day 4.55

what i love (this week)
...on a monday

the song

love. love. love.

the show

season 2. better than idol.

the movie

now i'm just down to two best picture nominees to see before the big show: hugo and the tree of life.

the look

what else?

day 4.54

l-u-v madonna!

holy. balls.

day 4.51

madonna. damn. 

now i understand why andy cohen's been calling sunday the "madonna bowl."

day 3.324

she's still making music, guys

she's got to have something relevant to play at the super bowl, right? the queen of reinvention goes back to her roots on this demo track for "give me all your love." madonna sounds her '80s-best, but throws in some of her '90s flair on the track that references a lot of her former hits. check it out above, and expect a full-edit to hit radio asap.

day 3.268

madonna, crazy person

she's always had the diva rap and now she's confirmed it. after a fan handed her a bouquet of hydrangeas, madonna thanked him through gritted teeth, then threw the flowers on the floor. check out the whole incident caught on tape (above)- lady m even turns to someone to say, "i absolutely loathe hydrangeas."

madge did reprieve herself- well, somewhat. the lady also known as esther recorded this (below) viral video poking fun at the incident, but it only confirms her diva-tude. still funny.

day 301

the vma's

taylor swift doesn't care about black people. okay, that's not true, but that's all i could think of last night when kanye west rushed the vma stage during taylor swift's acceptance speech for "female video of the year." if you didn't get a chance to see the moment, here it is.

taylor looked dumbfounded and beyonce looked mortified. way to go, kanye. way to go. kanye and his lady friend, amber rose, were escorted out of radio city music hall soon after the debacle, but that didn't stop from people booing kanye anytime his name was mentioned for the rest of the show. this morning, pink popped up on the today show and got a chance to talk about her thoughts on the whole situation, managing to call kanye a toolbox in the process. here's the video.

i liked pink before, but now i like her even better. pink was able to rock radio city last night do, doing a crazy cirque du solei style take on her hit "sober." after this, i don't want to see any star lip sync because if pink can fling her body around in the air while singing live, britney spears should be able to, too. she's just doing a little choreography. pink was risking her life.

pink wasn't the only star to perform or stand up for miss swift, either. beyonce took the stage to perform the routine from "video of the year" hit "single ladies."

my only complaint with the performance is that beyonce chose the closest tone-deaf girl in the audience for the audience participation portion. or should i say sasha fiece chose the girl? i don't know. anyway, over all the performance was ridiculous but some more effects - like in the solo in the beginning - would have been cooler to watch. plus, the back-up track was kind of annoying when beyonce decided to just focus on choreography and not at least pretend to sing. we've all seen the routine umm...i don't know? umpteen times. mix it up and sing! or add some new steps, please. i wonder if she's tired of this choreography yet. i know i would be. when "single ladies" took home the night's top moon man, beyonce was the ever-gracious recipient and gave up her speech time to give taylor her vma moment.

that really is a once-in-a-lifetime, first time experience and beyonce gave taylor exactly what she needed and deserved. if you didn't like beyonce before, you most definitely do now. though, taylor's speech 2.0 really didn't add anything to what she got to say the first time, so it was kind of a lost moment. kanye attempted to apologize for what he did on his official blog by saying he didn't mean to take the attention away from taylor, but was just trying to give credit to the appropriate artist...um, that's the same thing kanye. he also proceded to remind up that when he won his moon man, he gave it away to outkast because they deserved it over him. dear kanye, what you think is right is not necessarily the popular outcome. people have opinions. this is a viewers choice award...you should have voted for beyonce if you really wanted her to win. people most likely chose taylor - and britney spears in the "pop video" category - over beyonce because they knew they were voting for her to take home the top prize. duh.

okay, the other memorable person from last night was lady gaga. she is one crazy artist. not only did she dress up as little bunny foofoo, an eskimo and some crazy pile of bloody lace, but she took to the stage to perform a "poker face"/"paparazzi" medly that was more performance art than performance. if you haven't seen this yet, i recommend not watching if you're squeemish. one word: blood.

if this is any indicator of what a lady gaga concert is like, i don't know that i ever want to go to one. gaga took home the award for "best new artist," which is deserved because she was bigger than anyone else nominated, but that performance made me very uncomfortable.

