OMG Brad Pitt!! Why do I care?

Rumors, rumors, rumors. Talk about celebrity gossip. We had quite the rumor floating around the University of Missouri Thursday. It somehow got started that Brad Pitt was on campus. Which may seem completely illogical, but he actually went to Mizzou (diploma free), so it kind of makes sense that he would be here. Kind of.

It all started with one little tweet. I got on twitter during class (oops) and saw something that said, "rumor has it Brad Pitt's on campus." Then it went viral and every was asking where he was and claiming they saw him. I don't know why, but I knew it wasn't true. I texted my roommate and said "if anyone in Columbia is going to be excited about him being here, it would be me. And I'm not." Finally someone posted something from a celebrity gossip site (not me...I was in class, remember?) with a picture of him in L.A. smoking.

It was unbelievable how obsessed everyone became and how quickly that rumor spread. I wonder how celebrity bloggers post lies...this is how it starts. Once you see something on the internet, you want to find out if it's true, so you start asking questions and you get sucked into the giant black hole. I think there's a little difference between being a student and posting a tweet and posting something to a gossip site, but I see how it happens.

And even though I knew it wasn't true, I still got sucked in. I became addicted (I know, imagine that) to seeing what everyone was saying. I just sat there and continued to read all of the tweets coming in. I don't know why I did it, but I did. Which brings me to my next point.

I produce three newscasts during the week at KOMU in Columbia. One of them is the 4:30 am newscast, so I'm there the entire night. This past Thursday morning (like, 2 am) I revealed by celebrity addiction to my executive producer. He asked me something I've never asked myself before and I don't have an answer to. Why do you think you care so much?

I have no idea. And why have I never thought about this before? Why in the world do I care that Britney Spears is getting a drink from Starbucks in California? Why does it matter that Jennifer Aniston is on vacation? It absolutely doesn't. It doesn't effect my life, so why do I spend God only knows how many hours a day reading this?

I wish I had an answer. Maybe it's because they're lives are so much more interesting than mine that I want to know what they're doing to be so interesting. Maybe it's because I get bored in class and it's the first thing I think of doing. Maybe it's just a distraction from real life and a way to escape from everything going on around me.

I don't have a solid answer. And this is a new revelation. And it obviously hasn't stopped be, because I've been checking websites just as frequently, if not more this week. I don't think I'll ever stop reading and researching celebrities. But it is a question that got me thinking.

Celeb Mysteries: The Addiction Continues

So, the snow has been cleared off the roads for the most part, and our mail has been coming regularly. However, I still didn't get my OK! Magazine until Wednesday. I have a problem with this. It just makes it that much harder to not buy it, or any other gossip magazines at the store. I haven’t bought any, mostly because I know my roommate would be mad that I’m “wasting my money” on them. They’re definitely not a waste of money.

As much as I love my gossip magazines and celebrity gossip blogs and tweets and everything, they confuse me. There are so many stories out there about celebrities, and a lot of them are conflicting. One week Khloe Kardashian is pregnant and the next week she’s not. I know pregnancy rumors are as common as journalists in Columbia, MO, but I don’t understand how magazines get away with printing it one week and then saying a star isn’t pregnant the next week. Someone sees a star in baggy clothes, or the star gains five pounds and, BAM they’re pregnant. Just get the facts right before you announce someone’s pregnant, because I totally freak out when I see a Hollywood pregnancy. Hard to believe, I know. I have read that Khloe and her husband Lamar Odom are getting their own reality show, and it will follow the couple through their pregnancy. Guess we'll find out when we see the commercials on E!

There are a lot of celebrity stories out there I just don’t know the answers to, which is extremely frustrating to me. I read one thing online, and then a magazine says the complete opposite. Let’s call these stories: Celeb Mysteries.

One of my guiltiest pleasures when it comes to Celeb Mysteries is the Selena Gomez/Justin Bieber phenomenon. First of all, I think if and when it finally comes out that they are officially dating, the microcosm that is tweens will explode and life will never be the same as we know it. Selena Gomez has already gotten death threats via twitter from Bielbers. And Selena Gomez is one of the most likeable celebs out there. People are crazy. And I recognize that I fit into the crazy category, but not to the extent of some people out there. They haven’t said they’re dating, I think because she’s 18 and he’s 16, but the pictures speak for themselves.

