LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "The Office" co-star Craig Robinson will host the return of NBC's "Last Comic Standing" this summer. Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 1 Mar 2010 | 12:34 am
Reuters - "The Office" co-star Craig Robinson will host the return of NBC's "Last Comic Standing" this summer. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 1 Mar 2010 | 12:34 am
Serena: A Film?: Angelina Jolie and Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler) are in talks to develop a film adaptation of the 2008 book Serena: A Novel, written by Ron Rash. Jolie would star in the Aronofsky-helmed picture, which centers on a man named George and his wife, Serena, who build a timber empire. Serena pushes her husband along an increasingly corrupt path, and - after she learns she can't bear a child for George - she sets out to kill the son he fathered illegitimately... with Jennifer Aniston. Just kidding, everyone knows Jennifer Aniston is lonely and barren! [HR]
Four More Go Orange: An indie film dream quartet of Adam Brody, Catherine Keener, Allison Janney and Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development) is in talks to join the cast of the family dramedy The Oranges, which will star House's Hugh Laurie and Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester. The film, which will begin filming in New York City at the end of March, focuses on a man (Laurie) who begins an affair with the daughter (Meester) of a family friend. Shawkat and Keener would play Laurie's daughter and wife, respectively, and Janney would be Meester’s mom. Brody would take on the part of Laurie’s son, who falls hard for Meester only to find out she’s sleeping with his dad... which makes us think about Summer and Sandy Cohen having an affair… which is not pleasant. [HR]
Heard Set To Drive: Amber Heard (Zombieland, The Stepfather) has joined the Nicolas Cage 3-D action movie Drive Angry, in which a man (Cage) “driven by rage” chases down the people who killed his daughter and abducted her baby. Heard will play the diner employee who teams up with Cage to help find his granddaughter. We pray that “partners in crimefighting” is the extent of their relationship, but we fear otherwise. [HR]
Fox Hopes For Franchise: Fox 2000 has won the rights to Incarceron, British author Catherine Fisher’s young adult novel, in the hopes of building a franchise from the New York Times-bestselling book. Incarceron tells the story of a boy who lives in a prison "that is a complete society," while the world outside is “stuck in the 17th century and run by computers.” The boy meets the warden’s daughter, "who lives in her own sort of jail," and they find a “key that can change everything.” Um, there seem to be some sexual metaphors going on here that we just aren't quite getting. [Variety]
Life After Tuck: Nip/Tuck’s Dylan Walsh and Joely Richardson have each scored leads in pilots this season. Richardson will play a successful New York prosecutor in Jerry Bruckheimer’s The Whole Truth for ABC. Walsh will star in CBS’s ATF, playing an ATF agent who tracks down dangerous criminals while being a good dad to a daughter who has re-entered his life. These premises promise to be unlike anything you have ever seen on TV! [HR]
And with that, a rift in the world of moguls and maidens healed itself; the eligible bachelor returned to the party, the yacht returned to paradise, and Page Six's prophecy came (roughly) true.
Shrek Forever After, the fourth and final film in the animated series, will open the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival on April 21. The film, the first Shrek movie to be shown in 3-D, will hit theaters nationwide on May 21, 2010.
"We have always sought to open our festival with films that are captivating and strike an emotional chord with moviegoers," TFF co-founder Jane Rosenthal said. "Shrek Forever After combines the very best in storytelling and artistry while showcasing the wonders of innovative 3-D filmmaking."
We’re hoping Mary-Kate Olsen is back as a judge just to see how she manages to incorporate 3-D glasses into her patented homeless chic aesthetic. [HR, EW]
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The world premiere of "Shrek Forever After" will raise the curtain at New York's Tribeca Film Festival on April 21. Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 28 Feb 2010 | 10:45 pm
Gore writes that while he of course “wishes… the climate crisis were an illusion,” the “danger we are courting has not been changed.” And he posits that the excessive snow this winter is actually just another sign of climate change:
"The heavy snowfalls this month have been used as fodder for ridicule by those who argue that global warming is a myth, yet scientists have long pointed out that warmer global temperatures have been increasing the rate of evaporation from the oceans, putting significantly more moisture into the atmosphere — thus causing heavier downfalls of both rain and snow in particular regions, including the Northeastern United States," he wrote. "Just as it’s important not to miss the forest for the trees, neither should we miss the climate for the snowstorm."
Also helping Gore's case: even though it seems like we’ve been enduring some inhumane tundra conditions this winter, it was (frighteningly!) the second hottest January globally in the past 130 years.
