He Ain't Nothing But a Hound Dog

Elvis Presley

Who doesn't know the King of Rock & Roll? The first "sexy" performer...the first heart-throb of America. Everybody's heard the rumors about his drug addiction in the later part of his life, and his causes of death, but no one really knows his personal issues. What was he like before the fame? What was his family life like? What happened with his marriage?

Well, you can stop fretting now, because I am going to answer all of your questions about this Elvis guy in just a second. And I'll attempt to make it somewhat interesting for you to read.

Early Life

Elvis  Aaron Presley was born in 1935 in Mississippi. He was suppose to be a twin, but his brother, Jesse Garon , was born dead. Elvis was born into a poor family with two parents who worked on minimum wage. Since their financial situation was tight, Presley found himself moving from place to place early on in his life.

His parents were not only hard workers, but hard-core Christians. They raised their son to be a devoted follower of God, and Presley continued to attend an Assembly of God Church, where he first began to love music.

On Elvis' 11th birthday, his mom gave him his first guitar ever. Right away, he began to learn until he won his High School's talent show. After he graduated from high school, he maintained to keep his love for music alive while also working part time jobs. Sam Phillips, an owner of the record label, saw this young man's talent, and began to mentor him through it all. Only months later, Presley was not only recording, but touring all around, gaining him even more fans.
.

What caused most of Presley's fame to expand though, was his unique style of singing and dancing. His songs had a energetic feeling to them, making the fans crave the words integrated into his lyrics. Most of all, his dance moves came as a shock to every American man/woman. He thrusted his hips back and forth, and side to side. Many of the older generations during that time were disgusted and disapproved of the sexual vibe it gave off, but of course the younger generation loved it. Girls screamed at the mention of his name, the first shift in his moves, and the first word of his songs. Girls were exposed to something that was previously kept for private situations, rather than public exposure to his sexiness.

In 1967, Elvis got married to the beautiful Priscilla Presley.  He had met this Priscilla in Germany, when she was only fourteen and a half. Once she moved to Graceland, he proposed to her.Together they had a daughter name Lisa Marie, who is still alive today. Only three years later, Elvis began to have marriage problems. Rumors have it that the divorce emerged as a result of Elvis' demanding career, and constant absence from the house. In 1973, him and Priscilla divorced, leaving Lisa Marie in Mrs. Presley's care. This placed great sadness upon Presley, but soon he began writing more songs, and coming back onto the stage.

 

Drugs

The main reason Elvis turned to drugs later in his career was because of stress. He didn't know what else to turn to other than these pills that would temporarily make him feel better. One article addresses his growing issue that made him career end early:

The nonstop touring and Las Vegas engagements played a part in Elvis Presley's physical and spiritual decline as did his dependency on a variety of prescription drugs.
His oppressive performance schedule and his reliance on drugs were connected, at least in Elvis' mind. He claimed he needed drugs to maintain his energy onstage and then drugs to sleep after his performances, but some of the prescription drugs he got his hands on were not designed for those purposes. Some time during the 1970s, Elvis' overuse of drugs evolved into a frightening level of abuse.
A misconception exists that Elvis was lazy during the 1970s, that he secluded himself inside Graceland for extensive periods and did very little. Yet, based on his touring and recording schedules, this is clearly untrue. The problem was not inactivity; it was a grinding schedule of repeated routines, the monotony of the road, and a heart heavy from personal disappointments.
Personally downhearted and professionally unchallenged, Elvis grew bored and disaffected. By 1976, no one could get Elvis Presley into the recording studio despite his contractual obligations. Any enthusiasm he had previously mustered for recording was lost by the mid-1970s. Whether it was the end result of a downward spiral or because he thought the drugs had affected the range of his voice is unknown.

After years of fame, the drugs started causing him to lose motivation for singing. Singing was his life. Singing was his passion, yet his addiction took all of that away. Eventually, Elvis died in his home from a drug overdose. "Elvis' personal physician, Dr. George Nichopoulos, was found to have written Elvis 199 prescriptions totaling more than 10,000 doses of sedatives, amphetamines and narcotics in the first 8 months of 1977."
( http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=73d_1206664864#fsmgIUy5UJwlvdOR.99)
He was buried in Graceland, right next to his precious mother.

