ATHENS, Greece - Depeche Mode lead singer David Gahan is not well enough to perform in Athens on Wednesday, concert organizers said, a day after he was rushed to hospital moments before... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 13 May 2009 | 12:31 pm
Nobel literature laureate Derek Walcott has withdrawn from the contest for a prestigious position at Oxford University after anonymous letters criticizing him were sent to professors. ... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 13 May 2009 | 12:16 pm
AP - Depeche Mode lead singer David Gahan is not well enough to perform in Athens on Wednesday, concert organizers said, a day after he was rushed to hospital moments before he was to appear on stage.
AP - Depeche Mode lead singer David Gahan is not well enough to perform in Athens on Wednesday, concert organizers said, a day after he was rushed to hospital moments before he was to appear on stage.
Three years ago, the film based on Dan Brown's novel "The Da Vinci Code" was the focus of protest and controversy, with a Vatican archbishop calling for a boycott and Catholics at many levels refuting plot points.
Reuters - Sarah Palin, the Alaska governor pulled from the U.S. political periphery onto the 2008 Republican presidential ticket, has signed a deal to write her memoirs with HarperCollins. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 13 May 2009 | 12:04 pm
Reuters - Sarah Palin, the Alaska governor pulled from the U.S. political periphery onto the 2008 Republican presidential ticket, has signed a deal to write her memoirs with HarperCollins. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 13 May 2009 | 12:04 pm
Reuters - Given the inherent three-dimensional quality evident in Pixar's cutting-edge output, the fact that the studio's 10th animated film is the first to be presented in digital 3-D wouldn't seem to be particularly groundbreaking in and of itself. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 13 May 2009 | 11:51 am
Reuters - An animated comedy adventure helped lift the mood at the start of the Cannes film festival as cinema's biggest and glitziest gathering prepared to roll out the red carpet on Wednesday.
The pressure is on for Danny Gokey, Kris Allen and Adam Lambert. There's just one week until the "American Idol" finale, and on Tuesday night the all-male trio competed for two spots in next week's much-hyped sing-off.
Reuters - The first spring sale of contemporary and postwar art saw a fairly solid result on Tuesday as Sotheby's, and its clients adjusted to a scaled-down art market struggling with smaller auctions and sharply lower prices. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 13 May 2009 | 4:58 am
It was man vs. man vs. man Tuesday on American Idol as Danny Gokey, Kris Allen and Adam Lambert took the stage for the first all-guy semifinal in show history.
Some might call it the...
"140 pounds! Yes! Yes!" exclaimed Helen Phillips, 48, on tonight's season finale of The Biggest Loser: Couples upon learning how many pounds she lost.
With a 54.47% total...
The actress' Hollywood Hills home was broken into Tuesday at around 3 p.m., Los Angeles police...
Carrie Prejean wasn't always a scandal-tinged beauty queen. And we knew her when!
The still reigning Miss California USA struck a pre-Oscar pose for us in 2008 as a lingerie model...
Apparently Tyra Banks doesn't want to share the top with Paulina Porizkova anymore.
The '80s-era supermodel revealed Tuesday that she has been booted from her judge's post on...
There once was a beauty queen who took naughty pictures and, some years later, did not get to keep her crown.
Despite the magnanimity shown to Miss California Carrie Prejean, Katie...
If you didn't happen to get one of the precious tickets (which quickly sold out) to tonight's talk at the 92nd Street Y featuring Anna Wintour and Jonathan Tisch, the majority of us feel your pain. But the lucky fewone of us that gets to go will be sending live updates to our Twitter feed. It's almost like being there except you get to be on your couch, in sweats. So really, win win. [Cutblog/Twitter]
Dave Gahan has admittedly cheated death on multiple occasions. Here's hoping the Depeche Mode frontman didn't have to use up one of his nine lives this time.
The British...
Who wants to BET that "Single Ladies" wins for Video of the Year?
That catchy tune is just one of the reasons Beyoncé was nominated for a leading five honors at the upcoming...
"I'd watch that dude do anything…I'd watch that dude have sex with my wife at this point. He's such a good actor."
— Director Kevin Smith jokes with MTV...
Following a full day of Internet outrage over Aziz Ansari's courageous exposé of the IMAX Corporation's incredible shrinking screens, the company's CEO, Richard Gelfond, has finally made a statement. He tells the Street:
“IMAX did 15% of Star Trek’s total domestic box office in the whole country on only 138 screens [which is less than 2% of all movie theatres]... This is compared to the earlier releases of Watchmen, where we did 12% of the box office and Monsters and Aliens, where we did around 10%. Clearly a lot of people are going back to IMAX theaters... The overwhelming majority of comments on [Aziz Ansari]'s blog this morning, more than 90% of them, are vehemently disagreeing with him. And consumers are confirming this with their continued purchases of tickets."
We haven't read all of Anari's comments (573 at press time), but we're pretty sure Gelfond's last statistic is untrue. Regardless, we don't expect his siding with a faction of trolls here will muzzle Aziz and his army of Twitter followers, who seem to have a perfectly reasonable complaint.
"You wanna make it right? Then when you come to the HCOGR ... bring it." "Oh, I'll bring it."
AIG CEO Edward Liddy and three of the trustees of the company are due to appear in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform tomorrow. It's the first time representatives for the insurer will come in contact with members of the government — which now owns 80 percent of the company — since Bonusgate, and they know a flawless performance is crucial. Thus, Liddy et al. have conceived of a three-step process to shock and awe the House.
"Rampant, unwarranted criticism of AIG serves only to diminish the value of our businesses around the world ... It is critical that we not lose sight of the fact that we are partners."
In other words, "I know you are, but what am I?"
