While they hosted their party at Pure, Bronx was back in...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 2 Jan 2009 | 7:33 pm

Teams Lose, Fans Win — Maybe — in the Greatest Depression

It’s an old axiom that the best way for a sports-franchise owner to make money is to do something besides own a sports franchise. Sports teams make money, but they’re often more of a billionaire's vanity project than a legitimate investment. Owners who have a team as their primary business, like the Buffalo Bills’ Wilson family, are the ones who have the most difficulty keeping their franchises afloat. You might know Mike Ilitch from his association with the Detroit Tigers, but his real money comes from pizza (Little Caesars, specifically).

That is to say: When financial trouble hits a team, it’s often because of troubles trickling down from another business. Today, The Wall Street Journal highlights upcoming woes for teams that owe to struggles in industries like transportation and publishing, not to mention Bernie Madoff. Because fewer people with money means fewer people desiring to buy teams, franchise values stand to drop. Meanwhile, franchises creating viable revenue streams — like the Cubs, for Tribune Co., and the Red Sox, for the New York Times Co. — have their owners looking to sell. It’s an odd reckoning.

None of that matters so much to fans, of course: Ticket prices do. CNBC’s Darren Rovell, writing in The New Republic, says 2009 should be a glorious year for sports fans.

Some ticket prices are just downright stupid. The Colorado Rockies, one season removed from a World Series appearance, are selling centerfield bleacher seats to kids and seniors for $1, while the Pittsburgh Pirates will allow you to pick any ten games you want to go to (except Opening Day and the series against the Cleveland Indians) for as low as $7.20 a game. Even the NFL playoffs will be a steal. In November the league decided to discount the face value of playoff ticket prices by ten percent in the face of the economic challenges ahead.

Rovell’s evidence is mostly anecdotal, but there’s a case to be made that the savvy fan can find value that wasn’t there before. Unless you’re a New York fan, that is. With two new stadiums, a defending Super Bowl champion, a new regime at the Garden, and more demand than anyone could possibly hope for, the sports recession isn’t likely to hit home anytime soon — no matter how much money Fred Wilpon gave to Bernie Madoff.

Read more posts by Will Leitch

Filed Under: sports, the sports section, ticket prices

Source: Daily Intel | 2 Jan 2009 | 7:30 pm

Diddy: I'm Not Desperate for Obama Tix

Diddy is not desperate, thank you very much. A rep for the hip-hop impresario is smaking down a New York Post report claiming the artist otherwise known as Sean Combs is trying to play...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 2 Jan 2009 | 7:28 pm

Watchmen Battle: Which Studio Is Better, Warner Bros. or Fox?

The legal war between Warner Bros. and Fox over Watchmen continues today following a judge's hilarious ruling last week that Fox, in fact, owns the distribution rights to the massively anticipated comic-book movie, which Warner Bros. has already produced and spent millions marketing. The latest squabble is over the admissibility of evidence that Warner Bros. claims unequivocally proves that Warner is the "better" studio and Fox is "underperforming," reports the Times' Michael Cieply. All of this comes after an earlier deposition by a Fox executive in which he declared that his studio is "the very best in the business." Sadly, this idiotic turn of events means that the upcoming Watchmen trial will definitely last for decades and the movie will probably never see theaters — but, man, wouldn't it be awesome if all film-rights disputes really were settled on the basis of which party were "better"? We might never hear from Brett Ratner again!

Warner and Fox Debate: Which Is Better? [ArtsBeat/NYT]

Earlier: Judge’s Ruling Allows Watchmen Windfall to Fill Fox’s Coffers

Read more posts by Lane Brown

Filed Under: beef, fox, warner bros., watchmen

Source: Vulture | 2 Jan 2009 | 7:15 pm

A New Year's Celeb Blog Log

We're less than 48 hours into the new year and, already, celebs from Alec Baldwin to Katy Perry to Courtney Love can't wait to blog it out. A sampling: • If you...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 2 Jan 2009 | 7:12 pm

David Beckham Stars in New Adidas Originals Campaign

Pecs. We need pecs.

Let's take a break from talking about people not spending money and turn to those who are basically blowing bills out the door with a fan. Adidas is launching its first global ad campaign in 60 years for Adidas Originals, starring David Beckham, Missy Elliott, and Russell Simmons. Originals is the brand's fashion-y line of athleticwear. The ads show people dancing at a crowded party. "The campaign and the people that are in it are on point with [teens'] needs," says the U.S. marketing director for Adidas. So apparently the needs of twentysomethings who prefer David Beckham without his shirt have gone unnoticed.

