Lance Bass Speaks Up for Silence
Lance Bass wants the youth of America to get in sync with sexual tolerance.
The erstwhile 'N Syncer has filmed a public service announcement for the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network to urge students to stop the bullying, harassment and discrimination occurring in schools.
The PSA, which began its viral distribution earlier today, was made in support of the 11th annual National Day of Silence. Taking place April 25, the event commemorates those lost to anti-gay violence and encourages students throughout the country to take a vow of silence in protest of the intolerant among them.
"Everyday, thousands of students are silenced," Bass says in the spot. "They're silenced by fear, they're silenced for being who they are.
"They're friends, they're classmates, they're brothers, they're sisters, they're gay, they're straight, they're you, they're me."
Hundreds of thousands of students are expected to participate in the Day of Silence, this year dedicated to the memory of 15-year-old Lawrence King, a student from Oxnard, Calif., who in February was shot and killed while sitting in class after showing up at school in feminine attire.
"Whoever they are, whatever their backgrounds or beliefs, these students will take action because they believe that the bullying and harassment must end," Bass says in the PSA. "What are you going to do to end the silence?"
Bass himself revealed his sexuality back in 2006 and soon after published a memoir detailing his own struggle to come out of the closet, particularly during the heady days of 'N Sync's global success.
As for his involvement in the Day of Silence, Bass said he decided to participate after learning of the King incident.
"I heard about Lawrence on the news, and it was just incredible to me that kids that age would have such an issue…with the subject of being gay," he told the Associated Press. "It also shows me that these kids don'tthey don't learn [bigotry] on their own. They're being told by older siblings or family members or other fellow students."
As for the looking back at his own reluctance to be open from the get-go, Bass told the wire service he regrets not doing so sooner.
"I think it would have been fine…I think it would have been great to be able to come out at the height of like the 'N Sync heydayI think it could have helped a lot of people."
Celebrities turn circus freaks for NBC
Former ’N Sync-er Joey Fatone has landed another hosting gig with NBC. He’ll be at the ringmaster of NBC’s updated version of Circus of the Stars, called Celebrity Circus. It’s basically the same idea as the ’80s show, where celebrities will attempt to master the high wire, trapeze, yada yada yada. Except it has the modern reality show must-have: a row of judges who will critique their performances.
Here are the “celebrities” who have agreed to participate:
- Christopher Knight, aka ’Peter Brady’
- Rachel Hunter, model
- Antonio Sabato Jr.,
- Blu Cantrell, singer
- Janet Evans, Olympic swimmer
- Jason “Wee Man” Acuna, of Jackass fame
Wow. That’s a really boring list. I don’t like or dislike any of them enough to care about whether they fall from the high wire or get eaten by a lion.
The 90-minute season premiere (and, I’ll bet, season finale) is on June 11 at 9:30 pm. ABC had also planned to do a similar circus-style celebrity competition, but scrapped those plans because of NBC’s similar show.
Leighton Meester Glams Up “Killer Movie” Premiere
Leighton Meester Glams Up “Killer Movie” Premiere
She’s one of the hottest new actresses in Hollywood, and last night Leighton Meester was all about stealing the show at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival premiere of her new flick “Killer Movie.”
The leggy Gossip Girl babe showed up on the red carpet looking sexy and fun in a grey and white mini dress with a pair of white heels and some serious brunette curls.
It must have been nice to take a break from the set of her hit CW show, which also films in New York City (the site of the Tribeca Film Festival). Meester had spent the day on set before heading over to see “Killer Movie”
In the movie, Leighton plays Jaynie Hansen, alongside hotties like Jason London and N’Sync’s JC Chasez. Sounds like a must-see!
Christina Aguilera Biography
Christina Maria Aguilera was born on December 18, 1980, in Staten Island, NY. Her parents divorced when she was young and she lived with her mother, although they moved around quite a bit.
After Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera was the most popular female singer of the late-’90s teen pop revival. Unlike many of her contemporaries, Aguilera was a technically skilled singer with a genuinely powerful voice, belting out her up-tempo dance numbers and ballads with a diva’s panache. Born Christina Maria Aguilera on December 18, 1980, on Staten Island, her parents were of Irish and Ecuadorian stock and her father’s military career meant the family moved quite a bit during her childhood. They eventually settled in Philadelphia, where Aguilera began performing in talent shows at age six, with considerable success.
She appeared on Star Search in 1988 (though she didn’t win) and in 1992 joined the cast of the Disney Channel’s The New Mickey Mouse Club, which also included Spears, future *N Sync members Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez, and Felicity star Keri Russell. After two years, Aguilera moved to Japan, where she recorded the hit duet “All I Wanna Do” with pop star Keizo Nakanishi. Returning to the U.S. in 1998, Aguilera recorded the song “Reflection” for Disney’s Mulan; her performance helped earn her a record deal with RCA. Her self-titled debut album was released in the summer of 1999 and with teen-oriented dance-pop all the rage, the lead single “Genie in a Bottle” shot to the top of the charts for five weeks; the album also hit number one on its way to sales of over eight million copies in the U.S. alone. The follow-up, “What a Girl Wants,” was the first number one single of the year 2000 and Aguilera consolidated her near-instant stardom by performing at the White House Christmas gala and the Super Bowl halftime show, and winning a Grammy for Best New Artist. Further hits followed in “I Turn to You” and another number one, “Come on Over Baby (All I Want Is You).”
In September 2000, seeking a place in that year’s Latin pop boom, the part-Ecuadorian Aguilera recorded a Spanish-language album called Mi Reflejo, learning the lyrics phonetically since she didn’t speak Spanish. It was followed quickly by the holiday album My Kind of Christmas; both sold extremely well, a testament to Aguilera’s popularity. In the spring of 2001, Aguilera was featured — along with Pink, Mya, and Lil’ Kim — on the chart-topping blockbuster remake of Patti LaBelle’s “Lady Marmalade” featured on the Moulin Rouge soundtrack. Aguilera was by now a fixture at music industry awards shows; as she enjoyed her celebrity, a collection of old demos — recorded when she was 14 and 15 — was released under the title Just Be Free, despite Aguilera’s vehement objections.
Ms. Aguilera attempted to deter the mass media’s expectations when she issued her second studio album in fall 2002. Stripped, which appeared in October on RCA, was quickly criticized for its adult, yet confident approach. Aguilera’s look had gone from glossy to gritty. She appeared topless on the cover of the album and went nude for a fall issue of Rolling Stone. Debut single “Dirrty” revealed Aguilera’s new sexual power and became a chart smash.