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Get ready for the Peacock to change its plumage again. Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 28 Feb 2010 | 10:28 pm
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Angelina Jolie and Darren Aronofsky are in discussions to develop a big-screen adaptation of Ron Rash's 2008 period tome "Serena: A Novel." Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 28 Feb 2010 | 10:18 pm
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Adam Brody is in talks to join the cast of "The Oranges," an indie comedy-drama starring Hugh Laurie as a man who has an affair with the daughter of a... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 28 Feb 2010 | 10:03 pm
AP - The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland has fascinating relics like Michael Jackson's "Thriller" mask. Soon it'll have space to showcase its interesting but less flashy artifacts. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 28 Feb 2010 | 10:02 pm
AP - The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland has fascinating relics like Michael Jackson's "Thriller" mask. Soon it'll have space to showcase its interesting but less flashy artifacts. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 28 Feb 2010 | 10:02 pm
AP - "If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You" (HarperCollins, 197 pages, $22.99.), by Kelly Cutrone, with Meredith Bryan: Publicist Kelly Cutrone is mentor, big sister and life coach in her new book, "If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You."
AP - "If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You" (HarperCollins, 197 pages, $22.99.), by Kelly Cutrone, with Meredith Bryan: Publicist Kelly Cutrone is mentor, big sister and life coach in her new book, "If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You."
AP - "I Know Where I'm Going: Katharine Hepburn, A Personal Biography" (Simon & Schuster, 368 pages, $26), by Charlotte Chandler: The latest biography of Katharine Hepburn is very close to an autobiography, since much of the book comes from a series of interviews that author Charlotte Chandler recorded with the actress during the 1970s and '80s.
AP - "Walking to Gatlinburg" (Shaye Areheart Books, 333 pages, $25), by Howard Frank Mosher: Morgan Kinneson, just 17, climbs Kingdom Mountain in the snow, bound for Canada with a runaway slave on the last leg of the Underground Railroad. And he is in a hurry.
CBS has spoken to Anderson Cooper about potentially taking over Katie Couric’s seat as CBS Evening News host when her contract expires in less than a year, according to the New York Times. The Times reports that, facing increasing competition and decreasing revenues, network-news organizations are going to make moves to partner with cable networks, citing one network-news executive who says ABC or CBS could align with a network like CNN “within the next few years.” If CBS actually wants to boost ratings, they should really consider a Cooper–KathyGriffin anchor duo. [NYT]
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Nip/Tuck" stars Dylan Walsh and Joely Richardson will headline two broadcast drama pilots: CBS' "ATF" and ABC's "The Whole Truth," respectively. Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 28 Feb 2010 | 9:48 pm
Fame and fortune may have come at an early age, but Marie Osmond has also had her share of trials, tribulations and heartache. But through it all, the legendary entertainer, 50, has proven...
Reuters - How much should a copyright owner pay for improperly telling a web site to remove content? Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 28 Feb 2010 | 9:28 pm
The last weekend before next weekend’s Oscars (eeee!) was a good one for Precious, The Hurt Locker … and, uh, A Prophet. Best Picture nominee Precious ruled at the NAACP Image Awards Friday night, winning prizes for best film, best director (Lee Daniels), best screenplay, best actress (Gabourey Sidibe), and best supporting actress (Oscar favorite Mo’Nique). The Hurt Lockertook the Cinema Audio Society’s award for best sound mixing Saturday night, but the film lost out to The White Ribbon at the American Society of Cinematographers’ awards for the Best Cinematography prize.
Pre-redesign, each blogger (or "voice" as the Atlantic adorably calls them) had their own blog complete with images, jumps, a little portrait, small design touches, etc. (Full disclosure: We can barely remember how the old Atlantic website looked.) On the main Atlantic site, all the Voices—Andrew Sullivan, James Fallows, Ta-Nehisi Coates, etc.—lived in a sidebar, and you could see their latest posts. There in the little Voices village, they chattered happily amongst themselves, each one a distinct individual who wandered around the magazine and the web at large, only loosely attached to the editorial identity of the Atlantic . The Atlantic gave the Voices each a piece of land and allowed them to tend their crop of words as they liked in exchange for a share of the traffic.
But with economic pressures came the restructuring of labor into a familiar form. The Atlantic has subsumed all the voices (save Andrew Sullivan) into "channels"—politics, business, culture, international, science & tech, national, food. The Voices "anchor" the channel, and their content is fed into the same stream as the rest of the Atlantic riff-raff churning out stuff in that channel's purview. The anchor's small portrait makes their posts float to the top a bit, but clicking their name only brings you to a bare-bones list of all the articles they've written for the site. (Andrew Sullivan still has his fancy personal blog, because he probably draws more traffic than all other Voices combined.)
