Eyes Lips Face Cosmetics : Bang For Your Buck Is An Understatement

Remember the make-up line Wet ‘N’ Wild? Well if you lived through the ‘80s, ‘90s or both, then of course you do. W’n’W was the so-called “line” (haha) of “cosmetics” you could buy at your local Sav-On for a whopping $.99. The line consisted of everything. You know, glosses, lipsticks, mascara, even face powder. I think the lipsticks were the most common. Anyone who lived through at least one of those decades knows that if they dug up an old handbag, they’d find a bright-colored melted Wet ‘N’ Wild stick smothered all over the faux-leather interior of their no-longer-used shoulder adornment.

Well how about a Wet ‘N’ Wild for the new gen? Okay, not to disappoint, but there will never be another W’n’W. The next time you’re craving a stick of hot purple or magenta lip spread, you’ll probably have to wait until Halloween. BUT… on the bright side, if you’re simply just looking for a way to spend (a LOT) less on makeup, Eyes Lips Face (e.l.f.) is the destination. Sold exclusively online, this more-than-affordable line of cosmetics features mascara, lip-liner, eyeliner, tweezers, bronzer, eye-shadow, lipstick, lip gloss, nail polish, lotion, brushes and so forth. And what’s amazing? Nothing costs more than a $.1 (no lie). And what’s even more amazing? The line is actually of quality!

I heard about the line a couple times from word-of-mouth (and if you go to the website, you’ll see the line is featured in past issues of Seventeen and Glamour), and though I am not one to do the whole online shopping thing, I decided to take a leap out of my norm and test this stuff out. I ended up purchasing about 16 items or so (the brushes never arrived, so they must be out-of-stock), and the price of the items, combined with shipping, was seriously less than the cost of an average dinner in my world.

I didn’t have many expectations from the inexpensively priced (and packaged) makeup goods, so I went into the trial process blindfolded in a sense. The result? Far more pleasing than could be expected. The eye-shadows and lipglosses are fantastic! The glosses are beautiful colors and the texture is nice—not to mention, the gloss stays on for quite some time. The eyeshadows are very pretty colors which can not only be worn wet, but mesh well, when applied under or over colors from different lines. The bronzer is not particularly bold-appearing or of deep color, so if you are really looking for a strong bronzer, I’d go with a MAC or NARS bronzer. But as for the e.l.f. bronzer, it does provide a pretty shimmer, if that’s the essence you are seeking. The lip liners and so forth are all decent. The only thing I used that I would not recommend (even for a dollar) is the tweezer. Being a tweezer fuh-reak (I own at least 10—literally), I have to say the e.l.f. tweezer is definitely the worst of my collection.

But overall, I definitely think everyone should check out the Eyes Lips Face website, and make some purchases. Plus, they usually have some free gifts included with practically any purchase. Hope you likey! Let me know!

Good Morning!

GREETINGS, everyone!!! While I spent my weekend agonizing over the feud between Spencer Pratt and Mary-Kate Olsen, I hope all of you were enjoying your air-conditioned-induced work-free days.

As for me, I just wanted to give a lil shout to the VH1 Blog. Why? Well, they're the first major blog to link to one of *my* stories. Remember that Mizz Na'Tasha item I posted in regards to her gracing the cover of Smooth magazine? Well, I never realized it'd be such a success! So much so that it grabbed the attention of the VH1 Blog. So three cheers for a first step in getting The Platinum Pen noticed by the "big wigs." haha

Okay, moving on.... how much do I freakin hate (sorry, my mom always tells me I should only reserve the word hate for Hitler and a couple losers I used to know--but I really hate songs. I really, really do) L.A. radio? One would expect L.A. to have wonderful radio stations, right? Ugh, couldn't be more wrong. Every channel I click, I am lead to the same freakin songs. And let me just say on the record, I don't care how damn popular it is, but I hate that song "Bleeding Love." Ugh, it's always on. And it's soooo annoying. I want to stab the radio everytime it comes on. Not to mention, L.A. radio (mainly KIIS-FM--gawd, and even Power 106) still feels the need to play "Sexy Can I" by Ray J. Can we say OVER it?! And lastly, "Lollipop" by Lil Wayne. Just strangle me, why don't you. Oh wait, and how can I forget the worst ??? "Bye Bye Bye," by Mariah Carey. OMG. Sorry yall. It's Monday, I'm tired, irritable, need my coffee.

BUT... on a much more relieving note, good news: To those who are over mainstream L.A. radio (minus good 80's r&b/dance stations like 93.9 and 102.3), I have turned to an alternative music source. When I am in my car, I'll still try to dig through radio stations, in between balancing the music on my CDs. But now when I am at home, I will opt to listen to iTUNES radio. I've actually been doing this for about 5 years, but I go through phases of time in which I listen frequently, and I go through phases of my station of choice. Station of the moment? Radio Danz . It's all dance music--mainly house-ish type stuff--and it's always fun and lively. You can make song requests from the station's playlist, and you are allowed up to 2 per hour; and provided that the song hasn't been played in the previous 3 hours, your requests will be played in no more than 15 minutes. You can also add songs to the station's playlist by emailing danz@radiodanz.com . Anyway, I strongly suggest giving this station a listen. I've been listening to it all the time, I've discovered so many new songs from the station, and I just wanted to spread the word. :-)

ENJOY YOUR DAY, EVERYONE. I promise to make more posts this week. Once again, I apologize for the shortage last week.

Tell Us Something We *Don't* Already Know!

It’s not like I want to watch the brother-sister-separated-at-birth duo—also known as Speidi—babble about nonsense in the first place, but if I must watch, can they please babble about different nonsense than they babble about in every single interview? C’mon, vary it up a bit. These Hills interviews are so predictable. All of them—despite which “character” is being interviewed. The only reason I use Speidi in this case is because they are the most recent Hills interviewees I have viewed, and they are the ones I have seen interviewed the most. Before watching, I already knew not only the questions, but the answers. No, I don’t have ESP—it’s more like these peoples’ lives really aren’t that interesting after all, and they only have the same few things to go off of.

Per Usual:

Q: So how much of the stuff we see on The Hills is real?

A: All of it’s real. We give the camera men our schedules and they follow us to the places they think sound interesting. Or if we’re having a fight with someone, we’ll inform them so they can film.

Q: So, Heidi, Lauren is your ex-friend, correct? And do you hate her?

A: Lauren is a great person. I wish her all the best—yadda yadda… I have no control over the end of our friendship. She made me choose between her and Spencer.

Q: So you guys are getting married?

A: (the question stayed the same as ush, but surprisingly the answer varied just a bit [shocking!]) Heidi: I am young, 21, blah blah. Not sure when we’re getting married, but we’re engaged to be engaged (umm—okay…in other words, we’re engaged until MTV calls it quits with The Hills)

Q: So, you’ve had work done, Heidi. It was very “brave” of you to come out and be honest about it. (I mean it only landed you yet another US Weekly cover & a wad of dolla billz, but hey, we know you came out for all the right reasons.)

