Worth a Click

OK, I’ll admit it.

I’m hopelessly addicted to celebrity gossip. I’ve managed to wean myself off a bit, but I definitely have my favorite sites and celebrities. My favorite celebrity couple right now is definitely Brangelina, and that has very little to do with Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie.

For me, it’s all about Zahara. She’s the true star of the family! And from the get-go, she’s been harassed by the paparazzi. Little Miss Z doesn’t take kindly to candid photos. Check out her gangsta glare at the cameras. But she’s even more adorable when she smiles. Awww, Zahara. She’s the cutest.

I already thought that Barack Obama was a pretty cool guy. The more I learn about his policies and intentions, the more I like him. The dude is intelligent, eloquent, he’s got an amazing wife, and surprise surprise — he’s got art skills!

This drawing by Barack Obama is being auctioned on Ebay as part of National Doodle Day USA, a charity event that raises funds for individuals and families affected by neurofibromatosis (NF). Currently, the bids are well over $500 for his drawing, which appears to capture his peers in the government — is that supposed to be Ted Kennedy on the right?

Click here to check out the cool celebrity doodles, and the um, not so cool ones. (Seriously, Jay Leno, no wonder the bidding is low on that. Try better still).

My favorites are by the amazing Ellen Burstyn, Candice Bergen, this one by Gillian Anderson’s daughter (which reminds me of a cross between Where the Wild Things Are and Aaah! Real Monsters), and this cool, Afrocentric landscape by former Afrobella of the Week CCH Pounder.

Speaking of former Afrobellas of the Week… Concrete Loop is ON FIRE with the music posts these days! This past week, there were two new songs by former afrobellas of the week.

Lauryn Hill’s Lose Myself takes a real departure from the hip hop/R&B style her fans may have been expecting. The song is being featured on the soundtrack for the animated film Surf’s Up, which centers around the Penguin World Surfing Championship. The song itself has that oceanic vibe, and her delivery reminds me of Nina Simone somewhat. And of course, it’s all about L Boogie’s lyrics, which seem to directly address her life. “I had to lose myself, so I can love you better.” The sentiment is beautiful. Loving it.

The other song that I discovered through The Loop was Chrisette Michele’s Good Girl. I’ve been bumping that for a solid week now. I can’t get enough of that song!

Angel La was also lucky enough to interview Chrisette, and she came correct with the questions. Great job, Angel La! I always feel intimidated when it comes time to ask famous people a controversial question, so I appreciate the way she handled the situation. And I LOVED Chrisette’s realness at the end, when she responded to a previous comment, where someone dared to say that she needed to lose weight to become more marketable.

Chrisette got all kinds of sassy.”I just want to let that person know that I’m very very excited about being my size in this industry. Because the average woman size in America is a 14. So at this particular moment, I am an average woman. And if you don’t know what an average woman looks like, you need to open your eyes and look again. That’s all. Whoever said that really played they self. I was like, I bet your girl was my size!” Ha haaaaa! Go ‘head, Chrisette! And I do know for a fact that she reads the comments about her, because she came right here on Afrobella and left a comment in response to her Afrobella of the Week post, too! Click and scroll all the way down to read it.

The lyrics for Good Girl are so refreshing and so necessary : “Simple love, money can’t buy. Simple love’s hard to come by. I don’t need a sugar daddy, I could be a sugar mommy.” She’s so right, there ain’t too many good girls. Not even on her own label, which features a Good Girl Gone Bad, and produces hit songs like Upgrade You, which is all about fetishizing materialism. I’ve been yearning for music I can actually RELATE to for a change, so I’m psyched for her album. If you’re curious about Chrisette, check out this video, A Closer Look. While she’s being interviewed about her life, she bursts so effortlessly into song. She’s amazing.

Chrisette, if you’re reading this, I want you to know that I got your back, and I can’t wait to see what you do next. And as long as you stay real and sing what YOU want to sing about, and keep on being the positive role model that you are, I’m gonna be first in line to buy I Am when it drops on June 19!