Elvis Presley didn't die as a happy man. He didn't die as a man of faith. He didn't die as a sober man. So what did he die as?

Elvis died as the Kind of Rock & Roll. He died as a drug- addict, yet he still lives in the hearts of many Americans today. I wonder what his life would've turned out to be like if he was born a twin. I wonder what his life would've turned out to be if he had kept his faith. I'm sure God would've blessed him with a life full of worth and joy. All we can say now is "thank you" to the one who created the great genre of Rock and Roll, and for cheering up a million girls' lives while he was still alive. Thank you.

Let this be an encouragement to you to keep fighting the good fight, keep your faith, and finish the race despite all of the trials and distractions that will come your way!



2 Timothy 4:7: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

"We were made to pursue pleasure, but there is no pleasure under the sun that brings ultimate satisfaction." ~Lecrae

Demi Lovato's 360

Demi Lovato

Early Life

Demetria Devonne Lovato was born in 1992 in New Mexico. Her mother was a retired country singer and cheerleader for the Dallas Cowboys. She has one older sister and one younger sister.

I guess you could say that her fame began when she became an actress on Barney and Friends. She must've been an amazing actress to be able to gain attention from that show. She then continued to star in tv shows such as Just Jordan and Prison Break.

Now here comes the company that ruins many young actors/actresses: Disney. In 2007, Demi started working with Disney, and was casted as the starring role in Camp Rock. During this movie, she began to realize her love for singing. Soon she was recording songs with the Jonas Brothers, but only for the sake of the movie. She had not yet grasped the music career that was ahead of her. Eventually Demi filmed her second movie called Princess Protection Program , along with her best friend, Selena Gomez. Then came the main source of Lovato's growing popularity-the show Sonny with a Chance.

Music Career Starts

In 2008, Lovato released her first album. After finding it to be a success, she released her second album just a year later.  That same year, Demi went on tour with the Jonas Brothers, but plans didn't go as expected. While backstage, this young 16 year old girl got in a fight with one of the dancers who supposedly tattled on her. After this occurrence, Demi sought out help.
The End

Sooo....That's It?

Alright, so wow. I just summed up her life from age zero to sixteen (not 100) real quick. I know you're wondering why exactly I included her in the category of a "celebrity gone bad." So here's the thing...sometimes patience is a virtue, and in this case, well I'm not gonna' test that virtue. Here's the 411- Demi Lovato was hiding her fault and addictions from everyone. And when I say everyone, I mean it. The people she was living with didn't even know.

Apparently she was addicted to cocaine when she was just 19. Don't believe me? Here's what the celebrity said:

"I couldn't go 30 minutes to an hour without cocaine and I would bring it on airplanes," she said. "I would smuggle it basically and just wait until everyone in first class would go to sleep and I would do it right there. I'd sneak to the bathroom and I'd do it. ... And that was even with somebody (with me), I had a sober companion, somebody who was watching me 24/7 and living with me (and) I was able to hide it from them as well."

Not only was she turning to drugs, but to having eating disorders at age 8 and 9.

"I started overeating, compulsively overeating," she said. "I went from doing that to being unhappy with my body. I went to just completely starving myself and that turned into throwing up and starving myself and it was just this crazy battle going on inside of me." Eventually she realized she had to stop or die.

And probably the most commonly known problem that Demi had was cutting. She couldn't handle the pain and loneliness. She didn't know what to do. She was lost and confused.

 

 The Happy Ending

Yeah yeah, you guessed it. There is in fact a happy ending to all of this. Demi Lovato got help for her bulimia, cutting, anger issues, and drug/alcohol addiction. She ended up sharing with the whole world about her experiences, in hopes to inspire and convict teens all around the world with similar problems.

She is now a judge on the X Factor, and speaks at anti-bullying conferences. She is a young, brave, and confident woman now, who has gotten her act together and has a bright future ahead of her. She is the living example that anyone, no what their problems are, can take a dark, hopeless life and turn it into something BEAUTIFUL.