A: I was teased my whole life for my ittie-bittie-ti**ies and my wretched honkin huge nose—and I wanted to be a role model to other girls with insecurities. (Because, yeah, the way to help an insecure person is to assure them that plastic surgery is the only way out). I also had my DSLs done, too. But we’ll save that for the next interview [smiles]

Q: Wow, so you guys really get $100,000 just to make a club appearance for one night?

A: [looks over to twin brother—I mean fiancée—Spencer. Hey babe. I’ll let you take this question] Spencer: Yeah, we’re kind of a big deal. You know. And plus, they pay Heidi to make singing performances at clubs. She has an amazing voice. [Heidi chimes in:] My new album is coming out very soon. In the meantime you can catch all of my hit songs on iTunes. I’m going to be the next Madonna. My songs are amazing and Spencer produces all of them. Oh, and I also have a very successful fashion line called Heidiwood. Sold exclusively at the ever-classy Anchor Blue.

Gosh, I was getting bored just writing this stuff up. But hey, at least they’ve finally dropped the alleged LC/Jason sex-tape that we all know never existed. Okay, that’s enough Speidi-talk for one afternoon—or one lifetime for that matter.

City of Los Angeles to Its Firefighters : Nobody Wants to See Your Tattoos!

All hail the Los Angeles Fire Department for exuding some class. It’s about time a large group or company cracks down on visible body art at the workplace. I find tattoos incredibly unflattering—both to a person’s image and to their body in general. Despite these permanent ink imprints being incredibly common nowadays amongst all types of people and in all types of workplaces, I still believe they should be reserved for bikers and dive-bar regulars. Sure, call me old-fashioned, ignorant, lame, whatever. I stand strongly by this matter, always have, always will.

If a person wants to get a tattoo, that is their choice. Who am I to tell a person what he or she can or cannot do? But I will say, however, that in my mind, a person is looked upon with much more dignity and respect if these tattoos are not visible. As of this week, the approximately 200 firefighters who are employed within the LAFD, are forced under a new policy to cover up their tattoos—whether they are responding to a call or making dinner or even sleeping in the station. The only time they can display them is when they are showering.

As expected, this new policy has caused quite a stir. And I’m not as naïve as I sound—I’m quite aware that I am probably amongst a very, very small percentage of people who is actually in favor of this new demand.
"It's really disheartening to have to cover up these things," San Pedro firefighter John O'Connor said. "I have always displayed them with such pride. That's the real killer."

Since the policy took effect May 1, firefighters complain they've had to wear sweat shirts, long sleeves, and even skin patches to hide their body art. That hasn’t been the biggest complaint, however. People affected by this policy feel it is bad enough to cover up in public, but to have to conceal their body art in the privacy of their own fire station is absolutely ludicrous.

"I don't mind wearing long sleeves when I'm out on a call, if there's a public perception issue," says Anthony Temple.

"My one big problem is the firehouse. I live there 24 hours a day, a minimum of 10 days a month. I feel like that's my house. It's where I live with my colleagues. They want us to maintain a professional appearance in public - OK. But in the fire station, when we're cleaning and working on equipment, too?"

LAFD Deputy Chief Emile Mack stands by his decision to sign the rule.

"They look at what our image is when we come into contact with the public. We have hair standards and uniform standards and those aren't about the fire station, but how we appear when we're providing service to the public."

The Fire Department is following the lead of the Los Angeles Police Department, which adopted a tattoo policy five years ago that requires officers to cover exposed tattoos.

According to the LAPD, while officers moaned and groaned when the policy was initially implemented, the rule is now accepted and there have been no officers disciplined for violating the agreement.

The Game Gives Props to Former Nemesis 50 Cent

Looks like the G-Unit CEO and his former protégé have finally put the dramz behind them.

At Thom Thom’s club in Santa Monica on Tuesday night, guests took a break from smoking, drinking and sneak-peaking The Game’s long-awaited album “LAX” to listen to a courteous—albeit shocking—announcement from the rapper.

"I ain't got no beef with 50," the Game said. "All that . . . was on wax. I never shot at him, he never shot at me. Both of us done said a lot. But we're not Biggie and Pac. I appreciate homey for helping me on my way up."

Not to be ignored, however, it is reported that shortly before this point, The Game proclaimed from the stage that he was drunk, as he slurred his words and skewered the members of his rap collective Black Wall Street. He even flubbed the name of the president of his record label as he gave him a shout-out from the stage. So who’s to say Game would stand by his statement in a sober statement.

The feud—initially triggered back in ’05 by The Game collabing on a track with 50-rival Joe Budden and appearing in a music video with other 50-rival Jim Jones—led to many back and forth hate-related actions including The Game’s coining of the term G-Unot—a mockery of G-Unit (including a tattoo of the term on his arm), an array of s**t-talking songs, and public altercations with The Game and members of his former crew. This led to becoming one of the most well-known feuds in hip-hop history.

The Game and Fiddy last attempted to end their war of words in May 2005 when they declared a truce at a press conference, during which they donated $253,500 to the Boys Choir of Harlem, New York.

But the truce lasted less than a month before The Game publicly criticized 50 Cent's leadership qualities as the head of the G-Unit rap brand.

Now that supposedly alls good in the hood, should we expect another 50/Game collabo anytime soon? Or do you think this was either a meaningless belligerent statement or perhaps a publicity stunt to promote The Game’s new album?

Important Message to My Loyal Readers...

Hey guys,
I just wanted to say I am sorry for the lack of "Platinum Pen" content recently. I realize you visit my site to catch up on what is going on in entertainment and pop-culture, but it's hard to do so when there isn't much posted. I feel like the world has been quite slow lately. And as my readers know, I don't want to be like every other blog site out there, so I'm not going to post every single entertainment story that pops up on the web. I'm only going to post the ones that stand out or have special appeal to me.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know that it's been a slow past week (even sites like DListed have only been posting like 10 or so items per day--which is nothing for a HUGE site like that). So please keep checking back in. I will try to post more and more. I just don't want anyone thinking I've already given up on this thing, 'cause I haven't--it's just that some days have more excitement than others.

But no matter what, I will always try to post at least *something* each and every day.

I also wanted to add that I've been checking my Google Analytics daily and must say I am thrilled to announce that The Platinum Pen is getting average of about 50 hits per day (for a site that has only been around for a month or so, those are phenomenal numbers!)

Thank you for reading and all of your continuous support. Let's keep The Platinum Pen booming.
XOXO

Heidi Montag Has a New Gawd-Awful Single--I Say She Should Give Peace a Chance

FASHION - Heidi Montag

Red One!

