The Most Exposed Celebs of 2008

Tabloids and gossip blogs tend to go through phases of “It” girls and celebrities who hog the spotlight for a period of time before they step back for a little bit. It used to be Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan every day, but even they have ceded the exposure crown to other ladies.

Comeback queen Britney Spears tops USA Today’s 2008 "Celebrity Heat Index" for the second year in a row. The ranking measures exposure in print and online entertainment news outlets, and apparently people are equally interested in Britney’s successes (winning awards and a Billboard topping album) as her stints in psychiatric wards.

Angelina Jolie, who gave birth to twin Knox and Vivienne this summer, came in second place, while her partner Brad Pitt came in fourth. Sandwiched between them this year was Brad’s ex-wife, Jennifer Aniston. May we be the first to admit we’re getting sick to death of hearing about this whole love triangle, but in 2008 it seemed there was nearly nothing else to report on! We hope to hear—and write—much, much less about Jen and Brangelina in 2009.

Also making the list were Britney’s sister, Jamie Lynn Spears and Tom Cruise. Parish Hilton was noticeably absent, and we’re not complaining.

It’s fascinating how some A-list stars manage to avoid the tabloids and paparazzi, and it’s usually no accident. We love stars who allow their body of word to speak for itself. Some celebs like Madonna seem to just spark rumors at their every turn. Others provide intimate accounts of their sex life for press and we’re totally turned off by them (that means you, Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson)!

Sources: Shine.yahoo.com

Britney’s Sneaky Song Lyrics

A nice come back for Britney on her 5th album and is on no. 1 as today. And here are some negative feedback.

Though her new album, “Circus” lacks a parental advisory warning for explicit lyrics, Britney Spears has found a clever way around using profane language on her track, “If You Seek Amy.” Say the title slowly and you may figure out what parents are so angry about. They lyrics in context are “All of the boys and all of the girls are begging to if you seek Amy.”

“I was astonished and totally taken aback when I heard my five and seven-year-old kids walking around the house singing ' ----- ’,” says parent Leonie Barsenbach. “When I asked them what it was, they told me it was Britney Spears. I was horrified.”

Ms. Barsenbach claims she bought ‘Circus’ for her kids thinking it would be good, wholesome entertainment for them over the holidays. Maybe we’re wrong, but this woman seems completely out of touch. Britney hasn’t been anything close to a desirable role model for youngsters for years. Two albums ago she had a song called “Touch of My Hand” that was very explicitly about masturbating and there was no warning on that album either.

“What I dislike most about this is that they have bypassed my authority as a parent by going under the radar by changing the wording to avoid issuing a warning,” continues Ms. Barsenback. Are we wrong for thinking the trick was sort of funny and clever?

Click here to see the lyrics
Sources: shine.yahoo.com

Britney Spears' Circus Act Tops the Charts

Britney Spears is back at No. 1.

For the first time in more than five years, Britney topped the Billboard 200. Her new album Circus sold more than half a million copies for the week ended Sunday.

This gives Spears the second biggest female bow of the year, topping debut weeks by Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus, Madonna, Janet Jackson and Beyoncé and only trailing Taylor Swift. Once the final retail receipts are counted, the album should claim the seventh biggest bow of 2008.

Back in October, Britney set the stage for her comeback when "Womanizer" became her first Hot 100 chart-topper since "…Baby One More Time" a decade ago. "Womanizer" also set the record for the biggest digital sales debut by a female artist (286,000 copies) since Nielsen SoundScan started tracking downloads in 2003.

"Imagine a year ago, did anyone think that today she would be able to come out with an album that would, not only just debut at No. 1, but also do half a million copies in its first week?" asks Billboard Senior Chart Manager Keith Caulfield. "It's surprising, but at the same time it's got to be pretty satisfying for Britney and for her record label."

And it's not just album and song sales soaring, because according to her website, "This tour is selling out like hot cakes! In response to overwhelming ticket sales, we have several more dates in cities including Los Angeles, London, Chicago, Toronto and Newark!"

So expect the circus to be coming to your town soon. >>From EOnline.com

A Great comeback for Britney. I really hope she won't be lost again at the middle of her Fame.

America's Top Pop Culture Obsessions

>> From Yahoo News Entertainment

Teen star Miley Cyrus, pop diva Madonna, "The Dark Knight," hi-tech gadgets and Barack Obama were among America's top pop culture obsessions that turned into possessions in 2008, according to online market place eBay.

"When someone or something excites the American public, you immediately see a surge of related listings pop up on eBay," said Karen Bard, eBay's pop culture expert.

