Top 5 Annoying Trends in Popular Culture Today

Every generation goes through an obscene amount of stupid trends and phases, and since I'm a 90's kid, I can only truly speak on the crazy things my generation decided to deem cool. Sometimes it's stupid stuff in the media, sometimes it's stuff spread by the internet that "cool" kids decided to bring into the real world. Some of them aren't that bad, but a lot of them are going to be embarrassing things we're going not going to want to tell our kids. Here are the top 5 trends I can't wait to see disappear, and hopefully they'll do it soon.

5. Reality Shows: This one I'm not incredibly upset with, because I like certain reality shows, but I am getting pretty sick of seeing all of the replications with "special twists" and seeing families we weren't aware existed suddenly demanding our attention. Recently, there have been an explosion of music competition shows, like "The Voice", "Duets", and the American version of "X Factor", and with "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" launching the blended Kardashian-Jenner family into the spotlight, we're seeing more and more famous families deciding to put their lives on display. Jersey Shore helped put Jersey-anything on the reality tv map and even something-wives are getting shows ("Basketball Wives", "Real Housewives of (Insert Place Here)", and the short-lived "Rock Wives"). And don't forget the explosion of dating shows a few years ago that VH1 took and sprinted with!
Which brings me to my next issue: everyone's getting a damn show nowadays. Remember when you used to actually be able to do something well to get the spotlight? Me too. Now all you have to do is get pregnant young, or be from Jersey and get into public fights, or even just marrying the right person.
We're turning the most ridiculous (and occasionally, boring) people into celebrities, and making notoriety a right instead of an honored achievement.

4. YouTube Shows: This one doesn't really affect me  too much, because I rarely get on YouTube unless it's to listen to music or get my abridged fix, but some of these YouTube shows are getting a little too ridiculous. I don't completely understand why there are so many makeup channels, or this Shane Dawson fascination. They have an audience for their stuff, so good for them, but then we get the people who think they can do it too, and then the internet's full of people trying too hard and feeling entitled to hits and views.
It's even worse when some of them get on television for it. Obviously, the most famous YouTube star is Justin Bieber, but people like Fred and the Annoying Orange got series on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. I see a lot of people on YouTube that should be on tv, or be stand up comedians, but because they're not "cute" or are popular, they don't get recognized for their talent. I'd rather watch a Spoken Reasons stand up special or listen to Kingsley rant on the radio than watch the Annoying Orange show.
Now, I'm not hating or saying that the creators of these shows shouldn't be successful, because it's awesome that social media can be a launching pad for a career, because you being popular there means the people like whatever it is that you're putting out. But sometimes, the people like some of the most senseless stuff, and the rest of us kind of just have to go along with it. Not all of them are bad either; there are a lot of shows on YouTube I really enjoy and subscribe too. I guess I just wish that people would stop acting like the internet is going to make them a star and harass people for attention.

3. Disney Starlets: I know, this has been going on for years, but it really didn't become clear to me until I noticed that Disney Channel was trying hard to launch the careers of the "Good Luck Charlie" girl and the chick on "Suit Life on Deck". Disney just this conveyor belt of stars that they refuse to stop, or even just tweak the qualifications a little bit.
I don't care about every pretty girl that can sing, dance, AND act getting their own sitcom on the Disney Channel, so I don't watch that station. But Disney has Hollywood's balls in such a vice grip that these teenage, hormonal, probably becoming entitled and possibly on their way to an early meltdown, over-promoted girls are everywhere, and nobody can escape the mouse's wrath.
This may seem a little crazy, but I used to learn lessons while watching Disney shows, whether or not the stars of them were popular or not. Now it's the stupid punchlines, the albums and tv shows, and the public persona these stars have to put on to not piss off parents and lose a fanbase, when all they probably want to do is hang out with their friends without bodyguards and to sneak out of the house to be stupid without some people with a friggin' camera catching them as they climb over the fence.
That, and I just really don't care for these girls.

