'The fans and the people can see my hunger,' rapper tells MTV News.By Shaheem Reid, with reporting by Tim Kash Rick Ross Photo: MTV News Rick Ross knows a lot of the masters of the game. He's... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 8 Apr 2009 | 11:50 am
Nirvana frontman represented the honor that came with never compromising — whether he liked it or not, in Bigger Than the Sound.By James Montgomery Kurt Cobain in 1993 Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 8 Apr 2009 | 11:50 am
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The documentary "By the People: The Election of Barack Obama," which will air on HBO, has been picked up by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group. Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 8 Apr 2009 | 11:49 am
Reuters - The documentary "By the People: The Election of Barack Obama," which will air on HBO, has been picked up by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group.
AP - "Good Book: The Bizarre, Hilarious, Disturbing, Marvelous, and Inspiring Things I Learned When I Read Every Single Word of the Bible" (HarperCollins. 336 pages. $26.95), by David Plotz: David Plotz figured he knew the Bible. After all, he knew all the main stories Adam and Eve, the Ten Commandments, David and Goliath, the parting of the Red Sea.
(Reuters) Reuters - Sotheby's hammered off a total of HK$691 million ($88.6 million) worth of artwork in its spring Asian sales in Hong Kong, 11 percent higher than its pre-sale estimate in a steady showing for the fragile Chinese art market. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 8 Apr 2009 | 9:58 am
Front Page: Company president steps down after 15 years -- Marilyn Bergman is stepping down as president and chair of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers after 15 years.
Reuters - The first hour of NBC's new cop drama "Southland" features two shootings, one child kidnapping, a club to the head, and one gruesome demise that underscores why, if you're going to die alone in your house, you should let the dogs out first. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 8 Apr 2009 | 4:33 am
A defense attorney used the courthouse steps Tuesday for a blistering attack against the California attorney general for bringing conspiracy charges against his client, Howard K. Stern, in the Anna Nicole Smith case.
Front Page: Studio, Dark Horse Comics team on adaptation -- Universal Pictures is planning to make "Umbrella Academy" the first project to come out of its three-year production pact with Dark Horse Comics.
Veteran model Iman sat down with rising star and fellow Somalian Ubah Hassan, the spring face of Ralph Lauren, to discuss the struggles non-white models face in the fashion industry. "I talked to young models and I asked them, ‘What is the most upsetting thing that is happening to you guys now?'" Iman says. "And singularly they said they would go to go-sees — especially when there is the fashion shows coming up — and they would say to them, ‘We’re not using black models this season.' Like it’s a category — like we’re not doing denim this season. It’s very upsetting." Ubah thinks the problem may lie with the stylists and casting directors choosing models for the show. Watch the video for Iman's thoughts on the so-called Obama effect on castings, and to hear what Ubah's Ralph Lauren casting was like.
If you haven't seen the ghoulish video for the Bat for Lashes single "Daniel" yet, watch it now, in honor of today's release of the band's excellent second album, Two Suns. The group's half-Brit, half-Pakistani front woman, Natasha Khan, hooded and in sweats, weaves her way in a family car — a set of wheels reminiscent of the green hearse driven by Claire on Six Feet Under — through some sort of gothic forest, harangued like Little Red Riding Hood by human-size, bat-like figures searching for Daniel, whom, she sings, makes her “dream of hope.” And there’s a happy ending.
Sure. We'll buy Megan McArdle's analogy about Obama's economic adviser Larry Summers, though not for the reasons she gives: "A) Larry Summers is really, really smart B) He knows a lot about global financial markets and C) Bankers, like everyone else, like to be near famous and powerful people." Larry is like Brangelina because (a) he's rich and famous, (b) everyone is chattering away about his personal business when clearly there is way more important stuff to be talking about, and (c) the man exudes sheer sexual magnetism. Really, can it be denied? [Atlantic]
Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Kanye West all got fragrance deals today, when Iconic Fragrances, LLC (where Jay-Z is a principal) signed an agreement with Parlux. Also part of the contract is the announcement of an upcoming scent with a "well-established female artist." Considering it's Jay-Z's deal and he's married to Beyoncé, let's read between the lines on that one. As for Jay-Z and Kanye making their big move into beauty, we like how they're giving Diddy some hearty competition. May the best metrosexual rapper win! [WWD]
Here's a look at the line at Topshop at around 4 p.m. today. It was about twenty people long, but moved quickly. So if you're determined to shop there, it might not be so bad.
The editors of Surfing and PRWeek exited today, Google defended itself against the Associated Press, and Dan Abrams continues to have trouble controlling the stories about his media-relations venture.
• Surfing magazine's editor-in-chief, Evan Slater, is leaving the magazine to become a digital-content manager. He is being replaced by a 24-year-old former intern. [FishbowlNY/Mediabistro]
• PRWeek’s editor-in-chief, Keith O’Brien, is leaving the magazine to join Attention! PR. [PRNewser/Mediabistro]
• Dynamic Graphics+Create and Step Inside Design aren't folding, they're just moving online. “Ninety-eight percent of the revenue from those magazines was online” anyway, says WebMediaBrands CEO Alan Meckler. [Folio]
• Dan Abrams seems annoyed that all people say about his new media-strategy-consulting venture is how it unethical it seems. [Mediabistro]
Christian Siriano isn't the only Project Runway success story. Surely you remember season-two finalist Daniel Vosovic. After the show, he worked as a design assistant and took on a number of smaller projects. He wrote a book called Fashion Inside Out and designed uniforms for NYLO Hotels. But now he's hard at work on his namesake line, which he'll show for the first time in February 2010. He hasn't officially announced it, but when we rang him up he told us all about it, anyway.
How did the line come about?
