Reuters - Malawi's government supports U.S. pop singer Madonna's bid to adopt a second child from the southern African country, the information minister said on Thursday, a position likely to anger rights groups. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 2 Apr 2009 | 11:36 am
AP - Marlene Perez's "Dead Is the New Black" is a young adult novel with a noirish pink and black cover and a supernatural plot. If it ever becomes the next sensation, give some credit to middle-schoolers such as Geneva Lish.
HONG KONG, April 2 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- GigaMedia Limited (Nasdaq: GIGM) confirmed today that it has secured an exclusive license to offer and operate in China... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 2 Apr 2009 | 10:53 am
Someone had to stop believing tonight.
Following a rousing group performance of the Journey classic—was that Danny Gokey or Steve Perry out there?—another American Idol...
Front Page: Director boards Paramount's private eye movie -- Barry Sonnenfeld has become attached to direct "The Spellman Files," the Paramount Pictures adaptation of Lisa Lutz's novel.
The Downturnaround does not like to look to the stock market for good news. We don't trust it, especially given the steady march of bad economic news lately, including that unemployment report that made our blood curdle. What we do trust is our own optimism, which we plan on keeping, even if the market loses its own. Because today, amid the stories of the disintegrating car companies, people sinking their own boats, and major architectural landmarks going for half price, the Downturnaround saw a few glimmers of hope.
• So, auto sales: They weren't quite booming in March, as you may have guessed. Chrysler reported a 39 percent drop in sales, to 101,001 cars and trucks from 166,386 a year earlier. But hang on a second! We don't want to get too Pollyannaish, but consider the environment, here. If a has-been company like Chrysler, one that has allowed itself to be had by a bunch of hedge-fund predators, one that is stupid enough to employ Dan Quayle — but we digress. If a company like Chrysler still moved 100,000 cars in a single month during the Worst Recession Since the Great Depression™, well, then the American consumer is not dead, just wounded. And yes, we know the financing terms were probably outrageously generous. [Calculated Risk]
Next item, please!
• The Times story today about people abandoning their boats made for one sad-ass spectacle of the American dream gone sour. But is this really an epidemic? So what if the state of Florida had to remove 118 derelict boats last summer? Do you have any idea of how many private vessels are registered in the Sunshine State? More than a million. So 118 is less than .01 percent. Even if it has gone up ten times since then, it'd still be less than one-tenth of a percent. Call us when there's a real problem. [NYT]
• It can be annoying to read about hedge-fund guys who are still making big piles of dough. [Ed., Pressler: Except for you, John D. Arnold of Centaurus Energy. You just keep doing what you're doing. Love you. XOXO.] If they're this smart, we wonder, shouldn't they figure out how to do something more useful? But as long as we have to breathe the same air as these rank profiteers, we can take solace in the fact that some traders — or at least the ones who work at the London shop Brevan Howard — get treated like utter shit by their bosses. They even get "time outs," like 3-year-olds. Ha-ha-ha, you dopes who traded your dignity for cash. Will that Bentley really make you feel human again? [Bloomberg]
• Oh yes, some banks are actually paying us — me and you, pal, the U.S. taxpayer — back already. And don't tell us they're doing it just so they don't have to put up with the irksome regulation. As long as their checks don't bounce, we'll take it. [Dealbook/NYT]
• The foreclosure sale of the the John Hancock Tower in Boston has been treated by the media as another sign of our busted economy. We beg to differ, naturally! Sure, it's only half of what some dumb ass paid for it in 2006, but that person was, do we have to repeat ourselves, a dumb ass. Six-hundred-sixty million is still major bills. [WSJ]
We’re not sure why Fiona Apple’s version of songwriter Cy Coleman’s “Why Try to Change Me Now?” is floating around, uh, now — according to Stereogum, it dates back to a Coleman tribute concert from January. But we’re not complaining! It’s been three and a half years since the release of the embattled Extraordinary Machine, so it’s just good to hear Apple hasn’t gone Joaquin on us in the meantime. Her version of the track, recorded by Sinatra in ’52, sounds like it belongs on the Synecdoche, New York soundtrack: The song's a playful stand from an unconventional dreamer, but somehow Fiona’s lugubrious, spartan take has left us with an unshakable sense of dread. Here, now you listen!
Paul Doherty, a friend of Sheppard's who has also represented him as an agent, says that the Yankees' longtime public-address announcer is retiring. Sheppard, though, wouldn't confirm it to the newspaper: "I never said I’m not returning. I never, never said I’m not returning and I say it to you now." The Yankees have also since released a statement calling Doherty's claim "categorically untrue." Sheppard was absent from Yankee Stadium for all of 2008 while recovering from a bronchial infection. [NYT]
Hat designer Reinhard Plank comes from Italy. "When I was a boy, I was a lot in nature and I have a really good relationship with my country. And now I’m always living in cities. So I take my nature out with me," he told our Video Look Book. That might explain his bright green pants. "The pants are the color of my soul," he offers. Watch the Video Look Book to hear him talk about hats and find out which fairy-tale character he identifies with.
Television stars have a lot of time to kill when they take five. (Did you know filming can last, like, a week for a single episode? Whatevs.) So in our brand-new Snapped on the Set: TV photo...
Why is Robert Pattinson asked about Kristen Stewart and Camilla Belle when there are just as many rumors about him and Nikki Reed? Would Pattz really be able to go undercover with a...
20th Century Fox's claws are bared.
The studio has vowed to prosecute whomever is responsible for a full-length copy of X-Men Origins: Wolverine ending up online Tuesday, a month...
Lance Stephenson is the best high-school basketball player in the city, and any day now, he’ll be announcing that he’ll be attending Kansas, or possibly St. John’s, or maybe Maryland next year. There was a time when being the best high-school player in New York pretty much meant you’d go on to a successful career. Similarly, the best players in the NBA were disproportionately New Yorkers. (There was an eleven-year stretch in the seventies and eighties in which the NBA MVP was a New Yorker seven times.) But that’s not really the case anymore. And in a terrific New Republic article, Jason Zengerle explores why exactly the city’s high schools no longer produce the superstars they once did.
