Kim Kardashian Leads the Revolution as Instagram’s New Policy Outrages Celebs: Who Else is Leaving the App?
Instagram learned the hard way this week that you don’t anger the Internet—or celebrities. First, the uber-popular photo-sharing app announced new terms of service that seemed to imply the company could now share users’ information and photos with advertisers, with no notice or compensation. Unsurprisingly, the Internet responded fast — and angrily.
Within hours of the announcement, the backlash had begun on Twitter and Facebook – the latter of which recently bought Instagram for $1 billion and might be hoping now that they held onto their receipt. Many “civilian” users terminated their accounts immediately, and others threatened to do so unless changes were made. This angered celebrity users as well, many of whom have hundreds of thousands of followers, a huge Internet influence – and aren’t thrilled by the possibility of their names and images being used without compensation.
Kim Kardashian, who has the most Instagram followers of all at more than 5.7 million, tweeted her disappointment, saying “I really loved Instagram 🙁 I need to review this new policy. I don’t think its fair.” If she leaves for some other service (Hipstamatic, Path and Flick must be loving all this), her followers will likely go with her. Her sister Khloe also spoke out, stating; “Wow…I just read over Instagram’s new policy…so sad, looks like I might be deleting my Instagram after Jan 16. I hope something changes.” The rest of the family may also follow them out the door – bad news for the service since Khloe, Kylie, Kendall, and Rob are all among the site’s Top 10 Most Followed accounts. Ouch!
Of course, the Kardashians aren’t the only famous users ready to bolt. Olivia Wilde tweeted to her nearly 725,000 followers: “Facebook, aka weird kid brother who steals all our shit, get out of our Instagram! You ruined the party. I hate you.”
Anderson Cooper tweeted, “#Instagram will now be able to use anyone’s photos in ads? Without consent? Come on! Is there another photo app people recommend?” Emma Roberts also sounded off on losing her favorite distraction, responding with a weak threat, “I am so mad at Instagram!!!!!!! It was my happy place. I’m gonna delete. Sigh. Not until the new year though….”
What made everybody so mad? Here’s the new language that in their Terms of Service that brought hellfire down on the typically peaceful Instagram community of amateur food photographers and kitten enthusiasts:
To help us deliver interesting paid or sponsored content or promotions, you agree that a business or other entity may pay us to display your username, likeness, photos (along with any associated metadata), and/or actions you take, in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you.
When Facebook purchased Instagram, the app was generating zero revenue and there were questions about whether it could turn a profit; this move was an attempt to remedy that situation. Much like the Netflix/Qwikster fiasco last autumn, the suits didn’t foresee the inevitable backlash.
It took two days, but the company finally, frantically apologized and admitted the TOS needed to be rewritten. Founder Kevin Systrom wrote on the company’s blog, “I’m writing this today to let you know we’re listening, and to commit to you that we will be doing more to answer your questions, fix any mistakes, and eliminate the confusion. As we review your feedback and stories in the press, we’re going to modify specific parts of the terms to make it more clear what will happen with your photos.”
The company will rewrite the new TOS before they become official in thirty days – so in he meantime, you might want to hold onto your account and wait to see how this whole thing plays out. The company claims that they are open to hearing users’ criticisms and comments in the meantime. It’s likely they won’t own your photographs or use them for advertising, but there is a lesson here: Always read the fine print, even when you’re looking at it through an artsy-fartsy Sutro filter.
“The Voice” Crowns Cassadee Pope as 3rd Season Winner!
Well, there we have it folks! The third season of “The Voice” concluded with a tremendous, star-studded show and crowned its first female winner, Cassadee Pope, as the newly-reigning queen of reality singing competitions. Pope’s win also continues Team Blake’s winning streak, as Blake Shelton’s team member Jermaine Paul took home the gold in Season 2, which is sure to give Shelton ten times more bragging opportunities come Season 4.
Things haven’t been looking too good for Team Cee Lo or Team Christina as neither have been able to secure a victory. Cee Lo’s contestant, soulful oddball crooner Nicholas David, came close last night, eventually earning third place, but it was ultimately between Scottish rocker Terry McDermott and the aforementioned Pope to battle it out for the $100,000 recording contract.
While Pope was considered a fron- runner by a lot of critics and fans alike, I can’t help but be a little disappointed in the results. There’s no denying it; the girl can sing. But Terry McDermott really brought it this season with his unwavering, powerhouse voice and how he seemed to just ooze that rock star appeal. Maybe I’m biased because of his awesome accent, but the guy owned that stage.