2. Zombies and the Apocalypse: If I ever hear about the Apocalypse these days (which already makes me want to roll my eyes), somebody, without fail, brings in the zombies. Boys (and some girls), I don't care how you're going to protect yourselves from the zombie virus, or what places in the city has the best vantage points, or anything regarding zombies. We're not going to sit here and chat about how awful the world would be if everyone we know and love became flesh-eating crazies.
I'd be less upset if most of these people would stop assuming everyone cared about this topic. Almost every person I know or meet wants to bust open their "Zombie Survival Guide" handbook and trade tips with me. This even refers to the apocalypse, which I'm not too concerned about happening. If it comes, it comes, I can't do anything about it. I'm all for people wanting to be prepared for the worst, but this is ridiculous. Once again, enjoy your fascination of choice, and hurrah if you find more people to share it with, but zombies are not a religion so stop trying to convert me. And no, you cannot have my shovel.

1. Dance Music: Pop music is in it's cycle of popularity again, but this time, people wanted to incorporate dubstep and techno into everything. Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Cobra Starship, almost everyone is bringing in dance music into every track they record. It's music, so freedom of speech and creativity for all, but it's making parts of my brain pop.
It doesn't have to be in almost every single song. It doesn't have to be experimented with by every single artist. This phase of music is actually making me excited for when rap comes back, and I can't handle a lot of that. I like some of dance music, but please guys, stop dropping the bass and leave the autotune alone.

Top 5 Annoying Trends in Movies

I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking that Hollywood is failing to deliver some pretty good movies. Some are passable, a lot of them aren't worth the time to see, and many of them are pandering to a specific audience that they forget to just make a decent film. There have especially been a lot of trends in movies lately that are driving me crazy and am tired of seeing, and here they are!

5. CGI: (Examples: Disney and Pixar, Dreamworks) I grew up during the Disney Renaissance (as you might've noticed before) so this comes from a bit of a biased place on my part. But I'm really, REALLY sick of seeing all these CGI movies, especially in place of 2D animation. Some movies I approve of, like Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children and Shrek, but most of them, especially by Pixar..... just no. Those movies all seem the same and they are just hard for me to watch. Yuck.

4. Book/Movie Franchises: (Examples: Twilight, The Hunger Games) Let me completely honest here, I've never seen nor read The Hunger Games, and I will make a conscious effort to make sure it never happens. Nothing against the series, I'm just sick of everybody trying to find the next Harry Potter. It seems like Hollywood's tired of creating new material, so they just take books, turn them into TV series on ABC Family and the CW or try to turn them into blockbusters. Part of the magic of reading is building up my own damn imagination. I don't need you guys casting the characters I grew to love and popping my unique literary bubbles.

3. Rated 'R' Comedies: (Examples: The Change-Up, Bad Teacher) Everyone's trying to be ballsy. Everyone's trying to push the boundaries. STOP. Those movies usually end up showing the effort the writer's took in trying to be raunchy and jaw-dropping. Guys, it just looks sad now.

2. Long-Awaited Sequels: (Examples: Men in Black, Dumb and Dumber To) A sequel after a couple of years is one thing. Hell, after five years is even okay. This decade-long b.s., however, is getting out of hand. We really don't need to continue series that did well back in the 90's or early 00's. We should be trying to start new things. Thanks for the nostalgia, but the effect is simply gone.

1. Love Triangles: (Examples: Twilight, The Hunger Games) Twilight made being torn between two guys hot again, and it's infuriating. I suppose having those "Team This Guy" battles help sell tickets and merchandise, but it's getting out of hand. I'm sick of the love triangles getting promoted the most or being expanded on to bring in the teenage girls. Look, boybands are coming back; we have enough variety to choose from. Just give us a friggin' good story instead of the guys you think we think are hot. Comprende?

Top 5 Authors

I'm a big reader, and have been since I was young. I especially love fantasy series, because I love getting into a magical world with powers and fantastic elements and being able to travel with it for a long time. So anyone who can get me sucked into a new place and go on an adventure, I'm really grateful to. So here's my list of my top 5 wizards of literature, the captains of the voyages to new worlds, my top 5 authors!

