Image Credits: Book Cereal
I started watching Orange is the New Black on Netflix a couple of months ago. Okay, I’ll admit it — this show was one of the main reasons why I ever signed up for Netflix to begin with. I was intrigued after hearing so much about it from everyone else. I knew it must be good. But more than that I wanted to see Madeline Brewer who plays the role of Tricia Miller. Maddie and I went to school together years ago in Pitman, NJ. I didn’t know her very well at the time, but I always knew she was talented. She was frequently cast in school plays and I remember seeing her perform in a talent show once. I was excited to see her in her first big role, and she definitely didn’t disappoint.
Image Credits: IMDB
I really loved the Netflix series and watched the whole first season within a week or two. I couldn’t get enough. However, the show raised many questions for me and there were a few things that I had trouble believing. Some of my biggest doubts were over Piper and Alex ending up in the same prison together, drugs and sex being so common in prison, an inmate dying of a drug overdose in prison, and a guard impregnating one of the inmates. I loved watching it all unfold on tv though. The drama is what made the show so intriguing. You have to keep watching because you have to see what’s going to happen next.
Image Credits: MsMagazine
After I finished watching the entire first season I knew I had to get a copy of the book that the show was based on. I had so many questions and I wanted to see how the book would address them and what “really happened”. I was surprised by how different the book turned out to be. I’m usually one of those kinds of people that loves the book and hates the movie (or in this case the show), but here I’m able to appreciate both the book and the show despite their major differences. Both are excellent in their own rights and worthy of praise.
To those of you who have yet to read the book (and don’t mind a few spoilers) I made a list of what I felt were the top 5 biggest differences between the Orange is the New Black movie and the book.
Image Credits: FanPop
1. Alex/Nora Never Went to Danbury With Piper On the show her name is Alex and she’s one of the main reasons why Piper is in jail. She is Piper’s ex-girlfriend and is doing time with Piper after being sentenced for drug smuggling. She is one of the main characters on the show and the show frequently focuses on her past and current relationship with Piper. It calls for a lot of drama and is good tv. However, in the book her name is Nora and she’s absent until the very end. She never goes to Danbury with Piper. When Piper is called into trial in Chicago to testify against another drug smuggler in the same case she is met with Nora. Nora has to testify as well and is doing time in a different facility. They talk very little. Piper is very angry at her and frequently expresses her desire and threats to drown her in a toilet. However, Piper also reflects on how she wants to forgive Nora and move on with her life.
Image Credits: After Ellen
2. Piper And Larry’s Relationship/Faithfulness Sure, Piper starts off being extremely faithful to Larry in the beginning of the Netflix series and he shows support by visiting her frequently, but as time goes on, Piper begins to question her sexuality and become less than faithful towards Larry. She has sex with Alex and is unsure of whether to stay with Larry until Larry finds out about her unfaithfulness and leaves her. This isn’t the case at all in the novel, probably due to the fact that Alex/Nora is not in the same facility as Piper and doesn’t make an appearance until the end. Piper doesn’t seem that interested in lesbian sex or any of her other inmates in the novel. She stays with Larry and Larry faithfully visits her even when she is on trial in Chicago. They ended up getting married as planned after Piper was released.
Image Credits: Tumblr
3. Pennstatucky Isn’t Really a Religious Nut In the beginning of the Netflix series Piper and Pennstatucy got along fine. I wouldn’t say they were best friends, but they were at least acquaintances. Somewhere around the middle of the first season Pennstatucky came out as a religious nut freak who tried to use her powers to heal the other inmates. When Piper started to go back to being a lesbian with Alex Pennstatucky was completely intolerant of it, telling a guard about her “outrageous” behavior which landed Piper a stint in SHU. Things definitely didn’t get much better between the two of them as the first season ended with Piper beating the hell out of her. However, in the novel Piper and Pennstatucky remain pretty good friends and little is said about Pennstatucky’s religious beliefs.
Image Credits: TVTropes.org
4. Nobody Dies Of A Drug Overdose Who can forget the dramatic episode 10 of season 1 of Orange is the New Black? Tricia Miller’s biggest problem is a heavy addiction to drugs. During her prison sentence she goes into withdrawal once, and later overdoses on drugs that were smuggled in by one of the guards leading to her untimely death. I was right to be skeptical of this. Tricia doesn’t really exist in the novel. There are some references to younger inmates which resemble similarities and a few mentions of weed and other drugs being snucked into the prison. However, drugs don’t seem to be as big of a problem as the show makes it seem and no one died from a drug overdose.
Image Credits: TVTome.com
5. Bennet Doesn’t Impregnant Anyone I always rooted for Bennet and Daya. They seemed like such a cute couple and you almost felt bad about their forbidden romance. When it was announced that Daya was pregnant with Bennet’s baby, everything wa really shaken up a bit. Not only was the relationship threatened, but so was Bennet’s job. How could the prison cover this up or live this one down?
