Emily Maynard debuts as The Bachelorette May 14, and we’re starting to piece together the coming season of the long-running ABC guilty pleasure. The Bachelorette spoilers revealed thus far show that the men competing from Emily mostly range in age from 25-35, and are Caucasian. Shocker! She’ll meet a teacher, a gym owner, a model, a bunch of of executives, a big-name race car driver (seriously) and a Jef with one “f” (also seriously). Emily Maynard , 25, won Brad Womack’s season of The Bachelor, but that didn’t work out. She bested Ashley Hebert, the previous Bachelorette star. As he did then, Reality Steve has been digging like a madman for spoilers on the upcoming season for those of us who can’t wait until the summer. What has he found out through his mysterious unnamed sources? Quite a bit, and his track record would suggest it’s more than a little accurate. Come along as we reveal the men who will vie for the North Carolina native’s heart – and the final four who are left standing! Who are the lucky fellas? Follow the jump and let’s get this party started! Here’s a roster of the men Emily meets on the season premiere May 14: Ryan Bowers , 31, Evans, Ga., gym owner. Jef Holm , 27, St. George, Utah, CEO of People Water. Doug Clerget , 33, Tacoma, Wash., vice president at Kidder Matthews.
‘We did not like how he treated her,’ Hudson says of alleged killer William Balfour. By Gil Kaufman Jennifer Hudson in court on Monday Photo: Splash News What was expected to be one of the most dramatic moments in the trial of the man accused of killing Oscar-winning singer Jennifer Hudson ‘s mother, brother and nephew occurred in the first hours when Hudson took the stand and tearfully recounted her family’s disapproval of William Balfour. According to the Chicago Tribune Hudson choked back tears on Monday (April 23) morning as she told jurors that no one in her family wanted Balfour to marry her sister. “We didn’t like the way he treated her, and I didn’t like the way he treated my nephew,” she said of Balfour, who has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder in the October 24, 2008 slayings of Hudson’s mother, Darnell Donerson; brother Jason Hudson; and her 7-year-old nephew, Julian King. Dressed in all black with her hair pulled back into a ponytail, Hudson spoke at a whisper at times and was asked by the judge to speak louder when she became inaudible. Hudson didn’t offer much insight into the murders themselves, but the Tribune reported that her emotional testimony painted a “heartbreaking picture of a close-knit family torn apart by a violent crime.” The singer had to stop to compose herself at times on the stand as she spoke about her beloved mother and nephew. She said she spoke to or texted Donerson every day and when she received a call from her distraught sister about the murders she flew back immediately to Chicago to identify the bodies of her mother and brother at the morgue. “We were trying everything, anything we could do to get him back,” she said of the $100,000 reward offered for the safe return of King. “It was always me and my Tugga Bear,” she said, using the family’s pet name for King as she fought to retain her composure. The child was found two days after the murders in an abandoned vehicle that prosecutors claim Balfour stole from the scene of the crime. Hudson is expected to attend every day of the trial and was accompanied on the first day by her fianc
Is that that isht you don’t like?? Chicago Rapper Chief Keef Says Birdman Wants Him To Sign To Cash Money Things are becoming quite real for the 16 year old Chicago native, Chief Keef. Keef, who has captured Hip Hop’s attention with songs like “I Don’t Like” and “3hunna”, said on twitter Birdman called him asking to sign him. Hit HipHopWired to read more More On Bossip! Dirty Dog Diaries: MORE Women Come Forward Telling Royce That Her New Boo-Thang Dezmon Briscoe Been Tryna Chop Them Down Too! Single And Ready To Mingle: The 10 Best Cities To Meet New People And Get Freaky! Cheaper To Chop Her: Men (And Women) That Got Caught Trying To Pay For That Poon Ain’t That A B–?! Dirty Dogs That Faced Bad Karma For Their Dirty Dog Ways
Shia LaBeouf popped up on a whim last weekend at Chicago’s C2E2 to peddle three original comic books he created, and thanks to the lucky and enterprising comics fans on the ground the internet now has a look at the imagery and philosophical musings whirling around in Shia’s brain. Like: Random thoughts on poets (they bore him), someone who looks an awful lot like the boogeyman (okay, LaBeouf pal Marilyn Manson ), and the adventures of a canyon-jumping biker and his sombrero-wearing pal. Comics Alliance got their hands on two of the three books LaBeouf flew into Chicago to sell and sign (entitled “Let’s F****** Party,” “Stale N Mate,” and “Cyclical”) and shared a few pages, along with this critique: “I’d be lying if I said LaBeouf’s comics — if you can call picture books consisting entirely of splash pages and only the occasional word balloon comics — are any good. They aren’t.” Way harsh, guys! Take a look for yourself: Art by Shia LaBeouf via Comics Alliance Meanwhile, The Chicago Tribune was just as surprised to find LaBeouf in C2E2’s Artists Alley: During a rare break in the line, LaBeouf, in a booming, quasi-mock arrogant voice, explained that this comic here — titled “Let’s … Party” — is an illustrated book of his thoughts and that this comic book here — titled “Stale N Mate” —is about an incarcerated man who really just wants a smoke. Asked if he wanted to be a comic book artist now, he replied: “I didn’t think I wanted to, but I love this, man. I’m so used to working in a room with 50 people looking at me. Doing these books are like singing in the shower.” Honestly, I’ve seen far cruder art work and pretentious conceptual-philosophical doodlings among the self-published books you can find in any hipster bookstore in Los Angeles. Forget the mainstream, Shia. Sell your books in Silverlake and you’ll be anointed an indie comics celeb wunderkind in no time. [ Comics Alliance , Chicago Tribune ]