5. Jeaniene Frost: Since Stephanie Meyers' Twilight series became popular, pop culture has seen a resurgence in vampire fiction, especially in young adult series such as The Vampire Diaries and House of Night. Jeaniene's Night Huntress series, however, is definitely not for "young" adults, and her vampires aren't as mopey and peace-loving. Her vampires fight, kill without a second thought, and are so hot-blooded between the sheets, you'd think they were alive. The Night Huntress universe is so easy to follow and the characters are so witty and out-there that the series is an enjoyable read, and the more passionate scenes don't feel forced or sappy in any way. Jeaniene, you reminded me that not all vampires trail behind uninteresting mortals and reject their own natural instincts, some of them kick ass, takes names, and take lovers while they're at it! Jeaniene's series walked up to Stephanie's, slapped it in the face, and told it to make her a sandwich, which it did; yeah, that's how pimp her books are compared to Twilight.


4. Laurell K. Hamilton: A lot of people know Laurell for her popular Anita Blake series, but she trapped me with her second series, Meredith Gentry. Look, I'll be honest; the writing could be a lot better. I don't need to be reminded of the same facts I learned from previous books in every single new one I pick up. But I did wind up genuinely caring about the characters, and it's fun to see how different a human's mind and lifestyle is to the creatures she brings in her books. In her world, anything is possible, and I mean anything, and that's half the fun right there!

3. Darynda Jones: Darynda is one of the best new authors today, in my honest opinion. Her Grave series, featuring private investigator and grim reaper Charley Davidson and her dysfunctional family and friends (both living and dead), is funny in all the right places, serious whenever it needs to be, and fantastically written everywhere. Charley reminds me of myself, and I swear that Darynda's following me and writing down my imaginary adventures. The characters are irrevocably loveable, the concept is very fresh, and her writing style is enviable. In the days where vampires and werewolves are holding the top spot, this shining little gem of literature is making its own spotlight, and it's more than well-deserved!

2. J.K. Rowling: The Queen of Magic herself, J.K. Rowling opened the doors to Hogwarts and generations of avid and dedicated readers have no plans to leave! Of course, J.K. is the one who introduced us to the little boy under the stairs, The Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter, and over the course of seven spell-binding books, let us travel his magical journey of realizing who he is as a wizard and as a man. The Harry Potter series inspired people to read and rewarded its readers with lessons of friendship, responsibility, and finding magic within yourself that doesn't need a wand. J.K.'s shining series was so successful, it spawned a multi-billion dollar movie franchise, videogames, merchandise, and a website called Pottermore. If Jo isn't the queen, then I don't know who is.

1. Sara Douglass: Sara is the most bewitching and enchanting author to ever set a book in front of me. Through her multiple series, she inspired me to write, to let the story write itself instead of trying to dictate its message, and that every situation, no matter how hopeless, had a solution, even if the solution doesn't seem even remotely possible. Her somber and intense Troy Game quartet was the first rabbit hole I fell in, and then I ended up in Tencendor in Wayfarer Redemption. Sara died in 2011 from cancer, but what she gave to me will live on in myself, and my own writings. Axis and Azhure will keep singing and riding across the land. WolfStar will keep causing trouble. Brutus will keep breaking hearts and becoming the better person he always had the potential to be. Thanks to her, I will always hear the StarDance, and know beauty exists, because nature put it there. Sara is, and will always remain so, my favorite author of all time, because she made, within her characters and her magical word, a home for me that I fit in with.
Thank you, Sara. May your ears always hear the StarDance and your feet always always find the path to the Sacred Grove.

Top 5 Glee Moments

This blog wouldn't be mine if Glee didn't show up in some shape or form (it makes me a little sad to say that, even though I like the show). If you don't pay attention to the plot, Glee's pretty enjoyable with all of the musical numbers, even though they could rename it the Rachel Berry show and no one could tell the differences. This is a list of some of my favorites moments, not numbers (for now!), of Glee!