Then, he has two more amazing moves in his repertoire. For instance, there's Project Destiny, his kick-ass plan to "redefine the future of most of the major businesses within AIG." To be sure, the plans for definition have not yet technically been defined, but rest assured the structure is in place for them to be defined, and anyway, as the name tells you, action is happening! Let's move on.
Then! The trustees will make their presentation, which is currently outlined in a double-spaced Word document. They will tell Congress about how they have "devoted considerable time and energy" to coming up with ways to fix the insurer and have made "significant progress," except of course they won't be able to go into much detail on that front other than "we hope to be able to announce news on this front shortly." As long as everyone just stays patient.
Roberto Cavalli opened his first nightclub in Dubai on Thursday. It doesn't look much like the renderings we've been gazing at lustfully since last July. But it was expensive and in this economy, that's all that matters. The $30 million venture boasts the requisite restaurant, Swarovski crystals hanging from the ceiling, and furniture with animal-print upholstery. Unexpected bonus features include a sushi bar and boutique selling jewelry, watches, and Cavalli's favorite Italian food, which could translate to fatty meats on the dance floor. But who cares as long as it's expensive enough? Maybe they have salami girls who carry it out in fancy ice buckets with sparklers followed by a great show of foam and laser lights bursting forth from ceiling — the recession's champagne! The club was supposed to open last fall but construction delayed the opening (you know — TopShop syndrome). “Beautiful things are expensive and take time to create,” Cavalli said. Emphasis on expensive, because this is Dubai, the land of opulence, and even though it has taken a particularly hard blow in this economy, ventures like the Cavalli Club are proof that its spirit shall flag not. Cavalli hopes to open another club in Milan next month. Maybe Dubai is like a testing ground, kind of like how Beyoncé started her world tour in Canada.
Fantasy animates pop music, and so it is with Rihanna’s addictive “Silly Boy,” the most cathartic song since Paramore’s “Misery Business”: A joyous, unequivocal kiss-off, it might give the impression — with Rihanna’s brutal (alleged) beating by Chris Brown inevitably hanging over it — that domestic violence disappears in the rearview once you put your car in gear. In reality, of course, women escape it only as easily as they escape their economic, social, and psychological conditions, and it ain’t normally to the sound of a fantastic Euro-type beat. But that’s what we have here — along with chugging guitar, hand-claps, an indestructible hook (courtesy Lady Gaga), and Rihanna’s most human performance on tape. Musically, it’s miraculous. And come to think of it, even if “Sick Man” would make a more appropriate title than “Silly Boy,” there’s desperation mixed into this outrage, a real sense that you can tell someone to get out of your face without being sure that they’ll go. There won’t be a more fascinating song this year.
Even as the media grows in fits and starts, it still seems bent on self-destruction. Today, for example, Slate launched its online lady mag, Double X. Within hours, it was already throwing bricks at its main obvious gal rival, Jezebel.
• Last month, Twitter received more hits than the Times or The Wall Street Journal. Thanks, in part, to Oprah. [Paid Content]
• OK! editor-in-chief Katie Caperton is out, and conspiracies abound that the magazine is going upscale. An OK! publicist was vague about the changes, but said that celebrities will remain at the core of the brand. [FishbowlNY/Mediabistro]
Which still-famous American Idol runner-up is 30 Rock's Kenneth Parcell fictionally related to? On the off chance that you've not already guessed, you can find out in a new clip from Thursday's season finale. [Videogum]
Clearly no woman gets ahead in show business these days by wearing pants. So Ginnifer Goodwin shed hers for a June editorial in W. According to the magazine, she's doing this because she wants us to forget everything we thought we knew about her. We suppose she's succeeded, but the styling and tanned man slaves make us think more about how much Ginnifer Goodwin wants to be Madonna rather than just Ginnifer Goodwin. [W via Fashionista]
John DeLucie, the chef at the Waverly Inn, threw a party last night at the restaurant in honor of his new book The Hunger. And since the West Village eatery is a go-to spot for celebrity mingling, we asked guests about their favorite sightings. "Goldie Hawn was one," producer Marty Richards told us. "With her daughter, who is like a godchild to me … whose name I just forgot." We quickly reminded him that his almost-godchild is Kate Hudson. For more of our own sightings, view our Party Lines slideshow.
Clockwise from left: Essie, Shu Uemura, L'Oreal, Barielle Shades, and Rescue Beauty Lounge.
When we shop for nail polish we usually paint a stripe of each color on our fingers. So it doesn't look all that grown-up, but is there a better way to test them out? As a matter of fact, yes. We tried out the top 110 colors in our latest Shop-A-Matic for you. From $2 to $26 a bottle, we have a whole assortment ranging from sunny yellow to dark navy to pearly pink. And with all these glorious choices, we're guaranteeing you're going to want to give yourself your own mani/pedi tonight. Check out our top five shades below.
Essie Nail Polish in Perky Purple Price: $8 Why we like it: Bright colors are always fun for summer. But don’t forget a topcoat — this polish dries matte, without shine.
Shu Uemura Nail Enamel in PA357 Price: $16 Why we like it: The subtle flecks of shimmer in this sheer nude are a twist on a standby manicure shade.
L'Oréal Pro Manicure Nail Polish in Lady Luck Price: $5 Why we like it: A classic red never goes out of style whether it’s on your finger or toes. And this red dries with some shine, which is great if you want to carry it around for touch-ups.
Barielle Shades in Berry Blue Price: $8 Why we like it: If black is too out of place for the warm months try this blue lacquer instead. The polish goes on incredibly smooth and gives you dark — but not gloomy — nails for summer.
