day 4.41

oh, american idol

america's favorite singing competition returned last week and, well, i'm underwhelmed. j.lo and steven tyler brought something new and fresh last year, but they're not bringing it this year. it makes me wonder if the show would be better off finding two new superstar judges every year. imagine if katy perry usher sat at the table for a year, followed by a season with gloria estefan and ... ok, i can't think of more people, but i'm sure the producers of idol could. it's just boring this year. plus, they're still doing the unnecessary 327568 weeks of auditions. and the auditions this year are weak- they judges have put putting through bogans. take, for example, the woman above, jane carrey. she can sing, but she's no pop star. the only reason she made it through- and will make it all the way to the live shows- is because she's jim carrey's daughter and idol would love to have him make an audience appearance. idol is no longer making superstars, just super tv. america values very different things in our pop stars and in our reality show contestants, we just need to face it.

day 3.235

american idol music video overload

this is an interesting move- american idol season 10 alums scotty mccreery, lauren alaina and pia toscano all released videos for their debut songs. all on the same day. while scotty, lauren and pia aren't exactly targeting the same music audience- well, scotty and lauren are, but anyway- it seems like they should've staggered these, right? all the videos are pretty bland, with toscano's coming off as the most commercial and lauren alaina's coming off as the most creative, which the song desperately needs. check them all out below:

day 3.207

pia toscano, "this time"

american idol's most shocking eliminee, pia toscano, beats her fellow competitors to the airwaves with "this time." the pop-infused ballad- mixed with a little r&b and synth- is the perfect debut for toscano. pia does what katherine mcphee couldn't, seamlessly transitioning from tv balladeer to pop star. like many idol-alums (i.e. daughtry) before her, not taking the title might prove to be better for toscano. check out "this time," a way better single than scottie mccreery and lauren alaina's efforts, above.

day 3.166

american idol finale

here are the highlights from american idol's season ender, before (spoiler) scotty mcreery took home the 2011 title.

this was the best performance of the night- the top girls took the stage to sing a beyonce medley before being joined on stage by the vocal powerhouse. b returned to the stage later in the night to premiere her new song, "1+1."

but that's not the beyonce performance to watch- her rehearsal backstage was 100 times more amazing.

this was the night's most bizarre- and obvious "you're married to the judge so we have to let you perform"- performance. j.lo's hubby sang some song no one's heard of, while she gyrated next to him doing choreography i can only assume she learned while filming selena.

each of the final two got to duet with one of their own idols. lauren alaina chose carrie underwood's "before he cheats." it's a nice performance, but lauren's 16-year-old self shines through as she's obviously starstruck on stage.

but scotty continued his i'm-a-pro attitude alongside tim mcgraw as the duo tackled mcgraw's hit "live like you were dying."

and lady gaga brought down the house with an overly theatrical take on "the edge of glory." no, seriously. she jumps off her giant set piece at the end. overly. theatrical.

day 2.246

just blurbs

there really isn't anything to write about, so here are some little thoughts you can marinate on.

• lindsay lohan is officially out of jail, but don't expect to see her on the interview circuit just yet. the pretty much former actress (though, she did film a movie with the sham-wow guy...scram bracelet intact) went straight to rehab at ucla. she's reportedly being treated for bipolar disorder and meth addiction. she'll be there for at least 90 days, on her own dime, with no chance of early release.
• the only sure thing about american idol's next season is ryan seacrest. randy jackson told e news he has no clue what the next season holds. he may not even be included. the latest rumors are that randy will stick around - producer nigel lythgoe reportedly decided he didn't want to completely overhaul the show - alongside jennifer lopez and aerosmith's steven tyler. an official announcement should be out soon as preliminary auditions are going on across the country as i type.
• i'm pretty sure the kim kardashian miles austin rumors are true. why else would kim k be tweeting with candice crawford, sister to chace and girlfriend to miles' cowboys cohort tony romo?
• two big movies have been cast: sandra bullock and steve carrel will play love interests in the abstinence teacher, about an outspoken sex-ed teacher (bullock) and the conservative dad (carrel) she falls for ... meryl streep and tina fey are set to star as mother and daughter in mommy & me, directed by streep's recent constant costar stanley tucci. no word on what the plot is, but how can they screw that up?

