Video directors Megaforce open up about working with Madge, Nicki and M.I.A. — and why the kiss didn’t make the cut. By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Rob Markman M.I.A., Madonna and Nicki Minaj in “Give Me All Your Luvin’ ” Photo: Interscope After fans heard that Madonna had enlisted Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. for her single and video for “Give Me All Your Luvin’,” it really felt like anything could happen with those three equally eccentric and visual artists all joining forces. What they ended up creating was an eye-catching clip full of masked cheerleaders, hot football players and lacy outfits (designed by Norma Kamali) that every fan of Madge’s “Like a Virgin” era will go crazy over. The video feels distinctly Madonna — she is the star, after all — but Nicki’s and M.I.A.’s presences are felt between the cheerleader chant and their equally funky verses. “[It was] quite intense but we had a lot of fun. … It’s like shooting three presidents or something like that,” Clement Gallet, from video-directing team the Megaforce , told MTV News about the shoot. “I think everybody’s a bit stressed. We had time to speak to discuss the idea, to do the fittings. So you have time to meet the people first. I think we maybe thought it would be harder to have these three famous women on set, and I think everything went quite well.” While the trio’s collaboration made headlines, so did a kiss Nicki tweeted about that she shared with Madonna on the New York set back in December. “That’s funny, ’cause that’s something we didn’t really see,” he added. “Basically, it was Nicki Minaj’s birthday on the shoot, but we were — as always, as the directors — stressed about the next scene and whatever happens, that when the birthday cake arrived, we were already prepping the next scene and we didn’t see what happened. And we learned about it on Twitter. So basically, we cannot tell you about the scene,” he joked. Do you wish Nicki and Madonna’s kiss had made it into the video? Let us know in the comments! Related Photos Five Key Moments In Madonna’s ‘Give Me All Your Luvin’ Music Video Related Artists Madonna Nicki Minaj M.I.A.
From ‘Dick Tracy’ to ‘Like a Virgin,’ MTV News spots the best winks to Queen of Pop’s many reinventions in brand-new video. By John Mitchell Madonna in her “Give Me All Your Luvin’ ” music video Photo: Interscope Madonna dropped her “Give Me All Your Luvin’ ” video on Friday morning (February 3), and the eye-popping clip featuring Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. has fans even more excited for the Queen of Pop’s halftime performance at Sunday’s Super Bowl. In the video, Madonna hits the streets flanked by Minaj, M.I.A. and a very protective football team for a tongue-in-cheek walk down memory lane. In scene after scene, the pop icon references her musical past. We combed through the cheeky clip for some of the best winks at Her Madgesty’s numerous reinventions. Here are our top five: 1. Madonna Passes the Pom-Poms to Nicki, M.I.A. Some of the most famous images of pre-fame Madonna are of the Michigan native in her high school cheerleading uniform, so it seems fitting that in “Your Luvin’, ” there’s what seems to be a symbolic passing of the pom-poms to Minaj and M.I.A. The video opens with Minaj and M.I.A. flying high at the top of a cheerleading formation on a suburban street, just the way Madonna Louise Ciccone might have as a cheerleader at Rochester Adams High School. 2. Getting a Lift — “Material Girl”-Style Not only does the uniformed football team guarding Madonna offer up umbrellas to shield her from raining sparks and throw down their letterman jackets to give her a makeshift red carpet to walk on, but the boys give the singer a lift in a move that feels straight out of her “Material Girl” video — but with a twist. As they help her to keep steady, viewers soon realize she’s walking down the side of a building! 3. Dodging a “Dick Tracy” Gangster As the pop queen parades down an alleyway, an old-school car pulls up alongside her, and then someone rolls down a window and opens fire. The mysterious villain employs a weapon that looks just like the vintage Colt M1921 Thompson submachine guns used by the baddies in Madonna’s hit flick “Dick Tracy.” Luckily, the ever-vigilant team guarding her leaps in front of the fire. 4. Kissing Cheerleaders … That Seems Familiar Madonna’s never been shy about admitting she’s kissed (many) girls — and liked it. But we think this little lingering look at two masked cheerleaders smooching is probably a direct reference to Madonna’s infamous lip lock with Britney Spears at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. (For the record, that legendary moment made our list of Madonna’s top five best MTV performances ever!) 5. Nicki and Madonna Have Blond Ambition Madonna climbs over a pile of football players and straight into a dream sequence that’s a smorgasbord of references to Madonna’s past. When she emerges from the huddle, gone are her long, flowing locks and black leather ensemble, and in their place is a short white lace dress and curly platinum-blond wig that recalls her Blond Ambition/”Vogue” era. The nod to her “Like a Virgin” years is underscored the second the camera cuts to Minaj, who sports a wedding dress that (minus a few ruffles) looks like it came straight from Madonna’s 1984 VMA performance. And while Minaj isn’t wearing Madonna’s famed “boy toy” belt, she does make a reference to it, rapping, “You can be my boy toy.” Are you luvin’ Madonna’s new video? Share your reviews on our Facebook page! Related Photos Five Key Moments In Madonna’s ‘Give Me All Your Luvin’ Music Video Related Artists Madonna
