Tag Archives: Culture

Thia Megia and Naima Adedapo React to American Idol Elimination

It was the end of an impressive, talented run for Thia Megia and Naima Adedapo on American Idol last night . The singers were both eliminated, as the show cuts its number of finalists down to nine. How did they react to the news? Backstage, shortly after hearing her name called by Ryan Seacrest, Thia told Entertainment Weekly she was proud of her song choice (” Daniel ,” dedicated to her brother, which she said made him “cry) and that she has a lot to offer the music world. I can do “so much more than just slower songs and ballads,” Megia said . “In the future, I see me as being my own artist and definitely not a ballad singer!” Adedapo, meanwhile, says she wasn’t surprised to be eliminated because she knew turning “I’m Still Standing” into a reggae song was a huge risk. But… “rRggae is a part of me,” she said. “It’s a part of who I am and a part of my culture. For me, it would’ve been tragic to do an Elton John song just like Elton John and then get cut, versus showing who I am creatively as an artist and getting cut happy about the choice that I made.” We wish both these aspiring artists the very best of luck.

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Thia Megia and Naima Adedapo React to American Idol Elimination

Facebook Pulls Back The Hack-A-Thon Curtain For MTV’s ‘Diary’

‘Diary of Facebook’ premieres Wednesday at 11 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. By Eric Ditzian Facebook creator and CEO Mark Zuckerberg Photo: MTV News & Docs Every so often, Facebook shuts down — not the social-networking site itself, of course, but the company’s headquarters in Palo Alto, California. And the temporary pause isn’t because anything is wrong; it’s because founder Mark Zuckerberg wants things to continue to go right. Welcome to Facebook’s famous “hack-a-thon,” an event when business as usual ceases and techies are given carte blanche to code like crazy and create innovative additions for the site. This Wednesday, at 11 p.m. ET/PT, MTV will bring you inside it all during “Diary of Facebook.” “Hack-a-thons are this awesome part of our culture,” Zuckerberg says on “Diary.” “Every month or two, everyone stays up all night just experimenting with things and building things quickly. And the only rule is that you’re not allowed to work on the same thing that your day job is.” That directive is how an employee named Pedram, who usually toils as a technical engineer, finds himself staying up in the wee hours to create a potentially groundbreaking application for the site. He’s not the only one. And even those who can’t code join in the action — cooking, juggling, drawing and more as they stay energized during the event. All that and more will be revealed during “Diary of Facebook,” which follows not only Pedram, but other employees who live and breathe social networking. Viewers will also meet Erin, a consumer-marketing employee intimately involved in Stories.Facebook.com , an effort to draw attention to users’ life-changing social-networking stories. You think you know Facebook, but until you check out “Diary,” you have no idea. Tune in to “Diary of Facebook,” airing Wednesday, March 30, at 11 p.m. ET/PT. Related Videos Sneak A Peek At ‘Diary Of Facebook’

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Facebook Pulls Back The Hack-A-Thon Curtain For MTV’s ‘Diary’

‘Skins’ Star Eleanor Zichy Previews Season Finale

Monday night (March 21), fans will learn more about Eura, Tony’s sister. By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Christina Garibaldi “Skins” star Eleanor Zichy as Eura Photo: Jason Nocito As the premiere season of “Skins” wraps up Monday night (March 21), the show is in many ways coming full circle. The season opened with a look at Tony, a cad and manipulator who plays by his own rules. Throughout the first nine episodes, all of the characters have showed different sides of themselves and their lives. The finale will take a look at Tony’s younger sister, Eura. “Eura is Tony’s younger sister, and she remains very mysterious throughout the series,” Eleanor Zichy explained to MTV News. “She’s not in every episode, but she comes up very sporadically — sometimes with the group, most of the time not … until the final episode, where you’ll get to know more about her.” While it seems that Zichy’s character hasn’t always been at the center of the action (and there’s been plenty of it), that’s about to change. “Eura is the younger sister, so there’s a bit of a discontent,” she described. “You’ll see something between Cadie and Eura, and Chris considers her Tony’s weird little sister.” While the episode will certainly have fans talking Tuesday morning, the show has had lots of attention throughout its nine-week run. Some loved it, and others wondered if it was too racy for teens. But the cast has always made the point that the show is about a lot more than just sex and drugs . “All we have to say is … you have to watch it and see the story lines, the friendships, the politics between these kids, what their relationships are,” Zichy explained. “They’re like a family.” Don’t miss the “Skins” season finale Monday (March 21) at 10 p.m. ET/PT, 9 p.m. Central on MTV. Related Photos Skins | Cast Photos | Eura

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‘Skins’ Star Eleanor Zichy Previews Season Finale

A Tribe Called Quest ‘Encourage’ Fans To See ‘Beats, Rhymes & Life’

