‘The video is a fantasy story,’ statement says after U.K. criticism that the clip glorifies violence. By James Montgomery Britney Spears and Jason Trawick on the set of her “Criminal” video shoot Photo: Eagle Eyes / Splash News When Britney Spears flew to London earlier this month to shoot her video for “Criminal,” she probably didn’t think the clip would generate the kind of controversy it has. And yet, in the week since she wrapped filming, Spears has been taken to task by politicians in the U.K. for a scene in the video, in which the pop star packs a pistol as she flees a London-area building. They’ve claimed that the image of Brit gripping a gun glamorizes violence and, in the aftermath of the widespread riots that rattled the nation last month, the pop star should “apologize … for the rudeness and damage that she’s done to our community.” Late Monday (September 26), MTV News received a statement from Spears’ camp about the “Criminal” controversy — and, from the sound of things, she’s not going to be apologizing anytime soon. “The video is a fantasy story featuring Britney’s boyfriend, Jason Trawick, which literally plays out the lyrics of a song written three years before the riots ever happened,” the statement read. Criticisms of the “Criminal” video began last week, after images of Spears and Trawick making an escape from an apparent robbery (with Brit brandishing a replica revolver) began making the rounds. The scene in question was shot in the London borough of Hackney, which was hit hard by the August riots, and local politicians were upset by what they saw as an insensitive gesture by Spears. “It is only a music video, but it’s images like this, with pop stars glamorizing gangs, which means that some young people … get drawn in,” Hackney’s Member of Parliament, Diane Abbott, told the ITV news program “London Tonight.” “Britney should really know better.” Hackney’s council members — who gave Spears’ camp the OK to shoot at the nearby Stoke Newington Town Hall — also took issue with the fact that no one involved with the production of the “Criminal” video mentioned that a gun was to be used in the clip and, had they known, they would not have allowed filming in the recently restored building. “In this case we did not agree that a replica gun could be used at Stoke Newington Town Hall and are disappointed,” the council said in a statement to “London Tonight.” “We will be raising this matter with the production company.” Related Artists Britney Spears
Latest photo of actress in ‘Dark Knight Rises’ gear shows lots of leather, dangerously high heels and a curious set of ears. By Eric Ditzian Anne Hathaway on the set of “Dark Knight Rises” Photo: PhamousFotos/ Splash News Where are Catwoman’s ears? And what’s up with her eyewear, perhaps more reminiscent of BluBlockers than something a Gotham City villain would rock? Those were among our first questions in August when we checked out the first official photo of Anne Hathaway in character . Newly published paparazzi pics from the Los Angeles set of “The Dark Knight Rises,” however, might deliver answers to both of those geeky queries. The new shots appear to suggest Catwoman’s glasses flip up to create ear-like points above her head. Function and form! In a sense, then (and if this hypothesis is correct), Hathaway’s full costume was on display back in August, just not in a recognizable or complete form. The glasses-into-ears theory appears to be a more logical one than another bit of superhero speculation out there: that Catwoman’s mask, based on those hollow-looking ears and some similar design lines, is actually Batman’s mask, artfully mangled. While Hathaway’s character clearly does a bit of borrowing (or, more likely, stealing) from Bruce Wayne, as in the photo where she rides his Batpod, we’re not sold on the similarity between each mask. The rest of the costume, as revealed in the new photos, is largely what we’ve already seen: lots of tight leather and a pair of dangerously high-heel boots; we can understand why Hathaway has previously cracked that she is living on kale and dust, just so she can slip into the ensemble. According to Hathaway, the collective reaction to the first look at her Catwoman costume — including in some corners within the MTV Newsroom — was a resounding, “Meh.” But the actress also promised us that we’ve only seen “about a tenth of what that suit can do.” Perhaps her transforming ears — if that’s what they really are — represent a few more percentage points. With the rapid pace of photos coming out the “Dark Knight” set, we’ll undoubtedly get even more soon. Check out everything we’ve got on “The Dark Knight Rises.” For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com . Related Photos Analyzing Catwoman’s Costume In ‘Dark Knight Rises’
