Juicy Celeb Gossip

Gossip Girl may be every parent’s nightmare because of too much information it leaks about the reality of American teenage circuit, but its high ratings and wide range of viewers cannot deny its influence on the youth all over the globe.

Its ensemble cast of beautiful and upcoming stars including Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Taylor Momsen, Chace Crawford, Kelly Rutherford, Connor Paolo and Florencia Lozano, has really become part of today’s pop culture, even rivaling the popularity of the original Beverly Hills 90210 in the early 90s. Ask high school kids in your block about Gossip Girl quiz and ten to one that those pesky teens would be able to get every question right. That’s how the show has become like a virus infecting not only the teen market, but even the twenty something audience who are still nursing teenage angst. Gossip Girl is a plague spreading by each episode it airs on TV.

To those who haven’t seen an episode or two of the series, let me give you what the phenomenon called Gossip Girl is all about. On the other hand, to those who are avid and rabid fans of the teen series let me give you a Gossip Girl quiz to rave about.

“You’re nobody until you’re talked about.”

The story is narrated through the eyes of an unseen and omniscient character, Gossip Girl who maintains a popular commentary blog that contains all the juicy details of what’s happening to the most ‘populence’ and talked-about members of the elite New York Upper East Side Scene. On top of whom are Serena van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf (portrayed by Blake Lively and Leighton Meester respectively). Blair, the Queen Bee, has a strained relationship her best friend, Serena, the former It girl, who moved out of Manhattan due to suspicious reasons and self-imposed exile.

The relationship of the two vixens was further damaged by the fact that Blair’s boyfriend, Nate Archibald (Chace Crawford) has feelings for Serena. In the course of the story, it appears that Serena slept with Nate which became the reason for her sudden exodus from the elite community.

Being trapped in his relationship with Blair, being constantly manipulated by his family, and not being able to be with the woman he loves, Nate grew up with much angst against the society he lives in. Nate’s hatred is to be compounded by his childhood friend’s, Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick), influence. Chuck is a manipulative and morally corrupt spoiled rich kid who would not bat an eyelash about abusing others to satisfy his own needs. Despite his nature, he has a soft spot for his best friend, Nate, and Blair. Later in the season, Chuck would realize that he has feelings for Blair.

When Serena comes back from her self-imposed exile, she finds herself an outcast in the privileged society she used to rule. Instead of welcoming arms from friends, she received dagger looks of betrayal from people who were once her allies. In the midst of teenage rivalry, she soon finds a friend in Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley), son of a former rock star turned gallery owner, Rufus Humphrey (Matthew Settle). Dan and his younger sister Jenny Humphrey (Taylor Momsen) face an enormous challenge to fit in to their new elite environment. To make matters more complicated in the Upper East Side of New York, Rufus once had an affair with Serena’s mother, socialite Lily van der Woodsen (Kelly Rutherford), who was once a groupie.

Trivia and Fun Topics for a Gossip Girl Quiz

It doesn’t take a pop culture guru to figure out that GOSSIP GIRL is changing the way we view teeny-bopper shows. It has created such a huge cult following that every little detail about the series has been a point of discussion for GG fans and mere spectators alike. Here are some trivia about the actors and Gossip Girl quiz to test your Gossip Quotient:

1. This teen series is inspired by a popular novel of the same name written by _______________.

a. Cecily von Ziegesar

b. Cecilia der van Woodsen

c. Cecily von Woodsen

2. GG’s producer, _____________, is also responsible for the success of the O.C., another popular teen series set in the richville of Orange County.

a. Josh Groban
b. Josh Schwartz

c. Josh Quartz

3. Gossip Girl was initially meant to be a movie with _____________ playing the role of Blair Waldorf opposite _____________ as Serena van der Woodsen.

a. Linday Lohan and Christina Aguilera

b. Paris Hilton and Jessica Simpson

c. Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears

4. Gossip Girl, the unseen and omniscient narrator in the story is voiced by _______________of the popular TV series, Veronica Mars.

a. Kristen Bell

b. Kirsten Dunst

c. Kristin Davis

5. The series has bagged awards in the recently concluded _______________ for Choice TV Drama, Choice TV Actress Drama (Blake Lively), Choice TV Breakout Female (Blake Lively), Choice TV Breakout Male (Chace Crawford), and Choice TV Villain (Ed Westwick).

a. Oscar Awards

b. Emmy Awards

c. Teen Choice Awards

With its mixture of interesting characters, great storyline, controversial scenes, and New York as its background, Gossip Girl is all set to change the face of teen television.