The Voices are now more the voices of a columnist speaking from the editorial page of the Times . Or maybe more like a blogger at a certain Manhattan-based gossip website. Each has their own personality, maybe, but is ultimately beholden more to the overall brand than their own point of view. The Atlantic has bought back the land and now the bloggers just drive the tractors. The only reason it is safe for us to say that the Atlantic website has been Gawker-ized is that Andrew Sullivan said it first.
The Voices are generally pissed. James Fallows writes:
it is no secret within our organization that I think the new design creates problems for the magazine's "personal" sites, like the one I have been running here these past few years. In particular, the new layout scheme — in which you see only a few-line intro to each post but no pictures, block quotes, or other amplifying material — unavoidably changes the sensibility and tone of personal blogs.
Ta-Nehisi Coates was probably most screwed by the redesign, as his frequent, highly-personal posts are least suited for the "channel" format. In a sprawling entry, he admitted to having approved the design, but also that "If I'm truly honest, I have to say that there were better ways to strike the balance between the channel, and this blog's identity."
But Andrew Sullivan gets at the crux of the problem facing the professional blogger today. At one point, we too went from unfettered hobbyist hanging out on the web to a guy with a hardhat and a thermos clocking into the Content Management System:
treating blogs as a series of headlines, designed to maximize pageviews, is a deep misunderstanding of blogs, their reader communities and their integrity. I hope they get restored to their previous coherence, and these amorphous "channels" gain some editorial identity. I hope writers like Fallows and Goldberg aren't treated as random fodder - anchors! - for "channels". I believe in the Atlantic as a place for writing. The redesign seems to me to ooze casual indifference to that and to the respect that individual writers deserve.
“Our members, every one of them, wants health care. They know that this will take courage. It took courage to pass Social Security. It took courage to pass Medicare. And many of the same forces that were at work decades ago are at work again against this bill. But, the American people need it. Why are we here? We’re not here just to self-perpetuate our service in Congress. We’re here to do the job for the American people, to get them results that give them not only health security, but economic security.” —Speaker Nancy Pelosi on This Week today, insisting the health-care legislation will get the Democratic votes in the House it needs to pass. Pelosi said she is working on changes to the bill, passed by the Senate, that would make it "acceptable to the House." [NYT]
After Friday’s disappointing reveal that Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” was apparently directed at none other than David Geffen, Simon says we’ve got it all wrong.
“What a riot! Nothing to do with David Geffen! What a funny mistake! Someone got a clue mistaken for another mistake!” Simon e-mailed the Hollywood Reporter.
In fact, THR says Simon didn’t even know Geffen, who would become the head of her record label, when she wrote the song in 1971.
In a new recording of the song (which is "embedded with clues") for her upcoming album Never Been Gone, Simon whispers something about two and a half minutes into the song — if played backwards, one can hear she is saying “David.” Seems to us that someone's been watching a bit too much Lost.
Because nothing says success like a jewel-encrusted crustacean.
Lady Gaga wore this lovely lobster look to London's Mr. Chow this weekend, but her fashions...
Chileans walking with looted goods while police look on.
In the wake of the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Chile yesterday, sources are reporting that widespread looting has broken out in Concepcion, the country’s second-largest city. Television footage shows people running from department stores and markets carrying items, and police spraying tear gas into a supermarket to fend off looters, according to The Wall Street Journal. The Times reports that the situation has been somewhat mitigated by a deal between the government and supermarket chains to hand out food to residents in need. The death toll of the quake is now at over 700, with potentially thousands of people still unaccounted for. [NYT, Dispatch/WSJ]
Double Oscar winner for Best Foreign Film and Best Actor Roberto Benigni poses for photographers in 1999. Benigni made a stir in 1999 when he euphorically leapt onto a chair and jumped from one seat to... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 28 Feb 2010 | 7:35 pm
Elia Kazan holds his Oscar after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award during the 71st Academy Awardsin 1999. The decision to grant director Elia Kazan a lifetime achievement award in 1999 divided the... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 28 Feb 2010 | 7:35 pm
British actress Vanessa Redgrave drew gasps and boos from the Oscars faithful in 1978 when she thanked the Academy for honoring her in "Julia" despite "the threats of a small bunch of Zionist hoodlums... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 28 Feb 2010 | 7:35 pm
Actor Adrien Brody kisses presenter Actress Halle Berry as he accepts his Oscar for Performance by an actor in a leading role for his role in "The Pianist" during the 75th Academy Awards in 2003. Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 28 Feb 2010 | 7:35 pm
Instead of going to Disney World or Dancing With the Stars or wherever it is successful Olympians go post-Games, U.S. alpine skier Lindsey Vonn — who won two medals at the Vancouver Games — will be heading to the courtroom. Vonn was told on-air by Bob Costas Saturday night that she has been given a role on NBC’s Law & Order as a jury foreman. Vonn has made her obsession with the show abundantly clear, even visiting the Bronx set earlier this winter. She told Costas that she had been willing to do anything — even play a corpse — for a chance to share the screen with Sam Waterston and company. [TV Guide]
Big, big thank you for everyone who contributed today.
