Blog Posts by Wendy Geller

Well, folks, it looks as if there will indeed be a big ol' wedding in Texas this weekend--starring everyone's favorite country couple, Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert.

Of course, nobody's actually doubting the wedding will take place as planned--that would be this Saturday, May 14. However, it's been fun seeing pics of a few events that have solidified the approach of Shelton and Lambert's nuptials.

First off, Lambert enjoyed an oh-so-Southern bachelorette celebration a few days ago--instead of partying it up in Vegas, she was spotted in Lexington at the Kentucky Derby along with a gaggle of girlfriends (all dressed in the spirit of things...and that means hats!). Here's Lambert in her getup:

Meanwhile, Shelton took to Twitter on Monday and posted a photo of the marriage certificate, apparently obtained that day in Grayson County, Texas.

Shelton being, well, Blake...he immediately followed the photo tweet with another--a shot of a sign saying "Death Certificate Applications."

A boy who prefers fashion magazines to football. A teenaged girl who works for a fast-food diner and suffers jeers from her peers. A little girl who eats her lunch alone in a bathroom stall.

Oh, and a gorgeous, glamorous star who has fulfilled her dream of "someday living in a big old city," while all her detractors have done with their lives is "be mean."

All of these personalities star in Taylor Swift's new video for "Mean," and it's a touching reminder in today's climate--where bullying is more prominent than ever--that it does get better.

Because, of course, Swift's video gives the happy endings we all love. The boy grows into a famous designer, cheered on the runway and flanked by models. The teen girl saves her minimum wage for college and becomes a powerful executive in a corner office.

And the little girl in the bathroom? Well, we don't find out what happens to her, explicitly. But let's just say that Swift's tale seems to be somewhat autobiographical.

Only Taylor Swift

The past month has left Alabama and surrounding states in critical condition due to tornado and storm damage. And, as aptly demonstrated last spring when floods devastated Tennessee--the country music community is fast and generous when it comes to arranging aid.

Country legend Hank Williams Jr. has announced he is spearheading an all-star concert May 12 to help those affected by the recent natural disasters. The lineup will feature Keith Urban, Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, Lady Antebellum, Ronnie Dunn, Sara Evans, Alabama and more; with all money raised benefiting American Red Cross disaster relief efforts. Additionally, ESPN's star sportscaster Erin Andrews has just been confirmed as a co-host of the event.

Andrews has personal interest in the Southern disasters, having grown up in Florida and built her career in Tampa and Atlanta. "I have been fortunate to spend a great amount of time in this area and have always appreciated the warmth, hospitality and spirit of this wonderful

Last Friday's episode of CMT's Next Superstar offered up probably the toughest challenge the contestants have faced to date. And that's meant literally!

After undergoing a little stage-presence tweaking with famous choreographer Robert Royston, the group was delivered a cryptic basket of bandanas--then hauled off to a no-frills, ya-don't-wanna-be-here-on-the-wrong-night biker bar. Yup, their challenge was to impress a crowd of bona fide Hell's Angels types.

Okay, so it was "Outlaw Country Week," but heck...I doubt anyone was expecting that.

The seven remaining hopefuls rose to the occasion, performing a range of suitable covers ranging from Waylon to the Hag to the surprisingly appreciative crowd (as well as perpetually sunny guest judge Big Kenny from Big & Rich). In the end, the bikers voted, putting Bri Bagwell and Danielle Lauderdale into the positions of having to "Sing for survival."

In a surprising twist, judge Matt Serletic announced that he and the guest judges would

Fans of Jennette McCurdy most likely first know her for her starring role on the Nickelodeon hit series iCarly. They also seem to be catching on quite nicely to her foray into country music--she's just released a video for her new single, "Generation Love," which was produced by Rascal Flatts' Jay DeMarcus. And now, before she's even released her debut album (it'll be out this fall), everyone will know her as a remarkably successful charitable musician as well.

McCurdy set out in early March on a six-week cross-country mall tour with the intent of raising at least $100,000 for St Jude Children's Research Hospital. In addition to a free performance, McCurdy offered fans a $10 package with a 2-song CD and a photo which she'd personally autograph, with all proceeds going to St. Jude.

Well, to say that reponse was overwhelming is kind of underwhelming the actual results! McCurdy was delighted to discover at the end of her tour that she'd actually exceeded her monetary goal by nearly

Shania Twain has been readying herself for some time for a busy re-emergence into the public eye--and this week has certainly been momentous for that purpose.

Not only did her brand-new memoir, From This Moment On, hit stores on Tuesday, the superstar's first televised interview in more than five years aired on the Oprah Winfrey Show the same day.

In the revealing segment, she told Oprah many heartbreaking stories of an often-difficult life--starting with snapshots of a tumultuous childhood watching her mother be abused by her stepfather.

At age 4, Twain witnessed a particularly ugly incident in which her stepfather repeatedly dunked her mother's head in the toilet. The little girl was scarred forever by the memory: "I thought I lost my mother at that moment."

The early death of her parents and the resulting hefty responsibility of her younger siblings' welfare left Twain with a bleak but pragmatic outlook. "You learn to accept your own reality...You dream more realistically," she

The news is out. Terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden is dead. So, what does Toby Keith--who wrote one of the most infamous anthems dedicated to vengeance against Bin Laden--have to say?

Keith did not leave anyone hanging for very long. On his Twitter and Facebook accounts, he posted the following: "I been tellin ya for a decade that the U.S. military would hunt down and kill world enemy #1. While traveling abroad I am blown away by the positive coverage by the world media. There IS a consensus in the world media I have never seen before. Thanks to our commander in chief for having the cajones to finish this job but the mission is far from over."

The country superstar issued a statement via his publicist as well. "It's a great day to be an American," he noted.

Keith is currently on tour visiting U.S. troops stationed in the Middle East, and was unable to comment on President Obama's Sunday-night announcement of Bin Laden's death until Monday, due to lack of cellular phone service.

This

John Rich didn't seem to mind at all that Celebrity Apprentice received just a tad bit less attention than usual on Sunday night. In fact, he took the opportunity to tweet a very appropriate comment:

"Y'all wanna know who got fired? OSAMA."

Rich was, of course, referring to the death of terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden, the news of which began to break during the regular weekly airing of Apprentice--the show on which Rich is currently appearing (and is a forerunning favorite).

"I was watching Celebrity Apprentice and the greatest news in the world interrupted it," Rich said during a phone interview Monday morning to Chicago radio station US 99.5. "The most murdering [expletive] in the history of the world, for our generation anyway, is gone and in hell where he belongs."

"Now the only thing that could get better is if Star Jones could get the boot," joked host Ramblin' Ray Stevens, to which Rich laughed and said "Wow."

Rich did acknowledge that things are getting down to the wire on