‘Once you rep the MMG flag, I’ll never step on your feet,’ Rick Ross tells MTV News of his former Maybach affiliate. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway Rick Ross Photo: MTV News God Forgives, I Don’t may be the name of Rick Ross ‘ upcoming LP, but the Bawse isn’t as coldhearted as his album title may suggest. When it comes to former Maybach Music affiliate Pill , Rozay wishes the Atlanta MC all the best. “I’m a real dude and I’m a real boss and once you rep the MMG flag, I’ll never step on your feet; Imma give you a pass anyway,” Ross told MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway of Pill while at French Montana’s “Shot Caller” remix video shoot in Miami on Sunday. In December, P-I-Double L took to Twitter to vent about his label situation with Warner Music Group , blaming WMG for his lack of radio and television support. Because of his prominent appearance on Maybach Music’s Self Made Vol. 1 compilation, many believed that Pill was signed to Ross’ label , but in an exclusive interview with MTV News in January, Pill revealed that he was never technically signed to Rozay and that his deal went strictly through MMG’s parent company, Warner. “Pill’s situation was a special situation because he was already signed to Warner before I did my label deal at Warner. So when I did do my deal, it was a business opportunity that was presented where Pill could run with the team for a year,” Ross confirmed. “I took that opportunity. That year ran its course and it was pretty much up to Warner what decisions they wanted to make with Pill as an artist after that point. I think they made it.” Pill told MTV News in January that he was working on getting a release from Warner and made it clear that he had no problems with anyone in MMG personally — though he did say that he and Ross didn’t speak very often. “I ain’t got nothing against none of them, nobody. It’s just the situation don’t work,” Pill said matter-of-factly. “It’s cool with us, I don’t got nothing against Ross either. It’s just I don’t talk to him.” Some believed that Pill’s outspokenness would anger the Boss, but Rozay didn’t take any of it to heart. “He made sure he reached out to me and called me and clarified,” Ross said. “He expressed that in no way was he disrespecting the team or the brand, because it’s a great opportunity and a great look.” As far as why the “Trap Goin’ Ham” rapper’s situation didn’t work out, Ross thought the young MC just needed a hit record and a little luck to build his momentum. He used the success of MMG’s Meek Mill and Wale to exemplify his point. “Certain things happen for certain people at certain times and none of us could really predict that,” he explained. “I couldn’t predict that Meek Mill would bring ‘Ima Boss’ to me or we couldn’t predict that Wale would bring ‘That Way.’ ” Even though Pill and WMG are now going their separate ways, Ross is looking forward to seeing his former Maybach affiliate rack up a win. “Hopefully, in the future he’ll bring him a hit record, and get him some paper and do his thing,” he said. “I wish him much success.” What do you hope to see from Pill in the future? Leave your comments below! Related Artists Rick Ross
‘They really set you up to succeed,’ Tatum tells MTV News of ‘SNL’ cast. By Christina Garibaldi Channing Tatum Photo: Getty Images This year is shaping up to be a huge one for Channing Tatum . With five movies set for release in 2012 — the next being “The Vow” with Rachel McAdams on February 10 — it’s makes sense that Tatum is about to reach a pretty big milestone in his career: hosting “Saturday Night Live” for the first time, alongside musical guest Bon Iver. MTV News caught up with star during rehearsals on the “SNL” set, where he seemed to be a little anxious taking on his newest role as host. “I’m more nervous then I could probably tell you,” Channing admitted. “It happened so sort of constant and fast, you don’t really get a chance to think about it all too much. Like, you go home, you think and think and think, then you pass out and your alarm goes off, and then you come and do it again.” The “SNL” cast is trying to put Tatum’s nerves at ease. “They take care of you so much, so they really set you up to succeed,” he said. “Everyone is so at the top of their game as far as writing and acting, and this is a machine like I’ve never seen before. I wish movies ran this efficient; we would make them better.” Tatum, who revealed that his favorite past “SNL” castmembers are Dan Aykroyd and Chris Kattan, got some unusual advice on what he should do Saturday night from onetime host Kelly Ripa. “She said to put Vaseline on my teeth because she said your mouth goes dry when you say your name and your lips are stuck to your teeth,” Channing said. “If I can remember it, I’ll do it, but maybe I’ll Vaseline the lips instead of the teeth.” Are you excited to see Channing Tatum host “Saturday Night Live”? Let us know in the comments! Check out everything we’ve got on “The Vow.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com .