Answers:

1. a. Cecily von Ziegesar

2. b. Josh Schwartz

3. c. Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears

4. c. Kristen Bell

5. c. Teen Choice Awards

News goes that one of the most downloaded TV shows online since four years is Desperate Housewives. No one really expects the men to be watching this, so that leaves the female audience who form more than a majority of the program’s viewership. This is one drama series that has struck a note with women instantly. It’s not the usual soap like The Bold and the Beautiful or Santa Barbara. This one is a complete tangent from the more-than-perfect lives of these soap starlets and their glossy lipsticks.
So what’s so exclusive about these housewives? It could be a number of things. The fact that they are portrayed as imperfect, frustrated women which makes them instantly believable, so the audience relates to them perfectly. Nevertheless, below all the flaws in their character, none of these women are chicken. These women are made of sterner stuff, facing challenges head on and tackling every obstacle that life has to offer in their own unique way. That makes them role models as well.

They make every woman feel like they are super women. They feel agony, jealousy, and resentment just like any other, but finally triumph over every dark feeling. This TV series also has a dash of comedy to make it less of a tearjerker and more of a rib tickler. The women get crazy, clumsy and sometimes go utterly wild. The bond between them is also strong and brings in elements of friendship and togetherness, just what a sentimental audience wants to see.

These women aren’t just gutsy characters on reel; some of them have shown steely resolve in real life as well. Teri Hatcher who plays Susan Mayer, helped prosecutors put a child molester behind bars in 2002, after coming out in the open about her childhood experience with molestation. It takes a lot to reopen old wounds. Eva Longoria’s another inspiring example. Her petite frame is deceptive of what the lady really is capable of. She heads and supports a number of charity foundations for various causes.

These women are a mix of glamour and guts. Desperate Housewives is probably a tribute to women like these, and the audience simply laps it up.

Blake Lively plays Serena van der Woodsen in the hit television show, Gossip Girl. Serena is slim and ethereally beautiful; she is admired by every other girl in the show. She is very intelligent, but she is told often that she is not working to her full potential. She lives in the Upper East Side of Manhattan and comes from a family that is very prominent in New York society. She plays a very modest yet beautiful girl who is sought after by many guys in the show. She is a true romantic and is swept off her feet by Dan Humphrey, the lower middle class classmate from Brooklyn.
The real life of Blake Lively is not that far from the character she portrays on the series. She was born in Tarzana, California and is the youngest of five children. Both her parents were actors and all of her siblings have acted at one point as well. They are a very talented family and are well known in the acting world. Lively did not always want to be an actress though and it was not until later in life that she realized this desire.

As a child she was homeschooled and ironically, one of her home school classmates was actor Penn Badgley, who plays her love interest on the television series. Blake Lively went to Burbank High School in Burbank, California where she was in the National Show Choir. She was very popular in high school, just as she is in Gossip Girl and she was senior class president as well as a cheerleader. All through high school Lively had plans to attend Stanford University, but the summer between her junior and senior year, her brother had his agent send her out on a few auditions. She only went on two auditions, but in one of them she landed her very first acting role as Bridget in the film, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. She actually did very well in her film debut and won a Teen Choice Award nomination for the Choice Movie Breakout Female.

Blake Lively put her college dreams on hold and appeared in movies such as Accepted, Simon Says, and Elvis and Anabelle. She will actually reprise her role as Bridget in 2008 in the sequel, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. Blake Lively is a force to be reckoned with and she looks like she will be on the circuit for a long time.

If you have ever stopped and watched the show, you have no doubt noticed that there are several people who manage to be extremely successful without actually winning the show. With this in mind, how is it possible for people to ultimately be successful if they do not win? Who really were the winners on American Idol? Yet at the same time, there are several people who are capable of winning the show but yet never manage to find ultimate success. The horrible reality is most people are not capable of finding true success on the show.

With so many people trying out for American Idol each year it is extremely important to locate the best talent in the country. At times, this can be really easy to do, however on other occasions it can be much more complicated as people struggle to determine which contestants are really best. With a large number of contestants, there are plenty of opportunities to learn exactly what it is that you are looking for in a musician. Nevertheless, while we as viewers are afforded the ability to truly select what we want for the American Idol, it is much harder for the contestants to determine what they need to do to be truly successful.