It’s always been the intention. It’s just a matter of when. So since most people know me from Project Runway and whatnot, I had to make a choice after all of that — what do I do? Do I jump into doing a line and starting the company and just hope for the best? Or do I take a step back and go back to assisting and do what I feel would be the right path?
Which is exactly what you did.
I have a management team that I’ve been working with for four years now. This past December we finally had our end-of-the-year sit-down. They had said, "What do you think you want to do? Do you want to go back to assisting?" So they gave me a dollar amount and a time frame for if I want to launch this year.
What do you envision for your debut season?
It’s going to be very edited. I assume I’ll probably just have a presentation for the first season or two, just to see how the industry is going to bounce back [from the economic downturn]. Right now I’m doing all costing and figuring out the overhead and doing interviews for new employees. We're doing things like establishing the fit — what does the Daniel Vosovic pant look like? We’re looking for loft spaces in Soho and Chelsea, primarily.
Not the garment district?
I want to be close to the garment district but not in it. It’s not the most creatively inductive place. But I'm producing everything domestically, so I need to be somewhat close to it.
How would you describe the line, aesthetically?
More hip, downtown. Jil Sander, Narciso Rodriguez. Very clean lines. My focus is jackets and coats — I love a good tailored piece, I love what it does for a woman’s body. A hint of athleticism. I don’t do a lot of frills.
And what about prices?
We’re aiming for the young-designer, contemporary price point. Like Alexander Wang, Philip Lim.
How are you managing to launch a new line in this economy?
My management team is established — they’ve been there, done that. I trust them implicitly and I know that we wouldn’t jump into something just needlessly. So that’s the thing — to have people who have gone through similar things before.
Did you get the management team as a result of Project Runway?
It originally started with a recommendation from a family friend after Project Runway. My lawyer and my accountant and my financial adviser all work as one unit now under my label.
Are you hoping to distance yourself from Project Runway so people know you for you and not just as the Project Runway guy?
I think that’ll eventually happen through the years. If someone doesn’t like it they can bitch and complain all they want, but then they’ll just be the bitchy, complaining Project Runway guy. Project Runway for me was a great starting point that really brought my stuff to the forefront, and now it’s on to the next thing.
Did you worry that your Project Runway fame would be fleeting?
A really established designer said a few months after the show finished, "Daniel, if you believe the good press, you have to believe the bad as well." And that means if you sit here and think, "All these people think I’m great and love what I’m doing," you have to believe all the other people who say, "You’re shit; this kid has no talent." So you have to always think about the next thing and the next thing, because that’s what people want. I admit there is that "Oh shit" moment. But you can use it and go on to the next project
What do you think of Christian Siriano’s success?
I think aside from Christian, some of the other designers are doing really great jobs — there is this big misconception [that he's the only Project Runway success story]. I think he’s a very, very hard worker, and I hope all of that shows, because he’s spending hours and hours and hours in that workroom. Even winning $100,000 from the show is not a lot of money after taxes, after samples, you have one employee — their salary alone. I think it’s great that Christian is continuing to push, push, push. And then there's [season-two winner] Chloe Dao, who doesn’t want to be the next big whatever, but she’s still happy with where she is. Her business is still going strong.
Do you keep in touch with anyone from the show, like Tim Gunn or Heidi Klum?
Oh yeah, Tim’s been there throughout the years. We sit down about once every six months. He’s so busy now. I remember going to visit him at Parsons and his little office at the school — he had a little tea set and we’d sit down to tea. And now it’s like I have to schedule and he has a half hour and he has to move, move, move.
If you only see one trailer for a film that's full of wonder, bathed in sunlight captured at the magic hour, and scored with "Wake Up" by the Arcade Fire, well, it should probably be the trailer for Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are. However, if you decide that your life could use two trailers that fit this description, might we suggest taking a look at a sneak preview of Jonze's next project?* It's also based on a classic childhood tome, one that places substantial emphasis on what some would describe as "making mischief": Everyone Poops.
The theme of Roundabout Theatre Company's 2009 Spring Gala was "Take Me Back to Manhattan." And as much as we like reflecting on days past, we wondered if today could actually be New York's heyday. "It's coming back," Steven Weber told us. "Now people are starting to get their stuff together and not just build indiscriminate, glass, stupid-looking towers." View our Party Lines slideshow for more city-dweller reflections.
You take them both, and there you have The Facts Of Life: The Diorama! Thanks in large part to the exposure given them by Sloane Crosley, the art form of dioramas has experienced something of a cultural renaissance over the last few years. Take, for example, these stunningly detailed dioramas of famous TV sets by Flickr user On the Set, which includes late-eighties staples like The Facts of Life and Golden Girls. [Flickr via Buzzfeed]
We're beginning to love little Jared Seligman, who, at 22, is already a senior vice-president at Prudential Douglas Elliman. He just tries so hard not to exude the compelling hubris which is no doubt key to his success, but always just fails. This week, Seligman, who skipped college only to find his passion in real estate, talked to the Observer's Max Abelson. Witness this little gem:
Page Six ranked you ahead of Alex Rodriguez on its 'Hottest Bachelors' list.
When I saw that, I was just laughing hysterically. I couldn't believe that, and I had no idea how I made it to that list, or even before A-Rod, which is hysterical. I definitely think he's a more valuable bachelor than I am.
Of course he's a more "valuable" bachelor — he's the highest-paid player in baseball. But note that Seligman said nothing about whether A-Rod was the hotter bachelor.
The subtlety continues:
Were your parents surprised when you didn’t go to college?
Well, I was hired full time at a PR company when I was 17, when I graduated high school — sort of an intern or whatever, but I was working full time.
Why did you leave PR for real estate?
I was very young. I thought I knew a lot more than I did. … I had a long talk with my boss — she kind of decided it wasn’t the best fit. She actually said to me, ‘I have no doubt in my mind in a decade you’ll own a media empire, but right now … ’
Laid off and not in college? Did you have an existential crisis?