HEIDI!
Ohhh Ohhh
La La La
We Love Designer

I am, I’m too fabu-lous
I’m so fierce that it’s so nuts
I live, to be model thin
Dress me, I’m your manne-quin

(A bunch of designer names in a “French” accent)

Fashion put it all on me
Don’t you want to see these clothes on me
Fashion put it all on me
I am anyone you want me to be
Fashion put it all on me
Don’t you want to see these clothes on me
Fashion put it all on me
I am anyone you want me to be

Ohhhh Ohhhhh
La La La
We love designer

I need, some new stile-ttos
Can’t walk, down the street in those
You are, who you wear it’s true
A girl’s just as hot as the store she chooses

Fashion put it all on me
Don’t you want to see these clothes on me
Fashion put it all on me
I am anyone you want me to be
Fashion put it all on me
Don’t you want to see these clothes on me
Fashion put it all on me
I am anyone you want me to be

Ohhhh Ohhhhh
La La La
We Love Designer

Ohhhh Ohhhhh
La La La
We Love Designer

Fashion put it all on me
Don’t you want to see these clothes on me
Fashion put it all on me
I am anyone you want me to be
Fashion put it all on me
Don’t you want to see these clothes on me
Fashion put it all on me
I am anyone you want me to be

Fashion put it all on me
Don’t you want to see these clothes on me
Fashion put it all on me
I am anyone you want me to be
Fashion put it all on me
Don’t you want to see these clothes on me
Fashion put it all on me
I am anyone you want me to be

Ohhh Ohhhhh
La La La
We love designer

Ohhh Ohhhhh
La La La
We love designer

A Special Treat For 90210 Fans!

If you are an avid 90210 lover (or obsesser) life myself, you’ll be happy to know that you can put your long-saved quarters, dimes and nickels back in the Piggy Bank because you no longer have to purchase 90210 DVDs to catch The Spring Dance, The Slumber Party, High School Commencement and all your other favorite Brenda/Dylan/Kelly/Steve/Brandon/Donna/Andrea/David moments from Seasons 1-3.

Surprisingly, CBS.com has every episode from the first 3 seasons loaded on the site for your convenience. View them here: http://www.cbs.com/classics/beverly_hills_90210/ .

Which 90210 episode or moment is your favorite? Sound off in the comments!

Amy Winehouse And Her Hard-Partying Ways Are Finally Catching Up

If arrests, cancelled concert performances and massive tabloid frenzies have not been eye-openers to the 24-year-old British singer, hopefully this will: Mitch Winehouse publicly announces that his daughter Amy has emphysema.

"With smoking the crack cocaine and the cigarettes, her lungs are all gunked up," Papa W-house says. "There are nodules around the chest and dark marks. She's got 70 percent lung capacity."

That’s not all. Amy’s dad went on to say, “The doctors have told her if she goes back to smoking drugs it won't just ruin her voice, it will kill her. The doctors have said that if she had continued the way she was going, she could have ended up an invalid—she wouldn't have been able to breathe.”

Nowadays it truly is hard to come across real, raw talent. Amy has an exceptional and classic voice that doesn’t need the modification and synthesizing that many other modern-day “vocalists” require. Let’s hope the immensely troubled star can pull it together. If not for her career, at least for her life and well-being.

Mizz Na'Tasha Lands Mag Spread

Natasha Salim AKA Mizz Na'Tasha AKA Kimposter actually landed a gig that didn't include conning people into thinking she was an A-List Armenian Reality-star. She is featured in this month's issue of Smooth magazine, displaying an ever-large set of T&A. Guess that comes with Kimmy K. imposter territory. Salim claims to be currently studying Forensic Psychology, stating that she eventually plans to transfer to Columbia University to study *Entertainment Law* (yeah, I thought it was ironic, too)

Abigail Breslin : The Paradigm of Perfection

At only 12 years old, adorable Abigail Breslin absolutely shines in this beautiful little number at the NYC Premiere of "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl." Breslin is so adorable. I just want to adopt her! What a little princess.

Happy Friday: Chris Crocker Wants to F%*k You

Watch with delight. ;-)

Burger King: A Place For the Fine-Dining Elite?

Yesterday, I didn’t even know Burger King still existed. Today, I come to discover that the fast-food chain just entered the Guinness Book of World Records because of it’s newly introduced menu item called, “The Burger.” I guess there’s no explanation needed, as the title must speak for itself—or if not, you can be sure the price does. Listed at a whopping £95—which is equivalent to around $150.00, for all you Americans—“The Burger” is said to be created with, “the world's most succulent Japanese beef, complemented with white truffles, onion tempura prepared in Cristal champagne and Italy's finest Pata Negra prosciutto.”

Let’s be honest, priced at $150.00 or not, if people want to spend the big bucks on a burger for crying out loud, it’s probably not going to be at BK. I’d still take a $2 In-N-Out burger any day before stepping into a Burger King.

Spears Clan Increases it’s Victim Count By One

Poor little Maddie Briann, the latest spawn to be subjected to the trashiness of the Spears fam, following in the little footsteps of Sean Preston and Jayden James. Yup, Jamie Lynn Spears finally popped, yall!

At 9:30 this morning, the 17-year-old Zoey 101 star—with parents Lynne and Jamie, sister Britney, and 19-year-old fiancée-slash-baby daddy Casey Alridge by her side—gave birth in a Mississippi hospital.

Let’s just hope the little one isn’t unseatbelted, driving behind-the-wheel and with rotting teeth by the age of 1, like her role-model Aunt’s kids.

Styrofoam For Dessert, Anyone?

With gas prices sky-rocketing, the economy pretty much sucking, and with all of the other general expenses of life, wedding cake seems like such an unnecessary $1000 bucks, doesn’t it? Well, of course it does if you are not getting married any time soon. But if you have a wedding in the works, the cake is obviously a staple of the reception. But with all of the other wedding necessities that cost money, that extra grand for a frosting-decorated dessert can seem just a bit much.

That’s where Stephanie Chavez comes in. Chavez owns a business in Upland, CA, called “Fake the Cake,” in which the soon-to-be-wed can save a few hundred bucks by purchasing Styrofoam cakes priced up to $250 a pop. Sounds kinda interesting, right? Well, apparently Chavez also sells real cake, but much-less-decorated (and at a much-less-expensive cost), in which is supposed to be cut “behind the scenes,” and then served in place of the beautifully-designed Styrofoam placement, unknowingly to guests. Following the extravaganza, the couple then returns the faux-treat to Chavez.

Chavez can be contacted at 909-418-8421

Ice-T: The Only Hip-Hop Artist to Still Keep it Real?

In this money-hungry world we live in, it seems like people will do anything or work with anyone if it means making a buck or scoring a mag cover. Rapper/actor Ice-T, most notoriously known for his back-in-the-day banned-from-airplay jam “Cop Killer,” is the first Old-Skool artist to finally take a stand against these so-called “rappers” who are ruining “hip-hop.”

Sounding off on DJ Cisco's Urban Legend mixtape, the hip-hop legend says, “Fu*k Soulja Boy! Eat a dick! This ni*ga single handedly killed Hip Hop. That sh*t is such garbage man. We came all the way from Rakim, we came all the way from Das EFX, we came all the way from motherfu*kers flowing like Big Daddy Kane and Ice Cube, and you come with that Superman sh*t? That sh*t is garbage. Hurricane (Chris) take them fu*king beads out of your hair ni*ga! Man up. You ni*gas is making me feel real fu*king mad about this sh*t.”