hopefully those little bites will tide you over until something juicier comes along.

day 2.242

and degeneres out

ellen degeneres has left the building. after one season as american idol's fourth judge, ellen degeneres has departed her seat. the fox powerhouse is now down two judges, with simon cowell having left the season at the end of this past season. that leaves only kara dioguardi and randy jackson. former executive producer nigel lythgowe has returned to run the show (he left in order to focus more on his pet project, so you think you can dance?) but is back now that simon has left to focus on the u.s. launch of the x factor. what is nigel planning to do? reportedly, he wants a full overhaul of the panel. with simon and ellen out, it seems like he has a good shot at it. kara is under a year-to-year contract, which means they don't even have to fire her. she technically doesn't even have a job. but randy has one year left. depending on how much it would cost the net, i say buy him out. the only thing that will salvage this sinking ship of a show (does anyone even remember the contestant's names from the latest cycle?) is to relaunch it. randy jackson has annoyed me for far too long - is "it was pitchy, dawg. i jus' wasn't feelin' it" even commentary? but, the names that are floating around as new judges sound worse than what the show already has. jessica simpson, chris isaak (who?) and harry connick jr. are all being touted as replacements. um that sounds worse than having just paula abdul alone at the table. what should really happen is fox lets idol slip away and give the x factor it's chance to sweep in and take the spotlight. who do you want to see sitting next to those red plastic cups this fall?

day 2.281

paula abdul dances back (to tv)

paula abdul is headed back to tv. the former american idol judge signed on to produce, judge and play mentor on got to dance. the show, which will air on cbs, is adapted from a british series of the same name. the competition series looks to be a combination of america's got talent and american idol, with judges choosing finalists from auditions that take place in front of a live audience. it seems like the answer to so you think you can dance? - it's pretty much everything that show isn't. here's a preview of the british series.

the show will most likely air in midseason (as in january) and could very well be pitted against american idol, which will be in its first season without mainstay simon cowell. i just don't know if it will work. yes, america has fallen in love with the competition series. but, have they fallen in love with dancing? i think that remains to be seen. dancing with the stars is big because of the stars. and so you think you can dance? is successful because it's a summer series and on fox, home to the king-of-kings, american idol. the announcement of paula joining got to dance comes after months of speculation as to what she would do after exiting the idol judging table last year. abc was the first network to enter talks with her, but failed to land her as one of their dancing stars or as the host for the net's relaunch of star search (fun fact: original star search host arsenio hall and abdul used to date). there's no word on whether or not abdul headlining got to dance will impede the pint-sized spitfire (yeah, i went there) from joining simon cowell as a mentor on his new talent competition the x factor. either way, abdul and cowell are set to reunite in the near future. rumor has it abdul will return to the idol stage as part of a special sign-off for mr. cowell.

day 2.246

it's back! it's back! it's back!

the best new show of the 2009 season - glee - returned last night to wrap up its freshman season. the first of the musical comedy's back nine episodes (that's industry speak for, well, the last nine eps of the season) premiered to over 13 million viewers, a season high for the show and a record setting number for the tv season; 13 million viewers makes glee the top rated freshman show on tv right now. that's a pretty big deal. now that glee has idol as a lead-in, its audience is sure to grow each and every week. the remaining eight episodes of the season feature, on average, two or more musical numbers than the first 13. next week's episode (titled "the power of madonna") cannot come soon enough for me. check out a little teaser above - the music video for sue sylvester's "vogue." i cannot get enough of it. to preview other songs from the episode, click here.

in glee spoiler news, it looks like there may be a little cougar action going on. word has it that mr. schu's soon-to-be-ex teri will take it upon herself to become finn's mentor when the high school stud takes a job at sheets-n-things. but, don't worry. their relationship won't be romantic. teri apparently sees a lot of her husband in the high schooler and thinks of taking finn under her wing as a do-over.

