Pop Shots - Winners & Losers

Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week Pop Shots is hitting you with thoughts on everything from Katy Perry taking home multiple end of the year honors, to Justin Bieber’s manager being upset at his Canadian golden child not being nominated for a Grammy, to P. Diddy’s new fashion idea that is sure to make anyone who wears it incredibly unpopular, and since it’s Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.

* Katy Perry is racking up the end of the year honors (yes, I used the work RACKing intentionally... because she has large breasts). First she was named Billboard’s Woman of the Year, and now she’s taken home The Trevor Project’s annual Trevor Hero Award, which honors individuals who have been leaders in supporting LGBTQ rights, and advocated against bullying and hate crimes. Up next for Perry will be a Nobel Peace Prize, a Pulitzer, and a Heisman Trophy.

* The 2013 Grammy nominees were announced this past week and two notable omissions were One Direction and Justin Bieber. Bieber’s manager, Scooter Braun, who also represents Grammy nominee Carly Rae Jepsen, took to Twitter to unleash his wrath, tweeting, in a series of tweets (all spelling and grammatical errors are his own) “...this time there wont be any wise words, no excuses, I just plain DISAGREE. The kid deserved it. Grammy board u blew it on this one. the hardest thing to do is transition, keep the train moving. the kid delivered. Huge succesful album, sold out tour, and won people over... this time he deserved to be recognized and I dont really have any kind nice positive things to say about a decision i dont agree with. so to all those nominated...you do deserve it. You worked hard and u earned it. Just feel like so did JB.” Although Braun may have a point, it’s hard to take anyone seriously when they voluntarily go by a nickname that’s a mode of transportation for twelve year olds.


* One Direction may not have received any love from Grammy voters, but they found themselves rebuffing the advances of a much different kind of group - a condom company. According to a Sky News Australia report, the boy band was offered a “massive” deal to promote condoms in the US, but turned it down because they felt it wouldn’t be appropriate with the average age of their fan base being so young. In a related story, Christmas is ruined!



* Rihanna has decided to make a foray into fashion and the Style Network will be documenting it in a reality show titled Styled to Rock. Styled to Rock is set to premier in the latter half of 2013 and will feature 12 young designers chosen by Rihanna, with each episode centered around the designers styling a celebrity guest. If she’s smart, the first piece of couture she’ll have designed is a good set of boxing gloves.

* According to Rolling Stone, Shakira's ex-boyfriend, Antonio de la Rua, is suing her for $100 million, which he claims is "his share of past and future partnership profits” owed to him because of a standing, although unwritten, agreement that he would be Shakira's business manager. He claims that because he spent over half a dozen years building her into a superstar, everything she earns in the future is at least partly his doing and he should be paid for it. Shakira, if you’re reading this, I think I have a perfect solution for you. For all future performances request to be paid in women’s beachwear. Enjoy your new set of bikini tops, Antonio!




* You know how annoying it is when someone has their iPod turned up so loudly on the train that you can hear it? Well, Macy’s and P. Diddy have decided to one up that with a product that is sure to make you hated by everyone anywhere near you. Last week the mogul and the store introduced a sweater with a digital add-on that includes a 2.8-inch, high-def screen with a ten hour battery life and 2GB of memory which the user uploads content to. The sweater, which is sure to be a joy to wear in the rain, has a retail price of $223. The medical bills you’ll accumulate the first time it malfunctions, you can’t turn it off, and are inevitably beaten to a pulp by your fellow man, will be at least ten times that.



* In a clear sign that we need a better vetting process when it comes to Korean pop crossover artists, some three million downloads, and over 900,000 YouTube views, later, Psy’s anti-American past is coming to light. According to The Hollywood Reporter, in a 2002 performance that was a response to the death of two Korean school girls who were killed in an accident with an American military vehicle, Psy “took to the stage in gold face paint and a glittery red outfit, then lifted a model U.S. tank over his head before smashing it to pieces on the ground.” THR also reports that in 2004, after a South Korean missionary was executed in Iraq in a revenge killing for the country's support of the war, “During a protest concert, PSY rapped on the song ‘Dear American,’ ‘Kill those f*cking Yankees who have been torturing Iraqi captives / Kill those f*cking Yankees who ordered them to torture / Kill their daughters, mothers, daughters-in-law and fathers / Kill them all slowly and painfully.’” Does anyone else suddenly want to find out what “Gangnam Style” actually means?



* Finally, because you always wanted Korn and Taylor Swift to do a duet...






And with that, my time is up for the week, but I'll be back next week with more shots on all things pop.