Are We Surprised That Dre 3000′s Clothing Line Isn’t Selling?
After gaining worldwide fame as the effeminate half of funk rap group Outkast, Rapper Andre 3000 transitioned smoothly from the streets of East Point, Georgia to a 5th Avenue boardroom.
Along the way, Dre alienated his core rap fan base by reinventing himself as a contemporary Bohemian alter ego with an off the wall fashion sense.
After taking a hiatus from recording, Dre sat down with investors and came up with a new clothing line to showcase his quirky side.
In true egocentric form, he called the new line Benjamin Bixby after a character he didn’t bother building up pre-branding for.
“Benjamin Bixby is a character who’s kind of like your uncle,” he said when his line first launched in upper crust stores such as Harrod’s and Barney’s.
Unfortunately for Dre, his target market didn’t shop at Harrods or Barneys, and they weren’t much interested in dressing like their uncles either.
According to Woooha.com, Harrods and Barneys have been forced to slash prices over 50% to move the stagnant Benjamin Bixby merchandise off the shelves:
The problem is no one is buying the clothing line because of the high price point and no brand equity. As a result, the Benjamin Bixby clothing line has had to dramaticly drop prices in order to move inventory and prevent retailers from shipping it all back to Mr. Benjamin.
As of last week, you can now find Benjamin Bixby clothing at Barneys for over 50% off the original price. That $275 sweater vest is now $109. The $1,495 leather jacket is now $639. (LINK)
Celebs Out & About: 2009 BET Honors
The legendary songstress Whitney Houston made a surprise appearance at the 2009 BET Honors in Washington D.C. on Saturday (1/17). I’ve given up on hearing a new album from the Diva. But she looks great!
Photos: Getty Image
Sean Combs, Queen Latifah and Mary J Blige posed together backstage at the 2009 BET Honors at the Warner Theatre in Washington DC on Saturday (1/17).
Photo: Wireimage/Getty
R&B Diva Monica knocked ‘em dead at the BET Honors in Washington D.C. on Saturday night. She’s such a lady!
Photos: Wireimage/Getty
I hear that security is at an all-time high in Washington D.C. this week. Not to monitor the crowds attending the Inauguration, but to keep barracuda Gabrielle Union away from Barack Obama by order of Michelle Obama. I don’t know how true that is. Not that Gabby has ever let security stop her from stealing another woman’s man in the past. The Secret Service has their work cut out for them.
Photo: Wireimage/Getty
NBA legend and entrepreneur Earvin “Magic” Johnson and his wife Cookie Johnson attended the 2nd Annual BET Honors at the Warner Theatre over the weekend.
Photo: Wireimage/Getty
Soft stud and legendary rap femcee MC Lyte attended the BET Honors in Washington D.C. on Saturday night. I LOVE MC Lyte’s floor length coat.
Photo: Wireimage/Getty
Former talk show host Star Jones looked graceful on the red carpet at the BET Honors in D.C. this weekend. I’m glad to see her problems with that man are behind her. Does she have a job yet?
Photos: Wireimage/Getty
Handsome actor Lance Gross attended the BET Honors in DC over the weekend without his fiancee Eva Pigford.
Photo: Wireimage/Getty
Singer Ne-Yo and his longtime girlfriend Tennille Jminez made a pretty couple at the BET Honors in Washington D.C. this weekend. She’s hanging in there with him. Bless her heart.
Photo: Wireimage/Getty
Celebs Out & About: Monique!
I thought they said Monique dropped mad weight recently? She still looks thick & lovely to me.
Monique was spotted walking along Main Street in Park City, Utah where she’s attending the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. You know that’s the place to be if you’re anybody. That’s why yours truly isn’t there.
Photos: Splash News Online
As Predicted, Ray J Gets His Own Show
Whitney Houston’s BFF and Brandy’s little brother, Ray J gets his own reality TV show on VH1 as the dumbing down of television programming continues.
14 ladies will vie for Ray J’s attention on the totally scripted “For the Love of Ray J.” I’m confident that few viewers will tune in to watch the antics as these ladies yank each other’s weave out and call each other b*tches and h*es.
Maybe Whitney will make a cameo at the end to save this drivel from being flushed down the ratings toilet.
Check out the contestants after the break!
Beyoncé To Shriek At The Inaugural First Dance
I know I promised I would be less negative in the ’09, but I have to say this.
According to online reports, Beyoncé will sing for the Obama’s first dance atop the presidential seal at the Inauguration — similar to the pic above of Obama’s predecessor and his wife.
Obviously the head of the inauguration committee is a Beyonce Stan.
What is Beyoncé going to sing? Put a Ring On It? Crazy in Love? To the left to the left? Will her husband Jay Z rap too?
Talk about no class. The Obama’s have set the tone for the first ghetto inauguration in history.
By the way, this inauguration will also be the most expensive in history with a price tag of $150 million for a swearing-in ceremony that only lasts 20 seconds.
Video: The Pompous Motorola Aura Cell Phone
Click here if you can’t view the video
This cell phone by Motorola with its 62-carat sapphire crystal screen retails for a ridiculous $2,095!
The so-called “high end” Motorola Aura cell phone is actually just a retooled version of my Motorola V70 that I still keep for emergencies like when my Sidekick flames out.
There’s a reason why I keep my V70 stored in a drawer in my kitchen: it functions more as an eye catching conversation piece than an actual phone to talk on.
If you’re looking for something to make you feel better about yourself, a Twinkie is much cheaper, and the sugar high you get from eating one lasts a lot longer.
Don’t waste your money.
Aubrey O’Day Blasts ‘Negative’ Bloggers
Aubrey O’Day, formerly of Danity Kane, took time out of her busy schedule to blast bloggers for being too negative.
She tells MTV.com:
“I think that we have become obsessed with Internet blogging. And I think that there is so much negativity out there, and it’s doing no one any good. It’s not doing the people that sit there and think of the nasty thoughts and spend the 10 to 20 hours of their day typing them up (any good).
“It’s not doing the people that read them any good (either), because it’s just consistently putting negativity in the air. It’s not really doing anyone any good, and, you know, we are all so addicted to it. And maybe sit back and ask yourself why.” (LINK)
I totally agree. Negative bloggers are popular because there is so much negativity in the world and people are drawn to bloggers hating on others as a means of temporary escape from reality.
But constant negativity is not healthy for us. It’s the reason why I try to infuse a little humor into my posts and hope that people don’t take what I write so seriously.
Photo: Wireimage/Getty
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