It's definitely not as cute as The Daily Fur, but hey, who doesn't like reading about hair?
[Crickets chirp.]
From the Associated Press, I present some serious news about hair:
WEST BEND, Wis. — A restaurant cook is out of a job and facing a felony charge after being accused of hiding hairs in a ribeye because a customer complained the first steak served to him was overcooked. Kevin Hansen, who dined at the steakhouse with friends and family Saturday, said he ordered a 16-ounce ribeye cooked medium rare, with a warm, red center, according to the criminal complaint filed against cook Ryan Kropp.
This sounds like a scene out of that movie Waiting with Ryan Reynolds, which unfortunately probably gave disgruntled kitchen employees everywhere some serious ammunition.
And:
LEXINGTON, Ky. — It might not even really be George Washington’s hair — but it still sold for $17,000. Four strands reportedly clipped from the first president were sold at auction Friday night to a Richmond man who declined to give his name.
There you have it. Watch this space in case Donald Trump gets a Rachel or Jennifer Aniston gets a Donald. Shudder.
Well, Hunter and I each scored 50% on our predictions of which Idolistas would get the boot this week -- we both were correct in guessing skunk-haired Grand Prairie native Jason Yeagar and lush-voiced teen Alexandrea Lushington would get the old heave-ho. Rocker wannabe Robbie Carrico and which-blonde-is-she victim Alaina Whitaker were also shown the door.
But I suppose my other picks (Luke Menard and Kady Malloy) and Hunter's (Danny Noriega and equally skunk-maned Amanda Overmyer, above) were just guesses based in wishful thinking ... perhaps next week we'll see them sing themselves home.
Angelina Jolie, pregnant and all, is still taking her role as a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees goodwill ambassador seriously. She wrote an op-ed piece for the Washington Post imploring the U.S. to help nearly 2 million displaced Iraqi refugees. She writes, "It seems to me that now is the moment to address the humanitarian side of this situation. Without the right support, we could miss an opportunity to do some of the good we always stated we intended to do."
March 20 would have been Fred Rogers' 80th birthday, and it's being touted as "Sweater Day" as a tribute to the public television icon, who died 5 years ago. Sweater Day is the capstone to a six-day celebration planned by Family Communications of Pittsburgh, according to the Associated Press. Rogers created the company to produce his show.
Know much about celebrities who get inked? Who's got a tattoo bearing the global coordinates of the birthplaces of her children? Who's got the number 883 on her ankle, and who's got "Nine" on her neck?
My favorite story of the day comes from the land down under. The Herald Sun of Melbourne reported that 9-year-old Lauryn Edwards was told last weekend that she could no longer play tennis at a local club unless she controlled her grunting.
“It feels natural to do my noise. I’m not faking it,” Edwards told the newpaper. “It makes me play better. When I don’t do it, I don’t play my best tennis."
That "Magic Man" should make this girl and this performance disappear. ::shudder:: That was pretty bad. Paula said Kady "has many hidden talents." Yeah, they're hidden alright ... she and Amanda will share my inaugural Hot Mess of the Night Award.
This girl's so unpredictable. Who'd have picked her to do a Chicago tune? And as much as I like her wildcard status, I thought this performance just fell flat. I blame the song. Shame on you, Peter Cetera!
I like her answer to Randy's question about what she thought of it: "Well, it's ovah."
YAY, a song from Grease!! And it's one of my faves, "Hopelessly Devoted To You." But Alaina kind of messed it up -- real pitchy, dawg. And she put an odd country spin on it -- ick!! Randy was right, though -- she's got a big voice, and this didn't show it off well. It was a bit strained ...
Every part of her performance of "Carry On Wayward Son" was scary. The raspy voice, the wailing at the end, the headbanging, the jeans, and oh my sweet Jesus the hair. Bride of Frankenstein, anyone? This chick needs an Idol makeover STAT.
Listen up, Idolistas: Taking an open-legged stance doesn't add any power to your vocal performance. OK, having said that, I wasn't jazzed about Kristy's job at all. So far, the gals aren't really blazing a trail into my heart. Or maybe I'm still just hung up on David Archuleta ...
She did Thelma Houston proud, although she didn't quite set the place on fire. But, so far, the girls are strong. Every male except for David Archuleta (A friend keeps calling him enchilada -- wrong!) should be nervous.
But moving on to her female take on "Me and Mrs. Jones," her vocal was more than capable. She feels the song, you can tell. I would have liked to hear her blend with background vocalists more on the chorus, though, but that's a minor quibble. She's a winnah.
Carly's "Crazy on You" was a screamfest from the get-go, and only got worse. Yeah, it's got "big notes" as Paula said, but she screamed over those, too. Simon was right in saying she still hasn't picked her "big moment" song ... she hasn't shown off her vocal goods yet.
Alright, everyone, it's time for the gals to try their hand at '70s classics -- will they do better than the boys? That won't be too hard! It will be tough, however, to top David Archuleta's sweet and masterful rendition of "Imagine." That's a challenge to you gurls, so you betta bring it!!
Wrigley Field is like a little piece of heaven on Earth.
However, the Chicago landmark's future as Wrigley Field may be in doubt. If the Tribune Company gets its way, one of baseball's most revered shrines will carry a name like, Boeing Stadium or Sears Field (not those two specifically, but you get the point).
The media power is in the process of finding a buyer for the Chicago Cubs. They also want to sell Wrigley Field and the baseball stadium's naming rights.
The stadium’s unique atmosphere probably won't change if sold, but it's just a shame that money-grubbing organizations don't respect tradition.
Project Superpowers #1 (of 6): Painter extraordinaire Alex Ross pushed the 0 issue of this series into the No. 4 position on last month’s sales chart. No small feat for a book not published by Marvel or DC.
Doctor Who #1: This is being billed as the first Doctor Who story written exclusively for the U.S. market.
Kick-Ass #1: The more I read about this, the more it frightens me.
So David A. gets the pimp spot at the very end of the show, singing a slowed-down, stripped-down "Imagine." Wow, it gave me goose bumps -- it was pitch-perfect and dripping with true emotion. It had Paula getting weepy. I'll be downloading this one from iTunes immediately.
This kid is talented beyond 17 years. My jaw's still on the floor ... Simon's right -- it's David's competition to lose.
His intro was the best, because he confessed to being a word nerd. A man after my own heart. And he brought it on "All Right Now." Unlike that boy-bander with the beard, this guy passes as a rocker. Plus, he didn't use as much hair product this week. Good move.
Dressing way cuter than last week, Chikezie knocked his Donny Hathaway song out of the park -- he performed with tons of swagger, soul and ease. Chikezie made it look easy! The judges lavished him with praise. Chikezie's little dig at Simon was uncalled-for and a tad obnoxious, but hilarious!
I've been hard on this guy before, but you know, he sort of charmed me tonight. Great song choice ("Long Train Runnin'"), effortless vocal, and he actually had fun on stage. Am I on Team Yeager now? I think I might be!
I don't think I heard the same thing that the judges heard.
This guy's totally the uncelebrated hero on the guy's side. He showed off considerable skill and soul on "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone." Dare I say he managed to make a song about abandoning one's family ... sexy?! Plus he's got heart and tons of personality. It was pretty hot ...
As much as I wanted to hate it, I really didn't mind Danny's soulful version of "Superstar." That doesn't mean it was one-tenth as good as Ruben Studdard's rendition from Season 2. And it turns out that not even Ruben could keep a record label interested. Hmm.
Wow, Robbie seemed bored by his lax rendition of Foreigner's "Hot Blooded." I sure was. A coworker noted it was very karaoke, and I've gotta agree. Randy was spot-on in saying it wasn't really rock enough -- and maybe Robbie isn't, either. And Paula ("how does anybody know who you are but you?") -- shut up!!
Freddie Mercury is one of the most skilled, evocative vocalists of all time, so it always puzzles me when wet-behind-the-ears Idol contestants try to sing his songs and "make them their own." I just don't think it's doable. Luke did better than he did last week, but the song still ate him up.