Though he focuses on Stephenson and what it’s like to be a schoolboy star in 2009 (lots of family involvement, AAU ball, and sneaker contracts), Zengerle offers some possible reasons for the decline. There’s the abundance of public schools (and thus lack of quality competition), as well as prep schools outside of the city that steal away talent, but the most likely explanation is this: They don’t succeed in the long run because they’re overhyped, and maybe not all that good to begin with.
The best quote in the piece also sums up the problem. Says Gary Charles, director of the New York Panthers, an AAU squad: “I now see kids who I consider mid- and low-Division I prospects walking around with posses.” There’s so much hype, from both friends and the increasing number of websites and magazines that cover this stuff, that it’s hard to accurately peg a kid’s skill level, especially for the kid himself. Going a step further, his focus may not be on continuing to improve, because if you’re always being told you’re great, why bother?
In a sense, it’s almost like each generation lives on the reputations of the one before it, even if the returns are diminishing. Lew Alcindor was one of the all-time greats even in his days at Power Memorial. Chris Mullin wasn’t quite so good, but was a legendary high-school gym rat, a great college player, and a member of the Dream Team. Felipe Lopez had as much hype as any of them, but had a pretty average career in college and in the NBA. Fast-forward to a guy like Sebastian Telfair, who was undoubtedly told time and time again that he, too, was the Next Great New York Basketball Star. He’s now on his third team in five years. Will Stephenson have a great career in college and as a pro? Maybe he will. But just being a standout in a city high school no longer makes that a sure thing.
Front Page: Cotillard, Page, Murphy look to join DiCaprio -- Warner Bros. is in talks with Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy and Ellen Page to join the cast of "Inception," which Christopher Nolan wrote and will direct as his next film.
Just as we speculated at length yesterday, CBS officially announced today that the 72nd season of Guiding Light will be its last. Judging from your tepid response to yesterday's item, this won't put too much of a cramp in any of your viewing habits. Still, we find ourselves duty-bound to pass along word that TV Week is reporting that the current front-runner for the show's time slot come September is a reboot of The $25,000 Pyramid. This, as you have come to expect from your friendly Vulture editors, got us thinking: In a daytime landscape dominated by game shows where contestants can win up to $1,000,000, why would anyone even bother airing a game show where the top prize is a measly $25k? Well, as you might expect, it's all about the economy, stupid.
Traditionally, game shows that air in prime time command higher advertising rates than the same show would in daytime. However, this doesn't explain why producer Michael Davies (he of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire fame) would want to go the cheapskate route this time around. After all, when the original show hosted by Dick Clark launched back in 1973, it was called The $10,000 Pyramid. If you translate the value of $10,000 back in 1973 to today's equivalent, it would be worth $49,465 (at least according to this Inflation Calculator). With that in mind, your intrepid Vulture editors took a look back at the show's myriad iterations over the years to determine the most valuable pyramid in history:
• 1973: $10,000 Pyramid = $49,465 in 2009 dollars
• 1974: $25,000 Pyramid = $113,760 in 2009 dollars
• 1976: $20,000 Pyramid = $75,758.56 in 2009 dollars
• 1981: $50,000 Pyramid = $121,801 in 2009 dollars
• 1985: $100,000 Pyramid = $199,648 in 2009 dollars
• 1991: $100,000 Pyramid = $157,122 in 2009 dollars
We knew the recession was bad, but until today, we had no idea how bad!
At the opening of the musical Hair last night at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, guests embraced their inner hippie. "I grew up in Greenwich Village in the sixties, so I had no choice," Tim Robbins told us of his hippie status. Meanwhile, Broadway star Tovah Feldshuh burned her bra in 1968 and hasn't worn one since, and Hoda Kotb staged her first sit-in during elementary school. View our Party Lines slideshow for more peace, love, and antiestablishment moments.
Does Britney Spears want out from under her daddy's thumb? Or is it her source of protection?
Those were the dueling storylines that emerged in a Los Angeles courtroom today, when...
Publishers were hardly shocked when the Association of American Publishers yesterday released some hard numbers (actually, rough estimates) of 2008 book sales, revealing they'd declined 2.8 percent. Maybe it was a little worse than the slight dip expected this time last year, but then no one quite anticipated that the world economy would take a drastic nose dive in September. An industry that sees 5 percent growth as a bubble is taking it in (gimpy) stride.
There is one puzzling blip in the report: The single biggest drop in sales was for audiobooks, down 21 percent from 2007. This, by the way, includes digital downloads. (The Kindle's new voice function, whereby a creepy Hawking-esque voice reads your favorite books to you, works under the assumption that Americans too lazy to focus their eyes on words would happily let you ladle them into their ears. That seems not to be true.) E-book sales were up almost 70 percent, but — this isn't surprising, either — the AAP estimates they still only account for half of a percent of total book sales.
In other downbeat news, all those Amazon deals and iPhone apps certainly aren't helping beleaguered Borders. The chain, frantically trying to scramble up out of near-bankruptcy, just announced almost $185 million in losses for 2008. But new CEO Ron Marshall is keeping his spirits up. “We've identified what needs to be done and we'll get it done,” he said — which, if true, is more than you can say for most CEOs. Hey, it beats selling newspapers.
After a year in the desert, during which its finances withered and its plans dissolved, New York City Opera will finally come home with a November 5 gala, retaking possession of the freshly renovated and rechristened David H. Koch Theater. Okay, so the lofty visions it proclaimed last year won’t materialize — no Einstein on the Beach, no five-hour French opera about Saint Francis of Assisi in the drill hall of the Park Avenue Armory. But the short-order season that the new director, George Steel, has whipped together in the two months since he’s taken over is a taut demonstration of what’s made this company so indispensable. Steel ordered up one new production — Mozart’s Don Giovanni, directed by City Opera stalwart Christopher Alden — and dove into the warehouses for the rest.
