Thursday, December 29, 2011

It's a tell-tale sign we're getting closer to the end of the year, so without further ado and for the 22nd time...
The Top 20 Things That Were Trending in 2011

20. The HP TouchPad becoming a colossal flop (still usable as a paperweight or a small serving tray)

19. Chris Paul joining the Los Angeles Clippers (yeah, like if they would have a chance!)


18. Weinergate (imagine if Andrew Weiner sent that out to Sarah Palin instead


17. Conrad Murray found guilty of dosing Michael Jackson to death (to paraphrase Nancy Grace, the King of Pop was dancing in heaven that night)


16. The Vancouver Riot kissing couple (a.k.a "From Here To Eternity 2")

15. Christina Aguilera fumbling the national anthem at Super Bowl XLV (the ghost of Leslie Nielsen lives!)


14. TIE:Maria Menounos' lower body wardrobe malfunction in Miami/Leaked cell phone nudes of Blake Lively and Scarlett Johansson (suddenly, sales of hand lotion and Kleenex began to skyrocket)


13.   Michele Bachmann (she's Sarah Palin without the glasses but with the wonky eyes of Nancy Pelosi)


12, in her 13th consecutive appearance on this list. Britney Spears (still continues to push the envelope...and in a good way)


11. The paternity suit against Justin Bieber (if that lady went ahead with it, this would've been the greatest episode of "Maury" ever!)


10. TIE: Tim Tebow (him bowing down at every game reeks "The Thinker", except that he has extra protection)/Ted Williams (it's amazing what a homeless guy with a golden voice can do)


9. TIE: Netflix (pissing off customers by boosting their fees since 2001)/George Clooney and Stacy Keibler (he has the looks of a casanova that could rival Brad Pitt; she has the fappable legs of a goddess that could rival Angelina Jolie


8. The downgrade of our credit rating from AAA to AA+ (guess the people at Standard and Poor's have went to one too many AA meetings)


7. Emma Stone (with "The Help" and next year "The Amazing Spider-Man", she's enjoying the career Lindsay Lohan once had but pissed away)


6. TIE: Charlie Sheen's and Ellen Barkin's erratic Twitter behaviors (give them some tiger blood 'cause they're winning, muthaf***ers!)/The X Factor (the anti-American Idol, now that Simon and Paula are together again)


5. Oprah Winfrey's and Regis Philbin's goodbyes (one of them had fans bawling uncontrollably...just like all of North Korea over Kim Jong Il's death)


4. Marc Anthony and Kris Humphries divorcing Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian respectively (apparently, both of them had enough of their asses)


3. Prince William and Kate Middleton (a marriage made in heaven...unlike the one that was made in hell (see Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries))


2. The Kardashians (America's favorite family...to paraphrase Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, for us to puke on!)


And the #1 thing that was trending in 2011 which will continue to be in 2012 come election time:


1. The Occupy (insert city) protests (who will be the 99 percent deciding whether or not the 1 percent President Obama deserves an additional four years in the White House. But you may never know)


 And that's it: The Allen Blog's 2011 Year in Review. From me to you, so long, stay strong, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Part 2: Pop Culture and Technology

Let's all raise our glasses for a great 2011 in the world of pop culture: Couples of British royalty and teen royalty becoming the center of attention, a song about the joys of the last day of the work week becoming the latest YouTube sensation, erratic behavior from someone who thinks he's "winning" while dousing on some tiger blood, the end of one box office saga while another is still clawing along, a new wave of tablet computers trying to out iPad the iPad with Steve Jobs gone, one family giving new meaning to the term "family values", and sexting scandals that would stump Siri to a tee.

"The King's Speech", which was the verbal answer to "Rain Man" dominated the 83rd Annual Academy Awards with four including Best Actor (Colin Firth) and Best Picture, while an expectant Natalie Portman claimed Best Actress ("Black Swan") and a few months later, a baby boy. The ratings with hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway (who would be the only one busy as a bee this year filling out the Catwoman suit for next year's "The Dark Knight Rises") weren't something worth talking about: A 10 percent drop from last year. Eddie Murphy was slated to front next year's show with Brett Ratner as producer, but Ratner's unflattering remarks would lead to them bolting; Brian Grazer would step in, followed by getting Billy Crystal on speed dial.