Rescue Beauty Lounge Nail Polish in Concrete Jungle Price: $18 Why we like it: We crave light hues for spring and this gray polish is a great alternative to pastels. This is the hot color to buy — you'll wear it all season.
For as much as the blogosphere seems to have enjoyed J.J. Abrams's new Star Trek movie, one thing being nitpicked is the film's weird use of the Beastie Boys' "Sabotage" during baby Kirk's car-chase scene (it made sense to us, since by the twenty-fourth century we figure the world will finally have forgiven To the 5 Boroughs). But could the song have been a cruel dig at William Shatner, who was apparently afflicted with a speech impediment that made him unable to pronounce the word "sabotage" correctly on the original TV series? Yes, probably. Click to watch the hilarious evidence. (Not writing the guy a part was mean enough, J.J. Abrams!)
THE INTERNET IS READY: Vanessa Hudgens admits she'd strip for an "amazing movie role." Apparently, that mirror was a pretty amazing role. (Us Weekly)
DYNASTY: Carrie Prejean is keeping her crown as Miss California, despite having appeared in numerous topless photos, the film Boobarama, and being topless during the majority of the Miss U.S.A. pageant. (Wonderwall)
HEADLINE: "Parasitic Flies Turn Fire Ants Into Zombies." Sam Raimi is attached to direct. (Yahoo!)
COOL DAD: I like Brian Williams, and he seems to have a genuine, vested interest in new music, but there's just something off about hearing a rock band interviewed in a powerful, hard-hitting journalist cadence. (Stereogum)
CATCHY SLOGAN: The NBA Playoffs: Where Amazing Happens, and by "Amazing" we mean... lots of different things... (Youtube)
PITY THE MANUFACTURER: This list of the 10 Most Pitiful Pieces Of Mr. T Memorabilia is perhaps the most accurately-titled list I've ever cross on the internet. Although Rocky III is a surprise omission. (Topless Robot, via Gorillamask)
Front Page: Thriller based on power broker Jack Abramoff -- Kevin Spacey is slipping into the shoes of disgraced Washington power broker Jack Abramoff.
Marc Jacobs and Lorenzo Martone may have spent a reported $13 million on a West Village townhouse, but that was just for walls. “It’s a new project that we decided to take as a white box, as they call it, which has no finishings,” Martone told us at the Cinema Society screening of Easy Virtue last night. “Yeah. It doesn’t exist yet. I mean, there’s no walls or anything yet. It’s just a shell,” Jacobs added. The couple is working with designer Thad Hayes on the house, and don't expect it to be finished for another year. Right now, they’re choosing materials and figuring out how to mix their personal styles. “I’m more classic, I think he’s more modern,” says Jacobs. Maybe if you're lucky you'll see them at Home Depot.
In an article to be published in tomorrow's Times, we learn that American Hero Michael Phelps is basically Rain Man. That is, he can swim and do so better than anybody else in the world, but the minute he ventures off the track carefully delineated by his mother, Debbie, and his coach, Bob Bowman, he'll spiral about in confusion and go on a destructive rampage. "He missed some experiences that other people had," Bowman told the paper. "I guess the question is, what do we do after that? And I think that's what he's working on now, expanding his horizons beyond swimming." So what is he taking up now? You know, other than bongsand double bongs? Well, golf, as it turns out. Because otherwise he won't succeed as the businessman he's going to try to become after the 2012 Olympics, for which he is already in training. "He can play golf with the C.E.O. of every company in America probably," Bowman said. "He can interact with people. I think it's great." May we also suggest that he could also one day do Dancing With the Stars? Because apparently he needs to be treated like a monkey, and isn't that what handlers make monkeys do? Dance?
The world's energy crisis is no joke, people-- we need renewable resources and we need them now! Could the answer to our energy shortage lay within one of our country's greatest treasures… no, not Yellowstone… we're talking about Lil Kim. Dancing with the Stars showed us that Kim's bootie isn't just hot, it's apparently thermonuclear.
When the Post reported yesterday that a former Bear Stearns employee named Gary Reback had filed suit against JPMorgan, claiming that they were now responsible for the $2 million bonus and $1.1 million severance package Bear owed him when it went up in smoke, we couldn't understand why a guy with a few million in his coffers and a small, fey dog would put himself out there like that. Doesn't he know there's a Rich Hunt on? But now we think we understand: Reback and his wife have been forced to downgrade dramatically in the wake of the financial crisis. Cityfile reports:
A neighbor of the Rebacks in Scarsdale wrote in this morning to tell us that Mrs. Reback was frequently spotted driving around town in a Mercedes G-class SUV. Until recently, that is, when the Rebacks traded in the fancy Mercedes for a Honda Pilot.
And apparently, this problem is epidemic:
"They're not the only ones," says the tipster, who we have confirmed is not part of Honda's PR team. "For the wives of unemployed bankers in Westchester, the Honda Pilot is the new 'It' car."
Remember when everyone — including ourselves — got all excited about Charity Wakefield, who, back in January, was being touted as the new Ally McBeal? Well, it turns out that all of that research we did about her on Wikipedia and the IMDb was for naught. Just as NBC hinted they might last week, the network officially passed on green-lighting David E. Kelley's Legally Mad, which also was set to star the bubbly Kristin Chenoweth. And just to demonstrate how much Ben Silverman and his crack team of television scientists disliked the show, this move triggers a hilarious contractual clause that will result in NBC forking over some $2 million to Warner Bros. TV. We know we're not in the television industry, but to us, that sure seems like a lot of money to pay for a TV show that will never air. Meanwhile, in another spot of bad news for fans of television shows that feature single female protagonists who are no longer in their teens, ABC has cooled considerably on the untitled Lauren Graham project.