He’s chosen well: Hugo Weisgall’s Esther got a jelly-kneed rave from the Times when it had its world premiere in 1993 — and then vanished from the repertoire. The inimitably queenly soprano Lauren Flanigan sang the role of the biblical sovereign back then, and she’ll do so again in November. Launching a new era with such a richly dramatic, recently minted piece signals that City Opera hasn’t backed away from its ambitions. “The number of opera houses that would open the season with a work from after 1990 is ... one,” Steel remarked.
Also on the docket are revivals of Mark Lamos’s luminous and spare production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Handel’s Partenope, and Chabrier’s proseccolike comedy L’étoile; all of which suggests that Steel knows how to pluck from the company’s cornucopia of existing productions. The troubled company’s long-term future is still blurred, but at least next season suggests that New York City Opera has a very promising past.
Check our Twitter feed for updates live from the mayhem at the opening of Topshop tomorrow morning. No catfight shall go undocumented … unless we get trampled in the crowd and become incapacitated. Wish us luck! [Cutblog/Twitter]
One day you're in, the next you're out. Luckily for Lifetime, it works the other way around, too.
After far too many months of empty DVRs for the Project Runway-watching...
April Fools! The media is still decidedly broken. America’s most colorful newspaper is suffering and lots of people got fired, but the Washington Post still has an opening for “the one”!
• Don't count on your hotel to deliver a paper on your next business trip. USA Today is down 100,000 subscribers because no one is traveling. [Romenesko]
• The Washington Post is still looking for an assistant managing editor for the style section. They say they're "just looking for the right person." And that right person could be you! Quick, send them your résumé before the last job in media is gone! [Politico]
• Even the Internet is having a tough time today: Layoffs have hit online-video site and YouTube competitor Veoh. [MediaMemo/AllThingsD]
AP - For months, young fashionistas have been feverish over the opening of an outpost of successful British fast-fashion retailer Topshop in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood Thursday.
HILLS HOTTIE: Jessica Alba, walking the streets of Beverly Hills with coffee in hand and business associates in tow.
HOW BAZAAR: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, at the Bazaar at SLS Hotel...
We have possibly the best reason ever for you to rent a Zipcar and call in sick tomorrow: The nation's first-ever Balenciaga outlet opens at Woodbury Commons Premium Outlets. The store will feature ready-to-wear, bags, accessories, and shoes for 40 percent off retail. From the center of Manhattan, the outlets are only 50 miles away. Think this opening will be any more sophisticated than the Topshop opening in Soho? And how on earth did the fashion gods conspire for both of these stores to open on the same day? The heavens hath smiled upon us.
Woodbury Commons, 498 Red Apple Court, Central Valley, New York, 10917 (845-928-2006); daily (10–9). Easter weekend: 4/10 and 4/11 (10–9), 4/12 (noon–6).
It turns out there's a good reason, well, besides the whims of taste, that Osbournes: Reloaded mania didn't sweep the country last night.
The show didn't air in a lot of the...
TOP DONE: Tom Cruise totally died today you guys! Looks like his eyes will really be wide shut now, am I right? (website.com)
FATMAN: The Batman 3 cast was revealed today, with Peter O'Toole joining the franchise as The Riddler, Jeremy Piven as Joker Jr., Cate Blanchett as Bane, and Danny DeVito reprising his role as The Penguin. (moviehugs.net)
COME(TOGETHER)BACK: The Beatles are together and touring again. They're actually set to perform third to last on the second stage at Bonnaroo right after The Roots and right before The Roots. (Imnotamusic.info)
KILLADELPHIA: Tom Hanks died too. Looks like his eyes will really be Turner and Hooch now, am I right? (news.gov)
ArtsBeat's Dave Itzkoff has a fascinating interview today with Lost's Sterling Beaumon, the 13-year-old actor who portrays the show's young Ben Linus. Just like the scheming, impossible-to-read grown-up version of the character he plays, Beaumon comes off as a little spooky, and talks in a way that always makes it seem like he's trying to hint at something bigger (much like otherLost actors who want to be interesting interviews without violating their non-disclosure contracts). Read on for possible spoilers!
So is young Ben alive or dead? When told that most viewers assume he must be alive since he grows into an adult, Beaumon says this:
Ah. You think he becomes an adult. Now, this is just from watching, if you listen back to when the Losties first meet up with the Dharma people, when Miles asked Daniel Faraday, “Hey, we don’t get involved, right?” And Daniel Faraday says, “It doesn’t matter now, we’re stuck in this time, we’re going to change something.” So they’re changing time. Don’t forget, way back in season 2, we saw Ben without his shirt on, and there was no scar.
Also, this is interesting, too. Itzkoff asks if Beaumon based his performance on Michael Emerson's portrayal of Ben:
My first episode of season 5, Jack Bender [a Lost director and executive producer] told me, "Don't act like Ben. It will ruin what's to come."
Translation: Prepare to have your head exploded tonight!
Are AIG executives on another executive retreat, as the banner above the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, says? After everything. No, actually, it's just an April Fool's joke. "We've done a banner every April Fool's Day for years," the Red Lion's manager, Bruce Finn, told Daily Intel. "The first year, the owner put up a banner that said 'Under New Management,' — that one really got me." Ha! Last year's banner proclaimed "Britney Spears, One Night Only!" and the year before, "Welcome, Nudists of America!" "We're a 238-year-old inn," Finn said, "so that raised a lot of eyebrows." Not as many as this year, however: "We've had people who drive by, stop in, and act outraged. We usually let them rant a little bit, and then we tell them it's a joke, and they really enjoy it."
After a lifetime of waiting, this country's first Topshop opens to the public in Soho tomorrow. We got inside early with our video camera for a first look at the store, and it is massive. In the video, get the lay of the land — from the denim lounge to the shoe lounge to the Kate Moss section (see a preview of her entire spring collection) to Topman — and more, along with an up-close look at some of our favorite spring pieces. If you plan to hit the store tomorrow, we suggest you use this footage to strategize.