5. Karofsky Breaks Down (Season 2 Episode 20, Prom Queen): All through season one, Dave Karofsky and some of his football friends tease the Glee club with homophobic slurs and taunts, and starts season two off doing the same things. A chunk of the way in, however, you see him mostly picking on Kurt Hummel, the New Directions' resident gay guy, and the only 'out' person at McKinley High. Kurt finally chases Karofsky into the locker room to confront him, and we see what the big, bad bully's problem is: he's gay, and closeted. Kurt keeps his secret, but Karofsky doesn't let up on the bullying, leading Kurt to transfer to a private school with a better no-bullying policy. Before you ask, McKinley is a terrible school and Karofsky barely paid any consequence.
Santana Lopez, another closeted gay student, discovers Karofsky's secret and blackmails him into becoming her beard in an effort to bring Kurt back to McKinley to compete in National's with the New Directions and launch an anti-bullying group called the Bully Whips to win prom queen votes. Santana turns the Bully Whips into a security detail for a prom-bound Kurt, which means Karofsky escorts Kurt to his classes. In one moment, Kurt offers Karofsky reassurance about his sexuality and Karosfky just breaks down and cries, before bucking up and letting Kurt get to class.
I love this moment because, after season one, Karofsky is one of my favorite characters, and I care very much for his journey to accepting himself. I don't tolerate bullying at all and his confusion on how to handle his sexuality will never be a good excuse for how he tormented Kurt and the others, but I think his character was one of the most realistic and redeeming ones on the show. I wish there was a spin-off about him, or they just concentrated more on his storyline.

4. Unique's Version of Meeting Kurt and Mercedes (Season 3 Episode 16, Saturday Night Glee-ver): My dork self loved that his episode was dedicated to disco, even though most of the songs were.... bleh! My favorite part of this episode, however, was meeting Glee Project runner-up Alex Newell's character, Wade, and his fierce alter-ego, Unique. Oooh, Unique was fun!! And when we saw how it would've went if Unique was in control when he/she met his/her idols Mercedes and Kurt, even I was impressed!! Unique is the true love-child of Mercedes and Kurt, and Unique's rendition of "Boogie Shoes" was the positive DNA test!! Can't wait to see if Wade and Unique transfer to McKinley High next year!

3. Coach Roz's First Rant to Sam (Season 3 Episode 10, Yes/No): Meeting Coach Roz (played by Nene Leakes) was such a thought-stopping moment, I thought I was listening to Brittany explain pregnancy to me again, just not for the same reasons. Coach Roz burst upon the scene as McKinley's new, bronze-medalist super-coach for the school's swim team, and she had a very unique way of greeting her new swimmer, Sam Evans:
"I'm Coach Roz Washington. And you are one strange looking kid. I've never seen lips like that on a white child, and one of your nipples is higher than the other. I bet you've had to overcome a lot with those crooked nipples. Well, I know a thing or two about overcoming. When I was growing up, they said that black folks couldn't swim. But I had a DREAM! that one day I would get to the promised land. So I swam out there and got my forty acres and a pool."
I heard this, and everything stopped. I was flabbergasted. I felt like she was talking to me. I had my doubts about Glee casting a Real Housewife, but now I understand why they hired this woman. She was another Sue, and with Sue being pregnant, we needed another alpha female with a quick silver wit to keep everyone on their toes!

2. Rachel Chokes (Season 3 Episode 18, Choke): Okay, this one's because I'm an awful person who hates Rachel Berry and loves to see her suffer. At least I'm honest about it.
Rachel Berry is pretty much the main character with a belting (though not great; that's my opinion, anyway) voice, the confidence that could smother a lion, and big Broadway dreams. In season three, she's determined to move to New York and study at NYADA, their drama school, to achieve her dreams of being a star. When NYADA's dean, Carmen Tibideaux (Whoopi Goldberg) comes to audition Rachel and fellow NYADA-hopeful, Kurt, Rachel completely chokes during her belt of "Don't Rain on My Parade". She tries to start over, and forgets the lyrics again! Tibideaux finally tells her to stop and leaves the auditorium, leaving Rachel and her elephant of an ego to cry on the stage. Excuse me, I can't- stop- bwahahaha!!
Look, the character bothers me, and it makes me feel good to she her fall a few pegs. She's the greediest singer there, getting almost every solo and singing the lead in all but two competitions, then complains when someone else gets a number. She's extremely selfish, especially in season three when it concerns her boyfriend, Finn's, dreams and personal situations. Don't get me wrong, her drive and determination are admirable, but not her "I'll shove down everyone in my path" attitude attached to it.

