The Host with the Most

People are often drawn to the lure of award shows because of the lavish fashions, the beautiful celebrities, and the performances. But a main aspect of award shows that appeals to the viewers is the host.

The host is the audience’s way into the show and therefore must be witty, playful, and a tad bit outrageous; something that Golden Globes host Ricky Gervais encompassed Sunday night.

This was Gervais’ third time hosting the show and although he was his usual self of wit, many feel he lacked in his hosting duties.

    Ricky Gervais hosting the 2012 Golden Globes

“It wasn’t over the top,” said CBC television developer Nicole Mendes, “he was hardly up there [and] he was hardly speaking.”

After Gervais’ controversial hosting last year, where he offended Charlie Sheen, Mel Gibson, and Johnny Depp, many people were hoping Gervais would continue with his antics.

“I personally wish he went further with steering the audience,” Mendes said.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_OnK0SrtC8]

“I honestly think that last year was one of the better years because he went as far as he did. People need to have a sense of humour with that sort of thing,” she continued.

Aside from people’s criticism Gervais was not short of controversy poking fun at Kim Kardashian, Justin Bieber, and even having a back and forth with Madonna.

Mendes agreed that Gervais was a good host, but there was an expectation for him to outdo last year.

Toronto based singer Treasa Levasseur discussed her experience hosting the Maple Blues Awards on January 16, at Koerner Hall in Toronto.

Levasseur did not watch the Golden Globes so she could not comment on Gervais’ hosting techniques but from her own experience said the most nerve-racking part was “getting the scripts the night before.”

Treasa Levasseur and Shakura S'aida hosting the 15th annual Maple Blues Awards

In order to prepare for the night Levasseur had to choose her own outfits, read over the script, and make cue cards.

Levasseur, who had a co-host that made the night “definitely,” easier, admits that even as a performer she got nervous when she “thought it wasn't going well, and once when [she] missed a cue.”
Despite her moment of nervousness, Levasseur maintains that she “had fun, and got a great response.”

There is an undeniable pressure for hosts to deliver a great show. Gervais’ hosting was not what people expected but he still did a decent job.

The only question that remains is how will Billy Crystal do at hosting the Oscars in February? Both Mendes and Levasseur agree he will do just fine.

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The Nominations are in

Hello Sinners it's been a while. And what better way to return to your life than with news of the Oscars. The Oscar nominations were announced this morning giving everyone a lot to chat about. "Hugo" leads with 11 nominations including best picture, while "The Artist" trails closely behind with 10. Other best picture nominations include "The Help" "Moneyball" and Golden Globe winner "The Descendants". To see a full list of the nominations click here

Jennifer Lawrence and Tom Sheral announce this year's nominations

Many people are furious with the Oscar snubs

Washington Post

The Huffinton Post

Entertainment Weekly

The Carpet Bagger

The L.A. Times

People are already making their predictions

Indie Wire

MTV

Time Out

The Contenders

Nomination Criticism

The Carpet Bagger

A look back at Oscar history

Choose your Oscar predictions

Brad Pitt's reaction

Changes to the show

A look to the past

So there you have it. Everything you need surrounding the nominations. As always leave your feedback. What do you think of the nominees? Who was snubbed? will you watch the show?

Khloe Who?

In krazy Kardashian news, reports are being released that Khloe Kardashian isn't really a Kardashian. Rumours are spreading that Robert Kardashian isn't her biological father. The late Robert Kardashian's ex wife Jan Ashley is stating that Kardashian told her personally that Khloe was not his daughter. 

     "Khloe is not his kid-he told me that after we got married," Ashley, 63, said to Star magazine.

Photo Courtesy of People.com

      Robert's other former wife Ellen Kardashian, 63, is also backing up the story after remaining quiet for the past eight years. 

     "She looked nothing like the rest. She was tall, had a different shape, light hair, curly hair. Didn't look anything like the other three children," she said to Star.