While stateside Pushing Daisies fans will likely have to wait until the show's second and final season is released on DVD on July 21 to know how the series wraps up, die-hard fans might want to plan a vacation to England for a few weeks this spring. The British television network ITV has announced that they will air all thirteen episodes of the quirky critical smash's second season, whereas ABC currently has no plans to broadcast the final three episodes they've been sitting on since canceling the show in November. [BroadcastNow]
While I finish up my Real Housewives post (there is just so much to say, isn't there), why don't you take the time to e-mail the following video to your Mom. It's about the world's tiniest piglet taking a trip to the beach!! Let's hope he didn't get lost in a firepit and end up delicious.
• China Glaze nail polish is coming out with colors inspired by sneakers. The pink, red, and orange hues come with names like B-Girlz, Laced Up, Sneaker Head, Style Wars, and Breakin'. [All Lacquered Up]
MAKEUP
• Mass-market cosmetics company Physicians Formula reported a fourth-quarter loss of $24.5 million. Does it count for anything that that's better than Saks's losses? [WWD]
• Taylor Momsen went to two different parties on the same night with completely different shades of lipstick: hot pink and matte burgundy. And that is something we would never bother to do. [Beauty Counter/Style.com]
FRAGRANCE
• Hayden Christensen appears in ads for Lacoste's new cologne, called Challenge. Now you know. [Just Jared]
Age: 31 Occupation: Actor and singer, currently on Broadway in Reasons to Be Pretty. His fifth season on the FX TV drama Rescue Me starts April 7 and his new CD Somethin’ Like Love will have a prerelease on iTunes starting March 31. Neighborhood: Upper West Side
Who's your favorite New Yorker, living or dead, real or fictional?
Laura Benanti. Brains AND beauty? Come on ...
What's the best meal you've eaten in New York?
Wow ... tough one. The beef tenderloin at Perry St.
In one sentence, what do you actually do all day in your job?
How 'bout one word? ... Pretend.
Would you still live here on a $35,000 salary?
Isn't that a month's rent for a studio apartment these days?
What's the last thing you saw on Broadway? West Side Story.
Do you give money to panhandlers?
Rarely. Charities mostly.
What's your drink?
Vodka soda. Gotta stay trim ...
How often do you prepare your own meals?
Never.
What's your favorite medication?
Vodka soda.
What's hanging above your sofa?
Pelts from large cats I've poached. Wedding photos, actually.
How much is too much to spend on a haircut?
Whatever John Edwards spends.
When's bedtime?
One o'clock-ish?
Which do you prefer, the old Times Square or the new Times Square?
The future Times Square. Where we can actually walk around.
What do you think of Donald Trump?
I DON'T think of Donald Trump.
What do you hate most about living in New York?
People who piss on the street.
Who is your mortal enemy?
I have none.
When's the last time you drove a car?
The day before yesterday.
How has the economic downturn affected your life?
A lot. I have friends and family heavily affected. For me personally? Thank God Rescue Me is a hit.
Times, Post, or Daily News?
The New York Times, of course.
Where do you go to be alone?
The toilet.
What makes someone a New Yorker?
An absolute inability to imagine living anywhere else.
Almost a year after NBC sued the Weinstein Company for selling Project Runway to Lifetime without giving the network the right of first refusal, the lawsuit has been settled. According to a statement released today by NBC Universal, the Weinstein Company will pay NBC for the right to move the series to Lifetime. Harvey Weinstein says in the statement, "I want to personally congratulate Jeff Zucker and NBCU on their success in the litigation and thank Jeff for resolving this in a professional manner. We look forward to working together on our ongoing projects.” So although Weinstein and Zucker were having a diva feud throughout the proceedings — Weinstein accusing Zucker of trying to sabotage the series and Zucker accusing Weinstein of being just plain shady — they're besties again! (Yay?) And the sixth season of Project Runway is saved! Er, the sixth season of Project Runway that was shot in L.A. can finally air on Lifetime! Wow, now that we've typed it out, it just sounds so depressing.
Shot in just 21 days with a mostly amateur cast (including New York's own Mark Jacobson!), Steven Soderbergh's The Girlfriend Experience, due on May 22, stars popular pornography actress Sasha Grey as a high-end prostitute pondering the state of her life. The film hits On Demand on April 30, and arrives in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on May 22. Magnolia Pictures gave Vulture an exclusive first look at the movie's poster, featuring Grey.
It's April Fools' Day, which means somebody had to come away with egg on his face for failing to maintain an overabundance of caution. And who better than ABC's Jake Tapper! Tapper got an e-mail this morning from a "liberal activist" containing an excerpt and link from a Reuters news article reporting that John Yoo, one of the Bush administration's most torture-friendly officials, had been arrested on war-crimes charges in Italy. Hint number one probably should have been that the link didn't work, but then again, maybe Tapper just didn't expect a potential April Fools' gag to be so lame. Regardless, Tapper forwarded the e-mail across the ABC "internal news distribution system," but soon after realized he had fallen for one of the classic blunders (the most famous is never get involved in a land war in Asia), and a colleague confirmed it for him. Afterward, recovering from the incident, he tweeted, "War crimes + torture=comedy (?)." Yeah, not really. But Jake Tapper getting flimflammed? Kind of!
Tomorrow Topshop opens in Soho, but New Yorkers won't be the only ones mowing each other down for the goods. Kate Moss's spring Topshop collection launches online and in stores tomorrow in New York and around the world. After past seasons' Kate Moss launches, pieces sold out online in hours or less. In London, shoppers routinely line up early and fight over this stuff in the store. Just think — now that we have our very own Topshop we can line up early and slap each other for it, too! Doesn't that warm your heart and deepest reaches of your soul? Kate's spring collection includes the usual flirty minidresses, slinky tank tops, and hot pants, but this marks her first foray into lingerie. See the entire new collection in the slideshow.
The soap opera Guiding Light has not been renewed for the 2009-2010 season, bringing an end to the monumental 57-year run of the program that started out as a 15-minute radio serial before evolving ultimately into an hour-long, five-days-a-week daytime program.
To honor this show's remarkable achievement in longevity, please enjoy this a brief transcript of the first Guiding Light episode ever, which aired on the radio on January 25, 1937:
[CRASH OF THUNDER]SNIDELY McDAGGER: Finally, old man...now that I've forced your daughter Wendy to sign my marriage contract, your bauxite mine will soon belong to MEEEEE!!!!