Another couple that I don’t understand is Taylor Swift and Jake Gyllenhaal. I know they dated and then broke up, and she was devastated and will hopefully write a song about that describes my feelings towards men. Okay, let’s get back on track…after they broke up, Jake took someone else to the Golden Globes, and reportedly got cozy with numerous females that night. Then shortly after the Globes, there’s a report saying he and Taylor Swift were spotted together and they were getting back together. Then, you hear nothing about either of them for a week and he’s dating Carey Mulligan and it seems as though Taylor Swift has fallen off the face of the earth. Are they? Aren’t they? Where did Carey Mulligan come from? Where is Taylor Swift? These are the small details that I’m dying to know.

These are just a few of the many Celeb Mysteries I don’t understand and want the answers to. I know rumors are the same in high school and Hollywood. They come from nowhere without any explanation and suddenly the entire world knows. I just wish people knew all of the facts before reporting something, so they don’t contradict themselves the next day or the next week. I guess that’s just the journalist in me!

Update on Some Obsessions

I was hooked on orange juice for a while. Seriously. Luckily the great blizzard of 2011 came and made it impossible for me to get to the store. Cannot buy anymore orange juice.

This blizzard became an obsession of everyone's in Columbia. At the TV station I work at, there were people who slept there for a night or two, just so everything was covered. It was pretty nuts. And, if I do say so myself, KOMU did a fantastic job of covering the storm. Similar to most things in my life, I became addicted to the newscasts and watched all of the updates. I was also completely snowed in, so it worked out well.

The snow also forced me to be upset with the plowing system in Columbia. I'm now plowed into my street where I park (because my driveway is seriously a mountain) and I have to get out of my car at least five times to shovel the snow whenever I leave or park. It's ridiculous. I just wish I could drive down my street and easily park. That's not going to happen until spring when these 17 inches of snow melt. And we're supposed to get more snow the next two days. There's no hope!

The blizzard also delayed on of my favorite things...my issue of OK! Magazine. It usually comes on Monday's, but it didn't get here until Saturday this week. How am I supposed to know that stars are wearing citrus colors? Or that 55% of people prefer Paula and Simon on American Idol over Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez? Well, that one I probably could have guessed on my own, but now I have a statistic.

Hopefully next week brings less snow, magazines on time and no orange juice.

My Name is Ally Bird...and I Have a Problem

It's true. I have a problem and I recognize it. It's a difficult problem to explain though. I'm an addict. I'm addicted to being addicted. Seems confusing, right? I'll try to explain.

I can't do anything at on a small scale. It all has to be big and over the top. No matter what it is. I can't just watch a T.V. show and be satisfied. I get completely immersed and obsessed with the show. If for some reason I miss one of my two favorite and only shows I watch during the week, my life is over.

I also check my facebook and twitter constantly. I have both of them on my phone and feel obligated to look and know what's going on with everyone. I think this obsession is why I enjoy working the desk shift at KOMU. It's my job to re-tweet what reporters say about their stories, and post stories and questions on facebook. And after I do that, I become obsessed with constantly checking comments and re-tweets to see what viewers have to say.

I remember one point during my sophomore year of college I was addicted to drinking orange juice. That one's a little weird. I don't know why or how it happened, but I constantly had a glass of orange juice in my hand. It's over now, though, which is probably for the best.

I'm hoping that my obsession transfers over to the world of blogging. I've tried it a couple times before and it didn't work out too well. Hopefully things will change and I feel the need to blog constantly. So it's time to close my eyes, cross my fingers and jump into the blogosphere. And stop talking about orange juice.

While most of these obsessions are all very real and current, none of them compare to my biggest addiction. I am completely, 100%, totally captivated by the world of celebrity gossip. Now, you can laugh and say it's silly, but it's not going to stop me. I can't stop. I need to know what's going on in every celebrity's life. I don't know why or where or how long I've been obsessed, but I am and it's not going away anytime soon.

I wrote the first sentence of the previous paragraph and checked a celebrity gossip site and my twitter to see what's happening with them. And, it's a weekend so no one is really even posting but I had to look.

Whenever my friends want to know anything about celebrities, they come to me. And when they say things like, "Oh, did you know Reese Witherspoon is engaged?" I don't only say yes, but go into details on the proposal, or the ring.

I probably follow about 15 celebrity gossip people on twitter. It's a constant feed of celeb information. And I usually already know what they're tweeting about, but I still take time out of my day to reread it and look for something new. I check celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton's website a minimum of ten times a day. I just can't stop myself.