      What further adds merit to these claims is Jenner's confession in her memoir that she had cheated on then husband Robert. 

      Like all celebrities these days Khloe took to twitter to address the rumours saying "The audacity you have to mention my father’s name like this! Should be ashamed of urself! I let a lot of things slide but this one is really low… YOU ARE DISGUSTING! (yes you know who YOU are)."

      Kardashian mogul Kim is standing by here sister denying the allegations. Sources close to the family say that they are very upset by all this. 

      Jenner hasn't released an official statement yet. 

      Poor Khloe, it's really sad to have these rumours surfacing harming your father's memory and reputation. Whether you're a biological Kardashian or not, it's clear Robert Kardashian loved you 

What's In a Name?

Photo Courtesy of crushable.com

Dear Sinners,

Unless you've been living under a rock these past few days then you've probably heard about the birth of Destiny's child. Music's number one couple have given birth to a beautiful baby girl named Blue Ivy Carter on Saturday. And there are numerous rumours surrounding the couple. From fake pregnancies to buying out the floor to  the hospital, it seems drama is engulfing Queen B and Jay-Z at a time that's supposed to be joyous and beautiful. So instead of focusing on the negative rumours I'm going to discuss something more interesting. 

    So everyone knows that Hollywood is famous for its "unique" baby names. Over the past few years, Apple, Moses, and Honor are just a few names that Hollywood's elite decided to bless their spawn with. Now I'm a fan of unique names (who wants to be ordinary?), but there is a fine line between unique and plain out weird. So when it came to Beyonce and Jay-Z's bundle of joy it figures they'd choose something out of the ordinary. Granted Blue Ivy is the perfect combination of "unique-but-still-normal". It's different enough to stand out but not totally weird that makes will ensure torture and humiliation on the playground. But it seems there was more thought put into the choice of the name. 

    Reports are saying that Blue Ivy's name stems from a deeper meaning. Supposedly "Blue" comes from Jay-Z's last three albums Blueprint, Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse, and Blueprint 3. Ivy is supposed to represent the roman numeral of four (IV) which is significant to the couple. Beyonce and Jay-Z were both born on the fourth of September and December respectively, they were married on April fourth and the couple has matching IV tattoos on their wedding finger. Also Beyonce named her latest album 4. 

    So this can all be rumours and say what you want about the name but it's pretty interesting how much thought they put into the it. I choose to believe this is true. Its so sweet to think that the name represents something more important and special for the couple. I wish my parents put that much thought into my name. So I want to hear your thoughts. Do you like the name? Does your name have special meaning?


In other Blue Ivy news, it seems the little baby is already making waves in the music industry. She is the youngest person to debut on the Billboard charts. The newborn is featured on Jay-Z's track Glory which he wrote specifically for her. Oh snap, only six days old and already making history. Can't wait to see what the future holds for this star in the making. 

5 Reasons Why you Should Read "Th1rteen R3asons Why"



Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia.com



Dear Sinners,



Not only have I taken this winter break to evaluate my life and my future, but also to catch up on my reading. So I am reinstating the hEVANly book club. This week I read "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher. Without giving away too many spoilers Asher's debut novel follows Clay Jensen who has recieved an anonymous package containing 7 cassette tapes. After listening to the tapes Clay hears the errie voice of fellow classmate Hannah Baker, what's the catch? Hannah committed suicide two weeks prior. There on the tapes are the last words Hannah ever said as she dictates to Clay the 13 reasons why she ended her life. So if the plot itself doesn't sell you on the book here are my five reasons why you should give this a read.

     1. The Subject Matter: The novel tackles some intense issues. Suicide, rumours, sex, and more. And these issues aren't new to the Young Adult genre, but the way Asher discusses them makes the novel feel revolutionary. He doesn't focus entirly on the issues but uses them as driving forces for the characterization. This is a truly intense yet beautiful novel. 

