the Grammy red carpet, all the media is going to think that I’m so against this, and I’ll just laugh and say, ‘The joke’s on you, guys. I was in on it the whole time.’ And I’m like, wait, but [in] your Grammy speech, you completely dissed my husband just to play the victim again.”

Swift’s team responded, saying:

“Taylor does not hold anything against Kim Kardashian as she recognizes the pressure Kim must be under and that she is only repeating what she has been told by Kanye West. However, that does not change the fact that much of what Kim is saying is incorrect. Kanye West and Taylor only spoke once on the phone while she was on vacation with her family in January of 2016 and they have never spoken since. Taylor has never denied that conversation took place. It was on that phone call that Kanye West also asked her to release the song on her Twitter account, which she declined to do. Kanye West never told Taylor he was going to use the term ‘that bitch’ in referencing her. A song cannot be approved if it was never heard. Kanye West never played the song for Taylor Swift. Taylor heard it for the first time when everyone else did and was humiliated. Kim Kardashian’s claim that Taylor and her team were aware of being recorded is not true, and Taylor cannot understand why Kanye West, and now Kim Kardashian, will not just leave her alone.”

So who’s telling the truth? That’s up for you to decide, but perhaps it lies somewhere in the middle. My guess? Taylor knew more than she let on, but perhaps not the entirety of the song. That being said, she’s humorless, and the line in question is pretty tame. I also take issue with the implication that Kim Kardashian is under her husband’s spell and therefore forced to take his side. It’s anti-woman, and I expect more from Team Swift.

 

 

Kanye West Visits Ellen for Another Ridiculous Rant

Kanye West Fashion

Kanye West is an extremely talented musician, but I simply cannot make sense of his insatiable need to conquer all creative mediums. It would be too obvious to talk about the narcissism surrounding his appeal to change the world with more resources. He’s already rich, and if he can’t make a business out of his existing income absent investors, then maybe his dreams are far too big, or his execution is far too weak. Perhaps he can use his capital for charity to “make a difference” rather than a weak fashion line with boring bodycon, tonal spandex. In a new interview with Ellen, he was provoked into another ridiculous rant which only received a clap when he discussed removing bullying, which is in no way part of any actual plan. What’s next? Standing on a mountain top to promote world peace? Also, if you’re going to discuss your inspirational geniuses, think of something more original than Walt Disney, Steve Jobs, and Picasso.

Kim Kardashian: “Tyga Broke Blac Chyna’s Heart”

Tyga_BlacChyna_KimKardashian_KanyeWest

Kim Kardashian finally fessed up to her inside take on Tyga and Kylie Jenner’s controversial relationship, which allegedly began while Kylie was underage and Tyga was already in a relationship with Blac Chyna. According to Kim, she was friends with Chyna but forced to take Kylie’s side because it’s her sister, thus breaking their bond. But what goes around comes around, and when Rob Kardashian began dating Chyna, Kylie and Tyga quickly broke up. As for Kim’s friendship with Chyna? Well . . . if family comes first, then they’re either going to make up, or have an extremely awkward Thanksgiving. Kudos to Chyna for getting the world’s best revenge on an ex — intentional or not.

Why TMZ Should Not Publish 911 Calls

911 TMZFacebook founder Mark Zuckerberg once said that of all the things money can buy, anonymity isn’t one of them. Though that might seem like a small price to pay for the advantages of an unlimited bank account and lavish lifestyle, there’s a monster lurking beneath the surface that is often not discussed. With fame comes special treatment, and that special treatment might cost your life.

In the case of Prince, reports have surfaced that the legendary musician suffered an overdose, and despite needing more treatment, he left the hospital early because he couldn’t get a private room. And when Kanye West was once asked what he has had to give up for fame, he said his mother, who tragically died after plastic surgery that I can only presume he paid for. He would not elaborate further, but it’s been revealed that his mother, Donda West, left the hospital early despite advice from the medical staff. Would the staff have pushed harder had she not been the son of Kanye? Who knows. What about Steve Jobs? The Apple giant opted for an herbal remedy instead of immediately removing a cancerous tumor from his pancreas, and though there are no reports of special treatment, I can’t help but wonder how hard he was advised against that decision, given his superstar status. And who can forget the doctor that snapped a photo of Joan Rivers during the surgery that ended her life? Lastly, there’s Michael Jackson, who managed to find a doctor to administer the drug that killed him. Dubbed “V.I.P Syndrome,’ doctors are often advised about the possibility of skewed judgment, but their famous patients are also to blame. They become desensitized to cutting corners, even when their life is at stake.

The desire for anonymity and the acceptance of special treatment manifests in dangerous ways, and though we can’t babysit celebrities, we can admonish the tabloids that facilitate this issue. TMZ is a major source of my entertainment news, mostly because I’m a lawyer, and I’m aware that Harvey Levin is a lawyer too, and he’s adept at the risks of defamation. I therefore know he would not publish lies, and most of his information is fed through reliable sources. Having said that, I’m also aware that they publish 911 calls, and I know this is a life-threatening decision. If a celebrity is in danger, they might think twice about calling for help when they know it will end up on the internet. Furthermore, their team might think twice, because they’re there to protect a star’s image, and the 911 call would expose very private information. Finally, addiction is a beast, and AA is anonymous for a reason. Each and every time a call is published, it chips away at the safe haven of calling the people paid to protect us. I understand TMZ and many other outlets have a job to do. But there’s a line in the sand. And this crosses it.