Our dreadheaded Jason turned on considerable charm in tackling Andy Gibb's "I Just Want To Be Your Everything." But even though he brought out the guitar again, the performance was raw, dawg. He stumbled on the higher notes, and seemed to run out of steam by the end. Poor thing. Simon was right -- Jason seemed uncomfortable with the schmaltz factor of the song.
But the ladies will keep him in the game -- his super-adorable little pre-performance intro will make sure of that!
Apparently our Aussie wonder is a tennis jock? What that has to do with music, I have no idea. The theme for tonight is the '70s, and Mike picked Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way." It was a shaky performance. Even though I like the Vedder quality to his voice, he tries to sing way too high for his comfort level. It wasn't his best, dawg.
Well, folks, we've got ten guys singing tonight. It should take an hour and a half, which makes me have to miss the first half hour of the debate in which Clinton and Obama are expected to engage in full-on rhetorical war. Damn you, Idol!
That said, I'm looking for local frosty-tipper Jason Yeager to seriously up his game, or he'll face another uncertain Thursday. I'm looking for local dreadhead Jason Castro to take his already easy-going performance style and add in a little oomph. And lastly, I'm looking for David Archuleta to continue his unlikely domination of the other contestants.
I was listening to The Ticket (1310-AM) today on the way to work as BaD Radio was taking to The Soup's Joel McHale.
Did you know that McHale played tight end at the University of Washington?
Me neither. Apparently, McHale says he walked on and played behind tight ends Mark Bruener (a first-round NFL pick in 1995) and Ernie Cromwell (a second-round pick in 1996). Former Cowboys tight end Eric Bjornson also played wide receiver for the Huskies during the same time period.
In light of the announcement about the George W. Bush library at SMU, I thought I'd post this clip to show some pointers he could take from his predecessor.
The reason I'm ready to get this primary season over and move right into the conventions? Because it's the time for Colbert to shine. I never forgot his coverage of the 2004 Kerry-palooza.
OK, so he's no snow leopard, but Smokey, the friendly neighborhood cat at a co-worker's North Dallas apartment complex, won't take your hand off. He might trip you while you're trying to walk though. Or bash his head into your leg until you get a bruise. Dangerous animal.
The Mavericks improved to 3-1 since trading for Jason Kidd, beating the Chicago Bulls, 102-94, at American Airlines Center on Monday night.
Mark Cuban said before the game that the Mavericks have had a nice spike in apparel sales since the move. "Just $16 million more," the Mavs owner said, referring to the $17 million that the trade is costing him in salary and luxury tax.
Fans dressed in Kidd's new No. 2 and his old No. 5 were spotted Monday.
This is a primo example of something you could never do with a pet cat. (Trust me, I have three.) Megan Cordes and her dog Gu watch a timed trial during Stage 5 of the Amgen Tour of California on Feb. 22 in Solvang, Calif. The first thing I noticed were the dog's special goggles, so I did a Google search, and wouldn't you know: Get Spot some Doggles here.
There are two big reasons people are talking about Christina Aguilera's appearance last week on Ellen DeGeneres' show. Here's a hint: One of Ellen's first questions for the new mommy was, "Are you nursing?"
When Sarah Silverman used a video to announce to the world, including her boyfriend, Jimmy Kimmel, that she’s “[expletive] Matt Damon,” Kimmel vowed revenge.
How’d he get it? By [expletive] Ben Affleck.
Kimmel produced a star-studded video (below) to get back at Silverman, in which Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz, Don Cheadle, Robin Williams, Harrison Ford, Josh Groban and more give the union a thumbs-up.
Affleck said his wife, Jennifer Garner, wasn’t happy to hear the news. “Thank God my daughter is too young [to understand],” added the actor, referring to 2-year-old Violet. With a straight face, Kimmel replied, “Well, she’s our daughter now.”
In honor of Janet Jackson coming out with a new album tomorrow (Discipline, it's called), I thought I'd post one of my favorite videos from when Lil J was still relevant. If she'd back up off that AutoTune machine and think about something besides nookie, she might be relevant again. But don't get me started. Just watch the video.
This is so cute I almost can't stand it. Misty, a female snow leopard, rolled around in fresh snow at the Himalayan Highlands Habitat in New York City's Bronx Zoo last Friday. But don't be fooled by the cuteness. My own cats often strike this same pose, but trying to pet them always gets the same results -- and I have the scars and empty tubes of Neosporin to prove it. Cats are a big tease. But we love them anyway.
I thought the return of Saturday Night Live following a long layoff was pretty solid. Among the highlights: the return of Tina Fey in a guest role on Weekend Update, presidential candidate Mike Huckabee showing his funny side (good for him) and this parody of Rock of Love 2. Funny stuff.
For a show that could have been way beyond bloated with excessive montages, I've been amazed. The producers have chosen some of the best scenes from Academy Awards past. Sure, there are a bunch of them (it is the 80th, after all) but they've been weaved in seamlessly.
As expected, the Coen Brothers grab it for No Country For Old Men. I don't know who's whom but Coen No. 1 gave a short funny speech: "I don't have a lot to add to what I said earlier, so, thank you."
Either the Democratic presidential nomination hopeful is the only candidate with the idea or the money, but his commercials throughout the night must have cost a pretty penny.
I can't believe Daniel Day-Lewis won for There Will Be Blood. What a complete shocker. I am sure every one in Hollywood and at home is just absolutely as surprised as I am. I don't think anyone had him picked.
Helen Mirren (with her dazzle sleeves) and Forest Whitaker are neck in neck for the Oscar for best presenter. But that's beside the point. The lead actor Oscar goes to Daniel Day Lewis. No upsets, no surprises. One more time, everybody: I'VE ABANDONED MY BOY!
Yeah for Diablo Cody, who penned the amazingly original Juno. And nice touch dedicating her award to the writers. Based on the awesome outfit and tatoo, I'm guessing Stewart wasn't kidding about her stripper past.
This category is the one in which I was rooting for Juno, because the quality of the writing (and acting, on Ellen Page's part) really carried it. And Diablo Cody won! What a great night for a former exotic dancer!
Seriously, whose idea was it to put Best Actress so early in the program? Since, unlike Hunter, I love Juno and had hoped Page would win, it was one of the categories I was waiting on. But by putting it so early, the tension is spent. Why are we sitting through best score, best song and best use of hairpieces long after one of the best statues of the night have already been handed out?
It should have gone to Jonny Greenwood's There Will Be Blood score, which wasn't even nominated. But it goes to Atonement. I did not see Atonement, so I cannot comment any further.
The nominated song from Once deserved its superstar introduction from Collin Farrell. This song should win, not only because it's gorgeous, but because it encapsulates the entire plot of the movie. Hell, it is the movie.
Well the upset I had hoped for - a win for Juno's Ellen Page - hasn't come to pass. That random Marion Cotillard wins and I'm going to go ahead and open the vodka now. Not that I have anything against the French woman, I just really loved Page in Juno and really would have loved to see her pull off an upset.
And was it just me, or did this category came early in the program this year?
After watching La Vie En Rose this weekend, Marion Cotillard's win makes perfect sense to me. She pulled off young woman, she pulled off old woman, she pulled off drug-addicted woman. And she might have given the acceptance speech of the night: "Wow, well I'm speechless now. Thank you life, thank you love! It is true there is some angels in this city!"
Not usually categories I care about, but The Bourne Ultimatum was one of my favorite films of the year. I'm not typically and action movie freak, but the Bourne movies rock and it's nice to see sound editors and mixers from the flick manage to break - or should I say put on hold - No Country's hot streak.
And the Oscar goes to The Bourne Ultimatum. Hellz yeah, that was killer sound! I have no idea what I'm talking about. But I'm glad my favorite movie of the year (seriously) got at least one award.
Aside: Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill have excellent hair. I'd kill for a curly top like that.