Oh, I was distraught. … I was so young, obviously …
Did you meet your future clients through that PR firm?
Funny you should ask — we actually just had a closing this week to my old boss. It was a nice-sized apartment, over a million dollars.
Ha! No megabroker thinks an apartment under two million is "a nice size." That would be like selling your former boss a "nice sized" Prius. Abelson begins, by the end of the interview, to catch on to these little slips:
Your clients reportedly include Kirsten Dunst, Nicole Richie, Ally Hilfiger, Margherita Missoni, Jessica Stam, Coco Rocha, Caroline Trentini, Hilary Rhoda and Lily Cole. Is that like being stuck in a Bret Easton Ellis novel?
I definitely work with a wide mix of people. It's always funny to see a typical day. It's not uncommon to go from someone very young and with a very interesting profession to a family looking for a place for their kids. At the end of the day, we give the same service to everyone.
LET IT BE: Apple and EMI are releasing remastered versions of a dozen Beatles cds in September. The discs will include expanded liner notes, the original U.K. album artwork, and a picture of Michael Jackson knocking over John Lennon's grave while begging for money. (Variety)
SCIENTOLOGY STEALING MONEY JOKE: Tom Cruise is reportedly planning to remake Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid with himself in the Robert Redford role and John Travolta in place of Paul Newman. I'm sure a lot of people are angry about this, but I always thought that movie would have been a lot better if it were terrible. (Popbytes)
STILL EXISTIN': Jessica Simpson was dropped by her Country label. Rock and R&B both immediately called "Not it!" (Wonderwall)
BOOBY PRIZE: Octo-Mom was named National Douchebag Champion in Holy Taco's 2009 Tournament of Douchebags. In the year of Bernie Madoff and Chris Brown? Sounds about right. (Holy Taco)
LIGHT READ: Kate Moss is planning a cookbook? What's next, Pete Doherty writing a book about cleaning your veins? (Gossip Girls, via Scandalist)
BEAR NECESSITIES: And finally, this amazing video proves that Disney has just been tracing the same frame for eight decades. I mean, we all knew Walt Disney was horribly racist, but THIS... (Collegehumor)
Nas, Damian Marley, the Roots, Big Boi and Common, among others, will lead this summer's Rock the Bells traveling hip-hop festival, which is set to visit 10 North American cities on consecutive weekends from June 27-Aug. 9.
Front Page: Popular PlayStation 2 title heads to bigscreen -- Sony will adapt the popular PlayStation 2 title "Shadow of the Colossus" into a bigscreen actioner, with Justin Marks penning the screenplay and Kevin Misher in negotiations to produce.
All Michelle Obama has to do to increase consumer spending is step out of the White House in some affordable fashions.
The first lady is now doing for women's clothing company...
After just a year as creative director of Malo, designer Alessandro Dell'Acqua is leaving, WWD reports. Starting with spring 2009, the label will be designed by a team and will focus on its core knitwear business. Malo is owned by IT Holding, which filed for the Italian equivalent of Chapter 11 bankruptcy at the end of February. Dell'Acqua came on as creative director to replace Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi when they moved over to Gianfranco Ferré, which is also owned by IT Holding. Reasons for the split are unknown at this time. With IT Holding in administration, a European fund has already set its sights on Malo. So if it changes ownership, a new head designer might eventually come on.
The Golden Gods Awards — the country’s first-ever metal awards show — take place today in Los Angeles (a shortened version will air May 2 on MTV2). Behind it all is the staff of Revolver magazine, led by editor-in-chief Tom Beaujour — a highly productive super-fan who’s also a prolific musician (guitarist-vocalist in power-pop band True Love) and producer (he’s recorded the likes of Nada Surf and the Virgins). Beaujour talked to Vulture about metal's sense of humor, the state of the magazine industry, and the quality of New Yorker pop critic Sasha Frere-Jones’s singing voice.
How long have you been thinking about putting on a metal awards show?
I think what we realized a year and a half ago, and luckily early enough, that it was time to start expanding this Revolver brand beyond just a print entity. In the last week, literally, Blender went out of business, King went out of business, the Chicago Sun-Times, and two weeks ago, Metal Edge, which was the other big American metal magazine, went out of business, as did Metal Maniacs, which was sort of the underground one. Convincing people that our audience is worth marketing to is a big part of what this show is about on a business level. 'Cause it’s not like this is an audience that’s that sexy to advertisers, because I think they sometimes feel that all these kids do is wear black and be weird.
I’m sure having the show in L.A. is a practical concern, so if you had to pick the most metal city, what would you go with?
It’s probably still L.A. I grew up in New York, I lived there my whole life, I went to hard-core matinees there, there’s always been tons of metal and hard-core out there. But L.A. is really a metal town. The Rainbow Bar & Grill is still around, still doing really well, we’re actually giving them a lifetime achievement award because that’s where every band goes to drink when they come here.
What kind of measures have you taken to make this a more metal-appropriate awards show?
Of course, we have a black carpet instead of a red carpet, which is completely obligatory for this. They tried to convince us not to because apparently they get dirty really fast. We were like, no, we gotta do it. Instead of having music to play when people receive their awards, we’re gonna have a guy shred with a guitar. And our award is a mini-Stonehenge.
It’s great that the genre is able to poke fun at itself like that. One of the good things about metal is that it sees the humor in itself. You talk to the guys in Iron Maiden, you know, they’re touring in a private plane, and every flight they book, literally, with the air-traffic control, is listed at 666. And none of these people are Satanists, it’s just like, part of the culture. It’s okay to be funny with it.
Is there any kind of suggested dress code?
I know that Howard Jones, the lead singer from Killswitch Engage, is coming in a pin-striped Armani suit. He actually is a very sharp dresser. I don’t know what everyone else is wearing — people keep asking me.
