Gym bag checklist: Sneakers- √ Towel- √ Water bottle- √ Ipod- √ Deodorant – double √ Flip Flops – Got my Okabashis!

Whether you are using them for a post workout shower or for a last minute hot yoga class, the Okabashi is the perfect, lightweight addition to your gym packing list.  With so many hidden germs at the gym, protect your feet with these unbeatable shoes that retail for less than $20. I use them as slippers around the house, for driving, gardening, at the beach and more. You will fall in love with these shoes.

Okabashi features:

• 100% recyclable and contains 30% recycled material (Good for the Planet!)

• Supportive with a massaging insole that helps relieve foot and back pain. (Good foot relief post workout!)

• Guaranteed for 2 years (Good for your pocket book!)

• Made in the USA -Buford, GA to be exact! (Good for the U.S.A.!)

• Dishwasher-safe and machine washable (Good for clean shoes!)

• Antimicrobial agents and odor resistant (Good to prevent bacteria!)

• Anti-slip (Good for locker room showers!)

• Completely water-proof (Good for longevity!)

• The ONLY shoe endorsed by the American Chiropractic Association (Good to be Good!)

Thanks to the very generous folks at Okabashi, one of our Hollywood Mom Blog readers will be winning a pair of these fitness-forward flip flops! Just leave your name in the the comment section below with some of your fitness resolutions for 2012!

For more information, visit their website at www.okabashi.com Follow Okabashi on Twitter!

Good news: Okabashi’s latest line of footwear is dishwasher-safe, which at high temperature kills all bacteria & germs. The Okabashi sandal won't shrink or lose its vibrant color no matter how often it is placed in a dishwasher. In addition, this vegan friendly line is 100% recyclable and is made in the U.S.A. thereby minimizing its carbon footprint.

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David Mazouz plays Jake, a mute child with an obsession with numbers and patterns which, if deciphered properly by his father (Sutherland), lead to worldwide human connections.

Kiefer Sutherland returns to primetime Wednesday in the Fox drama Touch, as the father of a child who has never spoken and doesn’t communicate in any traditional ways.  Touch was created by Tim Kring, (Heroes).

Like the heroic characters in Hereos, in Touch Jake has super abilities only his are with numbers and patterns which, if deciphered properly by his father, lead to connections among people worldwide.

Child Actor David Mazouz

According to Kring, finding the right actor fir the part was difficult as the role requires an ability to affect the blank, isolated look often seen in children who have autism, yet also to suggest there is a lot going on behind the eyes.

Kring told the NY Times, “David is an extraordinary child. He is extremely focused, and you can see the internal life in him. He’s also very still. Most kids we auditioned, you’d catch moments here and there between their general fidgetiness.”

Jake is silent to the other characters but his thoughts are heard in voice-over. “Because we hear his internal voice, we have an understanding of just how intelligent he is, so we had to cast someone who fit that,” Kring said.

Mazouz is represented theatrically by Wendi Green, Paradigm, and Jeremy Apody, Abrams Artists, commercially. Prior to landing the role of Jake, David worked on episodes of Mike and Molly, Criminal Minds, Private Practice and the tv movie Amish Grace.

Kring and his team try to establish early on that, although Jake might look autistic, Touch is not about autism, and Jake’s condition is something else entirely.

“In the pilot, we were pretty set on trying to state that as early as possible,” Kring said. “Clearly, the autism community deserves to have champions out there, but, by the same token, we wanted to have the ability as storytellers to float above reality a little bit. There’s something special going on with this child — something metaphysical, almost supernatural.”

In the premiere, Sutherland finds his way to a some answers when he meets a character played by Danny Glover, who tells him that Jake essentially has psychic powers.

“Your son sees everything,” the character says: “the past, the present, the future. He sees how it’s all connected.”

Then he adds, “It’s a road map, and your job now, your purpose, is to follow it for him.”

*Sources: Fox, NY Times

Click here for the Huffington Post Interview with the stars of Touch

Mazouz played Ryan Hall in an episode of Criminal Minds (2011), called "The Bittersweet Science."

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Kaia Gerber has just made Cindy Crawford a Momager by landing Young Versace's launch ad campaign. Who knew rocking socks with sandals could be chic?

“Like her mother, Kaia has a very special gift,” Donatella Versace said in a release to the press. “The camera really, really loves her. Having Cindy on-set for the shoot took me back to all the amazing Avedon shoots we worked on together. It was such a special treat watching Kaia walk in her mother’s footsteps!”

Cindy Crawford had this to say about her progeny:

“I’m so thrilled that Kaia was chosen to be part of the first Young Versace Campaign. I have so many fond memories of the times I spent with Gianni and Donatella. There is something so very special about the House of Versace. Being on-set with my daughter watching her in front of the camera was a fantastic experience. I am so proud of her.”

Famed Photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot shot the campaign for the line which will debut during Pitti Immagine Bimbo in Florence. The line fits kids ages 0-12 and stays true to many  of Versace’s signature themes like the iconic Greek key motif and Medusa head logo.

