Guilty pleasure: Perez Hilton

About two or three years ago I would see an acquaintance of mine visit a website with a pink background and pictures of many celebrities, occasionally altered with the Paint program. Curiosity was killing the cat, so I had do ask her what the hell was that site she kept going to. It turned out to be a blog gone gossip site www.perezhilton.com. It is owned by an outspokenly, extroverted gay guy named Mario Armando Lavandeira, better known by his alter ego Perez Hilton.

The website focuses on mainly exposing celebs’ dirty laundry, in other words, discuss their legal, financial, and dating issues; also criticize the way they dress and the things they might say in the media. You might think that he only criticizes musicians and actos, but no. He takes jabs at models, politicians, and writers as well.

Other than sharing juicy gossip with his readers, he also shares music videos, and on occasions, simply audio with those who visit the site. I’ve been lucky enough to come across great music from several bands and artists that aren’t mainstream (don’t usually play on radio stations). We also get the scoop on new movies, television series, and Broadway shows.

Needless to say that many people in the entertainment world hate him and other people simply hate to love him. Perez Hilton also has made a sister website which focuses on fashion www.cocoperez.com and has also written two books so far: Red Carpet Suicide and True Bloggywood Stories. He has also been on several televesion programs and award shows.

Perez Hilton may not be an academic or someone worthy of a Nobel prize, but he sure has a way with words that makes some people, like myself, keep coming back for more celeb gossip. I must admit that I am somewhat embarrassed for visiting this website several times on a daily bases, but what can I say, I enjoy it.

Online Personality Disorder (OPD)

I thought I was clever enough to come up with the term online personality disorder (OPD) for this post, but the concept already exists. Fortunately for me it means the same thing I had in mind. It describes people who portray themselves differently online than they would when interacting with people that surround them. Not only does it have to do with their personality, but also they might describe their physical appearance different from what it really is. Online personality disorder is a very common occurrence, because not being face to face with someone tends to make people more comfortable to say what they really thing and/or gives them an outlet to not be who they usually are.

I’ve been a resident of cyberworld since my grandmother bought me a desktop for my 15th birthday in 2001. Before that I had no clue about the internet and at the moment it wasn’t the least bit attractive to me. Months passed and I become somewhat of an addict. I spent hours and hours online and my social life declined. During this time I got to chat with several people and we even met in person. I still remain close friends with some of them and there are others I have no idea where they are.

At the time I was young and didn’t really take out the time to observe and really think about the things people say in chat rooms. Lately I’ve noticed how mean and offensive some people are. I’ve also noticed how people I know say things online that they wouldn’t say otherwise. I’m not going to be one to throw the stone and hide the hand. In the past I used a screen name and never disclosed my name or where I was from. I didn’t change my personality or mistreated people, but I felt more comfortable sharing my points of view and discussing different subjects. At the time I was very insecure of myself and ideals, but this helped me not fear expressing my thoughts. Unfortunately many use the internet to hurt people by badmouthing them or by simply being prejudice, racist, sexist, etc. There has also been the case where individuals have lied about their identity by sharing fake pictures and creating fake lives.

The internet has indeed become a powerful place. Not only can we look up information, but also meet people from all around the world. Even though these residents of cyber world might be hundreds of miles away from us, we should treat them as we would someone we met at a party or at a park. Even if we know whoever we’re chatting with, we should treat them as we would when they are standing in front of us. There’s no need for dual personalities. We should be ourselves, always.

Queen

Two days ago I cruised around blogs and read one about rock legends. It focused on the Rolling Stones and on one of my favorite bands of all time, QUEEN! Then I thought, “Priscilla, why haven’t you dedicated a blog to Queen?” Well, here it is. Better late then never.

Queen is a British rock band, best known for their rise to stardom in the’70’s and ’80’s. The band was originally formed by Freddy Mercury (lead vocals), Brian May (guitar, vocals), John Deacon (bass), and Roger Taylor (drums, vocals). At the beginning of their career the band was mainly recognizable  in the U.K. it was later in 1974 and 1975 with the release of their albums Sheer Heart Attack and A Night at the Opers, respectively, that they gained international success.

Some of their hits include: Another One Bites the Dust, Killer Queen, Fat Bottomed Girls, Bicycle Race, You’re My Best Friend, Don’t Stop Me Now, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Flash, Play The Game. Their chart toppers and most requested songs are: Bohemian Rhapsody, Somebody to Love, Killer Queen, We Are the Champions, and We Will Rock You. Queen has also done several collaborations. The most known was is Under Pressure, song they recorded with David Bowie. Many of their songs have been used in movies, television, series, and sports events (i.e. We Are the Champions).

Freddy Mercury, the front-man of the band died in 1991 from bronchopneumonia brought on by AIDS. He has been voted, in several outlets, as one of the greatest singers and rock legends of all time. He was characterized for his dynamism and charisma in stage. Not only was Mercury a singer, but he also played several instruments, such as, the piano and the guitar. He also wrote numerous  hit songs for the band.  It was surprising to most when it was publicized that he was a bisexual man. He spent the last 6 years of his life in a relationship with a man. Though he had a very vibrant personality on stage, Mercury was known to be a very shy person, saying, “”When I’m performing I’m an extrovert, yet inside I’m a completely different man.” After his death, in 1992, a tribute concert was held in his honor. Many artists, Guns N’ Roses, Elton John, Annie Lennox, David Bowie, and others; gathered together to sing songs by Queen. All the money raised was donated to AIDS related charities.

Queen still performs with its remaining members. Not many bands can say they’ve been around for nearly 40 years. They’ve influenced new bands like Muse, Radiohead, My Chemical Romance, Green Day, The Killers, etc. We’re fortunate to be able to access their music with to or three clicks online. Their music will indeed live on.