Laura Kurk: On Hollywood

So is it possible to have a column about Hollywood without being all gossipy, dishing the dirt about celebs and creeping for funky photos?

I dunno. . .guess we’ll see.

In all seriousness, that’s the goal. There is good stuff going on out there in Hollywood. But even among the negatives, there’s stuff to learn. So we’ll talk about things that can help you, not hurt others. Things that you might find interesting, and might be fodder for gossip all across the web (who can resist a Kardashian, really?), but we’ll stay focused on the ways we can learn and grow from what we see happening in Tinseltown. . .while we giggle.

Also, in my first On Hollywood column, I introduced The Lola, and award I’ll bestow on a worthy celeb each month. Check out the column to find out all about The Lola.

About laura

Laura Anderson Kurk bets she has more cringe-worthy teenage moments than you and she’s willing to share them all to make you feel better. She’s the author of the YA novel Glass Girl and its upcoming sequel Perfect Glass. She lives in College Station, Texas with her husband, two ginger-headed kids, and 50,000 college students.

Visit her at her blog Writing for Young Adults or on Facebook and Twitter!

On Hollywood: I Do {Until I Don’t}

“The heart of marriage is memories; and if the two of you happen to have the same ones and can savor your reruns, then your marriage is a gift from the gods.”

text box1 On Hollywood: I Do {Until I Don’t}

~Bill Cosby (husband of 48 years to Camille)

Cosby’s right. The heart of marriage is memories. I want you to hear that and know it deeply before you start looking for the man you can’t live without. Shared memories. Shared love. Shared cool water and fire. Memories tie you to another person in a way you can’t understand until you’ve experienced it.

But your generation may be the first in American history to believe that the single life is preferable to the restraints of wedding vows. In fact, there are loud voices in your demographic arguing that parenthood is unrelated to marriage.

Maybe it’s because you’ve grown up surrounded by broken marriages. Maybe it’s because reality television and Hollywood celebrate the dysfunctional, making it seem…well, functional. Maybe it’s because Kim Kardashian made millions off her sham marriage and divorce and got to have a fairy tale wedding, just for grins.

text box 2 On Hollywood: I Do {Until I Don’t}

Just before the divorce, Kim sat down with Marie Claire magazine and handed out some gold-plated quotes that will follow her for the rest of her life.… continue reading

On Hollywood: The Power of the Red Swimsuit

“There are some girls that are just going to come here, strip off their clothes and jump into the Jacuzzi. Then there are some girls that are respectful, that you have to just treat like girls, like human beings.” ~Vinny Guadagnino, Jersey Shore, Season 2

When I was eight, I found a naughty poster in the vacant lot across the street from my house. It probably belonged to one of the many neighborhood boys who’d tucked it away under some rocks thinking it was safe from a snooping mom’s eyes. He hadn’t counted on the snooping girl-next-door’s eyes.

Who’d Want to Pay $2 for a poster of an unknown?

I knew it was Farrah Fawcett because I watched Charlie’s Angels. But when she posed for the picture, the pilot had just aired and not many knew Farrah’s name yet. Executives worried that no one would shell out the $2 for the poster. Obviously, they were wrong to worry.

The day I found the famous Farrah in the red swimsuit poster, I got off my bike, sat next to a tree and stared at it. I’d never seen a woman on display like that before.

Farrah poster On Hollywood: The Power of the Red Swimsuit

Let’s face it, the women in my life were moms and teachers and Bible class organizers.… continue reading

Laura Kurk: The Vow

Well, this is cool! I’m thrilled that Nicole asked me to be part of Choose NOW Ministries with a monthly column. She’s told me how loyal and brilliant her readers are and I’m ready to sign on and join you in this noble quest of figuring out how to choose what God wants for our lives.

Even better, I get to talk about all the crazy, bizarre, stultifying, irresistible things that go on with celebrities. You get to help me decide whether the celebrity behavior of the week is worthy or unworthy of your time and valuable brain cells.

I admit I chuckled a little when I settled on this topic for my column. I can hear all our mothers lining up to say, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” With that adage in mind, a column about the lives of celebrities written by a Christian could potentially be a huge, yawning black hole where I say nothing at all.

But that would be boring, and a complete waste of space in Nicole’s Choose NOW Ministries website.

So here’s the deal, I’ll discuss a timely celebrity issue (positive or negative) in my column, but…(the part of the column in which I make a solemn pledge to you is coming)—

In the tradition of Hollywood, I will hand out an award each month to a celebrity who has gone above and beyond to get it right.… continue reading

Laura's debut book, click to purchase

In this powerful debut, Laura Anderson Kurk offers a rare glimpse into the soul of the often forgotten grieving sibling. Glass Girl is a lovely book that treats with compassion one of life's most trying times, lending honesty to the discussion about the impact of violence on families. At turns funny, tragic, and hopeful, Glass Girl captures the reality that is Meg's life--the slow, messy heartbreak of grief balanced with the rush and energy of first love.

» On Girl Talk: Making Mom feel special on a limited budget

Melany wrote: This question is mainly for Nicole. I’d like to do something really special for my mom since she works so hard and has been a single mom for a long time. She loves me and my brother and never yells at us. I know she’s tired and wishes things could be different. How can I let her … [read more]

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» On Authenticity: Be one in a zillion!

One night, just as I was going to bed, I went to check my e-mail on Yahoo and they had posted a photo of an all black penguin on their news page. It was one of the top stories of the day. A story of a penguin made the top stories list. Why? Apparently it’s a very rare penguin. One in a zill… [read more]

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» On Teen Worship & Warfare: Prayer Is Our Way Out, Our Way In

Let me begin by clarifying one simple thing: prayer is cool. It’s about the coolest, most effective thing we can do this side of heaven. Yeah, it’s a bit of work. And hard sometimes. Dry. Dare I say boring on occasion? But so are many other cool things in life. How many of you play a sport?… [read more]

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