Young Money MC will appear alongside host Anna Faris on October 15 episode. By James Dinh Drake Photo: Getty Images On October 15, Drake will make his “Saturday Night Live” debut in an episode hosted by Anna Faris. NBC made the announcement Monday (September 26), also revealing that Ben Stiller and musical guest Foster the People are booked for the October 8 show. Drake’s appearance will come just before the release of his sophomore effort, Take Care, which hits stores October 24 (also his birthday). It also marks the second time a Young Money artist has graced the late-night sketch show this year; Nicki Minaj served as musical guest back in February. News of Drizzy’s “SNL” gig comes just days after the rapper took to his October’s Very Own blog to unveil his Take Care LP artwork . In addition to the visual, Drake also wrote a short note to his fans, in which he admitted his anticipation about finally dropping the project. “Feels like it’s been so long,” he wrote, before asking a series of questions about awaiting special moments. “Maybe our anticipation is justified by the fact that we genuinely cannot wait to share a moment again? Either way, your life and mine are scheduled to meet on October 24 … I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Drake told MTV News early this month that the LP’s lead single, “Headlines,” was the perfect tune to launch the project. “I think it’s great; the purpose of that record was solely to deliver a message,” he said. “I could’ve gone with the record that was sort of super radio-friendly, but I really just wanted to talk to the people with the first record.” “Headlines” is just one of many tunes the OVOXO star has released to appease fans’ appetites. Just a few weeks ago, the hip-hop heavyweight dropped even more new material, including “Club Paradise,” “Free Spirit” and a remix of Waka Flocka Flame’s “Round of Applause.” Are you excited to see Drake on “SNL”? Tell us in the comments! Related Artists Drake
Couple ate a steak dinner and watched ‘Titanic’ alone in the L.A. arena. By Gil Kaufman Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez (file) Photo: Getty Images Justin Bieber may only be 17, but the kid has crazy mature boyfriend skills when it comes to doing special things for his girl Selena Gomez . Case in point: The dynamic duo went out for a decent-enough date on Friday night to see Gomez’s pal Demi Lovato play a show at the Nokia Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. Then, according to TMZ , he surprised Gomez after the concert with an even bigger show right next door at the Staples Center, the 20,000-seat home of the Los Angeles Lakers. After 11 p.m., Bieber told Gomez , “follow me,” and the pair walked through an underground tunnel that connects the two arenas. As they walked into the empty building, all Gomez saw was a table for two set up on the floor with a steak and pasta dinner from the venue’s fancy restaurant, the Lexus Club. The major date was inspired by a scene in the Adam Sandler flick “Mr. Deeds,” in which Sandler’s character surprises his date, Winona Ryder, with a date for two at Madison Square Garden. After the superstar couple’s meal, things got even more romantic when “Titanic” began playing on a screen in the arena. According to reports, Bieber got the venue for free as a thank-you from the bosses at Staples for his string of three previous sell-outs there. After making things way harder for his fellow man with his big-balling gesture, Biebs had a message for all the dudes out there who aren’t pulling their weight when it comes to the chivalry department. “Romance isn’t dead,” he tweeted after his date. “Treat your lady right fellas.” Easy for you to say, dude. What do you think of Justin’s date idea for Selena? Tell us in the comments! Related Photos Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez: A Look Back In Photos Related Artists Justin Bieber Selena Gomez
Nicki Minaj’s everyday outfits might look like Halloween costumes for some, but here’s who she plans on dressing up as for trick or treat season. RELATED POSTS: Who Did Dwyane Wade Dress Up Like For Halloween? [PHOTOS] HOT OR NOT: Ashanti’s “Sexy” Cheetah Halloween Costume [PHOTOS]