the show had two michael jackson moments. the first was the opening number, which was introduced by madonna in her fake british accent. while madonna was looking good for being 50+, her monotone delivery was anything but entertaining. i know she's the queen of pop and all, but she didn't really seem to know michael, other than one meeting where she told him he looked like a limo with sunglasses on and then proceeded to make the entire audience uncomfortable by saying that her 4 year old son likes to grab his crotch. the michael jackson tribute was very tastefully done and didn't make me want to shoot myself, which is surprising because everything else michael jackson has been getting on my nerves. michael's sister janet performed alongside her brother (digitally, of course) one last time to their duet "scream." while the performance was awesome, janet seemed like she was trying to imitate her late brother's voice rather than just perform. check it out below.

janet's performance made me realize that i actually do like when she performs, we just haven't seen her do it since that little superbowl debacle. do people actually remember that? is it still stopping her from performing on tv? something to look in to...

the show closed with a preview of michael jackson's final memorial, the concert movie compiled from rehearsals for the this is it tour. the movie, which comes out next month, is sure to do well, but i'm thinking it will be really creepy to watch. all the recorded performances are audience-less, meaning each number will end with silence and not a roaring applause like a typical concert film would. can you say creepy?

and that's about it, folks. the whole show is viewable on mtv.com on-demand, so you can watch each piece individually and don't have to sit through all the lame acceptance speeches. russel brand was definitely not as big of a hit this year as he was last year - he looked like he accidentally wore a jonas brothers' reject suit - and all of his jokes bombed. they were all about having sex with random performers who didn't seem in on it. hopefully mtv will mix it up next year and find some new talent? yes, please. make sure to check out taylor swift's performance of "you belong with me," below, too. she didn't seem to let the whole kanye incident phase her, but i was kind of unimpressed. pre-recorded bits are fun and all, but an on-stage performance is way more entertaining. i still am waiting for her to top this performance of "should've said no," which is probably my favorite live performance ever at an awards show.

day 230

youtube'n

because of the holiday weekend, no one really acted up. or, if they did, everyone else was too occupied with the nation's birthday to pay attention. so, here's some good youtube stuff from this week - including britney spears' new video for her single "radar," which appeared on both her albums blackout and circus, and madonna and beyonce's tributes to the late king of pop, michael jackson.

day 173

a gossip girl's professional debut

       

gossip girl star leighton meester (aka blair waldorf) has made her radio debut with the single "good girls go bad," a song by punk-pop group cobra starship featuring the actress/singer.  the song, which you can check out above, is sure to be a summer hit.  i wouldn't be surprised if it wound up being the song of the summer.  go on and jam out to it - it's hard not to get this song stuck in your head.

madonna, 2009 edition

       

it looks like madonna will do anything to stay relevant.  the material mom has teamed up with missy elliot and justin timberlake in recent years and it looks like her new duet partner is lil wayne.  the video above is a clip of a rumored new madge track, "revolver." it has a very britney spears vibe, which i guess would make sense for madonna.  i could definitely see this song being a radio hit this summer, similar to last year's "4 minutes."  the singer ends her mega-million dollar sticky and sweet tour this summer, so a new album would make total sense right about now.

don't believe the hype!

while some reports are surfacing (based off of a claim by one person) that the cw has put the kibosh on the planned 80s themed gossip girl spin off (whose pilot airs this monday as part of a regular ep of the series), the ceedub has made no official decisions - and won't until later this month at their upfront presentation.  speculation about a cancelation is surrounded by the reality of the network's fall schedule.  with already announced pick ups for almost all existing series and giving sunday nights to the cw's local stations, there is little room for new series.  to be exact, there are only 2 hour-long blocks.  problem?  the network has 3 hour-long shows in the works (aside from the melrose place relaunch which is expected to get a slot no matter what).  the gg spinoff is up against mischa barton-lead a beautiful life, a show all about model life in nyc, and twilight-inspired vampire diaries.  my thought is vampire diaries won't get picked up or will be a mid season replacement.  the gg spin off would be a hit for the net because it has a built in audience; the other two shows require predictions.  hmm...i guess we'll know by summer.  