What was the voting process?
We only did one readers’-choice award. The other ones were picked by the staff of Revolver. And that may change in years to come.
You also run a studio in Hoboken, Nuthouse Recordings, and you recorded Sasha Frere-Jones there for his New Yorker piece on Auto-Tune. How was his voice?
It was actually too good to really illustrate the point. He didn’t want to do something that would be too horrible, because he didn’t want to completely humiliate himself. We were able to tune it and illustrate how Auto-Tune works. But it wasn’t some horrifying American Idol audition when they just put it on there to humiliate people. Definitely the Auto-Tune helped him, but I’ve tuned worse in my life.
• Kim Kardashian's response to Eminem trying to spoof her in his new music video: yay attention! Cellulite, lame raps about her ass, our Kim K. doesn't care as long as you...
So much has happened in the three weeks since word spread of an alleged affair between LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian—Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson's breakup, Madonna's...
How can Chris Brown gain respect again?
—ThulaneH, via Twitter
You mean in addition to expressing his deepest regret atop a Jet Ski in Florida?
A statement...
This one time someone sent us a photo of their penis via cell phone. We didn't recognize the number it came from, or the penis itself, so we called the number, and it turned out that the person who sent it had dialed wrong — the penis picture was intended for another person. They didn't really seem to want to answer a lot of questions beyond that; maybe they were embarrassed, but then again, they were the sort of person who takes pictures of their penis and sends them via cell phone. And apparently there are a lot of people who do this! So much so that Bushwick art space 3rd Ward is collecting dirty cell-phone pictures for an upcoming exhibit titled "Sex Cells." “We know everyone’s doing it — so decided to show people how to do it right,” organizer Nikki Bagli tells the Brooklyn Paper, which notes that early submissions include a photo of a man's crotch, left, titled "Jeans Bulge," and "An image of a cat posed beside a woman's vagina." We'd steer clear of the latter sort of picture unless you want PETA calling you up, but non-animal-related photos should be sent here.
Why call this episode “Gina” when it is, as always, all about Paul? He thinks he’ll lose everything and, like Walter, he doesn’t have friends he can talk to — Gina is his therapist, not his friend. Paul is still working through his guilt over his mother’s death when he was a boy — will this lead him to bend therapeutic boundaries to “save” April? If this messy episode hasn’t presented enough to unravel, Paul has just run into Gina’s client Tammy, his childhood neighbor and first love ...
Michelle Obama certainly has a nice glow about her, doesn't she?
Perhaps that's because you're looking at the first wax likeness of the first lady, which was unveiled at the...
They may be taking a break, but that hasn't stopped the Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson drama train from forging ahead.
While the starlet came clean Monday about the separated...
We have put up with you thus far, economy, but when even Nicolas Cage — who has disregarded his own dignity time and again to star in low-quality but high-grossing blockbusters — has to sell his Bavarian castle just to stay afloat, you have gone too far! Where will he now find sanctuary from arrow onslaughts and cavalry attacks? Where?! Oh, wait. He still has one other one. [Vulture]
The Daily Mailreported over the weekend that Anne Hathaway was a likely candidate for Marc Jacobs's next ad campaign, since the two are practically best friends and Jacobs needs a new muse now that Victoria Beckham is concentrating on her own clothing line. A rep for Jacobs confirmed that there are no plans for Hathaway to appear in upcoming Marc Jacobs ads. So who will star in the campaign for his eighties-tastic fall 2009 collection? Ooh, ooh, we have an idea! Lady Gaga. [StyleWatch/People]
God help the celebuspawn of Paris Hilton and Doug Reinhardt. Think we're getting ahead of ourselves? Well, over the weekend Pare told our Hollywood Party Girl that Doug is...
Courtney Love's apparently in one heck of a financial hole, and that has her fighting mad.
Her lawyer tells E! News that the "Doll Parts" purveyor is preparing to file a...
Last October, Yankees young gun Joba Chamberlain was pulled over for speeding in his home state of Nebraska, and, after failing a sobriety test, was charged with a DUI (he pleaded guilty last week, receiving probation). But lo, these many months we've been left wondering, "At any point during his arrest, did Joba take some unnecessary, hypocritical potshots at New Yorkers, the fans who adore him?" It turns out that yes, he did! It's not in the video clip that the Smoking Gun provides, but excerpts on the website show Joba seemingly trying to ingratiate himself with the arresting officer by making exaggerated claims about New Yorkers' stereotypical rudeness. "Opening a door and saying please and thank you" are rare in the city, he claims. In Nebraska, if you let a fellow motorist in ahead of you, they'll say thanks. But New York drivers "might hit you. It's a joke," says the guy who was speeding down a highway drunk on Crown Royal. Uh, yeah, and also, in New York, if you sneeze, people don't say "Bless you," they say "Go to hell!" And if you need directions, they stab you! It's horrible! Look, obviously New Yorkers can be a bit ... curt from time to time. But to a Yankee? We don't think so. Check out his sobriety test in the video.
The burgeoning genre of Bailout Rock received a shot in its young arm this week thanks to country-music star John Rich. Not only did his acoustic performance of "Shuttin' Detroit Down" at the Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday night earn raves (industry analyst Bob Lefsetz described it as such: "This is what America wants. Naked, raw emotion delineating the common truth"), but his highly anticipated video for the song dropped this week, too. As we informed you last week, the video stars noted Toby Keith antagonizer Kris Kristofferson as a laid-off auto worker and Mickey Rourke as his sympathetic co-worker. At one point, Kristofferson and Rourke encounter some policemen overseeing the foreclosure of Kristofferson's house, which gives Rourke the chance to show off some moves he didn't get to demonstrate at WrestleMania this weekend. Consider the economy saved!