day 2.117

paula abdul back on tv? yep.

it looks like abc may have finally gotten their wish. reports are surfacing that the network will be relaunching star search with paula abdul as host and judge. the former american idol judge passed up the chance to join dancing with the stars in some capacity earlier this season, but is now set to headline tv's latest talent competition. too bad it probably won't work. the series was a syndication staple in the 80s, but its popularity puttered in the mid-90s. then, cbs attempted to jump on the singing competition bandwagon in 2003 with its own relaunch of the show to compete with american idol. that version only lasted one season, so i don't know what abc expects from their interpretation. abc hasn't had much luck with the talent competition genre, with their one attempt (the one: making a music star) being pulled off the air after just four episodes. funny enough, idol's current judge kara dio guardi was one of the judges on the one. the paula abdul-helmed star search is slated to be developed for this summer in an attempt to compete with america's got talent and so you think you can dance. the one thing that will help abc is abdul. she's a tv personality people will tune in to see. and by see i mean try to figure out what the hell is going on with her.

day 2.55

r.i.p. american idol, 2002-2010

well, at least that's my prediction. today, fox and simon cowell announced that the brit talent scout would be exiting the show after the current season. cowell made the announcement the network's television critic's association presentation as he signed contracts on stage for his new venture with fox, an american version of the british idol replacement, the x factor. simon will complete the season of american idol that kicks off tomorrow night and then leave the show to begin work on the x factor, which will debut in fall of 2011. this means fox will air american idol in the spring, so you think you can dance in the summer and then the x factor in the fall starting next year. american idol is already losing steam, not having put out a real star since carrie underwood 5 or so years ago. the show will continue on after simon, but how or why is unknown as of yet. i really don't want to see piers morgan judging on idol or for them to find some random angry brit as a replacement. for the show to continue to be successful, they'll have to do a complete revamp. get rid of randy jackson, make over the look of the show, etc. why fox won't just make this the final american idol and then do the x factor from here on out, like in england, is beyond me. factor is basically idol, new and improved - there's no age limit, groups can compete and the judges mentor and not just critique the contestants. plus, there's the rumor that paula abdul will be back on the judges table with simon on the new show. the biggest name to come from england's version of the show is leona lewis. my prediction for this season of idol is that it will either be huge or so-so. people are going to want to tune in to get their fix of simon and see what ellen degeneres is like as a judge, but after that novelty runs out, i don't think there will be much left. plus, they've gotten rid of the wildcard round just one year after bringing it back! i guess we'll have to wait and see.

day 344

music madness

so much music related news broke today. album covers, music videos and new projects all took headlines. first up, album covers. rihanna's thanksgiving week debut, rated r, looks like it will be very dark. i already had that assumption from lead single "russian roulette," but i was hoping for some lighter, pop fare a la "umbrella."

i just hope dark and tortured riri isn't here to stay. that's a far cry from her "pon de replay days" adam lambert, aka american idol's runner up, also revealed the cover art for his debut, for your entertainment.

what a tranny hot mess. who does adam think he is? olivia newton john in xanadu? pretty ridiculous, but so is the music video for adam's lead single, "time for miracles," which is included on the 2012 movie soundtrack.

i'm sorry, is it 1988? i'm very confused. between the album cover and music video/single, i know that when i said adam lambert could never be a pop star i was right. who is listening to this? it sounds like a cast off bon jovi ballad.

in better music video news, chris brown (featuring swizz beats and lil wayne) debuted the video for his new single "i can transform ya." his new album is reportedly inspired by the transformers film series and that's pretty evident in the new music video. check it out for yourself above.

my favorite ryan sheckler/jesse mccartney hybrid, 15-year-old, justin bieber released a new song today, "love me," which samples the 90s hit "lovefool." this song actually makes me kind of like justin, but it's weird to hear children sing about love. i had this same conundrum when jojo came out talking about getting out of a relationship. um, where are you getting this experience? i also don't buy that he's 15. maybe in dog years.