Well, you can’t win ‘em all. And let’s face it: None of the contestants at this stage were really going home empty-handed anyway. Cee Lo spread some holiday cheer by giving each of the three finalists their very own Kia to drive off into the sunset with, and I’m sure both Nicholas David and Terry McDermott will be getting recording contracts based off their strong performances throughout the season.
Prizes aside, the two-hour finale was also marked with performances from a whole range of popular artists, including Rihanna, Kelly Clarkson, Bruno Mars, and even Peter Frampton (!). The finalists also got the chance to perform a number of hit songs with past contestants, making for a lively ending to a stellar season of the hit show.
Seeing as how “The Voice” will be returning in the spring with a whole new crop of talent, we barely have enough time to sit and reflect before the fun starts all over again. One aspect that will surely help keep viewers is the temporary replacement of Christina and Cee Lo, who have touring and other commitments to attend to but will return for the fall season. Will new judges Shakira and Usher be able to live up to the hype and keep the momentum going? Time will tell!
Rihanna Appointed “Rock Star Of The Year” By MTV News
Rihanna has finally been awarded for not caring what anyone thinks.
On Tuesday, MTV News took it upon themselves to crown the “Umbrella” singer their “Rock Star of the Year.” And while that may leave you scratching your head and saying: “What does Rihanna have to do with rock ‘n’ roll?” What it really seems to boil down to is the attitude – and the Barbadian beauty has that to spare.
In 2012, Riri made her share of shocking career moves that have us redefining what and who can rock the hardest. Considering the re-emergence of electro synth pop, dub-step, and the steady reign of alt rock, most “real” rockers have been put out to pasture. For proof, look no further than the Best-Selling Rock Music of 2012. From Mumford & Sons to The Lumineers – neither of which particularly conjure up the big hair, unruly guitar solos, and man makeup of the 80’s – the old-school notion of “rock star” is long gone.
Rihanna, however, is very much carrying the torch of the rock star, for now. Consider this: During her short reign, she has posed nude on any and every occasion. Most recently, she appeared on the cover of GQ, strategically covering her privates. Not the bashful type, the 24-year-old singer has also flaunted her blunt-rolling skills – while sitting atop an unnamed man at a concert!
What’s more rock ‘n’ roll than that?
Rihanna is proudly fearless, and happy to give anyone the finger without much provocation; her music is equally defiant playfully explicit and fun. Despite the wishes of an entire fanbase, she reconnected with her ex, Chris Brown, despite the 2009 assault that nearly killed her – so very Sid & Nancy. Finally, she led hundreds of journalists on the barnstorming 777 tour all over the world, partying it up at every stop with the press, “Almost Famous”-style.
Basically, Rihanna can do no wrong. And even when she does end her movie career before it begins with one of the year’s worst films (“Battleship”), her movie mediocrity continues in the tradition of rock legends like Bowie, Jagger and Bob Dylan.
With her latest song, “Nobody’s Business,” Rihanna addresses her complete lack of concern about why people think her and Chris Brown are bad for each other. A duet between the two, MTV says when giving her the title that: “While so many shrank from the spotlight, in 2012, Rihanna not only embraced it, she bent it over and made it her b-tch…being a rock star is all in the attitude, and if that truly is the case, well, then there was no one who flashed more attitude (among other things) than she did.”
Yet, despite the hoopla over the company she has chosen to keep, her music has always been fresh and defiant, much like herself. Riri has sold over 25 million albums and has a string of hits like “We Found Love” (#1 on the Hot 100 list for the last 2 months of 2011), “Diamonds” and the “Birthday Cake” remix.
These days, when Chris Martin of Coldplay and Gavin Rossdale of Bush are both home playing daddy day care, the changing media landscape has created what we can only call “rock star light.” Although she may not be the stereotype, Rihanna’s attitude is just as defiant as the Stones tossing a TV off a balcony, Ozzy biting the head off a bat, or Led Zep experimenting with seafood. Concluding their thoughts, MTV added: “Rihanna went from squeaky clean pop star to down and dirty Rock Star in just three short years. At this point, the sky truly is the limit.”
Channing Tatum’s Next Role: Sexiest Dad Alive!
Channing Tatum’s big year just got better: He’s going to be a dad! The “Magic Mike” star and his wife of three years, “American Horror Story:
Asylum” actress Jenna Dewan-Tatum announced Monday that they are expecting their first child next year!
