Tyra Banks has conquered both runways and television… but now she’s conquering the Ivy League!! Tyra tweeted a few pics (snapped by her very proud momma) during her graduation ceremony from Harvard today. It’s official, Ms.Banks is a certified scholar. The model mogul has finally received her MBA from Harvard Business School’s Owner/President Management Program (OPM). She told the Wall Street Journal back in October that as she was growing her brand, she found herself trying to put her hands into too many projects. Her time at Harvard helped her focus her energies: “Professors explained to me that focus is great. Being the biggest and having your foot in a bunch of things is not necessarily the best thing. So I came back and focused the message of my company. Harvard said to wait two weeks before you tell your staff, but I couldn’t wait. I said, ‘If it’s not about expanding the definition of beauty and making women feel physically and emotionally better about themselves, then we’re not doing it.’ My business before was based on me. But my marketing professor has taught me that it’s about customer centricity and not about me centricity. It’s about her. How do I affect that girl?” Congrats Tyra! Now that she’s done with classes, Tyra will be gearing up for Cycle 19 on “ANTM” which will be dubbed, of course, “The College Edition.” Will you be watching? Source Twitter More On Bossip! Smackdown! The Chris Brown/CM Punk Feud Is Getting Pretty Intense! “I Will Choke You” And Breezy Responds! Can’t Get It Up: 10 Foods That Might Be Choking The Life Out Of Your…Libido Tell ‘Em Why You Mad: Janet “Aunt Viv” Hubert Writes An Open Letter To Wendy Williams Blaming Her For Whitney Houston’s Downfall Cake Cake Cake Cake! The Stars With The Wildest Birthday Parties
Santi tells MTV News she plans to use ‘fun props’ when she unveils her new single, ‘Disparate Youth,’ at the March 15 show. By James Montgomery Santigold Photo: Logan Fazio/ FilmMagic Santigold was announced Thursday (February 23) as the first performer at the 2012 mtvU Woodie Awards, and from the sound of things, she’ll be bringing her A-Game. Or at least her props. “The show now involves some umbrellas; we try to use fun props on stage and make it look like a real show with, like, props and a lot of cool choreography,” she laughed. “We have a lot of fun on stage, and we’ll definitely put that into the show.” Santi may be the first artist confirmed for the Woodie Awards — set for March 15 in Austin, Texas, during the South By Southwest music festival — but she’s far from the only name attached to what has quickly become a daylong event. For the first time, the show will expand to include an open-air music festival, which kicks off at 1 p.m. CT and features an eclectic bill that includes Fun., A$AP Rocky and just-announced additions like Chiddy Bang, Kimbra and Ed Sheeran. It’s a move that reflects the anything-goes ethos of SXSW, which is just one of the reasons Santi agreed to take the stage at the Woodies … that and the fact that she’s got previous Woodie-related experience. “I played the Woodies several years ago [in 2008], and it was a lot of fun. The show is a great platform for artists, all kinds of artists, and I like that it is happening during SXSW,” she said. “I love it down there, love all the different bands you get to see. When they asked if I’d like to perform this year, I didn’t even think about it. I just said ‘yes,’ it was a no-brainer.” During the show, Santi will be unveiling her brand-new single, “Disparate Youth,” the first taste of what fans can expect on her upcoming Master of My Make-Believe album (due this spring). It’s sure to be a highlight, though, for her Serbian fans, it’ll also be nothing new. “We’ve been doing ‘Disparate Youth’ for a while — I’ve been working on these songs live; I tried to work on these songs as much as I could outside of the country,” she said. “I think the first time I performed ‘Disparate Youth’ was in Serbia. It was cool. It went over pretty well, I’ve got to admit.” The Woodies Festival will be held on Red River and East First Street in Austin and is open to both SXSW badge-holders and music fans alike. The entire fest will stream live on Woodies.mtvU.com and leads up to the awards themselves. On Sunday, March 18, the best moments from the Woodies will be broadcast during a 30-minute special airing on MTV and mtvU at 8 p.m. ET. Voting is also under way in all Woodies categories, and remains open until March 9. Voting in the Breaking Woodie category will continue during the live show March 15. Fans can cast ballots in all categories through the Woodies website , on their mobile phones at M.MTV.com or by texting VOTE to 66333. Standard message and data rates may apply. The Woodies.mtvU.com invade SXSW on March 15 with the Woodies Festival. The best of the 2012 mtvU Woodies will air on MTV and mtvU on March 18 at 8 p.m. ET. Related Photos 2012 mtvU Woodie Awards Nominees