and, finally, the new project i teased is nick jonas' new solo record. working with a back-up band called "the administration" (nick's nickname is "mr. president), a song is expected from the youngest member of the jobros before the end of the year. in an interview with parade magazine, momma jonas let the news slip, saying nick was actually at the photo shoot for the cd's cover art. with eldest jonai kevin tying the knot in the next couple of month, does this mean the jonas brothers are no more? that's unknown, but i can't imagine they'll be able to maintain their squeaky-clean tween image for much longer. a 21-year-old still pretending to be in high school is just a little bit creepy. ok, it's a lot a bit.

day 304

bits n' pieces

i don't really have a story today/time to do a full blown blog, but here are some tiny bits from today. first, kris allen - this year's american idol champ - has been in the recording studio lately and a sneak peak of his alleged first single has hit the web. it's very jason mraz-ish, with a combo soft rock/spoken word/singer-songwriter feel. check it out below.

and in happy family news, katherine heigl and hubby josh kelly have brought their adopted daughter, names nancy leigh/naliegh and released these family photos today. don't they look like a happy little family?

day 297

kathy goes kate

kathy griffin turned up on jimmy kimmel last night to talk up her recently released memoir, official book club selection, and brought with her what is sure to be the latest video to go viral. in a pre-taped sketch, kathy gets her lifetime on by playing kate gosselin in a faux made-for-tv movie, kate is enough: the kate gosselin story. check out the fake promo for the movie above and have a laugh.

idol's biggest news...ever

american idol just got a whole lot funnier. yesterday, ellen degeneres and fox announced that the spunky talk-show host/comedian would be taking over the fourth chair for the 9th installment of the series. ellen reportedly signed a 5-year deal with the talent competition. while many people thought this was initially a joke, they're dead wrong. once idol is done with auditions, ellen will be taking the permanent position over from guest judges like victoria beckham, kelly clarkson, katy perry, and joe jonas. in the vid above, ellen talks about how she's loved the show since day 1 and will go into judging in the mindset of a consumer, not a record executive. finally, someone who won't say things like "artistry" and "pitchy!" this is the biggest get idol could have gotten; people weren't going to tune in to see diana ross or some other performer who should be taking the retirement stage in vegas. the show needed a new punch, and degeneres is perfect. ellen will continue to host her daily talk show, which is sure to be the go-to spot for idol-exit interviews. i wonder how ryan feels about this - e! news won't be the only place with an official idol hook-up anymore. when paula announced she was leaving, i questioned whether or not i would really be interested in watching the next season. now, with ellen on board, i definitely will check it out. now if only randy jackson could either learn some new words or leave the show, too. that would be great.

day 274

mandy moore like never before

out of the public eye for a while now, singer/actress mandy moore is trying to remind people she exists and that she can be funny. in the latest offering from will ferrell's funnyordie.com, mandy is promoting a new product, red bull energy douche. check out the spot above, in which mandy goes about her day as a business woman (?) after "giving her vagina wings." the sketch doesn't quite make sense as mandy is just super energized like she would had she drank a regular red bull. but, either way, it's still funny.