MR. MILLER: You'll never get away with this, McDagger!
SNIDELY McDAGGER: Balderdash! At midnight I shall be the richest man in all of Akron!
WENDY MILLER: I dare say, good sirs, I have a confession to make!
SNIDELY McDAGGER: Then cease to be such a Silent Samuel and begin speaking!
WENDY MILLER: Father, I must confess...at Postmaster Harrison's garden party several fortnights passed, the young accounting man John Whitmore and I did indeed...hold one another's hands.
MR. MILLER: Scandalous w--
WENDY MILLER: Before you complete the phrase 'scandalous wench' - John and I immediately felt so guilty about giving in to such temptations, we...were married later that night. Don't you understand? It means Snidely's contract is invalid!
MR. MILLER: Wendy, it is illegal for women to speak the word 'invalid,' but otherwise, that is tremendous news!
SNIDELY McDAGGER: Enough of this haldoozery! It's a pity no one shall ever hear of your little wives' tale...
WENDY MILLER: NOOOO DOOOON'T!!!
[THUNDER CRASH SOUND EFFECT - GLASS BREAKING]
SNIDELY McDAGGER: Oh no!!! The Crimson Mantis!
CRIMSON MANTIS: That's right, McDagger - you just bought yourself a one-way ticket to Jail County! And I don't mean that place we renamed 'New Jersey' a year ago.
SNIDELY McDAGGER: My plan!!!!!!!!
CRIMSON MANTIS: The only plan you have now is the plan to go to jail!
MR. MILLER: The day is saved again thanks to the Crimson Mantis!
WENDY MILLER: Wait til I tell John about this!
CRIMSON MANTIS: Oh, I have a feeling John is around here somewhere.... [FIVE SECOND SILENCE] Um...I'm winking right now. For the listeners at home, I'm winking. Because I'm John. I'm winking as if to say, "I'm actually John, everyone!" Make sense? Anyway. Somewhere.......
Tune in next week for another thrilling episode of Guiding Light to take your mind off the Dust Bowl for another glorious quarter of an hour! Brought to you by Dr. Vet Vegimen's Detoxifying Lima Bean Juice - Remember to "Bean your body right" with Vegimen's! Good night folks! Source: Best Week Ever | 1 Apr 2009 | 9:15 pm
Today's complaint against the Fairfield Greenwich Group contains an e-mail from Manuel Gomez, an employee at Sigma, one of the Fairfield funds heavily invested in Madoff, sent December 13, two days after Bernie turned himself in: "You mentioned that Fairfield used to get some copies of some trades done by Madoff. In order to cover my ass, can I get some copies of those trades? I need to show people who invested in Sigma that I was doing due diligence in what is the largest scam in financial history." Oops. Too late for that. [Massachusetts SEC]
Rick Owens: "I’m not really into clothes. I wear one outfit like a uniform, and I have for years. Black sweatpants, black baggy shorts over them, a black or white cotton t-shirt, and a black cashmere t-shirt over that. I couldn’t imagine having to change outfits every day or having to change for the gym. This outfit takes me to the gym, to work in the studio, and then to dinner with a mink coat over it. Changing your body is so much more hardcore [than changing your clothes]. The extreme sensation of working out has replaced the mosh pits of my earlier years and the sex clubs for years after that. It’s a great combo of discipline, joyous release, meditation, and vanity." [Vice]
Tomorrow, Barack Obama takes part in his first international conference as president, the G20 summit, a big step for him as a new player on the world stage. Sitting across from him at what we imagine will be one long table are his new peers, the leaders of the world's top economic powerhouses — each of them with their own priorities, motivations, and histories. In other words, Obama will have to approach each personality with the utmost delicacy. Here are the most important ones.
Photo: Getty Images
Gordon Brown: The two are on the same page about the need for other countries to pass stimulus packages, but Obama has other problems with the British prime minister. After returning a bust of Winston Churchill that sat in the Oval Office since 9/11 and gifting Brown a set of unusable DVDs, Obama has to prove that the "special relationship" the two countries have had for generations is still strong. Unfortunately, he started off inauspiciously this morning by refusing to wish the English soccer team good luck in their match against Ukraine, an act normally punishable by hanging.
Photo: Getty Images
Nicolas Sarkozy: The French president is less concerned about stimulus spending and more adamant about international financial regulation — in fact, annoyingly so. A couple of days before the start of the summit, Sarkozy warned that if the G20 nations didn't agree to his demands, "there'll be an empty chair — I'll get up and leave." Which would not be helpful, but also not at all out of character either. Obama should have extra lollies on hand in case Sarkozy gets hissy.
Photo: Getty Images
Angela Merkel: The German chancellor has made it clear that she won't abandon strict fiscal responsibility in order to pump money into the economy, something Obama has shown more willingness to do. At the same time, she also expressed certainty that the two nations will cooperate despite their differences, just as long as Obama KEEPS HIS DAMN HANDS TO HIMSELF.
Photo: Getty Images
Hu Jintao: China basically owns our country right now, so Obama must do everything he can to placate it in every way. Then again, China has been floating the idea of replacing the dollar as the global reserve currency, something Obama simply can't accede to. So he's making up for it in other ways, like accepting an invitation to visit Beijing by the end of the year, even though he's reeeally kind of busy, but, no it's fine, he'll shift a few things around — no, no, it's fine, he'd love to.
Photo: Getty Images
Dmitri Medvedev: Obama has already met with the Russian president to discuss a new nuclear-arms-reduction treaty and non-proliferation efforts concerning Iran and North Korea. Of course, Obama's hand has been weakened in the wake of the embarrassing "reset"-button fiasco, which diminished our credibility for years to come. On a hopeful note, the two agreed to set aside "Cold War mentalities" — but immediately narrowed their eyes and looked at each other with heightened suspicion.
90210's new bad boy Liam (Matt Lanter) lands a TKO punch on good guy Ethan (Dustin Milligan).