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teen stars from 2 different hit television shows, add 1 fun educational program (with an exciting new sweepstakes) and multiply by the fact that you’re helping kids with cancer, it’s bound to be an equation for success.

“iCarly”stars Jennette McCurdy and Nathan Kress and “Victorious” star Ariana Grande are teaming up to help kids across the country get excited about developing their math skills through the St. Jude Math-A-Thon program, America’s largest education-based fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The young stars also are helping launch a new sweepstakes that will give two lucky students the opportunity to visit the set for a taping of a Nickelodeon show.

Last year, McCurdy, Kress and Grande visited St. Jude with the entire casts of both shows to provide a special sneak peak of their Nickelodeon shows and throw a party for St. Jude patients and their family members. Now, the trio is helping engage teachers, students and parents in the St. Jude Math-A-Thon program while at the same time raising awareness for St. Jude’s lifesaving mission of finding cures for children battling cancer and other deadly diseases.

“I’ve had the opportunity to visit St. Jude on several occasions and each time I go back I meet the most amazing kids,” said McCurdy. “Even though they’re dealing with these terrible diseases, they have the biggest smiles on their faces when they see us.”

The winner of the sweepstakes will be determined by drawing two winning schools from 2011-2012 St. Jude Math-A-Thon program participants, who will then each select a student (one student per school) to win a trip to Los Angeles in 2012 to visit the set for a taping of a Nickelodeon show.

“The St. Jude Math-A-Thon program is a fun way for kids and teachers to work on their math skills,” said Kress. “Not only will they be helping other kids battling cancer at St. Jude but through the sweepstakes this year they might get the chance to come out for a taping of a Nickelodeon show!”

“I wanted to support the St. Jude Math-A-Thon program because it’s something that has always been important to my family,” said Grande. “Kids are going to have a great time participating in the program and helping raise money for other kids battling cancer at St. Jude.”

For more than 30 years the St. Jude Math-A-Thon program has been America’s largest education-based fundraiser and has raised $417 million for St. Jude. The program includes a math curriculum supplement for grades K-8 that students complete after obtaining sponsorships from family and friends. Schools from all 50 states have participated in St. Jude Math-A-Thon with more than 6,800 schools involved in the program last year alone.

“The St. Jude Math-A-Thon program is a great opportunity for kids to help other kids battling cancer and other deadly diseases at St. Jude,” said Richard Shadyac Jr., CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising organization of St. Jude. “Jennette, Nathan and Ariana are talented young stars who are incredibly dedicated to our mission and will really help us get students and teachers across the country excited for their next math lesson.”

To learn more about the program and sweepstakes, or to get your school involved, please visit www.mathathon.org.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital:

Since opening 50 years ago, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has changed the way the world treats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. No family ever pays St. Jude for the care their child receives and, for every child treated here, thousands more have been saved worldwide through St. Jude discoveries. The hospital has played a pivotal role in pushing U.S. pediatric cancer survival rates from 20 to 80 percent overall, and is the first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted to children. It is also a leader in the research and treatment of blood disorders and infectious diseases in children. St. Jude was founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas, who believed that no child should die in the dawn of life. Join that mission by visiting stjude.org or following us on facebook.com/stjude and twitter.com/stjude.

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The Tea Collection has it's own dedicated showroom on the 6th floor. We LOVE this line!

Back in the days when I ran Crib Rock Couture, I spent a lot of time on floor 6.  Showrooms on your must-stop-in list should be: The Dressing Room, Shayna Masino, Scoop, Forever Young, Tea Collection, Paperdoll Style, See Kai Run, In Play Showroom  and Wendy’s Closet.  If you don’t find what you’re looking for this time around, just know that the inventory is always changing and you should stop by again in the future. On the other hand, if you see something on Friday you want, BUY IT. It will likely be gone within hours if not minutes.

When? Friday January 27, 2012 from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Where? 110 East 9th street, 6th floor in Los Angeles, 90079

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Package Details:
2 looks
1 location
2 retouched files
Disc of edited raw files from session

Regularly $400 plus tax, Now $200 plus tax

For more information and to view Lesley’s body of work visit: LesleyBryce.com or call 805-443-2188

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Director Jason Reitman of feature film hits JUNO & UP IN THE AIR is casting two kids as lead actors for his new film LABOR DAY

Okay Hollywood Moms, this is the casting call you’ve been waiting for.  Moms of girls in the 11-14 age group have noticed a slight slow down in casting calls of late and that’s about to change with this wonderful casting opp. Chrystie Street Casting is seeking a 10-14 YEAR OLD BOY & 10-14 YEAR OLD GIRL to star in the feature film “LABOR DAY” to be directed by the talented Jason Reitman (JUNO, YOUNG ADLOT, UP IN THE AIR.)