more idol news

as the audition rounds for next season's american idol continue to be flooded with contestants, idol producers keep bringing in some big name stars to fill the void left behind by paula abdul's departure. victoria beckham has already filmed two spots for the show, in addition to previously announced guest judge katy perry. mary j blige is the next artist to be added to the revolving cast, taking the hot seat for the atlanta round of try outs. i guess the idea is put someone who might know the area well to judge the contestants? in a surprise twist, kelly clarkson - the first idol ever - will be going on the other side of things as a guest judge for one of the audition rounds. kelly hasn't exactly been the most thankful idol, fighting with her record label and dropping the management set up by the show for her, but is still the most successful pop star the show has produced (carrie underwood is the biggest artist to come out of idol). shania twain is coming out of hiding in switzerland to take on the role of judge, too. i wouldn't be surprised if her episode airs around the time she decides to release a new single or something; remind people who she is and drum up interest. and, finally, a former show mentor - jennifer lopez - is becoming a judge, too. the actress/singer has gotten back into the swing of things as a hollywood mogul and is currently wrapping her newest movie, the romcom the back-up plan. the most surprising guest judge? joe jonas. yep, the lead singer of the jonai is jumping on the idol bandwagon critique this year's crop of talent, too. what his credentials are are beyond me. however, none of these names are permanent replacements for paula. rumors have been floating around that both diana ross and natalie cole, both of whom are virtually retired, are gunning to take on the role of sympathetic mentor. however, the show probably won't take on either of them. instead, there are reportedly only two options the show runners see: get paula back or keep the revolving door. because paula's name didn't appear anywhere on the dancing with the stars' call sheet - or ugly betty (she was supposed to have a guest spot, which was instead given to 3rd rock vet kirsten johnson) and so you think you can dance - the producers supposedly feel like they can get abdul back. she's been such a much discussed (and wanted, for some unknown reason) property that idol sees her as the biggest coup they can get; too bad they already screwed that up. sources keep saying that paula wants "seacrest money" - which would be $45 million for a 3 year contract - for her work on the show. sadly, i don't think she'll be getting it. the previously demand of $12 million sounds a lot more reasonable. i could even see a figure somewhere around $20 million for abdul. if the show can't get paula back, they'll most likely be sticking with big name, one-off guest judges. in my opinion, that would be great. get an "expert" to judge what the week's genre is and then the contestants might actually get some real advice and constructive criticism. anything's better than "it's aight, dawg, just pitchy," right?

day 268

update, update, update

there's a lot of news floating around today that we must discuss, but none of them are enough for a full blown blog post. let's get started. victoria beckham has already filled paula abdul's recently vacated crazy shoes as a guest judge on this year's idol auditions in denver and is about to make another, unprecedented stop with the idol crew. eonline reports that the former spice girl was seen boarding a flight to boston alongside some other idol-ers; boston just so happens to be the next stop on the audition train. this is fueling rumors that victoria is set to fill those crazy shoes permanently. i think this could work; she's more famous than paula and pretty much everyone forgets she started as a musician. the only thing is america doesn't care about the beckhams as much as the beckhams (and the uk for some reason) think america does. case in point, victoria and david were supposed to star in a reality series based on their big move stateside. but, when buzz wasn't big enough and no one seemed interested, the program was shortened to a one-off special on nbc that garnered almost no ratings. putting posh on idol may be a good way to finally get her ingrained into the american pop lexicon. plus, she'll probably play the same role (she even said was trying to) as paula. she's far less credible than everyone else on the table, but had a successful career. hopefully the similarities stop there. however, there are still very likely chances that paula-gate is just a big publicity stunt and the rainbow-fairy judge will be back starting with the post-audition rounds.

because of budget cuts, america's next top model is going to look quite different this cycle. first off, all the girls were required to be 5'7" and shorter. 5'7" is usually a model-minimum (i'm pretty sure this is just another part of tyra banks trying to make sure no one looks prettier than her on the show - she always picks the less likely contender of the final two in fear of being threatened by her beauty - just saying). in addition, the show will have less model credibility. paulina poriskova was let go earlier this year because she was too expensive (how or why is beyond me - i didn't even know who she was until she embarrassed herself on dancing with the stars). so, in her place, we'll be seeing a revolving cast of celebrity faces. no word on whether or not any of these guest judges will be models (which would add some cred to the show), but names announced so far are kim kardashian and lauren conrad. how those names make sense in the modeling world, i don't know. but, in the teen-viewer world, they're huge. and, let's be honest, this show has never made a star so ratings are everything. it's probably the only reality competition show still on the air who has never made its winner a household name. the show premieres on the cw september 9th with the always boring casting special