Maybe you noticed that I had some young writers write things! They probably got the shit beaten out of them in the comments. That's okay. There's been a lot of talk lately about Young Media People trying to break in to The Industry! Truth be told, I wanted this gig, I got it, I loved it. I'm not the first person to want a job like this, and I won't be the last. And as opposed to hearing about them, or hearing about them from them, or hearing older people talk about what they should do, or me telling them what they should do, I'd rather just hear from them. Even better, give them some space to talk and get them exposed. Also: they're gonna figure out how to do this on their own without any of us telling them how to do it. If they want to know, they'll probably ask. Hopefully it was better for them than not. I owe it. Tradition's nice. Etc. Certainly better than me just blogging about it.
Honestly, I just wanted to drink today. They did my work for me. Delegation. It happens. Also, Jamie Peck, Rohin Guha, and Annie Werner, I owe you a round.
I'd give you my Joe Dolce moment here but instead, you can just email me at foster [at] gawker [dot] com and you can pay me for that kind of thing. See! I did learn something.
I got lucky and worked with a bunch of kickass people. Chris Mohney and Willa Paskin at BlackBook, whatever, you know, they're amazing. They tolerated me working seven days a week and being tired and useless far longer than they should have. They're both extraordinary to work with and also huge mensches. Mohney, your head is also impressive. Truly.
Anna Holmes and Hortense over at Jezebel were of invaluable inspiration and assistance regularly. The Cajun Boy was the first night editor I worked with, and that was a blast. The current night squad of Adrian, Maureen, and Ravi compliment each other awesomely. Ravi and Maureen are ninjas who dissemble everything for picking up the next morning, and the havoc is awesome to see. Adrian can alchemize Play-Doh out of dust, and shape that Play-Doh into an obscure 19th century castle.
Brian Moylan, I wish my mother were here to bring out her crystals from Sedona and tell you about the color of your aura. I'm sure it's something else. Prolly something wonderful. I pass down the Penis Investigation Badge down to you. The truth is out there, never stop searching. Ryan Tate and John Cook, everything I know about reporting right now, I basically learned from watching you guys do it, and do it so, so well. You both also have an insatiable thirst for the kind of said mischief, the important kind, that the world probably needs more of. And fuck Facebook. John, I'll fill out your FOIA any day. Lawson, welcome back. Bye. You have a gift. Like Bobby Fischer. But you're not totally insane from battling a computer your entire life. Yet. Appletini Partyboy, I hope you have some equity, some stock, a Swiss Bank Account, something. Christ. You've been at Gawker since you were nine! I know people from the Midwest have manners and shit but this has gone way, way too far. More impressive: you got me to change the way I think about politics and almost vote for Billy Talen. Hamilton, on the other hand, writes things that make me feel like a terrible person. That's something. Besides the great, hysterical voice he's developed, he's fast, efficient, hard-working, and gets better by the post. Media people are not built in this form. They should be.
Remy, have fun. What, you want me to give you advice? Ha. Enjoy tomorrow morning. Enjoy the ride. And drink with your writers, often. Morale is important.
FINALLY. Gabriel Snyder, I basically owe, um, my gig to you? Both of them? Gabriel met me at a bar in May, bought me a beer, and told me to "bring her back full." I hope, at the very least, I did that. He encouraged my mischief, made reporting exciting and a real thing for me, and, okay. Here's a story:
Okay, bye. I'm at the Village Voice tomorrow. This has been fun and overwrought and embarrassing and hopefully we all learned something. Mom, Dad, Helen, Mike, Notos, etc, sorry for saying "cock" so much. Working on it. Honesty is the great equalizer, compassion is what makes you a tolerable person, a sense of humor is what makes you an enjoyable one. For fuck's sake, have one.
This was never not fun.
While celebrating the Jewish holiday of Purim at Manhattan hotspot Solo Saturday night, Jersey Shore's Snooks and Vinny...
