Source: WENN

Where are all those republicans who said Michelle Obama wasn’t in good shape again? Tell that to the women seeking out surgery just to get toned arms like hers, and the doctors performing the procedures.

The LA Times just reported on the American Society of Plastic Surgeons latest cosmetic and resconstructive surgery statistics report, and while most of the data were typical – breast augmentation remains the most popular form of cosmetic surgery for the seventh year in a row — there was one surprising finding: upper-arm lift surgeries have gone through the roof!

In 2012, 15,457 patients had a brachioplasty (a surgery that, according to the LA Times, involves making an incision from the armpit to the elbow, usually along the back of the arm, to remove excess skin). That number is up 4,378% from what it was in 2000, when only about 300 women opted for the procedure.

Naturally, physicians and the public are curious as to what sparked such a staggering increase. According to the LA Times the FLOTUS is a big part of the explanation:

In a statement, the ASPS said that doctors didn’t point to a single reason for the increase, but took note of poll data indicating that women “are paying closer attention to the arms of female celebrities” including Jennifer Aniston, Demi Moore and Kelly Ripa. The most-admired arms of all? Those of First Lady Michelle Obama.

I’m sure Mrs. Obama would have preferred these women were just as motivated by her “Let’s Move!” campaign and got banging biceps like hers the old fashion way, but it can’t hurt to have a part of your body so admired — especially when she earned them.

Instagram

Well with an upcoming Super Bowl halftime show, you know Mrs. Carter had to do something else that would be pretty big to get the buzz going.  Well, it looks like she’s done it.

According to Alex Pariente and Luis Alberto Sadalla, both executives of the Wynn-Encore Las Vegas, Beyone will be doing an exclusive New Year’s Eve concert at the Wynn for about 700 guests. Pariente says she agreed to do it because three years ago, she did two wonderful shows in Brazil for Sadalla, his family and other friends that were amazing.

According to the video, which was totally in Portugese, these guests are invited so at this point, there’s no need to get excited about buying tickets because that doesn’t appear to be an option.  Further, Global Grind reports that she is going to be paid four million dollars for this one night only “spectacular.”

Have you ever heard the saying how you ring in the new year is the same way you’ll spend it? Well it looks like the Carters will be working hard and making money because while it looks like Bey will be in Las Vegas, her husband Jay-Z will be performing with Coldplay in Brooklyn at the Barclay’s Center.

Check the video below for confirmation (its at the 9:50 mark and if you don’t believe me, open that Google Translate and work it on out)!

theprayingwoman.com

When “Glee” actress Amber Riley fainted at a red carpet event recently, rumors swirled that her new diet was the cause. Amber took to Twitter after the incident to dispel rumors, saying she would “never starve [herself] to fit clothes.”

The 25-year-old actress, who has recently dropped at least two dress sizes, says that she lost the weight by cutting out fast food and sticking to a new diet and exercise plan.  She said she has always been comfortable with her size but just wanted to be healthier.

Of course being healthy is paramount, but beyond that, does size really matter? It does if you ask the people told to lose weight because they’re obese by BMI standards or the ones that are told they are too skinny and need to put some meat on their bones.

Celebrities are under intense pressure to maintain a certain size because every pound gained or lost is a potential magazine cover story (think about how Jessica Simpson was treated), but this pressure seems to apply to more than just those who are paid for how they look. And without a standard, contentment must be found when looking in your own mirror because feedback from the outside world is often conflicting.

For one, many of us have no idea what size we really wear because sizes vary from store to store. In one shopping trip, one might purchase a pair of jeans in a size 4, 6 and 10 — yet those jeans might all fit the same.

This common experience makes the obsession with size strange because there isn’t a universal way to measure it (no pun intended). Sure there are ballparks, but if you’re looking into buying a weight loss product that promises you’ll drop a size in a week, you’re probably better off just buying a different brand of jeans.

The second issue – especially in the black community – is that some men claim weight is an important factor in choosing women to date, so many women tailor themselves to fit a shallow standard. But one man’s “thick chick” is another’s “overweight neighbor” and one man’s “slim sweetheart” is another’s “too skinny friend.” We’re better off just finding someone who is content with our size rather than trying to fit into one man’s narrow preferences, but some people would rather play shapeshifter.

You can barely watch television these days without seeing Jennifer Hudson, Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey endorsing popular weight loss products. At the same time, gossip sites demanded answers after paparazzi pictures surfaced of Avatar’s Zoe Saldana walking down the street looking too skinny for her skinny jeans.  When the famously thin actress starred in the film Colombiana, she prompted one writer to say, “female action stars have gotten too skinny to throw a believable punch.” (Ouch!)

