day 4.40

what i love (this week)


the song

modern romance

the show

i mean. they designed for miss piggy. and took it more seriously than any other challenge in project runway history.

the movie

straight '80s camp.

the look

so many people i like being weird.

day 135

the hills are alive

the the fifth and final (as we know it, at least) season of mtv's the hills premiering on monday, a lot of promotions and press have been going on lately.  first of all, the cast's final photos together were released today.  the big pic is above, but you can check out the rest here.  even though lc said the pic was taken all together on an mtv retrospective/interview that aired monday, it looks like photoshop had it's way - as can be seen here.  the ladies look like they took their pic separately as brody is noticeably absent.  lauren, always one to put her foot in her mouth, relayed to entertainment weekly that she was hoping last season's finale was her final bow, but the producers wanted her back to tie everything up...even though she "says" she doesn't have much going on in her life.  by the look of the pic above, lo bosworth, stephanie pratt, and justin bobby have all been added to the cast full time.  this is the first time the cast photo has included more than just lauren, audrina, heidi, and (formerly) whitney.  but, hollywood has definitely taken its toll on the ladies.  lookie here to see the ladies' first season promo.  everyone (well, with the exception of audrina) was smiley and happy and plastic surgery free! what happened? my only guess can be that spencer pratt got involved.  and speaking of spencer, he and his musical prodigy/girlfriend-fiance-wife hybrid heidi stopped by ryan seacrest's radio show this morning to premiere not one, but two singles.  head over the ryan seacrest's webpage to listen to them.  at least "your love found me" isn't horrible.  heidi's entire music catalog can be found there, too.  it's a good way to lost 15 minutes of your life.  and don't worry hills fans, lauren says she won't be done with tv any time soon. she's currently in the process of turning her yet to be released semi-autobiographical novel/series la candy into a scripted series.  apparently our budding fashion designer/writer/actress/reality vixen also wants to add producer to her many credits.  the show doesn't have a home (or any sort of development for that matter) yet, but mtv or the cw is sure to pick up on it in the near future.  the book hits shelves june 16th, but is available for pre-order over on amazon now.  

project runway finally gets home

the legal battle over mega reality series project runway is finally over! the show will head to lifetime (formerly television for women, now television for everyone) for its 6th cycle (and 1st in los angeles) after the weinstein company reached a deal with the show's former home, bravo/nbc-universal.  the weinstein bros sold the show over to lifetime after the shows contract with bravo expired last summer even though the contract had a clause in it that was supposed to allow nbc-universal to counter any other offer before the show runners made a decision on the show's future.  after almost a year in legal limbo and with the 6th season having finished filming earlier this year, the show was in desperate need of a home.  and now, all of us fans get a chance to see it! lifetime has yet to announce a premiere date for the series, but i can only imagine it will be very, very soon - probably this summer to capitalize on viewership.  this is a tough loss for nbc; they are constantly placing 3rd in their various markets and pr was one of their few success stories and they've now lost it to major competitor disney/abc, which owns lifetime.  no word yet on if the show's reruns will continue to air on bravo or if all rights will head to lifetime.  it will be interesting to see, as well, if viewers will follow the show over the female friendly net.  bravo is known for hip/cutting edge reality programming and lifetime, simply, is not.  i'm also looking forward to seeing how bravo's fashion successor, the fashion show, will do in the net's post runway era.  the show is currently in production with singer kelly rowland as host.  in a related story, kelly recently parted ways with columbia records.  

destiny returns?

all signs are pointing to a destiny's child reunion sometime in 2011.  while kelly rowland may have parted ways with columbia records as a solo artist, her john hancock is still on file as part of the world's most famous girl group.  kelly is reportedly set to reunite with beyonce and michelle williams next year to work on new material for a "reunion" album of sorts.  the girls are still contractually obligated to produce a final disc and the record label isn't looking for a get-out-quick scheme with a "greatest hits" album.  beyonce is currently on her "i am..." tour and won't be done into 2010 and michelle is still promoting her most recent release, unexpected, which features her surprise club hit "we break the dawn." the girls will head to the studio next year to crank out some new sure to be hits, even if they don't want to.  are you ready to here some new beats from b and her backup singers? 

day 121

leaan "two timin'" rimes?