UPDATE: The Bourne Ultimatum wins for Sound Mixing as well. Triumph.
UPDATE: Film Editing award makes it three. A mini technical sweep, if you will.
I gave Hannah Montana hell earlier, but she read from the teleprompter brilliantly. That kid's got a future.
She introduced another song from 'Enchanted,' one that sounds suspiciously like "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid. Or not. I'm taking a bathroom break.
Anyone else already tense about the upcoming annual tribute to stars who have passed in the last year. I'm usually good about making it through without tearing up, but with Heath Ledger's recent death, I don't know if I can pull it off this year.
This cute little girl should be up for an Oscar. The 3-year-old gives a recap of Star Wars Episode IV. Never saw the movie, but now I know about the "big thing that blowed up stuff."
Kudos to Tilda Swinton for poking fun of her Michael Clayton co-star, George Clooney whom she claimed in front of hundreds of millions of people that he still sports his rubber Batman suit from Batman and Robin under his clothes.
"On the set, off the set, hanging upside down at lunch," she quipped.
Yeah, Tilda Swinton! Out of all the actresses nominated, she and Amy Ryan had the most lines and the most screen time. And if anyone should get an award for Michael Clayton, it's her. She portrayed both crippling insecurity and steely outer strength -- that's probably hard to do.
Tilda Swinton takes the statue in what was one of this year's most hotly contested races. Cate Blanchett, Ruby Dee, Saoirse Ronan and Amy Ryan all had pretty good chances and who should have won all depended on whom you asked.
And the Oscar goes to 'Le Mozart Des Pickpockets.' It's good that the Oscars include the shorts in its live telecast. Most other award shows skip giving out many of the prizes for fear that they might lose viewers.
And great to see Owen Wilson presenting an award. He looked great!
The second nominated song comes from August Rush. Anyone seen it? Anyone? That said, I can get behind any song that employs a gospel choir. This is officially the feel-good moment of the Oscar telecast. Until There Will Be Blood pulls the upset for Best Picture. Hey, I can dream.
I love how the actors always seem perplexed by the clips chosen to represent their performances. Casey Affleck had the "I can't believe they used that one" look.
And the Oscar goes to Javier Bardem. No surprise there. If only he'd pull out that dreadful wig and put it on one more time...
Aside: I hope Jennifer Hudson doesn't try to eat or drink anything in that dress, the whitest white dress I've ever seen in my life.
I liked the clip of previous winners and presentations in this category. My favorite part of the Oscars is always the video clips, so an anniversary year like this one is like a holiday for me. I loved how they showed off Cuba Gooding Jr.'s enthusiastic win for Jerry Maguire.
And how fitting that last year's winner Jennifer Hudson (who looked awesome) handed Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men) his first statue. Both were the absolute locks during the years in which they won.
According to People - and I had not heard this - Vanity Fair did indeed cancel its Oscar party due to the now-over writers' strike, as mentioned in Stewart's opening monologue. Stewart had a nice line that if the mag wants to really honor the writers, it should try actually inviting them to the party one year.
I, for one, think VF's editors should extend such an invitation to all writers - even those for Texas-based free tabloids who obviously have nothing better to do on Oscar night than sit at home and blog.
And the Oscar goes to ... The Golden Compass. I'm sure the effects in that movie were exhilarating, but I have a no-Nicole-Kidman policy from which I usually don't stray.
Aside: Nothing makes me happier than seeing The Rock dressed in a tuxedo. Discuss.
I truly admire Amy Adams for having the courage to sing live in front of billions of viewers, and her voice is delightful. However, this song is just the kind of cheery tripe that camp counselors use to annoy sleeping children in the morning.
The award goes to Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Yeah, good call, especially since it involved equipping Cate Blanchett with, among other things, full-body armor.
The presentation of this award has lost all its fun -- does anyone remember when all of the nominees for costume design got to strut their costumes around the stage to their movies' score music? That was quite a production.
The Daily Show host kept things traditional for his opening monologue. No singing, no dancing. Just jokes. A classy move that puts the just-back writers to good use, but probably something I won't remember next year.
After the jump, you'll find a few of Stewart's best lines.
So yesterday I sat through most of the Best Picture Showcase put on at the NorthPark Center's AMC Theaters -- what fun!! Now I feel well-versed in the qualities of each movie -- and like I'll ace the office Oscar pools!! Well, one of the office pools, anyway.
As for the movies, I thought Michael Clayton was fantastic, though it didn't move me quite as much as some other nominees. I fell asleep halfway through Atonement -- not even the British hotness of James McAvoy could keep me awake. I sat through half of There Will Be Blood, (above) even though I'd already seen it. But Forever 21 beckoned, so I took a movie break. Juno didn't live up to the hype, but could it have really? I skipped out on No Country for Old Men, because I'd seen that, too.
So which flick will take Best Picture? I prefer There Will Be Blood, but I'm still torn as to which way the Academy will go! So much so that one office Oscar pool contains a There Will Be Blood awards sweep, and the other one a No Country sweep. Wish me luck!!!
Watching Regis interview the singers and dancers from one of the Enchanted performances to come, I'm reminded how pissed off I was that three of the songs from that movie were nominated and only one from Once got the nod. But Entertainment Weekly made a good point this week -- the three Enchanted songs will probably split the vote, making way for a Once victory. I hope that's the case. I still don't understand why Eddie Vedder got snubbed.
The broadcast only lasted 12 minutes before one of the red-carpet hosts uttered the phrase, "the little indie film that could." I think that's a record!
Miley Cyrus just told Regis, "It's really amazing to finally be standing on the Oscars red carpet." Because she's put in so many years of great acting on the Disney Channel. Really, I can't believe they aren't giving her an honorary Oscar just for being there!
Sorry, I tend to launch sarcasm attacks on entertainment trends I don't quite understand.
After Marion Cotillard's edgy and weird performance in La Vie En Rose, I expected her to be one of the fashion wildcards at the Oscars. But, dangit, she went classy and glam just like everyone else. Even if her dress does have fishscales, it doesn't look too out of the ordinary from afar. I need some Bjork! I need some Cher!
Just now tuning in to E!'s red carpet coverage. Apparently something crazy happened earlier involving Seacrest, Jennifer Garner and Gary Busey. Can anyone fill me in on this?
Well, Idol booted its first quartet of contestants last night. Sent packing were Joanne Borgella, Amy Davis, Garrett Haley and Colton Berry. But more importantly, which one of us Idol bloggers did the better job at guessing who'd go home??
Turns out Hunter made the more accurate predictions -- he correctly guessed that Joanne and Amy would be the gals to leave, though he picked the wrong guys: Luke Menard and Jason Yeager. I only guessed Amy's exit accurately and picked Jason Y., Kady Malloy and Chikezie as the other rejects. Sooooo ... better luck to me next week!
As a lifelong Cubs fan, I was disappointed to read that there was a worldwide toast to late Cubs announcer Harry Caray on Thursday and I wasn't part of it. He was greatness in my book, even when he spit all over the microphone squawking out: "There's a HIGH fly ball!"
I was able to tune out or laugh off his mistakes. He made broadcasts fun. "Ya know, Steve [Stone], if you take Kevin Orie's name ... and you spell it backwards ... ya get eeee-rowww!" It doesn't get better than that.
Fans at Harry's restaurant in Chicago drank from a 100-gallon glass of beer (one gallon for every year since the Cubs last won a World Series).
The drought ends this year. A guy can dream, can't he?
Gets excited about America's Next Top Model? Probably. The show has slipped a couple notches, but I still can't get enough of the photo shoots, the fashion, the cattiness, the signature walks, the five-finger foreheads...I'm so into it.
Cycle 10 premiered Tuesday night, and this crop of contestants hardly seems different from previous cycles. You still have the weird, slightly awkward chick (Lauren), the peppy blond Barbie (Kim) and the one who got cut last cycle and is back with a vengeance (Marvita, who returns after undergoing much therapy, apparently).
