Patti Labelle To Sell Some of Her Stuff and Tone Down the Bling in Face of Recession, P. Diddy to do the Same

Even the wealthy folks are feeling the pinch in this recession and the economic fallout. It seems like some of our superstars don’t want to glitter so much in these tough economic times. According to media reporters, the consummate party animal Diddy, or Sean Combs, said that he was cutting back on the bling, bling.

“Out of respect, I’ve been trying to dress less flashy,” the hip-hop mogul said. “It’s one thing to be stylish; it’s another to be over-the-top. ‘You gotta know when to hold back and not rub it in.”

Guess what? He has company. Superstar and my favorite singer, Patti Labelle, has decided to tone it down a bit.

Patti LaBelle plans to sell some of her jewelry and clothes, WENN reports. One thing she won’t be selling is the pair of 6-carat diamond teardrop chandeliers earrings that Oprah Winfrey gave her and the other phenomenal Black women who attended the talk show host’s Legends Ball in 2005. That’s because Patti says she no longer has them.

“Oprah gave us all big diamonds, but somebody stole mine,” Patti told WENN. “I was robbed. It wasn’t at the airport. I don’t know where it was, but those earrings are gone.

“But it’s okay. I have too much stuff. We’re in a depression, and I’m selling some of my stuff.” Is it wrong for the wealthy to flash their bling while so many others struggle or do you expect those who have it to keep flaunting it? Source: Essence

The problem is that they see a backlash coming. For example, Labelle released a new album a few months ago and Ms. Patti released a cookbook and she has some hot sauce on the market. Under normal circumstances, I would have purchased her cookbook and buy tickets for the Labelle concert coming to Atlanta in February, but times are tough and I cannot indulge in those niceties without thinking of my own situation. So, there is more to their decision to cut back than meets the eye. Of course, Patti has always been a class act and I am sure her heart is in the right place. So, what say you? Is this just an act or should we all follow Patti’s lead?

Filed under: Bling, Feeling Pinch, P. Diddy, Patti Labelle, Recession, Wealthy

British Comedian Russell Brand Calls President Bush "Retard Cowboy" at MTV Awards

There is a time and place for everything. I believe the celebrities who are using the podium to endorse a political candidate is being done in poor taste. Well the latest dust-up comes courtesy of relatively unknown Russell Brand at the MTV Awards. I guess since he was so bent on being noticed in the US, he has gotten his wish. While hosting the awards last night, he ranted that President Bush was a “retarded cowboy.” He championed Barack Obama and ran down George Bush and made lewd jokes about the Christian pop band Jonas Brothers. When will people wake up and put a lid on these so-called celebrities who really don’t have a firm grasp on the issues we are faced with today.

Brand told the Hollywood audience they must vote for Barrack Obama “on behalf of the world”, before insinuating that America had lower standards than Britain when it came to picking leaders. “Some people, I think they’re called racists, say America is not ready for a black president. “But I know America to be a forward thinking country because otherwise why would you have let that retard and cowboy fella be president for eight years?” “We were very impressed. We thought it was nice of you to let him have a go, because, in England, he wouldn’t be trusted with a pair of scissors.”

But of course, there had to be some more drama. American Idol winner turned chart-topper Jordin Sparks was so incensed by a joke about Christian band Jonas Brothers that she launched her own tirade at the host. The teenage singer, who wears a ring symbolising her belief in abstaining from sex until marriage, snapped at Brand: “I just want to say, it’s not bad to wear a promise ring because not every guy and girl wants to be a slut, OK?”

Who is Russell Brand? A self-confessed sex addict known for his huge hair and boundary-pushing act, apologized for the crack but later went on to make another bawdy joke. He joked about his lack of fame in the US: “My persona doesn’t really work without fame. Without fame, this haircut could be mistaken for mental illness.”

The MTV Awards, and any other awards show or public gathering that is not a political campaign, is no place to interject one’s political beliefs. This show of poor taste comes on the heels of P. Diddy, or whatever he calls himself these days, rant about Governor Sarah Palin, for which he had to apologize. I am no big fan of President Bush, but to call him a retard is insulting and denigrating to all the mentally ill in our society. If you ask me, this British nobody looks like he was pulled from the ranks of the homeless on the New York City subway – with his unshaven look, rats’ nest hair-do and foul mouth.” He is certainly not the moral authority on who to vote for in the upcoming presidential elections.

Filed under: Barack Obama, Jonas Brothers, Jordin Sparks, P. Diddy, President George Bush, Russell Brand, Sarah Palin