It’s about time someone speak-up in defense of real hip-hop. Sure, these ridiculous “artists” like ‘Soulja’ and ‘Hurricane’ may be good for Top-40 Radio airplay or for a popular spin for a DJ at a nightclub, but it evokes a sense of true anger in me when I meet people and we start talking music and they have the *nerve* to suggest the like “rap” or “hip-hop,” when it clearly could not be further from the truth. It’s not even so much the mainstream issue, as it is the issue between the hip-hop/pop gray area. Sure, Paul Wall and T.I. may be VERY mainstream, and a few of their songs may get KIIS-FM (for example) airplay, but when it comes down to it, those artists are still considered “rap” to me. They rap about real issues and real things—just sometimes with a mass-appeal-aimed-style. Soulja Boy’s shit isn’t even comprehendible. What the hell is he talking about? I think people automatically classify any black artist who pops out a record with “danceable” jams, as a hip-hop/rap artist. Not the case.

More people need to stand up for the hip-hop genre like Ice-T, instead of collaborating with these so-called “artists,” just to get a little more noticed. Because quite frankly, is $$ really worth credibility? In the long-run, probably not.

…Because Everyone Should Get the Chance to Have a Nationally Publicized Sex Tape, Go to Jail and Desperately Seek a New BFF Via Reality-TV…

Jessica Simpson’s gonna be pissed! I thought her and BFF Ken Paves’ hair extensions were supposed to be the hottest. Silly me, what was I thinking? If it’s got Paris’ name attached to it, then it’s gotta be hot. And on ParisAndSally.com, the heiress states her claim rightfully so:

“Everyone should get the chance to be me. That's why I created the world's hottest hair extensions. Choose from ten fabulous shades and you will be a clip away from hotness.”

I’m so over all these stars promoting fake hair! When’s Kim Kardashian going to start promoting her own line of booty enhancers?

An Acid Trip Without the Acid

She may be a stylist to the stars, but last night at the Whitney Contemporaries Art Party in NYC, Rachel Zoe was looking like she needed a stylist of her own—or at least a mirror. In a busy, distracting Aztec-like print, Prune-Face definitely displayed the most unfortunate of ensembles at the art museum’s event.

And this, coming from someone whose entire wardrobe consists of patterned prints. But even for me, this dress is just far too much. And with such an ugly face, Zoe has to work a little harder to look good—and needless to say, she didn’t work it in this outfit.

Orange County High School Student Pulls a Steve Sanders

The story sounds all too familiar, circa 1993. Steve Sanders (Ian Ziering) gets crappy grades and decides it’d be a wise idea to break into his high school computers and change his grades (a-la the help of his “Freshman Buddy” who happened to be a technological genius)—with the hopes that his newfound marks will grant him entry into a (decent) college.

Fast-forward 15 years later, Tesoro high school student Omar Khan took the same action. But unlike in the case of Sanders, Khan’s case is real life. And chances are, there’s not a Principal as understanding as Mrs. Teasley available to bail him out.

Khan, 18, allegedly changed grades for 12 other students as well, and once broke into the locked office of a vice principal in an attempt to retrieve a test after he was caught cheating, according to a statement from the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

The Coto de Caza resident is charged with nearly 70 felony counts, including altering public records, computer access and fraud, burglary, identity theft and conspiracy. He could be sentenced to more than 38 years in prison if convicted.
He is accused of altering test scores from Advanced Placement classes and school records from previous semesters, often changing grades of "C," "D," or "F" to "A," according to the DA's statement.

People Magazine's Hottest Bachelors of 2008: Where Do They Come Up With These People?!

Ignore his umm...package for a sec. I know, it's difficult, but anyway, Mario Lopez was voted "Hottest Bachelor of 2008" by People magazine. Okay, Mario Lopez, fine. Good looking guy, in great shape (obvi), charming I'm sure. But once you see the *other* names on this so-called "hottest" list, you won't be the least surprised that Lopez was the winner--in fact, you'll be grateful.

It makes me sad to thank I am living in a world where Frankie Delgado (who the eff cares?!), Bret Michaels, Bryan Spears (?)--who knew the trainwreck had a BROTHER? (Okay, we all knew. but still, does anyone even know enough about him to even CARE if he's a bachelor?--and to call him one of the hottest???), some tennis player I've never heard of named James Blake, and Scarlett Johanasson's unknown brother--just to name a few, are all listed as the "Hottest Bachelors of 2008"

Amongst the Ryan Seacrests and Shia Le Bouefs of the world, I *know* this magazine could have done a little better.

Sounds to me like the mag has $$ deals with some very unimportant people.

Meet Your 2008 NBA Champions!!

No exciting drunken (or hungover) basketball rants for today, folks. Sorry to disappoint. Just here to state the obvious. Celtics (thankfully) won in game 6 of the NBA Finals. Not only did they *win*, but they *destroyed* the Lakers. In an insane 39-point win, the green took home the gold for the first time in 22 years. And now I will resort to locking my doors and closing my windows. There will probably be riots tonight in L.A.

MAZEL TOV! :-)

She's Got the Legs of a Supermodel!

Haha, no, really. Those are the ever-so-glamorous legs of "supermodel" Agyness Deyn. Pretty effing nasty, huh? Guess all that catwalk-ing gave 'er a bruisin! Or maybe she's been spending too much time with Amy Winehouse. Either way, guh-ross.

One of My Favorite Movies of All Time--Revisited!

Today I was rummaging through my Google Reader per usual, and I was stunned to find info about the filming of a "Stepfather" remake. In case anyone doesn't know, I have been an avid "Stepfather" lover since my sophomore year of high school. I own all three films in the series. I used to watch the series every weekend (interchangeably with the "Sleepaway Camp" series). Heck, if you don't believe me, you can even look to the right of this page and view my top 10 favorite movies of all time. I don't think too many others (with the exception of anyone I was best friends with in high school [maybe college] have any idea this film ever existed.)

I will admit, however; times have changed if the part of Jill Schoelen, who played the STEP-daughter of now-Emmy-award-winning Terry O'Quinn, the original Stepfather in the original film, is being replaced by Gossip Guy Penn Badgley. Blah. If there is hope for a "Stepfather" remake, then perhaps down the line we'll see a "Paperboy" remake? Ahh...now that would be pretty awesome. And they can get a Jonas Brother to play little psycho Johnnie.

If you were a fan of the original "Stepfather" series, sound off in the comments below!

My Melrose Place-Packed Sunday...

In the midst of a massive cleaning sesh, I decided to spend my Sunday relaxing to the viewings of good ol' Melrose Place episodes from Season 1 [courtesy of YouTube user Exonit-- http://www.youtube.com/user/exonit]. That season was so good. It wasn't psychotic like the remaining seasons were. Anyway, as I was watching, I realized a couple things. One being that Thomas Calabro (Michael Mancini) was hotter than I ever remembered. Holy cow! I found my mouth watering more and more as each scene was shown. And it was so weird remembering how he and Jane (Josie Bissett) were a happily married item at one point in the show. Wow. Anyway, I happened to notice something else while watching as well...

Remember D & D Advertisting? The prestigious, pretentious Advertising Company Alison Parker (Courtney Thorne Smith) and Amanda Woodward (Heather Locklear) were employed with? Well, looks like the company was stationed at none other than Wilshire Courtyard, the well-known home to E!, Style, G4, Variety, and others, located on Wilshire Blvd & Courtyard Place. Isn't that funny? Granted, I obviously didn't realize that like 10 years ago when I watched Melrose Place last. It's funny to notice that now. Haha

Senor Tacos: Hollywood's Best Kept Secret!