The notion of completely doing away with the “N-Word” is an on-going debate with no clear end in sight. Some people find it offensive, cringing anytime it is heard whether it be mainstream or locally; some others come across nonchalantly, seemingly careless. Some say it has no meaning left to it and that it is simply a word. Some agree that “n***a” is different than saying “n***r” because one has malicious intent and the other simply a way to address an individual of any race. With several opposing sides the debate seems unsolvable. The “N-Word” is used frequently in Hip Hop and often defended by the artists. DJ Khaled, Palestinian descent, most recently defended his use of the word in an interview with GrindHD.com saying “I’m a n***a. If somebody ever took that in an arrogant – if someone thinks it in another way, they dumb.I grew up like that. It’s slang. It’s actually a positive word the way that I use it, the way that Ace [Hood] is using it. If you think like that, that goes back to the internet.” It is evident that the “N-Word” isn’t taking a vacation anytime soon, the question I pose for you is, as an African American are you more offended when other races use the word ‘n***r’?” In 2008 Fat Joe, Puerto Rican/Cuban descent, said “N***a, b***h, hoe/some chicks is b****s, some chicks is hoes…Now who gonna tell me I can’t say n***a?” Does that comment sting more than it would if it was coming from a black person? Lets try this line from Jay-Z’s song “N***a What?” which uses the word throughout the song: “N***a what, n***a who? n***a what, n***a who? Switch ya flow, get ya dough, can’t f**k with this Roc-a-Fella s**t doe.” Jay-Z uses the same “N-Word” as Khaled and Joe but being that he is doesn’t get penalized. Does that make it easier to cope? Let me know in the comments…
Critics herald the baseball flick as ‘the prime Brad Pitt movie.’ By Kara Warner Brad Pitt in “Moneyball” Photo: Columbia TriStar On paper, “Moneyball” is a movie that sells itself. It’s based on a best-selling book about our national pastime, the screenplay for which was adapted by Oscar winners Aaron Sorkin and Steve Zaillian, and it stars Brad Pitt, in all his handsome, charming splendor, as Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane. Throw in a killer supporting cast that includes Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman and several real-life ball players, and you’ve got the makings of a hit. With a 94 percent certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes , “Moneyball” seems to be a solid winner with critics. So take an early seventh-inning stretch and settle in for some sports clich
Former Fugees singer recalls trying to get out of summer school on the latest episode, airing Saturday at 11 a.m. ET/PT on MTV. By Dionne Buxton Wyclef Jean on “When I Was 17” Photo: MTV Before Wyclef Jean began his quest to conquer hunger in Haiti, he had to get past his first obstacle: Mrs. Serrato. On this week’s episode of “When I Was 17,” premiering Saturday at 11 a.m. ET/PT on MTV, Wyclef speaks candidly about the trials he had to overcome to shape him into the multifaceted man he is today. Graduation time had arrived and Wyclef was ready to get fitted for his gown when his high school guidance counselor told him he was wasting his time. “So I’m going to get sized up, and they’re like, ‘Well, it’s not necessary for you to get sized up, because there’s one class you have to finish in summer school,’ ” he recalled. “I’m like, ‘What?’ ” He soon found out that he had earned an F in Algebra 2, and in order for him to walk with his classmates, his teacher had to change his grade. So Wyclef — being the out-of-the-box thinker he is — decided an apple wasn’t enough to win his teach over: He had to do what he does best to persuade Mrs. Serrato to give him a better grade. “At 17, there’s a certain confidence that you have,” Wyclef said. “So I was like, ‘If I sing a song for this woman, she’s gonna melt and I’m gonna get a D and I’mma pass the course.’ ” Wyclef grabbed his guitar and waltzed into his math class with an original song. “I was like, ‘I just wrote a song for you and I would just like to share it with you.’ ” Did Wyclef’s swoon tactic work? Find out when the former Fugees member appears on Saturday’s “When I Was 17.” “When I Was 17” — this week featuring Wyclef Jean and “Awkward” star Ashley Rickards — airs Saturday at 11 a.m. ET/PT on MTV. Related Videos ‘When I Was 17’ Sneak Peek Featuring Wyclef And Ashley Rickards Related Artists Wyclef Jean