That's about it for today. Thanks for reading my blog!:)

~Maddie Cortese

Isaiah 40:31

But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

From E.T Actress to Drug Addict

Drew Barrymore

This beautiful actress has a roller coaster life. She went from child actress, to drug addict, to scandalous modeling, to a mother on a little girl, and then back to being an actress.

 

Drew was boring in 1975 in Los Angeles, California. Her father, John Barrymore, along with her grandparents the great grandparents were actors too. Even her godfather was a famous director!

 

When Drew was 7, she starred in every child's nightmare movie: ET. She was the little girl who befriends the creepy alien who just wants to phone home. Everybody loved her. She was the cutest and most talented actress the world had seen since Shirley Temple. This movie caused for the world to notice this young girl, and she soon found herself on Saturday Night Live, being the youngest host ever.

Who knows why, but Drew's mom starting taking her little daughter to clubs, such as Studio 54, and the China Club. This is when was introduced to drugs and alcohol. At age 9 and a half, she began smoking. Her rebellious side came out and she eventually just wanted to do everything bad. She then started drinking with friends. She admits that she drank not just to have fun, but to get drunk. She then started going from club to club. The people of the club would let her in because they knew who she was and how famous she was at her young age. No, unfortunately she didn't stop at drinking. She began to smoke pot. When pot didn't satisfy her, she reverted to cocaine. She was not very involved in school, and began to hang out with adults because she felt like she couldn't relate to her peers. Her condition got worse and worse, and her mother was apparently oblivious to all of what her daughter was doing until one night when Drew came home intoxicated. Drew's mother yelled at her asking her what she had been doing. Barrymore then "demanded" that her .mom leave the house. Yes... you heard me right. This 11 year old wanted to kick her mom out of "her" house. Her mother, infuriated, started throwing things all over the house.  That night, her friend who previously attended rehab convinced her mother to take Drew to the hospital. Drew was in therapy/rehab for 12 days. She meet kids her age and saw that they had problems too, and that everybody was there for a reason.

 

 

Drew Barrymore speaking about her problems as a child: "I started smoking cigarettes when I was 9½. I was, like, smoking constantly and going out and doing everything I could do to be bad. I thought, "Well, if I smoke cigarettes, I can drink." At first it was with friends. Just sneaking. I would drink not to have fun—I would drink to get drunk. I was also a club-hopper at 10, as much as a 10-year-old can be. I would sleep over at a friend's house, and we would sneak out. And after a while I started thinking, "Well, this is getting boring now, so let's try something even better. If I can drink, I can smoke pot. There's nothing to it." When I was 10½, I was sitting in a room with a group of young adults who were smoking pot. I wanted to try some, and they said, "Sure. Isn't it cute, a little girl getting stoned?" Eventually that got boring, and my addict mind told me, "Well, if smoking pot is cute, it'll also be cute to get the heavier stuff like cocaine." It was gradual. What I did kept getting worse and worse, and I didn't care what anybody else thought."

Drew and her mother

 

About a year later, after filming Far From Home Drew returned to LA. She hung around people who were getting drunk and high, but she managed to stay sober. She was expected to act like a 25 year old, mature girl. She felt weird...different. And in a way, she was. What kind of 12 year old hangs with adults who get drunk? After 88 days of being sober, she was convinced by some pot-heads in a club. She bought $100 worth of cocaine and started her "bad-girl" stage again.

 

When she was 13, she finally decided that she had to stop messing around. This realization came to her after being sent to a rehab schooling group. She got her relationship with her mother back into line, and she was officially sober. She never wanted to go back to drinking/drugs.

 

At age 19, she turned to modeling...and not modeling clothes, but quite the opposite. In 1995 she began to model nude for Playboy. This modeling didn't last too long.

In 2012, she got her act together and ended up marrying the love of her life.

She now has a daughter and is a wonderful mother to her. I think we can all agree that she went way off track as a little girl, but thankfully there's a happily ever after for this one. Now she's back to acting, and I think this time she'll stick to that career, rather than modeling or clubbing.

 

          

Luke 21:34  “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap."

 

Thanks for reading!