‘Wanderlust’ co-star Paul Rudd also rules out a ‘Clueless’ sequel during ‘MTV First.’ By John Mitchell, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd Photo: MTV News “Friends” fanatics hoping for a reunion of the beloved sitcom will be crying into their oversized Central Perk coffee cups when they hear what Jennifer Aniston has to say about the possibility of seeing Rachel, Ross, Phoebe, Monica, Chandler and Joey back together again. Aniston joined her “Wanderlust” co-star Paul Rudd for “MTV First” to take Twitter questions from fans — one of whom happened to be film critic and entertainment journalist Ben Lyons, who got a little ribbing from the two stars as well as MTV News” Josh Horowitz for not asking the question himself, before the team got to his question: “What will we see first? A “Clueless” or “Friends” reunion?” The actress” reaction was slightly flustered but swift. “No, there will be none,” she said. “I don’t think so. … Wouldn’t that be weird? I would be like, “Oh god, why did they do that?” ” Rudd also answered in the negative regarding a reunion of the beloved “90s teen flick, crushing the hearts of fans who may be wondering what became of Cher (Alicia Silverstone) and Josh’s (Rudd) relationship. “Well, you know, “Clueless” was “Emma,” ” Rudd said of the movie’s literary inspiration, which had no sequel. “So I don’t know what you”d do.” The comely pair also told MTV News that they wouldn’t be a good fit for the commune lifestyle their “Wanderlust” characters are thrust into in the film, which hits theaters Friday. “I don’t think I could exist realistically in that kind of setting,” Aniston told MTV News. “But there’s a version of that groups of friends in close proximity [and] in my early 20s, I had that. Where you kind of showed up at each other’s houses — very similar to the friendship show.” One particular element of commune living does not appeal to Aniston and that is the, um, sharing of partners. “I don’t think that’s an end-well situation,” she said. “But there are a lot of people who do it.” Always quick to the joke, Rudd added, “A lot of them live in Paris.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Wanderlust.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV First: Paul Rudd & Jennifer Aniston Related Photos ‘Wanderlust’
After the news about Whitney Houston’s death broke, Wendy Williams gave a tearful commentary about Whitney’s struggle with drugs and vowed not to speak about Houston’s death on her show again. Well, a recent open letter to Wendy Williams from Janet Hubert (aka “Aunt Viv”) may change her mind. Read it here. Dear Wendy, This past weekend was a very difficult time for so many of us. Spotted at The YBF I watched the funeral service with the rest of the world, and cried time and time again with each story that was told. I felt like I knew more about this amazing woman than ever before. We all watched her as a little girl, center stage, singing like a bird, she was destined for superstardom. To watch her center stage full circle in death was a feeling no mother should ever have to feel. I applaud Ms. Warwick, the pastor, and all others who formed a police line of love and protection around her that was impenetrable only to those who really knew her. We, the public accepted their decision to keep it private, but they allowed us to witness her Home Going ceremony, I don’t know if I could have been so gracious. WE felt like we knew her and we knew nothing about her except what we read and hear from people like you and other media outlets. I listened to her interview with you and was compelled to say out loud. “Go on Whitney tell her like it is,” when you pried into her life back then. I had my son in the same year as Ms. Houston; we did Ebony Magazine that same year, she introducing her baby girl and me my son. I am trying to be dignified, but here goes. The Internet has become somewhat like the 10 commandments, and this is why… whatever is posted or commented on… is forever written in stone. Neither I nor anybody can stop anyone from making up stories, reviews, lies etc, cutting and pasting whatever they decide to put together like a bad buffet breakfast. I have had some horrible meals shoved down my throat on the web that I had no parts of. I still have a bad taste in my mouth from a recent cut and paste meal from your beloved TMZ (THE MUDSLINGING ZONE). I believe you said once “If you heard it on TMZ then it must be true,” really Wendy? The Internet is indeed the information highway, but it can also be “a Forum of Hate.” Though I never knew Whitney Houston, I felt a profound sense of loss and sadness. On Sunday morning I took my dog for a walk in the park across the street and still could not shake the sadness I felt. I wondered if what I was feeling was perhaps related to losing my mother and brother this past year, but then I thought no, it was something else. You (Wendy Williams) said that morning with tears in your eyes, that you would not discuss Whitney any further, but you crucified her the whole time she was alive, as you do so many people on your show. I want to ask you why? What do you get out of this besides money? How do you sleep at night knowing that you are one of the biggest bullies in the world disguised as HOT TOPICS? Celebrities are not topics we are people, just like everyone else, we hurt and we hear and we bleed real blood, not fake blood, just as you do. How do