Madge’s followers share love for her latest old-school clip, which she dropped Friday. By Jocelyn Vena Madonna in her “Give Me All Your Luvin’ ” music video Photo: Interscope On Friday (February 3), Madonna dropped the highly anticipated video for her lead MDNA single, “Give Me All Your Luvin’.” Directed by Megaforce , the clip is a feast for the eyes, specifically those who only have eyes for the Queen of Pop. Featuring Nicki Minaj and M.I.A in cheerleader uniforms, the clip is full of various references to her past work. It’s funky, surreal and a touch tongue-in-cheek. Only a few hours into the premiere, her fans had already formed their opinion about the video. So, what are they thinking? “Congratulations, Madonna. Thank you for you are always beyond the edge,” Fabio Pamplona wrote on Madonna’s Facebook page. But, he wasn’t the only Madge fan putting his two cents in on her site. “Great and funny video. The song didn’t grow on me yet, but it’s a fine pop gem, indeed, like the ones Martin [Solveig] usually does!” Alex Meyer added. “But, can’t wait for hearing the tracks with William [Orbit]!” Jennifer Sargent-Ormston had quite a lengthy response to the video. “LOVE IT!!! It was fun! I also like your hair like that, both ways.. and I thought the old school touches of yourself was a smart idea – or maybe you did it naturally? Even the album cover is your old school ways, and I thought it was smart,” she wrote. “I hope you do well with this album. I like that it’s dance as well. People respond well to FUN! Good luck with the superbowl, just kick ass and don’t be nervous – just do your ‘thang’!” Charlie Richey added, “The vid is super fun and the song super catchy!” Fans have also been taking to several of Madge’s biggest fan sites to praise the Queen’s latest video offering. Giannis Mdna Haralabidis noted on Madonnarama , “OK MADONNA IS OFFICIALLY BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER.” “Wow shes back and the fever is running through my veins,” Richard Wilson wrote on Madonna Tribe’s Facebook page. Meanwhile, another fan noted that visually the video couldn’t have been more intriguing. “Well, she said different than what’s going on in music today, and she did,” Trace Jenkins said. “Art direction in the video is amazing.” What did you think of the “Give Me All Your Luvin’ ” video? Leave your comment below! Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: Madonna Related Artists Madonna
Title of sophomore album stands for ‘Only N—-a in First Class,’ Wiz explains on ‘Sway in the Morning.’ By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway Wiz Khalifa Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images Wiz Khalifa is riding high off of his success, but it isn’t all good. On his sophomore album, O.N.I.F.C., Wiz will celebrate his victories, but he promises to give fans the other side, too. “It’s the Only N-Word in First Class,” Wiz said, breaking down the much-speculated acronym when he appeared on “Sway in the Morning” on Shade 45 on Friday (February 3). “It’s inspired by Prodigy’s H.N.I.C. When he dropped that, I felt like that sounded so strong.” When broken down, the title of Prodigy’s 2000 debut stands for “Head N—a in Charge,” so for his Only N—a in First Class, Wiz took cues from the Mobb Deep MC. There is a clean version of the album, too: One Night in First Class. Still, for Wiz the explicit title has so much more meaning. “I was just talking about me being a young rich dude and being black,” Wiz told Shade 45 hosts Sway and Devi Dev about his experience in airports. “It looks crazy to them when I walk up to them and show them my ticket or I’m going in priority seating, They’re like ‘You’re sure?’ ” On one hand Khalifa is glad that he’s made it; on the other, the racism that he’s experienced has left a bad taste in the rapper’s mouth. “It’s a good feeling and then it’s like a bad feeling because it’s like, ‘Damn, why do you feel like that about me,’ ” he said. Wiz Khalifa wants to motivate Pittsburgh artists with his success. Earlier in the interview, the Pittsburgh spitter told Sway how his next album will differ from his first. “When I did Rolling Papers, I was like, I’m gonna make these big songs, I’m gonna make these big records,” he said. “What I did before when I made my music was I just went in there and made music and it was what I really liked and what I felt at the time. I kinda developed a pattern of what I was going towards and that’s what I did on this album.” No word on when O.N.I.F.C. will be released, but Wiz says it is pretty much done. He didn’t confirm any guests, but he did reveal that he worked with at least one pretty accomplished producer. “I got production from Pharrell on there. I worked with a lot of different people on this one, but I kept the sound really consistent,” he said. “I made sure everybody that I worked with and everything that I did, they all came to my world with it.” Catch MTV News’ Sway Calloway on “Sway in the Morning,” on Sirius XM Radio’s Shade 45 , Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon ET. Related Artists Wiz Khalifa