According to USA Today, the sports apparel and footwear market is a $70.2 billion business in the U.S. this year. Fashion makes up $45 billion of that, while performance products wrangle $25.2 billion. Though Nike and Puma have seen growth thanks to new emphasis on fashion offerings, Adidas is a little behind. But now is a great time for them to catch up. "Luxury is the last thing that goes out in a recession and the first to recover," says a retail expert. "Consumers are (looking for) a reason to buy, and technology and fashion drive people to make purchases." As do hot shirtless men. See here.

Adidas chases fashion market with global ad campaign [USAT]

Read more posts by Amy Odell

Filed Under: adidas, adidas originals, campaign trail, david beckham, missy elliott, russell simmons

Source: The Cut | 2 Jan 2009 | 7:08 pm

Nobody’s New Year’s Eve Was As Bad As This One

New Year's Eve is rarely a wonderful event, but few folks had as nightmarish an evening as the revelers leaving the city on a Metro-North train that broke down after Bridgeport at 3:40 a.m. and sat there without heat or electricity until a rescue train came at 6:25 a.m. Can you picture that? Sitting there drunk for nearly three hours, too frigid to even pass out? If you blacked out or even ralphed, at least be grateful it was in a warm bed. [NBCNewYork]

Read more posts by Tim Murphy

Filed Under: cold, neighborhood watch, new years even, terror, the wilds of connecticut, trains

Source: Daily Intel | 2 Jan 2009 | 7:00 pm

Officials Tell Press Paterson Is Leaning Toward Caroline

Earlier today, we wondered whether Governor Paterson was beginning to crack. Now, it seems something has cracked — but maybe just his seal of secrecy. Despite his vow that he was keeping his decision-making process to himself in the matter of Hillary Clinton's soon-to-be-vacant Senate seat, officials have told CBS and the AP that he's probably going to pick Caroline Kennedy. We're not sure whether to believe this; beyond the fact that Caroline is the most controversial choice he could probably make, Paterson is famously tight-lipped, and he's sworn not to make his official decision until Hillary is confirmed as secretary of State.

Either way, it was kind of nice before we had this type of incremental "I know what he's thinking!" story. Now, the story line is going to shift toward the Cuddle Gov. We kind of liked it before, when it was all about Caroline not being able to name a place she liked upstate other than the Catskills, Saratoga, and the Adirondacks. We were really hoping for a fashion story next. Like, what is with that puffer coat she's always wearing? Does she only have one plebe-friendly jacket that isn't cashmere or mink?

Senator Kennedy? Sources Close To Gov. Believe So [WCBS/AP]
Earlier: Is Paterson Beginning to Crack?

Read more posts by Chris Rovzar

Filed Under: albany, caroline kennedy, david paterson, Hillary's senate seat, politics

Source: Daily Intel | 2 Jan 2009 | 6:48 pm

Heather Locklear Cops Plea, Makes DUI Disappear

The new year is bringing a clean slate for Heather Locklear. E! News has confirmed that Santa Barbara prosecutors have dismissed a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence after...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 2 Jan 2009 | 6:35 pm

Coldplay Announce Plans to Get Even Worse

"We've done some pretty good stuff, but there's something about the year changing to 2010. I'll also be 33 that year, and I always feel that marks a different phase of songwriting. So I just try to keep as busy as possible till then. Most of my heroes did most of their great stuff before they were 33." — Chris Martin [Sun UK]

"People really don't understand [that] I'm just in the band. I don't do shit, I don't run anything. They're just using my name because somebody thinks I had some level of success, which is such fucking total bullshit. No one knows who the fuck I am. That's why they go, 'Bryan Adams?'" — Ryan Adams on why his band is named Ryan Adams and the Cardinals [Spinner ]

"I have friends that are gay and we study the Bible together." —Prince [E!]