In a statement, the couple declared, “We are absolutely over the moon. As you can imagine, we couldn’t feel more blessed!” The couple, both 32, met on the set of the hit dance flick “Step Up” in 2006 and were married in Malibu, California in 2009. Dewan began using his name professionally that year as well.
Speculation that the couple was expecting began on Sunday when Dewan-Tatum appeared in a billowy blue dress at the VH1 Divas’ taping. The actress held her belly a few times during red carpet interviews and skipped alcohol in favor of water during the show.
Babies have been on the couple’s brain for some time now. In November, the “21 Jump Street” star admitted he was ready to start a family, but he was waiting for his wife to be ready. As for how many babies, the actor told People magazine: “The first number that pops into my head is three, but I just want one to be healthy, and then we’ll see where we go after that.”
Left up to him, though, he admits they have 15 if they could! One thing is for sure, it will be one genetically-blessed baby!
The baby news caps off an already stellar year for the actor who starred in two hit films, “Magic Mike” and “Jump Street,” and was crowned Sexiest Man Alive in November. However, despite the success, the actor admitted he was ready to step away from acting for a time to explore behind-the-scenes projects, including directing and producing.
Now, we only wonder if baby Tatum will inherit his father’s sexy dance moves too!
Extreme Internet Dating: DeadMau5 Proposes Marriage to Kat Von D…Over Twitter
These days, we all use our Twitter accounts to do more then just express ourselves in 140 characters. We get the latest celebrity gossip, follow political campaigns, engage in Twitter wars with Chris Brown – and now, people are even receiving marriage proposals!
Or at least, celebrity tattoo artist and reality star Kat Von D receives marriage proposals.
This week, the “L.A. Ink” star’s on-again-off-again boyfriend, producer/DJ Joel “Deadmau5” Zimmerman, tweeted: “I can’t wait for Christmas so…. Katherine Von Drachenberg, will you marry me?”
Deadmau5 also attached a photo of the potential engagement ring in the tweet as well. On the photo he explained: “Changing the diamond to a black diamond FYI. Sorry for the jpg … they’ll finish the actual ring soon I hope. I love u :D.” (
We’re going to assume he got down on one knee while typing his tweet. You know, cuz we’re romantics.
But, whereas some might call this less-than-storybook, the 30-year-old Von D appeared to be into it, privately accepting her man, and then later tweeting: “Please excuse me while I go squeeze the hell out of my fiancé!”
Later, Deadmau5 added: “Holy f**king s**t. I’m engaged and stuff!”
Other recent tweets have included Kat saying that she was “off to romantical din-din w my babe, and then Comedy time!” or Deadmau5 commenting: “thanks for the well wishes and support from the horde and everyone else! brb while i spend the rest of my evening with my future wife :)”
Even their ceremony vendors are getting into the spirit of things. On the 15th, outside-the-box eating company Epic Meal Time tweeted: “We’re catering the wedding. @deadmau5 @thekatvond” Aah, love in the time of social media!
Congrats to the happy couple, from all of us at Nicerazzi. Oh, and don’t forget to change your relationship status on Facebook!
Kelly Clarkson Announces Her Engagement on Twitter – And Posts Pics of Her New Bling!
Kelly Clarkson told us she had found the one…and now she has the ring to prove it!
It’s been a great year for the “American Idol” winner, who was just nominated for several Grammys, and is now engaged. Kelly’s beau of just under a year, Brandon Blackstock – and the “Since U Been Gone” singer accepted on December 14th.
“I’M ENGAGED!!!!!” she tweeted recently. “I wanted y’all to know!! Happiest night of my life last night! I am so lucky and am with the greatest man ever :)”
And Kelly is not shy about sharing her bling, either, tweeting a photo a little while after.
“Everyone has been asking about my engagement ring, so here it is,” she explained alongside the pic. “It’s a yellow canary diamond with diamonds around it and Brandon designed it with Jonathan Arndt! They did an amazing job! I can’t wait to make Brandon’s ring with Jonathan as well!”
Brandon is a talent manager, and the son of Clarkson’s longtime manager Narvel Blackstock. He is also the stepson of Reba McEntire – and according to Kelly, she always knew he was the one.
“We were just in a room together, and then he came up and said he was from the same hometown as me,” she remembered recently. “And I was like, ‘Oh, we’re so getting married’ – I was that girl.”
In late November, Kelly even confided to Ellen DeGeneres that she knew she was going to marry her man. She laughed and said that he would have to “put it a ring on it at some point.”