1. What are your reasons for leaving the organization? Preferably without sounding like a whiny asshole.
The Golden Rule: Fuck you, pay me. Change is nice. Also, I get to work in the same building as the long-haired dope smokers at Foursquare, the short-haired dope smokers at that design thing that copies the blogs for everyone, and the guy who wrote The Book on Phish. Also, the squares at the Village Voice. Via my attorney: "The Voice has a great history with a talented staff of writers. I'm going to be a part of a growing company with a history committed to growing talent, who I'm excited to both work with and learn from." Was I supposed to put both of those there?
2. Can you describe your level of job satisfaction? Pick one. 1-Richard Morgan 2-Emily Gould 3-Choire Sicha 4-Richard Lawson 5-Jess Coen
3.7 Past Sheila, Almost to Alex Pareene. Enjoyed greatly. Have a lot of fun but sometimes wonder if my services wouldn't be better utilized as someone baking cookies with illegal substances or as a fourth-party candidate for New York City mayor.
Would stay if I were more mature and had time to develop ability to perceive in sight and sound employer and employer's legal council as funny-sounding proto-Jim Henson Workshop creations before they start causing emotional damage not covered by most health plans.
3. Besides a bonus based on self-references, what could the organization have done to encourage you to stay?
Rapper money? A NBA-like signing bonus? Wouldn't even have to be that much money, would just have to be legally organized like a signing bonus. Also, a breakfast meeting? I'd like to go to Balthazar for breakfast one morning and not pretend I was there for "a reason." Also, I'd like to order more than a saltshaker and a grapefruit.
4. Was the job what you expected? If not, why not?
Yes and no. Yes, in that I enjoyed it as much as I thought I would. Yes, in that it's not easy, and that I'd be fucking terrified every morning of doing it terribly. And yes, in that I often felt like I did a shit job, and even better, knew I did. No, in that it didn't totally destroy my job prospects. No, because I didn't expect it to send me to physical therapy. No, because I'd do it again. For some reason, I didn't think this would be the case.
5. What factors were important in choosing your new role?
A.
B. Who I was working with, definitely. The Village Voice has great writers. I've got something to offer, but quite a bit to learn. I think it's going to be a pretty fair exchange, moneys changed aside.
C. Whose ass am I going to have to kiss? Answer: Tony Ortega and Bill Jensen. Jensen used to play hockey. Dude could beat the shit out of me—like, I'm talking pissing blood and everything—and is young enough to probably do so if so inclined. Ortega would encourage a bar fight because he likes his writers scrappy. When I talk about learning, I'm basically talking about "how to break a bottleneck off efficiently." And motivating factors are important. Seeing as how A.J. is this company's de facto "enforcer" there's really not much in that department, is there?
6. What advice would you give to a new employee who takes on your role?
Don't be a pussy. Enjoy yourself. Listen to the commenters. Most of the time they're wrong, but every now and then you'll pick up something substantial. Like a copy-edit. If you pretend you're not receiving Nick's emails, he knows you're doing so. The most important people to have on your side in the office, in
order:
Finally, don't fuck with the newly dead. It's the only thing you'll ever regret writing about.
7. Did you ever use the office bathroom? Wash your hands after?
Yes. There? Always. But did you know the guys in the office always piss on the seat? True story. They had to put up a sign once. The people who are the best at pissing on things don't even work in editorial, either. Come on, that's impressive.
[Young Manhattanite and Andrew Krucoff have signed off on this exit interview.]
The mere presence of Snooki brought down the house last night. At a Purim party held at midtown’s Sony Building that drew over 300 revelers, including Snooki, Chris Noth (Sex and the City’s Mr. Big), and Snooki’s Jersey Shore castmate Vinny Guadagnino, the snow and ice caused the glass ceiling of the atrium to fall. The collapse showered glass over the entire crowd, and about ten partygoers were injured, some of whom were taken to the hospital.
Attendees described the scene — which drew a number of emergency crews — as scary and chaotic. As one guest told the Daily News, “I was inside and thought I was going to die.” Though, unsurprisingly, the mêlée did not faze the unstoppable Guidette princess — who was accompanied by new boyfriend Emilio Masella — in the slightest.
"I don't care," Snooki said, after evacuating the building. "I'm with my man, it doesn't matter."
"We have a great deal of more work to do," he said...
1. Think wistfully about the place you worked seven years ago for three seconds. End wistfulness. Laugh maniacally.
2. Plant punchy young upstart into place you worked for seven years ago. Frankly, place needs punchy young upstarts.
3. Use well-scaled seven year-old platform to promote current ventures via punchy young upstart for shameless, free publicity in exchange for vintage Gawker byline. (Irritate Denton in the process.)
