day 339

ashlee simpson heads to the unemployment line

just yesterday, execs over at the cw announced that an additional 5 episodes of melrose place (and 9 more eps of the vampire diaries, their biggest hit ever) had been ordered in addition to the in production 13. and, today, the creative forces behind the show are making some major changes to the apartment-themed dramedy. my guess is that these changes may have resulted in the episode pick-up. two of the shows current stars - ashlee simpson and colin egglesfield - are being let go. why change a show that works? well, because it's not working - and, yes, there's a distinction. by "work" i mean the show is creatively strong, but it's not "working" because no one is watching. the duo of simpson and egglesfield are victims of wrapping up the season-long murder-mystery plot early. yep, the "who killed sydney?" question is now set to be answered in december instead of may. according to exec producers todd slavkin and darren swimmer, ashlee and colin's characters were only going to be around through the mystery because they play the most vital roles. uhm, is it just me or does that mean one of them did it? or both? i mean (if you watch the show) we've been lead to believe they're involved, but we don't know for sure. i also think this creative turn around has to do with the series finally nabbing heather locklear.

the original melrose placer was originally asked back for the murder-mystery plot but passed because why would you want to kill of the defining character of your career? that left the door open for laura leighton's sydney's return and resurrection - the character died in the original show. once the execs were able to land locklear, it's understandable they want to shift the focus to her. rumors are circulating that locklear is returning as "special guest star," the same title she held when she was a series regular on the original series. slavkin and swimmer say heather's amanda woodward is around indefinitely and has more to do than just torment ella (katie cassidy, above) at the pr firm they work at. also, in the post-murder-mystery era of melrose 2.0, the show will become more light hearted and comedic. basically, it will be an entirely different series. s and s are explaining all these changes as just the normal evolution a show takes, but i see it as the ceedub handing down some orders: change or be canceled. the beautiful life: tbl anyone?

day 112

britney pulls a janet...sort of

at last night's concert, britney spears had a little wardrobe - and microphone - malfunction.  after her "i'm a slave 4 u" number, britney was lowered below her stage for a costume change.  apparently, during the "slave" performance, britney's lady business had been exposed because of her leotard shifting.  if the vajayjay flashing wasn't enough, when britney went into her changing space, she exclaimed "my pussy was hanging out!"  that little statement was broadcast to the entire theater via the singer's live mic.  check out the video above to hear.  my question is why her microphone was on.  or even connected to be turned on.  why not just use a dummy mic?  britney is a known lip syncher and the video's audio of the song sounds like a recording.  so, again, why would her mic be on/why would she need her mic connected to the sound system?  it's not like she's been talking to her audience during the performances.

melrose place gets a new resident

looks like pete wentz is going to be a stay-at-home dad.  ashlee simpson is set to go back to work as an actress, the medium which gave her her start.  the singer has been cast as violet in the 90s soap relaunch.  violet is a girl from a small washington city who has arrived in lalaland to wreck havock.  should be interesting, right? this means ashlee joins katie cassidy, alexis bledel's love interest from the sisterhood of the traveling pants movies, and quite possibly mischa barton.  this is ashlee's first "serious" acting role since she was a regular on the cw's mother channel, the wb, with 7th heaven. simpson recently guested on csi: ny with her husband pete.  that little taste of acting must have gotten the new mom the itch to act once more.  the show finally has a "big name" to lead the cast, but i'm still not sold on it as a well thought out concept.  the audience was there for 90210, but does melrose have a modern audience?  that's something we'll have to see in the fall when the show launches alongside the zip-code themed drama.  and, why is ashlee - who is 24 - playing a character who supposedly just graduated high school?  i hope they bump that up to "college graduate."

another spears to sing?

now that jamie lynn spears has conquered tween television and teen motherhood, the lesser known spears sibling is hoping to become a singing sensation.  the 17 year old singer/actress has reportedly been in nashville recording country demos to send to the industry's big agencies in hopes of a record contract.  yeah, she doesn't even have a label yet! spears is hoping for a jessica simpson like career turn around.  the most singing jamie lynn has ever done was the theme song for her now defunct nickelodeon show zoey 101, which her sister britney actually wrote.  this is another story that will be fun to watch.  can you see jamie lynn as a singer and mother?  i guess she needs something to do now that she's completed her g.e.d. 

day 38

merry christmas

i'm taking the night off as it is christmas...just a little bit of news to send your way.