Sorry, Gilmore groupies, but things are looking very dire for the pilot that was scripted by Alex Herschlag (Will & Grace) and starred none other than Lorelai Gilmore herself. According to a Variety report, "ABC execs remain fans of Graham -- but the pilot, about a talk show host who must follow her own advice when her life falls apart, is said to have fallen flat in the screening room." This information has yet to be confirmed by network officials, but don't expect for things to turn considerably for the program in the short time between now and the ABC upfronts.
So, what does this all mean? From our vantage point, it looks something like this: unless they're doctors, detectives or ghost whisperers, women will be totally out of style this fall. We blame Sarah Palin.
The last time one part of a state seceded from the rest, West Virginia separated from Virginia because it didn't want to fight the Civil War. Now the debate over the secession of Long Island from New York revolves around an equally monumental event: the payroll tax recently levied to bail out the MTA (with an exemption for school districts, at the insistence of two Long Island state senators). What, that's not good enough for you? Well, it's broader than that. Long Island pays more to the state than it gets back. Still not convinced? Then let Suffolk County legislator Dan Losquadro frame the issue:
"I truly believe that the actions that have been taken by those in Albany on the part of Long Islanders are tyrannical," he said in a statement. "I think we are at the point of revolt, we have gone past that ... Long Island needs to stand up and take whatever actions ... necessary to throw off those shackles of the tyrants up in New York State."
At least one other legislator quoted by Newsday worried that all this secession talk could make Long Island's politicians look like "whackos." But an admittedly unscientific poll accompanying the story shows readers are 69.4 percent in favor of secession, though that could be the result of Losquadro voting all day. More disappointingly, 88.4 percent would name the new state "Long Island." Boring. Let us know in the comments if you can think of something better.
Contrary to popular belief, some good shows do make it to a second season. E! reports that Rob Thomas's awesome Starz catering comedy Party Down has been renewed. [Watch With Kristin/ E!]
MAKEUP
• A file that belonged to U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown contained detailed information about how to apply makeup and fake tanner. Apparently Clinique and Guerlain were both recommended to the politician. [Sun UK via Daily Beast]
• Jessica Biel showed up to the screening of Easy Virtue last night in Manhattan with shiny pink lips and loose curls covering just one eye. This is a considerable departure from the orange skin she had at the Met gala last week. [Beauty Counter/Style.com]
HAIR
• Sting's wife Trudie Styler flew her hairstylist Antonio Prieto from New York to Washington, D.C., to do her hair for the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Some see this as a conflict of interest because she co-founded the Rainforest Foundation and often speaks out against oil companies. Private planes ain't exactly ecofriendly. [NYP]
SKIN
• A Penn State University study says that the darker your skin is, the more likely you are to be addicted to cigarettes. This is because of how melanin (the pigment that makes your skin color) blends with nicotine. The more melanin you have, the more nicotine can build up. [Allure/Daily Beauty Reporter]
FRAGRANCE
• François Payard of the fancy restaurant Payard just launched three chocolate-infused fragrances called Inspirations by Payard: Bergamot Truffle, Lychee Mousse, and Pistachio Ganache. They sell for $42 to $48 each online. [Now Smell This]
In the most chilling development yet relating to the Swine Flu Panic-demic of 2009, doctors have just reported that many patients with the virus don't even get a fever. Roughly one-third of patients admitted to two hospitals in Mexico City who were diagnosed with the H1N1 strain never reported an elevated temperature at all! This is problematic because it makes it more difficult for doctors to track, report, and combat the spreading disease — and what's more, it means that many people are actually suffering less. The primary troubles for these people who don't experience a fever are persistent cough and general malaise. This disease will stop at nothing, nothing, before it infects us all and spreads vague discomfort and extreme paranoia throughout the world.
Since Friday's episode — the final one scheduled to air on Fox — scored the lowest-ever ratings in the show's history, we're trying not to get our hopes up for a second season of Joss Whedon's doomed-from-the-start Dollhouse. But Fox Home Video has just announced a release date of July 28 for the first-season DVD, which includes the long-lost season finale. At least we won't have to fast-forward through commercials, right? [ArtsBeat/NYT]
Julia Restoin-Roitfeld let photographer Todd Selby into her New York apartment. And it's just as enviable as you'd imagine. Perhaps more so, if you take a close look at her jewelry and shoe collections. However, a beverage fallacy couldn't escape our notice: Homegirl drinks Coke Zero instead of Diet Coke. And she calls herself a fashion person. [Selby via Racked]
Unlike Vulture's slapdash American Idol charts, it would appear that actual research went into the ones in What Not to Sing's in-depth study of how Idol contestants' success is affected by the amount of exposure they receive on the show. As it turns out, finalists whose backstories and early auditions are seen by viewers stand a much better chance of advancing to later rounds than the unseen singers who producers ignore. It's nothing we didn't already know, but it's certainly nice to have our suspicions confirmed by colorful charts.
CoCo, the plastic cyborg married to Ice-T, has started her own magazine (site semi-NSFW), finally satisfying the earth's unceasing demand to see more pictures of her baffling fakeness in lazy, iconic poses:
If you're thinking to yourself, "Photo homages to Marilyn Monroe jumped the shark back before the shark lifeform existed on this planet, and I'd rather jerk off to NOVA on PBS than anything on the same continent as this magazine," then you would be double-correct. Source: Best Week Ever | 12 May 2009 | 9:00 pm
The Mets announced the sale of Shea Stadium’s seats way back in August, and now it’s the Yankees' turn to sell every possible square inch of old Yankee Stadium, one piece at a time. (The slogan for Yankees-Steiner, the company in charge of the auction, is literally "Ruth Built It. Yankees-Steiner Took It Down!" Exclamation point most definitely theirs.) Naturally, they’re starting with the seats, and you can expect to pay more than the $869 the Mets charged. Well, sort of.