1. Burt Chases Down Karofsky (Season 2 Episode 8, Furt): Ah, the episode where Kurt's father, Burt (Tom O'Malley) marries Finn's mother, Carol! In this episode, Kurt is tasked with planning his parents' wedding and Karofsky's teasing comes to a head. Everyone, save Finn, rushes to Kurt's defense against the bully, but it really takes this moment for something to really be done.
Let's set the scene: Kurt is teaching Burt and Finn to dance in an empty classroom at school (for some reason) and Burt notices Karofsky making some rude gestures to Kurt. Burt asks his son if he's been picking on him, and Kurt confesses that Karofsky had previously threatened his life. Finn looks shocked, not knowing the extent of Karofsky's bullying, and Burt, without a word, quickly backs out of the room, chases Karofsky down, and pins him against the wall!! Dad of the Year, we have a nominee!!
I'm a total Daddy's girl myself, so seeing awesome father moments make me happy period. But Burt handled this one like a total boss, which somehow made my respect for him fly through the roof!! You mess with one Hummel you mess with all of them!!

Those are my top Glee moments! Whew! That one was more work than I expected! As I'm sure you guys are aware, I don't own Glee or Fox, so those pictures are theirs. If I did, Rachel wouldn't be singing as much.

Top 5 Disney Princesses

My triumphant return to Disney! Hahahaha!!!
Anywho, pretty much any little girl who grew up during the Disney Renaissance had a favorite princess or heroine to look up to. Not all of us kept with the same princess as we grew up, but these animated ladies helped us find the magic and princess inside of all of us, even though we were all different. Now, before I get mushy about how Disney affected the world, here's my top 5 Disney princesses!
Now, I think we all know I don't own Disney or anything that earns them money, hm? If I did, many crossovers would've been done and a lot of those sequels would've been made properly.

5. Pocahontas (Pocahontas): One of the only Disney leading ladies to be based in history, Pocahontas is also dear to my heart because she's the ultimate nature girl. She very much believed in following her own path, even if it was controversial to those around her. She chose to do what was right, instead of what was easy, which is somebody anyone, young or old, male or female, could learn from.

4. Tiana (The Princess and the Frog): Tiana believed in dreaming and hard work, which is fascinating to me, since it seems Disney loves the shortcut of magic. But Tiana worked the majority of her 19 years to make her dreams of owning a restaurant come true. She didn't get swept up into the fantasy of finding a prince or her problems magically going away, like many of the Disney princesses tended to do, but she was open to love and making the best of any situation handed to her.

3. Jasmine (Aladdin): This girl sure was a firecracker! She didn't take anyone's crap, friend or foe, and she sure didn't like restrictions on her freedom! I loved how free-willed and independent she was, and didn't conform to tradition. She doesn't always have the tightest lid over her temper, but at least she's passionate! Get 'em, girl!

2. Mulan (Mulan): Mulan is an obvious top 5 for me. She loved her father to death, so much that she took on his burden of fighting in a war just to keep him safe, and bring honor back to her family name. This girl had no hesitation about ditching her feminine side and letting the masculine side take reign when the moment called for it. She spat in the face of the status quo, and said quo just wiped its face and said "Thank you, ma'am! I will correct myself!"

1. Belle (Beauty and the Beast): Smart, brave, and loyal to the friggin' letter!! Belle is probably the princess I most identify with now as an adult. This girl reads, she's more than willing to sacrifice herself for her dad, she reads!! She was brave as hell too, not having a problem telling the Beast off if he began to cross the line. Belle was patient, understanding, and never judged a book by it's cover! Reading girls are awesome girls!!

Top 5 Hollywood Teams That Need to Take a Break

As much as we love seeing stars shining bright on their own, we absolutely love to see them team up; some of us even have our own fantasy team casting that we love seeing. But there are some people who worked together, said "Hey, this is fun!" and then took it to a level that none of us cared to see. This is my personal top 5 of the the Hollywood duos who just need to say "It's not you; it's us."

5. Adam Sandler and Chris Rock/ Kevin James/ Rob Schneider: It's a well-known fact that Adam Sandler has a major habit of giving his friends work, which is the last thing I'd ever have a problem with on this list. But when it's the same four or five friends in every single flick, it gets to be a little annoying. I don't even dislike any of them, it's just repetitive. One thing's for certain though; Adam Sandler's friends will never know life on the unemployment line.