Starts shooting June 2012 in Massachusetts

HENRY – 13 Years old (submit 10-14yrs), Caucasian Male – Henry is a true innocent. He has taken over the role of caretaker and protector to his fragile, reclusive mother Adele. He is an observant boy who understands his mother’s loneliness, but is too young to understand why he cannot entirely fill it. When a new man enters the picture, the friend-less Henry is both exhilarated by the relationship and threatened by the prospect that he is no longer needed by his mother. LEAD

ELEANOR - 14yrs, (submit 10-14 yrs) Caucasian. She is a skinny girl, a product of a broken home, she is newly moved from a big city to live with her father and already bored with the small town entertainments. An intelligent girl, Eleanor learned how to get what she wants with wit, calculations and her newly developed sexual awareness. To Henry she is the mysterious hot girl who seems to know everything about the world that he doesn’t. LEAD

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED PLEASE EMAIL A RECENT PICTURE, AGE AND CONTACT INFO TO: info.chrystiestreetcasting@gmail.com
NO PHONE CALLS, PLEASE.

Chrystie Street Casting has cast the films YOUNG ADULT, PRECIOUS, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, GOOD WILL HUNTING, CIDER HOUSE RULES, PINEAPPLE EXPRESS, THE WRESTLER and 200 more major movies, as well as the TV series PAN AM.

Thank you to our friend Jessica Rofe of A CLASS ACT NY for this heads up. For our Hollywood Moms living in the greater NYC area, please check out A CLASS ACT for workshops, seminars and classes geared to our young performers.

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When :: Saturday, January. 28, 2012, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
Where :: Bel Air Presbyterian Church, Room DC101, 16221 Mulholland Dr  Los Angeles, CA 90049 (818) 788-4200
Who :: Parents of kids (from toddlers to teens). Older teens who have questions may also attend!

NOTE: Admission for this 90 minute seminar is FREE! Please RSVP to Cassie at cassie@belairpres.org.  This event is happening on the same day as their Actors Bootcamp - another wonderful learning opportunity for our kids. If your kids would like to attend the full Bootcamp, a paid registration of $40 is required! Please see the Actors Bootcamp link: www.belairpres.org/bootcamp

Cindy Osbrink keeps a watchful eye as her young client Elle Fanning is interviewed by Hollywood Mom Blog's finest, Jordan Bobbitt and Blaire Goldberg.

ABOUT CINDY OSBRINK:  Cindy started The Osbrink Agency nineteen years ago in a one room office and has since grown the company into a full-service agency providing the Entertainment and Fashion industry with many visible youth clients in film, television, commercial, voice-over and print. Cindy loves finding and starting brand new talent. She has represented numerous fresh faces of Hollywood which include Dakota Fanning (The Twilight Saga: New Moon & Eclipse, The Runaways, The Secret Life of Bees), Elle Fanning (We Bought a Zoo, Super 8, Phoebe in Wonderland, Somewhere, The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons), Tyler James Williams (Until We Meet Again, We the Peeples, Everybody Hates Chris, Unaccompanied Minors), Tyrel Jackson Williams (Lab Rats) Atticus Shaffer (The Middle, Frankenweenie), Jae Head (The Blind Side, Friday Night Lights), Jake Lloyd (Star Wars) Max Burkholder (Parenthood) Molly Quinn (Castle), Josie Loren (Make it or Break it) Laura Slade Wiggins (Shameless), Leo Howard (Kickin’ It, Conan the Barbarian), Amandla Stenberg (Hunger Games, Columbiana), Kenton Duty (Shake it Up), Blake Michael (Lemonade Mouth), Colin Ford (We Bought a Zoo, Jake and the Never Land Pirates) Maggie Jones (We Bought a Zoo, Footloose) Kaitlyn Dever (Last Man Standing, Bad Teacher) and Cameron Boyce (Jessie).

FAQ
Can I bring my child to the Cindy Osbrink seminar? 
The Q&A is geared towards the parents as a learning opportunity that children might find boring. Your opportunity to listen without disruption, as well as those around, you may be effected. We strongly encourage you to find alternate care for your childrenduring that time. That said, we understand that an alternate caregiver is not always an option and we do not want that to be the reason you miss. If you choose to bring a child, please step out if he/she becomes disruptive. We also kindly ask that children not be brought in the hopes of soliciting representation for them.

My 16 yr old would like to attend Actors Bootcamp. Can she also attend the Cindy Osbrink seminar? 
YES! She would learn a lot from listening in and is welcome to ask questions!I am attending Cindy Osbrink’s free seminar, can I sit in for the rest of the ACTORS BOOTCAMP day too? 
You are welcome to upgrade to a paid registration, but the free portion is for that one seminar only.Further Questions?  Please Contact Cassie (cassie@belairpres.org).

CHILDREN’S SUBMISSION MESSAGE: In order to be considered for representation by Osbrink Talent please submit via mail a current, non-returnable snapshot of your child along with a note describing their interests and personality.  Include the child’s name, height, weight, eye and hair colors, date of birth, parent’s name and a contact number.  Please include a headshot and resume if you have one.  If referred to us, also include who referred you.  If we do not already have a client similar to your child, we will call you to set up an appointment.
Please mail to:
Osbrink Talent Agency.
4343 Lankershim Blvd.
#100
Universal City, Ca 91602

Thank you in advance for respecting the boundaries of this seminar.

