US singer Taylor Swift performs at the O2 World in Berlin Feb. 7.
Credit: Courtesy of MCT
This is part of a weekly series called “Pop Opinions” where The Lantern offers its take on the week’s pop culture news.
‘College Dropout’ Turns 10
Monday marked the 10th anniversary on Kanye West’s “The College Dropout.” The album featured hits such as “Through the Wire,” “All Falls Down” and “Jesus Walks.” “Rolling Stone” has ranked the album No. 19 on the list of “Best Debut Albums of All Time.” I’m not going to pretend that little 8-year-old me listened to “The College Dropout” when it was first released. I wasn’t that cool. But I remember hearing the name that now almost everyone knows. West’s dropping out of Chicago State University and the struggles that followed were the fuel to the unstoppable hip hop fire that is Yeezus today. West tweeted (@kanyewest) on the anniversary, “I am extremely grateful to each and every person along that road who helped, lent an ear, lent their voice, gave of their heart to that project, and to all the projects that followed, and are to come.”
Yet Another Female Celebrity Cuts Her Hair and I Really, Really Don’t Care
I didn’t have a haircut until I was 13. I rocked a ponytail that made actual horses jealous. Now my hair is short and what Tyra Banks would call “edgy,” with a big asymmetrical swoop bang and shaved side. Very Skrillex and Urban Outfitters approved. The point is, it’s short. Dudes have hair longer than me.
Taylor Swift’s new haircut, as shown in a photo with Ellie Goudling, is not short. It goes to her chin. It’s not a feminist statement and it certainly shouldn’t be a headline. It’s a haircut. People get haircuts because they simply like the style or because they had split ends or because life is already too much of a hot mess to add in styling hair before an 8 a.m. class.
Speaking of hair though…
Flaming Red Heartbreak
Despite being the daughter of a sports journalist, I know little about sports. But I, and lots of other people who know nothing about sports, know the name Shaun White. And I, along with many other girls who are suckers for long hair and don’t care attitudes, love Shaun. So my heart sank for my old teenage, slightly superficial, crush when he placed fourth on the halfpipe, the snowboarding specialty he had won gold in for the past two Olympics.
White has many athletic accomplishments — from being the first to compete and medal in both the Summer and Winter X Games, to awing everyone by being the one and only to successfully perform a frontside heelflip 540 body varial (“the Armadillo”) on skateboard in 2010. But he’s made a name for himself off the ramps. He has his line of clothes at Target (I shamelessly own a pair of his shoes for ‘lil boys) and has cameoed in films such as “Friends With Benefits.” You could literally say he’s a rockstar. He plays guitar in a rock band (Bad Things) and everything. He has an image of cool that’s unparalleled.
When I heard the news that Shaun placed fourth, I immediately texted my sports journalist dad. He responded, “Now he can live his life.” The rockstar can now kick back. Or not. In an interview with Bleacher Report that ran just last week, White was quoted as saying that he would “drop everything” for his bandmates. Perhaps this Olympic letdown will lead to a pick up for his band, or maybe White will come through in his typical flying (tomato) colors and do it all.
Bieber Watch 2014
Continuing his crime spree, Justin Bieber changed his Instagram name to @Bizzle. Excuse me as I now change mine to @Sizzle.
Flappy Bird Removed Along with My Cares
After a shameful amount of tries (six), I got past one set of pipes and promptly died. I then reopened Candy Crush.