But she also said doesn’t need a big wedding.
“Honestly, I’ve never been the girl to plan a wedding,” she explained at the time. “We will totally, probably elope.”
This will be Kelly’s first marriage. The couple lives in Nashville.
Congrats to Kelly and Brandon!
“The Hobbit” Smashes Box-Office Records, Takes Audiences Back to Middle Earth
As many predicted, Peter Jackson’s return to Middle Earth in the much-anticipated prequel “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” demolished the competition at the box office this past weekend, pulling in a whopping $84.8 million in three days – bigger than any of the previous “Lord of the Rings” movies. But, while part one of the three-part planned epic dethroned the previous reigning December box office champ, 2007’s “I Am Legend,” many box-office experts are expressing surprise that it didn’t cross the $100 million mark as many had predicted.
While representatives at Warner Bros. seem assured that the opening is extremely promising and there is no cause to worry about the film’s performance, statistics may prove otherwise. As Grady Smith at Entertainment Weekly reports, the film had a roughly 25% drop from Friday to Saturday, which is quite a big number considering it was opening weekend. One has to contemplate whether the devoted fans of this franchise are as excited for this “Unexpected Journey” as the studio anticipated, or whether the huge opening was mostly the result of all those years of buildup and publicity.
One possibility for the drop-off could be that there has been A LOT of press attention surrounding this movie. Whether it was the hunt for a director way back in the struggling early stages of development, Jackson’s controversial decision to film in 48 frames per second, or rumors of mistreatment of animals, it certainly hasn’t been an easy road for Bilbo Baggins and his crew to get here. And even though the film has been getting decent reviews (it is currently at 65% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes), it remains to be seen whether legions of fans will be as ardently fervid as they were for the original “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.
The holiday season should play in favor of “The Hobbit,” as droves will descend upon movie theaters in the weeks to come. But with Oscar season in full swing now that the SAG and Golden Globe nominations are out, and with sterling competition like “Lincoln” and the Christmas releases of “Les Miserables” and “Django Unchained,” the competition will be stiff.
Like our little Hobbit friends Bilbo and Frodo, this franchise seems likely to overcome any odds stacked against it. Plus, an image has already been released of Orlando Bloom (where the heck has he been lately?) reprising his role as bow-wielding elf extraordinaire Legolas in the third film. Now that’s reason enough to stick around, if you ask me.
“Hunger Games” Star Liam Hemsworth Involved in Brutal Bar Fight After Man Reportedly Throws a Rock At Him
Seemingly-docile Australian heartthrob Liam Hemsworth – whose career has skyrocketed recently due to his involvement in the smash hit “The Hunger Games” – reportedly lost his cool momentarily outside a bar in Philadelphia on Sunday when a man allegedly threw a rock at Hemsworth and his friends.
Liam, who is currently in Philly filming his new movie “Paranoia,” was seen leaving the bar in the early hours of Sunday morning. Shortly thereafter, Hemsworth would find himself involved in an altercation due to someone throwing a rock at “The Hunger Games” star. Within minutes, Liam had the perpetrator on the ground with one not-so-subtle blow to the face.
TMZ has exclusive video of the fight, showing that the assault on the man continues while Hemsworth’s friend proceeds to hold him down. Shortly after the brawl’s commencement, cops were notified and quickly arrived on the scene to help break up the crowds. No official arrests were made, and it is unclear if any charges will be filed.
The display was quite violent, if anything, and looked like a scene straight out of the bloodthirsty series that shot Hemsworth to fame this past year. TMZ spoke to the victim after the fight, and he laughed it off, saying: “I don’t think you would have fared any better.” Yet there is still no confirmation as to whether this guy actually threw anything at Liam, or if Hemsworth just had some drunken rage to get out of his system.
The actor, who found himself in a similar situation back in 2009, is no stranger to brawls. While he appears to be the laid back one in his relationship with Miley Cyrus, this was obviously not his first rodeo. Let’s hope this promising young actor can keep his violent side in check and see his career blossom without such headlines.
The Golden Globes Love “Lincoln,” “Les Miserables,” “Argo,” “Homeland,” “Silver Linings Playbook” and More!
The holidays came early for many in Hollywood once again, as the 2013 Golden Globe nominations were announced this morning. Ed Helms, Jessica Alba, and Megan Fox were on hand to read the list of nominees at the crack of dawn, and Steven Spielberg’s historical drama “Lincoln” lead the pack with (four score and) seven nominations.