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Nevermind, band’s close friend — and former MTV staffer — Amy Finnerty recalls their rise to fame. By James Montgomery, with reporting by Vanessa WhiteWolf Kurt Cobain Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage When Amy Finnerty first met Nirvana , she had just come to MTV to work in the Music and Programming department. Of course, she didn’t let them know that fact. She was just blown away to finally meet the guys who had made her favorite album (at least at that point): Bleach. Over the next four years, Finnerty would not only become close friends with the band, but intrinsically linked to them too. Since she was just a few years younger than the guys (not to mention a huge fan), she was one of the first people within the company to champion them — and was almost singlehandedly responsible for getting their “Smells Like Teen Spirit” on the channel. And because of all that — and the 20th anniversary of the epochal Nevermind album — MTV News sat down with Finnerty to get the inside story on the days before Nirvana became a household name and the wild (and amazing) times that followed after. And it all started with that first meeting, backstage in New York. “The first night I met Nirvana, I was backstage at, I think it was a Waterboys show, and the band was in New York, touring on the Bleach album, and they were being courted by a bunch of record labels, Geffen being one of them,” she said. “So I’m standing around backstage, and I see Kurt Cobain leaning up against the wall, and, uh, ‘Oh my God, that’s Kurt from Nirvana.’ And, at that point, they weren’t Nirvana — I mean, they were to me, but not everybody on the planet knew who they were — but, I was terrified. I was scared to go up and introduce myself, but I did. And he said, ‘How do you even know who I am ?’ And I said ‘You’re in Nirvana! I’m going to see your band at the Pyramid in a few days! You’re a great, great band!’ “And he was pretty surprised, so we got to chatting and he said to me, ‘Who are you? What are you doing here?’ and I said, ‘Oh, well, I work at MTV, whatever,’ and so he screams down the hall, ‘Krist, this girl works at MTV.’ And it was on from that second,” she laughed. “They started teasing me, making fun of me, Krist was throwing beer around, we were shaking up our beer bottles and squirting each other with beer and stuff, so, it immediately became this joke, because I really wasn’t trying to tell them what I did [at MTV]. For the longest time, they referred to me as ‘V.P. of Post-It Notes,’ because they didn’t know that I worked in Music Programming, because they would’ve teased me about it.” Riki Rachtman recalls Nirvana’s cross-dressing appearance on “Headbangers Ball.” Of course, in the months that followed, the hype around the band (and their then-forthcoming album Nevermind ) began to swirl, and once Finnerty heard what they guys had been working on with producer Butch Vig, she knew big things were on the horizon. “The first time I listened to the record, it was like, when you’re on vacation and you see something really beautiful that you’ve never seen before and you open your eyes up super-wide, because you want to get the memory ingrained into your brain, and that’s the way I felt,” she said. “I was trying to remember every single note.” Still, convincing the folks at MTV to take a chance on the band proved a lot tougher than she’d imagined. After all, she was young, and the band was virtually unknown outside of a few hip enclaves around the country. But that all changed the second she saw the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video — which, in a bit of alt-rock kismet, arrived in her office at the exact moment another soon-to-be-huge band did too. “The Smashing Pumpkins were staying at my house, and I said, ‘You guys, come by MTV, give me the keys to the apartment, and then I’ll bring you around the halls and introduce you to some people.’ … And so the Pumpkins came in 10 minutes after I had gotten my hands on that music video, and so we went into my office to watch it, and everyone thought it was incredible,” Finnerty said. “So I took the video and I walked around the halls at MTV and simultaneously introduced a bunch of people to the Smashing Pumpkins, and then we’d watch the video … and then we’d go to a producer’s office and I’d say, ‘These are the Smashing Pumpkins, and the Gish record that just came out is so incredible, and they’re going to send us a video. Oh, and by the way, we’ve got this Nirvana video; you have to check it out.’ ” Nirvana’s rise to fame, in their own words. After Finnerty showed a few folks within the building “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, she brought it to MTV’s music meeting, where the fates of new videos were decided. After some healthy back-and-forth, it was determined that “Spirit” would be given a world premiere during MTV’s “120 Minutes” (with rotation on the channel to begin the following week). It was a sink-or-swim moment for the band and as you’re probably aware, things worked out pretty well. “That was unprecedented; MTV, as far as I know, had never world-premiered a video for a band that they had no history with,” Finnerty explained. “And then … some of the crew and a lot of the people that were on the road with the band came over to my house that Sunday night, and we all sat up waiting for this world premiere, and, like, I took pictures of it. It was a big moment!” It was just the first of many for the band and their friend. But for all the highlights, perhaps none illustrates Nirvana’s scruffy charm quite like a story Finnerty told us about a party she threw for the band at her New York City apartment. Twenty years later, it’s one she’s still amazed by — sort of like the band she helped become huge (“in some small way,” she cautioned) just by believing. “So Nirvana played in New York, and I had decided to have a party at my apartment afterwards … and the band came, and I think [the Pixies’] Kim Deal was there, and then there were just a host of other people that I had no idea who they were. And I leaned over to Kurt and I was like, ‘Are these your friends? Do you know any of these people?’ And he was like, ‘I don’t know any of these people … do you want me to get them to leave?’ ” she recalled. “So he said, ‘I’m going to walk out, I’m going to go downstairs and hide under the stairs, and everyone’s going to leave. Watch.’ And so he walked out, and, you know, you could see everyone trying to act casual, but they all saw him leave, and then it was like a mass exodus; within 10 minutes my apartment was cleared. “And then he came back up and got me and told me that we were going to go listen to the best jukebox in town, and I thought I was going to have this unbelievable night of listening to some hidden punk rock on some cool jukebox in New York, right?” she continued. “But instead he took me to the 119 Bar, which, at the time, had a jukebox that only played disco music. And so we danced to Donna Summer, and then we went home. It was a pretty amazing night.” Stick with MTV News all week as we reveal the Nevermind You Never Knew , celebrating the 20th anniversary of Nirvana’s definitive album with classic footage, new interviews and much more. Related Artists Nirvana
Singer says influences for her upcoming album, due October 24, include Prince, Sheryl Crow and Radiohead. By Matt Elias Kelly Clarkson on the cover of Stronger Photo: RCA Records In her nearly decade-long career, Kelly Clarkson has kicked out an album almost every two years. But if you’re expecting something predictable from Clarkson’s fifth studio effort, Stronger (due October 24), you’re in for a surprise. While she’s not completely reinventing her sound, the former ” American Idol ” winner counts Prince, Sheryl Crow, Tina Turner and Radiohead among this album’s big influences. Clarkson explained how you get from “Because of You” to Kid A . “It was a lot of soulful stuff,” Clarkson said. “You know what I’m saying? Like, Radiohead is alternative, but they’re very soulful. And Sheryl Crow, very soulful singer/songwriter. So it’s all very soulful, rhythmic pop rock.” “Oh yeah, there’s a little bit of dance,” Clarkson continued. “One of the songs, it’s probably gonna be a single, ‘What Doesn’t Kill You,’ it’s a great song and definitely … that’s the one everybody will be jumping up and down to.” That combination of soul, rock, pop and dance is apparent in the album’s lead single, the ultimate tell-off anthem ” Mr. Know It All .” But what are Clarkson’s other top picks from the LP? ” ‘You Love Me’ is probably one of my favorites,” Clarkson said. ” ‘Honestly’ is another one. ‘What Doesn’t Kill You,’ I can’t wait to perform that live. We’ve already rehearsed it and it’s so much fun. It’s like this big dance anthem. That’ll be the one [that’s] kinda like ‘Since U Been Gone,’ [with] people jumping up and down to [it], and it’s just kind of really inspiring, so I can’t wait to perform that one.” In addition to “You Love Me” and “What Doesn’t Kill You,” we couldn’t help but notice the frequency of the word “you” in the album’s track list, with songs like “Standing in Front of You,” “I Forgive You” and “You Can’t Win.” Add in the album’s title, Stronger, and the clues are there that someone has done Kelly wrong over the past two years. Or at least that’s how it seems. “They’re all different ‘you’s,’ ” Clarkson said. “There’s no common, like, it wasn’t like one, I didn’t have a bad breakup or anything, it wasn’t like that. No I just think life is about relationships, so I always write about all these different ones going on in my life and I don’t really have a filter. So it’s usually very [straightforward].” Related Artists Kelly Clarkson