we as parents teach our children to honor each other, treat each other with kindness when all they see are images of people like you who condone and promote meanness, rude reality TV stars, and your opinion as you berate world renowned people like Janet Jackson, Gwyneth Paltrow, and others you slam on a daily basis. I keep asking myself why no one is saying anything about this. What the hell are they afraid of? Where are my sisters out there who feel as I do? Well Wendy, I try to teach my son to stand up, shout, and scream when there is injustice. Yeah yeah, I know, I have been screaming for years and will continue to do so as long as there are images that depict black women as neck shaking, over bearing women who can’t get along. A sister, a mother, a daughter, a star, left this world way too early; she was loved by the world. The world mourned, I don’t think that we needed you to try and take down another brilliant sister on that following Monday morning. (Your rude comments about Janet Jackson) You started right back up without hesitation or pause… you need to stop Wendy. We need to stop, and the world needs to stop. I need to stop as well. There will be no more quotes from me to be misquoted. We need to join together, wrap our arms around our children, everybody’s children. Remember you have a child who will suffer every slingshot and arrow that gets thrown back at you Wendy; our public lives greatly affect our children. I know I am going to suffer some arrows for writing this letter to you, I know you are loved by many, but remember this Wendy; they love you when you are up and they love to take you down. You will not always be up, you will not always be on the A list and attend all the parties. Ride the wave sister girl, but make sure you know how to swim when the ride is over. Artists are survivors, we work hard to build our crafts and careers and I ask that you simply remember that in the future. I’m just sayin’ it like l mean it too. Janet Hubert SOURCE
Brian White is married to a Latina and made a lot of sisters mad after pointing out that black women on reality TV act like a bunch of chickenheads, but now he wants to set the record straight. Good ol’ Brian hollered at Essence Magazine for a “let’s clear things up” interview. Check it out: ESSENCE.com: You’ve caught a lot of flack for your comments about how Black women, so we just have to ask, Brian White, do you hate Black women? BRIAN WHITE: No, come on. I’m Black Carpenter [the title of his book and youth development program]. I’m out making sure kids have a future. I did that interview on speakerphone and my mom was in my car with me. I said the majority of what we, as a community, celebrate in the media, isn’t worthy of our women. Not the ones that I know and love. I’ve been out on the road with the UNCF, NAACP, and National Urban League doing Black Carpenter or working with little girls and boys in schools. I’m about that, more so than anything else. I’m not trying to be famous; I’m trying to make a difference. That’s all I meant to say. I apologize for any confusion. ESSENCE.com: Why do you think the story of you hating on Black women picked up so much steam? WHITE: I don’t know. There are probably lots of reasons, but I feel like that’s what sells. In our community, it’s very difficult to sell substance. I’ll say this: anything that can be construed as negative gets a lot of play but if it’s super positive getting actual creditable media and then that extra blogger is much harder. ESSENCE.com: Speaking of substance, you were very critical of reality TV and said something like; ‘You can’t call it a stereotype if it’s the majority.’ What did you mean by that? WHITE: I’ll use my role as Randy in the movie ‘I Can Do Bad All By Myself’. People get mad and say that’s a stereotype of Black men. I’m saying guys like Randy might be a stereotype but when I go to the club on Friday, I see 150 of them grabbing sisters by the wrist going, “Yo, come over here.” That’s not how gentlemen act. We support those images because they’re a little closer to truth than we care to admit. Let’s take a character like, Madea, who is based on Tyler Perry’s aunt. She’s like 6-feet-tall and probably has a gun in her purse right now. Tyler is holding up a mirror. In traveling across the South doing plays, I met a lot of Big Mommas, like Martin Lawrence’s character. Sure, we’re exaggerating a little bit, but there’s some reality in there. ESSENCE.com: Your comments caught the ire of NeNe Leakes who said you were “jealous” of the success of reality stars. What did you think? WHITE: [NeNe] responded to the blogs. I know that they were inflammatory on purpose. I think she handled it very well. I’m not saying anything negative about NeNe the woman. I want to her succeed. I want all Black women to succeed. I just don’t want it to be at the expense, or the example set for our kids. I’m so happy for people who have success on the reality TV, but I don’t know how to tell my little sister to follow in their footsteps. ESSENCE.com: Your comments may have been taken the wrong way since you were also criticized for marrying a woman who wasn’t Black [ his wife Paula is Latina]. Do you constantly feel like you have to defend yourself? WHITE: Yes, I do. I have five younger sisters. My sister Ashley has a Caucasian husband and my sister Erin has an African husband, from Liberia. My other baby sister is a sophomore, and she’s dated every race from all over the world. And that was why I popped off about my wife. Because that’s the biggest love of my life, acting is second. It made me uncomfortable to be challenged on who I love. I thought, ‘There are 31 flavors of ice cream at Baskin Robbins, can I like one?’ Does it mean that I don’t like the others? No. It’s just confusing because I try to be positive and I think I’m about something that’s valuable, and to be slighted for love, or whatever, it’s just frustrating especially in 2012. Aw poor baby. Y’all was picking on him. Sorry Brian but it sounds like you still feel that the stereotype of Black women on TV is the reality of how the majority of Black women are. WENN Source More On Bossip! Put On Blast: One Of Game’s Black Wall Street Homies Posts TwitPic Of Gloria Govan In His Bed, eBeefs With Matt Barnes! Not So Secret: We Decipher All The Hidden Messages Rih Rih And Breezy Sent Each Other On Their New Songs Together! Sidepiece Showdown Pt. 2: Hollyweird’s Most Notorious Mistresses From Riches To Rags: A Gallery Of Huge, Multi-Million Dollar, Ballerific Cribs That Have Been Foreclosed On
‘A lot of people kinda taking our swag too; I just wanted to bring that back and take that back from them,’ Bangz tells Mixtape Daily. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Maurice Bobb Kirko Bangz Photo: Warner Bros. Mixtape Daily Main Pick Headliner : Kirko Bangz Representing : Houston Mixtape : Progression 2: A Young Texas Playa Real Spit : Kirko Bangz has been progressing quite nicely. Even before his breakout single “Drank in My Cup” began charting on the Billboard Hot 100, the Houston upstart was laying groundwork in H-Town’s mixtape scene. In 2009, he dropped the aptly titled Progression, and now, three years later, he has followed up with its sequel Progression 2: A Young Texas Playa on mixtape site Datpiff . In this new digital era, where most rap artists occupy the same space on the Internet, it seems that where a rapper hails from has become less important. Still, Bangz clearly is looking to put on for his city. “People were like, ‘Where you from?’ They thought I was from Cali, Atlanta, stuff like that. So really, with the mixtape and my last single ‘Drank in My Cup,’ I wanted people to know I was from H-Town,” Kirko told Mixtape Daily. “It’s real H-Town: We have stuff for the girls, of course, we got hip-hop stuff, we got storytelling stuff.” Progression 2 starts off with “Say Hello,” an introductory freestyle over DJ Khaled and Drake’s “I’m On One.” It’s not surprising that Kirko would jump on a track Drizzy has made famous, considering he has drawn more than a few comparisons to the Toronto rapper, thanks to his penchant for both rapping and singing. While Drake is openly inspired by Houston’s screw culture, Kirko truly embodies his city’s sonic characteristics on “Drank in My Cup.” The slow-rolling, lean-inspired cut repurposes Houston’s signature underground sound for radio; it debuted at #96 on Billboard ‘s Hot 100 this week. “A lot of people kinda taking our swag too. I just wanted to bring that back and take that back from them,” Bangz said, never naming who the swagger jackers actually are. On “Play Me,” KB takes on Drake’s “Trust Issues” and furthers the comparisons. Paul Wall reps for H-Town and shows up on “Knowmtalmbout,” and on “Trill Young N—a,” Kirk stakes his claim in the streets of his hometown. For the most part Progression 2 keeps a consistent vibe with a number of soul-dripped, screw-inspired anthems. He does switch things up however, particularly on towards the end on the hilarious story-telling joint “Ugly Bitches” where he recalls all of his less than glamorous sexual conquests. It’s not flawless, but over the course of 13 tracks, Kirko Bangz shows a pretty solid progression. Joints to Check For
Says storied MPAA-fighter Harvey : “I have been compelled by the filmmakers and the children to fight for an exception so we can change this R rating brought on by some bad language. As a father of four, I worry every day about bullying; it’s a serious and ever-present concern for me and my family. I want every child, parent, and educator in America to see Bully , so it is imperative for us to gain a PG-13 rating. It’s better that children see bad language than bad behavior, so my wish is that the MPAA considers the importance of this matter as we make this appeal.” [Press release via IndieWire ]