 

                              -Maddie Cortese 

This Blog's a THRILLER

Michael Jackson

 

Everybody knows who the King of Pop is...and if you don't, well, you probably have not lived. It's a name that defines a one-of-a-kind singer, dancer, and performer that was adored by many. Like most stories though, his ended in sorrow and pain. But let's not cut to the chase too fast, I think I gotta give you guys some background on this guy, before I start getting all soppy.

Early Life

In 1958, Michael Jackson was born in Indiana. His father, Joseph, played the guitar, but ditched that job in order to provide better for his family by working with cranes.(The tractor...not the bird) Michael's dad saw his sons' pure talents for both entertaining and singing. At age five, little Jackson joined the group. Once his other brother Marlon Jackson joined, the group became the Jackson 5. Even at his young age, Michael became the lead singer because of his extraordinary voice, his lovable and entertaining personality, and his talent for performing on stage.

                                              Michael Jackson performing on stage with his brothers,  at age 11.

 

In 1968, Motown founder, Berry Gordy, signed them to his label. After moving to LA, and settling down with Gordy and Diana Ross, the Jackson 5 started working on their dance moves. (And no, this is not where Michael learned how to Moonwalk) Their first album came out in 1969, and their song "I Want You Back" hit number one on the Billboard top 100.

 

Behind the Scenes                                                                                                  

Okay, so who was pushing little Michael Jackson to keep singing? In 2010, Joseph Jackson admitted to "hitting his children with a strap." Here we have a talented ten year old boy whose father puts so much pressure to succeed and perfect his performances that he beats him. Furthermore, Jackson was putting in many hours in this young career that would soon take off.

 

Jackson on His Own                                                                                                

When Michael was 13, he decided to go solo, along with his Jackson 5 career. Years later he broke his relationship with Motown, but it wasn't long before his songs were always on the top of the billboard. His "Thriller" video was #1 for 37 weeks, and gained him tons of popularity.

Okay, so here's something interesting you didn't know. Michael Jackson signed a 5 million dollar contract with Pepsi-Cola, and while filming a commercial for them, he was badly injured, resulting in burns on his face. He got plastic surgery for this incident, and that was the beginning of his addiction.

 

 

End of His Life                                                                                                        

After announcing his London tour that would happen in July 8th, in which he would perform 50 times, Jackson's life went downhill. He no longer had enough money to pay off debt he had, he was acting strange, and was accused of molesting a 13-year old boy. Only 13 days before his London Tour, on June 25th, 2009, Michael Jackson died at age 50 from cardiac arrest.

 

So I basically summed up his life for you, and I know you're dying to know how this famous King of Pop went bad. Well, I guess I'm throwing you a curveball with this one, because guess what...he didn't really go bad.

 

So Maddie, why did you write a blog about him then, if he's not a "celebrity" who went off the cliff?

 

Okay, so here's the thing. Looking at the picture above, you can see a major change in his appearance. That's what I'll be talking about today. Michael Jackson always thought he was ugly. He told his mom that he thought he was ugly sometimes, and he would wear masks to cover up his face that he was ashamed of. He not only lightened his skin, but got plastic surgery on his eyelids, nose, chin, and face. I think we all can assume that Michael was lying when he said that he got nose surgery because it "helped me breathe better so I can hit higher notes."

It's crazy as to how far someone will go because of their dislike of their own appearance. We are all made in God's image, and all wonderfully and beautifully made.

1 Samuel 16:7 says, "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

1 Timothy 4:8 says "Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next."

 

Maybe it was the fame, popularity, and money, but whatever it was caused him to change his whole appearance. This vanity consumed him like a hungry fire never able to put out. Starting with the plastic surgery he got for his Cola commercial accident, he spent millions, if not billions of  dollars changing face (especially his nose), until it looked unnatural.

 

Maybe we should all start we should all be aware of how beautiful we are, since we're all made in God's image. Oh, and don't judge other's on their vanity levels...start with the man in the mirror, first.

 

Genesis 1:27 "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."