Hey, what's a really basic object that no one has any problems with that we can turn into something complicated and stupid then sell to people? Hmmm...... Pens? Nah, too useful. Wallets? No, we already did that. Air? Maybe a tad too basic, we'll wait til next year to do that one.
WAIT, I got it -- Jump rope! Let's take a thing that is literally a piece of rope that people jump over and turn it into two opposing computerized objects and charge $40 and call it a new weight-loss fad! Whoops, look at the time -- I gotta get back to Hell to pick up Satan Jr. from Pitchfork School in fifteen minutes, because I am The Devil.
Walter is a captain of industry with a problem: He can’t sleep, and he needs a quick fix. Is it because he’s worried about his too-perfect daughter, working in a women’s clinic in Rwanda? Or is this about the scandal (product recall, or something more personal?) that the “lady reporter” at the Times won’t drop? Before we find out, Walter’s felled by one of the anxiety attacks he seems to have forgotten to tell Paul about. Unless there’s a surprise coming, Walter is just John Mahoney as Tony Soprano, minus the cold cuts and the mob.
MAKEUP
• Drugstore cosmetics line Jane & Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. [WWD]
• Rumor has it cosmetics brand Stila, which partnered with Barbie on a collection earlier this year, is for sale. The website is currently down, with only a note saying that orders placed on March 23 or March 24 might be canceled. [WWD]
• Kanye "Mullet Nub" West: "Combs have been on the scene ever since humans had hair on his head ... Man being man and not a lion would not be content to let his mane run wild and free. So he had to find some ways to tame it. First on the list of combing operations must have been the use of fingers. So in a way the fingers are the first combs of history. Today, combs are universal and no corner of the globe is without it." [Jossip via Jezebel]
FRAGRANCE
• Despite low expectations, a reviewer of Halle Berry's first fragrance calls it "darned good for a celebrity fragrance, especially given the price." [Now Smell This]
Let's see: work on popular TV show House or work for popular President Barack Obama in the White House? Hmmm. Tough decision? No! When Obama's camp came a-calling, Kal Penn thought it was...
When Skidmore, Owings and Merrill stripped all of the excitement and inspiration from Daniel Liebeskind's imagining of what 1 World Trade Center, or the "Freedom Tower," would look like, they left a very utilitarian form of the German architect's spire on top of the building. But instead of reaching triumphantly and diagonally for the sky, in a reflection of the raised arm of the Statue of Liberty, SOM's spire was a vertical utility pole. They left it in so that the official height of the building could be a symbolic 1,776 feet — even though many of those feet would be inaccessible to humans — and so that the tower could support broadcast technology for up to ten local television stations. (Remember, after the Twin Towers fell, many of the broadcast systems were moved to the top of 4 Times Square, the home of Condé Nast and Skadden.) Now, though, the deal to carry the broadcasts has fallen through because of a national switch to digital from analog signals, the Observer reports.
This was a blow to the Port Authority, as it was counting on $20 million in construction costs from the broadcast agency, Metropolitan Television Alliance, plus an additional $10 million a year in rent. But a spire will nonetheless exist on the building when it is completed, whether in preparation for another broadcast client or for "an aesthetic function alone."
It may be too late to put in the kind of tower Daniel Liebeskind envisioned, since the building itself is too sober and vertical. But it may not be too late to take something that our photography editor Everett noticed and run with it, conceptually. Has anyone else noticed that the 1 World Trade Center spire looks just like the horn of the rare Arctic narwhal?? Seriously, the possibilities are endless.
And the guy just could not look happier. Even his soul patch is smiling!
(Above, Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban and Taylor Swift pose backstage during the 44th annual Academy Of Country Music Awards' Artist of the Decade yesterday.) Source: Best Week Ever | 7 Apr 2009 | 8:15 pm
Following four poorly rated Sunday nights, NBC's Kings will move to Saturdays on April 18, where it will air its eight remaining episodes and presumably die a slow death by even-tinier viewership. In its place, NBC will show an expanded version of Dateline, leading into Celebrity Apprentice. Cancellations (and that's effectively what this is) are certainly nothing out of the ordinary for Ben Silverman's NBC these days, but this one is a rare bummer, since Kings was semi-acclaimed and based on an original idea that was in no way stolen from foreign television. Keeping it slightly alive on Saturday nights, though, will give the Peacock the option to bring it back later, just in case all of its other upcoming shows perform even worse.
CNN anchor Campbell Brown has completed the ancient and yet no-less-disgusting process of birth-giving: she and her husband, Dan Senor, of Rosemont Capital, have a new son, whom they've named Asher Liam Senor. We're not passing judgment on that; we're just saying that's what he's called. [People]
At the Skating With the Stars gala last night, onetime Ice Capades chorus boy Richie Rich told us that the vegan clothing line he’s working on with Pamela Anderson, called Muse, came about after a trip to the craft store. "A few years ago in Vegas, she had a T-shirt line, so I styled her show. She sent me to Michael’s, a craft store, in a limousine, and she was like, ‘Doll up my line!’ And I did," Rich said. "Glitter, pom-poms, you name it.” The Muse line will consist mostly of T-shirts and bathing suits and will launch this summer, though Rich isn't sure which stores will sell it yet. Since Pam is a PETA spokesperson, the line contains no fur or leather, "which is a challenge for me,” Rich explained.
Meanwhile, Rich is figuring out which retailers will sell his namesake fall/winter line that he showed in February at New York Fashion Week. “It should be cool. I’m coming out with a plus size, which I’ve never done before; that I’m really excited about,” Rich said. "Because a lot of the girls that approached me — and guys that approached me — are, um, you know, they’re not little twigs."