At the 53rd Primetime Emmy Awards, "Mad Men", "Modern Family", and "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" continued their streak, while "The Amazing Race" reclaimed their prize after loaning it to "Top Chef" last year. Melissa McCarthy beat out the likes of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler for Best Actress-Comedy honor, and with "Bridesmaids" to go along with "Mike & Molly", she was one of this year's breakout stars.

Oprah Winfrey, Mary Hart (after 29 years at "Entertainment Tonight), Canadian news anchor Lloyd Robertson, and Regis Philbin all bid a fond farewell this year, though we'll be seeing them again in the forseeable future. "American Idol" with Scotty McCreery as this season's winner remained the top television show for the seventh year in a row thanks to some infusion from Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, but they're going to face an epic ratings battle next year with "The X Factor" (the inaugural U.S. season just won by Melanie Amaro), and why? Former judges Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul, the latter who briefly returned to TV earlier this year with "Live To Dance."

We also saw Pittsburgh Steeler Hines Ward and war veteran turned soap opera actor J.R. Martinez tango their way to the "Dancing With The Stars" mirror ball trophies, the end of both "All My Children" and Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, Christina Aguilera rebounding from her Star-Spangled screwup with a stint on "The Voice"; "Once Upon A Time", "Revenge", and "New Girl" among the new shows filling up our DVR drives; and the small screen returns of Claire Danes, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Rachel Bilson with "Homeland", "Ringer", and "Hart Of Dixie" respectively. Oh, and viewers didn't care about "The Playboy Club" (even if you live in a certain part of the country where you were not allowed to see it) or the new "Charlie's Angels."

But the big television story of 2011 was Charlie Sheen and the future of "Two And a Half Men." Apparently, his ego went straight to his brain as he bickered with the show's creator/producer Chuck Lorre, demanding a pay increase. From there, he verbally went psycho calling Chuck names, which didn't sit well with him. Sheen got the pink slip, while Charlie's next move? Twitter, where he reached 1 million followers on the first day. That would be followed by his "Torpedo of Truth" tour criss-crossing the country which got mixed reviews...except for the first night in Detroit, where most fans walked out on the show in utter disappointment and wanting a refund.

While all that was going on, producers scrambled to fill Charlie's shoes; I on this blog even suggested the unlikely name of former NBA player turned actor Rick Fox, given his history of ladies from Vanessa Williams to now Eliza Dushku. Well, they didn't listen to me, and the cattle call would end with Ashton Kutcher signing on the dotted line. When the new season hit, the new "Two And a Half Men" continued its dominance as TV's #1 comedy; but behind the scenes, Ashton's marriage to Demi Moore was about to falter. More on that (and other celebrity couples) later.

In the world of technology this year, new legions of tablet computers were in a bid to outdo the almighty iPad 2, which came out in the spring. One of them, HP's TouchPad, had potential as a serious competitor; but star power like Lea Michele, Russell Brand, and boxer Manny Pacquiao didn't convince us to buy one. After only two months of poor sales, the TouchPad would go in the way of the Edsel, New Coke, McDonald's Arch Deluxe, and the XFL. Other tablets by Blackberry, Motorola, Samsung, and Acer would use the same Android OS for smartphones and they are doing modestly well. And in November, just in time for the holidays, Amazon debuted the Kindle Fire, which costs half the price of the iPad except that it doesn't shoot video or take pictures like the iPad.

Speaking of smartphones...the Apple iPhone 4S, a slightly updated version of the world's #1 smartphone, would be introduced just a day before Steve Jobs' passing. The biggest new feature: Siri, which acts as a personal assistant. I know many of you had fun playing with that.