A pair of seats — similar to the $869 Shea ones — will cost $1,499. (And while that seems like a lot more, mostly because it is, it’s at least less than the $1,923 it was once reported they were going to charge.) If you want a specific pair of seats — perhaps your season-ticket seats, or the ones from your very first game — that’s an extra $500. A single chair will cost $749, while a single bleacher seat is $399 — unless you want a specific one, in which case it’s $449.
The Yankees will also be auctioning off 1,500 items online over the course of the next two and a half months, when you’ll have the chance to bid on such keepsakes as an “authentic blue cylinder trash can w/ NY logo” (starting bid $200). Not everything is online yet, but there are plenty of signs, which at least have semi-practical uses: “Smokers will be ejected” (perfect for a sports bar), or perhaps "Interfering with player or ball in play is strictly prohibited" (which obviously should forever hang above Jeffrey Maier's sofa). Bidding for these begins at $200; for an idea of what they might fetch, Lelands president Mike Heffner told New York last July that the “Intoxicated fans will not be permitted into the stadium” sign could go for $500.
At just 20 years old, model Sessilee Lopez seems a little young for a career comeback. But she says that's exactly what happened after Steven Meisel gave her the cover of the July 2008 Italian Vogue featuring black models exclusively. “I didn’t even know I was going to have the cover until it came out. So it was definitely a surprise,” Lopez told us at the Cinema Society screening of Easy Virtue last night. “When Steven [Meisel] gave me that cover and 30 pages of editorial it definitely resurrected my career.”
Lopez believes the attention the all-black issue received put her on the radar of people who hadn’t seen her past work. “Definitely, it’s opened up doors for not only myself but for a lot of new faces and young girls of color. With the whole fashion world embracing diversity this past year, this has been quite amazing,” Lopez said. It's no wonder she calls this her "comeback year" after she went from walking six or seven shows in September during New York Fashion Week to more than twenty in February. Those included Narciso Rodriguez and Oscar de la Renta, which she was thrilled about. “I was flabbergasted,” she says. “I was blown away when I got confirmed.”
Her upcoming editorials include one in the June issue of Harper’s Bazaar. “And there’s something special coming out in September that I’m not really allowed to talk about. It’s amazing.”
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs hinted earlier today that President Obama might be getting a tad annoyed with all the lobbying going on over his impending Supreme Court pick. Hispanics want a Hispanic, gays want a gay, women want a woman, Eskimos want an Eskimo. He gets it. "This is a decision that he alone will make. I don't think that the lobbying of interest groups will help," Gibbs said at the daily press briefing before adding a more stern, futile warning. "I think in many ways the lobbying can and will be counterproductive." [Page/Time]
Sorry, Schadenfreudenkinder*: The rumor that website Guest of a Guest published earlier today — that Greenwich's the Round Hill Club revoked the membership of Bernie Madoff feeder-fund manager Walter Noel and his golden, formidably toned family in the wake of their "publicity nightmare" — appears to be untrue. Daily Intel spoke to Roundtree manager Dennis Meemans, who assured us that the Noels, who have belonged to the club for 35 years, are members "in good standing" and are furthermore "very nice people." Sorry, y'all. Pray they all get tennis elbow this year, instead, or adult acne from sunscreen.
E! Online - What's your official nickname for Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine as a hottie tag team? And will they give R.Pattz a run for his money in the screaming-fan dept?
Feigned interest from a woman who is slowly dying on the inside, and knows it.
Remember that time when you worked on the sorority carnival for like two months straight and it totally consumed your life? And you would cry and stress about it and you made enemies with the girl who didn't show at the final meeting? And then years later, you're like, why the hell did I stress about that stupid thing so much? It was a sorority carnival for god's sake! Hindsight is 20/20, and you suddenly see how narrow-minded about life you were at that point. That girl who was your enemy is now a doctor and married, and why was it you hated her, anyhow? We think this is how Lauren is feeling about her run on The Hills. Like, how could she ever have cared so much about these situations and people? It's kind of funny, but kind of frustrating for viewers, since we're supposed to be the ones judging The Hills characters, not Lauren! But anyway, we feel for her. She's so ready to move on.
We open with Lo, Lauren, and Audrina, getting drinks and discussing Lo’s new job in Culver City at Smashbox with something called Davis Factor. None of that makes sense to us. Isn’t Smashbox a makeup line? Is the Davis Factor a person or a mathematical method? If we lived in L.A., would we know the answers to all these burning questions? Aud mentions that Justin Bobby heard about how she “fell asleep” in Brody’s bed. Lo and Lauren grimace at her. “As long as I don’t see his face, I’m okay,” says Aud. Good luck with that, according to the previews.
So let’s cover Heidi and Spencer first, as usual, since they’ve been stuck in the same plotline for roughly a century. Or maybe two weeks. We can’t tell, and we really don’t care. We find out that Stacie the bartender — the shrew who maybe made a move for Spencer — texted Heidi and asked her to come meet at the bar. So Heidi and her breasts confront Stacie; Stacie and the permanent bubble in her throat try to make nice, but Heidi’s not having it. “You’re a homewrecker, you’re rude, and you’re a slut,” yells Heidi. Oh god, this is embarrassing. “You’re crazy, I feel bad for you, and you’re boyfriend’s a dick— good luck!” Stacie counters. Point Stacie, we think. Then these two lovely girls part ways. Back at the apartment, Heidi tells Spencer (who’s Twittering!) what went down. “I took care of it,” says Heidi cryptically. “Who are you, Tony Soprano?” says Spencer. Funny! You know things are bad when we start to side with Spence. “I dare you to find another Stacie and wait till what happens with that,” she taunts. Very scary, Heidi. And obviously very effective, since Spencer rolls his eyes.