For many idols, the dream of being truly successful is extremely hard to actually fulfill. For other contestants it is something that is extremely easy to accomplish. For example, contestants such as Chris Daughtry are capable of pulling the audience into their performances, which can make it extremely easy to go on to a truly successful recording contract. As you have no doubt noticed, there are several former American Idol contestants who have been faced with extremely bad commercial success after winning the show.

One of the best examples of this is the small size of the careers of winners like Fantasia, Taylor Hicks and even Ruben Studdard. While artists like Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks and even Kelly Clarkson have gone onto astronomical success. The newest winner, David Cook is just getting started after winning and it is unclear just how successful he will really be. With a truly great appeal it is possible that he can go onto become the next Carrie Underwood, but he could turn out to be the next Taylor Hicks instead.

Regardless of which end of the spectrum each contestant falls, there is nothing at all that guarantees success. Of course, the show itself always takes pride on ensuring that at least the winner is offered a recording contract, however much beyond this is left to the actual contestant and the type of music that they select to pick out. Many people might think that each of the winners will go onto huge success, but as prior indications have shown, this is sometimes far from the actual truth.

For the contestants who are lucky enough to find total success it is a great accomplishment. However, it is very important that the other contestants not be ruled out as well. There are often times when the contestants who do not actually win the show go on to be much better commercial success than the actual winners. Just take a look at Season 5; while Taylor Hicks was the actual winner, Chris Daughtry has been much more successful. This could even lead you to question whom ultimate won the show, while Taylor walked away with the number one position, Chris has walked away with awards, more money and much more commercial success.

Watching each contestant develop into someone that you are actually interested in watching grow professionally can be a lot of fun. There are several times when it is lots of fun to watch the underdeveloped contestants grow into actual artists. With plenty of opportunities to prove themselves, American Idol does allow plenty of great artists a perfect springboard for their musical career, how they choose to use their springboard varies, but after being sent home as a 4th place contestant I’m sure Chris Daughtry would agree that winning the actual contest is not all that matters.

Blake Christina Lively, a favorite Gossip Girl cast member, is never new to the world of Hollywood. Born to actors Elaine and Ernie Lively in Tarzana, California, and the youngest of 5 children, Lively was indeed meant to thread a path in Hollywood belonging to a family that has been involved in the industry herself. However, Blake was not initially set on following her family’s path. Instead of getting involved in showbiz at an early age, she enjoyed a normal life in school.

As a child, Blake was homeschooled. She moved on to attend Burbank High School wherein she became a cheerleader, class president and a member of the National Show Choir. She was set on attending Stanford University until Hollywood fame came knocking at her door.

Blake’s Shot to Fame

Her first taste of Hollywood came when she starred in her father’s film, Sandman in which she portrayed the role of Trixie, the Tooth Fairy at age 11. Her biggest break took place when she bagged the role of Bridget in the teen hit movie, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, in 2005 opposite other famous young stars, America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel. It is said that Blake’s similarity with her character in the film was so obvious that the mere act of turning in her picture already got her the part. Her amazing performance in the movie won her the Teen Choice Award for Best Breakout Actress. The success of the said film led to a sequel that stars the same cast. Lively also starred in a college comedy, Accepted, opposite Justin Long in 2006 and the film, Elvis and Anabelle in 2007 alongside Keith Carradine and Mary Steenburgen.

Gossip Girl Affair with Penn Badgley

Not long after, she got the lead role as Serena van der Woodsen in Gossip Girl. This project really cast her name in Hollywood as one of the upcoming stars of the generation. Like a chameleon, Blake was able to transform herself into the complex character she portrays in the show. Gossip Girl also paved the way for her to be reunited with childhood friend and classmate, Penn Badgley, who stars as Dan Humphrey, Serena’s love interest in the teen drama. Their rumored relationship off screen was the headline of all tabloids, but the two initially never confirmed the affair. It was only when a magazine featured photos of them on a vacation together in Mexico that Lively and Badgley came out with their relationship.

Recent Project

Many doors have been opened to Lively because of her Gossip Girl fame. She is set to star in New York, I Love You with Hollywood A-listers, Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, and Brett Ratner. The movie is expected to hit theaters late this year.

We can definitely say that Blake has everything going for her. A member of the Gossip Girl cast, role model, and an amazing actress, she is one of the most sought after talent of this generation. There’s no doubt about it. Blake is the next best thing in Hollywood.