in e! reality star baby news, kendra wilkinson has revealed that she and new hubby hank baskett are expecting a baby boy. all i can say is thank baby jesus. the world does not need a baby kendra running around. and between her and hank's genes, a boy is more likely to turn out attractive. but, kendra won't be the only vowel-net star becoming a mom. kourtney kardashian revealed today that she is expecting her first child. i know what you're thinking - what the buckcherry? i had the same reaction when i received the e!news text. kourtney hasn't revealed any details about the pregnancy, just saying "you'll have to watch." what great timing to announce a baby bombshell when you have a new show desperate for viewers premiering this sunday (kourtney and khloe take miami). i just hope the baby's daddy isn't that creepola ex-boyfriend scott (above) we got to see kourntey cavort with on keeping with the kardashians. and, because the show is finished filming (as far as i know), i see this baby news coming as the shocking, cliff-hanger season finale that will lead viewers into an all new season of keeping up. if they don't do that they're stupid. while it may not seem it, kourtney actually is the oldest kasdashian sister and recently turned 30. so, while she might not be following a traditional path of love-marriage-baby, she is mature enough (at least on her driver's license) to have a child

and, finally, disney has acquired the film rights to the diary of anne frank. while it's great that frank's story is being told, i don't know if disney is the right place for this. i'm scared that we'll be seeing a trailer touting "miley cyrus is...anne frank" too soon and that's just something that doesn't need to happen.

day 262

paula-gate, 2009

paula abdul sure knows how to eff things up. the now former american idol judge is currently in peachtree, georgia filming a second guest star gig on lifetime's new hit drop dead diva, but that doesn't mean she hasn't left a wake of chaos back in la la land. the "forever your girl" singer's recent announcement that she would be leaving the biggest show on tv has left fox and idol's producers trying to figure out what the hell they were going to do. while paula wasn't always the best judge, she was a fan favorite and provided hours of entertainment with her ramblings. her sudden departure from the show - reportedly over a salary issue (she wanted $12-20 mil, they were offering $8) - has left producers very little time to fill her slot. yep, they're sticking with the four-judge formula as of right now. official auditions (preliminaries have already been held) begin this weekend and, in paula's place, will be some famous-faced guest judges. so far, the show has confirmed two guest judges and they're pretty big nabs: first up will be victoria "posh spice" beckham, followed by katy perry. both pop stars have arranged one-time guest gigs that will be a part of the auditions rounds. it seems like producers will be putting in a revolving cast of faces in hopes that one is desperate enough to stick around full term. another word on the street is that - shocker! - paula will be back. supposedly, this whole salary dispute is a big publicity stunt to reinvigorate the show. last year's ratings slipped pretty big (not enough to knock the show from first place, though), so the show is trying everything to bring back interest. if paula abdul somehow pops up mid season, fans will come rushing back. pretty ingenious, right? but, if the whole stunt is found out, fans might feel cheated and decide not to return to the program. pretty risky. i'll be interested to see how this whole thing pans out. my guess is the producers will lure paula back somehow and idol world will be happy once again.

on a sadder note, director john hughes (the breakfast club, ferris bueller, every 80s teen movie) died today. rest in piece and thanks for memories.

day 261

vying for the vma's

yesterday, mtv released the final list of nominees for their annual video music awards show. the list is pretty predictable, but there's a few surprises. every year, i try to figure out if the show is actually honoring the videos or just the songs. or, maybe just the hype around the artists. so, here's a list of the nominees in the major categories and my picks to win.

best female video

- beyonce, "single ladies" * (big duh! nothing was bigger)

- katy perry, "hot and cold"

- kelly clarkson, "my life would suck without you"

- lady gaga, "poker face"

- pink, "so what"

- taylor swift, "you belong with me"

best male video

- eminem, "we made you"

- jay-z, "doa"

- kanye west, "love lockdown"

- neyo, "miss independent"

- ti featuring rihanna, "live your life"* (anything with rihanna is bound to win, will she pick up the statue if the vid wins because ti's in jail?)

best pop video

- beyonce, "single ladies" (sorry, b, you can't win them all)

- britney spears, "womanizer"* (nothing like a comeback to win)

- cobra starship, "good girls go bad"

- lady gaga, "poker face"

- wisin y yandel, "abusadora" (who the hell are these people!?)

video of the year

- beyonce, "single ladies"* (duh, duh, duh, duh, duh)

- britney spears, "womanizer"

- eminem, "we made you" (did this song even do enough be be nom'd?)