When the CW initially rebooted the 90210 franchise last fall, there was a careful strategy in place to balance plotlines and airtime between the show's newbie cast members and the returning characters from the beloved original incarnation (Jennie Garth, Shannen Doherty, and, of course, Joe E. Tata). However, as the season wore on, there were some tense moments behind the scenes as to what direction the show should be taking in order to continue to grow its audience. Not surprisingly, the young kids won out. As a result, original executive producers Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah were shown the door decided to exit the show, leaving Gilmore Girls veteran Rebecca Rand Kirshner in charge of running it. And now, after recently signing a two-year contract extension, RRK is exerting her influence on the show by firing the show's clean-cut, good-guy hunk Ethan (Dustin Milligan) and beefing up the presence of the hell-raising, bad-boy hunk Liam (Matt Lanter). Scandal in the halls of West Beverly, y'all!
Actually, when you think about it, poor Dustin Milligan never stood a chance. Although his character arc began with him getting an illicit blow job in the parking lot of West Bev from someone other than his girlfriend, his character quickly devolved into a lapdog when he started dating the show's lead character, Annie (Shenae Grimes). To RRK's credit, she quickly recognized that this vanilla character wasn't appealing to young women, mainly because he couldn't hold a candle to the likes of Gossip Girl's Chuck Bass. So, in order to combat this, she introduced a classic "outsider" type into the cast named Liam, whom she based loosely off Christian Slater's Happy Harry Hard-On character in Pump Up the Volume. "He’s an iconoclast, and initially, a cipher,” Sinclair explained. "Darker than Dylan." Darker than Dylan? Sign us up!
And just like that, Milligan will soon find himself out of a job while Lanter has been put in a position to become one of the CW's next big names. Ain't Hollywood grand?
"Yes, Good day. Did Niles hire you? No matter really. I'd like 3 scones, a tea, and a bit of ham. And you dear -- my sponge bath is usually at 5:30 on the nose, but... I guess I could make arrangements if you're ready now. (pause) Oh, mind the dogs! You know how they feel about, well, you know. And young man, we take inventory of the china, so... quite."
President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama meet with Queen Elizabeth II during an audience at Buckingham Palace. Source: Best Week Ever | 1 Apr 2009 | 8:48 pm
With the two rock musicals Hair (opening today) and Rock of Ages, Broadway has breached the fourth wall. In the mood to possibly have a cast member fall in your lap? See Hair! Want your loud eighties ballads filtered through an alcoholic haze? Go to Rock of Ages! This is some of the most vivid musical entertainment to be had on Broadway right now, but as we’ve observed from our orchestra seats, not everyone’s feeling it. Here’s what to expect, good and bad, from immersing yourself in these two shows.
Hair The Gimmick: From the minute “Aquarius” starts, hippies are running through the theater, tumbling over walls, and generally getting all up in your face.
Rock On: The hippies are all pretty hot. You can also enter a lottery the day of the performance for a $25 seat in a “Be-In Box,” which is attached to ladders that host scrambling, and singing, cast members.
Bummer: We observed several … interesting facial expressions throughout the audience, especially on the Be-In inhabitants confronted with hairy heads popping up over their ledge. We also imagine it took the Be-In Boxers more time to run down to the stage to dance at show’s end.
Rock of Ages The Gimmick: Drinking in the audience is encouraged by cheerful waiters.
Rock On: Drinking in the audience is encouraged by cheerful waiters.
Bummer: The drinks, naturally, are way overpriced. And while the show’s cheaply priced “VIP Green Room Boxes,” which come with private waitress service, sound great, the VIPs we saw (and hoped would be hilariously drunk) actually seemed pretty chilled out. We were also sad to learn that the show’s producers don’t get any profits from the drink sales — it all goes to the theater (per usual for Broadway).
Michelle Obama changed out of the delightfully sparkly J.Crew sweater she wore this morning for her meeting with the Queen this afternoon. According to WWD, the black-and-white outfit is by Isabel Toledo, and the cardigan is by Azzedine Alaïa. (We wonder if she'll break out more Alaïa later in the trip since she's on European soil.) She wasn't wearing a coat this morning, but topped the Buckingham Palace ensemble with a black Jason Wu coat. Though lovely, this isn't the most interesting outfit we've seen Michelle wear, but she's meeting the Queen so it's not like she can wear the latest Gareth Pugh from Paris or anything. MObama appears to have kept her cardigan on for her meeting with the Queen, but unleashed her guns as soon as she was free of the palace and all its formalities. Also of note: She did not wear a hat like Carla Bruni-Sarkozy did for her Queen meeting, but pulled her hair halfway up in a Beyoncé-esque bouffant. Now put your hands up.
Hey guys!
Allison Iraheta here. One of the best parts of being a finalist on American Idol is that the world is our stage (or in this case, America, LOL). Anyway, this week we got to make our own public service announcements, and I chose to do one about Safety!
Safety is super important. If you are not safe, you could seriously injure yourself... or even die. Here are my tips!!
xoxo
~Allison~
TIP #1: Do not sing into a plugged in microphone while standing in a giant puddle of water. You could electrocute yourself!
Tip #2:Don't stick a fork in an electrical outlet!! You might think there are fun toys and prizes inside, or even food... but there isn't. The only thing inside is a trip to the ER after you've been electrocuted, trust me.
TIP #3: This one is kind of like Tip #1, only different: Don't sing while standing in a puddle of urine either. Liquid is liquid, guys. It's not a joke.
TIP #4: Do not -- I repeat, DO NOT -- stick your hand all the way into a plugged in toaster when they are a little cold! This might seem like a good idea, but toasting your hands is extremely dangerous. Trust me, I should know... I was electrocuted that way.
TIP #5: Make sure never to anger the guest judge... especially when that guest judge is Electro from the Marvel Comic Book series. HE WILL ELECTROCUTE YOU FOR REAL DO NOT ANGER HIM!
