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 110

day o' updates 

there really aren't any new stories today, so i'll just do a couple blurbs about some stories i've covered and some i haven't....it looks like two of hollywood's heartthrobs might be shacking up together. yes, two guys. dating. matt dallas, of the recently canceled kyle xy, and jonathan bennett, who played aaron samuels in mean girls, are said to be an item.  bennett is openly gay whereas matt dallas has continually avoided commenting on his personal life ... as of today, dakota fanning is officially a part of the twilight family.  the young actress finalized talks to star as vampire jane in the second installment of the franchise, which summit entertainment is now highly publicizing on their website.  new moon begins shooting this month ... lindsay lohan is still working on that third album.  the singer/actress is reportedly hoping to cover britney spears' "oops...i did it again" as part of her new project, along with "womanizer.  how about she just makes it a britney cover album, right? ... the cw's gossip girl spinoff, lily, has finalized its cast.  joining brittany snow and krysten ritter as sisters lily and carol are lost's cynthia watros of lost is set to come on board as rhodes family matriarch cece while pretty in pink and lipstick jungle's andrew mccarthy will be playing rick, the girls' father.  ryan hansen of veronica mars and jericho's shiloh fernandez are also set to hop on the 80s bandwagon.  look out for the backdoor pilot sometime in may, which will feature no doubt in a recreation of one of their "pre-fame" concerts ... and, sadly, jimmy kimmel and sarah silverman have decided to call it quits once again, after 5 months back together.  funny how i opened and closed this with relationship news. 

that's all i got for today kiddos. 

day 47

update time

while no story is all that big, there are plenty of little stories that update some of the past ones i've reported on. first up is gossip girl star kelly rutherford's family life -  while the actress is pregnant with her second child, she has decided to file divorce papers after 2 years of marriage. this will be rutherford's second divorce, but her longest marriage - her first divorce, in 2005, occurred after 5 months of marriage ... uber money making machine twilight is probably about to be handed a big fat lawsuit - the people behind the movie's new fragrance have blatantly ripped off the apple bottle design from a nina ricci fragrance.  the perfume is currently sold at hot topic retailers and may be pulled off the shelves very soon, much like bratz dolls, which will be pulled off store shelves starting in february ... an autopsy on john travolta's son jett is set to take place tomorrow in nasau, though authorities are almost certain the blow to the head jett suffered in the bathtub while on vacation is the cause of death, or at least what we should believe is the cause of death ... it looks like ryan seacrest has a new lady love.  after his split from australian beauty sophie monk (with whom he is developing a faux reality show), seacrest hasn't been seen with many women. however, the tv personality was recently spotted with 2007 playboy playmate of the year sara jean underwood in the carribean. it will be interesting to see if this will develop into a real relationship or if it will just turn into another "ryan seacrest production" 

that's it for now - peace, love, and blogging. 

day 28

new moon, new stars

it looks like new twilight series director chris weitz may have found his perfect cast. while keeping the majority of the major players around, the character of jacob has been up for grabs.  taylor lautner, who plays the role in the first movie, is apparently not wanted back for the second - he's too "baby faced" for the leading man/werewolf role in the second installment.  the actor apparently very close to stealing the role is michael copon, known for his work on one tree hill, power rangers, and but can they sing?  the actor has nearly 10 years on lautner, coming in at 26.  but, is he too old to play the role? lautner is almost 17, the age the character is supposed to be in real life.  kristin stewart (bella) is only 19 and robert pattinson is 22.  to me, this seems like hollywood's unrealistic portrayal of teenagers.  a teenager can't play a teenager, but someone old enough to have a wife and kids can.  so what if lautner is so young.  it seems like copon and stewart would be too creepy together. the other role up for grabs is that of mind reading vampire aro.  narnia: prince caspian star ben barnes is apparently going after the role.  he seems to fit into the mix, but i'm not sold on copon.  with only 12 weeks until filming on the next movie begins, these decisions better be made fast.  

shenae grimes, headed for mental breakdown?

what is wrong with shenae grimes, former star of degrassi and current star of 90210.  click here to watch the chain-smoking starlet's recent appearance at canadian television awards show, the geminis.  it seems like shenae is either drunk or cracked out - she uses a variety of voices in the interview, appears to have lipstick on her teeth and smudged makeup, and slurs her words.  we do not need an amy winehouse meets lindsay lohan meets shannen doherty circa '94 breakdown with shenae.  i don't get it with these young stars - you're living "the dream," why ruin it? go to work, go home.  no need to go out partying and doing drugs.  i won't be surprised if shenae makes a "post-glitter mariah carey with an ice cream cart on trl" sometime in the near future...hopefully the canadimess won't ruin the newly restarted franchise and will get her act together.  

will smith, forever coming to a theater near you

even with the recent us economic woes, big hollywood studios aren't cutting back on big hollywood blockbusters.  2 will smith sequel vehicles have been green lighted.  first up is the i am legend prequel, which will follow the destruction of america due to the spread of the fatal disease that smith's character dies of in the fist film.  second is the hancock sequel, which is just waiting on charlize theron's signature on the contracts.  smith is known to be bankable on holiday weekends, so these films will probably be out in time for 4th of july of '09 or '10.  

small bits

none of these stories were really big enough to write whole pieces on so here's a few small bites - tom cruise apologized for his matt lauer-scientology rant from a few years ago today, on the exact location of the original confrontation, the today show...it looks like a lot of the tv and music rumors we've heard recently are completely fabricated - nicole richie is not recording an album or working with rihanna...mischa barton will not be guesting on ugly betty...the cw is not working on a gossip girl spinoff focusing on lily and rufus, but will be working on one (yay! georgina still has a chance!)...michelle williams is not planning on accepting any awards on behalf of her late baby daddy heath ledger this season...it looks like tr knight (george) will be let out of his grey's anatomy contract, though he is the third actor in the history of the show asked to be let out (any guesses to the other two? catherine heigl and sandra oh are my guesses - sandra close to the show's commencement - she was a burgeoning indie movie star [sideways] - and katherine last season - she is a "movie star"...in her head)...mark schwann, the big boss over at one tree hill, is in talks to helm the relaunch of melrose place for the ceedub (cw)