Most celebrities, when they’re attempting to find new ways to cash in on their fame, try their hand at starting their own clothing brand, or perhaps their own makeup line. Soulja Boy, however, had a different idea: cleaning products. After all, we all have to clean! (You would hope.) The rapper recently revealed that he and his manager had invested in a South Haven, Mississippi franchise of The Soap Shop, a company that sells cleaning products ranging from hand soap to dish detergent.
Two months ago, this would’ve been just another story of a celebrity using their cash to make some.... interesting financial choices. But with the spread of coronavirus and the general panic surrounding it, this relatively mundane decision turned into a very wise and timely decision. Like if you were smart enough to invest in Purell a month ago. And with the coronavirus-induced increase in sales, it’s making Soulja some pretty decent dough.
All of this led me to one incredibly important question: is Soulja Boy, perhaps unbeknownst to even himself, clairvoyant? Sure, a soap business seems like a pretty stable investment, but under ordinary conditions, not one that would make the rapper a significant amount of money. Especially if prior to the coronavirus pandemic, The Soap Shop was only selling 100 bottles a month. That’s.... not that much soap.
So what led Soulja to make this investment, you might ask. Well, he’s probably wondering the same thing.
“It’s just different businesses … once you get into the music industry, you know, branch out, do different stuff like try different things. Try different business ventures,” he told “The Breakfast Club” earlier this week. “Everybody needs soap.”
He’s not wrong. Everybody does need soap. (I hope?)
But the real reasons for Soulja Boy’s initial investment were likely much more wholesome. In addition to selling cleaning products, The Soap Shop also gives back to the local community in South Haven through a charity, Bubbles for Cash, which funds programs and services for kids in the area. A celebrity using their money to fund small businesses and also supporting the community in the process? We actually do love to see it. [Page Six]
The most recent season of The Bachelor (you know, the one with the almost astonishingly bland and forgettable Pilot Peter as the bachelor) has been a true hot mess. But the way that it ended may have made the whole thing worth it. During the finale, the audience watched past footage of Peter Weber and Hannah Ann Sluss getting engaged and then breaking up. And then she came out on stage and told him off.
“All I’ve ever asked for is someone to give me my whole heart like I’m giving to them,” she fired back. “You took away from me my first engagement. You took that away from me because I trusted you, and that’s what you continued to ask me to do.”
Despite how hilarious the “first engagement” comment is, Hannah Ann made several points. But luckily for my personal enjoyment, Pilot Peter’s embarrassment was far from over. After breaking up with Hannah Ann, Peter reconnected with another contestant, Madison Prewett. During the finale, Madison was brought out on stage with Peter, where the pair revealed that they were planning to give their relationship another try.
And then Peter’s mother Barbara, the icon that she is, told the couple to their faces, on national television, that she didn’t think the relationship would work. THIS is entertainment people!!!! Instead of the next season of The Bachelor, ABC should consider just creating an entire show which features people who want to be on The Bachelor franchise getting publicly shamed by their mothers. I would watch that!
When asked about Barbara’s comments by Us Weekly, host Chris Harrison stuck to his guns, saying a lot of words while sharing no real opinions of any kind.
“In life — and I am a parent — you only want what’s best for your kids. But there’s a time when you can be right and be wrong. And was she right? Maybe,” Harrison said about Barbara’s statements during the finale. “But did she need to make that statement at that time? Was the timing there in the way she expressed herself, could it have been a little better, a little different? Do you ever need to say to your kid, ‘I told you so?’ I just thought, in that moment, maybe it could’ve been a little better timing.”
So sorry Chris, but I’m going to have to disagree with you here. If you make the choice to go on The Bachelor, let alone become The Bachelor, you better come to terms with the fact that your mom might not approve. And that, no matter how you feel about it, she might voice that disapproval on national television... even after millions of ABC viewers watched him get told off by his ex-fianceé on television.
Also, Barbara’s comments were, for lack of a better phrase, simply delicious:
“Chris, he’s going to have to fail to succeed. That’s it,” she said. “All his friends, all his family, everyone that knows him knows that it’s not going to work. So, we’ve been trying to help them. Would we want it to work? Yes.”
The condescension oozing out of that first sentence is just... perfect. Apparently Peter was shaken, which seems understandable. But I would like to give one last shout out to the true star of this season, Barbara. Thank you for making The Bachelor entertaining, even just for one episode. ABC viewers thank you. I thank you. [Us Weekly]
In the midst of coronavirus panic, Lil Nas X has reminded us that he’s the best person.
- Don’t worry, Daniel Radcliffe doesn’t have coronavirus, he just... looks like that. [Page Six]
- Meghan Markle is out and about in the Canadian wilderness [Us Magazine].
- Kelly Cutrone is setting up global meditation sessions to help people cope with coronavirus anxiety. See you in the ether. [Page Six]
DISCUSSION
That’d be impressive given that it’s owned by a private company, not a publicly traded one, so you can’t buy shares in it.