‘Give Me All Your Luvin’ ‘ debuts Friday (February 3) in multimedia event preceding Queen of Pop’s Super Bowl halftime performance. By John Mitchell Madonna Photo: Getty Images Madonna debuted her new single, “Give Me All Your Luvin’,” on Friday (February 3) as part of a massive multimedia push ahead of her halftime performance at Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis, Indiana, and has also revealed the track list for her much-anticipated 12th studio album, MDNA . The Queen of Pop’s single was rolled out across Clear Channel’s many platforms, a promotional push that the company estimates will reach 150 million people around the world. In addition to radio, the song hit online venues like iHeartRadio.com, Clear Channel’s customized online radio service, and 1,600 digital billboards in the United States, France, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Singapore, Belgium, Finland and the United Kingdom, according to NPR . “This first-of-its-kind multimedia premiere with Madonna demonstrates the unequalled scope and strength of the entire Clear Channel platform,” Clear Channel CEO Bob Pittman said in a statement. The full-length Megaforce-directed video for the track also hit the Web Friday and features Her Madgesty and collaborators Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. taking to the streets in cheerleader-chic attire. “Luvin’ ” is a bouncy dance-pop track reminiscent of Madonna’s Grammy-winning “Beautiful Stranger.” Driven by glittery synths, marching band drums and claps, the song features guest raps from Minaj and M.I.A. and a deep nostalgia streak. With its simple, impossibly catchy chorus and “dance our lives away” message, the song, which was written and produced by Madonna and dance music master Martin Solveig, feels like classic Madonna re-imagined by the production dynamic that brought her widespread acclaim beginning with her 1998 electro-dance album Ray of Light . On her official website , Madonna revealed the track titles that will be featured on the deluxe edition of her new album, MDNA, which hits stores March 26 and features production work from Solveig and Light producer William Orbit. The deluxe edition will include 15 songs:
‘Talk Nerdy’ team debates the merits of more ‘Watchmen’ stories and breaks down this week’s box-office competitors ‘Chronicle’ and ‘Woman in Black.’ By Josh Wigler “Watchmen” comic Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures After “Watchmen,” comic book fans were left under the impression that there would be no more stories featuring Rorschach, Doctor Manhattan, Nite Owl and the rest of their morally ambiguous crime-fighting pals. But that was before “Before Watchmen.” The announcement of new “Watchmen” comic books rocked the fan community to its core, and we’re dealing with the fallout in this week’s round of “Talk Nerdy” madness. Watch the episode below, and keep reading for further nerdiness! Who Watches “Before Watchmen”? Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ most popular characters are returning to the paneled page, but Moore and Gibbons are nowhere to be found. Instead, DC Comics has hired a crew consisting of Darwyn Cooke, Brian Azzarello, J. Michael Straczynski and others to spearhead “Before Watchmen,” a series of seven different comic book titles (each containing no fewer than four issues) debuting later this year. It’s a controversial decision to return to what many consider to be sacred material, sure, but in the eyes of the Nerds, it’s also a no-brainer: How do you turn down buckets filled with million-dollar bills, after all? Get their take on the news, plus some insight from MTV Geek ‘s very own Valerie Gallaher. Spidey Misses “The Avengers” Elsewhere in the superhero space, rumors involving a possible Spider-Man cameo in “The Avengers” were officially shot down this week during a Twitter Q&A with director Joss Whedon . “There is no Spider-Man cameo,” he declared. “But the Avengers do turn off the dark.” Even with a fork in the rumors, the Nerdy crew couldn’t help but wonder about the possibilities of Spidey yukking it up with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. See if they were for or against a visit from your friendly neighborhood web-head in your weekly dose of Nerdy. Potter Wears “Black,” Heroes Get Chronicled It continues to be an eventful year at the box office, with not one but two extremely geek-friendly movies hitting theaters this weekend. We’re talking, of course, about the Daniel Radcliffe-starring “Woman in Black” and the found-footage superhero film “Chronicle” from young director Josh Trank. But there’s another movie in the mix that one of our hosts wholeheartedly endorses, a decision so controversial, so outrageous, that his very Nerdy membership is now very much in jeopardy. Intrigued? Watch the episode to see more! For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos Talk Nerdy