In addition to the “Lincoln” noms (including stars Daniel Day-Lewis and Sally Field), the terrorist hostage-meets-Hollywood drama “Argo” was close behind with five nominations, including Best Director for Ben Affleck. The film will compete with “Django Unchained,” “Life of Pi” and “Zero Dark Thirty” for Best Motion Picture, Drama.
The dramatic musical “Les Miserables” also scored big on nominations. It leads the Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical category, going up against beloved Brit flick “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” Wes Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom,” the Ewan McGregor flick “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen,” and momentum-building awards season heavyweight “Silver Linings Playbook.”
Meanwhile, “Les Mis” stars Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway are nominated for their performances as the criminal Jean Valjean and the doomed Fantine, respectively. Jackman will face off for Best Actor (Comedy or Musical) against Jack Black’s transformative performance as a murderous mortician in “Bernie,” Bradley Cooper’s critically-acclaimed turn in “Silver Linings Playbook,” McGregor in “Salmon” and Bill Murray as Franklin Delano Roosevelt in “Hyde Park on Hudson.” Hathaway will battle for Best Supporting Actress against Amy Adams’ work as a cult leader’s devoted wife in “The Master,” Field in “Lincoln,” Helen Hunt’s bare-all performance in “The Sessions,” and Nicole Kidman in a much-talked-about performance in “The Paperboy.”
No awards show would be complete without Meryl Streep on the red carpet, of course – and this year is no different. The legendary actress is nominated for Best Actress, Comedy or Musical, for her performance in “Hope Springs.” Joining her in the category are Emily Blunt in “Salmon,” Judi Dench in “The Best Exotic,” Jennifer Lawrence in “Silver Linings,” and Maggie Smith in the Dustin Hoffman-directed retirement home film “Quartet.”
On the television side, the HBO film “Game Change,” about Sarah Palin rise to fame during the 2008 election, leads the pack with five nominations. The hit Showtime series “Homeland” is close behind with four nominations, including stars Claire Danes and Damian Lewis.
Other television nominees include “Boardwalk Empire,” “Breaking Bad,” “Downton Abbey,” “Homeland,” and “The Newsroom” for Best Dramatic TV Series. The Best Comedy nominees are “The Big Bang Theory,” “Episodes,” “Girls,” “Modern Family” and “Smash.”
Among this year’s notable snub? “Revenge” failed to score a single nomination, disappointing many die-hard fans. Meanwhile, critically-acclaimed box-office hits “The Dark Knight Rises,” “The Avengers,” and “Skyfall” once again proved that voters often have trouble seeing past the popcorn.
Jodie Foster will be the recipient of this year’s Cecil B. DeMille Award, an honorary award that honors outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment. The awards show will be hosted by funny girls Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Tune in January 13th to see who goes home a winner.
Lindsay Lohan Has Her Probation Revoked, Faces Serious Jail Time
It looks like Lindsay Lohan may be visiting a jail cell sometime in the near future, after her probation was revoked in Los Angeles earlier today.
Lohan was absent from today’s hearing, leaving her lawyer, Shawn Holley, there on her behalf. She is requested back in court on January 15th for her official hearing, where she will be charged with reckless driving, obstruction and lying to the police charges following her June car accident.
Lohan was granted probation after pleading no contest to the jewelry theft charges filed against her last March. If she could stay out of trouble, the courts ruled at the time, she could stay out of jail.
Unfortunately for Lohan, this all ended after the Porsche accident that occurred when the star was on her way to shoot her “comeback” film “Liz and Dick.” Lohan denied to officers that she was even behind the wheel at the time of the accident.
At this point, the courts seem to be quite annoyed with the onetime fast-rising “Mean Girls” star and the notion that she can’t stay out of trouble for more than a month. Following her most recent headline-making incident, a brawl in New York, Lohan could spend up to 245 days in jail now that she has broken parole– and this time, she might actually have to stay there for longer than a few hours.
According to Lohan’s attorney, she may not attend the next hearing on this charge. She is, however, required to show up to court in New York City on January 7th for the assault on Florida fortune teller Tiffany Mitchell.
At this point, it seems safe to say that we’ve all given up hope that “Liz and Dick” or anything else is part of a return to form for Lindsay. It would probably be best for her to spend a few days in jail, so she can stop getting into trouble.
The amazing thing to remember is that, as bad as Lindsay may seem, when Robert Downey Jr. was at his lowest point he was even worse off – and look at all he’s been able to do in the years since. We’re still trying to root for you, Lindsay!