Live in the L.A. area? Love Mexican Food? Love authentic Mexican Food? Love authentic, inexpensive Mexican Food? Love authentic, inexpenisve Mexican Food opened very late? Well then you must--without a doubt--check out Senor Tacos in Hollywood. They put one of those little pamphlets on my door, and I do happen to order delivery frequently, so instead of tossing the pamphlet, I decided to keep it. Ended up becoming my BFF this weekend. I ordered from this place on Fri and Sat (carbfest 2008). I know. whatever.

Anyway, I have to totally rave about this place. No joke. Not only was it DELICIOUS and PLENTIFUL, but it was ALSO inexpensive and (relatively) healthy (I mean it is Mexican food, but still, it wasn't DRENCHED in oils and gross shit). Everything on the menu is an average of $5.50 and everything comes with a generous amount of beans and rice. This food is DELICIOUS. $12 minimum for delivery. If you decide to dine at the actual restaurant itself, you are definitely paying for the meal, not the ambiance, as the place is kinda hole-in-the-wall-ish, BUT...definitely delicious, and the employees are very nice and accomodating. Anyway, just a suggestion ;-) I definitely think worth a try though. :-)

SENOR TACOS
6248 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(cross streets of Santa Monica Blvd & Vine)
323.957.0923

11am-11pm Mon-Thurs
11am-2am Fri-Sun

Mariah's Diva Status Just Went Up One More Notch

It's Mimi's world, and in her world, a beautiful Carribbean wedding just isn't enough. MC needs a paparazzi-filled, champagne-fountained, five-star saga.

“The small wedding in the Bahamas was nice, but it was not Mariah’s style. The lady loves a spectacle,” said a source familiar with Mariah’s plans.

Well apparently, despite Carey's original plans to go forth with a second Nick Cannon wedding, sounds like the event may not take place afterall.

What on earth could be the issue? Have she and Cannon called it splits already? Ha, shockingly no. Turns out money is the issue. Bitch makes more money than almost anyone, yet she's too diva to shell out her own funds (she must have maxxed out her Black Amex on all those cheap-looking skimpy minidresses she wears).

“Mariah was willing to pay for the wedding, but the way she hoped to pay for the wedding was through the sale of photos. No one was interested,” the source revealed.

Umm yeah, I wouldn't be interested either. People already purchased and published photos from the couples' first wedding, so why would anyone care to see them do the same thing all over again? Not that I know why anyone cared about this publicity-stunted wedding in the first place. Or perhaps people wanted to see the pics as evidence that someone (besides Tommy Mattola) was actually crazy enough to marry Hollywood's 2nd biggest psychobiatch (Naomi Campbell gets the throne).

Reporter of the Year

This is some funny stuff right here. CHECK IT OUT!

Blog Talk

At this point—being the blog connoisseur I am—I’ve come to realize that if I haven’t already seen it, it probably isn’t worth seeing.

This morning I decided to venture out of Google Reader to see what some of the blogs I do not read regularly have to offer. You see, I was scurrying around Google Reader (naturally) and my *favorite* blogsite Gawker linked to this Vanity Fair blog matrix (pictured above). I decided to take a gander, and check the pictogram out. This led me to an array of previously unseen bloggage, and from those sites, more unseen bloggage. And to my dismay, none of which were the least bit appealing. So I have therefore decided that I am just going to stick to the 50-some-odd blogs I have in my Google Reader because those are the absolute best.

And even though I have many of my favorite sites listed to the right of this webpage, I shall mention them (and others) anyway—the ABSOLUTE best: Gawker (as aforementioned), Defamer, Jezebel, Radar, Dlisted, Jossip, Bossip. Those are my favs. I enjoy them because they combine entertainment, politics and pop culture—quite similarly to The Platinum Pen. I do not care for the sites which are *entirely* entertainment-based. Well, no. I shouldn’t say I don’t care for them—because quite frankly, I read them regularly and I, in fact, am employed with one of them; however, I guess I just find that they get a little too redundant. They all say the same thing. Blah blah. I mean each of them serves their purpose, but I have different takes on a few. (will explain).

TMZ: It was super funny/fun to read for quite some time. Kinda over it now. It actually kind of bores me, in fact. And although I give them credit for exclusivity and specializing in their stalkerazzi videos, the videos are usually of some celebrity walking out of a club, mobbed by photogs, not answering any questions and getting into their car. That shit gets old after awhile. But on the rare occasion they post their videos of worth, I do indeed enjoy watching.

E! Online: The website for the E! Network has a ton of cool stuff. A good source if you're looking for actual celeb NEWS (not just gossipy stuff). Long, journalistic, informative news items to be found. Also, celeb gossip columnist Marc Malkin does an excellent job of getting tons of exclusive dirt for the site. The videos on the site are cool as well. They are actual news pieces put together with all sorts of footage and hosts.

DListed: Rarely has any exclusive info—just bootlegged info taken from other sites. Could be deemed as redundant, but because Michael K. is a comical genius, I will gladly read his redundant info any day! I even got my mom turned on to this site. It’s quite funny. P.S. not to mention that K. is a 90210 fuh-reak like myself. (also check out Yeeeah!. Similar to Dlisted, but less postings per day)

Perez Hilton: half recycling and half original material. Can be funny at times. The photo captions and drawings (via microsoft Paint) are the best part of the site.

Page Six: One of the best celebrity gossip blogs on the net. As a column (and blog) out of the New York Times, the gossip on this site is a) NEVER recycled. It's all original material, and b) It's a very dependable source.

Just Jared: Very factual—not edgy or opinion-based. But good photos—and always a ton of them. JJ could be deemed as “boring,” but I am not *bothered* by this site necessarily.

X17: I used to actually really enjoy this site. And now I have no idea why. It bores the heck outta me. Like JJ, they do put out a bunch of good exclusive photos. And occasionally they do get a few exclusive tidbits of gossip here and there. BUT… their obsession and loyalty to Britney Spears is tiresome—and their commentary in general is lame. Definitely nothing exciting here except the photos (and good vids on their X17Video site)

In Case You Didn’t Know (ICYDK): Appropriately titled. Always provides the celeb 411 like 24hrs *after* the info is originally released and posted on every other entertainment site on the web.

Defamer, Jezebel, Radar, Jossip: Always clever, always interesting, always thought-provoking. I find myself becoming worldlier and more informed by reading these sites. They are great because I do not need to read TIME or any of those small-print newsy pubs to understand what’s going on in the universe—politically and popularly.

Oh, and if celeb booby pics are your forte, Drunken Stepfather (I just like saying the name) and Hollywood Tuna are boss!

PopSugar, Pink Is the New Blog, A Socialite’s Life: Good & informative, but same ‘ol, same ‘ol. Just different spins on the same entertainment stories.

And lastly, for the Angeleno in you, LAist is my favorite LA site. No celeb gossip/news here, just straight up LA stuff. It's pretty informative and hip.

I would certainly be interested to know what sites *you*, my readers, visit. Any good ones I missed? I know I did not mention all the entertainment-based sites or blogs in general, so fill me in if there is one you know of that kicks some serious bootay!

Like Duh!