The 2010 Jennifer Lopez comeback tour hit a major snag earlier this week when news broke that Epic Records dropped the Louboutin-shilling singer from their label, leaving Jenny From The Block without a home for new her LP, Love. While this sort of surprise would no doubt make most draw their blinds, turn off their cellphones and just sort of disappear from public view for a couple of days, that simply wasn't an option for Lopez, who almost certainly received the tough news while rehearsing to be the host and musical guest on this weekend's Saturday Night Live. So, how did she handle herself?
Pretty well, actually! Although it has been nine long years since the last time J. Lo stepped on the stage at Studio 8H as the host of SNL, Lopez showed none of the signs of depression that the tabloids had been claiming she had been suffering from this week. Rather, she appeared happy and confident, although never quite as at ease as she was when she was cracking wise on the George Lopez Show a few weeks back. But bonus points are due to Lopez for maintaining her composure when three people inexplicably walked in front of the camera during her monologue!
Alas, the best part of last evening's program had very little to do with Lopez herself. Chalk up another winner for the Lonely Island guys, as their "Flags of the World" digital short proved to be the highlight of the show:
Nice shoutout to Betty White, fellas. We can only hope that this is the most exposure that the 88-year-old gets on the show.
But back to J. Lo. Most of the evening's sketches placed comedic emphasis on her ethnicity, but our favorite performance of hers came during the latest "Eternal Spark of Love" sketch, which gave her the chance to explore her inner geek as a puppet collector (and temporary object of affection for Jason Sudeikis):
Skits like these serve to remind us of why we, as a nation, fell for Jennifer Lopez in the first place. Sure, she was (and still is) a stunning beauty, but some of her best acting work early in her career came when she had a chance to show off a more vulnerable and, at times, shy personality than she did when she started running with Puffy and morphing into J. Lo, Diva Supreme. All that said, the less that we say about her two musical performances, the better.
And while this has proven to be a breakout season for both Kenan Thompson and Jason Sudeikis ("Vaginal!"), we could make a really solid argument that Fred Armisen is the glue that's been holding the show together. Not only does he add comedic flair to every sketch he appears in, no matter his level of involvement, his impression of embattled New York state governor David Paterson never fails to impress.
Sax's plaint, in which he gets all huffy about restaurants adding gratuities onto big parties' bills and bartenders who pay out change in singles, resembles one of those "what's the deal with airplane food?" rants that are employed by your hackier comedians — although it's been brought into the 21st century with its cute Tea Party reference at the very end.
Yes, I know you're all underpaid. But guess what? So am I. When I get $500 for an article that I think is worth $1,000, you won't see me e-mail the editor, saying, "Just so you know, service isn't included." Do I ask you to come into my workplace and supplement my meager income? No, I don't.
Perhaps if Sax was as into upending the power structure as he claimed, he would have taken half a second to think about why the bartenders and cabbies he encounters might be more tense than usual these days. And he wouldn't have spent approximately 480 words of his post getting really mad at baristas and cab drivers who have done him wrong. And he wouldn't have left only the last half-paragraph for a mealy-mouthed "oh yeah, so maybe we should have that talk about upping the minimum wage for people who work at restaurants and bars" caveat!
Especially since, let's be frank, most of the people who he's pitching his argument to checked out after graf two, and headed straight to the comments to leave their two cents! (Or whatever 15 percent of the cost of reading Sax's piece might be.)
And was Sax's 520-word piece the $500 article that he thought was worth $1,000? If so, a) tacky; b) I clearly need to up my per-word rate for my splenetic, ill-informed rants from "buying my put-upon friends drinks while they're saddled with my presence at a bar" to something that provides me at least a sliver of income. But see, there I go, begrudging the money-making opportunities of others!
We recently got wind of your apology at Madison Square Garden ("The Garden") on Friday, February 26, 2009, sometime in the evening, during one of your performances. You explained to the audience before you, and we quote (via the New York Daily News):
"I hate to come off like an a—hole ever, and thank you guys for believing that I am not an a—hole," he said. "It's a clean me now, people, clean me....Never, ever, in my entire life did I ever think that it would be a good idea to be an a—hole...But you know what? There's plenty of a—holes who think the same thing, so I have to thank you."
The article was entitled: John Mayer attempts to rescue his shamed reputation by apologizing - again - for being an 'a—hole'.
Because that shit was funny.