legendary singer and actress eartha kitt passed away today (my generation probably knows her as the creepy old lady in harriet, the spy)

michael cera is reportedly being pursued for the role of  gilligan for the gilligan's island movie remake, with beyonce being scouted to play "the moviestar" (odd casting if you ask me) 

because no mag wanted to buy the picture, ashlee simpson and pete wentz released a picture onto the internets of new son bronx mowgli 

day 36

beyonce, times 2: take 2

beyonce has released 2 new singles from her double disc i am...sasha fierce, "halo" from i am..., and "diva" from sasha fierce.  the videos are similar in concept to her two previous releases off these discs, "if i were a boy" and "single ladies."  click here to check out halo, and here to check out "diva."  halo uses light pastel filters to color the footage and there doesn't really seem to be a story line - beyonce practices in a ballet studio and sits on a couch with her man.  but, the song is radio worthy.   the coolest shots are the ones with beyonce underwater -  a concept britney should consider if she ever turns "out from under" into a single.  the song is more fun to listen to and the video is more fun to watch than "if i were a boy."  with "diva," beyonce is definitely tapping into sasha's dance reserves.  mixing the styling of the "ring the alarm" and "if i were a boy" videos, beyonce seems to be sticking to the 3 girl dance routine. the dance is quite a bit simpler than the "single ladies" choreography and is sure to result in a rise in youtube impersonations.  maybe with the simple choreography b will mix it up during her performances and not do the same dance every time.  diva is a mix of lil wayne's "a milli" and other tracks off sasha fierce, like "radio" and "videophone." the latter track even makes an appearance at the end of the "diva" video, alluding to the idea that it may very well be the next single and have a video which continues from the "diva" concept. 

speaking of popstars starting with the letter b...

britney spears is gearing up for her "the circus...staring britney spears" tour in 2009 and is making some changes to her entourage.  the princess of pop is dropping long time choreographers wade robson and andre fuentes in lou of mega tour director jamie king.  robson has been with brit from the start of her career and is responsible for the "baby one more time" video.  robson and fuentes recently choreographed britney's comeback performances in europe, creating new dances for "womanizer" and "circus."  while wade has originally been announced as the tour's director, her has been dropped so that the man responsible for madonna's recent "sticky and sweet" megatour, christina aguilera's "back to basics" tour, and the spice girls reunion can take over.  king is known for highlighting the performer and is sure to make the "circus" tour big. hopefully we'll get to see some old school spears dance moves and not the simple stuff we've been treated to thus far on the promotional tour.  this tour will also heavilt feature material from spear's last effort blackout, which she was unable to tour with as she was going crazy.  

pete wentz needs to shut up

first he blabbed all about his sexual conquests and his married sex life on howard stern, and now the face of fall out boy is discussing other intimacies about his life with ashlee simpson. wentz talked to a sirius morning show all about his dislike of the taste of ashlee's breast milk (wtf? why is he drinking it??) and discussed the couples' weight issues.  pete, who usually stays around 135, says he's "ballooned" to close to 150 and has "fat face," while ashlee is struggling to drop the baby weight.  pete thinks she has it easier as breast feeding is helping the pounds come off, while he's having to resort to exercise.  um, the last i checked, we all have to resort to exercise.  and the strenuousness of walking is just too much on wentz's tiny frame...how about you head back into the hollywood hills and come back out when you can conduct a professional interview? or let ashlee do some of the talking. i would love to hear her (or her father, for that matter) take on all this.

day 35

simpson sisters big changes

both jessica and ashlee are making some big changes in their lives.  the elder simpson sister, jessica, is said to be actively trying to conceive a child with long time love tony romo.  sister ashlee recently had a son, bronx mowgli, last month.  but, what happened to jessica's down home values? doesn't the song go "first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes momma with a baby carriage?"  maybe jess is trying to mirror her sister's life - first get pregnant, then get married.  with this news, some of the american tabs may be more willing to get pictures of ashlee's baby; allegedly, no magazines have been interested in the baby pictures.  joe simpson, the dadager, is asking for too steep a price...i'm surprised a magazine like life & style or star hasn't jumped at the chance. ashlee's big change is not quite as drastic.  the singer/actress made the change back to blonde today after 9+ months as a redhead.  the hair color change is a little more natural (it is actually ashlee's natch color) and could be a ploy to sell the baby pics - a lot of mags haven't been all that interested in the star and her husband, pete wentz,'s "dark" looks.  either way, both sisters (and their men) are headed to waco, texas to have christmas with the simpson clan. 

jackson's lungs just fine

michael jackson is not in need of a lung transplant or in dire need of medical care, contrary to reports.  along with denying reports today, the singer's reps said the former king of pop is finalizing negotiations to go on a world tour and do a series of tv specials throughout 2009.  could this tour be the much talked about jackson 5 reunion? while michael has continually denied touring with his brother (with sister janet on board, too), it seems like the most plausible explanation - jackson would not have to be on stage for the entire show and he could showcase some of his own material.  either way it goes, the star is going to have to face a lot of press and answer a lot of questions about his wacky ass lifestyle.

tv bites

here are some spoilers (if you don't want to know, avert your eyes) coming up in 2009 on some top series:

gossip girl - something we haven't seen on tv's most scandalous show is sure to send waves through some fans' worlds.  the latest buzz is that an underground sex ring is going to start up, involving at least one of our upper east siders.  could this be the return for michelle trachtenberg's naughty georgina? another plot line coming up is college - the characters are said to be headed to at least 3 different schools, with yale most likely taking one of those spots.

ugly betty - the show seems to be doing some stunt casting, minus mischa barton.  while the oc star won't be taking a turn on the abc soap, two musical veterans will. first up is bernadette peters, who will be playing the head of yeti (the editors-in-training program betty and marc are involved with) and is sure to torture our favorite poncho wearing assistant.  nikki blonsky, known for hairspray and her airport beatdown with antm contestant bianca, will be playing an assistant at competitor magazine elle who strikes up a fast friendship with the titular character. but, as they come from two different magazines, their friendship is sure to be tested.

desperate housewives - with the show having completed over 100 episodes, some twists are a coming to wisteria lane.  first up is the reconciliation of mike and susan...to find an appropriate school for their son mj.  bree is set to be thrown into a publishing whirlwind, having been commissioned to release 3 books in one year (could she be returning to the bottle to deal with the stress?).  and gabby is going to get back to her glamour ways, getting back down to size and back to long hair.  

day 29

gayken, two time baby daddy?

clay aiken and mother of his baby jaymes foster are apparently gearing up for a second baby.  jaymes has started taking prenatal vitamins and is preparing to get turkey basted with clay's sperm. why, you ask? i don't know. these kids are going to have one effed up childhood - mommy and daddy were never married, raise you in separate homes, and never had sex.  could you imagine having the "where do babies come from" convo with these kids? jaymes is set to get sperminated sometime in january...

j lo gets back to her romcom roots

jennifer lopez is set to head back to work on romantic comedy (thank baby jesus that she's done with the dramas!) called plan b.  the film is about a single woman who gets artificially inseminated (jaymes foster?) the same day she meets her perfect man.  no director has been named, but should be attached sometime in january, with shooting beginning in april or may.  that means the movie should hit theaters sometime in early 2010.  hopefully this will get j lo back to her heydey, when both the wedding planner and her cd were number 1. 

ashlee simpson is probs real mad

pete wentz went on howard stern and spilt a lot of secrets about his and wife ashlee simpson's sex life.  apparently ashlee and pete get quite freaky in the sheets, with ashlee letting pete go in the back door.  wentz also spilled the deets on the couple's first time, which involved a mirror.  wentz also talked about former flames michelle trachtenberg and lindsay lohan, but wouldn't rate them because he was afraid ashlee might get mad.  

the office, post super bowl

nbc is set to air a special episode of the office after the 2009 super bowl.  the episode will feature the cast trying to watch a bootleg copy of a new movie release at work...and the producers have nabbed some pretty big guest stars for the episode. both jack black and jessica alba have been tapped to star in the bootleg movie. the episode is called "stress relief" and will air directly after the american tradition, february 1st at 10:30/9:30 central on the peacock net.

day 1

celebrity gossip. it's a thing we are immersed into, whether we want to be or not.  for me, it's a lifestyle.  i thrive off of it; i love it; i need it - it keeps me going. that's why i've decided to start blogging about my witticisms (that's witty criticisms for my slower friends out there) about the world of pop culture.  so, let's jump into what's happened lately...

first of all, i've been greatly disturbed by all the disney dramz as of late - first lindsay, then miley, vanexxxa, and now a cheetah girl.  when will these girls learn that they represent the mouse house? that millions of youngins look up to them? i mean, i thought it was a general rule not to do blow and take nudie pictures, but apparently not.  it seems like some of the suits at disney ought to sit every new hire down and explain the general rules. 

britney.  probs the fave person to be attacked by the paparazzi, the media, etc.  she seems to be getting her life back on track and the fact that she decided to do the "for the record" on mtv (november 30th) makes a lot of sense - she, like the queen of pop before her, has to reinvent herself and prove to the world that she's a new form of her old self.  plus, after listening to her new album (leaked online...) i can see that she's on the right track - while it's not a masterpiece, it's def what music is now and there's definitely a few marketable tracks - circus, lace and leather, and if you seek amy will probably hit the airwaves in the coming months. 

the simpson family...wow. they're just an endless string of one form of press after another. hopefully ashlee pops out the wentz spawn soon (it seems like she's been preggers for years) and jessica just needs to stop the war with carrie underwood - you got the man, let her have the country career! and stop putting who knows what in your lips...you're a pretty enough girl on your own. next thing you know, the whole family is going to have a reality show - i'm sure papa joe will find a way to make it happen. 

okay, those are my ramblings for today, just so you can get a feel for my stuff.  i'll be sure to do more topical, daily posts reflecting what's happening right now.  

and p.s. two great shows on tv - pushing daisies (abc) and lipstick jungle (nbc)  - are in cancelation limbo, so please watch them - either online or live on tv.  send daisies into the execs at abc and lipstick tubes into the ones at nbc, too!

peace. love. and blogs.