Okay, this probably isn't true in my case, but I wish it were!

Fox News Attempts To Be Hip; Fails

Obviously Fox News didn’t study it’s hip-hop dictionary, because the conservative news channel made a lil boo-boo. Addressing Michelle Obama as “Obama Baby Mama,” it must have slipped FN’s mind that Michelle is in fact the hopeful president’s WIFE, and that to get technical, a “baby mama” is slang for the unwed mother of one's child.

Naturally, Bill Shine, Fox News Senior Vice President issued the following statement—the *third* apology-ish statement necessitated by the channel within *three* weeks:

“A producer on the program exercised poor judgment in using this chyron
during the segment.”

The Celtics Won...Again--And Oh Yeah, I Still Hate the Lakers

Despite the fact that these stupid sporting events get me mildly intoxicated, reeking of cigarettes and alcoholic beverages I cannot recall--and force me to still go to work the next day at 6am--I still do find them fun. But some events are more fun than others. Like Superbowl Sunday is like fun because I can drink beer. fun. but nonetheless, how much do I *actually* care about Superbowl Sunday? [brace yourselves] NOT THAT MUCH. But basketball shit is different. It's fun. a) basketball games are actually exciting, and b) There's usually some teams that my family raised me to endorse.

This year, prime example. For one (I'm going to get shot for this), I've never been a Lakers fan. I will get to that in just one moment, but really, eff the Purp & Yellow. And for two, I've *always* been a Celtics fan (courtesy of my mom), so duh... of course I'm going to root for the Celtics. They were like always considered the "worst" team, so to see them shine--and to see them shine against the crap-ass-trendy Lakers definitely brings a smile to my face (except for at 6am, when baring a hangover courtesy of the latest championship series game).

So back to the whole Lakers thing. I feel like the Lakers possess two types of fans. Real fans (as every team does) and bandwagon fans. I don't think there's any basketball team on the planet that gets more props (and bandwagon love) than the effing Lakers. Yes, they are probably the most popular basketball team. But that's the problem. People think it's sooo cool to dig the Lakers. I guess when you see David Beckham, Jack Nicholson and Demi/Ashton (etc...) at all the games, there becomes a sense of appeal. But if *everyone* were *real* fans, I'd be okay with it. Like nobody gives a flying eff about the Celtics. Even my adorable little Boston-based cousin who I texted last night following the win, couldn't care less. But LAKER "fans" of course care. Everyone cares about the Lakers--because it's one more thing that makes them "L-A"--because it's trendy.

GO GREEN!

Is One Pair of Jeans Worth An Entire Year (Depending On Where You Live) Of Rent?

Remember when Seven For All Mankind and Citizens of Humanity were all the hype? Ahh...the good ol' days. And after everyone on the planet shelled out their $130 to own a pair of the ever-trendy lines of designer denim, True Religion and Rock & Republic stepped up the designer denim craze, with jeans priced starting at around $200. And from there, boutique-friendly lines like Taverniti definitely set the denim scale high.

Well guess what, folks? Time to fold up your Frankie B.'s and Joes' because nothing--brace yourself--nothing will compare to this: Key Closet, a Los Angeles-based clothing company founded in 2006, just released a pair of jeans (pictured above) priced at $10,000 (yes, you read the four zeroes correctly). The jeans are adorned with more than 10,000 Tiffany-set Swarovski crystals for the thighs and one-carat diamonds on each back pocket, for a total of two carats for the booty. Additionally, the buttons on the back pockets are even made of white gold, and the graphics are accented with foil and hand spray paint to "enhance the look of pure glamour."

But don't go thinking these jeans were created all in vain. The designers are apparently donating 30 percent of all profits made off these blinged-out-booty pants to a charity that helps build schools in Uganda. That's a very generous donation; however, in order to have money to donate, people actually have to purchase the jeans. But then again, this is LA. so I'm sure there will be some home foreclosure taking part so that these fake ridiculous LA women can afford a damn pair of these jeans.

Perez Hilton's Clothing Line Apparently not a Hot Topic Amongst Consumers

Following in the footsteps of LC, Heidi Montag and Avril, Perez Hilton was the latest pseudo-celeb to come out with an unsuccessful clothing line. The line, innovatively titled "Perez Hilton For Hot Topic," includes neon-colored clothing ensembles and $50 blog-themed flip-flops.

Perhaps his "fans" were too busy reading away on his website to take the time to pay the blogger-turned-clothing designer an in-person visit. According to an employee at the Los Angeles Hot Topic at which Hilton appeared, only seven whopping people showed up to the event, and Hilton was furious. He apparently spent the entire time there making all sorts of ridiculous demands.

"He was a rude royal pain in the ass and BEYOND crass... My manager was trying to get people to come in to meet Perez by handing out $5 gift cards NO ONE WANTED TO MEET HIM!" Says the employee.

"He left around 8:45PM without saying goodbye to anyone and looked like he had been crying like the little bitch he is. We sold a grand total of $6.45 of Perez Hilton items between 6PM - 9PM. My manager has already talked about discounting his ‘line’ !”

Hmm...maybe it's bad karma for talking smack on everyone *else's* clothing lines. Or maybe it's just bad karma for talking smack on everyone, period. Either way, I think it's best Hilton stick to blogging and save the fashion faux-pas' for the people who are going to continue to give him something to write about!

Amy Winehouse Re-Defines the Phrase "Bad Hair Day"

We've seen Amy look diasastrous plenty of times, but she typically keeps her hair-do consistent (not that I'm saying it's a good consistent, but at least it always looks the same). Here, it appears the troubled singer's mane got caught up in a tornado of sorts.

Tila Tequila: The Influential Mastermind Behind the Legalization of Gay Marriage? She Seems to Think So

Tila Tequila may be a lot of things—slutty piece of tatted-up trash and star of a really bad faux-ality show—just to name a couple. But history maker? I think not.

The classless hot mess appeared at yesterday’s premiere of “The Love Guru” in Hollywood and told reporters, “[The legalization of gay marriage] is because of me — I definitely think [my show] has helped the movement. Before it came out, everyone was still a little apprehensive about [same sex relationships]. Then they realized, ‘Wow, everyone is really into this stuff, and it is fine.’ The next thing you know, [gay marriage] is legal.”

Uh huh, yeah, okay, because *everyone* takes her show *so* seriously—not to mention the fact that it’s not even a show about gays. It’s about bi-sexuals—and it’s all fake.

Someone needs to tell the hoe not to flatter herself, and that the chances of her show actually having influenced anyone’s decision to allow Gay Marriage is about as likely as the chances that Heidi Montag’s public McCain endorsement will help him win the Presidential election.

Metallica Fans Are One Step Closer to Finding Their Soulmates...Tupac Fans, Not So Much...

Taste in music surely does play a role in dating and relationships. There have been plenty of guys who I know things would just not work out with because of an unfortunate difference in musical preference. I don’t know why something such as *that* plays such a severe role, but that’s just the way things are. If he can’t handle me bumpin “Wipe Me Down” by Boosie, it’s probably just not going to happen. Okay, okay, I don’t want to make myself sound *too* narrow-minded. It’s not like I *only* listen to rap. I love 80’s (pretty much all 80’s) and I love house and dance. But I really can’t stand metal or hard rock, or…well…rock in general I guess—that is, with the exception of 80’s rock (Journey, Foreigner, Heart, etc..) Monster Ballads and depressing emo crap like Death Cab for Cutie. Okay, but anyway, for those who *do* like rock music (any genre of it), and who happen to be single, RockNRollDating.com is at your disposal.