Only one stood out to me - Fatima, a Somalian woman who underwent genital mutilation as a child. She has a gorgeous face but an atrocious runway walk. If Miss J. can get that under control, she's my early favorite.
In the spirit of Quick's Battle of the Bands, I present to you my favorite clip from Teen Witch. You haven't seen Teen Witch? Well then, you haven't lived.
LPGA golfer Michelle Wie (remember her?) is a Stanford freshman. According to the Los Angeles Times, Wie's courses (not the golf ones) include Japanese, a writing class, a humanities course and a hip-hop dance class. "Don't ask me to show you anything," she said of the dancing. Wie is making her LPGA debut this week in Hawaii.
* Jason Kidd's debut with the Mavericks wasn't real dazzling in a 104-93 loss to the first-place Hornets. Kidd finished with eight points, five assists and six turnovers. It's interesting how seemingly none of the NBA experts puts New Orleans in its top four.
* Shaq Daddy (above) put an early stamp on the Suns, "posterizing" current Laker and former Maverick D.J. Mbenga for his first two points.
Girls going home tomorrow: Amy Davis and Joanne Borgella. I'm going out on a limb with the plus-size model, but I just have a feeling that she blew it...
When I close my eyes, I hear Celine Dion. That's not necessarily a good thing, because there's already a Celine Dion. And Simon was right when he said this chick is overhyped.
"Oh, my God, yes" -- that was Simon's response to Ryan's asking if he thought Syesha is the total package. I totally agree ... although I had no idea what song she was singing, she knocked it out of the park. Strong vocals, great presence and sass and confidence to spare. Lurve her!!
A classy performance of "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me." There was nothin' too exciting about it, but Ramiele's voice has a richness that leads me to believe she could captivate a live audience. More of her!
Wow, Asia'h just gave my favorite performance -- and Simon's! Start with a great little reggae spin to a Janis classic and add smoky vocals and a perky delivery courtesy of Asia'h, and you've got an Idolista finally making a song their own -- fabu!! Loved her little dance of joy when Simon praised her, too!
What's with all the weak-voiced blonde country chicks? Carrie Underwood much? Still, this Houstonian gets a few extra points for a decent song choice ("Groovy Kind of Love") and a Britney Spears impression backstage that could win America's Got Talent..
Putting a funky spin on "Spinning Wheels," Alexandrea imbued her performance with spunk and sass -- and managed to make this oldie modern. It's not my favorite song in the world, and while I loved her voice, I kinda understand Simon saying he didn't get it. It was a bit out there, though she gets extra points for carrying herself better than the average 17-year-old. She's definitely one to keep an eye on ... love her personality.
Simon said it all: "The blonde hair, the yellow, the happiness." All that was in full effect when ol' skinny arms got up there to sing "Happy Together," and it was all a bit much for me. Still, her vocal talent exceeds several of the others', and I'll be happy when she takes on a grittier tune.
Amy Davis was unmemorable enough before she opened her mouth, then she started warbling -- and butchering -- "Where The Boys Are." And that's one of my favorite tunes, so I kinda took it personally. Sayonara, Amy, we hardly knew ye!
Oof, those pants. Ugh, that skunk hair. But I'll tell you one thing, lambs: This chick is the most authentic rocker Idol has ever seen. "Baby Please Don't Go," indeed!
Yay, we have a breath of fresh air from the show's youngest contestant! Alaina opened "More Today Than Yesterday" with a sultry, breathy start, then built to a sassy, lively ending. She was confident and bubbly and buoyant -- she's the female version of David Archuleta!! Loved it!! And so did the judges ...
The pace was way too fast on "Say A Little Prayer," and she had trouble keeping up. I swear -- this backing band just can't seem to get it right. And I know there's more soul in her voice than that song allowed her to display. The judges were rightfully underwhelmed. Simon even got prissy. I love when he does that.
After the first three words in "Rescue Me," I turned to Hunter and said, "I'm bored already," as he cringed at her missed notes. The lax, low-energy performance couldn't end soon enough. Even the boyz in Tha Dawg Pound looked like they were ready for a catnap. Just blah.
The judges remarked that Cook's been sick, but Paula was right when she said illness shouldn't have affected her performance that badly. I agree.
Aight, y'all, it's time for the 12 female Idolistas to kick it old-school with their musical picks from the '60s. Are you ready to laugh, cry ... and try to guess what mind-altering substance Paula's on? Then look out for my and Hunter's comments (and our picks for top three and bottom three perfs) and let's get this party started ... hope to hear from ya!!
As if they could do the show without Jack. But...the LA Times reports on its The Envelope blog (a nightly read this week) that Mr. Nicholson will once again be presenting at the Academy Awards on Sunday. They're not saying what he'll be giving out, but....instincts and common sense say it'll be Best Picture.
In other Oscar news, I'll be seeing Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana for the first time ever when she makes her appearance. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill ... from the 78th Academy Awards in 2006.)
Here's a fun lil' list from Spinner.com. They ranked the 25 best band logos. Here's the top 10. Check them out for the full list and reasons for the picks.
Here's a low-qual pic of the scene from inside reunion. The line in zigzagged all over the outside of the arena, with some waiting mobs getting irate when having to wait in one place too long. But u cant expect too much organization out of an event put together in two days. All kinds of people here.... The whole place is doing the wave. This really is a rock concert.
Let's hope for a cloudless sky or otherwise good viewing conditions for the total lunar eclipse happening tonight. It'll be the only total eclipse of the heart... er, moon, until 2010. (There'll be a partial lunar eclipse -- and a total solar eclipse -- in August.)
The eclipse will occur around 9 p.m. and last an hour. If you've got a telescope, it's been said you'll also get a great peek at the rings of Saturn, which will shine along with the star Regulus (from the constellation Leo) on either side of the moon.
And speaking of unearthly things, a meteor falling from the sky in an almost scary-large flash of light was captured by a surveillance camera at a hospital in Spokane, Wash.
[Notes from Close Encounters of the Third Kind plays]
Anybody up for some hot-tubbing? This Japanese Macaque monkey looks lonely as he relaxes in a hot spring in a monkey park in Nagano, Japan, on Feb. 17. The snow monkeys descend from the nearby forest to sit in the warm waters of the hot springs as snow falls on them. Want to visit? Tourists are welcome. Go here for more information. But remember the all-important rule: Don't touch the monkeys.
So here we've got a peek of the next movie by blockbuster filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan. The Happening appears to be about some major, global event that's killing people. Mark Wahlberg is part of a group of people trying to figure out the hows and whys of the wave of deaths. My first impression from the trailer is that its quiet spookiness gives it a very War of the Worlds feel -- building, unspoken tension and palpable fear permeates every second of it. Too, the preview raises so many questions -- what's going on? what's going to happen? -- which is just the kind of curiosity every trailer should pique, without giving too much away.
Release date: June 13. Friday the 13th. Subtle.
Chance of box office success: Terrific -- it's Shyamalan, after all. Although his last, Lady in the Water, fell short of expectations, people still generally run out to catch a Night flick. Thankfully, this trailer lacks the feel of cheesetacularity that oozed out of Lady's trailer.
1. David Archuleta: He's got the most raw talent, and I liked that his "Shop Around" was slightly out of control. Shows he's not afraid to take chances.
2. Jason Castro: Rockwall's hometown boy, whom we'll call "Dreadhead" from now on, brought out his guitar and gave an effortless performance. Good boy.
3. Michael Johns: The earnest Aussie brought the heat on "Light My Fire," and showed some real range. But the hipster scarves have to go.
He got a standing O after belting "Light My Fire," but this guy's voice has always sounded strained to me from the get-go. I was far from impressed, but then again, since he sang this song in LA, I need to see something else from him.
Rockwall's hometown boy scored major points by bringing his git-fiddle out on stage with him, and even though he was pitchy (OMG, I've turned into Randy) in some parts of "Daydream," I like that he's a bit jazzy. Simon said it was in the "top two" of the night. Go, Dreadhead, go!