Despite "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" ending the franchise with a new opening weekend record while "Twilight: Breaking Dawn" proved that franchise still has bite, the box office this year was anything but fun. The only other films that garnered a lot of buzz was "The Help" and George Clooney's double whammy of "The Ides Of March" and "The Descendants", but "Your Highness", "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark", and "Mars Needs Moms"? They did garner some buzz as well...on Netflix queues everywhere! Even Netflix themselves had a rocky year as they upped the monthly fees, which led to unsatisfied customers bolting to Redbox, their local libraries, and a resurging Blockbuster. An attempt to rename their mail DVD rental service as Qwikster crashed and burned.

Music's biggest chart-toppers this year were by Pink with "Raise Your Glass" (which also got the "Glee" treatment), Nicki Minaj who at one point gave a very eye-opening performance on "Good Morning America", Britney Spears becoming a "Femme Fatale" with her latest offering (and capping it all off with her engagement to Jason Trawick), Adele hitting blackjack with "21", Lady Gaga continuing to push the envelope even further, and new tunes from Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, and Rihanna as they've played the globe. We also saw Beyonce showing her baby bump to the world at the MTV Video Music Awards, pulling in both ratings and Twitter records...not to mention some unknown teenager named Rebecca Black paying homage to the end of the work/school week with "Friday."

No year would be complete without a bountiful of scandals. Among them: Leaked cell phone pictures of Scarlett Johansson and Blake Lively having us reaching for the hand lotion and Kleenex, congressman Anthony Weiner showing his...well, you know; the acquittal of Casey Anthony while Amanda Knox experienced freedom once again after years of standing trial in Italy, a phone hacking scandal with Piers Morgan and Hugh Grant among the targets costing Rupert Murdoch the "News Of The World" paper, the iPhone/tablet game Words With Friends getting some unexpected publicity thanks to Alec Baldwin's refusal to pause the game while on an American Airlines flight (and thus being booted off), Conrad Murray guilty of ending Michael Jackson's life, Hank Williams Jr.'s comments about President Obama, House Speaker John Boehner, Hitler, and the Israeli Prime Minister in the same sentence costing him his "Monday Night Football" gig; and of course, Lindsay Lohan from another brief time in jail to her community service job at a morgue to her much ballyhooed "Playboy" spread just recently.

The other most-talked celebrity couple of 2011 besides Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez? George Clooney and former WWE sexpot Stacy Keibler, as thanks to the praise he's been getting with the two films I already brought up, we could be seeing the two together (especially Stacy) next year at the Golden Globes and maybe...the Oscars!

And Kate and William wasn't the only big "I do" of the year, as Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo, Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert, Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth, Paul McCartney (in his third marriage) and Nancy Shevell, Brooke Burke and David Charvet, Prince Albert II and Charlene Wittstock, and LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian were among those tying the knot along with them. And among those headed to divorce court: Ashton Kutcher/Demi Moore, Jennifer Lopez/Marc Anthony, Arnold Schwarzenegger/Maria Shriver, Elizabeth Hurley/Arun Nayar (Liz would be engaged to Shane Warne), Olivia Wilde/Tao Ruspoli, and Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn. Meanwhile, Hilary Duff and Mike Comrie celebrated their one-year anniversary saying that baby will make three, and Jessica Simpson's will be popping out next year as well after Eric Johnson popped the question to her. (UPDATE (12/30): After only one year, Russell Brand and Katy Perry are no more as Russell has filed for divorce)

So...who's my pick for Entertainer of the Year? How about Entertainers of the Year: The Kardashians!

Let's face the facts, folks: They were infectious all throughout 2011, keeping the tabloid publishers and gossip sites happy week after week. We had Rob on the aforementioned "Dancing With The Stars" as perhaps the good Kardashian, but Kim had such a year that was both memorable and forgettable: Memorable because she starred in what I called the sexiest Super Bowl commercial ever for Skechers, and forgettable because her marriage to NBA star Kris Humphries lasted longer than...well, the HP TouchPad! (UPDATE: As of publish time, we've just learned that Sinead O'Connor's marriage to Barry Herridge is over after only eighteen days)

What will the forecast be for 2012? With Billy Crystal back in the saddle as Oscars host, could George Clooney take the stage yet again? Madonna will be headlining the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show; will she also be wardrobe malfunction-proof like Fergie this year? And how will "Hunger Games" and "The Dark Knight Rises" fare, as they are two of the year's most-anticipated films? We'll answer these questions and so much more in the year ahead.