nothing like some new music to brighten up your saturday, right? 

day 169

rinse, reuse, recycle

aside from the fact that a 15 year old shouldn't be out partying and attending hollywood events (especially with her less-than-great role model sister), 45 year old sounding aliana lohan attended the haute and bothered launch party in los angeles in an outfit from lindsay's appearance on trl back i

n 2007.  what, you thought no one would see pictures.  yay hand-me-downs! now is this being a recessionista or just cheap?  and since when are midriff baring tops cool?  i don't think they've been in style since the mid 90s, and even then it wasn't that great of a trend.  while i know ali and linds constantly support their mother and say she's great, i can't help but think that there has to be a better way of handling kids in hollywood.  the 15 year old singer/actors on nickelodeon don't party (and most of the disney darlings don't either).  the reason aliana isn't getting the career success she wants is because she's not acting her age.  maybe if she actually seemed 15 then she could do well and fill the void lindsay has left for a non-tv teen star.

another video from tswift

2 in one week! taylor swift has dropped another single - and with it - a new video.  "belong with me" is a definite radio smash and stands out more so than the previously released tracks that all just kind of sounded like "love story."  i like when videos focus on the lyrics in the song, too, and aren't just stand-up performances mixed with random vignettes that don't necessarily correlate to the story the song tells (i'm talking to you kelly clarkson).  the video revolves around band geek swift's affection for her next door neighbor (hannah montana: the movie' lucas till - i guess once you're in with one hollywood starlet - miley cyrus - you're in with them all!) while he struggles with the school bitch, played by swift in a brown wig.  check it out above - you'll be entertained.  after this video, i'd be interested to see taylor's acting chops in more than just a csi role. 

today's wtf moment

here's madonna at last night's met costume gala. the banquet is supposed to honor those in fashion, not costumes. maybe madge got confused by the title? discuss amongst yourselves. 

day 153

madonna fall down go boom

madonna suffered a fall from a friend's horse in long island on saturday and was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.  the horse got startled and bucked the 50-year old queen of pop after some paparazzi jumped out of the bushes and started snapping pics.  this is madge's second horse-induced hospital run; in 2005, esther (that's her kaballah name for the less random-fact inclined readers) was thrown off a different horse, suffering cracked ribs and a snapped collarbone.  luckily, the "4 minutes" singer got off easier this time - just some bruises here and there.  but, the paper who has the exclusive pics - the new york post - swears no photographers were around the material mom at the time of the fall, as can be seen from the pics they've posted (like the one above).  the photogs were quite a ways away.  instead, the paper is claiming that madonna was jumping over hurdles with the horse when she took the fall.  so, who are we supposed to believe? i don't know, but it seems like this is a case of the celebrity blaming her most sworn enemy: the press. 

clarkson "does not hook up" 

kelly clarkson's latest single, "i do not hook up," is sure to be huge on the radio and her new video has recently hit the internets (leaked, of course).  the vid can be checked out here.  i couldn't track down a code to embed the vid here, but the pic above is from a screen shot.  i like the video, but i wish kel would get the memo that not every video needs a performance set-up.  you can tell a perfectly good story without a microphone.  the video is a bunch of vignettes of kelly "hooking up" in between the performance snip bits.  kelly's acting redeems herself from the post-idol win flick bomb from justin to kelly; the bar scene is the funniest part, to me.  it's still sad, though, that kelly has to hide behind tables, bars, baggy clothes; she needs to either embrace the full figure or lose it.  usually she slims down while on tour, so that'll probably happen later this year when she hits the road.  

day 137

lily and lindsay, at it again

after making headlines for getting matching "shhh" tattoos similar to rihanna's in february, lindsay and lohan and lily allen have teamed up once again.  the terrible twosome made a mini appearance together at lily's concert last night in los angeles.  during lily's "encore" performance to the britney spears' comeback hit "womanizer," lindsay randomly popped up on stage (around the 3:30 mark in the vid above) to awkwardly greet lily and then attempt to sing a small portion of the song, spending the rest of her short tenure on stage flailing about before she slowly moved off stage hoping no one would notice.  so, lily appeased la lohan for about 5 seconds before she realized that she was actually performing.  with news surfacing that lindsay wanted to put a britney cover on her new album, this could be the perfect duet.  lily has unofficially released the single and has been using it as her closing number for most of her gigs since the release of her latest album.  i just wish lindsay would get a hold of herself.  if you're going to pop up on stage, make it pre planned and rock out with lily! don't just jump up there to do a white girl dance.  