Chubby Oliver is a pawn in his parents’ divorce — but he can’t admit that they’re splitting up. They expect Paul to explain it to him. Sporty dad wants Oliver to man up and take care of himself; nurturing mom wants Oliver to be her baby and have a snack and tell dad how wrong he is. The boy’s food issues put a slight spin on this clichéd tale, but the real story just might be hidden in Oliver’s schooling Paul in blackjack: “If you don’t know the rules, why play?”
We may disagree with Johnny. Special K might be right up his alley.
Figure-skating champion Johnny Weir says the economic slump has put the brakes on sponsorship deals for athletes in non-major-league sports. “It was hard enough anyway, especially for men skaters, but now with the economy the way it is, there’s nothing out there for us,” Weir told us at the Skating With the Stars gala at Wollman Rink last night. He says his federation still pays for travel, and he gets some backing from his ice rink and skate manufacturer, but that’s about it. “Everything else I pay for: costumes, this and that,” Weir says.
But as a sort of iconoclast, Weir knows his is not necessarily the image that mass-market brands go for. “I’m not commercial, I’m not for Special K cereal and I’m not a Wheaties boy; I’m a little bit more avant-garde, a little bit more out there,” he says. So who would be his dream sponsor? “A big fashion company would make me so happy — Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton. Or Teterboro Airport and their private jets.”
But he won’t take just anyone’s money. “Honestly, I got offered to be in a porn once. It was after the Olympics,” Weir says. He turned that offer down, but if this recession drags on, all bets are off. “Maybe in a few years,” he said, laughing. “If things keep getting worse.”
NBC is pulling Kings from its Sunday night lineup and dumping the remaining episodes on Saturdays, meaning that the show has been effectively canceled. Is this a rash decision by the network, or is NBC justified? Let's explore both sides of the argument.
POINT: Why Kings Should Be CanceledJames Hibberd, The Live Feed:
Sunday's Kings episode was seen by 3.6 million viewers and received a 1.1 rating among adults 18-49. Yet Dateline had a 1.5 rating in its half hour leading into Kings. NBC suspects an expanded Dateline will provide a better lead-in for 9 p.m.'s Celebrity Apprentice...
Some may carp on NBC for airing Kings on Sundays at 8 p.m. -- it's a weak slot for the network -- but if the show was effective you would not have seen its ratings fall week to week.
COUNTERPOINT: Why Kings Should Stay On The Air Forever
Dan Hopper, BWE.tv:
Remember your first day of senior year? You were wearing your new Mavi jeans and jamming to Big Pun on the way to school. You pull into the parking lot, and there's everyone, making out, smoking up. And you think, "I have to spend one more year with these people?" That's how we felt with the first episode of The Hills season five.
We open with Heidi and Stephanie lunching and discussing their empty lives. Steph is having a hard time making friends at fashion school. Hmmm, maybe that's because people don't recognize her from last semester. What is up with her puffy face? Stephanie thinks it's a good idea to invite Heidi to Lauren's surprise party, even though Lauren hates her. “You're fine [to go]. 100 percent!” We think she tried to smile after saying that, but her face is broken.
Feel the rain! OMG, the credits are new! No more kissy-face model! An exploding Hollywood sign! So much excitement.
Lo and Audrina are getting a birthday cake and we learn that Justin Bobby’s not coming to the party. We're heartbroken. We cut to Lauren, blindfolded, and then … surprise! Note to our friends: Don’t ever, ever, throw us a surprise party, especially one that involves a boat and Frankie Delgado. Heidi and Steph arrive; Heidi is carrying a Chanel bag the size of her entire body.
Spencer’s out with Charlie, who we’re convinced is a Life on Mars extra that Spencer paid to pose as his "friend." How else to explain that horrible seventies ’stache? (Speaking of which, we haven’t noticed Lauren’s ’stach at all! Someone learned something from these recaps, and it’s not you, people.) Spence flirts with a bartender named Stacie, who looks like a younger Gina Gershon and sounds like Kermit the Frog. Steph’s ex Cameron walks into the bar with some black friends (side note — is this a first for The Hills? Has the show finally embraced diversity? About damn time), texts Steph that Spencer is flirting with the bartender. Steph tells Heidi, who starts shaking; she says it’s because she’s upset, but we’re betting it’s really from hunger. Eat some almonds, Heids!
Let's fast-forward to the fight scene. Spencer punches Cam and makes him bleed! Heidi and Lauren cry and bond about being former best friends. Oh, come on, are we going to have to listen to an entire season of this? As Heidi says: Get us off of this boat!
Part II:
Spencer shows up at Stephanie’s house to berate her for telling Heidi about Stacie the bartender. “Who does that to their brother?” He starts spewing BS about loyalty. “If I were a therapist, I’d be a millionaire with how many conversations I’ve had with Heidi,” responds Steph. Wait, what? Then Steph the therapist yells to Spencer as he leaves, “Have a nice, lonely life!”
Lo, Lauren, and Audrina rehash the previous night, and decide, in the end, that having a party on a boat was a bad idea. We’re with you, guys. Audrina unsuccessfully tries to join in the banter, and we have our first “aw, silly Audrina” moment of the season.
And here comes Heidi, dressed as Militant Barbie in high boots. She confronts Stacie, who denies knowing that Spencer had a girlfriend. “I’m about to marry this man,” says Heidi. “If that was my man … ” says Stacie.
Can we please stop calling Spencer a "man"? That just sounds … wrong. Heidi leaves for Colorado, and once there, morphs into Winter Wonderland Barbie, complete with a mug of chocolate and a dainty purple hat. Her mom is very concerned about Spencer’s influence, and so arranges for Heidi to run into Colby, Heidi's ex from high school. He’s cute and awkward, and Heidi’s mom calls him a “strong Christian boy.” We’ve never heard that counterpoint to the “nice Jewish boy” motherly mantra of the East Coast, but that’s awesome!
