MUSICIANS!!! DANCERS!!! ACTORS!!! POETS!!!

If you are a musical artist, dancer, actor, poet, basically anything dealing with the arts, and you are looking for a little bit more exposure than you have now, contact me at inthespotlight1 @live.com to have a feature story on In The Spotlight! I would love to have an interview with you and feature you on the blog! Make sure to have samples of your work and pictures of you ready that can be embedded into the blog!

About In The Spotlight

Established June 23, 2009, In the Spotlight is a celebrity blog by college junior and upcoming writer Brittany Shawnté that is dedicated to informing readers about what is going on with our celebs, shows what Brittany has to say about it, and gives them the opportunity to give their own take on it. Thank you for taking the time to visit the site. Continue to come back, and you will definitely not be disappointed. You can follow this blog by clicking on the follow link below. If you like what you see, spread the word!

About The Writer

What's good people? It's your girl Brittany Shawnté. I would go into a spiel about everything I've done in my 19 years on this earth, but I won't bore you. Here's the basics. I rep DMV (D.C/Maryland/Virginia) and PG County to the fullest! I'm a communications major at Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore, set to graduate in 2012. I consider writing and entertainment to be two of my biggest passions, hence me having In The Spotlight! If you have certain topics that you would like to see, email me at inthespotlight1@live.com. Oh and spread the word to people you know!!! Thanks to everyone for the continued love, support, and feedback for the blog! Much Love.

PEACE.

Beef Still

Well, there's no telling when Chris Brown is going to get another shot in the spotlight. Mr. Shawn Carter (aka Jay-Z) will probably keep taking away the opportunity.

Chris was scheduled to perform at the BET Awards Sunday night, but according to my most trusted site MediaTakeOut, Jay put a stop to that. When Jay heard that Chris was going to perform, he told BET that if Chris did step foot on that stage, neither Jay or BEYONCÉ would perform. Obviously, still upset about the Rihanna situation, huh Jay? I don't blame him for still being upset, cuz you know that Rihanna and he are really close (closer than they should be according to some reports LOL but we will leave that alone). But threatening BET and taking away Chris' shot to redeem himself is mad shady. That was seriously foul. Especially since Chris was going to tribute to Michael Jackson, and probably would've done 100 times better than some of those fools that took stage Sunday night (obviously I'm still a tad bit heated lol).

And then I'm mad at Beyoncé a little too, cuz she had to have known about it, and she just let Jay do that, KNOWING GOOD AND WELL THAT BET WOULD GO ALONG WITH IT BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO KEEP BEYONCÉ ON THE PROGRAM. If it was just Jay-Z, they probably would've blew him off. Honestly, I would've rather seen Chris than Jay, and with that less than electrifying performance B gave Sunday, she could've gotten kicked off too, in my mind, for Chris. Just my opinion.

It just has me thinking. Is Chris ever going to get the chance to reboot his career? I mean, I know he messed up, but he has acknowledged his mistake and he's paying for it. Maybe not in the way a lot of people may have wanted, but he still got punished. He is too good of a performer to let all of that talent go to waste. Even Michael Jackson realized his potential. Come on people. Jay-Z, that's especially for you.

PEACE.

~Brittany Shawnté

REVIEW: BET Awards 2009

*******SPOILER ALERT!!!!*******
If you have not watched the 2009 BET Awards yet, and wish to watch it later on in the weeks to come, and don't want to know what happened just yet, DO NOT READ THIS BLOG!!!!!!!

Well, I said I would write about it and I most definitely am. This post may just be a little longer than the others, but I just have so much to say. Last night was the 2009 BET Awards. It was hosted by Jamie Foxx, and, of course, featured several superstars such as my girl Beyoncé (I'm gonna get to her a little bit later in this post), Ne-Yo, Alicia Keys, etc. etc. Of course, upon hearing about the unexpected passing of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, on Thursday, BET decided to change the show around to pay tribute to this great legend who has left behind such a beautiful legacy.

Well, in all honesty, I kind of wished they didn't. When I first heard that they would be changing the show around, I didn't think that it would be the best. They only had a couple of days to work with, so I knew that it just would not be the best tribute ever. BUT LAST NIGHT WAS JUST A HOT MESS!!!!