Cyrus, the 16-year-old star of Disney's "Hannah Montana" TV show, beat teen rivals like the Jonas Brothers and the cast of "High School Musical" hands down in terms of items sold on eBay, the Web site said in a survey of hot items in 2008.

Some 223,139 "Hannah Montana" related-items, ranging from buttons, to clothes and posters, exchanged hands on the Web site during the year.


Britney Spears, emerging from another year of personal woes, proved popular with eBay buyers with 32,966 items sold.

But Spears was overshadowed by "Material Girl" Madonna, who turned 50 this year and also divorced second husband Guy Ritchie after months of rumors. Madonna memorabilia, albums and posters saw sales of 96,511 items.




In a historic presidential election year, Barack Obama was the clear front-runner on eBay as well as with U.S. voters, winning the November election and to become the first U.S. black president. The Web site saw an active trade in Obama posters, coins, action figures and even the odd lunchbox that led to sales of 111,546 Obama-related items.

Months of Obama-fever outstripped sales of Sarah Palin items (20,712) after the Alaska governor was named Republican vice-presidential candidate in September, sparking a rush in buyers for look-alike wigs, Palin's trademark glasses, autographed photos and even thong underwear.




Fans went batty for "The Dark Knight," the latest Batman movie, with 60,484 related items sold -- 18 times more than those of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."

Olympic gold medal swimming champion Michael Phelps broke records in the pool and sparked a buying fever online that saw 13,350 Phelps-related items sold on eBay, the world's largest online marketplace.





But the hottest of all the pop culture trends was the Nintendo Wii, which saw a whopping 2.05 million related items including accessories and games sold on eBay, outstripping the Microsoft Xbox 360 (1.29 million items), Apple's new iPod Touch (281,361) and the iPhone 3G (212,837).

The data was based on eBay listings that included key words in the listing title across all categories from Jan 1-Oct 15, 2008.

Britney: For the Record

Britney: For the Record is an upcoming 2008 documentary film of American recording artist and entertainer Britney Spears, directed by Phil Griffin. The documentary is set to air on November 30, 2008 in the United States, two days before the release of her sixth studio album, Circus, via MTV. The documentary will premiere in the United Kingdom earlier on December 1, and in Australia on December 2, 2008. A special Spanish subtitled version will air on MTV Tr3s.

The 90-minute documentary features an introspection of Spears' life over the the recent years, and her comeback to the music spotlight.

The first promotional trailer was posted exclusively on MTV.com on October 9, 2008. The promos then premiered on television on October 17, nationwide and October 20 worldwide. Main filming began on September 5, 2008 two days before Spears appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards.

"For the Record" was entirely shot in Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California and New York during the third quarter of 2008. As of November 22, the film has received positive reviews from the media.

In the show, which airs on MTV Sunday at 10 p.m. ET, Britney questions her behavior over the last couple years and sheds some light onto what it's like to be her on a daily basis. "I've been through a lot, and there's a lot people don't know," she says.

"I don't think anyone can prepare themselves for what stardom brings. ... It didn't touch home with me, the whole fame thing, until I had a huge breakup, and I wanted to just ... stop," she continues. Sometimes it can get lonely, because you don't open the gate up that much. ... So I'm kind of stuck in this place, and it's just, 'How do you deal?' I just cope, and that's what I do, every day."

In the documentary — which premieres two days before the December 2 release of her new LP, Circus, — fans can get a glimpse of Spears' life as she prepares for the album's release, which includes photo shoots, dance rehearsals and time with her two sons, Jayden James and Sean Preston.

"There's a lot people don't know about me that I want them to know," she said. "I've been through a lot the last two or three years. I've grown up, bigtime."

However, not all Spears' revelations are about her very public personal life over the last few years: She also talks about still loving her career, even after more than a decade in the business. "I recorded the album. I recorded a lot of songs and it's the process where the fun stuff starts to come," she said of Circus.

Spears also talks a bit about life under her conservatorship, which includes supervision by her dad Jamie Spears over her affairs. "I think it's too in control. If I wasn't under the restraints I'm under, I'd feel so liberated," she said. "When I tell them the way I feel, it's like they hear, but they're really not listening."

She added, "I never wanted to become one of those prisoner people. You're guarded. You have to be that way."

Britney's manager, Larry Rudolph, discussed the documentary at a screening in Los Angeles on Friday. "You see Britney in a light you're not used to seeing her in," he said. "She's intelligent, she's introspective, she's honest. By the end of the film you really understand who she is in a way that you just never imagined. ... It is so not a puff piece."