Heidi comes back with, “Well, Spencer is a purple belt in jujitsu,” which, from what we saw from last week’s fight, means he hits like a girl. Brody continues his reign as King of Bad Advice, and tells Spencer to play the field while Heidi’s away. Then Brody and Lauren get a drink and it’s boring. Brody looks cute with that hair, though.
We end with Spencer out again with Charlie, taking shots with Stacie, who tells him that Heidi is crazy. They exchange awkward, steamy glances, and we laugh.
And now, our Unequivocal Hills Reality Index:
As real as Audrina's blackjack skillz:
Lo’s dumb decision to throw Lauren a boat party. It sounds like a good idea, until the boat starts moving and everyone starts vomiting.
Spencer and Cam’s fight. Sadly, that looked real. And lame.
Heidi’s mom’s enthusiasm for Colby. How many times have you heard your mom rave about that geeky high-school kid you never had any interest in (and never will)? “So-and-so’s very handsome now! And a lawyerrr!”
As fake as Audina’s disregard for Justin Bobby:
Stacie the flirty bartender. "Pour Some Sugar on Me"? Oh, puh-leeze.
Cameron just happens to walk into the middle of Spencer’s "guys night out"? We doubt that.
Spencer's "purple belt" in jujitsu. Not possible, says our martial-artsy boyfriend.
J.J. Abrams's rebooted Star Trek had a secret-surprise premiere in Austin, Texas, last night and, according to those who saw it, it's great! So who saw it? Hilariously, all those in attendance thought they were there for a free screening of a recently unearthed print of 1982's Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan (paired with ten minutes of footage from the new movie). But after five minutes of Khan, the film "broke," and Leonard Nimoy himself came out to ask the crowd if they'd rather watch all of the new Trek. As you might imagine, nearly allbuzz is positive, though one shortchanged viewer had this to say: "Anyone who says it's better than Wrath of Khan is talking out of their hyperbolic ass though."
So, with just a few minor reservations, a theater full of people who'd have been just as excited to see a 27-year-old movie they probably already own on DVD can recommend the new Star Trek, which they saw for free. Temper all excitement accordingly!
When Robert Downey Jr. has a birthday, he gets plenty of A-list help to blow out the candles...all 44 of them.
The Iron Man actor celebrated at Bond St. at the Thompson Beverly Hills...
I was on the phone last night when this commercial came on during the basketball game, and I watched it with the sound off in complete bewilderment while "uh huh, uh huh"ing the story my friend was telling. And you know what? It turns out I wasn't the only one who found something unnerving about a Burger King Kids' Meal commercial that featured dancers with square asses grinding on Spongebob:
Just as commenter FRIGIDBARDOT predicted yesterday, the gown and veil Gisele wore for her second wedding to Tom Brady in Costa Rica on Saturday was designed by John Galliano. Created by his atelier in Paris, the white silk satin bias-cut gown had spaghetti straps and a train, with scalloped, seamed details around the hip. The six-foot-long veil was white silk tulle with white lace sewn on by hand. So evidently Gisele doesn't believe in not going all out, gown-wise, because it's her second wedding. Like Lauri from the Real Housewives of Orange County. [StyleWatch/People]
Front Page: 'Surviving Suburbia' gets ho-hum results -- A weekend boost from college basketball and country crooners carried CBS to a close second-place finish among young adults last week.
Oscar-winner Cuba Gooding Jr, seen here in January 2009, and Academy Award nominee Terrence Howard are to star in a film about the lives of African-American WWII pilots the Tuskegee Airmen, it was reported... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 7 Apr 2009 | 6:28 pm
UPDATE: Voting for the 90s Movie Madness Finals closes tonight at midnight (EST), so vote and comment angrily asap!
A weekend push from Kevin Smith's Twitter sparked a remarkable comeback from Clerks, which ended up crushing tournament favorite Clueless by a 75-25% margin. To all those in the comments calling voting shenanigans, we never made a rule against (and in fact, encourage) directors rallying online supporters, and if Alicia Silverstone and Jill Sobule couldn't retaliate with tweeting of their own, that's their problem. Meanwhile, Wayne's World continued its dominance with a 77-23% win over surprise Final Four entrant Scream and now enters the Finals having won every one of its matchups by more than 75% margins.
This is it, Internet. Clerks vs. Wayne's World -- remember, the question isn't "Which movie is better," it's "Which movie is more 90s?" (Or "Whose Twitter linked you to this page?")
Vote Away, after the jump:
Source: Best Week Ever | 7 Apr 2009 | 6:20 pm
Front Page: Actor to work as a.d. in office of public liaison -- When Kal Penn's character on Fox's "House" was killed off Monday night, it could easily have been interpreted as a career setback for the actor.
The National will play "So Far Around the Bend" with an 8-piece string section when the group performs live on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" on May 6.
This is video of a clearly insane German man in a Devil's costume, riding around a bicycle with a decagonal wheel (or wheel with 10 sides). Every year, this man creates a custom-built bike, ranging from a giant guitar to one inspired by the World Cup. This year's theme? The Sorest Balls In The World. If this guy was a Care Bear, his name would be Tenderballs.
Oh, and if you don't give a care about bicycles (really, why would you), watch it simply to hear a British person say "equally bouncy", and a German person say "Oh God No" at :23.
Fashion Wire Daily - It's hard to recognize Seth Rogen these days, as was easy to observe on the red carpet outside of Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood on Monday night, April 6. The chubby actor is no more, replaced by a trim, fit, and full-bearded movie star, who launched his latest comedy, "Observe and Report," to the delight of a covey of screaming fans, held back by barricades.
An Apple Nano and iTunes music card on a computer keyboard. Apple on Tuesday changed its trademark standard of charging 99 cents per song at online shop iTunes in a deal with recording studios that strips... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 7 Apr 2009 | 5:13 pm
Front Page: Awards show set for Aug. 30 at Orpheum -- For the first time in the 36-year history of the kudos, the Daytime Emmy Awards will air not on a Big Three net but on the CW (Daily Variety, March 26).