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Beauty Shop co-stars Queen Latifah and Keke Palmer reunite as mother and daughter in today's release JOYFUL NOISE

Oscar® nominees Queen Latifah (“Chicago,” “Hairspray”) and Dolly Parton (“Transamerica,” “Steel Magnolias,” “Nine to Five”) star in Alcon Entertainment’s and Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Joyful Noise,” a funny and inspirational story of music, hope, love and renewal.

The small town of Pacashau, Georgia, has fallen on hard times, but the people are counting on the Divinity Church Choir to lift their spirits by winning the National Joyful Noise Competition.

The town choir has always known how to sing in harmony, but the discord between its two leading ladies now threatens to tear them apart. Their newly appointed director, Vi Rose Hill (Latifah), stubbornly wants to stick with their tried-and-true traditional style, while the fiery G.G. Sparrow (Parton) thinks tried-and-true translates to tired-and-old. Shaking things up even more is the arrival of G.G.’s rebellious grandson, Randy (Jeremy Jordan). Randy has an ear for music, but he also has an eye for Vi Rose’s beautiful and talented daughter, Olivia (Keke Palmer), and the sparks between the two teenagers are causing even more friction between G.G. and Vi Rose.

If these two strong-willed women can put aside their differences for the good of the people in their town, they—and their choir—may make the most joyful noise of all.

Starring with Latifah and Parton are Keke Palmer (“Akeelah and the Bee”), Courtney B. Vance (“Extraordinary Measures”), Jeremy Jordan (Broadway’s “Bonnie and Clyde”), and Kris Kristofferson (“Dolphin Tale”). Rounding out the main cast are Dexter Darden, Angela Grovey, Paul Woolfolk and Jesse L. Martin.

The musically driven story also brings together the sounds of gospel, pop, country, rock and R & B with memorable songs, performed by the cast, from a wide range of artists, including Michael Jackson, Usher, Chris Brown, Paul McCartney, Sly & the Family Stone and Stevie Wonder. Dolly Parton also wrote original songs for the film, including “Not Enough” and “From Here to the Moon and Back.”

“Joyful Noise,” opens nationwide today, January 13, 2012.

ABOUT KEKE

Keke Palmer, 18, is an award-winning actress and singer.

In 2005, at the age of 12, Palmer signed a deal with Atlantic Records. Her debut single, “All My Girlz,” is featured on the soundtrack to the acclaimed film “Akeelah and the Bee,” in which she also starred, opposite Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett. Her breakthrough performance as an 11 year old who participates in the Scripps National Spelling Bee was honored with an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture, the Black Movie Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture, and she received nominations from the Chicago Film Critics Association for Most Promising Newcomer and the Broadcast Film Critics Association and Black Reel Awards for Best Actress.

In 2006, Palmer recorded the song “Tonight,” which was featured in the hit film “Night at the Museum.” In 2007, Palmer’s Atlantic Records debut pop/R & B album, So Uncool, was released and Palmer also signed a deal with Cherry Lane Music Publishing Company, as well as headlining Disney’s Jingle Jam Tour. Palmer recently completed her latest album, a mixture of R & B/Hip-Hop with pop undertones, which will be released on the Interscope Records label in 2012.

On the small screen, Palmer received a Screen Actors Guild Award® nomination for Best Leading Actress, as well as an NAACP Image Award nomination, for her role in the TV movie “The Wool Cap,” with William H. Macy. She also starred as the title character in the Nickelodeon series “True Jackson, VP,” writing and performing the theme song for the series, and played the lead role of Mary, opposite Corbin Bleu, in the 2007 Disney Channel movie “Jump In!,” which also features Palmer on the soundtrack.Palmer began her career at age nine with a small role in the feature film “Barbershop 2: Back in Business,” with Queen Latifah. She was most recently seen alongside Kevin Spacey and Robin Williams in the feature “Shrink,” which premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, garnering Palmer rave reviews for her performance. In 2008, she played a female quarterback in Fred Durst’s “The Longshots,” based on a true story. She also starred opposite Samuel L. Jackson and Eva Mendes in “Cleaner,” which premiered at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival. Palmer lent her voice as the character of Peaches in “Ice Age: Continental Drift,” releasing in July 2012, and will next be seen playing the role of Aisha in Spike Lee’s “Red Hook Summer,” and as Allison, opposite Abigail Breslin, in “Virgin Mary.”

She is currently producing and starring in Nickelodeon’s “Ragz.” Her other film and TV credits include “Madea’s Family Reunion,” starring Tyler Perry, Cicely Tyson, and Dr. Maya Angelou; “Knights of the South Bronx,” with Ted Danson; the Disney Channel pilot “Keke & Jamal”; and guest-starring roles on several TV series, including “Strong Medicine,” “Cold Case,” “ER,” and “Law & Order.”