- kanye west, "love lockdown"

- lady gaga, "poker face"

best video (that should have won a moonman)

this is basically the honorable mentions of video music awards past.

- beastie boys, "sabatoge"

- bjork, "human behavior"

- david lee roth, "california girls"

- dr dre, "nothin but a g thang"

- foo fighters, "everlong"

- george michael, "freedom"

- ok go, "here it goes again"*

- radio head, "karma police"

- tom petty and the heartbreakers, "into the great wide open"

- u2, "where the streets have no name"

best choreography

- ar rahman and the pussycat dolls, "jai ho"

- beyonce, "single ladies"* (i have no other description that "duh!")

- britney spears, "circus"

- ciara ft. justin timberlake, "love sex magic"

- kristinia debarge, "goodbye"

best direction

- beyonce, "single ladies"

- britney spears, "circus"

- cobra starship, "good girls go bad"

- green day, "21 guns"

- lady gaga, "paparazzi"* (it's basically a mini-movie and will most likely pick up the cinematography trophy, too)

best special effects

- beyonce, "single ladies"

- eminem, "we made you"

- gnarls barkley "who's gonna save my soul?"

- kanye west, "paranoid"* (add rihanna and you'll win. plus the special effects amaze me)

- lady gaga, "paparazzi"

best hip-hop video

- asher roth, "i love collge"* (too big to not win)

- eminem, "we made you"

- flo rida, "right round"

- jay z, "doa"

- kanye west, "love lockdown"

best new artist

- 3oh3!, "don't trust me"

- asher roth, "i love college"

- drake, "best i ever had" (he will always be jimmy from degrassi to me)

- kid cudi, "day n nite"

- lady gaga, "poker face"* (she's had the biggest boom)

so, basically, it's going to be beyonce's year.

no more rainbows and butterflies and idol

paula abdul has officially decided not to return to the show that has strung her along, american idol. the female judge could not come to a financial agreement with fox; with news that ryan seacrest would be making $45 million for the next three years, and simon cowell even more than that, paula felt like she was being cheated, only getting $8 million for her contract. understandable, but not exactly chump change. sadly, for paula, she was expendable. news broke last week that kara dio guardi finalized her new contract for the show. no word on how long she'll be with idol, but i'm thinking pretty long. kara is officially the third judge. personally, i would have much rather seen randy jackson go - at least paula's commentary was entertaining. randy's is so predictable and means nothing (ie "it was pitchy, dawg"). however, paula's departure might mean the beginning of the end for fox's staple show. when a major player leaves a show, that player's fans leave, too. add together the backlash producers are still getting (and will continue to get) from bringing kara on board with paula's departure and the show is destined to self destruct.

day 205

a girl next door plus one

kendra wilkinson is preggers.  yep, hef's former girlfriend is with child, getting married, and filming a new reality show all at one time.  fun, huh?  the 23 year old ex-centerfold revealed that she and fiance hank baskett are expecting their first child.  kendra says she wants to be a young mom and is already ready for more.  um...you have to have one popped out first to say things like that, right?  oh well.  the couple are set to wed june 27th at the playboy mansion, which i'm sure will be filmed for kendra's self-titled reality show.  kendra premiered last sunday to record ratings for e!, bringing in 2.6 million viewers.  i think that is only second to the anna nicole show. i haven't watched yet, but i'm sure i'll catch it in 469703967439873094716 reruns.   

youtubey

do you remember danny noriega from last year's american idol?  well he's come out with his first single and video, "24/7," straight to youtube.  the song is basically a big f-u to idol and looks to have been produced at home.  still, it will probably get stuck in your head.  i don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.  either way, check it out below.

and, in other youtube video news, beyonce was joined on stage by 80s pop star george michael at the end of her london concert last night to sing her hit "if i were a boy."  why a boy is singing this song, i don't know.  but, hey, they sound good together.  though, i'm sure a lot of people seeing a beyonce  have no clue who george michael is - at least here in america.  but, trust me, you do - just youtube his name.  you'll find at least 3 songs you know. 