Speechless.... (RIP Michael Jackson)

I was coming home from work, and when I got home, I got the report from one of my best friends. Reportedly, Michael Jackson passed away at the age of 50 today at the UCLA Hospital Center. I'm seriously, seriously heartbroken. A part of me refuses to believe it. A part of me just wants CNN or MSNBC to report that this isn't true. It can't be true. He is a legend. He can't be replaced. There is just no way. There is just no way. I'm seriously on the verge of tears right now.

This man is an inspiration to SOOOO many people. He inspired people to start dancing. You know you still hit that moonwalk in your living room. He inspired people to want to be entertainers. He is a great humanitarian. This man is a musical genius. People can say whatever they want about him, but they can't deny that this man IS A LEGEND. He inspired me to go after my dreams with everything I have. I just...I'm so upset right now. I know that God makes no mistakes, but it's just hard to watch when people leave this world at a young age. I mean, 50 is not old at all. First Bernie and Isaac, now this. It's just too much. I don't even want to go to work tomorrow. My stomach is all in knots. My eyes are just glued to the news, in disbelief of all of this.

I couldn't help thinking of one of my greatest memories of Michael. It was his 30th Anniversary Celebration as a solo artist at Madison Square Garden in 2001. I remember all of these artists coming out and celebrating his career, and, when he came out, PEOPLE WENT CRAZY!!!! And I went crazy at home right along with them!!! I sang along with the songs, and danced around the house! I remember joking with my dad when Usher was on stage trying to dance with Michael toward the end of the show, and Usher almost made him mess up LOL And then I couldn't help laughing when Chris Tucker came out and did Michael's famous kick with the wrong leg as usual, and then Michael fell out on stage laughing. Ahh...it was great. Be sure to post your favorite Michael memories.

TO ALL OF THE HATERS, I'M WARNING YOU NOW, STAY AWAY, BECAUSE YOU WILL GET PUT ON BLAST HARD!!!!

I'm still watching the news. I just can't believe this. Gone too soon.
RIP Michael Joseph Jackson August 29, 1958-June 25, 2009. You will forever be missed. Nobody will ever, EVER replace you!!!!! Often imitated, but never duplicated.
Rest In Peace, Michael. You are forever loved.

PEACE.

~Brittany Shawnté

The Best Tip Ever!!!

He's acted in so many films--the Pirates of the Carribean film series, Sweeney Todd, Edward Scissorhands, and Cry Baby, just to name a few. You would think someone of Johnny Depp's stature wouldn't even think about the little people in the world. But he does. After the premiere of his new movie Public Enemies in Chicago, he, along with some of his friends, stopped at Gibsons Steakhouse, a reportedly hot spot for him while he was filming the movie. His waiter, Mohammaed A. Sekhani, had no idea what was in store for him at the end of the night. After the night was done, Depp paid the bill and gave his waiter a $4000 TIP!!!! for a job well done. Appararently, the waiter, known to Depp as "Mo", served Depp when he would come to the restaurant. Talk about generous!!!

And people say celebs are out of touch with their fans, and could care less about other people. Well this man definitely isn't like that. A $4000 tip?!!! Depp was called by Mohammaed a very humble guy and a cool dude. Go Johnny!!! That's another reason to add on to the list of why I love the man! Great actor...great looks...great generosity!

PEACE.

~Brittany Shawnté

Well...Can't Say You Didn't Deserve It

I love Perez Hilton. I really do. His gossip blog may be controversial, but you have to admit, it is hilarious. To me, he says the things we all are thinking, and I admire him for that. But this time, his words might have gone a little too far.

Perez was in an argument with Fergie and will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas at a club on Sunday night. He even called will.i.am a "faggot", a gay slur. The band's tour manager, Polo Molina, is accused of assualting Perez that night. Perez then proceeded to get on Twitter and told his fans that he was bleeding and to call the police (wow...Twitter, Perez? ok...) Check the link

Well Perez, I must say, I'm kind of disappointed. You're gay, and you have probably been called so many names and treated so bad for it. Then you have the audacity to call someone else one of those names? Shame...

Also, the question I feel I need to ask is why in the world was Molina punching Perez for?! I mean, I realize that he is the tour manager for BEP, but still...that wasn't his fight. Perez was arguing with Fergie and Will. Molina wasn't the one who should've punched him. Oh well, Molina will be in court August 5. But I can say that Perez should've known that sooner or later somebody would get him. He does talk a lot of crap about people. Hilarious as a lot of it may be, people take offense. And calling Will gay and a faggot was just over the top. *Sigh* Just a bloody mess, I tell you.

PEACE.

~Brittany Shawnté

Finally Done....

Ok so the verdict has been set, for those of you who are just not paying attention to ANYTHING. Chris Brown pled guilty to assaulting Rihanna and he received six months of hard community labor, five years probation, ordered to attend a domestic-abuse program for a year, and ordered to stay away from Rihanna for the duration of his probation (Dag...well I heard they're still together so I guess they'll just be sneaking around still). No jail time for Christopher Maurice Brown. After all the speculation about what REALLY happened, all the court appearances, all the wondering about what would happen to him, IT'S OVER!

For those of you who think he got off easy, below is a link to what legal expert Peter T. Haven had to say about the situation.

link

The gist of it is that really Chris should've picked 180 days of jail time, according to Haven. Community labor will involved Chris waking up before dawn and not finishing until 2 or 3 in the afternoon. With jail time, Chris had the chance to possibly get out early and be done with it all. With community labor, he's going to have to take the responsibility to be there when he needs to be. He has no room for error. In jail, he would just do his time and be done with it. Then on top of the community labor, Chris has to go to a domestic-abuse class for two hours every week for 52 weeks. Haven goes more into detail about how Chris should've taken the jail time. Read the article if you want to know more.

To me, I don't know what I would've done. I mean, on one side, you may be working hard every day and having to go to a class for two hours a week for a year, but at least you get to sleep in your own bed at night, be with your family and friends, possibly do some work on a new album (HIS CAREER IS NOT OVER PEOPLE). On the other side, if he went to jail, he would've probably gotten out early for good behavior and been done with everything. I don't know.

What I do know is my take on the situation. Nobody will ever know what really happened because only Chris and Rihanna were in the car that day, and there's always two sides to every story. I'm gonna try to ask God when I get to heaven. Maybe He will let me in on it LOL. Also, I know that it's NEVER okay for a man to beat up on a woman. You just shouldn't do that. But what I do think is that he didn't just get in the car that day, and decide to hit her for nothing. From what has been said from his dancers and other people in his life, Chris was verbally abused by Rihanna on several occasions. Personally, there would be only so much of that that Brittany Shawnté would take before she got to swinging. Yall know yall would be the same way too. I'm not justifying his behavior, but I can understand why he possibly did what he did, if Rihanna was frequently yelling in his face. People may disagree, and, as always, if you disagree, leave me a comment somewhere explaining why.

ANYWAYS...I'm just glad it's over and done. Best wishes to both Chris and Rihanna.

PEACE.

~Brittany Shawnté

The Real World....DC?!!!

Wow, so it's finally happening. I didn't think that MTV was ready, but I guess they are now. MTV is bringing the Real World to DC!!! I know this isn't specifically celebrity news. Then again, I guess the Real Worlders are kind of celebs not A-list but people know them to an extent...Anyways, the Real World is coming to DC!!! Above is their house located in Dupont Circle, Northwest DC (of course, because MTV was too scared to step one foot in Southeast!!! They couldn't handle it. Those of yall from the DMV, you know it's true lol) Of course, people have their reservations because The Real World is know for its fights, arguments, all that good stuff that makes The Real World one of the biggest reality TV shows out there. That's why it's still going on after 20+ seasons (DC will be the 23rd).

Whatever people's fears about the show possibly disrupting their daily lives, keeping them up at night, blah blah blah, I think it's cool. I mean think about it. DC is the nation's capital. MTV has already filmed Real World in a lot of the major cities in the States. You had to know that eventually it would be in DC. I was just waiting for it. All of yall that have a problem will be fine. Sure there will be some drama, some late nights or whatever, but think of it this way, they're only there for three months and then they leave. Then you can get back to your normal lives. It will probably be a little inconvenient at times but you will survive. It's gonna be cool to watch. Knowing me, being born in DC and spending quite an amount of time all over the city, I will probably be pointing at everything, saying I've been there!! There's the Washington Mall "I've been there!" The Real Worlders take the Metro around town "I TAKE THAT ALL THE TIME!!" Oh yall know that you will be the same way....

Note to the people that are going to go over there for attention, your little 3 1/2 minutes of fame: DON'T. If you were wanted, you would've been cast from the getgo. Just saying. WELCOME TO DC REAL WORLD!!!! That's season's about to be crazy!!!!

PEACE.

~Brittany

Battle of the Divas

Two actresses. Two dancers. Two singers.Two divas. But who is the bigger diva? Who is the one that is just killing the game right now? It's becoming a hotly debated question, at least in my hood. Who is really better: Beyoncé or Ciara? Well, I must say, I like both of these artists. You have to give it to em. They are two of the biggest artists out right now. But of course, you know, one has to triumph over the other. So let me get started on comparisons...


1) ACTING
Well, the first category is definitely the easiest. Beyoncé first made her acting debut in Carmen: A Hip Hopera and has stayed on the right track since then. She has had a few flops (AKA The Pink Panther and Cadillac Records, but her roles as Deena Jones in Dreamgirls and Sharon Charles in Obsessed definitely make up for it (UMMM...DID YOU NOT SEE THAT FIGHT SCENE?!!!) I feel like she's not typecast at all. She's played several different roles showing her versatility as an actress. Ciara has starred in a total of two movies, one that has yet to be released. I saw her first movie on MTV, All You've Got, a volleyball movie that was a tad bit disappointing overall. Her acting was okay, but not the best. Hopefully, she's step up the acting and her new movie Mama, I Want to Sing! with Lynn Whitfield will be better. Better luck next time Ci-Ci..
WINNER: BEYONCÉ

2) DANCING
Well, this category is kind of harder to choose for me. I mean, these ladies are two great dancers. Who can forget Beyoncé coming out with the Uh-oh dance that you still can't help dancing to every time "Crazy in Love" comes on? Or dances from "Get Me Bodied?" Or the Single Ladies' Dance that is still EVERYWHERE (even got Joe Jonas doing it!!)She definitely has a flowing rhythm in her dancing. And Miss Ciara? Uh...duh: THE MATRIX from "Goodies" says it all. From "Goodies" to "Like a Boy" to "Love Sex Magic", we see that Ciara is very technical with her dancing. Every move is just precise and on point to me. B's dances are fun and hot, but you gotta admit that Ci-Ci beats her in the dancing department. Sorry B...
WINNER: CIARA

3) SINGING
Now to the tiebreaker: Singing. Well, I knew who I would be picking from jump...Ciara is a good singer. She tears it down in "Promise" and "And I". She has this soft yet strong voice that is great to me for ballads. She definitely can sing. And Queen B? We all know Beyoncé has been singing forever. She was trained in opera and can hit notes with SO MUCH POWER (Check Listen or Irreplaceable if you don't believe me). Sure, she has her moments where her voice can get kind of shaky like in Ego (sorry, the part with the ohs...her voice was mad scratchy. I soooo would've made her do that over lol Love ya B), but for the most part, Beyoncé is definitely on track with her singing talents. She is a powerhouse and easily beats out Ciara with the vocals. Ciara can sing, but, to me, Beyoncé can SANG!!!!
WINNER: BEYONCÉ

With the score 2-1, BEYONCÉ TAKES THE CROWN!!! Sorry Ciara, but Beyoncé is the top diva. She's the-the diva, she's the, she's the-the diva...Couldn't resist, that song stays in my head...

Hit me up with your comments. If you're going to disagree in any of these categories, give examples as to why you disagree. Love to the people...

PEACE.

~Brittany Shawnté

The Beginning

Hello, hello. Welcome to In The Spotlight, my new celebrity blog site. Just started this blog today. I am an aspiring entertainment journalist, and I decided that it might be good to do some blogging about celebrities since my ultimate goal is to interview and write stories on them. This definitely isn't a total bashing site of celebrities. This is just a blog to put the activities of different celebrities out there. I know, I know, there are so many celebrity blogs out there, why do you need another one? Well here's my plan for this site: I'm going to start small, you know, just reporting on celeb news that people know about and talk about and giving my take on it and hear from different people about their take. Then I want to expand my followers and get to the point where upcoming artists will want to be on this site for exposure. I think it's very important for new artists to get their music out there, and I would love to be a part of that. I want to interview these new artists and write feature articles on them and have some of their music on the site, so that they will gain more listeners. That's just my plan. Also, I would love to work with different people on this site. If you have any celeb news or artists in your area that you would love to see IN THE SPOTLIGHT, email me at brittanyshawnte@yahoo.com. So here's to the beginning of In The Spotlight!!! Thanks for visiting!! Spread the word!!!

www.inthespotlight1.blogspot.com

PEACE.

~Brittany Shawnté