Top 10 celebrities of summer 2014

Sadly, summer is drawing to a close. Yet enough sunshine and warmth remains that one can try to squeeze in a few more beach days and remember the wonderful moments from the past few months.

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Some of the fun of these warm months is watching celebrities and following their lives. It's easier to consume even more media in the summer than the rest of the year, according to MediaPost. What did she wear to the beach? Who is dating whom? How did he do the ice bucket challenge in a unique way?

Celebrities play a large role in influencing society. According to The Telegraph, teenagers were impacted most by celebrities and looked up to them as role models. Because of this, paying attention to who is in the spotlight and why is important.

So here are some of the most influential celebrities from summer 2014. They touched the world and changed society in unique ways, which will not be quickly forgotten as fall begins.

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10. Shailene Woodley – Portraying Beloved Literary Characters

Last year, fewer people would have heard of this actress. Although Shailene Woodley first appeared in the television movie Replacing Dad in 1999, her career took off with her role as Amy Juergens in The Secret Life of the American Teenager and Alexander King in The Descendants, which won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

However, several movies based on young adult novels have boosted Woodley’s fame significantly this year. First, she starred in Divergent, a film about a dystopian society that separates people into groups based on their traits. The actress told Screen Rant that this film pushed her in a good way: “I had never done a movie where you had to play an emotionally truthful character and yet add physical aspects to the mix.”

This summer, Woodley brought tears to viewers’ eyes in The Fault in Our Stars. Based on a novel by John Green, this story addresses issues of cancer, young love and death in a beautiful way. Even before being cast as the star, Woodley loved this book.

According to CNN, she continuously wrote to Green, begging for him to let a film be made on his work. Being the main character was not her goal but rather helping people. “I said I needed this movie to be made. Because I knew that it would change the lives of millions of people," she has said.

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9. Sam Smith – Depicting the Emotions of Unrequited Love

Singer/songwriter Sam Smith first caught the public’s attention by being featured on Disclosure’s “Latch.” This song reached No. 11 on the United Kingdom’s charts in fall 2012. Suddenly, the world had a new star to listen to and enjoy.

Right before his first album, In the Lonely Hour, came out, Smith opened up about a huge secret at the beginning of this summer. First of all, he addressed the deep pain of never being in a relationship. As reported by AMP Radio 97.1, he confessed, “I’ve never been in a relationship before. So I started writing music that was about unrequited love. This whole album deals with my battle with loneliness, but it’s not a sad album, it’s an empowering album.”

Along with this revelation, he confirmed rumors of being gay. According to E! Online, he stated, “It's all there now, and I can move on and hopefully find a guy who can love me the way I love him.”


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8. Taylor Swift – Grooving Without a Guy

This country/pop star has long been criticized for her multiple boyfriends who end up in her angry lyrics. This summer, something seems to have changed in her attitude about romance. Instead of relying on guys, Taylor Swift wants to focus on friendship.

“My priorities were very enamored by romance,” she told Fusion concerning her previous album Red. “At this point, I’m really just like, ‘I really just want to be with my friends.”

Her new single, “Shake It Off,” has been labeled the song of the summer as it debuted at No. 1, according to Forbes.

This focuses on how Swift is able to bounce back stronger and not be affected by haters, fakes or manipulators. The singer told The Guardian, “You can either go crazy and let it make you bitter and make you not trust people, and become really secluded or rebellious against the whole system. Or you can just shake it off and figure that as long as you’re having more fun than anyone else, what does it matter what anyone else thinks?”


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7. Orlando Bloom – Battling Bieber

The blond elf Legolas from The Lord of the Rings and naive William Turner from Pirates of the Caribbean are the roles actor Orlando Bloom is best known for depicting. In the past few years, he has also appeared in The Hobbit films to reprise his role as Legolas.

This summer, however, Bloom became famous for another reason: hitting Justin Bieber. According to TMZ, the fight began because Bieber made a crude comment about Bloom’s ex-wife, Miranda Kerr. After this, Bloom chased the singer before throwing a punch.

Instead of reacting negatively, people affirmed Bloom for his actions. One source, according to the Boston Herald, stated that “Orlando is the nicest guy” and “For him to go after Justin was a big deal.” Bloom told the Mirror that “everyone keeps telling me I’m their hero.”


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6. Ariana Grande– Singing the Hottest Hits

This summer has not had one obvious song to represent it. However, Ariana Grande is considered by many the voice of summer 2014. Her high and clear vocals have been heard in many tracks from “Problem” to “Bang Bang.”

The previous Nickelodeon star teamed up with other known artists such as Jessie J, Iggy Azalea and Niki Minaj to create upbeat tunes. Because of this, Grande’s voice was heard over many radio stations. Slate compared her vocals to Mariah Carey and labeled the young singer “the artist of the summer.”

Along with having popular songs, Grande released her sophomore album, My Everything, in August. Her performance at the MTV Video Music Awards earned her much recognition such as Huffington Post complimenting her opening the show with “Break Free.” When asked about the meaning of this song, she explained to Time, “I wanted to break free from all that I felt like was making me enjoy my life a little less.”