Hmm, this Leif Garrett lookalike's got a little sumthin sumthin about him that I like -- great positive vibe.
As for his song, I don't know what's with the Idolistas taking these classics and s-l-o-w-i-n-g them way down. Garrett's version of "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" was too mellow and teetered toward the boring despite his nice vocals. Oddly, I'd like to see him do disco ...
He gets an "A" for effort (or is it an "E"?). Good move, switching back and forth from hard-driving to slow-jammin' on "Suspicious Minds." Still, the word "cheesy" kept popping into my mind. The judges' responses were appropriately lukewarm.
Suckfest alert: "Everybody's Talkin'" was the song "rocker" Robbie Carrico should've done. Instead, mild child Luke Menard singlehandedly took a folksy classic and turned it into a forgettable musical blur that adult contemporary radio wouldn't touch. Just bad. And even worse, boring.
This guy confuses me. He looks like Tegan and Sara, talks like a valley girl, and tonight, at least, he performed like Elvis. Yes, a very faithful rendition of "Jailhouse Rock" -- he didn't "destroy" the song, Simon. But will I remember it tomorrow? Probably not. And I think Paula is on her happy pills again, talkin' about vocals that go in and out of different colors. Er ...
Oh, squee! For someone with such a baby face, David's got a nice, rich manly voice ... loved that ending to his version of "Shop Around." He nailed it! And the judges lurved him as well ... I'm so glad my little cutie is talented, too!! Now get over here and give me a hug!!
I really wanted to hate this guy, with his boy-band past and his inexplicable head wraps. But, you know, he gave some good oomph to "One." I think our boy Robbie just took the lead. Shag attack! Oh, and side note, Randy: I don't think Three Dog Night would like its songs referred to as "joints."
Here's one of our hometown guys -- but Grand Prairie's Jason was anything but grand in his rendition of "Moon River." I think. I completely tuned out after the word "river." Snoozefest!
Simon's right, the crooning made him seem older and reeked of a performance you'd catch on the Lido Deck of a Carnival cruise.
In other news, Jason's 28 -- how does he have, like, a 16-year-old son?!
Meh on his "Happy Together." He's like a poor man's Chris Daughtry with hair. And speaking of his hair, I liked the earlier faux-hawk much better than this slicked down, Toni & Guy rocker 'do. I don't know why Randy's so excited. I didn't think this performance was "worthy" at all.
Chikezie rolled out looking like a pimp in a red suit, singing a funky version of "More Today Than Yesterday" that didn't work for me -- I'm with Simon. It fell flat from the first note, which was too low for him -- actually, he didn't excel in that lower range at all. And, sadly, the later high notes didn't redeem him. Just blah. He totally didn't deserve to drop his last name!
Strong start on "In the Midnight Hour," but he relied too much on the background singers near the end. And those last few notes? Hmm. Not so on-key. Randy's right about watching those long notes. But at least he met his goal of impressing Simon. He should be happy with any comment that doesn't contain the words "complete and uttah mess."
Oh, Lord, Chikezie has dropped his last name, Eze, by the very first episode. How very Fantasia of him ... I'm rolling my eyes in cyberspace. His talent better be worth the name-dropping ...
Sorry. If you can't tell, I'm a wee bit amped. We've endured the auditions, read all about the "are the Top 24 already pros?" mini controversy and watched the unfairly rejected Josiah Leming make the talk-show rounds.
But now it's time, my friends (how McCain of me!), to settle in for two hours of Top 12 men's performances. Look for North Texas boyz Jason Castro and Jason Yeager, even though you probably have no idea what they look like since they were NEVER SHOWN IN THE AUDITIONS ROUND. But still, look for them.
We'll begin the blogging as soon as the first guy takes his turn on stage, and after the show, Farah and I will rank our top threes and bottom threes of the night. Join us in the comment field, won't you?
I'm not sure why I'm in the mood for this today. Sometimes you want Chinese food, sometimes you need a few beers at the end of the day, and other times you want to watch Jagger and Bowie dance awkwardly and share a weirdly sexual vibe.
If you want to be an informed viewer of the Oscars on Sunday, you'll spend Saturday at your favorite AMC theater. That's where you can watch the five best-picture nominees back to back to back to back to back for $30.
There are never enough photos of polar bear cubs to satisfy our need for cuteness. Here's another picture of the world's newest obsession: Flocke, the female polar bear cub who lives in the zoo in Nuremberg, Germany. She's also known as the New Knut, which refers to the former polar bear cub who captured the world's attention before aging and therefore becoming less cute. Read more here.
Ever wonder where some of your favorite professional wrestlers have gone?
(Every once in awhile and for some weird reason, I do.)
ESS Promotions is a company that still books a ton of personalities you'd recognize from the WWF for talks, public appearances and, I dunno, severe ass-kickings.
Click on some of their video "commercials" with the former stars, including Tito Santana, Demolition (Ax and Smash), King Kong Bundy (who still looks like he could still deliver a pretty lethal Avalanche), Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, the Honky Tonk Man (Don't be cruel), KoKo B. Ware (squawk!), Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake and the Fabulous Moolah, among many others.
Don't forget the Iron Sheik (remember his Camel Clutch move? Deadly) and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, whom I still think I hate to this day just cuz he was always a creep.
I love eBay items like these -- they're like the Weekly World News of online auctions.
A Buy-It-Now price of $25 is the only thing between you and the ability to become invisible, according to the seller of this secret that's been "kept for thousands of years!"
Ostensibly, once you buy the secret, a digital file is delivered that outlines how you can unlock the power, which is not a mere "ninja technique" but a method currently employed by the CIA and other intelligence agencies. (Question: Since invisibility can be used only for moral purposes, how is it that those waterboarding bastards can use it?)
Still not buying it? The seller also throws in The Wizard's Book of Animal Secrets, a manual that teaches you how to command a flock of birds wherever you go, how to control snakes and bees, and how to keep a squirrel in your pocket.
Yes, the clips I post all root from unnecessary nostalgia, and I'm cool with that. Especially when the memory involves sitting on my parents' large grey couch and getting sucked into to the best Canadian teen soap opera ever that didn't have "DeGrassi" in its title. And that is a high compliment, people!
Aww, the poor little thing looks scared of heights. Vale, a four week old red titi monkey, sits on his dad Thiago's back in the rainforest biome at the London Zoo on February 13, 2008, in England. The tiny monkey was the first baby born in the new biome section of the zoo. Zoology lesson: Red titi monkeys (Callicebus cupreus) are New World monkeys found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
The Daytona 500 seemed like a pretty good show with living legends in the house helping celebrate the race's 50th anniversary, a last-lap pass for the win and a deserving Ryan Newman in Victory Lane.
But some of the prerace entertainment included Chubby Checker, Kool & The Gang and Michael McDonald. Ack! I thought NASCAR was trying to attract new fans.
The cuteness of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show has inspired us to bring you photos of cute, furry (or possibly frightening) animals. We're calling it The Daily Fur. (Or perhaps The Occassional Fur, in case we get lazy with our postings.) In this pic, sled dogs compete on Sunday in a race west of London. No word on if these guys won, but they sure showed great determination.
The Dallas County District Attorney's office announced it uncovered more memorabilia related to the JFK assassination, including a transcript of a conversation between Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby that would tie them to a plot to kill the president.
The conversation supposedly took place on Oct. 4, 1963, at Ruby’s Carousel Club on Commerce Street. Here's part of the transcript...
With Diary of the Dead, George Romero has returned to the zombie subgenre of horror films and he’s getting his best reviews in years. The 68-year-old director has unleashed his latest “…of the Dead” films, which has included the legendary Night of the Living Dead and its sequels of sorts, Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead, as well as the 2005 installment, Land of the Dead. Romero’s zombie films have always had social commentary with the zombies of course being the lifeless people who shift listlessly through the world and he’s always lead subtle attacks on modern culture’s petty ideas and trends.