And now to the good (eh, better) stuff. Somewhat inevitably, JB has called Audrina. “Hey-O, Justin,” she greets him. Well, that’s weird. They meet up the next night, and Audrina’s wearing seriously sparkly shoes and Justin’s hair looks crazy in a bad way, almost like a bowl cut. They rehash their standard drama. Audrina wants out, Justin’s not having it. He follows her out of the bar. “You know how many times you say ‘serious,’?” he asks her. Good point, JB. “Don’t go snapping at me,” he says. Then Audrina actually snaps at him, like, literally, which is cute because she’s dumb and that’s not what he meant. She tries to walk away through a gate. “Go through your little gates!” JB says. Ha! Her little gates! Anyway, she leaves, and we cut away to a sad shot of JB’s bizarre striped socks and capris.
Oh, Stephanie, where do we start? She and Lauren have lunch and she confesses she’s scared of Kelly Cutrone. “I need to take a break from stressing about work and go on a manhunt,” says Steph. Lauren looks dubious. Steph dishes about her new guy, “Robert! Roberto! Bert!” Stephanie has really come into her own bizarre, word-repeating personality these last few weeks, and we think we like it. Lauren tells her to concentrate on work instead of guys, but Steph’s staring off into the distance, and LC has to wave to get her attention. “I’m trying to picture the guy right now. I really like him. Work, work, work, work!” says Steph. Seriously, Steph? We’re starting to worry; someone should call her sponsor. Back at People's Revolution, Stephanie’s still acting crazy and doesn’t pay attention when Lauren tells her to make sure to pack up the clothes for the shoot at Smashbox with Lo (so that’s what Smashbox is!). Obviously, Stephanie forgets to do this, distracted by her "No Diggity" ring tone, which we’ll admit is very awesome. Over at Smashbox with Davis Factor (he’s a person!), Lauren discovers Steph’s mistake and angrily calls her. Steph is lunching with Roberto, who looks like a wax statue. When Lauren returns to the office, Kelly is p-i-s-s-e-d. “You seem awfully happy. I’m not so happy,” she bitches at Stephanie. Kelly tells LC that she is going to have to fire Steph, and then draws her finger along her neck. “Think guillotine; clean,” Kelly instructs Lauren. Whoa. We have to wait till next week to see her execute that, though. Sad.
And now, our Unequivocal Hills Reality Index:
As real as Kelly is apt to fire an intern who sucks:
• Audrina and Justin’s inane bickering has all the trademarks of immature love. We’re buying it.
• Spencer’s Twitter account. We found it, and it’s just as annoying as you’d hope.
• Lauren’s lack of "Fall Neutrals" at the Smashbox shoot. If fashion-reality TV shows are to be believed (and why wouldn’t they be?), someone always forgets something at those shoots.
As fake as Lauren’s tolerance for any of her friends other than Lo:
• Roberto. He's straight from Madame Tussaud's.
• Justin Bobby's interest in Audrina. Why does he keep coming back after blowing her off?
• This is up for debate, but Stephanie was way too stupid about work, even for her. We think there was some definite MTV meddling in that situation. Thoughts?
Maybe! Star Trek rebooter J.J. Abrams has made no secret of his intense hatred for Trek and its plastic-ear-wearing followers, or his overwhelming preference for George Lucas's more popular space-based film saga. So is it any surprise that his new movie is so similar to Star Wars? In today's Observer, Christopher Rosen points out the parallels.
Mr. Abrams’ perfect summer confection is literally the movie Star Wars fans had hoped The Phantom Menace would be: a fun, exciting, realistically unrealistic thrill ride, filled to the brim with a devil-may-care sense of humor and earned bravado. You can really see Mr. Abrams’ crossover work in the way he portrayed the characters. There’s Kirk-as-Han Solo; Young Spock-as-Luke Skywalker; Future Spock-as-Obi-Wan; Scotty-as-Chewy; Uhura-as-Leia; Bones and Chekov-as-C3PO and R2D2; and while there’s no Darth Vader, Eric Bana’s Nero does fly around in a massive space station that could give the Death Star a run for its money.
Rosen's completely right, and gives several more examples — but you know what? For as long as contractual barriers and George Lucas's stubbornness prevent Abrams from being handed the keys to the Millennium Falcon and giving us the Star Wars we all want, we're totally cool with this.
A reader forwarded the following article about a man who showed up at the hospital with blood coming out of his bellybutton, only to give birth to a 30-year-old baby. Nothing more really needs to be said. Take a look at it, and then join us in playing BWE.tv's favorite game: GUESS THE WORST PART OF THE STORY! Trust us -- It's a challenge this week. Here we go!
30-Year-Old Man 'Gives Birth' to Embryonic Twin
In a scene echoing a horror movie, Gavin Hyatt, of Witney, in Oxfordshire, England, staggered into his general physician’s office bleeding from his belly button.
The 30-year-old man reeled in agony as his stomach ruptured — and the remains of his embryonic twin spilled out.
“It was like something from (the movie) 'Alien',” said his stunned physician, Dr. Joe Santos. “I didn’t believe Gavin when he said something was coming out of his belly button until I saw him.”
Doctors said the growth, also known as a parasitic twin, was Hyatt’s identical brother who died in their’s mother’s womb early in the pregnancy.
The 4-centimeter fetus became embedded in Gavin’s tissue and stayed in his stomach for the next 30 years.
Hyatt said doctors were often stumped by the lump in his stomach.