Thankyouthankyouthankyou, Vote for Me!!! #5!!! xoxoxo AI! (Same initials as the show, N'ver 4get) Source: Best Week Ever | 1 Apr 2009 | 8:21 pm
Maybe! According to Vulture buddy Nikki Finke, NBC is currently deciding whether to cancel the low-rated, increasingly expensive My Name Is Earl, and Twentieth Century Fox TV, which produces the show, is balking at the reduced fee they're being offered for more episodes. So Fox Broadcasting Company president Kevin Reilly is purportedly considering moving Earl to his own network. No word on what Ben Silverman might replace it with (infomercials, one assumes). [DHD]
Clockwise from left: Neon-Yellow Bubble Dress, Ruffle Romper, Livia Necklace, Twelve by Twelve Skirt, H&M Floral Skirt, American Eagle Boy-Fit Jean.
We write a blog for a living — we know what it's like to bargain shop. It can be incredibly draining, but finding a gem is totally worth the extra energy. Our latest Shop-A-Matic aims to save you a little footwork. We enlisted penny-pinching expert Kathryn Finney of the Budget Fashionista to help find 130 items to fit twelve top spring trends: Asymmetrical necklines, destroyed denim, exposed zippers, floral prints, fringe, rompers, metallics, neon brights, nude layers, ruffles, sheer, and statement jewelry. Read on for our top six picks.
Neon Brights:Neon-Yellow Bubble Dress from T.J. Maxx Price: $40 Why we like it: Neon is tricky to wear but this shade of yellow is toned-down enough to brighten up your wardrobe without turning you into an eighties nightmare.
Jumpsuits & Rompers: Ruffle Romper by By Zoe Price: $149 Why we like it: The deep plunge of this ruffle romper allows you to get creative with layering — throw a tank top on underneath or a cardigan on top.
Statement Jewelry: Livia Necklace from Anthropologie Price: $48 Why we like it: Nothing dresses up a simple tank better than a bib necklace. The dripping crystals offer just enough sparkle while the green hues pack a subtle punch of color. Exposed Zippers: Exposed Zip-Front Color-Block Skirt by Twelve by Twelve Price: $24 Why we like it: We love the form-fitting shape of this bandage mini. The exposed zipper adds a tough element to complement the sexy silhouette.
Floral Prints:Floral Skirt by H&M Price: $40 Why we like it: This floral print is psychedelic and neon-infused. Need we say more?
Destroyed Denim: Boy-Fit Jean by American Eagle Price: $50 Why we like it: These slouchy, relaxed pants are perfect for the weekend. Also they're distressed enough to be trendy but don't look like they got caught in a lawnmower.
With the Sweet Sixteen of 90s Movie Madness well underway, the comment boards have devolved into a series of really angry people complaining about a movie that they cannot believe is losing (myself included - mandatory Airborne screening next week for everyone who voted against it).
However, I received a particularly passionate defense of Round 1 casualty 3 Ninjas from my friend Steve, who sent me the following GChat message this afternoon:
Steve: i can't believe 3 ninjas went down in the first round
what the f*ck is wrong with people
me: encino man lost too! crazy
Steve: NO
the clear winner was 3 ninjas
i've been counting down the days until it won
it was 3 ninjas and 63 losers
For all those who doubt, Steve directs our attention to this clip from the very end of 3 Ninjas entitled "3 Ninjas - Give us our bikes back!" The action turns overwhelmingly 90s starting around the 0:27 mark when the background beat kicks up -- if you voted for Titanic in Round 1, good luck watching this clip and not kicking yourself:
Best part? At 0:50, the "SIGH...We must restrain ourselves, for we are ninjas" hand gesture. Source: Best Week Ever | 1 Apr 2009 | 7:30 pm
Front Page: Reality show to air on Lifetime this summer -- After a yearlong legal battle, "Project Runway" is cleared to move to Lifetime, where it will bow in the summer.
You’ll be saying wow every time you use this Blingee! A regular Blingee doesn’t work wet - this works wet or dry. This is for the house, the car, the boat, the RV! Shamwow holds twenty times its weight in liquid. Look at this! It just does the work! Why do you want to work twice as hard? It is made in Germany, you know the Germans always make good stuff. Olympic divers, they use it as a towel. Look at that! Completely dry! Here’s some cola, wine, coffee and pet stains. That is going to smell! See that? We’re gonna do this in real time! Look at this! You follow me, camera guy? The other fifty percent, the color starts to come up. No other Blingee’s gonna do that! You’ll be saying wow every time!
This week's Blingee Wednesday is dedicated to someone very close to our heart: Vince Shlomi, the ShamWow guy, arrested last week for punching a prostie in the face after she nearly bit his tongue off.
Ahead, we've posted some of our favorite Vince photos -- Grab one (or find your own), head over to Blingee.com, make it shine, and post the results here. We'll put our favorites on the blog by the end of the week. (With thanks to reader Diana for the suggestion!)
The two largest actors unions reached a tentative agreement on a new work contract with advertising agencies early Wednesday morning, just as the old agreement expired.
The tween sensation sounds like any goofy girl when talking about her life's trials and tribulations in new Glamour Source: FOXNews.com | 1 Apr 2009 | 5:38 pm
Front Page: 'Cupid,' 'Osbournes' fall short in ratings race -- The Big Four nets are still hunting for anything resembling a midseason hit after ABC’s “Cupid” and Fox’s “Osbournes: Reloaded” opened to lackluster results on Tuesday.
We're into Round 3 of 90s Movie Madness, and we're down to just sixteen movies; Encino Man became the first #1 seed to fall, with #2 seeds Airborne, Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead, and Jerry Maguire all following suit, leaving the race for the Elite Eight wide open. Lower seeds Wayne's World and Home Alone are both on a roll, but can anyone stop Clueless? Vote and comment after the jump -- you have until 12:00 p.m. tomorrow:
Remember, the question isn't "Which movie is better," it's "WHICH MOVIE IS MORE 90S?"Brackets C, D, and the polls are after the jump:Sweet Sixteen Voting:
You have until tomorrow afternoon to argue it away in the comments!