 

 

 

 

~Your Blogger,

Maddie

 

 

From Actress to Alcoholic

Lindsay Lohan's Transformation

Lindsay Lohan was born in 1986 in New York City. Her mom is a Wall Street analyst and her father had his own pasta business, and was also an investment banker. She grew up in Long Island in a fairly wealthy family. At age three she was not only a child model, but was involved in several commercials and ads. In 1998 she starred in Disney's remake of "The Parent Trap." This movie was a hit, and in 1999 Lohan won the "Favorite new Female Newcomer" award. She then went on to play in "Herbie: Fully Loaded," "Mean Girls," "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen," and "Freaky Friday." She even released two albums, which never grew to be very popular.




A hilarious, 15 second Jello commercial ft Little Lohan

 



These movies of hers were funny and light-hearted. Her role in parent trap made all viewers fall in love with the little actress who had a great talent for entertaining. She won several awards for the best actress, best movie, and breakthrough female performance. Sounds like she's got a successful acting career ahead of her...at least we thought.



The Parent Trap movie. It was nominated for many awards, and won a couple.

 As Lohan's career and attention grew, so did her freedom to join New York clubs and parties. Yes, parties happen wherever you go, but someone with a great acting career ahead of them should avoid these types of temptations. In 2007, she was arrested for a car chase. Oh, and did I mention that she was caught with possession of cocaine? Shocker....I know. Lucky for her, she was only charged with reckless driving and DUI.

So she got caught of drinking and driving, and learned from her mistake, right? Wrong. Lindsay was arrested again for being under the influence, but this time she was sent to jail. Because of overcrowding, her stay only lasted 84 minutes, and she was sent to rehab.

 

We go on to realize that she continued to smoke (who know what), and lived a life that she thought could bring her happiness. Okay, so what about her family? Well, her relationship with her mom is tight, but- you guessed it- not her dad. She has bitterness toward him because he divorced her mother and married another woman. She's angry at him for paying so much attention to his "other" kids, and said herself that they will never be a part of her life." She then went on to call him a bad word, for all the world to hear. Even later she's accused for theft, and sent to court to work it out.

 

Lohan's self-mocking and very hilarious eHarmony "profile" video that basically sums up her life.

 

Have you ever just imagined what a celebrity would look like if they did not do dumb things? It's hard to imagine, right? It almost seems virtually impossible that a celebrity would stay the same before and after the fame. Maybe she's finally learned from her mistakes thought. Lindsay's mother even called rehab "life-changing" for her daughter. She claims that she's a "different person." So that's what her mother says, but what does Lindsay say about it?

 

Well, okay, let's start here. At least Lohan knows what she is doing is wrong. She says "Often I know what I’m doing is wrong but I go ahead and do it anyway." Okay, so then if she was sent to rehab for something she did wrong, then maybe that shaped her into place finally, and taught her not to do stupid things. 

She says "I'm clean and sober now" while on Late Night with Matt Lauer. She continued by saying that when entering a club with her friend sometime after rehab, she "just didn't feel comfortable," and it wasn't "fun" for her. Ok, so let's just say that for now, she's okay.

James 4:17 says "If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them." Now back up. Remember how Lohan said that she knew what she was doing was wrong, yet she still did it? Yeah, so it's clear that her life is full of sin. It's sad that she's wasted her life being an alcoholic and driving cars into buildings, but it's exciting that her rehab may have changed her life. Time will tell...time will tell.

 

Thanks for reading guys!

~Maddie Cortese

 

Bynes Redefined?

 

 

Amanda Bynes

If you look deep into the lives of those celebrities who have gone haywire, you'll find that many of them were lacking the foundation of a stable family. Before we start talking about little miss Amanda, let's talk about some research that's been done reguarding parental absenses, and how that effects the child.

1.)According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 24 million children in America -- one out of every three -- live in biological father-absent homes. Nine in ten American parents agree this is a “crisis."

2.)Being raised by a single mother raises the risk of teen pregnancy, marrying with less than a high school degree, and forming a marriage where both partners have less than a high school degree.

3.)Even after controlling for community context, there is significantly more drug use among children who do not live with their mother and father.