there are finally stories to talk about today! are you excited? i am. okay, first up is singer-turned-actress leann rimes and her possible affair.  us weekly is reporting that leann is getting it on with her lifetime movie costar edie cibrian, who you know from his work on ugly betty and third watch.  the duo, who star in lifetime's presentation of nora roberts' northern lights, were supposedly caught kissing on the restaurant of the hotel they stayed at during filming.  the picture is super grainy and could really be anyone.  it could also just be eddie whispering in her ear because the restaurant is too loud.  each of the stars released statements today denying the allegations.  leann's husband, dean, even took to his twitter, exclaiming "i love my wife."  while leann's statement was kind of vague (she said "not everything in our lives is black and white"), i still don't think the affair is real.  when people magazine reports the story, then maybe - just maybe - i'll buy it.  

project runway goes to jail

one of project runway's most hated finalist, kenley collins, will only be sporting orange jumpsuits for the time being.  the designer wanna-been spent tuesday night in jail after getting into a domestic dispute.  kenley woke up her live-in boyfriend around 7 in the morning by tossing the couple's cat in his face.  so it was also animal abuse, i guess.  the designer-alike then slammed the door on her boyfriend's head when he attempted to leave the room, followed by hurling his laptop at him.  you would think she was done after that, right? wrong.  collins topped her little performance off by throwing a bushel of apples at the man and drenched him in ice water.  according to police documents, kenley then told him "you're lucky - it could have been worse."  her bf then called the police fearing further attack and the reality star was charged with a weapons charge - which object got her that penalty is still unknown.  the couple are now no longer - obviously - but there's no reasoning behind the attack.  the least i can surmise is that kenley was mad about the breakup.  at the least, bitch is crazy.  check out kenley's craziness in her runway audition tape above.  

the hills are definitely not alive

this season will definitely be the last of the hills as we know them.  with lauren conrad already haven wrapped up her story lines and filmed her final scene for the series, its not surprising that other cast members would shortly ink their own deals for future projects.  lauren's former roomie, audrina patridge, announced today that she has signed contracts with mark burnett - the man behind survivor and the apprentice - for her very own show.  the series will follow audrina's "fascinating" life as an actress in la who is in search of love.  wow, creative right? the show does not have a home for the fall, however.  audrina and the show's bosses will be pitching the series to networks starting next week and, most likely, it will go to the cw or mtv.  this is the second hills "spin off" after whitney port's the city.  so, what will be left of the show after the series' farewell starting in april?  it looks like, at least for the next season, lo bosworth will be stepping into whitney's old stilettos as a main cast member.  after that?  the show is said to be refocusing onto stephanie pratt, who mtv has been pushing into doing a variety of press events.  that way they can keep heidi and spencer around.  it will kind of be like when laguna beach's narration moved from lauren to kristin cavallari, which will be interesting to see.  i never really saw stephanie as a show star, but it could work.  

in some sad news, natasha richardson passed away earlier this evening at the age of 45.  the actress, best known to my generation as the mom from the parent trap (lindsay lohan edition), experienced a freak skiing accident on tuesday and was airlifted this morning from her hospital in canada to one in new york.  natasha was reported brain dead last night and had been on life support, which she was taken off of this evening.  she leaves behind her husband, liam neeson, and their two teenage sons.  hopefully the family will be able to recover easily and do something to honor the actress.  

day 95

clarkson leaks

kelly clarkson's latest album, all i ever wanted, has leaked onto the internet.  i wasn't able to track down complete versions of the songs (though they're sure to pop up on youtube in the next couple of days), but i did get my hands on 30 second preview clips of the choruses, courtesy of mjsbigblog.  the album is somewhere in between the mega hit breakaway and 2007's my december, which isn't a bad thing.  kelly is definitely back to the pop roots that gave her her start, but there's a little more of an edge to some of the tracks.  there's definitely some big hits on the album, with infectious dance beats and strong hooks peppering the disc.  that's a far cry from my december's bleak break up ballads that had no memorable pieces.  i definitely recommend giving kelly's new material even if you're not a fan.  kelly is not the bubble gum pop star, nor is she a rocker.  she's somewhere in between, giving her a unique identity in the music biz.  i definitely see kelly's songs being chosen for movie soundtracks this summer or fall; they're just really consumer friendly.  one of the album's stand out tracks is actually a song originally intended for katy perry, "i do not hook up."  you can check out katy's full version above.  it's interesting to compare the two since they have a very similar sound and are really targeting the same demo. other stand outs include "whyyawannabringmedown," and "long shot."  kelly's album drops march 10th and she'll probably have a second single out by then, which is rumored to be "i do not hook up."  maybe kelly will even return to the idol stage this year to coincide with her album's release.  clarkson has not appeared on the show since the first idol gives back special where she resembled mama cass.  