"In The Boat That Rocked, written and directed by Richard Curtis, I play a completely drunk and irresponsible ex-sex symbol, mother of a child with just absolutely no mothering instincts whatsoever. Then I'm in Nick Hornby's An Education as a sadistic, anti-Semitic headmistress. Heavens, I had such a laugh doing that one." —We are totally excited about Emma Thompson's upcoming film roles [Parade]

"When I saw the film, I was with Frank [Miller]. I gave a nervous laugh and said, 'Erm, Frank, that's definitely not a silhouette.' And he's like, 'Yeah, but it's fantastic!'" — Eva Mendes on seeing her naked backside in The Spirit [Mirror]

"Yes, my life is incredible but, oh my God. I have to work at it." — Kate Winslet confirms that it's really hard to be Kate Winslet [Daily Telegraph]

Read more posts by Tammy Oler

Filed Under: chris martin, emma thompson, eva mendes, kate winslet, prince, quote machine, ryan adams

Source: Vulture | 2 Jan 2009 | 6:30 pm

Kira Plastinina Files for Bankruptcy

Kira Plastinina

Sergei Plastinin had "enormous" plans for the worldwide expansion of his daughter Kira Plastinina's clothing business. But soon after we learned he's being forced to shut down most of her twelve U.S. stores due to the economic climate, news comes that the company's U.S. division has filed for bankruptcy. Oh, darn. Sergei spent $80 million setting up his daughter's stores and owes creditors $54.4 million (and what did you get for Christmas?). Here's hoping she will now confine her pleather bow belts and shirts that say stupid things to Russia, where her 70 stores are doing just fine. [Bloomberg]

Read more posts by Amy Odell

Filed Under: bankruptcy, broke people, economy, kira plastinina, sergei plastinin

Source: The Cut | 2 Jan 2009 | 6:25 pm

The Wall Street Bull Speaks

"Look, I've taken a hit. But what are you gonna do? I'll tell you what you're gonna do. You're gonna scratch at the earth a few times. And you're gonna fling the snot from your nose. And you're gonna use your own tail to swat the flies off your ass. And you're gonna get back out there. That's a metaphor, by the way." —Wall Street's famous bronze bull tells Esquire what he's learned from the financial crisis.

Read more posts by Jessica Pressler

Filed Under: Bons Mots, bons mots, bulls, Ridiculous Things, wall street

Source: Daily Intel | 2 Jan 2009 | 6:20 pm

Smith, Downey, Bale Shake Their '08 Moneymakers

As far as 2008 was concerned, it was Will Smith who banked the Benjamins Hancock-over-fist—the action hero has just been named the Top Money-Making Star of the past year. The...

Source: E! Online - Top Stories | 2 Jan 2009 | 6:15 pm

A man listens to new releases

A man listens to new releases while shopping at a music store in 2003 in New York City. The music industry suffered another tough year in 2008 as gains in digital sales in the United States failed to make...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 2 Jan 2009 | 5:49 pm

Oscar Futures: Congratulations in Advance, Slumdog Millionaire!

Every week between now and February 2, when the nominations are announced, movies and stars will help themselves — or, sometimes, hurt themselves — in the Oscar race. Vulture's Oscar Futures will listen to insider gossip, comb the Oscar blogs, and out-and-out guess when necessary to track who's up, who's down, and who's currently leading the race for a coveted nomination.

Best Picture	UP: Slumdog Millionaire. With ballots already in voters' hands, Slumdog has, seemingly, not just the most proponents (and critics' awards) but also the fewest haters of any serious contender. Has this race already been decided? Pretty much, says Nikki Finke.	DOWN: Revolutionary Road. Reviews weren't as strong as expected, and now everybody's piling on: Did Paramount wait too long to release it? wonders Anne Thompson; why does Hollywood hate the suburbs so much? asks The Wall Street Journal.
	CURRENT PREDIX: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, Milk, Slumdog Millionaire, Wall-E