But an explosive reaction ensued for various reasons, chief among them: the words weren't entirely coming from you. There was a middleman involved. Sure, you said them. And you took responsibility for them. But you didn't write them. And you weren't in control of the context. Which, regardless of the words within, were notably legion. Even the writer of the interview, Rob Tannenbaum, noted:
The article is long and it's complicated. It's 6,870 words total. Holly Robinson Peete, an actress Mayer mentioned in the interview, called it on her blog "quite possibly one of the longest interviews ever published." Which isn't a fact (Playboy publishes an interview of that length every month), but it is a feeling. Articles are much shorter now. So are sentences. Who has time to read 6,870 words?
If you just thought to yourself, Not many people! you're correct.
Enter the blog post.
Short.
Concise.
Or shorter and more concise than other things people don't take time to read.
Jobs in this media economy are scarce, Mr. Mayer. Your reputation and talent for producing excellent editorial web content—and demonstration of a natural ability for creative prose—can be combined for what we see as a mutually beneficial relationship: an ability for you to get your message out to a wider audience, control it, and grow creatively.
Basically, stop being a pussy and write for us.
Or at the very least, get a new publicist. For fuck's sake.
We look forward to hearing from you, and for the fruits this beautiful editorial relationship will bear. So long as they don't involve any literal incarnations of your penis.
Regards,
Vice President of Editorial Content - Weekend Gawker
Gawker.com
FK/ym
DBNR
CC: Remy Stern
James Cameron's epic came up with another $14 million, per estimates, and became the first film to gross $700 million-plus...
Nearly two years after the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and SAG broke off their bargaining relationship, Hollywood's two largest actors unions appear poised to unite for upcoming contract negotiations with the studios. The board of the AFTRA voted yesterday to revive negotiating with SAG, whose board is expected to vote to do the same. Now, instead of getting screwed by the studios separately next summer, the two groups can get screwed together! [LA Times]
Screw Dave in the IT department! This is the year you win the office Oscar pool.
Here's what you're gonna do: You're gonna close all your browsers except this one,...
AP - Film critic Roger Ebert says computer programmers have captured his voice from movie commentary tracks so he can type what he wants to say and listeners hear a voice that sounds like him.
Near the top of the list of things that suck about being president is that the contents of your routine medical exam are released to the public, so when your doctor recommends that you continue "smoking cessation efforts," as Barack Obama's did today, the whole world knows that you still haven't quite kicked the habit. [WP]
No one will question Paramount Pictures' decision to move "Shutter Island" out of last year's crowded fall corridor into Spring 2010 after it racked up a number one slot for the second weekend in a row.
Reuters - A colossal 3000-year-old red granite head of Amenhotep III, the grandfather of Tutankhamun, has been discovered in Luxor, Egypt's Culture Minister Farouk Hosni said Sunday. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 28 Feb 2010 | 12:49 pm
According to a top Massachusetts Democrat, Joseph P. Kennedy III, a grandson of RFK, is considering running for Congress. One of former Representative Joseph P. Kennedy II's twin sons, JPK the third may run if Representative William Delahunt decides against seeking reelection. And if he does run it will give the Kennedy clan a chance to continue its 60-year run with a member of the family in elected office, a streak that was threatened when Rhode Island Representative Patrick Kennedy announced that he will not seek reelection. Not much seems to be known about JPK the third's specific positions, but his photo reveals one disconcerting thing about him: He's a ginger, and therefore has no soul.
Shutter Island followed up its $40.2 million box-office take last weekend with a $22.2 million weekend, enough to maintain its position atop the chart. A Couple of DicksCop Out came in second at $18.6 million, followed by The Crazies, which made $16.5 million. Avatar, which simply will not go away, came in fourth with $14 million and Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief rounded out the top five with $9.8 million. [HR]
AFP - Fashion is hard work, top Italian designers Dolce & Gabbana reminded punters on Sunday, illustrating their show at Milan Fashion Week with video of frenetic scenes behind their creations.
Julianne Moore is in talks to follow in James Franco's footsteps and book a guest-starring role on a daytime soap. Moore, who got her start on As the World Turns in 1985, is in talks to return to the show and reprise her roles as half-sisters Frannie and Sabrina Hughes. ATWT experts may remember that Frannie and Sabrina are also cousins (anything can happen in soapland!). Unfortunately, neither sister/cousin wears an eye patch. [EW]
Do you really want to see more Robert Pattinson? Are you sure?!
We kid, but something tells us the prospect of more Pattz may be a big part of your mass desire for...
Warren Buffett isn't just really smart and really rich, he's really funny, too. Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but he definitely thinks he's really funny. The Oracle of Omaha typically uses his letter to shareholders each year to crack a few jokes and show the world that being fabulously wealthy does not preclude one from enjoying scatological humor. Click through for some of the letter's highlights.