Next time...we wrap up the Year in Review with the Top 20 Things That Were Trending in 2011!

Monday, December 26, 2011


It was the year when scores of people worldwide were, as the Doobie Brothers song went, taking it to the streets.

The year when a devastating earthquake and tsunami nearly had the land of the Rising Sun into a meltdown.

The year when we had to look to more than just FreeCreditScore.com for our credit rating.

The year when moviegoers liked the last "Harry Potter" film, while those who saw "Mars Needs Moms" or "Cowboys & Aliens" were unfriended.

The year when the whole world raised their glasses to a royal couple who were wed on a day of the week which was musically immortalized by some unknown 16-year-old.  

The year when we said goodbye to a multi-wed actress who loved white diamonds and a genius who revolutionized the world by creating things...well, worth hackable to be seen by all.

The year when two hot ladies with big cabooses lost their husbands, while one guy with tiger blood in his brain lost his TV job, but claims to be winning in life.

And yes, it was the year when we finally took out the guy who took out thousands of lives on September 11.

That year was 2011.
Join The AllenBlog for a look back at 52 weeks in the making.

From an earthquake and tsumani that crippled eastern Japan, to the wedding of the century that was watched globally, from the permanant takedown of the man who committed a massive crime in our country ten years ago, to growing numbers of protests that turned public parks into makeshift campgrounds, 2011 was well occupied. 

We began the year in Brazil, where a series of floodings and mudslides claimed over 900 lives. But the year's biggest natural disaster would transpire a couple months later in Japan, where a 9.1 magnitude earthquake and tsunami killed around 15,800, resulting in tsunami warnings in over 50 countries including the United States. 

In Super Bowl XLV, Aaron Rodgers and his Green Bay Packers routed the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 to claim their fourth Vince Lombardi Trophy. A record 111 million viewers made it the most-watched television broadcast of all time (beating Super Bowl XLIV last year by five million)...well, despite Christina Aguilera's fumble of the national anthem. 

Other sports happenings throughout 2011 include: Auburn as college football's national champions, Connecticut and Texas A&M ruling the men's and women's college basketball courts, the Boston Bruins' first hoisting of the Stanley Cup since the Nixon administration, the Dallas Mavericks denying Lebron James and the rest of the Miami Heat the NBA title, the Texas Rangers' second straight attempt at a World Series title foiled this time to the St. Louis Cardinals, Japan beating the U.S. in the FIFA Women's World Cup, John Baker first to Nome in the Iditarod (and thus preventing Lance Mackey from joining the Five-Timers Club), Duke's Mike Krzykewski surpassing Bobby Knight to become the winningest coach in college basketball history, Derek Jeter becoming the real Mr. 3,000, and Dan Wheldon taking his second Indianapolis 500 checkered flag in a heartbreaker over rookie J.R. Hildebrand at the final turn...only to see his life being taken in a violent crash a few months later. 

But it was scandals and lockouts that headlined the sports section this year. First, the NBA lockout, as the preseason and all games through November 30 were cancelled with the All-Star Game about to be next. But in early December, a new collective bargaining agreement was ratified, and the rest of the season was saved. Another was at Penn State, as former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was arrested on massive counts of child molestation spanning 15 years; as of publish time, a trial was already continuing. That would cost longtime coach Joe Paterno the job he's had after 60 years, erupting in a riot that was far worse than in Vancouver over their Stanley Cup loss to the Bruins, with a TV news van even toppled by the enraged crowd. 

In Arizona, a gunman opened fire on Arizona congresswoman Gabielle Giffords and 18 others in a Tucson shopping center with six of them dead and Giffords hanging on for dear life; her recovery is still progressing. 

30 years after his father Prince Charles wed the late Princess Diana, the entire world watched the nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Dignitaries such as Elton John and David and Victoria Beckham were in attendance, but everybody else's eyes would be fixed on Kate sister Pippa, being called "Her Royal Hotness" as she -- and her butt, which a website is devoted to -- became the center of attention. But back here in the States on a far more serious note, the second deadliest tornado outbreak in history claimed 340 lives throughout the Southeast. 