“Some thought it was a cyst, others an in-grown hair,” he said.
Hyatt said he keeps the twin in a jar at home and calls it “Little Gav.”
Any ideas? Click ahead for the answer and bonus referential movie video!If you guessed:
Hyatt said he keeps the twin in a jar at home and calls it “Little Gav.”Then you're right!! And your prize? Spaceballs vid!
We're not really surprised that Roger Ebert loved Up, which is set to make its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival tomorrow night, but we were a little surprised to discover that he staunchly opposes 3-D films. Although he saw the film in a traditional 2-D setting, he writes of being "afraid [that] the brightness and delicate shadings of the color palate [sic] will become slightly dingy, slightly flattened out, like looking through a window that needs Windex." He also adds that "The effect of 3D adds nothing to the viewing experience." We expect you'll be getting a call from Jeffrey Katzenberg any moment, Roger. [Sun-Times]
Johnny Ferraro, creator of the "American Gladiators" TV franchise, is bringing a live-action adaptation of the property to the bigscreen...The goal is to create an action story that takes place inside the world Ferraro has created.
Ferraro noted "American Gladiators" was originally conceived as a film, but the property "took a detour and became a TV phenomenon."
"...then we took a detour and decided to make it a SHOW about people whacking 'roided-up metal singers named after car terminology with padded weapons instead of a MOVIE, and everything just clicked."
The only way I'm seeing this film is if Malibu is the main character and the following interview takes place word-for-word (after the jump):
Michael Jackson is four weeks into rehearsals in Burbank, Calif., more than $85 million is in the bank from ticket sales, and the King of Pop's return to the stage for 50 shows at London's O2 Arena is looking increasingly like it will happen.
Last weekend I happened to be sitting on my couch, unwilling to go to sleep, and clicked by an overnight Golden GirlsBea Arthur tribute marathon on WE, and set the remote down when a random cameo by Leslie Nielsen caught my attention. So I laid there, watching instead of getting valuable, necessary sleep, enthralled by Bea Arthur and Nielsen (Blanche's "Uncle Lucas") pretending to be in love as a prank on Blanche, then the episode ended with Nielsen proposing "for real" to Bea, and Bea happily accepting, followed by a To Be Continued...
Obviously, I stayed in place for the conclusion, which involved a wedding, the return of Bea's ex-husband, and a tremendous buildup, and I kept expecting some wacky hijinks to occur to prevent the actual marriage from taking place, but sure enough they went through with it, then Bea shared an emotional conversation with Estelle Getty about moving away to be with her new husband, then the girls all embraced tearfully, then Bea left the house, followed by the credits, and only then did I realize: this was the Golden Girls series finale.
Do you understand what this means? The show Golden Girls ended with Bea Arthur marrying Leslie Nielsen and living happily ever after, and it took me until 2009 to become aware of this fact. I can't remember the last time I felt so distrusting of my overconfident pop culture knowledge, or angry at everyone around me for never bringing this to my attention.
After the jump, the video of Frank Drebbin making an honest woman out of Miss Arthur, and thereby imploding everything I thought I knew about the television universe. Also note that the finale was written by Arrested Developement'sMitchell Hurwitz (a longtime GG producer), with a cameo by Shady Hospital Doctor from Terminator 2:
According to a source close to Linda, Brooke refused to even invite her mother to the party as their relationship has gone from bad to worse Source: FOXNews.com | 12 May 2009 | 5:36 pm
Actor Simon Baker arrives at the "The Mentalist" at PaleyFest09 in April 2009 in Hollywood, California. Baker has signed on to star alongside Casey Affleck in an upcoming thriller based on Jim Thompson's... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 12 May 2009 | 4:59 pm
Actress Julia Roberts attends the 36th Film Society of Lincoln Center's Gala Tribute at Alice Tully Hall in April 2009 in New York City. Roberts will play an army officer on leave from Iraq in an all-star... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 12 May 2009 | 4:56 pm
"I was in the pool! I was in the pool!" -- Dolph "Costanza" Lundgren
Well, ladies and some gentlemen aged 23-35, today is a momentous day. Because, after years of finger-to-the-chin daydreaming and restless nights wondering, you finally have an answer to that age old question: What Does Dolph Lundgren's Penis Look Like? The answer? He's every Jewish mother's nightmare:
Because we are ladies here, we're not going to give you the straight up goods. Your sick NSFW mind can head over to Buzzfeed for that. But we will say this: Dolph still looks as damn good as in his Masters of the Universe days, and we would still, as they say, "hit it." For God's sake, people, forget his uncirkied shlong for a second -- just look at the passion in this man's eyes!
British music band Depeche Mode canceled an Athens concert Tuesday after lead singer David Gahan fell ill and was taken to hospital in the Greek capital, event organizers said.
The Pope may be in the Middle East this week to promote peace in the region, but His Holiness has nothing on It from the I Love Money 2 Reunion! Not only has It already solved the whole peace in the middle east thing but we hear he's already scheduled to appear on next fall’s VH1/C-SPAN crossover I Love UN Middle East Envoy.
The movie Jaws has been replicated, ripped-off, and bastardized for decades by the film industry, but in terms of sheer suspense and excitement, nothing has ever topped the original. Finally, in 2009, a movie with the potential to do just that: Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus. It's like Jaws if Jaws were Mega, and also there was a giant octopus.
Also, the shark is way bigger than the octopus and it's a frickin' shark and it's Mega -- how would the octopus stand a chance in that fight? Guess I'll have to watch the movie and find out...