3.)In a study examining father involvement with 134 children of adolescent mothers over the first 10 years of life, researchers found that father-child contact was associated with better socio-emotional and academic functioning. The results indicated that children with more involved fathers experienced fewer behavioral problems and scored higher on reading achievement. This study showed the significance of the role of fathers in the lives of at-risk children, even in case of nonresident fathers.

4.)Children born to single mothers show higher levels of aggressive behavior than children born to married mothers. Living in a single-mother household is equivalent to experiencing 5.25 partnership transitions.

5.)In addition, some researchers have found that children are more likely to suffer more emotional, behavioral, and intellectual problems.


Well, sadly, Amanda Bynes is one of those kids who might've been lacking a certain "model" in her life.

Nickelodeon actress, Amanda Bynes was born in 1986 with her mother as a dentist assistant, and a dad as a dentist/stand-up comedian. She has one brother and one sister, both older than her. Her father was of Irish descent while her mother came from a Jewish family.

Amanda as a little girl

She starred in "All That" in 1994, which gained her an excessive amount of popularity. Only five years later she was given her own TV show called "The Amanda Show." A 12 year-old with her own show...you see where this is going.

She then won a Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Award at age 15, making it clear to all that she was very loved, and that she was the talk of TV at the time.

Amanda starring in her own TV show called "The Amanda Show"

A couple years later she found herself playing a lead part in "Big Fat Liar." Her comedic personality and her love for acting attracted a lot of attention from movie producers. This allowed for her to star in several other movies such as "What I Like About You," "Figure it Out, "She's the Man," "What a Girl Wants," and more.

It seemed like Amanda had it all together. She was a funny actress, she was adored by all, and her relationship with her parents was strong...at least we thought.

 Just recently, Amanda was recorded while chatting it up with her roommate. This is what was recorded: "If your father was my father… then you would understand why you'd want to slit his wrists, and quote frankly… I don't want to shoot my father in the face, and that's why I said I want to like strip for him as a joke. I want to literally like lead him into a ditch and … I haven't decided how I'd want to murder him because now I have this like, war wound on my face and I don't believe in murder. Um, ‘cause I know that that is like unfortunate, but it's not because it's like ‘my father' ‘cause i look at him as like a murderer person, he like… is the worst person and he tries to match me and be like, and it's like nothing would give me greater pleasure than like slitting his throat. That's what I would love. So like, I'm not gonna ever do such a thing, but like I call my mom and I threaten to kill her and I threaten to slit her wrist, and I threaten to like burn down her house and I said a bunch of sh*t that quite frankly I've never felt better in a long time. Like I didn't think one unnatural thought until like, I gotta just keep up, like, I'm gonna continue telling you guys I'm gonna murder my family, like ‘cause that's the thing. They're in control of my money and that's why I don't have much money right now. Like I don't mean to brag to you guys. I'm no bragger, I don't like braggers."

So, what do we not know? Why would Amanda want to slit her father's wrists, torturing him in the most violent way possible? What does the press not know? What do we not know? Well,  I guess you have to keep reading if you want to find out. Quite frankly, I'd like to put you through a little suspense while you're waiting for the answers to your questions. So, lets skip back to 2010, when Amanda announced that she was ending her acting career, saying on twitter that it "isn't as fun as it may seem." With her career now behind her, Amanda started going to night clubs and acting wild.

"Wild." What does that word even mean? Well according to Webster dictionary, it means "not subject to restraint or regulation." Bynes seemed to suddenly have a deep desire to rebel, as if needing to prove to that she could not be regulated. So who exactly is this person that she's trying to prove this to? Her dad? Hm. Possibly.

So why does Amanda suddenly care about what her father looks like? On June 2nd, 2013, she lashed out on twitter saying ""My dad is as ugly as RuPaul! So thankful I look nothing like you both! I had nose surgery after my mug shots so my nose and I are gorgeous!" Wait, calm down Amanda. What exactly is going on between you and your father? Fans of Bynes knew that something was wrong with that relationship, whether it had happened recently, or in the past. I mean, we all know that daughters can get all moody on their over-protective dads, but to insult him on social media? Wow.

