Hannah’s Handle on Hollywood: The good, the bad, and the confusing of 2009

1. Lowlight — Chris Brown and Rihanna drama. No one wanted to see the precious Chris Brown do what he did, but it happened. And he was quickly banned from nearly every radio station in the U.S. So, I guess we didn’t have much to thank Chris for in 2009 … except maybe the song “Forever” becoming a wedding intro classic. But go Rihanna for handling everything so gracefully. Even if your new album isn’t quite up to par, that Shy Ronnie short on Saturday Night Live (SNL) was really funny. 2. Highlight — Britney Spears’ turn-around year. Her Circus tour has been a huge success (except for the lip syncing stint in Australia, but … we’ll give her some grace). She has gained more custody of the kids, and she has finally found a decent man, her longtime talent agent Jason Trawick. He’s seen her shave her head and film “Crossroads,” so I guess he knows what he is getting himself into. He’s no Justin Timberlake, but he’s also no Kevin Federline. So points for you Jason Trawick, you have my approval. 3. Lowlight — The passing of some of Hollywood’s Greatest - While preparing for his comeback tour, the King of Pop Michael Jackson passed away. It was a rough time for America. An estimated 31.1 million people tuned in to watch the star studded memorial. But, we can look back and thank MJ for bringing us classic hits like “Thriller” and “Beat It” as well as his stirring rendition of the scarecrow in “The Wiz”. Ease on…ease on down the road! - Farrah Fawcett died on the same day Michael did. Her thunder was totally taken. Rest in peace Farrah; you and your feathered hair. - Patrick Swayze- He will be missed and honored every time I have a “Crazy for Swayze” movie marathon night. 4. I’m pretty neutral on this, but — Twitter. Twitter is the new Hollywood outlet! So many stars are tweeting their thoughts to the world and to each other through this social networking site. But one star isn’t: Miley Cyrus. She gave up her Twitter account because she was becoming obsessed. Luckily she still has her YouTube page where she can keep us posted about the things going on in her life. Like when she rapped about why she deleted her Twitter. A simple blog on your website would be just fine Miley, but I guess they don’t call you a triple threat for nothing. 5. Highlight — New York Yankees win World Series. After nine long years,(and even a long season with A-rod’s drama) The New York Yankees worked their way back to the top to gain their 27th World Series win. I don’t know if we should thank Kate Hudson, the new stadium, Joe Girardi or Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind.” Whatever the cause, the Yanks are back. Twenty-eight next year boys! 6. Confused light — Is Joaquin Pheonix’s rap career legit? Phoenix’s Letterman appearance in February was a confusing spectacle. Rumors swirled that it was all a hoax for attention, but Joaquin insisted that it was real and he was leaving the acting biz to become a rapper. I don’t really have anything to say to this, only looks of confusion. 7. Lowlight — Kanye West’s jerkish moment at the Video Music Awards. “Imma let you finish …” However, T-swifts’s monologue referencing him on SNL was classic! 8. Lowlight — Gosselin Break-Up. It was quite the lowlight when Jon and Kate (“Jon and Kate Plus Eight”) divorced, but the bad times just kept rolling when Jon decided it would be a good idea to take Hailey Glassman on vacation. From then on the tell-alls never seemed to end. Kate, Jon, Hailey—everyone seemed to tell every feeling they possibly could to any media outlet willing to listen. 9. Highlight —Joel McHale stars in “Community.” “The Soup” is probably one of the funniest shows ever. And now those who do not have cable can experience the wit of Joel McHale. “Community” … it’s about tied with the “Office” in my book, and slowly rising.