madonna misses out on mercy

madonna won't be adding another malawian child to her brood anytime soon.  the material mom was denied her adoption for 3 year old mercy today, even after receiving backing by the country's government and getting word from her legal team that it was a done deal.  the reason why madonna isn't getting to take the child home with her? she didn't meet residency requirements.  well, duh! according to malawian law (which was apparently looked over when she adopted son david in 2006) a potential adopter must have lived in the country for 18 to 24 months in advance of the adoption.  but, because she's madonna and all, madonna isn't letting a little legal mumbo jumbo get in the way of her adoption.  she filed an appeal to the supreme court of malawi today to overrule the ruling.  and, because it will probably be looked over by a different judge, i'd expect madonna to have mercy in new york or london in the next month or so.  the thing i don't understand is why all these kids in malawi are considered orphans when they have a living relative who cares for them.  david's father is still alive and even got a visit from his biological son during the singer's trip to the country for this process, and mercy' grandmother cares for her.  plus, the judge's ruling says that madonna's contributions to the orphanage and surrounding areas where mercy lives are beneficiary enough for the little one without having to displace her hundreds of miles away.  this is a case to keep our eyes on - i don't expect it to fall off the radar for quite some time.  

er says farewell

nbc's thursday night staple (for the past 15 years), er,  said buh-bye last night to quite the crowd.  the peacock net's only medical drama brought in over 16 million people, besting all competing networks for the 8-11 time slot.  er is the biggest drama series finale since murder, she wrote left the airwaves nearly 13 years ago, and the biggest get for adults 18-49 since 2002's x-files send off.  even george clooney's march return couldn't outdo the finale - his ep only garnered about 11 million.  in its 90s heydey, the show would average with viewership in the 20 millions, but interest waned when original cast members started to peel off.  the show hasn't had any of the original cast on board as regulars since since noah wyle left 4 years ago.  the show will be missed, but its place as tv's leading hospital serial was taken over by grey's anatomy back in 2005.  

day 41

hollywood power couple double date

two of hollywood's most powerful couplings, jake gyllenhaal and reese witherspoon (gyllenspoon) and robert downey jr and wife susan, spent the day after christmas together.  jake and downey worked together on the '07 thriller zodiac and, apparently, hit it off.  the couples were seen all over ojai, california taking hikes around witherspoon's property and had a group dinner inside the estate. no word on why they all got together, but maybe this is the newest power bff coupling. its quite interesting...maybe jake feels older than he actually is? he dates a woman 4+ years older and rdj is about 25 years older than him. as odd as it is, as long as they get along, why not be friends? thanks to justjared for the exclusive snaps. 

together they divorce (and prey)

while they're in the middle of what the press is making out to be a nasty divorce, both madonna and guy richie, along with their children, showed up to a kabbalah center in london. guy, with sons rocco and david in an audi, and madonna and daughter lourdes, in a range rover, came together for hanukkah celebrations (which end tonight). no word on why the former couple decided to come out, but it is nice to see that they can still be civil.  guy is said to be getting somewhere in the 70 millions in the divorce, though no settlement has been reached.  though, guy probably won't need madonna's money - he is currently directing the sure-to-be-blockbuster sherlock holmes starring robert downey junior, rachel mcadams, and jude law, slated for release sometime next year.  

chyna doll falls off the wagon

chyna, the former wrestler and reality show regular, was hospitalized early saturday after getting shwasted.  the star apparently decided to drink herself silly friday night as saturday was her birthday.  when she reached the hospital, chyna was apparently too drunk to even answer questions about herself or go through a psych evaluation. looks like she'll be back at dr drew's celebrity rehab next season...which is good, as she is always entertaining.  when asked for comment, chyna said "all i want right now is a hamburger and fries." classy.