lindsay, lily pull a rihanna

two of hollywood's most confusing successes, lindsay lohan and lily allen, got matching tattoos together earlier this week. each star got the word "shhh..." plastered on their index fingers, identical to one rihanna has.  is this some form of solidarity with the recently abused singer or just a coincidence? i don't know, but it would be interesting to find out.  who knew that lindsay and lily were even friends? i guess people who party alike party together?  all 3 stars are known for their multiple tattoos, but only rihanna is really known for showing hers off.  that makes me think the new "shh..." duo are backing up rihanna in the chris brown debacle currently going on.  speaking of that, police have launched an investigation to find out who leaked the confidential photo of rihanna's injuries that i posted yesterday.  today is also the barbados beauty's 21st birthday. 

kelly rowland to walk in heidi klum's shoes

with bravo and lifetime still embroiled in a fight between mega reality show hit project runway, the show's original home, broadway, has decided to move ahead with its "replacement."  the fashion show (creative title, eh?) will follow designers in their quest to get their lines sold in a major department store.  so, basically, all they've done is change the prize on the show (which sounds a little better than the usual start-up cash that pr's winners received).  kelly rowland, of destiny's child, will host the show, while designer isaac mizrahi (yeah, the guy from target) and fern mallis, the senior vice prez of img fashion will judge the contestants' works, along with the studio audience.  it seems like bravo is really just revamping project runway and almost making it better (minus the fact that heidi klum isn't involved and the judges are a little less prestigious). like project runway, the fashion show is based off a british show.  project runway's 6th season (which has been completed) was supposed to start airing last month but the legal battle is still going on and no date has been set.  because of runway's move to the left coast, guest judges like lindsay lohan and eva longoria parker were brought in to fill the seats of michael kors and nina garcia periodically.  hopefully the show will get a chance to hit the airwaves soon, before the guest stars because obsolete.  the fashion show will premiere later this year alongside the sarah jessica parker-created american artist, which will do for the art world what project runway did for the fashion world. 

day 12

gossip girl in texas

gossip girl stars chace crawford, ed westwick, and jessica szohr were spotted out to dinner at plano, texas's the shops at legacy saturday night along with crawford's family.  crawford is a native of the dallas suburb, while ed and jessica are assumed to just be family guests.  ed's presence makes sense as he is english and would not exactly go home to celebrate thanksgiving in the uk.  though, his being in town does nothing to squelch rumors that he and chace are an item. jessica, on the other hand, seems to be quite the random addition.  fans who spotted the cw stars said they all appeared shorter in person, and seemed a little awkward.  maybe its the lack of stage lighting and makeup? chances are chace was sporting makeup anyways.  sources also say that the crawford matriarch was looking a little tipsy as she stumbled out of mi cocina at the shops and chace had to take the keys from his mother before they left the area.

britney, of course

britney spears made her third european performance of #1 hit womanizer on simon cowell's the x factor on saturday night.  click here to check out the rendition.  britney seems to finally be getting into the groove of things; this is the best the choreography has looked since she started the mini tour and the mother of two actually appears to be happy.  you can also check out britney on the new cover of glamour, looking more like her old self (probably with the aid of a little photoshop). check out the scanned pages over at the daily stab.  you can also see miley cyrus's non-lip-synched performance of "7 things" from the x factor here.  miley seems to be channeling her inner rocker, which comes off a little awkward.  however, the singing was actually good.  

project runway delay

with all the lawsuits between the weinstein brothers, nbc/universal, and lifetime flying around, it seems we've forgotten that the three big powers are fighting over a tv show, project runway. shooting of the show's sixth season has already been completed, with this cycle taking place in los angeles.  no word on when we'll get to see the show, with the earliest premier date being summer 2009, if anything clears up.  and, along with the scenic change, comes other show changes.  because the season flipped coasts, mainstay judges michael kors and nina garcia were unable to be bicoastal.  so, it's out with the old and in with the new.  the two judging mainstays will still make appearances, but the panel with have a revolving cast of characters to fill their places. this revolving door features mostly hollywood tabloid targets,  with two of the leaked names being lindsay lohan and eva longoria.  hopefully, the two actresses will still be relevant by the time the show makes it to air.