It’s given that if you’re a Hollywood star you’re certainly sleeping on fat paychecks. If you thought huge greenback is just in the movies, then it’s time to revise your impressions. Check out the earnings of some top television stars and you’d know that TV is as much a money-spinner as any big budgeted film. Take the stars of FRIENDS for instance. None have a film career worth talking about, but their bank balance remains hefty. The TV series has catapulted them to worldwide success, and earned them a whopping one million dollars per episode in the last two seasons. The stars just started off with a mere $1600 per episode. The success of the program saw their prices skyrocket 600 times in a span of 10 years.

Imagine the kind of revenue the show grosses if the makers can afford to pay the stars such gigantic amounts. These shows have an audience appeal that beats anything on big screen. Multiple-award winning show Grey’s Anatomy has been an audience favorite since it started in 2005. Katherine Heigl who plays Dr Izzie Stevens in the show, was among the top 20 highest paid actresses. Who needs movies when TV can give you fame and money? Ask Eva Longoria Parker, another actress featuring in the same elite list, or her Desperate Housewives co-star Teri Hatcher, who’s reportedly earning a whopping $285,000 per episode. They’d vouch for television any day.

International supermodel Tyra Banks’ date with fame hasn’t halted even after she delved into television shows. Hosting America’s Next Top Model and The Tyra Banks Show has raked in big moolah for the modeling queen. She tops the list of highest paid actresses with earnings of $23 million a year. Money in television has been big for some time now. The stars of Seinfeld (1989-1998) experienced fortune pouring down after the humongous success of the show. Jerry Seinfeld accompanies the Friends stars in the million-dollar club, since his pay packet matched theirs in the final season of the show.

Television shows of every genre reach out to the audience in diverse ways. Apart from usual daytime space on TV, they are found on Internet TV and DVDs in the market. The makers have multiple ways of making sure they sell their shows to an audience that adores their conception so much.

 

Just when you think housewives are all about household chores and stuff, then you are definitely wrong. Meet this hot and sexy female fantasy – Eva Longoria Parker. You have known her as Gabrielle in the hit tv show Desperate Housewives, now know the story behind the face.

Born in Brooks County, Texas, Eva is of Mexican and American descent. Her family lived and worked on farmland, often having little money. She and her three older sisters grew up poor but when she made it in show business, things looked slightly better for them financially.

Eva started getting television roles in 2000, appearing in Beverly Hills 90210 and General Hospital. Then came her big break on the popular American soap opera The Young and the Restless, in which she played a psychotic character, Isabella, from 2001 to 2003.

In 2004, the career of this hot and sexy tv actress was well and truly launched when she starred in the worldwide hit Desperate Housewives. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy for her role in the said series. She also appeared in films such as The Sentinel (2006), Harsh Times (2006), and Over Her Dead Body (2008).

We will definitely see more of hot and sexy Eva for she and her Desperate Housewives co-stars have just renewed their contracts for four years, worth $40 million. And besides, she still continues to be included in lists of Hollywood’s Most Beautiful, gracing the covers of every magazine. She is the first woman to top Maxim’s Hottest Female Stars list in two consecutive years (2005 and 2006). And last year she made it, ranking at number 9.

No doubt that everyone who loves the show will definitely miss Edie Britt, the character played by Nicollette Sheridan. Edie can be either loved or hated, but nothing in between. Hopefully the “Desperate Housewives” authors will replace her part with something at least as colourful as Edie. According to a representative for ABC, Edie Britt will be leaving Wisteria Lane when the Season 5 ends.

It’s been rumoured that in an upcoming episode Edie finds out truth about her husband Dave, and afterwards, something tragic happens to her. The creator Marc Cherry stated that “Sheridan’s character would be crossing a moral boundary that will have devastating consequences for her and lead to a shocking conclusion to her time on Wisteria Lane.”

Reasons for taking Sheridan off the show? No one gives particular reasons or comments, and the Hollywood actress herself is not very talkative either. But she claims that she is not fired. Not at all! It’s a joint decision, but no comments at the moment.

I am a great fan of the show “Desperate Housewives” and although I mostly dislike Edie because of her intolerance and coldness, I will miss her during the rest of the show. Every character has its own purpose, and consequently, it seems that the series will lack an important element in the whole “mechanism”. Nevertheless, let’s see what happens next.

Brief information: “Desperate Housewives” is a Top 20 show and one of ABC’s most successful series, starring Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, Teri Hatcher and Eva Longoria Parker.