Romero will be in Dallas to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Night of the Living Dead with the surviving cast and crew with a special screening presented by AFI Dallas at the Inwood Theater on the 21st, followed by a convention appearance at Texas Frightmare Weekend from the 22nd through the 24th. Romero is no stranger to conventions and actually prefers them to most of the things he’s rather do in association to promoting a film. He says, “It’s actually great fun. I mean, I don’t really have fun doing any of the promotion stuff – I’d rather be home playing with the cats. I like the convention stuff because I get to meet the fans because I have 16-year-old fans and 70-year-old fans. I feel like because they’ve been around long enough my stuff has had a shelf life and it’s very gratifying. They’re friends [the fans] and usually we get a chance to go to the tavern at the end of the day so I love going to conventions, actually.”
Oh, American Idol -- we know you're trying to rebound from last year's crappy season of lame, mildly talented contestants, but must you go this route?
All over the Web, fans are abuzz about several contestants and whether they've been "planted" on the show to boost its quality.
First we find out that finalist Jason Castro of Dallas was on the MTV reality show Cheyenne.
Then we learn via several news reports that fan fave Carly Smithson was once signed to MCA, released an album called Ultimate High under the name Carly Hennessy (including the single "I'm Gonna Blow Your Mind," above) and that the label spent more than $2 million on a failed publicity push (the album sold in the hundreds. As in around 300).
Now, Blender magazine is reporting that finalist Kristy Lee Cook, best known for her touching rendition of "Amazing Grace," was once signed to Arista and Britney Spears' production company!! What gives, Idol?
I thought the show was about discovering undiscovered talent, not giving singers who once secured (and subsequently lost) major-label deals another shot. Not fair!
Carly's still one of my faves, talent-wise, but does she really deserve the Idol prize if she's had a similar situation before?? I wonder if this online uproar will brew into something more ...
I had to stop at my neighborhood Kroger after work one night this week, and as I was grabbing a gallon of milk, "We are the World" started playing. ... Yeah, it was definitely a WTF moment.
Sad part is I kinda got into it and started humming along. What a loser.
An investigation should probably be launched into who selects the in-store music, eh?
Actress Bai Ling (above) was arrested Wednesday after being accused of shoplifting two celebrity magazines and two packets of batteries at Los Angeles International Airport. The items had a total value of $16, police said.
Wonder if Winona Ryder needs a shopping partner ...
Does anyone else think that VH1's Celebreality "programming" has officially jumped the shark? Or am I going to get pimp-slapped by all the Flavor Flav and Scott Baio fans out there?
VH1 had a so-bad-it's-good thing going with I Love New York, and I thought Dr. Drew's Celebrity Rehab would follow suit. But it's just SO DAMN SAD that it's unwatchable. Dr. Drew should be ashamed of himself for putting cameras on those people and having them go through therapy together. And who knew that the most likable person on that show would be Jessica Sierra?
Thank goodness Miley Ray Cyrus will be a presenter at the Oscars. She was inexplicably snubbed for a nomination for her brave performance in the the criminally ignored Best of Both Worlds 3-D movie.
Because we look at the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue for the articles, here is a funny back-and-forth between new SI employee Dan Patrick and IndyCar driver Danica Patrick, who traded a racing uniform for a swimsuit in the magazine.
Good Morning America had it this morning, and now it's on YouTube. Thoughts? I kind of wince when I see Harrison Ford doing dangerous things at his age, but that music makes me very happy.
A link recently sent to me led me unbeknownst into the "interspecies love" category on YouTube. (There's a ton of files -- who knew?) So, in honor of Valentine's Day and funny, mismatched couples ... let the exasperated quacking begin.
DMN artist Layne Smith has come up with a way to calculate the compatibility of you and your sweetie. He created the True Love Compatibility Checker, where you type in your names and find out if you're meant to be. For example, Jessica Simpson and boy wonder Tony Romo? 35 percent compatible.
If you're curious about how he did it, find out after the jump...
Darius Holbert, a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and the University of North Texas (and a good friend of mine since we were 11), has recorded the perfect Valentine's Day song. It's called "The Luckiest Valentine." If you're still sweating what to give your sweetie, just send them a link to this.
Thank God Kyle didn't through. What is Simon smokin', telling him he should have made it? I think Idol folks just avoided having another Sanjaya on their hands. Or at least another Kevin Covais. [Shuddering at memory of Chicken Little.]
So no Josiah for this season. Man, my heart just dropped to my stomach. Maybe it's because he was homeless and all. Somebody give that kid an apartment!
I think she might be my personal front-runner. Her singing seems effortless, and I'm betting she'll be able to take any style they throw at her and ride it home.
And "rose in a fisted glove" David sure looks good in those fitted shirts, but Simon's right. He has a lot of serious competition to overcome. We'll see.
And you know what else I've noticed? All the yes people so far have been cah-yoot! Not that looks are what drive my votes ... ahem ... but this might be the best-lookin' top 24 ever.
So glad that we have some international flair in the top 24, with the Irish gal and now Aussie Michael. But he really should pick songs in a lower key. That "Bohemian Rhapsody" kinda pierced my eardrums at the end there.
These people I've never seen who are making it through? I'm thinking they have bigger hurdles to clear going into the rest of the season. Doesn't really seem fair, but maybe America will clear its slate before next week. Or maybe the people who hate the audition stage will start to tune in and not know anybody.
She killed that audition with the keyboard, so I'm hoping she'll get to play it again during a few of the performance shows. Plus, I like her humility. She doesn't know how good she is.
I'm not really into this Kristy Lee Cook chick. Yeah, she's got a great country voice, but I just feel like we've been down this road before on Idol. I'm hoping more unique artists like Amanda and Josiah go further than she does. And you know they are going to keep us waiting until the end to find out Josiah's fate. There was just too much drama last night for that not to be the case.
16-year-old David Archuleta is gonna go far, with that fresh face and that amazing voice. He'll have the Sanjaya effect with the teen girls, but he'll actually deserve his success.
So we have a rocker in the mix. I'm hoping this Janis-like Amanda will also be added. And you are so right, Farah. They shouldn't let Paula do the talking. When she waxes philosophical, it just kills the momentum.
Yeah, a little annoying that Carly Smithson said she wouldn’t continue singing if she didn’t make it. But she did, and we should look forward to this delectable Irish lass out-Celining Celine from now on.
Oh, and I should say that out of pure excitement, Farah and I might be making the same points. But we can’t help it if we share a brain. So consider it double the blogging pleasure!
Really, Hayden Christensen, is this how far your career has fallen that you have to appear alongside Ryan Seacrest in a promo for the upcoming movie Jumper (and Coca-Cola)??!? Really?
The intro of tonight's episode features Ryan Seacrest chatting it up with Hayden Christensen from 'Jumper,' a 20th Century Fox film. Go see it everybody!
And it's gonna be alright, when we find out the top 24. I'm guessing the contestants will come into the room where the judges are and find out the news. I'm rooting for Josiah, Syesha, the Irish chick whose name I forget, and the 16-year-old guy whose name I also forget. Stay tuned.
AT LAST, my favorite moment of Idol has arrived -- no more cheesy auditions and watching hours of bad singers. It's time to finally whittle the field to the top 24!! And then from here, it's on to live performances!! Yay! Let's all tune in and enjoy ...
My early faves are Josiah and Syesha, though I also like the soulful Irish lass whose name escapes me. I'm crossing my fingers they make it ...
Hey ladies. Need a little financial advice? Oprah had financial self-help guru Suze Orman on her show today,and is offering a free download of Orman's book Women & Money. The free download is available until 7 p.m Thursday.
I was avoiding paying bills the other day and came across this video on YouTube. Comedian Anjelah Johnson (who's also been on MADtv) is cute, smart, really funny, and does a dead-on impression of the ladies at the nail salon. Sheck it out.