4. Tim Burton and Johnny Depp: This is a sad one for me. I've loved Tim Burton since Nightmare Before Christmas and Johnny since Pirates of the Caribbean (This was my first time even seeing the guy; I was too busy movie to watch many movies in my youth), and I don't necessarily have a problem with the team up, just that it keeps happening. We get it, the bromance will live long and prosper, but you guys can chill out for a year or two. And Tim, let your girl be in other movies too.

3. Ryan Seacrest and E!: Ryan Seacrest is about two seconds from being crowned king of "entertainment"; the man is American Idol host, radio host, celebrity news correspondent, and television producer. He practically does it all. The unofficial home base for his productions is the E! channel, airing his shows Keeping Up with the Kardashians and its three spin-offs, and he is also the news and red carpet correspondent for the channel as well. If E! is a family, Ryan practically reigns as the patriarch, or the highly successful older brother, and who doesn't get sick of the older brother who comes home and just reeks of his accomplishments. Time to take a well-needed break, Mr. Seacrest.

2. Pitbull and Everyone: Ne-Yo. Jennifer Lopez. Chris Brown. T-Pain. These are only some of the people Pitbull has collaborated on songs with since 2011, and to be perfectly honest, it's getting pretty annoying. Trust me, music industry, a song can get airplay without a sprinkle of Miami's current pride and joy.

1. Jay-Z and Kanye West: Stop the bromance! These two have been working closely together since Jay-Z's song "This Can't Be Life" in 2000, and since their collaboration with Jay-Z pal Rihanna on "Run This Town", they've been tackling the airwaves together more often. At this point the only person who knows Jay more than Kanye is Beyonce. All I know is it gives Kanye more of an ego, and it's already bigger than the Empire State Building. Time to take some time off, boys, and go solo again.

Top 5 Annoying Internet Abbreviations

We have different names for them: abbreviations, chat speak, tech lingo (I just made that one up) and in some ways, it's helpful to use them. "BTW" and "BRB" are short, to the point, and easy enough to understand and remember. But we all see the ridiculous things people use on Twitter and Facebook that drive us crazy and just look stupid. Here are the ones that don't make me just roll my eyes, but skip over the entire containing post completely!

5. FML (F*ck My Life): It's a matter of opinion if someone's life sucks or not, but seriously, we don't need to hear about it all over the internet. I wouldn't be so irritated with this one if I didn't have two or three people in my life who drop this phrase like it's slippery. I don't even like hearing it in real life conversation.

4. IDAGF (I Don't Give a F*ck): I really don't see the point in abbreviating this long of a phrase. Out of time? Say "Whatever!" "IDC" Or just a simple "F*ck Off!" I usually see this in a ranting paragraph from someone claiming not to give a damn when they obviously do. If you really don't care, don't bring it up or address it. And certainly don't use this annoying abbreviation.

3. IMO (In My Opinion): I don't really know why this one particularly bothers me. I don't even see if that often anymore. But once I DO see it.... ugh. I guess it looks like someone's trying to say "important" and once I finish the message, it turns out to usually not be so important after all. Maybe that's why I dislike it, because it looks like a lie.

2. HMU (Hit Me Up): It looks desperate and ridiculous! There, I said it! I see it on Facebook all the time: "Fool hmu!" "Wanna ride? hmu!" "hmu!" "hmu!" UGH!! SHUT UP!! "Call Me" will suffice, sir! And then those same people will post 5 minutes later "Damn! Quit blowing up my phone!" You invited us to this particular party, sir!

1. SMH (Shake My Head): Oh smh, a.k.a shaking my head. Shaking my damn head. I see this everywhere. It's used to express disappoint or disbelief at someone's actions and behavior, and it's exactly what I do every time I see someone use this.  I have something I say when a "smh" moment comes along: "Really?" And that usually gets the point across. If it doesn't, then they just proved my point. I wish I could make it to where smh never happened, and then my news feed would look a little better.

That's my top 5, and I already know before I turn off my laptop, I'll see at least the first two in someone's status.