What’s Wrong with the Grammys?

Wait, what is The Fame doing in the top three this week?

As I plastered my eyes to the weekly Billboard Top 200 albums chart a few weeks ago, I noticed a few surprises joining the current most popular albums.Melanie Fiona’s The Bridge, released six months ago, and Beyoncé’s I Am… Sasha Fierce, Lady Gaga’s The Fame, and Lady Antebellum’s eponymous album, all released almost two years ago, received massive boosts in popularity. Lesser known acts like Fiona and Lady Antebellum garner solid sales, but their albums are both within the top 40 — way beyond their beginning sales range. One may think that divas like Beyoncé and newest pop superstar Lady Gaga should have massive sales like they currently do, but not for albums that they released years ago. None other than the “Grammy Effect,” the Grammy Awards’ magical touch in giving albums and artists a popularity spike just after they air, pushed these albums to the top. Such a power merits a reassessment of the very process and administration that gives these artists their golden gramophones and subsequent sales spikes.

7 Points to Ponder after the 2010 Australian Open

The first Grand Slam of this year is over. Hold in the tears, tennis fanatics, because this is only the start. After every tournament, even every match, there’s something to take away, something from which to learn and develop. Grand Slams are absolutely not the exception to this rule, especially the one that kicks off the season. Overtones throughout the fortnight Down Under abound, and there’s more than Federer and Serena to listen for here.

1.) Roger Federer and Serena Williams have solidified their statuses as the true masters of their respective tours. Mr. Federer is most certainly deserving of the title “The Master,” Ms. Williams more like “The Masher.” Where Federer brings elegance, consistency, and grace to his giant game, Serena lifts up a game full of brute strength, dramatic inconsistency, and passion. While their games differ drastically, I can’t think of two people after this Open in whom I have more confidence to lead their respective tours. Federer’s performance against Murray was complete and utter domination; Serena was able to put the stranglehold on a venemous veteran in Henin towards the end of their three-set match. Nonetheless, both Federer and Serena stormed through a draw that was threatening to both. Like the true Jupiters or Junos that they are, Federer and Serena have proven once again that their games are better than ever, that challenging veterans like Davydenko or powerful newcomers like Azarenka can hit nothing but net against them — and not like in basketball.

The Art of Talking About Something and Nothing

Today I am going to talk about Tony Hoagland’s poem “The Change.”

Today I am not, however, going to teach you how to write an effective hook for a blog post. XD

So. You read it? The poem? Good.

Kinda weird, huh? Hoagland’s an odd guy. Not my favorite. But he certainly gets props for bluntness. After the jump, see what Michelle Minkoff had to say about this piece:

Super Bowl Preview

The biggest game in NFL is finally here and it is one of the greatest events in all of the sports world. The New Orleans Saints vs the Indianapolis Colts will battle it out for the glory of being called champions. People watch the Super Bowl for many different reasons. Some watch it for the ads that get shown, others watch it for the football, and people also watch it for the amazing halftime shows. You can tell how big this event is by some simple facts. Major televisions stations often pay in millions to have a thirty second ad featured in the time slot. The record for the most spent is held by CBS who is spending 2.6 million this year. Below I will list players from both teams that can change the game in a heartbeat and also explain how they can.

Oscar and His Choices

Most every time the little golden man named Oscar announces his nominees for the biggest entertainment award around, he looks on burgeoning newcomers, on esteemed veterans, and on overlooked thespians to bestow an affirmation of their talent. Who knew a statuette weighing only eight and a half pounds could balance a community equaling hundreds of millions of people on the tip of his black metal base? Let’s just say he has the “Midas touch.” This little guy is so important he has widely known stars decree his verdicts at 5:30 on an average Tuesday morning. But I’m gonna try to do him one better and predict his choices before he even gives them — only in the major categories, though.

Best Picture

• Avatar
• An Education
• The Hangover
• The Hurt Locker
• Inglourious Basterds
• Invictus
• Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
• Star Trek
• Up
• Up In The Air

Both A Serious Man and District 9 are strong Oscar contenders. Man has Oscar favorites the Coen brothers as directors, and District 9 wowed both critically and commercially (plus, it has Lord of the Rings giant Peter Jackson as producer). If either one or both get a spot, look for animated feature Up or comedy surprise The Hangover to fall by the wayside.