Fortunately, in the book this never actually happened. Piper did mention that prison relationships between inmates and guards do occur and she even briefly talked about a guard who almost got caught having sex in a bathroom with an inmate (similar to how Pornstache got caught having sex with Daya in a closet). The guard that is supposed to resemble Bennet in the book flirts with Piper by calling her by her first name whereas everyone else in prison calls her by her last name, Kerman. Piper doesn’t respond to his flirting and they never have a romantic relationship. No other relationships between guards and inmates were documented.
If you’ve read the book and seen the show feel free to let me know what I missed and what your thoughts are!
Image Credits: Hollywood Reporter
Following the success of her recently released Christmas album, “Wrapped in Red”, Kelly Clarkson has just release the music video for her Christmas song, “Underneath the Christmas Tree”.
The video is rather simple as it highlights segments from her upcoming Christmas special, “Kelly Clarkson’s Cautionary Christmas Music Tale” and shows behind-the-scenes footage. I really like the music video because Kelly looks so happy and like she’s having so much fun. I think this video really shows the spirit of Christmas. I also really enjoy the song. It reminds me of “All I Want For Christmas is You” but it gives a little bit more of a unique flavor.
Clarkson has every reason to be in the Christmas spirit this year. The singer recently married her beau, Brandon Blackstock. The couple also recently announced they are expecting their first child together. Clarkson has been working to promote her new Christmas album but unfortunately had to cancel some overseas promotional appearances due to sickness caused by her pregnancy. I hope her pregnancy gets a bit easier and she starts feeling better soon!
You can watch Clarkson’s new music video for “Underneath the Christmas Tree” below. If you like her Christmas music and her new music video then be sure to check out “Kelly Clarkson’s Cautionary Christmas Music Tale” on NBC Wednesday, December 11th at 10pm.
Video Credits: KellyClarksonVEVO
Image Credits: JustJared
If you’ve ready any or all of the 50’s Shades of Grey books then you know these books are anything but young adult/middle grade novels. Erotic sounds like a bit more suitable genre. It should come as no surprise then that the movies will get a rating that’s a step about PG-13. But just how much? The answer may surprise you.
After hearing many fans express their desires to have the movie be as realistic to the novel as possible, the producers have decided to make two versions of the film: an R rated version and a more realistic, accurate NC-17 portrayal of the novel. Having the R rated version will allow the younger fans a chance to see their favorite book portrayed on screen while the older, more mature audience will appreciate the more realistic NC-17 adaption.
The R Rated version will be the film’s primary release and is expected to be released a few weeks earlier than the NC-17 version. Producers are aiming at a February 2015 release date for the first version, hoping to be able to market it as a Valentine’s Day movie.
What do you think about the producer’s decision to release two different versions of the film? Which one (if not both) are you hoping to see?
Image Credits: People
Post-Jonas Brothers Band, Joe Jonas is opening up to Vulture and he’s more candid and open than ever before. It’s actually hard to imagine that he was ever thought of as being a squeaky-clean, purity-ring wearing Disney star!
Joe admitted to smoking weed with other Disney alums Demi Lovato and the infamous Miley Cyrus when he was in his late teens. Of the experience Joe is quoted as saying:
The first time I smoked weed was with Demi and Miley. I must have been 17 or 18. They kept saying, ‘Try it! Try it!’ so I gave it a shot, and it was all right,” he says. “I don’t even smoke weed that often anymore. I was caught drinking when I was 16 or 17, and I thought the world was going to collapse. But I was in another country, and it was legal there. My 21st birthday, I fell down a flight of stairs. I was unconscious that time, and my whole team was scared to death that somebody was going to get a picture. Now I appreciate wine or a vodka-soda at the end of the day every once in a while.
I can imagine him smoking weed with Miley. Miley’s no stranger to smoking weed as she proved at this year’s European Music Awards (EMA’s). But I must admit I was shocked to hear about Lovato smoking weed with Joe. However, if you recall, Joe dated Lovato for a brief period in their teen years right when she began to struggle with bi-polar disorder, an eating disorder, and substance abuse right before landing a stint in rehab. Joe also opened up about this experience when he stated:
I really got to know her and got to see the ins and outs of what she was struggling with, like drug abuse,” he writes. “I felt like I needed to take care of her, but at the same time I was living a lie, because I wasn’t happy but felt like I had to stay in it for her, because she needed help. I couldn’t express any of that, of course, because I had a brand to protect.