by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni The Chicago Bulls were able to handle business against the visiting Miami Heat last night, and they did it largely without Derrick Rose. The reigning MVP was awful — coming off an ankle injury, Rose only mustered a career-low two points on 1/13 shooting from the field — and Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau decided it was in the best interest of the team if Derrick sat on… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : SLAM Online Discovery Date : 13/04/2012 05:41 Number of articles : 2
The Bench Mob leads Chicago past Miami, while the Spurs and Clippers win out West. Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : SLAM Online Discovery Date : 13/04/2012 05:49 Number of articles : 2
It doesn’t appear that President Obama’s opinion of Kanye West has changed. After Obama let it slip before an interview (below) with ABC’s Nightline two years ago that he thought the rapper was a “jackass” for interrupting Taylor Swift’s speech at the MTV VMAs, he offered up a further assessment of him this week. The verdict? Unchanged. President Obama Calls Kanye West a Jackass Asked if he prefers Kanye or Jay-Z,” the President replied with a smile , “Jay-Z. Although I do like Kanye. He’s a Chicago guy. Smart. He’s very talented.” After being reminded of the slam heard around the world, Obama stuck to his guns regarding the outspoken performer and boyfriend of Kim Kardashian . “He is a jackass,” he added. “But he’s talented.” His girlfriend, on the other hand …
For ‘Twilight’ Tuesday, we chat with experts about why young readers relate to the YA heroines. By Kara Warner Jennifer Lawrence in “The Hunger Games” Photo: Lionsgate No matter how you feel about “The Twilight Saga” as a film franchise, Stephenie Meyer ‘s vampire romance inspired millions of young readers to pick up a book and read. Anything that gets young people to lose themselves in the written word — whether it’s “Twilight,” “The Hunger Games” or “Game of Thrones” — is a positive step. This week’s “Twilight” Tuesday is all about understanding what it is exactly about the characters in these books, particularly the very popular YA genre, that gets us obsessed and day-dreamy about them. Why do we love Bella and Katniss? What does that say about young readers today and the future of the genre? I took my questions to a few very informed experts. “The thing with the Bella phenomenon, she was kinda like an empty vessel, and I feel like part of the appeal there was just a really blank slate on which people could project their own identities,” said Lauren Oliver, best-selling author of “Delirium” and “Pandemonium.” “It was fantasy. It allowed you to float up through it. “In terms of heroines now, I think what’s really interesting about them is that, many of them, for example ‘The Hunger Games,’ certainly in my books, the characters don’t necessarily start out being so fierce and badass, which I think to some extent would be not even off-putting, but alienating,” she continued. “Because I’m not sure that people feel that way. I do think what’s significant is that these characters are portrayed as being very much at the start, normal girls, but very moral normal girls who because of a set of very extraordinary circumstances are able to step into strength that they didn’t know they possessed. I think that really resonates with people because everybody I assume would like to feel that, if given the chance, they could be someone special.” Dr. Jenn Berman, host and therapist on VH1’s “Couples Therapy” said the love for both types of heroines hearkens back to classic literary characters we’ve loved for centuries. “Both characters are appealing on a very archetypal level. One is very much a damsel in distress, this sort of empty, insecure vessel, which I think is very identifiable for young women,” she explained. “The other is sort of this superhero, strong, independent woman who doesn’t need anybody, which I think is also something that is very inspirational for women. In each one of us we have both of those entities, and as a result, people are drawn to these characters.” Kristin Rens, senior editor at HarperCollins, pointed out that while Bella and Katniss are pretty different, they also share a few qualities to which a lot of teens relate. “Bella and Katniss are obviously very different characters. But one thing they have in common is their drive — the fact that they both very much know what they want, and they won’t stop until they reach their goals,” Rens said. “When you’re a teen, there are so many parts of life that are out of your hands, so there’s something very aspirational and appealing about characters like Bella and Katniss who are able to take control of their own lives, even when the odds are stacked against them.” Dr. Berman added that we all have a little damsel in distress in us, as well as a superhero; the trick is balancing them. “In order to become fully formed people, we have to find a way to both make friends with our damsel in distress and find a way to rescue her on our own,” she said. “As long as you understand why and what you need to do with that archetype, it’s OK, but to romanticize the damsel-in-distress archetype, you set yourself up for unhealthy relationships. What you do [to prevent that] is you say, ‘Wow, there is a part of me that would really like to be rescued, but I’m not going to give into that part of me. I’m going to rescue myself instead.’ ” The same goes for the superhero Katniss archetype, however, in that romanticizing that type of woman can also set you up for an unhealthy perspective. “Healthy relationships aren’t interdependent,” Berman said. “If you are an island, then you’re not having an emotionally intimate relationship, so the truth of a healthy relationship lies somewhere in between both of these archetypes.” How do you relate to Bella? Let us know in the comments below, or tweet me @karawarner! Check out everything we’ve got on “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘The Hunger Games’ Related Photos The Hunger Games Twilight: Breaking Dawn
Jack White, Avicii and Justice are also slated to make mainstage appearances at Lolla, set for August 3-5 in Chicago. By James Montgomery Red Hot Chili Peppers Photo: Getty Images Over the course of 20 years, Lollapalooza has developed a reputation as perhaps the most multi-hued of festivals, thanks in no small part to Perry Farrell’s booking of acts that ranged from Ice Cube to Pearl Jam — and just about everyone in between — and his own, uh, uniquely psychedelic outlook on things. But for this year, he’s going to a rather basic color scheme: namely red, black and white. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jack White, Black Sabbath and the Black Keys top the bill for Lollapalooza 2012, set for August 3-5 in Chicago’s Grant Park. Joining them are a list of top-notch electronic artists (always a passion of Perry’s), including Avicii, Justice, Calvin Harris and Bassnectar. Lolla 2012 marks the only North American fest appearance for the reunited Sabbath, and it’ll also be the first time in six years that the Chili Peppers (who broke through at Lolla ’92) appear at the fest. White will make his first solo appearance, and the Keys? Well, after years of mid-card service, they finally make the leap to headliner status this year. Florence and the Machine, At the Drive-In, the Shins, Fun., Passion Pit, the Weeknd, Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party and Sigur R
Jury selection continues in the murder trial of William Balfour. By Gil Kaufman Jennifer Hudson Photo: Jeffrey Mayer/ WireImage Jury selection continued on Monday (April 9) in the trial of William Balfour, who is accused of murdering three members of Oscar-winning singer Jennifer Hudson ‘s family. It is expected to take three days to find the 12 jurors and six alternates for the trial from among the 150 prospective jury members and, according to the Chicago Tribune, the shadow of Hudson’s fame could become a factor in the selection. Balfour is accused of murdering Hudson’s mother (Darnell Donerson), brother (Jason Hudson) and nephew (Julian King) on October 24, 2008 and while the singer has rarely spoken out in public about the tragedy, her fame could have an impact on the proceedings. The judge in the case, Charles Burns, will attempt to purge the jury pool anyone who might be swayed by the star’s celebrity, while the lawyers on each side will strive to find a mix of deliberators who will favor their arguments, regardless of how they feel about the star. Balfour, 30, is facing a maximum life sentence if convicted, but Burns warned any would-be jurors who oppose the death penalty that he cannot be put to death because the state of Illinois outlawed capital punishment in 2011. Testimony is slated to begin on April 23 and officials expect Hudson to attend every day of the trial, which could last a month. She is also on a list of 300 potential witnesses, though it has not yet been confirmed that she will take the stand. Burns also instructed the potential jurors to avoid watching news coverage of the case, though it’s possible they will see Hudson on TV this Thursday, when she will return to sing on “American Idol,” where she finished in seventh place in 2004. Everyone involved in the case is aware of how Hudson’s presence could sway the trial, which explains why nine out of the 66 questions on the questionnaire filled out by would-be jurors last week were related to her career. Among them was one that asked if they’d ever seen her Oscar-winning turn in the movie “Dreamgirls,” as well as others about her work on television and if they’d ever read books by or about Hudson. Details emerged recently about the incidents leading up to the murders . At the time her career was peaking, Hudson made a point of calling or texting her mother at home in Chicago every day between 9 and 11 a.m., according to reports. But when she didn’t hear back by late in the morning of October 24, she texted and realized something was wrong when there was no response. A few hours later, the bodies of her mother and brother were found in the family’s Englewood home, followed three days later by the discovery of her young nephew’s body in a stolen vehicle abandoned on the city’s west side. Balfour was the estranged husband of Hudson’s sister, Julia. Related Artists Jennifer Hudson
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