On Country Music:
Sing a country song in reverse, and you will quickly recover your car, house and wife.
On the fact that Berkshire issued stock as part of its BNSF acquisition:
Charlie and I enjoy issuing Berkshire stock about as much as we relish prepping for a colonoscopy.
On the upside potential for its longtime holding Geico:
An old Wall Street joke gets close to our experience:
Customer: Thanks for putting me in XYZ stock at 5. I hear it’s up to 18.
Broker: Yes, and that’s just the beginning. In fact, the company is doing so well now, that it’s an even better buy at 18 than it was when you made your purchase.
Customer: Damn, I knew I should have waited.
Well, this is what passes as funny on Wall Street.
The brains behind Lost gathered at PaleyFest2010 yesterday to talk about the difficulties of writing the last season of the show. Most of what Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse, and company said is stuff we've heard before, like this quote from Lindelof: "When I hear from fans now, it's only, 'Don't screw it up.' So, that's what I worry about now — getting it right. A lot of little questions won't get answered. But, we figure, if the characters don't care about a certain answer anymore, we don't either."
But there was one little revelation that's cause for excitement. That Lost-themed amusement park attraction we've been hoping for? It might actually happen.
Anna Kendrick won't be bringing any beau to the Oscars next Sunday. The Up in the Air star is planning to make the star-studded event a family affair.
The 24-year-old former...
Reuters - Next winter will be more colorful and retro for womenswear, designers at Milan fashion week showed, with brands making bolder statements in their creations as customers regain optimism and seek newness for their wardrobes. Source: Yahoo! News: Fashion News | 28 Feb 2010 | 9:51 am
Harlem Representative Charlie Rangel said yesterday that he plans to seek a 21st term in office later this year, scandal be damned. The announcement comes despite calls for his resignation for accepting trips to the Caribbean from a corporation in violation of House ethics rules. But the representative remains defiant, accepting little responsibility for any wrongdoing and, in some instances, passing blame on to his staff.
Rangel's response to the admonishment from the House is causing him to quickly lose friends on the Capitol. Robert Gibbs signaled on Friday that President Obama is backing away from Rangel, whom White House officials once called "untouchable." And Democrats are now lining up to call for his resignation from the House Ways and Means Committee.
It seems the only friend Rangel has left is House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who said she would not remove him from his position on the powerful committee. She also admitted that Rangel broke House rules but downplayed the significance of it, saying what he did was not "something that jeopardized our country in any way."
Marie Osmond's son Michael Blosil took his own life Friday night after leaping to his death from his Los Angeles apartment, E! News confirms.
The 18-year-old reportedly suffered from...
The death toll from the magnitude 8.8 earthquake that hit Chile yesterday is now more than 400, according to the latest numbers from Reuters. A strong aftershock that hit this morning is expected to cause that number to rise. Early estimates say the quake has displaced 1.5 million people, many around Concepción, where local officials say rescue efforts are underway to remove people trapped under rubble.
Meanwhile, tsunami fears raised by the quake have ended as small waves worked their way to many countries in the Pacific and caused little damage yesterday. Hawaii lifted its tsunami warning yesterday afternoon after small waves hit its shores and caused no harm. Japan's first tsunami warning in fifteen years also ended with little trouble as waves reached a height of only three feet.
AP - The Sunday afternoon show was about to begin. Sicilian, Sartorial, Sensual appeared on the screen at the end of the runway, which, until then, had projected scenes from the Dolce & Gabbana workshop of white-coated cutters and seamstresses working closely with designers Domenico and Stefano to put together their latest winter collection.
AP - Marni opened the last big day of the shortened fall-winter 2010-2011 Milan fashion week with a highbrow show that was more about workmanship than wearability.
Fame and fortune may have come at an early age, but Marie Osmond has also had her share of trials, tribulations and heartache. But through it all, the legendary entertainer, 50, has proven...
Because nothing says success like a jewel-encrusted crustacean.
Lady Gaga wore this lovely lobster look to London's Mr. Chow this weekend, but her fashions...
Screw Dave in the IT department! This is the year you win the office Oscar pool.
Here's what you're gonna do: You're gonna close all your browsers except this one,...
Do you really want to see more Robert Pattinson? Are you sure?!
We kid, but something tells us the prospect of more Pattz may be a big part of your mass desire for...
Anna Kendrick won't be bringing any beau to the Oscars next Sunday. The Up in the Air star is planning to make the star-studded event a family affair.
The 24-year-old former...
Marie Osmond's son Michael Blosil took his own life Friday night after leaping to his death from his Los Angeles apartment, E! News confirms.
The 18-year-old reportedly suffered from...
