Football or music, THAT is the question.

It's the choice everyone has been talking about.

Since Feb. 14th, when next season's Big 12 football schedule was announced, students have had a dire new decision looming over their heads...attend TX/OU weekend, an 83-year-old tradition between the rival universities, or attend ACL, the largest concert weekend in Austin.

For me, the choice is a no-brainer: Rid River Shootout it is. There's just simply no way I could miss it. I'm an avid Longhorn football fan and hate that Godforsaken land north of the Texas boarder. Oklahoma, I hear it's called?

However, for other UT students the choice may not come so easy. Austin City Limits is obviously one of the largest events in the city. To give you a little perspective, last year it generated nearly $73 million in visitor spending. I mean, where else can you hear the vast array of talented artists all in one weekend? So for music lovers, and partiers alike, the choice could get pretty tricky.

However, putting my critical thinking skills to use, I feel as if there's one underlying theme in both of these weekends: getting hammered. You know it's true.

Therefore, here is your 2012 TX/OU/ACL weekend plan...you're welcome.

Paint those coolers, pack your bags and hop on that bus to good ol' Dallas, Texas. Thanks to the nice 3G coverage area conveniently lining I-35, stream the live ACL acts strait to your mobile device while you sip on your beverage of choice. What did people ever do without internet?

Not only will you be getting shwasted in the comfort of a climate controlled bus, by streaming the concerts you get front-row viewing capabilities while on the way to one of the best rivalries on earth.

Now that's what I call killing two birds with one stone.

Who are you wearing?

Unfortunately, for Ryan Seacrest, it's the late North Korean dictator Jim Jong Il.

In case you missed the Academy Awards last week, the comedic actor, Sacha Baron Cohen, was up to his usual tricks as he arrived dressed as the fictional character, Admiral General Aladeen, to promote his upcoming movie, The Dictator.

Just as the red carpet interview was going smoothly, perhaps too smoothly, Sacha "accidentally" tipped the urn, pouring the Bisquick "ashes" all over Ryan's tuxedo. Although trying to keep an upbeat appearance, Seacrest obviously wasn't amused by the publicity stunt.

What seemed to be body guards brushed Cohen away as Ryan dusted off his jacket and for once, he seemed to be at a brief loss for words.

"I was surprised, but not surprised," Seacrest told an E! blogger. "In the back of my head, I said, this guy isn't coming as the Dictator to not do something—to what extent, I don't know. Whether it be a joke or something physical, I don't know."


Seacrest, being the pro that he is, said he always brings an extra jacket with him in events of unplanned spillage. In addition, you know that his costumers at E! would be all over that situation in a heartbeat as well. So personally, I don't see what the huge fuss is about.

I think it was a clever little way to draw attention to the movie and coming from Sacha Baron Cohen it's not a huge shocker. And, call me cynical, but I'm sure it was probably planned from the beginning and was okayed by Seacrest or his people.

Either way, the little publicity stunt worked. It certainly got people talking, and while the movie will probably be mediocre at best, I may have to go see it.

After all, "the heroic story of a dictator who risks his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed" sounds so ridiculous it could actually be pretty funny.

Glee shows harms of texting while driving

Don't worry, this isn't a total recap of all the latest Glee episodes. I fell off that "Gleek" bandwagon a while ago...but after reading this eonline recap of tonight's latest episode, I wish I had tuned in. Glee ended the season with addressing the new widespread dilemma of texting while driving.

The character we all love, Quinn, was in a car accident while replying to a text from Rachel and the outcome didn't look promising. Apparently, the scene has been in the works since the cast appeared on Oprah when they signed a no texting while driving contract.

Currently, our group RE.branding solutions is working with AT&T to help spread their campaign message “It Can Wait”.

AAA found that the risk for a car accident increases by 50% for those who text while driving. A shocking statistic when initial AT&T research findings show that nearly 50 percent of teens admitted that they text and drive compared to one-fifth of adult drivers.

While anti-drinking and driving messages have been around for quite a while, texting and driving is just starting to surface. The question now is how do we create success for this new message such as the drinking while driving has done?

First off, the problem of drinking while driving has been around much longer, so it's expected that it's more successful. We can start off by looking at what they've done to gain ideas and guide us to success in our new campaigns. 

For example, there’s established advocacy groups such as M.A.D.D. and S.A.D.D. which produce high-quality programs such as Shattered Dreams throughout high schools across the nation. So far, I’ve only come across a small group called D.I.A.D., Drop It and Drive, which has been established for anti-texting and driving campaigns.

 

However, AT&T has started blasting this campaign on billboards and PSA’s with the message “It Can Wait”. These short messages show short or broken texts from the deceased individual who wrecked while texting and driving.

With AT&T's campaign as well as celebrity endorsements and television scenarios, I'm confident that as time goes on the anti-texting while driving message will grow stronger. 

Need to spice up your life?

What's that? A Spice Girls reunion you say!? You may be rolling your eyes now while remembering the 1990's girl-group phenomenon, but I know in 1996 you were dancing around in your fluffy slippers and pink pj's to their breakout hit "Wannabe".

There has been talk for a Spice Girls reunion for a year or two now, with debate on whether or not a reunion tour would be profitable at all. However, past reunion tours would suggest it would be.

For example, the NKOTBSB reunion tour earned sizable profits, grossing over $40 million with 51 shows last year. Likewise, if the past is any indicator of the future, the smaller 2007/2008 Spice Girls reunion tour grossed a reported $70 million, suggesting that a larger, more publicized tour would do quite well.

Ray Waddell, Billboard Magazine employee, says that at least two decades is the ideal time to wait when beginning to market nostalgia.

"When seeking to tap into nostalgia for teens, 20 years gives those original fans time to grow up [and] get married...plus there is hopefully a little more discretionary income available," Waddell told to eonline.

However, while this idea makes sense, I feel like the girls' 2007-2008 mini-reunion could have hurt their rumored upcoming tour. While, according to Waddell, the 20-year-mark is ideal, I would think the fans who attended the last show would be less inclined to purchase tickets for a new one. Although this problem is probably only minor and could be solved by different tour cities and venues.

One thing I know, if a tour is announced, I'll be in line for tickets.

Lights, Camera, Wait.

One of the most famous super models of all time, Cindy Crawford, puts a halt on her 10-year-old daughter's modeling career.


Well, for now.


Crawford sais she was shocked to see just how much the public responded to the one picture her daughter took for Versace's new children's campaign. But with stunning looks just like her mother its really no surprise.


Right now, Kaia will have to wait until she's seventeen if she wants to continue modeling, which she's fine with.  According to her mother Kaia's response to the situation was, "I might model first because you don't have to know how to do anything, but then I want to be a baby nurse."


While I feel like Crawford made the right decision by letting her daughter choose when she comes of age, this leads to the heated debate surrounding child labor.


Some people think it should be banned all together. Some people let girls walk the runway as young as thirteen. I personally think child models and actors are fine, but there's a fine line. A line that many "stage moms" cross without any hesitation.


I think child labor laws should be strictly followed and that the children's desires be upheld with the most respect. Easier said than done in the real world. Many parents want to live their dreams through their children and reap their financial benefits leading to the exploitation of their children. Hence so many child stars who grow up with substance abuse problems due to having career-focused parents.


Thankfully, it seems in this case that Cindy Crawford has a level head on her shoulders. A trait that will hopefully be passed on to her daughter.

The 54th Annual Grammy Awards: The Good, The Bad, The Demonic...

After a week of discussing viral videos and twitter trends, it's time to bring my blogging focus back to the realm of entertainment. The Grammy Awards, which aired Sunday, proved to be just as eventful as they are every year. The stars of Hollywood came out and stirred up some good celebrity buzz, but this year instead of a giant egg incubating Lady Gaga, the public got a show from Nicki Manaj's alter ego Roman.

Here's a little Grammy recap...

The Good:

Photo courtesy of nme.com

I think almost all people could agree that honoring the late artists who passed within the past year is a classy thing to do. It not only shows respect for the deceased, but recognizes them for their lifetime of achievements brought on by following their passion for music.

Also, despite my usual disdain for artists who get win after win after win, it was heartwarming to see Adele leave with six Grammy awards, including the coveted "Record of the Year". Despite my guilty pleasure of loving catchy pop music, its refreshing to see someone who isn't a size 0, who doesn't exploit herself with over-the-top performances and who has a truly incredible a capella singing voice.

The Bad:

Ok, so there really wasn't anything too bad about this year's Grammy Awards, not even on the red carpet. Yeah, Katy Perry's hair should probably go back to black. And yeah, Fergie should have probably chosen another dress choice. But overall, no infamous Bjork incidents.

On the other hand, Sophia Grace and Rosie (see viral video post for video link) rocked the red carpet with their signature princess look looking pretty stinkin' cute.

The Demonic:

Now on to Nicki Manaj...I hate that I like her so much. While she's a good rapper and singer, her craziness is so obnoxious to me. When she first became popular, I thought her outrageous character was just an image-building move to get America's attention. But, after watching her E! True Hollywood Story, it seems as if she has always acted over-the-top, but nevertheless kudos to her for doing her own thing.

However, being true to yourself doesn't quite make rapping as your alter ego, a possessed person named Roman, acceptable in my book. In case you missed it, her exorcism-themed performance was sprinkled with dancing priests, altar boys and demonic sounding choir singers.

Although I'm not an avid church goer, or a perfect role model by any means, I am a Christian. Despite my love for the performing arts and support for artistic free-range, I really don't see why it's necessary for artists to exploit the 'wow' factor of sacrilegious performances such as this.

It has been done before,

and it will undoubtedly be done again. 

Overall, I think its just a tasteless act to get the public talking.

Its unimaginative, unoriginal and I don't think anything could persuade me otherwise.

Since the death of Osama bin Laden last year, the Navy SEALs have been thrust into the public spotlight more so than ever...giving retired Lt. Gen. James Vaught a bone to pick with the current team.

Navy SEAL Special Operations Commander Adm. Bill McRaven
confronted by retired Lt. Gen. James Vaught.
(Photo Courtesy of abcnews.go.com)

Vaught advised the current SEAL team commander to "get the hell out of the media" or else face the consequences of enemy knowledge. While reporters are not particularly a new problem the military has to deal with, the popularity of social media is. It certainly hasn't helped mitigate the spread of news stories of military stories and strategies among the general population, making it easier for this information to fall into the enemy's hands.

Courtesy of imfrance.wordpress.com

For example, according to the Huffington Post, the Sunday of the bin Laden raid, Keith Urbahn, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's chief of staff, leaked the news via Twitter almost an hour before President Obama gave an official statement. And, although no specific details were released at that time, news reports did release such details to the public. These details combined with the effects of social media, allow news to travel like wildfire in our high-tech world. 

"If you keep publishing how you do this," warned Vaught, "you're going to fly in and he's going to shoot down every damn helicopter and kill every one of your SEALs...mark my words." Smart words to live by if you're current Special Operations Commander Adm. Bill McRaven.