click here for more!

day 186

clay aiken crazy

oh, clay aiken, what is wrong with you?  the american idol wannabeen reportedly showed up at an american idol taping just a few weeks ago, hoping to talk to adam lambert and his former management team (19 productions, who is behind the show) in hopes of some sort of collaboration.  well, clay wasn't even let in the building - the split from 19 wasn't exactly amicable.  so, what's a sore loser to do?  clay took to his blog to start a big queen-y feud with fellow ai runner up (and probs the object of his affection) adam lambert.  gayken called lambert's singing "contrived, awful, and slightly frightening," claiming that he only caught the contestant's performance of "ring of fire." clay also claims that he doesn't watch idol, except for one ep a season to see what they've done to the set.  what? you can google that. clay continues in his blog post - which has since been taken down - to bash the show that launched his career, saying the show is no longer about "real" people.  huh?  maybe the first 2 seasons didn't glam up the contestants as much, but i'd say kris allen, this year's winner, is pretty real.  he's from conway, arkansas, married his high school sweet heart, etc.  just because people are choosing to use idol as a launching pad instead of just heading to a bunch of record companies doesn't mean they're not real.  who is clay aiken to talk anyway?  his singing career is pretty much in the toilets and he's on broadway  - which isn't a bad thing, but it's obviously not what he originally intended to do.  just a cry for attention.  and, in case you missed it, here's my fave moment from the idol finale.  kara dio guardi joined "bikini girl" katrina darrell (by surprise) on stage to basically have a sing off...i think kara won. 

day 184

reality craziness

with televisions biggest shows coming to an end for the season (american idol, dancing with the stars) a lot of dramz is going (and went down).  last night, shawn johnson was named winner of dancing with the stars. i know what you're thinking "what the fuck?" yeah, that's what i thought, too.  the little gymnastic munchkin didn't even appear to be a fan fave until lil kim got kicked off before her.  what was american thinking?  shawn johnson, really?  and while some people are saying that no olympian has never lost the show, that's not true.  while apollo anton ono and kristi yamaguchi did take the disco ball trophy, last season's maurice green only made it to 5th place and he's a gold medalist.  hmm. so there goes that theory.  i guess people just like little people dancing?  i was full on for melissa rycroft, last season's the bachelor "winner," but the judges kind of threw her under the bus and she only got 3rd place.  when that happened, i expected gille marini to take the trophy, but he lost by 1 percent.  oh well, better luck next season.  but, if abc is smart, i think they should buy samantha harris out of her contract (pretty much because i cannot stand the way she interviews people) and keep melissa around as the new cohost ... over at idol, kris and adam performed their final 3 songs (well, until they have to do a bunch of production numbers tonight) and i really don't care which one of them wins.  and not in a good way - i find neither of them to be american idols/pop stars.  at least kris can play multiple instruments, giving him a musical advantage.  as far as i know, adam (aka glambert) can't play any.  plus, the amount of make-up he wears just freaks me out.  i really think idol messed up this season; the voting processes were all wrong - you cannot do the show with an uneven number of boys and girls, it just doesn't work.  plus, no matter how many tween girls vote, idol will always be a girls' game - the only successful winners have been female (kelly, carrie, and jordin).  but, i guess we'll see who takes the title tonight.  hopefully whoever wins will give the boot to the winning song, co-written by new judge kara dio guardi (who is reportedly returning, which i think is a good thing.  randy jackson needs to go - kara says the same things, but with real advice for the contestants beyond "it was aight/tight/pitchy, dawg").  after the episode - which was the lowest rated idol finale ever - was finished taping last night, simon cowell's former lady love and current extra correspondent, terri seymour, was attacked outside the studio.  seymour was targeted outside the nokia theater last night because of her close association with the idol judge, according to the lapd.  seymour's attacker was a 200 lb + female (that's probably twice terri's size) who asked the tv personality if she was "that woman from tv" and if she was simon's former flame.  the woman was taken into custody right away and, as of now, isn't considered a threat.  geez, who knew a fun singing competition could get so violent.  

that's it for now.