Zac Efron might be young, but his appeal on women can already rival that of a seasoned actor. Who could ever refuse a hot young guy who can sing, dance and still look so manly and phenomenal at the same time? Simply put—Zac Efron shirtless is a sight to behold.

The 17-year-old actor first graced the small screen with a role in the WB series Summerland, and stints in shows like CSI: Miami, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and The Replacements. He also appeared in a small TV movie, Miracle Run, in which he played Steven Morgan, a complex character in the plot. Because of his seamless performance in the film, he was nominated for a Supporting Young Actor award. However, his biggest break in Hollywood came when he bagged the role of Troy Bolton in the now famous teen movie, High School Musical. His onscreen appeal made him perfect for the role of a popular student and captain of the school’s basketball team. Because of the film’s typical story, the young star once said in an interview that he never really expected much of the movie. After the movie skyrocketed to the box office, Zac, together with his costars, Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale, was readily launched into unparalleled heights as the hottest young star on the planet.

Zac added more credits to his career when he starred in another successful musical movie, Hairspray. Obviously, his singing talent was honed with the success of the musicals he was involved with. His HSM singles became hits in music charts and received generous airplays from radios all over the world. By 2007, Zac Efron was already cast as one of the most bankable and successful young actors in Hollywood.

The teen and tween markets were caught in the webs made by the fame of the young actor. Furthermore, he has already leeched himself as part of pop culture. His face is all over from the covers of magazines, billboards, and websites on the internet. Zac Efron shirtless also caused a lot of downloads and clicks. This wonder boy has surely infiltrated every form of media there is.

The future is bright for the American actor. In recent news, he is said to star in a number of interesting projects. One is the musical remake of the successful 80’s movie, Footloose. Another is 17 Again, a movie about an adult who was transformed into his 17-year-old self. These movies are slated for release this 2009.

Zac Efron’s personal life is also in high heavens. The actor and his HSM costar, Vanessa Hudgens, confirmed dating rumors, and finally came out with their relationship. He admitted that he has been dating Vanessa since the filming of High School Musical.

Whether he is fully-clothed or shirtless, Zac Efron’s fame is unquestionable. He is expected to break new grounds with his acting skills and already sealed celebrity status. With his huge and grounded fan base, Zac Efron is certain to be in show business for a long time.

Zack Efron, new Hollywood matinee idol (or whatever it’s called nowadays.) is interviewed by Rollingstone magazine, completely Shirtless. Or ok, maybe not that shirtless. But anyway, here are a few of the highlights of the said interview with rising hot stud of the Disney variety.

Zac Efron on Vanessa Hudgens

When asked about what he has to say about co-Disney star Vanessa Hudgens Zac says that, “The weird thing that no one expected about Vanessa is that underneath such a sweet girl … is a very sexy woman.” Under a different light, one would consider this as a very off-handed comment. What with the analogies one could easily draw: Disney star by day, taking wild nude pictures at night.

On the Silver Ring he’s Wearing

He says that the silver ring isn’t, as what many of us assume, a commitment ring. But nevertheless, it was given by a female companion. As to the name of this mystery girl who gave him the ring, Zac declines to divulge information on who she is. He says that it would result to “chat-room pandemonium and teenage magazine-hysteria.” As if we didn’t already know that this mystery girls is Vanessa.

On the Critics

Zac says that he “can’t even go on IMDB because I know that so much of it would be negative. It’s just depressing.” He says that “I know, for instance, at my cousin’s school, there’s a club called the I Hate Zac Efron Club. And I laughed hysterically when I heard that. I laughed because if there are people out there devoted enough to make a club that hates me, I’ve gotta be doing something right.”

As much as the logic of that statement is incorrect, it is also sounds quite appealing. Being in denial can sometimes be healthy for celebrities.

On Being Famous

Zac talks about how the media tends to make a show out of celebrities personal lives instead of actually reporting on the careers, achievements, and skills of Hollywood stars.

He even goes on to comment on Mathew McConaughey, the eternally shirtless. Zac Efrons says that McConaughey alone has helped make money for the tabloid industry for the past couple of years. Efron goes on to say that if only Mathew would put a shirt on and stay away from paparazzi hotspots such as beaches, the paparazzi wouldn’t flourish as much as it does nowadays.

But then of course, all of this said by another Hollywood stud in front of a magazine, semi shirtless. Zac Efron, get real. You are just another piece of meat for the consumption of the masses.