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Angelina Jolie

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie attend the Palm Springs Film Festival

“Hey, I’ve heard you’re amazing,” Angelina told 14-year-old Thomas, “[It's} very, very nice to meet you. It's an honor." She bent down to his eye level and asked him if he has done events like the red carpet before, and he admitted it was his first time.

"Are you excited or is it weird?" Angelina asked. "It's weird, but exciting, I guess," Thomas replied as his EL&IC co-star Tom Hanks looked on like a proud father.

Jolie then told Horn that her kids (Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne) are fans of his work.

"You should be really, really proud. You've done great things," Angie told him. "My kids already think you're cool, so I'll tell them I met you and they'll think I'm cool."

Tom Hanks and Thomas Horn at the Palm Springs International Film Festival

But while the Jolie-Pitt kids may think Thomas Horn is cool, it will be awhile before they can follow in his film-making footsteps if dad Brad Pitt has his way. According to Hollyscoop.com, Pitt’s open to the kids becoming actors — only not until they’re adults.

“Whatever they want to do,” Pitt he told the gossip Web site at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. “Whatever makes them happy. [But] not until they’re eighteen.”

Pitt and Jolie walked the red carpet at the film festival to accept the Desert Palm Achievement Award for his performance in Moneyball.

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The event will feature a teen battle of the bands competition on Jan. 21, 2012 in Downtown Disney in Anaheim, CA, and Chance expressed his feelings on supporting such a worthy cause. Take a look at all the entered bands here!

“I am honored to be a part of a program with NAMM that is encouraging students to grow their musical talents,” Chance said. “Music is such an important part of my life and I am very excited to help shine the spotlight on some new talent – it’s important to me to support programs like SchoolJam USA and foster ongoing music education.”

On Jan. 21, 2012, the top eight bands will perform for a panel of professional judges as well as fans for the honor of “Best Teen Band in the USA.”

The winning band will get to perform at the original SchoolJam festival in Frankfurt, Germany this spring, receive a music video recording session on the John Lennon Educational Bus and also receive cash prizes to purchase new music gear and support their school’s music programs. For more on this event, visit www.schooljamusa.com.

2011 Winners PELIGRO

Why should your school be involved in SchoolJam USA?

First, there’s the obvious—potential funds for your program—but here are some other reasons we think you should get involved:

• SchoolJam USA puts important music education advocacy materials into the hands of your students and local community.
• The program engages music students and non-music peers in an interactive music event, building a strong community.
• SchoolJam USA helps to bridge the gap between traditional music education students and non-traditional student musicians helping to expand your music education program.
• Every participating school will receive notification from us, which includes advocacy messaging sent to school leaders.
• SchoolJam USA is a learning experience. Students who advance to the semi-finals will get hands-on experience with promotions and marketing, as well as learning important team-building skills.

If you would like your students involved with SchoolJam USA, e-mail us at schooljamusa@namm.org and they’ll get you everything you need.

PLUS: Do you need access to music education advocacy resources? Make sure to visit www.supportmusic.com for tools and information that can be vital to helping your community make the case for your music education program.

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Life, Above All - now on DVD.

Time magazine’s list of the 10 best movie performances for 2011 includes a South African girl, Khomotso Manyaka, cast as Chanda in the film, Life, Above All, based on the Allan Stratton novel “Chanda’s Secrets.”  The film is about a young girl (Khomotso), living in a small, AIDS-infested South African township who struggles to maintain the façade of normality amidst crushing odds: her stepfather is an alcoholic, her newborn sister has just died, and her mother has been diagnosed with the AIDS virus. As Chanda’s mother’s illness becomes apparent, the community turns against the family, misinterpreting the disease as some form of retribution for their sins. Now 15, Manyaka was only 13 years old at the time of filming.

Khomotso Manyaka gives the performance of a lifetime.

Khomotso said of her performance: “I’m very proud of myself – 2011 was a great year.”  She went onto reveal that the recognition makes her “happy” and “surprises” her because she “never knew I had talent.”  After the film, she and her co-star and friend Keaobaka Makanyane received scholarships to the National School of the Arts.

Time Magazine says of Manyaka’s performance:

“Khomotso Manyaka was no Hollywood moppet, just a South African girl who had never acted, when director Oliver Schmitz picked her for the lead role in this starkly poignant drama about a family, a village, and a people devastated by the Aids plague.

“Given the challenge, Manyaka invested the part of Chanda, the sole strength of her ravaged clan, with amazing poise, delicacy and grit.”

“Life, Above All” and Khomotso’s performance particularly as she acts in almost every scene – have gathered several high-profile accolades. Last year, Khomotso received the best actress award at the SA Film and TV Awards, and in 2010 she won the best actress award at the Durban International Film Festival.

The film was also shortlisted by the Academy Awards committee in the category of Best Foreign Film.

When it screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010, “Life, Above All,” received a 10-minute standing ovation.

Other movies and actors named to the list include Octavia Spencer, Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Jessica Chastain and Bryce Dallas Howard for The Help; Former Child Star
Mia Wasikowska for Jane Eyre; Brad Pitt for Tree of Life, Money Ball and Happy Feet 2 and Meryl Streep for Iron Lady.
Source: Time Magazine

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The recent arrests prompted a bill, expected to be filed this month with the California Assembly, that would require licensing and criminal background checks for those who work with actors under age 16.  It would prohibit registered sex offenders from serving as child managers, photographers, career counselors or publicists.

“Under the existing law, talent agents are regulated; however, casting directors, managers and photographers are not. This loophole makes it very easy for a predator to gain access to children working within the entertainment industry,” said the bill’s sponsor, Assemblywoman Nora Campos (D-San Jose).

Experts say addressing the problem is overdue.

“This is just like the Catholic Church pretending that priests never molested people in the past,” said Dr. Daniel D. Broughton, a pediatrician at the Mayo Clinic and expert on child sexual abuse. “What’s surprising to me is why it hasn’t come out even stronger and sooner.”

The full LA Times article is here and I strongly suggest that you read it. As parents of young performers it’s our responsibility to see to it that this bill and others like it which protect our children are passed as quickly as possible.

It is also of note that Assembly Person Campos wrote and supported legislation AB 746 (now state law) which declares that posts made on social network sites are covered under the Education Code anti-bullying provisions and allows school officials to suspend student violators.

California law allows for the suspension of a student for bullying, including bullying by electronic acts. Prior to AB 746, however, the law did not expressly provide that transmission by posting messages on a social network site is included in the definition of an electronic act.

“The increase in popularity of social networks has also brought an increase in abuse and in some instances depression and suicide,” Campos said, adding that “preventing these tragedies is why I introduced this legislation.”

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According to The Sun, Feldman decided to publicly discuss the abuse he suffered at age 14 after his best friend, former child star Corey Haim, died of heart failure and pneumonia. Feldman allegedly waited until after Haim’s death to reveal the abuse they both endured as he didn’t want to subject Haim to the nastiness all over again.  Coincidentally, one of their former talent agents was charged with child abuse at approximately that same time.

“When I was 14 and 15, things were happening to me,” he said. “These older men were leching around like vultures. It was basically me laying there pretending I was asleep and them going about their business. Corey [Haim] and I were pegged as the scapegoats,” said Feldman.

“People need to know the reason Corey and I were swept under the carpet like the beaten dogs that were sent to the pound so no one had to deal with us anymore,” says Feldman, ”I stood up and said there is a bigger problem, that I’d lost Corey and that I didn’t want to see any more kids lost to these sick perverts.”

Former “Little House on the Prairie” Child Star Alison Arngrim (also a victim of child sexual abuse) confirmed Feldman’s statements to Fox News on Decemeber 5, 2011 stating:

“This has been going on for a very long time. It was the gossip back in the ‘80s. People said, ‘Oh yeah, the Coreys [Feldman, Haim], everyone’s had them.’ People talked about it like it was not a big deal…”

“I literally heard that they were ‘passed around,’” Arngrim said. “The word was that they were given drugs and being used for sex. It was awful–these were kids, they weren’t 18 yet. There were all sorts of stories about everyone from their, quote, ‘set guardians’ on down that these two had been sexually abused and were totally being corrupted in every possible way.”

Fortunately, thanks to these brave stars the public’s eyes are beginning to open to this secret epidemic as three high profile pedophile cases have rocked Hollywood in the few short months following Feldman’s revelations:

• Martin Weiss, a 47-year-old Hollywood manager who represented child actors, was charged in Los Angeles on Dec. 1, 2011 with sexually abusing a former client. His accuser, who was under 12 years old during the time of the alleged abuse, reported to authorities that Weiss told him “what they were doing was common practice in the entertainment industry.” Weiss has pleaded not guilty.
• On Nov. 21, 2011 Fernando Rivas, 59, an award-winning composer for “Sesame Street,” was arraigned on charges of coercing a child “to engage in sexually explicit conduct” in South Carolina. The Juilliard-trained composer was also charged with production and distribution of child pornography.
• Registered sex offender Jason James Murphy, 35, worked as a casting agent in Hollywood for years before his past kidnapping and sexual abuse of a boy was revealed by the Los Angeles Times on Nov. 17. Murphy’s credits include placing young actors in kid-friendly fare like “Bad News Bears,” “The School of Rock,” “Cheaper by the Dozen 2” and the forthcoming “Three Stooges.”

Sources: ABC News Nightline, The Sun via Radar online, Fox News

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Child no more but still a star, Demi Lovato in 2011

UPDATE:  The official PR Twitter account for Disney Channel tweeted to Lovato in response: “We hear you & are pulling both episodes as quickly as possible & reevaluating them.” Disney PR added, “It’s NEVER our intention to make light of eating disorders!”

Disney “Sonny with a Chance” star Demi Lovato has accused Disney of poking fun and making light of eating disorders on its hit TV series “Shake It Up.”

Demi, who earlier in the year revealed her history of bulimia and anorexia, took to Twitter after watching a recent episode of Shake It Up, a music and dance-focused sitcom that stars two girls in their early teenage years.

Apparently in the offensive episode one of the chacters says to another: “I could just eat you up… well, if I ate.”

“What are we promoting here? #notfunnyATALL,” Lovato tweeted. Lovato’s twitter

“I find it really funny how a company can lose one of their actress’ from the pressures of an EATING DISORDER and yet still make joke about… that very disease.

“And is it just me or are the actress’ getting THINNER AND THINNER…. I miss the days of RAVEN, and LIZZIE MCGUIRE.

“Dear Disney Channel, EATING DISORDERS ARE NOT SOMETHING TO JOKE ABOUT.”

Raven Symone of Disney's old hit show RAVEN

Disney's SHAKE IT UP teen star, Bella Thorne

Lovato goes on to say: “… and society wonders why there are 7 yr old with eating disorders…yet disney is making jokes about it.”

Later she posted: “Just clearing things up, I have nothing against any specific actress/actor or tv show.. Nor do I think there’s anything wrong with girls who aren’t curvy, I just was stating a fact that there needs to be more variety on television so young girls growing up don’t feel pressured to look one specific way. Tall, thin, curvy, short, whatever you are, you are beautiful. ”

As an adult who has battled eating disorders and my relationship with food since early childhood, I commend Demi from speaking out on this issue. There should absolutely be children and teens of all sizes and shapes on television and when it comes to children’s programming, eating disorders should never be treated as a joke.

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Asa Butterfield and Chloe Moretz star in HUGO

According to Deadline Hollywood, child actor Asa Butterfield, 14, who stars in Martin Scorsese’s Hugo with Chloe Moretz, has been offered the lead role in the highly sought after book turned film property, Ender’s Game. After screen-testing several young actors, director Gavin Hood (Wolverine) chose Butterfield to star as boy genius Andrew “Ender” Wiggin in the adaptation of the seminal Orson Scott Card sci-fi book series.  It won both the Hugo and Nebula awards, and rose to the top of national bestseller lists.

The publishers website describes “Ender’s Game” this way:  ”Andrew “Ender” Wiggin thinks he is playing computer simulated war games; he is, in fact, engaged in something far more desperate. The result of genetic experimentation, Ender may be the military genius Earth desperately needs in a war against an alien enemy seeking to destroy all human life. The only way to find out is to throw Ender into ever harsher training, to chip away and find the diamond inside, or destroy him utterly. Ender Wiggin is six years old when this begins. He will grow up fast.

“But Ender is not the only result of the experiment. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway almost as long. Ender’s two older siblings, Peter and Valentine, are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. While Peter was too uncontrollably violent, Valentine very nearly lacks the capability for violence altogether. Neither was found suitable for the military’s purpose. But they are driven by their jealousy of Ender, and by their inbred drive for power. Peter seeks to control the political process, to become a ruler. Valentine’s abilities turn more toward the subtle control of the beliefs of commoner and elite alike, through powerfully convincing essays. Hiding their youth and identities behind the anonymity of the computer networks, these two begin working together to shape the destiny of Earth-an Earth that has no future at all if their brother Ender fails.”

Other book characters include Ender’s older siblings, Valentine and Peter. Casting Director is John Papsidera and has a tentative March 15, 2013 release date.

Butterfield has worked on several major feature films: Son of Rambow, Nanny McPhee Returns, The Wolfman and The Boy in Striped Pajamas. Martin Scorsese’s 3-D family film Hugo will debut  in theaters over the Thanksgiving weekend.

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My tween daughter Jordan and her friend Sarah pose with Lolita Girls at the Hello Kitty Launch Party at Forever 21 at the famed Hollywood and Highland Shopping Complex

Enthusiastic Hello Kitty fans pack Hollywood & Highland hoping for a chance to get into the Launch Party at Forever 21 Hollywood

Thursday night Forever 21 and Hello Kitty hosted a launch party for Forever 21 for Hello Kitty Collection in Hollywood. The dedicated fans of this clothing line launch were akin to fanboys at ComicCon.  Forever 21 customers flooded Hollywood Blvd., with the customer line then curling around into the Hollywood & Highland shopping complex all the way back to the escalators. It was truly a sight to behold.  As Hello Kitty & Forever 21 aren’t exactly focusing on my “mom demographic,” I brought along my tween daughter Jordan and her friend Sarah to gauge their take on the launch event and the clothing line.  Their overall review: Party Kinda Drab. Fashions Super Fab!

The launch party was hosted by Reality TV Child Stars Kendall and Kylie Jenner who were styled to perfection in a “Japanese Lolita meets Hello Kitty” mode.  They did several costume changes throughout the evening and impressed with every outfit. Full kudos to the girls’ stylists – they did a wonderful job.  If you can’t imagine Hello Kitty looking like runway couture, you’re not alone but I witnessed first-hand that it’s not only possible but absolutely adorable when pulled together by the pros.

The launch party was hosted by Reality TV Child Stars Kendall and Kylie Jenner

Stefanie Scott from Disney's ANT Farm

Other guests included Stefanie Scott of Disney’s A.N.T. Farm and designer Trina Tarantino.  As for the shindig itself, the biggest snafu was that the store was poorly laid out for a large party. Most of the new Hello Kitty fashions were packed together in the front of the store which also happened to be the narrowest portion of the room and the place where everyone (guests, employees, paparazzi, media and security) entered and exited.  So how did this translate to party-goers who wanted to shop and possibly buy Hello Kitty fashions? It was like watching people herd cats – no Hello Kitty pun intended.  If one more well-intentioned employee told us to “keep the area clear” I was seriously going to cough up a fur ball.

I never saw Hello Kitty, but the kids told me she was modeling fashions and milling about the store. Some guests (read not us) were able to indulge at the Hello Kitty Nail Art Station which included free nail art and full manicures.  Unfortunately it was all ready booked for the entire evening when we arrived at 7:15. A Hello Kitty Sweets Station displayed delicious mini cupcakes and marshmellow Hello Kittys on a stick.  Raffles were held for one-of-a-kind Hello Kitty fashions and Hello Kitty goodie bags – but we couldn’t get our hands on the elusive raffle tickets either.

Guess what we were able to do though?  After tuning out the “Clear the Area” mantra, we shopped, shopped and then shopped some more. The girls left the event with bags of clothes and were thrilled with their purchases: Hello Kitty Leg warmers, wallets, cardigans, tee shirts, socks, scarves, flannel pajamas, hair accessories and jewelry.  All in all not a bad way for a couple of lucky tween girls to spend a school night.

Look for these adorable and affordable Hello Kitty Fashions at a Forever 21 near you!

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Nolan Gould and Murray pack boxes at the LA Regional Food Bank

Kiernan Shipka, Lexi Hofer, Evan Hofer, Gig Morton, Griffin Cluck, Murray, Nolan Gould and Jake Short volunteer at the LA Regional Food Bank

The prime time special, part of Sesame Street’s initiative, Growing Hope Against Hunger, will air in Spanish next Friday, November 25, 2011 on Vme TV (check local listings). The special, which aired last month on PBS in English, can also be viewed online in English at  www.sesamestreet.org/food. The special is hosted by Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams Paisley and introduces Lily, a new Muppet, who’s own family is food insecure, raising awareness of the widespread issue of hunger.  The special, made possible by the generous support of Walmart, provides simple, empowering strategies to families who aren’t sure where their next meal will come from and to others who want to help.

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Location: Westfield Culver City, 6000 Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City, CA 90230
Walker Check-in Starts: 7:00 AM
Walk Starts: 8:00 AM

Walks across the country are designed to be an event that the whole family will enjoy and several will feature special guests and local personalities. History Channel’s “American Pickers” star Mike Wolfe and his Antique Archaeology-Nashville crew will rally his fans to donate to St. Jude in support of his participation in the Nashville Give thanks. Walk. Disney stars Elise Neal (“A.N.T. Farm”) and Adam Irigoyen (“Shake it Up”) will join walkers at the Los Angeles event. Those heading out to the Detroit walk may pick up a few fitness tips from “Biggest Loser” season seven winner Helen Phillips and popular actress Angélica Vale will walk side-by-side with walkers in Miami. Katharine McPhee will serve as grand marshall of the NYC event.

The St. Jude Give thanks. Walk. provides walkers of all ages and fitness levels with the opportunity to participate in a fun, budget-friendly activity that also has a lifesaving mission. Registration is free and walkers are encouraged to recruit a team of family, friends, co-workers and neighbors to walk and raise money for St. Jude. Participants set a personal fundraising goal and ask sponsors to make donations for their team’s efforts. All fundraisers can earn exciting incentive prizes at the $35, $100 and $250 levels. The walk is nationally sponsored by New York & Company, Brooks Brothers and AutoTrader.com.

As the official kickoff event to the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign, the walk is perfectly timed to have people out and about for all their holiday shopping needs. The Thanks and Giving campaign asks people to support St. Jude and “give thanks for the healthy kids in your life, and give to those who are not” by shopping at more than 60 participating partners where the St. Jude Thanks and Giving green magnifying glass logo is displayed. Many of the St. Jude Give thanks. Walk. events take place at malls or shopping centers with Thanks and Giving partner locations.

For more information, go to www.stjude.org and follow St. Jude on www.facebook.com/stjude and www.twitter.com/stjude.

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There are several ways to get “gift expectations” under control.  As the festive season draws closer, sit down with your kids and come up with realistic gift lists. There are many ways to do this, but the most interactive way is to sit down with your children and go through their favorite catalogs. They can cut out the pictures of the things that they want most and you can have them add up how much these gifts will cost.  Before you start this activity, give your kids a total budget for their presents. If they go above the budget price total you’ve given them then, get them to eliminate items from the list and you’ll soon find what it is that they really want. This activity won’t only trim the list down but will help your child develop skills like adding, subtracting and budgeting.

Whether your child wants the new Cars 2 DVD or the latest lap top computer you should try to make sure that you are coping with the financial stress of Christmas. In the end it is a festive holiday, full of merriment and joy – So have fun and be merry!

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