The 100% free dating site, founded in L.A. in Jan 08 by a man named Daniel House, is reported to “offer an edgier experience, a rock 'n' roll lifestyle-focused questionnaire and a database that allows users to browse profiles by music artist. From AC/DC to ZZ Top, site users have entered thousands of rock artists.”

There are a variety of categories to file your profile under, whether you're into rockabilly, metal, emo, or whatever. And following in the theme of Rock’N’Roll’s rebellious nature, the profile questionnaire offers a few options that I probably won’t find on JDate. Under the smoking category, "420 only" is an option, and under the "here for" section is the brutally honest "purely sexual" response.

"I made a conscious effort to leave certain things out – like a person's ethnicity," House said. "The profile doesn't ask for your hair or eye color – first of all, if you have a picture up, people can see that, and in the bigger picture of things, those things and ethnicity are sort of irrelevant. I also didn't include an income category – that's just obnoxious."

The site allows users to list their favorite artists, all-time favorite concerts, favorite movies, and create a personal concert calendar where users can flag the shows they plan to attend.

Despite not being a fan of Rock’N’Roll or it’s lifestyle, I must say I do think this site is quite innovative and I hope it works for many. I will remain at the edge of my computer seat with the hopes that EightiesMusicDating.com is formed, following the popularity of this rocker site so that I can meet my fellow Stevie B.-loving-soulmate.

Platinum Pen EXCLUSIVE: Interview With Amy Paffrath, the Freshest Face of E! Talent

[Exclusive photo courtesy of Amy Paffrath, taken by Lisa Villasenor. Dress by Dye 4 Gething. Makeup by Casey Jo Cheek]

Several months ago, she was the main (albeit nameless) character of a chart-topping music video. Fast forward a few months later, Amy Christine Paffrath still has a lead role, but this time, her name is written all over it. As the friendly face and bubbly voice of E! News Now, and daily disher on Yo! on E!, Paffrath delivers the hottest celebrity 411 to viewers on a several-times-a-day basis—a dream come true for the Missouri-born beauty.

Despite donning a killer bod, an adorable face, and as aforementioned, a fresh gig at the immensely popular E! Network, the newfound entertainment host still keeps it as down-to-earth and cool as ever (as cliché as that may sound). Heck, I’d hit the clubs with her!

The Platinum Pen had the wonderful opportunity to interview Ms. Paffrath, who openly and happily dished about her confidence, her proud love for Hanson (yup, the MMM Bop-pers), how she landed her E! gig, boys (sorry fellas, this one’s taken!), living in the nine-double-oh-six-nine (also known as West Hollywood/WeHo for those of you non-Angelenos),and pretty much whatever else I pushed her way. And although you may not know her just yet, following this interview, you will definitely want to make her part of your entourage.

Oh yeah, and she totally digs her butt.


I started off by asking Paffrath those generic LA/Hollywood questions. Her answers are listed below.

Favorite Bar in LA – Lola’s has THE BEST martinis

Favorite Club in LA – Changes all the time! I really like Goa at the moment, but Social and Blvd 3 can be really fun, too.

Favorite boutique in LA – I love the Fashion District. There is an amazing shoe store called Picasso’s shoes and they sell literally every type of shoe you could dream up! I also really like Mannequin on Melrose, they have fun funky stuff.

Favorite radio station in LA – KROQ

Favorite restaurant in LA – Too many! La Fritte in the Valley is a new fave.

Favorite website in general (besides The Platinum Pen, of course ;-) ) – EOnline!

Favorite album of all time – OMG, Hanson, "Middle of Nowhere." I LOVE it, it makes me happy all the time. I also love Hot Fuss by the Killers

Team LC or Team Heidi – They are both ridiculous, so I say Audrina [laughs]

Harvey Levin or Mario Lavendeira (Perez Hilton) – Perez

Favorite designer (doesn’t have to be LA-based) – Debbie Gething

Favorite body part (had to ask!) - Butt [wide grin]

The Platinum Pen: Now, speaking of Hollywood and LA and living the life, you just bought yourself a pretty lil thang, didn’tcha, in honor of your new gig at E! (which, big CONGRATS, btw!). Why don’t you tell the Platinum Pen about your gift to yourself? Didja name it?

Amy Paffrath: Thank you! I did, I had to congratulate myself since two years ago, I said "I wanna be a host at E!" and I can’t believe it actually happened! It was definitely time for a new one, so I bought a car! It is beautiful. It all started because my make up artist was looking for a new car and she had done all this research. She showed me one that she was considering and it was a VW Eso. I absolutely fell in love. I HAD to have it. At the time, I was just freelancing and I made a promise to myself that if I was offered the job, I would treat myself. Two weeks later, I’m cruising in my shiny new convertible. As of now it is still unnamed, I’m getting to know her first ;)

The Platinum Pen: That's awesome. As we know, in LA, it's very important to feel cozy in your "whip"—pardon my lingo. [laughs] Anyway, something kind of interesting. I noticed you had a role in the movie “Hauntsville.” Turns out an old friend I’ve known forever, Monique La Barr, had a role in the film as well. Did the two of you work together? Small world.

A.P.: Very small world! No, we weren’t in any scenes together. My character was seen in flashbacks. I can't say much about the character without giving away the plot, but I did meet her at the table read and she is very sweet! I still haven’t seen the finished film, let me know if Monique has!

The Platinum Pen: I'll have to get back to you on that, but let me know when the film comes out, as I would love to watch you guys on the big screen! Now as mentioned above, you just landed an exciting gig as one of the hosts of E! News Now. How did this come to be?

A.P.: I first auditioned for the show back in November. It was the same day I got my California license so I’m all glam in my picture. Anyhow, I read for Annie Roberts and the audition went great! I got a callback and that went great as well. Then, I heard NOTHING until February. I went in and auditioned a third time and after that they asked if I’d work two days as a test. So I came in and did my two days and apparently I passed the test because they asked me back to do two more, then two more after that. Then one day while I was at E! my manager called to tell me I’d been offered the position! I was so excited but I didn’t say anything at first because no one at E! said anything about it! I had a week off while my contract was negotiated and now I’m here for good!

The Platinum Pen: That's so great. I have to admit, I'm a total fan of your videos. I watch them all the time. You certainly possess a great sense of charisma. But assigning you an official title sounds like it was quite a process for E!. Like when people were in the process of auditioning for one of the two host positions available after Ashlan Gorse and Valery Ortiz left the department, I watched those videos on E!’s website, and good heavens! Some of the girls they brought in were hot disasters! Because this is Hollywood and all, cockiness is A-OK. So tell us the truth: Did you know from the get-go you had the gig in the bag?