Wait, but three years ago in 2007 she was saying on live television that "My parents actually were very strict, in a good way though." I was never allowed to go to the mall alone or with friends. But as you can see that's where I got my love of comedy – from my funny dad." So just a few years previous she was complimenting her father?

Ok, so here's what's up. Apparantly, Amanda Bynes was abused by her father when she was still living at home."My dad was verbally and physically abuse to me as a child," she tweeted. "He called me ugly as a child and then asked me if I wanted to have sex with him and I did not know how to respond and I said no and then I was forced to live with my dad which was a total nightmare. My dad fondled himself in front of me so many times that I started recording him on my phone in hopes of catching him saying or doing something inappropriate around me so I could get him arrested and put in jail for the rest of his perverted life," she continued. "My mom knows that my father's literally and physically incestual towards his own daughter and the fact that she never called the police on him embarrasses me to no end. So, today I am meeting with a lawyer to get a restraining order against my dad."

 

Everybody always had wondered why Amanda decided to be a rebel. It just didn't add up. Her family life seemed to be all in order. she was a funny actress on a kid's channel, she was adored by everyone, and her movies were the furthest thing away from raunchy. I guess we can conclude that she lacked a father-figure growing up. Just like all the research points out, most kids who do not have a father to look up to, tend to live "on-edge."

The big question is whether or not these claims are true. But even if they weren't, something must have given Bynes the motivation for making such harsh statements. She wouldn't just make her dad look abusive if she loved him. So he must have done something, right? I guess we'll never know for sure, but all we know is that once again, an innocent celebrity who could've had a fantastic and fun career, lost it all- morally and mentally.

"Maddie, you've told me how she lacked a father-figure when she was a child, and that she's living rebelliously...you've even shown me pictures.... but how? What exactly has she done? Has she even done anything bad, or are you just making some random claims?"

Nope. I'm not lying to you, reader...promise. But you have a good point. I guess I owe you some facts now.

In 2012, Amanda was arrested for driving under the influence, charged for a hit-and-run, smoking marijuana, driving with an expired license, getting kicked out of a gym for wearing lingerie, locking herself in the bathroom of a cupcake shop for 10 days, calling multiple celebrities (including the president and the first lady) ugly, and arrested for throwing glass items out of her apartment window. She also wanted to "get away" from her parents as soon as possible, shortening the important family aspect that every teenage girl needs. Okay, so maybe these "crimes" of hers weren't as bad as other's, but for starting out as a Nickelodeon actress, and never having her name in the "lights," it's pretty shocking to see.




Just like Voltaire says, "Is there anyone so wise as to learn by the experience of others?"

This is exactly what we, as Christians especially, have to do. We should not only learn from our own mistakes, but also the mistakes of others. We can be warned against getting all wrapped up in this world, and taking people, (such as family) for granted. Hopefully you've noticed by now that when we as humans set our minds of earthly things, we will be corrupted. That's why we need to keep our eyes fixed above.


 Psalm 16:8- "I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
  With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken."
      
Ephesians 4: 31-32- "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."  
                     

Philippians 3:18-19- "For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things."


Well, that's all for today. Thanks for reading:)

Love your blogger,
Maddie Cortese<3


sources: http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/amanda-bynes-retracts-accusations-that-her-dad-sexually-abused-her-20141010#ixzz3R7EQzPIz http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/amanda-bynes-retracts-accusations-that-her-dad-sexually-abused-her-20141010

http://www.reengageinc.org/research/meta-dc-4332%201.pdfhttp://www.fatherhood.org/father-absence-statistics

Got Bieber Fever, or Naw?

                      Justin Bieber

Who doesn't know the name Justin Bieber? It's a name known nation-wide, attracting almost 23 million followers on Instagram, and a whopping 59.9 million followers on twitter. This 20 year old is adored by millions of girls, and boys, who fell in love with him from the beginning. Sadly, his innocence didn't last long, and soon gave himself the reputation of having "gone bad." ( Hopefully you caught onto this, since the topic of my blog is in fact titled, "Celebrities Gone Bad.")