Days before her big halftime show, MTV News counts down the Queen of Pop’s most-iconic moments on our stage. By John Mitchell Madonna at the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards Photo: Getty Images America will be the first audience for the Queen of Pop in over two years when Madonna takes the stage at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis as the halftime act for Super Bowl XLVI . If her history with MTV is any indicator, she’s likely to blow the roof off the joint. Madonna is known for her over-the-top live performances and will most assuredly have her game face on with the world watching this Sunday. Not that she ever slacks in the live performance department: Her most recent tour, Sticky & Sweet, was the highest-grossing tour ever by a solo artist and the fourth-biggest tour of all time. From Live Aid in 1985 to Live 8, 20 years later, she’s headlined some of the biggest musical events of the past quarter century. Check out photos of Madonna’s iconic MTV performances! Some of her best and most-iconic performances, though, have taken place on MTV. Her relationship with the channel has been a symbiotic one: We gave her a nice big platform early in her career and she ran with it, writhing onstage to “Like a Virgin” at the 1984 Video Music Awards, earning heaps of press for herself and our first big show while helping to establish the VMAs as the performance event they are today. She’s since thanked us by returning again and again to tear up the stage with some of her biggest hits. As we gear up for Madonna’s big gig at the Super Bowl, we take a look back with a countdown of her biggest and best MTV performances. 5. “Hung Up,” 2005 MTV EMAs Less than three months after a fall from a horse broke her collarbone, hand and three ribs, Madonna opened the 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards with a performance of the lead single from her Grammy-winning Confessions on a Dance Floor . Wearing a purple leotard and matching leather boots, Madonna emerged from a massive disco ball looking and sounding as strong as ever to perform the Stuart Price co-produced track, which went on to become her 36th top 10 hit in America and topped the charts in 41 countries. Madonna’s dancing and energy here proved what we’ve long suspected — that she is a real-life “X-Men” character with superhuman regeneration powers. How else do you explain the then-47-year-old’s ability to put on a show-stopping performance after a fall that would have sidelined far-younger performers for much longer? 4. “Like a Virgin/Hollywood,” 2003 VMAs Yeah, you knew it was coming. It was the kiss heard ’round the world. The performance opened as a tribute to Madonna’s iconic 1984 VMA take on “Like a Virgin” (more on that below) with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera trading vocals before segueing into a performance of “Hollywood” from American Life . The audience rose to its feet as Her Madgesty descended from atop a wedding cake, dressed in a feminized tuxedo, to dance, sing and, yes, smooch, Spears and Aguilera. The kiss caused a firestorm of controversy and remains one of the biggest pop-culture moments of the past decade. 3. “Like a Virgin,” 1984 VMAs There she was: Then an up-and-coming singer with a few hits (“Holiday,” “Lucky Star”) under her trademark “Boy Toy” belt, wearing a wedding gown and shimmying her way down a wedding cake at the first-ever MTV Video Music Awards. It remains arguably one of the most landmark live musical performances in history and was a fitting national introduction to Madonna. Oh, and her famous roll-on-the-floor dance move, you know the one — M rolling around onstage with her dress up over her head — well, Madonna didn’t mean for that to happen. As she told Jay Leno earlier this week, she lost her shoe as she was descending the wedding cake set piece and, in an effort to dive for it without being obvious, she rolled across the stage. After she came offstage, her then-manager Freddy DeMann told her that she’d gone too far and her career was over. What do you think about that now, Freddy? 