Gee, the Roger Clemens hearing has taken a turn toward the linguistically bizarre, with everyone trying to dissect what Brian McNamee really meant when he uttered the phrase "it is what it is," in a taped phone convo when Clemens urged him to tell the truth in the steroids investigation. McNamee claims it's some jargon meant to communicate to Clemens that he had told investigators the truth, but I, for one, am still befuddled! Meanwhile, the chairman of the hearing joked that the phrase's meaning may hinge -- Clinton-like -- on what "is" is, while a fellow Congressman on the panel pointed out that it's a common New York expression that should be further researched. This is what it is -- confusing!!
There's a new drama on TV, and it's got me glued to my set -- are you watching?? It's about some baseball star, and he's getting grilled by a Congressional panel on whether he used performance-enhancing drugs, and just a few feet away from him is his former trainer, accused of giving him the alleged drugs. Thrown in for additional drama are a hot poolside barbecue party, butt bandages, and numerous congressmen ripping the baller and the trainer a new one. Oh, wait, this isn't a soap opera?! Whatever, this Roger Clemens hearing -- which is monopolizing every damn cable news channel and ESPN -- is riveting stuff. Who needs American Idol?!??
On a serious note, U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays just ripped into trainer Brian McNamee about tarnishing baseball "titan" Clemens' reputation and basing his accusations on lies under oath. He blasted the media circus surrounding the case, and kinda made me feel bad for watching the whole spectacle. And yet I couldn't turn away ...
Fantastic Four #554: Writer Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch follow up their best-selling collaboration on Ultimates and Ultimates 2 with a stab at the original Marvel comic.
Fantastic Four: The Lost Adventure: If you think your collection includes every Fantastic Four story ever written by Stan Lee and drawn by Jack Kirby, you're wrong.
Tiny Titans #1: DC offers up a kid-friendly, cuddly version of the Teen Titans.
X-Force #1: I'm not sure what the polar opposite of cuddly is, but this might be it.
If you've ever wanted to look pretty for Jesus, you've just lost your chance. Now you'll probably just have to stick to holy water and good works.
A retailer in Singapore has stopped selling its "Looking Good for Jesus" cosmetic line from its store, citing numerous complaints. Among the items these complainers (apparently more comfortable looking unkempt and makeup-free for Jesus) had issues with:
-- "Virtuous vanilla"-flavored lip balm
-- "Get Tight With Christ" hand and body cream
There are more jokes here somewhere, so feel free to list your own made-up product names. I am too afraid of lightning to do so.
[Surreptitiously reaching for "Last Supper" meal replacement bar.]
... the writers' strike is finally over. The Writers Guild of America just reported that its members voted today to end their devastating, three-month strike that brought the entertainment industry to a standstill and unleashed a new wave of brain-cell-numbing reality TV.
Why, Josiah, why? Why did you buckle on the biggest audition of your life? Sending the band away? My heart is sinking right now. "You lost a little bit of your charm on that performance," Simon said. ... Whew. The judges have hearts. Thank God. Now, NEVER MESS UP LIKE THAT AGAIN, YOU HEAR ME?
Irish gal Carly wore a mask around her dog because her allergies affected her voice. And it worked. Best version of Heart's "Alone" since Carrie Underwood did it a few years ago.
This Aussie import has some powerful pipes, but I'm afraid he tries to go a little too high. And what's with the backing band, not knowing the key changes for "Bohemian Rhapsody"? Wow, Simon said this was the "best audition of the day"? Hmmm. Was I hearing right?
Last day of auditions, last chance before the judges whittle it down to the top 24. Here we go.
David Archuleta has excellent control for a 16-year-old. Plus, he's adorable. He's like the male Jordin. Randy says it's the best he's heard yet. Damn!
Can't go wrong with a little "Amazing Grace," right? I recall some commenters loving Kristy Lee Cook, so she already had fans coming into Hollywood. She lives to sing another day.
Angela Martin just lost her dad (wow, another one?), but sadly didn't make it past this round.
And the male half of those crazy siblings from a few shows ago made it. Herca-lees! Herca-lees!
Can I tell you how much I hate that dude making a cellphone video for his "darling Teresa" who makes a heart shape over his chest and says "Ba-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM"? Yeah, he can go away forever.
... and she has a freakin' vocal coach. One that didn't even make it to the Season 4 finals. Let's see if she can right her serious vocal wrong from the first round. ... Girl, it's "love will LEAD you back," not "bring." You'reouttathere!
Idol blogger, ra-porting for duty! Gotta say that this show is SO much better when most of the people auditioning are actually good. But here we go with the hard part -- the cutting. DUN DUN DUN.
Oh, no, it was sad to watch Syesha, who dazzled us in earlier auditions, struggle to get through her song -- poor thing seems to have lost her voice. I hope she finds it before the end of Hollywood week!!
Politician wannabe Kyle - who auditioned here in Dallas -- was adorable! What a flirt ... sadly, his performance was pure musical theater. Get that guy a gig in a community theater production of Rent!!!
That montage of people who sailed through with Yes votes from the judges was full of lackluster talent, culminating in a blah performance by David Cook. At least Simon told it like it was - without that guitar, he'll be vulnerable. Oy, bring on the cheesy Bryan Adams song montage ...
Josiah rocks!! His bouncy, Beatles-esque tune was sprightly and delightful -- and even included the British accent!! Loved it -- and, most importantly, it incorporated the keyboard perfectly. He's at the upper end of my list of favorites ...
Despite working up the female auditioners into a romantic tizzy with his bad-ass romantic self, Ghaleb fell short in the singing department for me. His sexy speaking accent doesn't translate into hawtness when he sings ... too bad.
OK, I just now understood the new Idol rule -- if the judges give you a yes, you automatically head to the last day of auditions. It's a free pass! But if the judges say no, you have to try again in the second round. Got it! I'm slow on the uptake sometimes. But it's a great rule, I think!! I love the rock n roll nurse, though her perf is a bit much - will the judges like it, too??
Wow, and there go those bad examples ... too often, these pianos and guitars are overpowering weak voices and masking bad performances. Yikes! But this David guy was top-notch and good-looking -- the whole package! Hope he goes far ...
Good thing the auditioners get a second chance in the second round, cuz some of these howlers need it! One standout was Brooke White, who dazzled with her great piano skills and warm vocals -- she's the first example that allowing auditioners to play instruments in the LA round was a great idea, but I fear that some bad examples are on the way ...
Finally, we leave the crappy portion of the auditions for what Ryan Seacrest calls "a brand-new Hollywood week." I'll be the judge of that -- bring it!!
This is really disturbing.
A woman has decided to blog about the final 90 days of her life before she commits suicide. "This blog is not a cry for help or even to get attention. It's simply a public record of my last 90 days in existence," her profile reads. But it's getting a lot of attention, even from some national media.
Paris Hilton's The Hottie & the Nottiewas an absolute box office flop. To put it in perspective, the movie's $27,696 opening weekend gross was nearly four times less than The Game Plan, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, made this weekend. Problem is: Game Plan came out 20 weeks ago and has been out on DVD for three weeks.
Into the Wild, which came out Sept. 21 of last year, also grossed double what Hottie made this weekend.
The movie averaged a paltry $249 per screen. If you figure it probably showed about a dozen times per screen over the weekend (with an average ticket price of $8), that means about three people went to each showing.
On the bright side, there must have been plenty of room to stretch out and take a nap.
Paris Hilton's 18-year-old younger brother, Barron Hilton, was arrested this morning on a charge of driving under the influence, reports people.com. "Who is Barron Hilton?" you may be asking. "And why should I care?"
Well, it seems to me that he's done as much to warrant fame and adoration as his big sis.
Performer and songwriter Mariah Carey has set April 15th as the in-store date for the most eagerly anticipated album of the year, E=MC². The 11th studio album of her career, E=MC² is the follow-up to The Emancipation Of Mimi, Mariah’s worldwide 10 million selling #1 album, which generated three Grammy awards (including Best Contemporary R&B Album), 2 #1 singles and countless more industry honors during its 18-month stay on the charts.