However, sometimes, the size pressures placed on black women are even tougher than those placed on other cultures. Anyone can shrink their whole body, but on the flipside, the pursuit of video vixen style prominent bosoms, flat abs, and enormous derrieres is a tall order for someone who is not genetically shaped that way.

I’ll never forget the time one of my friend’s showed me her booty booster. I’m not sure what the proper name was for that painful looking contraption, but when she put it on underneath her jeans, it significantly boosted her backside.

“Guys like girls with big butts” she told me with a shrug.

Of course “guys like girls with big boobs” too and that is undoubtedly where the inspiration behind padded push up bras — such as Victoria Secret’s “Miraculous” bra — come from. But who really wants to carry around all that extra material just to give off an illusion and to feel good about themselves? There are an excessive amount of devices created to enhance, diminish, distort, and constrict a woman into looking a particular way, but all that stuff has to come off at some point and you’re left feeling inadequate with what you’ve been given naturally. That’s sad.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s important to take pride in our appearance, but there is a fine line between a healthy desire to look our best and unhealthy desperation to be a certain size and have certain curves. And with all the images directed at us acting as though only black women are big yet other images saying being skinny and less than curvy is out of style aren’t helping us get any more healthy. Maybe crazy, but not healthy.

Besides, when taking your full potential into consideration and what it is you bring to this world, does the fact that you’re a slim sista or “thicker than a Snicker” really matter anyway?

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Source: theybf.com

It seems like everybody is popping up out of hiding and trying to get back into the game of hip-hop. Maybe Nicki’s success has sparked this renewed interest, or maybe it’s really just the recession and folks have bills to pay. Either way, Solé, you know, the wife of Ginuwine, she’s planning on getting back into the music game. I haven’t seen her since “4,5,6″ and the song “Who Dat” with J.T.  Money. Photos were released recently of Miss Lady on the set of a her newest music video for a song called, “A New Look.” She’s been out of the rap game for a while, busy being a mom (she has two kids with Ginuwine, and two others from a previous relationship), a wife, and arguing with Ginuwine stans on Twitter.  She’s looking pretty healthy, and pretty much the same, so this is a very interesting comeback, but I guess we should let the music speak for itself. Check out the new single below and let us know if it’s a pass or play for you. And let us know what you think of her throwback look. Good luck, girl!

Source: theybf.com

Source: theybf.com

What do you think? Pass or play? And if that’s not floating your boat…THROWBACK TIME!

Kandi knows she loves to be on a ratchet track, lol.

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Beyonce may be looking to get that “Single Ladies” magic back by enlisting The Dream to help produce her next album. Despite expecting a baby and releasing an album just six months ago, The Dream says she’s ready to get back at it:

“She’s ready to work. She’s crazy! She never stops doing anything. I don’t know if [pregnancy] is going to slow her down. She’s just incredible with doing things, I don’t know how she’s going to do it, she’s just a maniac . . . in a good way.”

Her work ethic is definitely fierce and The Dream is a beast in the studio. After working on “Single Ladies,” the two collaborated on Beyonce’s “1+1″ single from her recent album, “4.” It will be interesting to see what they come up with next.

What do you think about The Dream and Bey collaborating again?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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Ha ha! You really thought pregnancy was about to slow Beyoncé down! Good one.

Well, the mommy-to-be couldn’t cut out on maternity leave without dropping a video for one of her most beloved tracks from the 4 album, “Countdown.” MTV released a teaser for the clip today, and in it, the glowing singer rocks black wigs, black and white get-ups and prances around in ’60s mod-form for the track. And if you thought she was going to send those leotards to the Goodwill now that she’s going to be a mommy, you’re also wrong. They show up in various colors and are just as revealing as they’ve always been in the clip. The video looks like it’s going to be a bright and fun one from “King B,” though I must say I’m still waiting on that “Party” video…

What do you think about the teaser?

Beyoncé sat down with CNN’s Piers Morgan on the eve of her album release for an hour-long interview. The pair talked about quite a few things including race and what singing at President Obama’s inauguration ball meant to her. Piers, never one to shy away from the tough questions, asked Beyoncé when she and husband, Jay-Z, planned on having children. See what she had to say in the video below.

Have an hour to kill? You can watch the entire interview here:

2116272152 by yardie4lifever2

(CNN Money) — Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled a thinner slicker new iPhone Monday at the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. The new device, the iPhone 4, has about 100 new features that aren’t available in the current iPhone 3GS. Some of the biggest changes include a higher-resolution screen, a better battery, a 5 megapixel HD photo and video camera, a gyroscope for improved rotation sensitivity and a thinner, more industrial look.

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