2. “Express Yourself,” 1989 VMAs It might not be as iconic as her VMA debut or as controversial as “The Kiss,” but Madonna’s simple, full-voiced performance of “Express Yourself” at the 1989 VMAs is one of her best and serves as a roundup of everything we loved about ’80s Madonna (that hair, those baggy pants!) and a preview of what was to come in the ’90s. Unlike many of her performances, this take on “Express Yourself” feels very stripped down — just Madonna, two backup singers (longtime touring collaborators Niki Haris and Donna DeLory) and a light-up staircase. The choreography and staging largely foreshadowed how Madge tackled her tune as the opening number for her legendary 1990 Blonde Ambition World Tour, but late in the performance, she gives the audience their first taste of voguing months before “Vogue” actually hit radio in 1990. We also get a pre-cone-bra look at Madonna in a Jean Paul Gaultier bustier, a look she would rock well into the new decade. Perhaps best of all, as she walks offstage knowing she just nailed it, we get a glimpse of that signature Madonna confidence when the pop superstar high-fives Haris and DeLory and simply proclaims “Yeah!” as she disappears offstage. 1. “Vogue,” 1990 VMAs A year later, Madonna returned to the Video Music Awards to present what could be the most-influential pop performance in the awards’ history. With the stage ornately decorated to resemble an 18th century French parlor and her dancers in period grab, Madonna took the stage dressed, massive powdered wig and all, like Marie Antoinette to launch a full-on performance-art spectacle set to her #1 hit “Vogue.” Backed by her Blonde Ambition dancers as well as Haris and DeLory, Madonna lip-synched and fan-danced her way through the elaborate, sexy and innovative act with so much superstar swagger that it practically radiated from the TV. And 21 years later, you can see the impact of this performance — and more broadly, this period of Madonna’s career — everywhere, from Lady Gaga’s VMA performance of “Paparazzi” in 2009 to just about every tour any female pop star has launched since. Madonna didn’t just give her peers license to put on theatrical concerts and over-the-top TV performances, she made it a pop necessity. Share your predictions about Madonna’s Super Bowl halftime show in the comments below! Related Videos Madonna’s Top MTV Performances MTV Rough Cut: Madonna
‘I am like my character in that I am black,’ Jordan Carlos jokes to MTV News before tonight’s premiere. By Jocelyn Vena Sunkrish Bala, Elisabeth Hower and Jordan Carlos Photo: MTV News The characters on MTV’s new scripted series “I Just Want My Pants Back” are young, occasionally romantically challenged and always up for a good time. The show, set in New York, is a nonstop party that follows the lives of several twentysomethings trying to find love and find themselves in the Big Apple. The characters each play a role (sassy, neurotic, lustful) in their circle of friends, the same way that those other “Friends” did back in the 1990s. The show focuses on Jason, Tina and the rest of their Brooklyn-dwelling crew as they struggle with unemployment and general disaffection. But are the actors anything like their characters on the show? MTV News investigates. Jordan Carlos and Elisabeth Hower play the show’s only couple. Their characters, Eric and Stacey, are extremely driven (she goes to law school, he goes to med school) and very much in love, but for Carlos the similarities begin and end with only one trait. “I am a black person,” he joked. “I am like my character in that I am black.” Hower, almost on cue, added, “I am also a girl in real life,” before noting that there’s some part of those people in their real-life personas. “No, I think there’s a little bit of all of us in the characters. We all have to connect to our characters.” Meanwhile, Sunkrish Bala plays Bobby, the gang’s pal and the owner of their local bodega. Always quick with some sassy advice, Bala notes that, well, he’s not quite like Bobby. “I’m nothing like my character,” he said. “But I know a lot of guys like [him]. I have a relationship with guys [like that].” While one half of the cast finds it harder to relate to their small-screen counterparts, Kim Shaw and Peter Vack seem to relate a bit more to their characters on the show. With notes of “Sex and the City” thanks to the characters’ ups and downs in the romance department, Shaw plays the sexy, Samantha-esque Tina, while Vack plays Jason, the male hipster equivalent to Carrie Bradshaw. “We’re probably too much like them!” Shaw laughed. “I wish I was a little quicker with my words like Tina is. She says exactly what she’s thinking all the time. I think [Vack is] not as sexually deviant as Jason is on the show.” “Jason’s not a sexual deviant,” Vack protested. “I’m a romantic like Jason.” “I Just Want My Pants Back” premieres tonight at 11 p.m. ET, right after “Jersey Shore.” Stick with MTV’s Remote Control blog for more coverage of the show. Related Videos I Just Want My Pants Back | Sneak Peeks