You can tell me I'm crazy, or weird or whatever you want, but you won't stop me. I have to check my websites about celebs. My friends used to make fun of me for it. They'd see me on my phone and ask who I was texting and my response was "No one, I'm on Perez." They've finally come to terms with my addiction and encourage it. For Christmas, my roommate bought be a subscription to OK! Magazine. She told me I need to stop wasting money on gossip magazines at the store, so now they come to my house. And every Monday when that magazine is in my mailbox, a giant wave of joy comes over my body and I sit in my bed and catch up on everything I might have missed on a website.

Say what you want, I can't and won't kick the habit. And anytime you have a question about the life of a celebrity, feel free to ask! @AllysonBird on twitter. I promise I'll know the answer, and if I don't, I won't stop until I find out!

(P.S. I checked twitter and Perez Hilton four times during this post.)

Go Outside the Lines

I listened to a WGBH Morning Story recently.  I love these stories.  I like how each story is a feature and they focus on one person.  They people they find are so interesting and I always want to be able to talk to them more.  I hope that someday I can have sources like that, and leave the audience wanting more.  

This story started by talking about making an "Earth sandwich."  This is when you and someone on the complete opposite side of the planet put a piece of bread on the ground.  Corny--yes, but it's a nice idea.  The thought of getting in touch with someone and talking about putting bread on the ground is an interesting concept in itself. 

Tony Kahn called the woman in Xian, China and talked to her for the segment.  He asked her questions about western culture and words that she thought he should know.  Things along those lines.

While I know I wouldn't be able to use a source half way around the world, I just love the idea.  This story taught me that I need to step outside of my comfort zone and get the opinions of everyone.  A story I'm covering may effect people in different ways.  I need to look for those people who see things differently and get their opinions.  Just because a person may not be there with me in the moment doesn't mean i can't go looking for them to get their side of the story, or their opinion.  

I need to work on getting out there and talking to absolutely everyone in my power.  Because in reality, we're all a lot closer and have more things in common than people may think.

Dancing with the Stars

I was recently assigned a fun story.  I was worried about going to the station because I wasn't very happy with my story ideas.  They were fine ideas, but they weren't that interesting to me.  I know that I'm going to have to cover things that aren't the most exciting or interesting to me, but I always like being able to pitch a story that I know I'll enjoy doing.  

When I got to the station, I was told I'd be going "Dancing with the Stars of Mizzou."  It was an event that was raising money by getting Mizzou faculty members and some students to dance and put on a show.  

It was so much fun to be there!  I got great video of the couples dancing, and got to meet a lot of new people.  The money was going to a really good cause, which made it fun to cover.  Knowing that my story about the money going to a summer camp for children with cancer would be seen throughout Mid-Missouri was a good feeling.  

I got back to the station to edit and write.  I felt a little pressured because I stayed for the whole event to see who won.  I finished my story with plenty of time to spare, and was thrilled with the result.  

The Element of Surprise

When I listen to radio stories on the internet.  I try to only click on the link and not read the description.  I figure I should listen to the story the way I would if I were driving in the car listening and just be totally surprised.  So, I did the same thing when I listened to "Save The Day" on This American Life.  

I knew from the title that the story would be about someone doing something great or heroic.  I didn't know what they would do or who would be saving what, but something would be saved.

Listening to the beginning of the story, that's not exactly the feeling the listener gets though.  It started talking about a school age boy, Luke Davies, moving and not fitting in.  The class went on a field trip a tourist park where his dad worked.  Luke got to help with the snake show, able to show off to his classmates. The trainer he was helping in the show was bit by a tiger snake, which is very poisonous.  It was then up to Luke to save the man.

I really like this story for a couple reasons.  The first is because it has the element of surprise.  As your listening to Luke talk about his past, he sounds like any normal adolescent- someone who is having problems finding themselves and making friends.  As the story goes on, you learn that he is brave and saved a man's life.  It taught me how important it is not to give anything away at the beginning.  The anchor could have easily started the story with Luke talking about collecting the snakes and the trainer being bit.  But instead, he had Luke talk about his life before the field trip, and moving and how special he felt because his dad worked there.  I learned that saving things until the end makes the story more interesting.

I also really like the way the story was told.  The anchor let Luke tell the story.  Every once in a while the anchor would come in and tell part of the story, but it was very natural.  But, it was Luke who told the entire story.  This reinforced how important it is to have good sound bites and a good central character.  They are the ones who are the expert about something.  Not me.  I learned that I need to let the central character tell their story, and I need to be there to help out when necessary.  I don't need to be the one talking the entire time, I can let the character.