(Poll embeds via xversusy.com) Source: Best Week Ever | 1 Apr 2009 | 5:30 pm
Actor Sir Michael Caine, seen here in 2008, believes the Riddler will be Batman's enemy if and when director Christopher Nolan decides to make a follow-up to last year's blockbuster "The Dark Knight." Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 1 Apr 2009 | 4:59 pm
Front Page: Long-running serial ends run on Sept. 18 -- After 72 years on the air (with more than 15,700 episodes on radio and TV combined), "Guiding Light" will shine no more -- at least on CBS.
The Broadway revival of Hair premiered last night to a stellar New York Times review, and the celebrities on hand couldn't have been more clearly happy to be there! Check out some of these thrilled celebs eagerly walking the red carpet and doing their best to contain their excitement:
8. Ginnifer GoodwinMan, I am PUMPED! Theeeaateeeeeerrr!!!!! WOO!!!
7. Rosie O'DonnellWait, if I'M not excited about Broadway, then we're in real trouble - better open my mouth slightly.
6. Elaine StritchBeen there, done that. Including most of this show's original cast.
5. Audra McDonaldAm I well-known enough to look like a total a-hole on the red carpet? Not yet? Alright, better stay neutral...
4. Mo RoccaDammit, I'm gonna force a smile even if I have to sacrifice my already-offputting nerdchic image and just unironically look like Orville Redenbacher.
3. Tim RobbinsAs a rational, down-to-earth human being, I'll do my part to support the local arts, but just so everyone knows, I will be working on the economic crisis inside these glasses while the show goes on.
2. Rosie O'Donnell Later OnI f*cking hate musicals. There, I said it.
1. Kathie Lee & Hoda
...are incapable of genuine human emotion.
After last week, where the top debut on the Billboard 200 albums chart was at No. 8, this week the chart gets blasted with a bevy of new arrivals. A full dozen debuts bow in the top 20 -- the most the chart has ever seen.
Front Page: Cable originals, public TV honored -- "Breaking Bad," "Entourage," "Lost" and "Saturday Night Live's" political satire are among the George Foster Peabody Award honorees for 2008.
Front Page: Exec named CEO of Digital Media Group -- Jonathan Miller was officially named News Corp.'s digital honcho Wednesday, taking on many of the duties of the soon-to-exit Peter Chernin.
For the first time this season, the contestants who were scored lowest by the judges remained at the bottom when the viewers' votes were factored in. Source: FOXNews.com | 1 Apr 2009 | 2:40 pm
YouTube webpage. German music fans hoping to catch their idols' latest hits on video-sharing website YouTube are set for disappointment after the site on Wednesday blocked certain music videos over a licensing... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 1 Apr 2009 | 2:36 pm
Twenty years ago, when the New Kids on The Block were wearing their hair almost as high as their fame, the music business was a vastly different animal. Now the New Kids are back -- and it's a new world.
Women watch TV with special sunglasses in 2008 at the MIPTV in Cannes, southern France. As advertising revenues decline worldwide, TV in the last half of 2009 looks set to offer less fiction and more low-cost... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 1 Apr 2009 | 2:01 pm
The artist formerly known as "Kris Who?" finally broke out of his shell with a memorable performance that put everyone else to shame. Source: FOXNews.com | 1 Apr 2009 | 1:39 pm
Chief Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger says her long-awaited solo album "may come more sooner than later," but after two years of projected release dates and delays she's not about to set one now.
The family of murdered South African reggae star Lucky Dube has welcomed the guilty verdict for his three killers. A close family member told Billboard that they were hoping for the maximum sentence for Sfiso Mhlanga, Mbuti Mabe and Ludwa Julius Gxowa who were found guilty of shooting Dube dead in 2007.
Sheryl Crow, Modest Mouse, Katy Perry, Michael Franti & Spearhead, De La Soul, and Raphael Saadiq are among the first acts confirmed for the 2009 Bumbershoot: Seattle’s Music & Arts Festival. The event will be held Labor Day weekend, Sept. 5-7, at Seattle's City Center.
Someone had to stop believing tonight.
Following a rousing group performance of the Journey classic—was that Danny Gokey or Steve Perry out there?—another American Idol...
Television stars have a lot of time to kill when they take five. (Did you know filming can last, like, a week for a single episode? Whatevs.) So in our brand-new Snapped on the Set: TV photo...
Why is Robert Pattinson asked about Kristen Stewart and Camilla Belle when there are just as many rumors about him and Nikki Reed? Would Pattz really be able to go undercover with a...
20th Century Fox's claws are bared.
The studio has vowed to prosecute whomever is responsible for a full-length copy of X-Men Origins: Wolverine ending up online Tuesday, a month...
Does Britney Spears want out from under her daddy's thumb? Or is it her source of protection?
Those were the dueling storylines that emerged in a Los Angeles courtroom today, when...
One day you're in, the next you're out. Luckily for Lifetime, it works the other way around, too.
After far too many months of empty DVRs for the Project Runway-watching...
HILLS HOTTIE: Jessica Alba, walking the streets of Beverly Hills with coffee in hand and business associates in tow.
HOW BAZAAR: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, at the Bazaar at SLS Hotel...
It turns out there's a good reason, well, besides the whims of taste, that Osbournes: Reloaded mania didn't sweep the country last night.
The show didn't air in a lot of the...
The soap opera Guiding Light has not been renewed for the 2009-2010 season, bringing an end to the monumental 57-year run of the program that started out as a 15-minute radio serial before evolving ultimately into an hour-long, five-days-a-week daytime program.
To honor this show's remarkable achievement in longevity, please enjoy this a brief transcript of the first Guiding Light episode ever, which aired on the radio on January 25, 1937:
SNIDELY McDAGGER: Enough of this haldoozery! It's a pity no one shall ever hear of your little wives' tale...
WENDY MILLER: NOOOO DOOOON'T!!!
[
Hey guys!
Allison Iraheta here. One of the best parts of being a finalist on American Idol is that the world is our stage (or in this case, America, LOL). Anyway, this week we got to make our own public service announcements, and I chose to do one about Safety!
Safety is super important. If you are not safe, you could seriously injure yourself... or even die. Here are my tips!!
xoxo
~Allison~
Sweet Sixteen Voting:
You have until tomorrow afternoon to argue it away in the comments!
(Poll embeds via 