     2. The Impact: This novel has impacted the lives of many confused and depressed people. The deep subject matter relates to so many people and has caused them to reevaluate their life. 13RWProject.com is a website devoted to fans writing their reviews and ways the novel has affected them.

     3. The Unique Angle: Asher takes a unique spin by including the aspect of cassette tapes and dual narrators. In a world full of everchanging technology, it's refreshing to see an homage to the past. Also it's kind of comical to those who actually remember cassette tapes.

     4. The Way it Forces you to Analyze Yourself: As you read through Hannah's reasons, you realize that they're all related in some way. The novel expresses that notion of how every interaction, no matter how big or small, can affect a person. After reading it you'll have a new outlook on life, one that forces you to question the way you act and treat others.

     5. They're Making a Movie: Everyone knows how I love being ahead on the trends, and even though this novel came out in 2007, the movie reportedly comes out sometime in 2012. The motion picture will star Selena Gomez and Logan Lerman, reportedly, as the leads. Now Selena Gomez is a bold choice given her past career choices and the issues in the novel, but I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. She is a good actress and this movie will help her step into more adult roles. And even though Logan Lerman isn't officially attached to the project I think he will be perfect as Clay.

     6. Because I said So: and here's a little bonus reason read the novel simply because I said so. Is there any better reason?

And there you have. Honestly this novel is an incredible read. I couldn't put it down and finished it in two days (I haven't felt like this about a novel in a while). So as you search for your next book to read, give "Thirteen Reasons Why" a look. Trust me you won't regret it.

XXX

hEVANly 

Happy New Year

Dear Sinners,

Let me first start off by apologizing for my apparent absence. I spent the last week away from laptop relaxing and roasting on the sandy Dominican beaches. Ah yes, as you sinners were stuck curling your toes in this artic Canadian weather, I was living it up with frosty pina coladas and cute Latino boys. But alas my vacation is over, so now I must snap back to reality, it is after all a new year which means a new chance at starting over. There always seems like there is so much pressure around New Year's Eve. How you spend that night will dictate the outcome of that year. If you spend the night alone eating Chinese food watching the ball drop you can pretty much bet your 2012 will suck, no offense. And if you spend the night popping champaigne, dancing with friends, and kissing that special someone at the stroke of midnight, congratulations on a extraordinary 2012. Now this all may seem naive and supersticious and normally I would agree with you.  For the past 19 years I never really cared about New Years Eve, but this year changed. This year I spent the night dancing barefoot on the beach surrounded by my family enjoying life, granted I didn't get a new year's eve kiss but I still had an amazing night. So there, on the beach, my toes engulfed in soft brown sand, sweat forming on my tanned forehead, and the base blaring from the speakers I decided that I will do everything in my power to have the best year ever. This is the year everything changes, the year I begin my life, the year I get everything I ever wanted. 2012 is supposed to be the end of the world, might as well go out with a bang.

So how do I plan on having my spectacular year you ask? Don't worry Sinners I have a full-proof plan to ensure optimal happiness. 

First I plan on devoting my time to my future career. This whole time I have been loafting through life, but now I'm 20 and slowly my life is slipping away. It's time to start focusing on my future. So school, this blog, and finding an internship are my first priorities. I'm done wasting my time scrolling through tumblr, and watching reruns of Gossip Girl.  

Second, is working on my fitness. A healthier lifestyle is the most common new year's resolution. I've joined a gym and am devoting two days a week to turning my flab to ab. No more fatty foods, and atrery clogging deliciousness. It's about time I started making healthier choices. Plus, hopefully a hot body will help with my man crisis.

My last New Year's Resolution is to speak up. I'm tired of being the shy, quiet, ignored boy. This year I plan on speaking up for myself and for what I want. It's about time I let the world know I'm here.

So there you have it. My list of resolutions. Hopefully by publishing this list will give me the motivation make them true. So wish me all the best this year, as I do you. Hope you have truely HEVANly year.

XXX

hEVANly