Best Director	UP: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire. Of the twentysomething pre-Oscar awards for Best Director, he's won sixteen. His nearest competition? Gus Van Sant, who got two.	DOWN: David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Critics agree: His movie is spectacularly well made but almost impossible to love. Also, he might have a better chance if voters didn't think he was "such a jerk."
	CURRENT PREDIX: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire; David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon; Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight; Gus Van Sant, Milk
Best Actor	UP: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler. Besides whoever's leaking Rourke's idiotic text messages, does anybody not want to see him win this?	DOWN: Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon. It's looking more likely that Clint Eastwood will take Leonardo DiCaprio's slot in this category — will he and Langella split older voters?
	CURRENT PREDIX: Clint Eastwood Gran Torino; Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon; Sean Penn, Milk; Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Best Actress	UP: Cate Blanchett, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The fact that her performance shines through special effects (and the movie's fourteen-hour running time) did not go unnoticed by critics — could she sneak in there? Her Vanity Fair cover probably doesn't hurt.	DOWN: Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road. Her movie doesn't seem to be finding much support. Will a former front-runner have to fight for a nomination?
	CURRENT PREDIX: Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married; Melissa Leo, Frozen River; Kristin Scott Thomas, I've Loved You So Long; Meryl Streep, Doubt; Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road
Best Supporting Actor	UP: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight. He's won pretty much every critics' prize, and his Oscar victory is probably this year's surest bet.	DOWN: Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire. Enthusiasm for the film still doesn't seem to be translating into very much Oscar buzz for its star.
	CURRENT PREDIX: Josh Brolin, Milk; James Franco, Milk; Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt; Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight; Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road
Best Supporting Actress	UP: Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler. She's taken home more pre-Oscar prizes than presumed front-runner Penélope Cruz — maybe this is a race after all?	DOWN: Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. She's great, sure, but it turns out all of her big scenes are near the beginning of a three-hour movie.
	CURRENT PREDIX: Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona; Viola Davis, Doubt; Rosemarie DeWitt, Rachel Getting Married; Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler; Kate Winslet, The Reader

Read more posts by Lane Brown

Filed Under: kudos, movies, oscar futures, oscars

Source: Vulture | 2 Jan 2009 | 5:45 pm

Anna Wintour to Speak at 92nd Street Y

Gird your loins!

Anna Wintour declined to be interviewed for Cathy Horyn's story about what's wrong with Vogue. But she will speak to her adoring public at the 92nd Street Y on May 12. Topics of discussion include "cultural impact of Vogue and her philanthropy with Jonathan Tisch," co-chairman of the board of Loews Corporation. A-Dubs doesn't speak much, so we wonder if she's trying to spruce up her and Vogue's image by talking about her charity work. She may as well remind us all she does quite a bit of good for the world in addition to producing an exceedingly out-of-touch magazine. We will be there in fits of excitement and awe (with a Vogue and purple Sharpie in tow, of course). Click on for details so you can join us.

Date: Tuesday, May 12
Time: 8 p.m.
Location: Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street, Kaufmann Concert Hall
Price: $40 Premium Orchestra / $27 Orchestra
Purchase tickets here.

Anna Speaks to the People [Fashionista]

Read more posts by Amy Odell

Filed Under: anna wintour, events, wintour wonderland

Source: The Cut | 2 Jan 2009 | 5:38 pm

Courtney Love’s Menstruation-Sponsored Album Still on Track

Healthy-looking singer Courtney Love was evidently supposed to self-release a new album yesterday through her Website, but it's been delayed for a host of perfectly understandable reasons. Fear not, though, as Nobody's Daughter is now scheduled to arrive on February 9 and it'll be sponsored by "a prominent feminine hygiene/menstrual company and a prominent tequila company," according to her ever-intelligible MySpace blog. [MySpace via Idolator]

Read more posts by Lane Brown

Filed Under: courtney love, delays, music

Source: Vulture | 2 Jan 2009 | 5:36 pm

Kathy Griffin Says 'D-Word' on CNN's New Year's Eve Telecast

Comedienne yells offensive term at heckler live on national television
Source: FOXNews.com | 2 Jan 2009 | 5:19 pm

Live Wilco DVD To Precede New Album

As first tipped here in August 2007, Wilco will release its first concert DVD, "Ashes of American Flags," chronicling February 2008 visits to Nashville's Ryman Auditorium and Tulsa, Okla.'s Cain Ballroom.

Source: Billboard.com | 2 Jan 2009 | 5:03 pm

Allman Brothers Band Set For '09 Beacon Run

After postponing the 2008 edition of its annual run of shows at New York's Beacon Theatre due to health concerns for frontman Gregg Allman, the Allman Brothers Band will return to the venue this year.

Source: Billboard.com | 2 Jan 2009 | 4:43 pm

Prince To Roll Out Three Albums This Year

Prince is planning to release three new albums in 2009 without the assistance of a record label, according to an interview with the Los Angeles Times. A "major retailer" is in talks with the artist to release the music physically, while a new Prince Web site will sell it in digital form.