Doopee doopee doo, driving to the crafts store, buying some markers and construction paper, nothing strikes me as weird about this slogan, tracing the Blue Jays logo, coloring it in, stenciling some letters and shapes, cutting them out, still nothing striking me as weird about the slogan, arranging the letters, pasting them, rolling up the sign, no second thoughts, driving to the stadium, parking, walking to the gate, still really excited about this awesome slogan I came up with that doesn't have a second interpretable meaning, walking to our seats, unveiling the sign, cheering for three hours... Source: Best Week Ever | 7 Apr 2009 | 5:00 pm
With countless stories about violence, earthquakes, and economic depression bombarding the news these days, just how far will publications reach for a positive story?
The answer is, exactly this far:
Newborn Chihuahua Is One Of The World's Smallest Puppies
"The pup, which measures eight inches long, is thought to be one of the smallest dogs born in the UK and is just two inches short of a world record."
Woohoooo!!! A really small dog was born!!! All is right again in the world. Stop talking -- I said ALL IS RIGHT AGAIN IN THE WORLD, dammit. Now just enjoy some more teeny Chihuahua pics and stop reporting on all that other non-tiny-dog-related crap:
This photo doesn't even prove that the dog is small, they just wanted to photograph it near some fruit.
Hellooooooo - comparably cute dogs sittin' here in the background, blurry. Anyone?
Thank you SOOOO MUUUUUUCH for not being a story about the economy or gunfire - thankyou thankyou thankyou thankyou thankyou thankyou thankyou thankyou...
Fashion Wire Daily - Nicole Miller is known for graphic prints, curve-enhancing yet flaw-concealing tucks and experimentation with new fabrics, all of which she transfered over to her latest bridal collection for Fall 2009, which reflected themes from her recent runway collection for Fall.
Former Beatles Paul McCartney (L) and Ringo Starr speak at a press conference on April 3, 2009 at Radio City Music Hall in New York. The Beatles' entire record catalogue is to be released in digitally... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 7 Apr 2009 | 4:21 pm
Indian Bollywood film actors Shah Rukh Khan (L) and Aamir Khan pose for photographers during a joint press conference in Mumbai. The leading actors called for an overhaul in the distribution of box office... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 7 Apr 2009 | 4:06 pm
Workers clean up the glass facade of the MTV building in Beirut. A private Lebanese television shut down in 2002 by a then Syrian-backed government is to return to the airwaves, just two months before... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 7 Apr 2009 | 4:01 pm
Gabriel al-Murr, owner of the previously banned Lebanese MTV channel, in 2002. A private Lebanese television shut down in 2002 by a then Syrian-backed government is to return to the airwaves, just two... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 7 Apr 2009 | 4:01 pm
Literally just yesterday, my friend and I were talking about how Eminem has fallen off the face of the earth, blaming it largely on the rock-bottom unintentional self-parody that was "Ass Like That" but agreeing that he probably still has some solid singles still left in him.
Today, Eminem unveiled his newest music video, "We Made You," to mercifully kill any of our outstanding hopes that he might return to relevance. Although it's about time someone pointed out that Brett Michaels is ridiculous and Kim Kardashian's ass is bigger than most people's! He's so edgy he's practically standing on the edge of a can of Edge shaving gel high-fiving The Edge!
Twenty-five years after the hit single "West End Girls," can the Pet Shop Boys pull off songs that make you want to dance like it's 1984, but still reflect a social consciousness of 2009? The answer is the title of their latest album: "Yes."
Carrie's ACM Awards moment turned a little mortifying when she made a sexual reference joke about Matthew McConaughey on live television Source: FOXNews.com | 7 Apr 2009 | 1:32 pm
Reuters - Designers defied the global economic crisis at this season's South African fashion week by showing off vibrant outfits with hints of tradition inspired by a golden era of African civilisation. Source: Yahoo! News: Fashion News | 7 Apr 2009 | 1:24 pm
Gospel star Donald Lawrence and Grammy-nominated producer Rex Rideout are among the first collaborators to sign up for an all-star tribute album honoring legendary R&B group Maze.
All Michelle Obama has to do to increase consumer spending is step out of the White House in some affordable fashions.
The first lady is now doing for women's clothing company...
• Kim Kardashian's response to Eminem trying to spoof her in his new music video: yay attention! Cellulite, lame raps about her ass, our Kim K. doesn't care as long as you...
So much has happened in the three weeks since word spread of an alleged affair between LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian—Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson's breakup, Madonna's...
How can Chris Brown gain respect again?
—ThulaneH, via Twitter
You mean in addition to expressing his deepest regret atop a Jet Ski in Florida?
A statement...
Michelle Obama certainly has a nice glow about her, doesn't she?
Perhaps that's because you're looking at the first wax likeness of the first lady, which was unveiled at the...
They may be taking a break, but that hasn't stopped the Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson drama train from forging ahead.
While the starlet came clean Monday about the separated...
God help the celebuspawn of Paris Hilton and Doug Reinhardt. Think we're getting ahead of ourselves? Well, over the weekend Pare told our Hollywood Party Girl that Doug is...
Courtney Love's apparently in one heck of a financial hole, and that has her fighting mad.
Her lawyer tells E! News that the "Doll Parts" purveyor is preparing to file a...
Let's see: work on popular TV show House or work for popular President Barack Obama in the White House? Hmmm. Tough decision? No! When Obama's camp came a-calling, Kal Penn thought it was...
When Robert Downey Jr. has a birthday, he gets plenty of A-list help to blow out the candles...all 44 of them.
The Iron Man actor celebrated at Bond St. at the Thompson Beverly Hills...