In addition to opening up about his past drug use, Joe also got candid about his sex life, confessing to losing his virginity to Ashley Greene four years ago when he was 20, despite previously wearing a purity ring and promising to save himself until marriage. Joe described the experience by stating to Vulture:
I lost my virginity when I was 20. I did other stuff before then, but I was sexually active at 20,” Jonas explains in his Vulture post. “I’m glad I waited for the right person, because you look back and you go, ‘That girl was batshit crazy. I’m glad I didn’t go there.
Although this confession goes against his previous promise to himself, it sounds as if it was an experience he did not regret. He dated Ashley Green from 2010-2011 before calling it quits due to the difficulties posed by the long distance.
Joe’s candid interview comes just weeks after The Jonas Brothers announced their breakup due to irreconcilable differences and the band’s inability to agree on which musical direction to go in. It sounds like Joe and the rest of the band’s change and break from their “squeaky clean” image was going on for far longer than most suspected. They tried to hide their true identities to protect their young fan and their Disney image, but now after splitting up they are free to be their own selves.
What do you think of Joe Jonas’s candid interview? Are you surprised by his confessions?
Image Credits: Huffington Post
Glee star Charice’s grandmother has recently come forward in a new interview to discuss Charice’s struggles with depression and her recent suicide attempt.
While few details have emerged, her grandmother is rumored to have discussed that Charice’s suicide attempt was over financial difficulties. She also mentioned that Charice attempted suicide by slitting her wrists.
It has been a difficult year for Charice. The singer came out as a lesbian in the summer. While this decision was well respected and honored in America, it is not something that is widely accepted in her homeland in the Philippines. Recently, Charice’s mother even admitted to initially being a lesbian herself until her culture has forced her to change.
Although Charice seems to have accepted her sexuality and handled her situation well despite the controversy and scandal it undoubtedly caused in her homeland, she has been experiencing other difficulties. Most notably, the lost of her former co-worker, Cory Monteith. Monteith died of an overdose over the summer. Although Charice and Monteith didn’t work together much, he is said to have been a best friend for Charice and to have helped her manage in the unfamiliar land of America while she was filming.
Regardless of what may have caused Charice to attempt suicide, I hope she gets the help she needs soon. She is such a talented and sweet girl and it would be a real shame to lose her to something like this.
Image Credits: Just Jared
The Internet exploded on Saturday evening with news that the 40 year old star from The Fast and the Furious, Paul Walker, was killed in a fatal car accident.
Walker was leaving a charity car show in Santa Clarita, California to raise money for the Philippines typhoon relief when the driver of the car lost control of the vehicle and hit either a post or a tree causing the car to burst into flames. Walker and the driver, whose identity has not yet been released, were both killed in the crash.
Image Credits: TMZ.com
A statement released on Walker’s official Facebook page read:
It is with a truly heavy heart that we must confirm that Paul Walker passed away today in a tragic car accident while attending a charity event for his organization Reach Out Worldwide. He was a passenger in a friend’s car, in which both lost their lives. We appreciate your patience as we too are stunned and saddened beyond belief by this news. Thank you for keeping his family and friends in your prayers during this very difficult time. We will do our best to keep you apprised on where to send condolences. – #TeamPW
Walker left behind his 15 year old daughter, Meadow Walker.
My heart goes out to the friends, family, fans, and of course, daughter of Paul Walker during this difficult time.
Gerard Way, former lead singer from the rock band My Chemical Romance recently tweeted the following image containing the artwork for My Chemical Romance’s upcoming greatest hits compilation:
Image Credits: Alternative Press
The artwork was designed solely by Way. The band’s greatest hits compilation titled May Death Never Stop You is scheduled to be released sometime next year. It will be the final work from the band who announced their breakup last year.
What do you think of the artwork? I think it’s an interesting piece for a band’s final work, but I still don’t completely believe that this is the end. With a title of “May Death Never Stop You” I’m wondering how permanent this break up is. Is My Chemical Romance really over, or just redeveloping?
Image Credits: Muppet Wikia
So tonight after Thanksgiving dinner I decided to climb in bed and flip through to see what was on tv. I came across Lady Gaga singing and decided to tune in. I’ve always been a fan of Lady Gaga, although I find her more recent work to be disappointing. I was intrigued when I saw it was actually part of a Muppet special. I’ve also always been a fan of the Muppets, but I wasn’t sure how well it would work with Lady Gaga. I thought it was a very unusual mashup. Turns out the special was quite a bit weirder than I imagined. Here are the Top 5 Weirdest Moments From Lady Gaga And The Muppets Holiday Spectacular.
1. Lady Gaga And Kermit Singing “Gypsy”. Okay, so everything about this was just odd. First Lady Gaga goes off talking about how lonely she gets on the road. Okay, that makes sense but then Kermit chimes in. Uhm. Really? You’re a frog. So then they start singing Lady Gaga’s new song together called “Gypsy”. It’s a pretty decent song, but it sounds weird hearing Kermit sing it.