Within a week in August, the East coast would have their share of natural disasters themselves. First, a 5.9 quake in -- in the rarest of places -- Virginia, which was felt as far away as New York City. And speaking of New York, they survived the brunt of Hurricane Irene, which ran up a $10 billion damage bill. 

The 2012 presidential campaign went into full swing this year, as the Republicans have one thing on their agenda: kick President Barack Obama out as our credit rating went from AAA to AA+ and unemployment rates nationwide continue to fluctuate. Herman Cain seemed to be leading the polls thanks to his 9-9-9 plan...but it became 69-69-69 as many ladies who Cain claimed to have sexually harassed over the years came forward, and Herman threw in the towel. 

But we were not the only country who had its share of financial problems. All over Europe, there was turmoil as riots and protests broke out throughout troubled Greece, Silvio Berlusconi's reign in Italy over, and France and Germany trying to soften the debt crisis with Britain not wanting any part of it. 

"Time" magazine named The Protester as 2011's Person of the Year, and for good reason: Protests of all kinds ranging from political to financial dominated this year's headlines, beginning in Tunisia as demostrations immediately brought their dictator down. What was called the Arab Spring would later spread to Egypt with the ousting of Hosini Mubarak (and putting many journalists, including CNN's Anderson Cooper and CBS' Lara Logan, in the crossfire), then Libya with a civil war ending with Moammar Gadahfi's sudden death after over 40 years of merciful power, and finally in Syria against the Assad regime. 

Meanwhile, what started as Occupy Wall Street in New York in mid-September have blossomed into various Occupy (insert city here) protests around the world, as those who call themselves "the 99 percent" wanted a share of the wealth the remaining 1 percent want. But as winter hit, the public parks that were transformed into makeshift camps would be dismantled by local police because most residents considered them eyesores. 

But without question, the biggest story of 2011 was ten years in the making. 

The mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, Osama bin Laden, would be taken out by what is known as "Seal Team Six" in May after learning he was hunkered in a Pakistani compound. We didn't even know about it until President Obama took to the airwaves late Sunday night on May 1 and made the news official to the world with Bin Laden later buried at sea. For all of us, it was the final chapter of a long "America Fights Back" story that's been written since 9/11.

And we began to end the year with two high points: the death of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il, and the official end to military action in Iraq after eight years with U.S. troops out of there for good. Now where did George W. Bush stash that "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" banner? 


But as we've published this, it was a very black Christmas on Sunday as seven people were shot dead in a Fort Worth, Texas-area apartment just moments after opening their gifts.

There were some television farewells throught 2011 (which I'll have in the Year in Pop Culture), but there were a lot of natural farewells as well, including: Amy Winehouse, Elizabeth Taylor, Bubba Smith, Dr. Jack Kevorkian, boxing legend Joe Frazier, rappers Heavy D and Nate Dogg, the aforementioned Dan Wheldon, Harry Morgan, 1984 vice presidential candidate Geralidine Ferraro, Jane Russell, Warren Christopher, Sidney Lumet, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, former First Lady Betty Ford, Peter Falk, Cliff Robertson, James Arness, Charles Napier, Andy Rooney, golfer Seve Ballesteros, author Christopher Hitchens, fitness guru Jack LaLanne, and the visionary who changed our lives for the better...Steve Jobs. 

What will 2012 bring to the plate? It is an election year, and with Herman Cain now out, the remaining Republican candidates including Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich continue their vendetta against President Obama, who's doing everything in his power to earn four more years of tenancy in the White House. The Summer Olympics will emanate in London, with Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt picking up where they left off in Beijing. And the next time the U.S. goes on another space mission, with the shuttle program no more, they'll have to hitch a ride with the Russians. Of course, who knows what else will happen; the only way to find out is to wait till the clock strikes midnight on January 1. 

Next time...pop culture from entertainment to celebrities and gadgets to scandals as the 2011 Year In Review continues.