A.P.: [laughs] I am definitely confident in my skills so I thought I’d be a natural choice. But after the three great auditions I was thinking, what they hell are they looking for? After I came in for the test, my optimism came back because I had such a great instant rapport with the staff. They were all giving me such great feedback and HUGE compliments. It was nice. I kept going back and forth like, "It’s gonna happen, maybe not, NO it IS gonna happen!" And then it did!

The Platinum Pen: Well I cannot congratulate you enough. What a wonderful accomplishment. I'm sure this will open an array of doors for you. What would you say is the easiest part of your job as a host of E! News Now? And what would you say is the most difficult part?

A.P.: Well since this is truly my area of expertise [grins] I find it all relatively painless. I’d say the easiest part for me is just being me in front of the camera. Letting personality shine though has always been easy for me. The hardest part is reading copy on the prompter and remembering to breathe and to lower my register. It’s the newsy voice we have, when you read sometimes your voice naturally wants to go up, but in news, we want it be low so that it is perfectly clear what we are trying to say. Sometimes you forget to take a breath or to speak from your diaphragm, so it can be a lot to think about at once, but I love it!

The Platinum Pen: My next question is so cliché, but I feel like I have to ask: What is your *ultimate* goal in this business?

A.P.: Wow. Honestly it has changed a little bit since I moved here. When I first moved to LA my dream was to be a host on E! and I’m so happy that I’m doing that. But I’ve also been really interested in acting, and I have done some really great projects. I’ve always said my ultimate goal is to be the female Ryan Seacrest. He’s juggling more jobs right now than most people have in a lifetime. I just want to be able to keep working, whether it be in films or as a host.

The Platinum Pen: Those are excellent goals to have, and I sincerely hope you achieve them. Now to move on from the career-related questions, but sticking with the theme of cliché questions, are you dating anyone? Who? Anyone juicy?

A.P.: I am. It is kind of juicy actually! His name is Drew Seeley and he is an actor/singer. He is the singing voice of Zac Efron in the first High School Musical and he has a movie with Selena Gomez coming out. Pardon my shameless plug. He is incredibly talented and so supportive of everything I do. I want to go on for hours about him because he’s just an amazing person and so fun to be around, but this article is about me!

The Platinum Pen: Aww...that's so cute. Really, it is. And depressing at the same time. Well not for you, but for me. But why are we talking about me? Okay, sorry to sidetrack. And wow, quite interesting that he was the singing voice of Zefron! I don't think most people know that. Thanks for the insider's scoop! So would it be redundant for me to ask who is the most famous person you’ve kissed? [laughs]

A.P.: You slick little girl you! Drew Seeley of course!

The Platinum Pen: Okay, okay, I get the point. Moving on, you had a really cool role as the main character in the music video for the chart-topping Paramore hit, “Misery Business.” You looked like you were having a lot of fun in the video. Have you done other music videos and do you have any in the works?

A.P.: "Misery Business" was an absolute blast and total surprise. I had no idea who Paramore was when we shot it. It was like 7 months later when it blew up. Such a surreal experience having my face on a jumbo-tron in Times Square! I have done 2 other videos, one was for the Malibu based band Whitestarr fronted by Cisco Adler. That was my very first acting role in LA. It was a great time and awesome opportunity. It’s a little bit racier than Misery Business, I play Cisco’s love interest, his “Sunshine Girl.” You might not recognize me, I’m blond! I don’t have any others lined up but I’d love to do more in the future, they are great!

The Platinum Pen: Speaking of which, what is your favorite music video of all time?

A.P.: Hmm, this question made me rack my brain! I really like Madonna and Justin’s "4 Minutes" video, it’s really cool!

The Platinum Pen: You grew up in Missouri, but you seem like you’ve adapted quite nicely to L.A. When you first moved out here, what was the most shocking thing to you? Like what was the most difficult thing to get adjusted to?

A.P.: I moved to LA in January 2006 so when I first got here is was rainy and cold! I was like what is this, I did not move 2500 miles for rain! I guess I just thought it was sunshine and rainbows all the time. Initially it was sort of shocking to me how many people live here and don’t really work. It was sort of shocking to hear all these young girls say they are actresses, yet they don’t take classes they don’t study; they are out all night partying hoping to be discovered at the club. Any man who tells you he is a producer while handing you a cocktail is not going to advance your career! The most difficult thing to adjust to was definitely the amount of time I spend in my car. It’s crazy. I didn’t realize LA was so spread out and it literally encompasses a 50 mile radius, so to say "I live in LA" could mean you live anywhere from downtown LA to the beach to the valley, it’s just HUGE!

The Platinum Pen: Wow, all of that is so true. Glad we see things similarly. Anyway, thank you for the interview, Amy! You rock. And you’re super cute! Keep up the good work on-cam and we look forward to checking out your future developments. We should grab coffee or lunch sometime and chat some more. Keep us Platinum Pen readers posted, ya hear?

For more info on Amy Christine Paffrath and to catch her on-screen, click on the following:


http://www.eonline.com/videos

http://amychristinepaffrath.com/

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=14932463

Duh...I'm Voting Republican For All of the Following Brilliant Reasons...

CHECK THIS OUT...LIKE NOW. [i found this vid courtesy of Dani]

Check Me Out On the Style Network's Page

The people at the Style Network asked me to review a product. So I reviewed this deoderant which is claimed to last 7 days with just one application. Krayzie, eh? Wanna know if it worked? Click here to view my little review and photo (not the *most* flattering pic of me ever, but what can ya do?)

LC's Friend Count Drops...Again

Oh the dramz. I’ll report this as though it is actually true, but given all The Hills publicity stunts (on and off cam), I honestly don’t know what to believe anymore.

Either way, apparently it’s splitsville for the item known as LC and Audrina. Considering Audrina auditioned for her role as apartment-neighbor-turned-pal in the faux-ality show, it is no surprise that this forced “friendship” has come to an end.

It was reported yesterday that LC came home recently to find professional photogs surrounding Audrina and her (gasp!) room, preparing for a photo shoot for OK! Magazine. LC, being the jealous diva she is, apparently went ballistic, and now Audrina is speaking out to OK! exclusively about what happened.

"She was very, very, very mad," explains Audrina in the interview.

"She said it’s her house. But this is my room. I said, 'We’re not taking pictures of your house — don’t be rude.' It just adds to the tension. Now she thinks I’m sneaky and shady for doing this photo shoot, yet she and her team knew about it. She won’t let it go."

Best Looking Baby Adorns Best Looking Mag Cover

I’ve always had this infatuation w Brit and K-Fed’s kids (Tater Tot & Small Fry), and I’m not going to lie—I think little Suri Cruise is absolutely precious. Buttt… as much as I hate to admit it, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt is by far the most beautiful child perhaps ever to grace the planet (?). I mean when they said that the Brangelina spawn would be the best looking human ever, I honestly didn’t buy into the hype. I *still* think Brangelina make a weird couple, and I totally thought their spawn would turn out quite obscure. But just goes to support the argument that it is like impossible for celebs to have ugly kids. It JUST DOESN’T HAPPEN. Gawd, wtf?

She Almost Looks Cute (?) Here

Come on...for HER...she looks good. I like the pink polkas on her. Here she is in London, accepting a cat from a friend. Weird, ok. I really do love her though. She's just awesome.