British singer and musician Peter Gabriel smiles during a press conference in Mexico City, in March 2009. Gabriel and Venezuelan conductor and composer Jose Antonio Abreu on Tuesday won the 2009 Polar... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 12 May 2009 | 4:16 pm
Rapper T.I. joined Rev. Al Sharpton, Ja Rule, and various community activists at a march on Monday (May 11) in New York City to speak out against gun violence.
While the North Mississippi Allstars are on hiatus, drummer Cody Dickinson and bassist Chris Chew are debuting a new five piece this week under the name Hill Country Revue.
A. Joey Pantoliano
B. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
C. The Bad Guy in True Lies
D. Dobby from the Harry Potter Series
E. The Skinny Ghost of Dom DeLuise
F. Jon Gosselin
G. A F*cking Clown To YouAnswer Ahead.In the immortal words of Dark Helmet... "Fooled You." It's JOE PESCI, who has spent the last 10 years putting Rogaine around his mouth and playing golf while breading and frying chicken.
No matter how many times we see recent photos of the guy, we still can't believe it's him. We long for the clean, cologned Pesci that stuffed his briefs with wadded up hundreds and cocaine vials while comically flailing his arms round his body as he slipped on strategically placed micro machines:
At long last the stimulus package America really needs: The eyeball-searing, fantasy-fulfilling, brain-exploding return of the Hot 100! Source: FOXNews.com | 12 May 2009 | 2:48 pm
The Miss California USA controversy is playing out like one of Donald Trump's highly rated reality shows, with viewers waiting to hear whether he'll utter his famous phrase, "You're fired!"
Alkaline Trio plans to get back to its roots for the follow-up release to 2008's "Agony & Irony," singer-guitarist Matt Skiba tells Billboard.com. "We kind of want to make a punk rock record," Skiba says.
British model and television personality Katie Price, also known as Jordan, and her singer husband, Peter Andre, are to separate, according to a statement released Monday.
Romania's entry into the 2009 Eurovision song contest Elena rehearses in Moscow. The Eurovision Song Contest, the continent's annual over-the-top celebration of Europop, kicks off in Russia with the whiff... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 12 May 2009 | 12:38 pm
Macedonia's entry into the 2009 Eurovision song contest Next Time rehearse in Moscow. The Eurovision Song Contest, the continent's annual over-the-top celebration of Europop, kicks off in Russia with the... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 12 May 2009 | 12:38 pm
Participants rehearse for the Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow. The Eurovision Song Contest, the continent's annual over-the-top celebration of Europop, kicks off in Russia with the whiff of politics... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 12 May 2009 | 12:38 pm
The three members of Depeche Mode are still partial to wearing black, but their attitude is a lot lighter and brighter than their music and history would suggest. CNN spoke to the group's members about their new album, "Sounds of the Universe," their three decades in the business and the effects of heavy drinking.
It was man vs. man vs. man Tuesday on American Idol as Danny Gokey, Kris Allen and Adam Lambert took the stage for the first all-guy semifinal in show history.
Some might call it the...
"140 pounds! Yes! Yes!" exclaimed Helen Phillips, 48, on tonight's season finale of The Biggest Loser: Couples upon learning how many pounds she lost.
With a 54.47% total...
Carrie Prejean wasn't always a scandal-tinged beauty queen. And we knew her when!
The still reigning Miss California USA struck a pre-Oscar pose for us in 2008 as a lingerie model...
Apparently Tyra Banks doesn't want to share the top with Paulina Porizkova anymore.
The '80s-era supermodel revealed Tuesday that she has been booted from her judge's post on...
There once was a beauty queen who took naughty pictures and, some years later, did not get to keep her crown.
Despite the magnanimity shown to Miss California Carrie Prejean, Katie...
Dave Gahan has admittedly cheated death on multiple occasions. Here's hoping the Depeche Mode frontman didn't have to use up one of his nine lives this time.
The British...
Who wants to BET that "Single Ladies" wins for Video of the Year?
That catchy tune is just one of the reasons Beyoncé was nominated for a leading five honors at the upcoming...
"I'd watch that dude do anything…I'd watch that dude have sex with my wife at this point. He's such a good actor."
— Director Kevin Smith jokes with MTV...
Building off the momentum of NBC's not even ironically enjoyable tv reboot, the creator of American Gladiators is 
Last weekend I happened to be sitting on my couch, unwilling to go to sleep, and clicked by an overnight Golden Girls Bea Arthur tribute marathon on WE, and set the remote down when a random cameo by Leslie Nielsen caught my attention. So I laid there, watching instead of getting valuable, necessary sleep, enthralled by Bea Arthur and Nielsen (Blanche's "Uncle Lucas") pretending to be in love as a prank on Blanche, then the episode ended with Nielsen proposing "for real" to Bea, and Bea happily accepting, followed by a To Be Continued...
Obviously, I stayed in place for the conclusion, which involved a wedding, the return of Bea's ex-husband, and a tremendous buildup, and I kept expecting some wacky hijinks to occur to prevent the actual marriage from taking place, but sure enough they went through with it, then Bea shared an emotional conversation with Estelle Getty about moving away to be with her new husband, then the girls all embraced tearfully, then Bea left the house, followed by the credits, and only then did I realize: this was the Golden Girls series finale.
Do you understand what this means? The show Golden Girls ended with Bea Arthur marrying Leslie Nielsen and living happily ever after, and it took me until 2009 to become aware of this fact. I can't remember the last time I felt so distrusting of my overconfident pop culture knowledge, or angry at everyone around me for never bringing this to my attention.
After the jump, the video of Frank Drebbin making an honest woman out of Miss Arthur, and thereby imploding everything I thought I knew about the television universe. Also note that the finale was written by Arrested Developement's Mitchell Hurwitz (a longtime GG producer), with a cameo by Shady Hospital Doctor from Terminator 2:
