Kris Rasmussen: March 2008 Archives

Up until recently, teen queen Miley Cyrus has let her Christian faith be more implied than overtly stated. But recent red carpet appearances—not to mention her interview with Barbara Walters—have found Miley giving more and more sound bytes about Jesus. Over the weekend, Miley won two awards at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and the first "thank you" out of her mouth was "to her Lord and savior Jesus Christ."

Thanking Jesus in an acceptance speech has certainly been a staple of many a celebrity in the past, but his name doesn't usually come up on a loud, crazy, light-hearted event such as the Kids Choice Awards (Though it is my personal opinion if Jesus was at the awards show in person, he would enjoy being slimed.). The fact that so many press outlets are noting Miley's reference to Jesus in her acceptance speech is also telling of the ever-increasing clout of this teen dynamo and the amount of attention being paid to every word out of her mouth.

With big sis Britney seeming somewhat stable for the moment, I guess it's time for the other Spears sibling to make some headlines— just in case the tabloids can't find another celeb family to fill their pages. There were gossip reports everywhere yesterday afternoon as pictures surfaced of Jamie Lynn flashing a ring, along with news that her baby's daddy, Casey Aldridge, had a relative spill the beans to a magazine that the pair is engaged.

I'm an easy sell for watching most musicals, but I especially appreciate the art form when it celebrates the best of humanity and the redemptive power of the creative process. HBO's latest documentary "Autism: The Musical" does both of those things as it tracks the lives of several autistic children who become involved in the unlikely task of producing a musical.

The documentary– which aired Tuesday but can be watched in repeats or streamed online—isn't sappy and it isn't satirical (something I was afraid of with HBO attached to the project). Instead, it provides some hope regarding what children with autism can do if they are in the right environment, and it challenges the generic notions of what it means to have a disability like autism.

As rocker Lenny Kravitz is about to begin an international tour to promote his first studio album ("It's Time for a Love Revolution") in four years, he has also been promoting something very un-rock 'n roll like--celibacy. But the man who became famous for his flings with hot actresses and songs like "Justify My Love" believes celibacy is, well, a revolutionary act to strengthen his spiritual journey.

I believe it is both a strength and a weakness of my nature that I simply have to rant when I see a social injustice— be it big or small—being perpetrated on the masses. And that is why I simply have to speak up about the grave injustice being done to Penn Jillette, Steve Guttenberg, Adam Carolla, and the rest of the saps who think they have a chance of winning this season's "Dancing with the Stars."

It seems more and more of the media are no longer afraid to take shots at Scientology and the celebs who may or may not be a part of their flock. The latest expose of the cult--and it seems like...

While Easter cantatas are in their final stages of dress rehearsal all over America this week, I thought I would take a moment to reflect on my favorite songs that I feel symbolize the meaning of Holy Week for me—the...

I can't imagine anyone admiring "Gilmore Girls" co-creator Amy Sherman-Palladino's writing more than I do. I still feel the loss of visiting Stars Hollow a year after it has gone off the air. Tonight, Fox is bringing Sherman-Palladino and her...

Certainly one of the tenets of my day-to-day spiritual walk is the firm belief that whatever is done in darkness will eventually come to light. So while I am not into celebrity gossiping or tabloid-mongering, I had to smile for...

Just when I have almost no faith left that the networks will value the primetime drama over cheaply-produced reality show garbage, I find a glimmer of hope on the television horizon. Though the fictional Dillon Panthers never finished their second...

Oprah hit it big last Sunday with her new philanthropic reality series "The Big Give." Angelina Jolie has made more headlines for her recent op-ed piece on Iraq in the Washington Post than for her latest baby bump. Clearly, being...

While not particularly a fan of Anne Murray's mellow croonings about love and loss, I was curious about her latest effort "'Duets: Friends and Legends." I enjoy it when unlikely combination of singers join together to create a fresh twist...