Source: Billboard.com | 2 Jan 2009 | 4:40 pm

BestWeekEver.tv’s Top TV Shows of 2008

Michelle's Top 5 TV Shows of 2008 5. The 2008 Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremony Minutes before the 2008 Summer Olympics kicked off in Beijing, many Americans about to watch the coverage on NBC were probably thinking "Cammannnn, what kind of backward pony-show are these pinko Commie bastards gonna put on for the entire world." Hours later, those very same Americans were forced to steam clean their couch cushions after their collective a**holes were blown out. The Opening Ceremony was UN. BE. LIEV. SCHREIBER. A. BLE. From the almost terrifyingly accurate 2008 drummers (who were trained to smile so as, you know, not to scare the bile out of children), to the thousands of dancers performing Tai Chi in perfectly concentric circles, to the torch bearer DEFYING F**KING GRAVITY AND LOGIC, to Bob Costas, Beijing has officially set the new standards for brain-melting spectacle. Make sure to set the bar real low for the 2012 London Ceremonies, when a toothless man will offer the world a biscuit made out of failure. 4. Greatest American Dog Thank you, CBS, for finally realizing what the world needs: A reality show about Man's Second Best Friend*. Here is the secret to the success of this throwaway summer reality show from CBS: Make it look like a reality show about dogs, when in fact it is a reality show about INSANE DOG OWNERS. The dog's were just adorable bystanders trotting alongside their severely disturbed trainers. And can we talk about the episode titles?? A sampling: "He's a Farter, Not a Fighter"; "The Fast and the Furriest"; and "Salvador Doggy". It is on that basis alone that we must rank Greatest American Dog as one of the Top Shows of 2008. (*After Meth) 3. Saturday Night Live If ever a show in 2008 brought me back to my middle school days, it was SNL. Little does this show realize it had the pleasure of spending many a Saturday night live with me (yes, ME!) in my bedroom, knee socks stretched to their limits, sorbet spoon firmly placed in mouth, as I waited to see how Sarah Palin was to be lampooned by the deservedly praise-lavished Tina Fey, not to mention brilliant performances by Kristen Wiig ("Surprise Party" is a gem) and my personal favorite Bill Hader. We were also lucky enough to see some dramatic actors push their comedic limit (Jon Hamm comes to mind), and that you should never, ever let a swimmer host the show again, no matter how many medals he has, because he probably can't read. (Mark Spitz is so mad at me right now.) 2. Summer Heights High My favorite comedy of 2008. Without rehashing on why this is my number one must see of the year (yes, it's on HBO on Demand), just check out both of my earlier please along with hilarious clips here and here. 1. The Real Housewives of Atlanta Dear Nene Leakes: Thank you. Thank you for easily being the most hilarious reality show character in all of 2008. Thank you for being friends with the most hilarious televised gay man in 2008 (who has the prettiest feet I've ever seen.) Thank you for making up a little song about how your friend Kim, the one who lied about cancer and who was also melted over a BBQ in the "Black Hole Sun" video, and thank you for not being tardy to the party. You are anything but tre tre tre declasse. We love you. Honorable Mentions: "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" I figured I'd throw a bone to my home network and say "Hey VH1, you're still A-OK in my book." I loved the second season of Celeb Rehab, due in large part to the good graces and amazing hair stylings of Dr. Drew Pinsky, and the inimitable Jeff Conway and Gary Busey. And it wouldn't be a TV list of mine if I didn't mention: "Mad Men" Seeing as one of our other BWE.tv editors ranked this show (spoiler!) as his #1, I won't spend too much time explaining why Mad Men was one of the best scripted series of the year. (This is the same reason I won't even breathe a word about the fabulous 30 Rock, because at this point you should just assume it's on my every Top 5 list.) So, without getting too wordy on you, about how Jon Hamm is God, etc etc., please allow this animated GIF to sum up why Mad Men is boss:



Sara's Top 5 TV Shows of 2008 5. Grey's Anatomy. I know, this show is starting to totally suck. But have you ever heard of a little thing known as LOYALTY? Plus, let's face it. This year they introduced McPutHisWangInDoctorYang, and they ripped a dude's face off. Not sure if George will survive through the end of next year, so let's hope that they get rid of him in a really Grey's Anatomy-y way. One thing's for sure: the ghost of Denny is hot. 4. I Love Money. When I saw the first episode for this show, I predicted that it would be "exactly like The Gauntlet, except 400 times more trashy." Boy was I wrong. It was about 6,000 times more trashy. Though these competition shows involving recycled "___ of Love" contestants are getting really old, I Love Money will forever remain in my heart as one of the most brain-hemorrhage-inducingly awesome shows I've ever seen. 3. So You Think You Can Dance. DO I NEED TO EVEN EXPLAIN TO YOU MY LOVE FOR THIS SHOW?? 2. Gossip Girl. While everyone is constantly complaining that The Hills is fake, they're missing out on probably the most realistic television to ever beam into our living rooms. It's called Gossip Girl you guys, and it's basically a documentary about high school life. After the writer's strike, it seemed as if I'd never love again, or see a new episode of GG. Thankfully, when it came back this year, it was better than ever. The story line may have shifted too much onto Jenny Humphrey, but let's be honest, if they went full-on Chuck-Blair, I'd tire too easily of them. Way to play hard to get GG. I'm still hungry for more. 1. Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job! I mean, duh. This show remains one of the freshest, most hilarious things on TV right now. I see comedians everywhere on the internet (and on stage) imitating these guys, and I don't blame them. Tim and Eric have mastered the art of making you laugh while also making you extremely uncomfortable; it's something that is very difficult to pull off, but when done well, is utterly sublime. Sure, it might get me in trouble at work when I try to give a "business hug" to a coworker, but it's worth it sure is worth it when the person gets the joke (they don't).



Dan's Top 5 TV Shows of 2008 5. Top Chef You know, as much as I write about Top Chef, I don't truly consider it one of my "favorite" shows. It's a good show, but I mostly make it a point to watch every week just to have something to follow -- it's not unlike the one character in Slaughterhouse Five who takes a sh*t at the same time every day just so he has something he can control that the Germans can never take away from him. (Flawless analogy? Check.) 4. South Park Hits some weeks, misses some other weeks, but it's always worth watching for that reason. It's also remained fiercely topical and one of the few legit sources of satire outside Colbert and The Daily Show, and nearly every episode contains at least one moment that simply won't give up until you relent into giddy laughter. (Example) 3. The Office / 30 Rock I hate to lump them together, cause both shows have evolved so independently of one another and are miles beyond what appeared to be limited-potential first seasons, but The Office and 30 Rock continue to simply cruise every week with dozens of laugh-out-loud moments and a gradual upward trend towards total absurdity. And like children, I can't rank one above the other. 2. Lost Season 4 was the best Lost season yet. There aren't any word combinations in the English language that I haven't written about this show already, so I see no need to explain this inclusion further. 1. Mad Men I initially groaned at the prospects of having yet another series to catch up on and more spoilers to avoid, but two iTunes purchases and one lengthy flight to Asia later, I finally became privy to the current best show on television. It's got the Sopranos' sense of humor and moral bankruptcy mixed with an eerily convincing 60s aesthetic, terrific characters, and more smoke than Good Night and Good Luck and Backdraft combined. Here's hoping for a long, Sopranos-like stay on television too, only minus the 3-year gaps.
Source: Best Week Ever | 2 Jan 2009 | 3:19 pm

Gallery: Celebrities shiver

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 2 Jan 2009 | 2:59 pm

Brooding band's singer wore what?

No, Gary Lightbody says, his father never dressed him in a suit of armor. But the band sometimes sounds likes it's wearing one: Snow Patrol is known for its less-than-cheery songs. That's changing with the new album, says Lightbody.
Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 2 Jan 2009 | 2:28 pm

Rings Debunks JLo, Marc Anthony Breakup Rumors?

A flurry of new photos show the couple wearing rings on their left ring finger.
Source: FOXNews.com | 2 Jan 2009 | 1:38 pm

One Woman Rules YouTube: Beyonce

R&B singer's clips far outstrip those of any other artist -- and spawn countless homages and parodies.
Source: FOXNews.com | 2 Jan 2009 | 12:58 pm

'The Office' Star Jenna Fischer Tells the Naked Turth

Jenna prefers movie nudity to the real thing; plus where the stars partied on New Year's Eve, and where they'll vacation
Source: FOXNews.com | 2 Jan 2009 | 12:49 pm

Ring in '09 With '08's Greatest Hits

CDs from R.E.M., Elvis Costello, Santogold top list of best albums of 2008.
Source: ABC News: Entertainment | 2 Jan 2009 | 12:49 pm

Alagna, Gheorghiu ring in the new year at the Met (AP)

AP - At the end of Giacomo Puccini's "La Rondine," an enamored woman jilts her ardent but poor lover, saying she can't give up her old life as a rich man's mistress.
Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 2 Jan 2009 | 12:25 pm