Singer opens up about the late pop icon as he releases his cover of her track ‘Exhale (Shoop Shoop).’ By Jocelyn Vena Whitney Houston Photo: Jun Sato/ WireImage Just days after a number of A-listers paid tribute to the late, great Whitney Houston at her funeral on Saturday in New Jersey, R&B crooner Robin Thicke decided to pay homage to the singer in his own way. The singer dropped a cover of Houston’s classic track “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” over the weekend, arranging the song with a piano and his own sweet falsetto voice. Released in November 1995, the original version was the lead single off Houston’s “Waiting to Exhale” soundtrack. Thicke’s soulful version definitely calls to mind Babyface, who wrote and produced the song for the late star. Noticeably, Thicke changed the song from the third person to the first person, making it a bit more personal. “I was thinking about Whitney and how incredible she was and remembered I had recorded this song years ago but never released it,” Thicke said on Tuesday (February 21) in a statement to MTV News. “When I listened to it again, I was overcome by emotion, because the lyrics express everything I’m feeling right now.” He continued that the song reminds us what was unique about the late singer, who died over Grammy weekend in Los Angeles. “That’s what was so special about Whitney, she had an amazing ability to connect to all of us and at the same time make us feel inspired,” he said. “We love Whitney Houston and always will!” Over the weekend, in a sea of moving tributes to the star from her closest friends — including Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, R. Kelly and gospel greats BeBe and CeCe Winans, Donnie McClurkin and Kim Burrell — Kevin Costner’s speech about his “The Bodyguard” co-star stood as one of the homegoing’s stand-out moments. “Off you go, Whitney, off you go, escorted by an army of angels to your heavenly father,” Costner told the room in tears. “And when you sing before him, don’t you worry — you’ll be good enough.” What do you think of Robin Thicke’s version of “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)”? Leave your comment below. Related Videos Farewell To A Legend: Whitney Houston’s Funeral Whitney Houston: In Her Own Words Whitney Houston: Life And Music Of An Icon Related Artists Whitney Houston Robin Thicke
‘The Descendants’ and ‘The Ides of March’ earn the Academy Award-winner his sixth and seventh nominations. By Kevin P. Sullivan George Clooney in “The Descendants” Photo: Fox Searchlight At this point in his career, almost 30 years after he started acting, George Clooney has become not only one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood, but a regular competitor at each year’s Oscars . This year’s Academy Awards nominations, his sixth and seventh, for “The Descendants” and “The Ides of March” represent the diverse work Clooney is now known for and the many different roles he takes on. Clooney’s journey to Sunday night’s 2012 Oscars took a familiar path through the festival circuit with releases in the second half of the year, one carefully engineered to spell awards success, but the two films that got him there and the work he did cover a wide spectrum in filmmaking. “Ides of March” took shape late in 2010, when Clooney signed on to wear three hats for the film: actor, producer and director. His fourth directorial effort to date, the political drama follows a young junior campaign manager (Ryan Gosling) as he struggles with the moral dilemmas of supporting a presidential candidate, played by Clooney. Based on Beau Willimon’s play “Farragut North,” the script for “Ides of March” earned Best Adapted Screenplay nominations for the original author, Clooney and his frequent collaborator Grant Heslov. Though Clooney’s well-known political affiliations and beliefs stood in the foreground, the man himself took more of a backseat, limiting his onscreen role to a few keys scenes. During awards season, the film made a small mark, after debuting to only mildly positive reviews. It did, however, take a spot on the National Board of Review’s top 10 of the year and earned four Golden Globes nominations, including Best Picture (Drama) and Best Director. In “The Descendants,” Clooney took a familiar spot as leading man, but the role of Matt King required him to be anything but his usual model of suave confidence. As a soon-to-be widow, Clooney fully adopted the dopey mantel of an Alexander Payne hero in the tradition of Paul Giamatti in “Sideways” and Matthew Broderick in “Election.” But unlike his predecessors as a lead in one of Payne’s films, Clooney’s character remained almost entirely sympathetic throughout the film, thanks in large part to the believability of the acting. He effortlessly took on the role of an utterly clueless father with good intentions, helping make “Descendants” such a true and touching film. In the week leading up to Oscar night, Clooney stands neck and neck with fellow nominee Jean Dujardin as the favorite. It would be Clooney’s second win for acting, his first coming in 2006 as supporting actor in Stephen Gaghan’s “Syriana.” However Sunday’s ceremony might shake out for Clooney, he has proven himself a mainstay for the Academy Awards, and — whether he’s acting, directing, writing or producing — someone who will continue to appear on shortlists for years to come. The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Stick with us for everything you need to know leading up to the awards show, and on Sunday, February 26, tune into MTV.com at 5:30 p.m. ET for our three-hour red-carpet live stream and updates on the night’s big winners. Related Photos 2012 Oscar Nominees