Image Credits: MonstersChapel.com
2. Kermit Flirting With Lady Gaga – I wasn’t sure about this at first. I thought maybe my mind was just slightly warped and I was misinterpreting Kermit being a nice little muppet. But no, “Maybe sometime you can come over to my pond” was definitely Kermit’s way of flirting and the frog’s way of saying “Maybe you can come over to my place/room”. This was reinforced by an angry Miss Piggy screaming “Come over to my pond?!?” just before smacking Kermit…awkward.
3. Lady Gaga’s Condom Dress – By now no one should ever be surprised by Lady Gaga especially in regards to her clothing choices…but that was definitely a condom dress or at least a condom hat. Uhm. What happened to the Muppets being rated G? I’m pretty sure that outfit was all kinds of inappropriate for a children’s special. Luckily, a child’s mind is more innocent than my own so Gaga should be able to get away with this one pretty easily as a kid won’t notice anything odd…hopefully…
Image Credits: Zap 2 It
4. RuPaul Being RuPaul. Why was he (or was it a she?) even there? He didn’t add much at all…other than making a very weird Muppet special somehow even weirder.
5. At The End Of The Show When Pepe The King Prawn Rubs Lady Gaga’s Knee – I feel like they’re trying to subtly sexualize the Muppets and it’s weird because they’re well…muppets. But seriously, why he is rubbing her knee? He just randomly pops up and starts sneakily rubbing her knee. Uh okay. And when Lady Gaga mentions something about it to him he claims to be “fixing her makeup”. I don’t know about you but I always wear makeup on my knees…right.
Image Credits: Mirror.CO.UK
I didn’t hate the Lady Gaga And The Muppets Holiday Spectacular…I just thought it was incredibly weird. I always think of the Muppets as being something for kids and Lady Gaga is not so kid-friendly. This special too didn’t always seem that appropriate for kids. It was just very very odd.
What did you guys think of Lady Gaga And The Muppets Holiday Spectacular? Did anyone else think it was weird?
Image Credits: Avril Band Aids
Oh my gosh. First off let me say I am completely OBSESSED with Avril’s new single, “Let Me Go”. Today alone I must have listened to it about 100 times. Avril’s always been one of my all-time favorite musicians, but I must admit I was a bit disappointed with her first two singles off of her upcoming self-titled album. “Here to Never Growing Up” and “Rock N Roll” were both good, but neither one was great. The thing I always loved about Avril is how deep and personal some of her songs could be. I could always relate to them no matter what I was going through. I have been missing that from her new album…until now.
“Let Me Go” is so beautiful and deeply personal, far more than any of the other singles she’s released from her upcoming album thus far. I personally relate it to my relationship with my most recent ex whom I’ve had a really hard time letting go of. I feel like we had that “love that once hung on the wall” and that it “used to mean something but now it means nothing” and I’m really working to “break free from these memories” and “just let it go”. Damn, I just relate to it so much that it almost makes me cry.
One of my favorite parts of “Let Me Go” is how hopeful it is. It’s so sad, but there’s still that sense of hope especially at the end when Lavigne sings of a “brand new life down the road”. This makes me wonder if perhaps she is referring to her new marriage to Chad Kroeger. Perhaps she was singing about one of her ex’s Deryck Whibley or Adam Brody before and now she’s seeing how she got through the pain of those relationships and is better off with Chad. Just a thought.
Image Credits: Direct Lyrics
The video is equally as beautiful as the song. It’s a bit dark and depressing as it arguably should be, but Avril and Chad are both dressed very, well, classy. It’s the pure definition of beautiful tragedy. All of the paintings and the piano definitely adds to this feeling of tragic beauty.
The video makes it out that the song is more about losing a lover to time. Chad transforms back from himself to an older man. Perhaps in the video, Lavigne is showing herself as a widow struggling to cope with loss? But even when he’s gone, he’s still with her even if she cannot see him. Seeing the video in this way makes the whole element of beautiful tragedy play out like a funeral, which could also very well explain why everything is black in the video.
You can view the music video for Avril Lavigne’s “Let Me Go” below. What do you think of her new, more serious video and single?
Video Credits:AvrilLavigneVevo
Image Credits: SomeGossip.com
Congratulations to Halle Berry and her husband, Oliver Martinez on the birth of their son. This is the couple’s first child together. The name along with other details such as his time of birth and weight have yet to be released.
Berry married Martinez in a wedding ceremony held in France this past July. She has a five-year old daughter from a previous marriage to Gabriel Aubry.
I wish the best of luck to Berry, Martinez, and their new bundle of joy!
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