Hmm. Not sure what I think about this. It may be a little too cutesy for my taste. I mean, 'The Emancipation of Mimi' was annoying, but at least it meant something.
North Carolina men's basketball coach Roy Williams grooms one of the top teams in the country year after year, but he'd fail a pop culture quiz miserably.
A reporter recently threw a question at him beginning with "I don't mean to be Dr. Phil-esque with this, but ...” One problem: Williams had no idea who Dr. Phil was. And years ago, when he coaching at Kansas, Williams reportedly judged a celebrity look-alike contest and couldn't identify Kramer from Seinfeld.
Amy Winehouse's mother Janis is saying her daughter is on the road to recovery, according to the Associated Press. The proof? Her performance on the Grammys Sunday night.
“Well, as you saw, she looks good and it's a case of she's on the road — and that's what it's about — she's on the road to recovery,” Janis said in an interview with Britain's GMTV.
Well, if that's what we call "looking good," then Britney must be completely cured.
We wish Amy the best though. It'd be awful for that kind of talent to go to waste. Amy's public relations firm says she is still under medical supervision and getting outpatient treatment. The firm also said it was too early to say whether a rumored performance at the Brit Awards on Feb. 20 with “Back to Black” collaborator Mark Ronson would happen.
The Associated Press reports that an outage has disconnected BlackBerry smart phones throughout North America:
"AT&T Inc. says the disruption Monday is affecting all wireless carriers. AT&T first learned about the problem at about 3:30 p.m. EST.
There's no word on the cause or when the problem might be fixed.
BlackBerry maker Research in Motion did not immediately return a phone call."
It's only fitting that they haven't returned phone calls. They probably all have BlackBerrys.
Are there any other fans of HBO's The Wire out there? If you haven't seen the latest episode that aired last Sunday, then don't read this. But this season is so stressful that I almost can't take it. Everything is unraveling. When Omar starts breaking his code and unnecessarily taking lives, you know the fit is about to hit the shan. Will McNulty and Lester get caught? Does the reporter/liar/tool finally go down? And is Clay Davis going to get away with his shady dealings? For a sign of things to come, you might want to check out the prequels that are available on Time Warner Cable's On Demand. At first I thought these were pointless, but they seem to be offering viewers a bit of foreshadowing.
Ugh, didn't I vow to skip over trailers of spring movies?! Yet I keep getting sucked in! Anyway, Smart People got some buzz at this year's Sundance festival, and has a lovely marquee. But hopefully, Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker and Ellen Page make the movie way more interesting than the trailer. The movie's apparently about a laid-back relative (Thomas Haden Church) moving in with Quaid's uptight professor and his daughter (Page). Somehow, SJP falls for Quaid's stuffy-seeming character. And hilarity ensues?!
Release date: April 11
Chance of box office success: Not great. I got bored with the trailer a half-minute in. Plus, SJP -- playing a doctor! -- looked way too Sex and the City compared with the rest of the cast.
Should you see it?: I'd wait till the DVD release.
Kidding. I understand why. He's widely respected, has been around for years and did a critically acclaimed tribute album to another critically acclaimed artist. He's a sentimental pick.
So relieved that Amy Winehouse had her ish together for her "live from London" two-song set. While singing "You Know I'm No Good," and "Rehab," she seemed cleaner and more coherent than she's been in months. And those backup dancers! How do they not collapse after every song? Now that she's got her visa, she needs to bring her newly revived act to the States.
I had one issue with her performance: She gave a shout-out to her "Blake" in both songs. He ain't no good for you, hun!
As I type this, she's winning Record of the Year for "Rehab." Stay tuned for speech gold...
After Ringo Starr presented Vince Gill with the award for Best Country Album, Gill said, "I just had a Beatle give me an award. Has that happened to you yet, Kanye? ..... Just kidding."
I'm glad to see her pal John Mayer joining her onstage, even if his electric guitar solo seems a bit out of place on "No One." And speaking of "No One," does it make anyone else nervous that it's in such a high key? Just me? I figured.
The Canadian singer's spot-on performance of "1, 2, 3, 4" seemed a little boring without the dancers from its music video. At least she had a horn section behind her.
The Associated Press just reported that Roy Scheider, the actor best known for his role as a police chief in the blockbuster movie Jaws, has died. He was 75. Scheider died today in Little Rock, Ark., a hospital spokesman said.
They have an endless Cirque du Soliel performance, but they start playing wrap-it-up music a minute into Kanye's speech after winning Best Rap Album? Priorities, people.
Can't blog now. Too busy doing "Proud Mary" choreography in desk chair.
...
And of course, they follow that slice of hotness with Nelly Furtado and a very old Andy Williams presenting a boring award. I halfway expect them to start performing "Promiscuous."
Kanye always turns in the most interesting performance of any awards show, but this one was extra special. He started out with a futuristic, neon-tinged performance of "Stronger" including a cameo by the guys that inspired it -- Daft Punk. And when that one ended, he walked back on stage and sang a song he'd written for his mom, who passed earlier this year. I'm glad the Grammys indulged him with an extended performance -- it was the first moment in the show when some truly spontaneous and riveting art happened on stage. People in the audience were crying.
And they followed THAT with a strange John Legend-Fergie collabo, in which the superior vocalist of the two -- Legend -- didn't sing a word. OK ...
So I think we're supposed to vote for one of these string musicians for some reason. The first girl was the only one who rocked it out! Maybe she gets her inspiration from these awesome chicks.
I can't believe that the Grammy telecast has gone from an overlong Beatles production number to an overlong "My Grammy Moment" contest for orchestra players hoping to accompany the Foo Fighters. Huh?
It's an odd Grammy moment to have a band that hasn't done anything in almost two decades, but Morris Day still brings it on "Jungle Love." And Jerome still has his trusty mirror. Good stuff.
Did I just see that? The Time? With Rihanna? OK, I guess I can believe it. Even if The Time getting a Grammy slot perplexes me a little (was Earth Wind and Fire busy?). While I enjoyed watching Rihanna do the "Jungle Love" choreography, the best part of that performance was the middle part when she sang her own hit "Don't Stop the Music." Male backup dancers make everything better.
Percussionists with pipes (I think they're the cast of 'Stomp,' or something) provided the beat for "Before He Cheats," and out came Carrie Underwood in a black leather get-up that SO doesn't match her personality. She played the role well, though, even joining in for some of the mild choreography of her backup dancers. Carrie the diva. We likes!
The show begins with perhaps the weirdest collabo of the night: Alicia Keys singing "Learnin' the Blues" with a video of Frank Sinatra. I understand that it's a neat effect -- hey, Natalie Cole won a slew of Grammys for doing the same kind of thing with her dad. But did Alicia really have to look up at the screen and say things like "Sing it, Frank"? He's not there, girl. He can't hear you.
We'll start up the fun when the show comes on at 7 p.m. But watching the red carpet coverage, I've come to one conclusion: Being an E! host rots your brain.
Antonio Cromartie has had a heck of a season, grabbing 10 interceptions during the regular season and two more in the playoffs for the San Diego Chargers.
The second-year cornerback has already tied the Pro Bowl record for interceptions in a game with two. And there's still more than a quarter to play.
Apparently, Cromartie has a nose for the ball. Chargers coach Norv Turner said he even tries to intercept passes during team walk-through practices.
Kate Hudson was more than happy to team up with Matthew McConaughey again, she just wanted to wait for the right time. The two had a great time together on How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, but were reluctant to just do another movie for the sake of doing it. The 28-year-old actress says, “We had got plenty of opportunities to do it before. The things that came were like “eh” and then this came and the relationship felt right because it felt like an extension of How To Lose A Guy but it was completely different. We had a blast.”
The character seemed like fun to her because the back and forth ribbing is in their nature. She laughs, "For me, I was so excited to play the exacerbated, tough, ex of his. For instance, in How to Lose a Guy, the reason that worked was because we loved being exasperated by
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