In 1994, Justin was born in Canada with only one parent to look up to- his mother. Ever since he was a little boy, he loved music. He was given a drum set for his second birthday, and was always making noise as a little boy. At age 12, he participated in his little town talent show, in which he took second place. His proud mother decided to record little Justin singing, and post it on YouTube, as a way for his distant family members to see. Shockingly, his video gained thousands of views and he soon found himself having many fans. Before he knew it, little 12 year old Bieber was flying out to Atlanta to meet Usher who would later sign the young singer to a contract deal.

Justin Bieber's YouTube video of him singing  "With You" by Chris Brown

In 2010, his first album "My World 2.0" came out, which was the first major moment that he saw how adored he was by his fans. Just like Miley, his songs started out completely innocent. They spoke about young love, and overall had a flirtatious feel to them. These songs had millions of young girls head-over-heels for him, as they were drooling at his feet, captivated by his looks, voice, and sweet personality. His world tour only gained him a million more fans, as his popularity grew greatly.

Once he let his popularity get into his mind, he started experimenting with new things. In 2014, Justin was seen smoking weed at the top of his hotel room in Miami, along with many other friends. Weed? Really Justin? But why? Who knows who first introduced him to this addictive drug, but whoever it was needs to a real hard slappin', because ever since that day, Bieber has been caught on many occasions. Referring to himself, Justin made a little comment that may have given his fans some hope. He said, "I also heard he got busted for smoking weed and he’s really sorry about it and people make mistakes and he’s never gonna do it again."

In his left hand, he hold a blunt (filled with weed)

Did he stop? No. He is said to be high all the time (S/o to Tove Lo), especially since he's moved to Atlanta.  TMZ claims that Justin has been abusing a concoction called sizzurp, which is a mix of Jolly Ranchers, Sprite, and drugs. Along with this, he's been drinking constantly and taking pills frequently. His family and friends are even worried about him and encouraging him to go to rehab.

In January 2014, Justin Bieber was arrested for DUI. He resisted his arrest which made the issue even bigger. The arrest report said that he had a "flushed face, bloodshot eyes, and the odor of alcohol on his breath."  Then later, he was arrested for illegal drag racing in South Florida. After this arrest, he agreed to partake in a anger-management course. So really? Justin is now putting other people's lives in danger because of his own dumb decisions.

Not only is he abusing drugs, but he was charged with assault in Toronto. Violence, drugs, rude actions such as egging his neighbors house and spitting on his fans from his hotel room, now what...sex? Yep. No joke. Nobody knows for sure, but he spent a long night at a brothel in Brazil. He came out of the building with two women and settled with them. Nobody knows. Nobody wants to know. But we can all guess what happened that night with the two prostitutes. It's so sad.

Justin and his friend coming out of the Brothel with two women

I look at a boy like this, and all I can feel is sadness. He was such a sweet kid, who had a beautiful voice. He could have been an inspiration. He could have been known as a young gentleman who entertained with his sweet voice.  Justin's mother tells the media that Bieber became a Christian at age six, and got baptized at age 9. He even announced on Teen Vogue that he believed that God had put him in the position he was at, and that God had a purpose for it.  Though he may still claim to be a Christian once upon a time, it is clear to see that his relationship with God is not be very deep.

I guess we can conclude that ultimately, fame and money can corrupt a young and innocent mind such as Justin's. 2 Peter 2:20 says "If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning." This verse explains that if the world's corruption entangles and overcomes someone, the end results will not be good. Even though Bieber claimed to know Jesus Christ, the temptations of the world took over. This led to him doing many unwise things, and getting the reputation of being a bad, drug-addicted boy.

In 2010, Justin was quoted by Interview Magazine, saying : "I want my world to be fun. No parents, no rules, no nothing. Like, no one can stop me. No one can stop me."

Well folks,it looks like Justin has succeeded in this little goal of his.

But, there's always hope. The story doesn't have to end in a sad way. Maybe Justin will realize that he's missing God in his life, the only one who can satisfy all of his desires.1 John 1:9 - "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Maybe he'll go back to his old way of living...his innocent and inspiring songs that can inspire girls all around the world.

Thanks for reading, and I'll see ya' next week!:)

 

                                                                            

                                             - Maddie Cortese