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5. Chris Pratt – Making Super Heroes Humorous

Parks and Recreation fans might have recognized the name Chris Pratt, but many others would not have known about this actor until recent years. His roles in Her and Moneyball brought him more name-recognition. However it was not until this summer that he became beloved by movie-goers and Marvel fans when he portrayed Peter Quill in Guardians of the Galaxy.

The humorous but strangely charming nature of Pratt’s character made people relate and enjoy him. According to the Boston Globe, a personal trainer named Stephen Cabral stated that “He’s someone guys can actually relate to” because of the weight Pratt lost recently.

This positive opinion has followed the actor outside of his role too. His ice bucket challenge on YouTube made fans laugh at and with Pratt. Then, in an interview with Panzer TV, he admitted to stealing his costume from Guardians of the Galaxy for a good cause.

“I stole the jacket and some of the wardrobe so that, if this movie comes out and does what everyone hopes it can, I ... go visit kids,” he said. Following this, Pratt went to a Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles to cheer up the young patients, according to People. Once again, people on the Internet responded with resounding affection for the actor.


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4. Beyoncé – Shining like a Star Despite Scandal

Unlike some of the other celebrities on this list, this singer has been renowned for years. The strong attitude and impressive talent of Beyoncé has made her one of the best known singers in the world. Her songs range from “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” to “Halo” to “Love on Top.”

Thus, her name in the news this summer is probably no surprise. Yet one of the reasons for Beyoncé receiving attention early in the summer was not her voice. Solange, Beyoncé’s sister, attacked the singer’s husband Jay-Z in an elevator in May, as reported by TMZ. This shocking event continued to bring about rumors throughout the summer about Jay-Z and Beyoncé divorcing, secret feuds and family troubles. Most recently, her father stated that it was all a publicity stunt, according to MTV: “Everybody’s talking about it, ticket sales went up, and Solange’s album sales went up 200 percent.”

Apart from this scandal, Beyoncé has been gaining attention in more positive ways. Her nearly 20-minute performance for the MTV Movie Awards closed the ceremony and was highly praised. Her On the Run Tour with her husband earned over $100 million and will be shown on a HBO special this month. Vice-president of touring for Live Nation Omar Al-Joulani confirmed with People more than 90 percent of the seats sold, stating that “the show itself is spectacular.”


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3. Lebron James – Returning to His Hometown

Basketball player Lebron James is one of the game’s biggest stars. According to ESPN, his points per game average for the 2013-2014 season was 27.1 with the total amount of goals in games over his entire career being 842.

However, some fans deserted James in 2010 when he left the Cleveland Cavaliers to play for the Miami Heat. Ohio citizens resented his leaving his home state for Florida. The owner of the Cavaliers, Dan Gilbert, even wrote at letter claiming that James' decision was “a cowardly betrayal” and the team would do better without the “curse [that he brought] with him to the South,” according to the Washington Post.

This summer changed many fans’ hearts when James announced that he would return to Cleveland. FOX News reported his decision to return to his roots and home: “My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball. I didn’t realize that four years ago. I do now.”

Much joy erupted in Cavaliers fans as they welcomed back their star. CBS Sports complied all of the joyous reactions from fellow players, many of whom agreed with his choice. Most of the public echoed that excited response.


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2. Weird Al Yankovic – Twisting Songs into Jokes

For over 30 years ago, Alfred Yankovic or “Weird Al” began to make music. His parodies often poked fun at popular songs such as “Eat It” instead of “Beat It” by Michael Jackson. Other skills that he used to be humorous included acting, writing and producing.

At 54 years old, he has still remained relevant. This summer, his album Mandatory Fun album shot up to No. 1 on the Billboard charts. Suddenly, Yankovic’s name was being seen and mentioned in many places.

Along with releasing a new album, Yankovic performed a mash-up of television theme songs at the Emmys. Newsday Entertainment tweeted this was “possibly the best #Emmys moment ever.” Fans also rallied on Change.org for the singer to perform at the next Super Bowl. The starter of the petition, Ed Ball, stated that “for decades Weird Al has entertained fans, young and old, with his popular clever parodies and unique sense of humor.” So far, nearly 130,000 signatures have been collected.


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1. Robin Williams – Breaking Hearts and Creating Joy

The talented Robin Williams made audiences across the world laugh with his funny faces, well-timed jokes and endless energy. Comedy was not his only gift, however. Williams portrayed more serious characters in renowned films such as Dead Poets Society and Goodwill Hunting. His depictions of characters from the Genie in Aladdin to Euphegenia Doubtfire in Mrs. Doubtfire.

Tragedy struck this summer when Williams committed suicide after suffering from deep depression and newly diagnosed Parkinson’s Disease. The loss of this great actor and big-hearted man saddened people all over the world. Fans, fellow actors, directors, comedians and countless others poured out their sorrows online. According to FOX News, director Barry Levinson worked with Williams on Good Morning Vietnam and extolled the talent and goodness of the late actor, saying, “He was brilliant and sensitive in ways that were extraordinary.”

His death is awful, but some have used it to raise awareness about mental illness and suicide.

Even with his death, Williams is continuing to inspire and touch people as they miss his vibrant smile.

Image courtesy of Sean O’Neill/INFPhoto.com

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