‘It’s a celebration not only of Tribe, but of the culture,’ Q-Tip tells MTV News, despite his disapproval of some aspects of the documentary. By Alvin Blanco, with reporting by Sway Calloway A Tribe Called Quest’s Q-Tip Photo: MTV News Although A Tribe Called Quest felt some of the business behind Michael Rapaport’s documentary on the group was Industry Rule #4080 (read: shady), they still want fans to go see the film. “Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest” is a window into not only the career of one of hip-hop’s most influential acts, they said, but also the culture itself. “I encourage everybody still to see this film,” Q-Tip told MTV News. “Not only because it’s about us, but it’s really about the hip-hop movement, man. It really, really is, that’s on everything. It’s a celebration not only of Tribe, but of the culture. Of what goes into making records: the ups, the downs, the switching of the times. It’s a beautiful story about hip-hop. He really did a great job, and I commend him for it, still. He really did an amazing job.” According to Q-Tip, he and Tribe just want to get the story totally correct. “Again, this is just another warning shot … a flare coming from the cannon so that they can get this thing right,” Q-Tip said. The MC also expressed the necessity for seminal rap artists and groups to tell their stories on their own terms. “Everybody out there in hip-hop who’s crossed that threshold, who’s done work, who has a history — whether it be Queen Latifah or Rakim or Wu-Tang or Jay-Z or Nas or Ice Cube or N.W.A — yo, tell y’all own stories,” Q-Tip said, looking into the camera for emphasis. “Be in charge of your own stories, you hear me?” The Queens MC then likened rappers to griots : West African storytellers who share their tales via oral tradition. “We gotta pass our own stories on,” Q-Tip continued. “This is part of our tradition as African-Americans predominantly. Let’s tell our own stories. We can let everybody come in and participate with us in this, but don’t fall for the Hollywood, nobody’s ever done this before. We hip-hop, man. This is a hip-hop nation. We crack the mold, we break the rules. We define this culture that we in right now, this Western culture, the sh– that’s moving around the world, whether it be Tribe to Lil Wayne, Drake to Kanye, I don’t care. This hip-hop sh– is our sh–, and when we start moving in, control your stories, man. Tell your stories — that’s what I learned from this.” Will you check out the Tribe documentary? Let us know in the comments. Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: A Tribe Called Quest Related Artists A Tribe Called Quest

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A Tribe Called Quest ‘Encourage’ Fans To See ‘Beats, Rhymes & Life’

Panic! for 7 Minutes

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If you want to see a nonsensical story line and terrible acting mixed together by decent sounding music, check out the new Panic! at the Disco short film which previews a few of the tracks slated to appear on their new album Vices and Virtues. Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Pop Culture for the Cultured Discovery Date : 09/03/2011 22:25 Number of articles : 2

Panic! for 7 Minutes

Some Sunday Controversy: David Aldridge Labels NBA All-Star Weekend As The “Black Thanksgiving”

Here’s what CNN writer David Aldridge feels about NBA All-Star Weekend (which caused quite the stir in the sports world) …Via CNN : So, you want to know about Black Thanksgiving? That’s what sports writer Mike Wilbon calls NBA All-Star Weekend. First of all, what you need to know about Wilbon, whom I love, is that he has been known to exaggerate just a touch on occasion. But on this one, he’s on point. For those of us who cover the NBA for a living, like me and Wilbon — now an ESPN yakker and writer, formerly a Washington Post yakker and writer, and my friend –All-Star Weekend is a long four days of work. But for most of the people who descend into town — this year it’s Los Angeles, with its still sparkling Staples Center and the surrounding “L.A. Live” area — it’s an opportunity to go wild (sometimes a little too wild, as happened in Las Vegas a few years ago) and get together. Other folks have Tweetups. Black people have All-Star Weekend, or ASW. It’s a national holiday, sort of. ASW is the only time of the year that people call me. I don’t say that to be maudlin, ’cause most of the time, I don’t want people to call me. (Dirty little secret: I don’t really like talking on the phone.) But they come out of the woodwork this time of year, because NBA players are royalty in Black America, and everyone wants to be near them. The old saying is that ballers want to be rappers, and rappers want to be ballers. That’s really, really true. Basketball is a culture. It isn’t for everyone, though the game is loved by people of all colors. There is a rhythm to it, just as if McCoy Tyner was dribbling a ball instead of playing piano. “Considering that the culture of basketball in a predominantly black league like the NBA is so strongly connected to African American culture, the NBA All-Star weekend has turned into a celebration of African American culture by extension,” says Todd Boyd, professor of critical studies at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. The season begins just as baseball’s ends, when the days grow short and the weather turns windy and cold. The tempo is slow at first, like the beginning strains of John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme,” but then, just as with Coltrane, it picks up steam. Rookies like the Clippers’ Blake Griffin find their voice, and their game blossoms, as the calendar turns to a new year. While older, wiser veteran players and teams tinker here and there, not much interested in the daily standings, knowing that the important games come in the spring. They can wait. Does this offend you???

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Some Sunday Controversy: David Aldridge Labels NBA All-Star Weekend As The “Black Thanksgiving”

Diane Kruger Does GQ Naked of the Day

I don’t really know who Diane Kruger is. I just know she’s German and Germans like to get intense, agry, emotionless, demented sex with good engineering. You know these are the people who just 65 years ago were doing tests on humans they deemed subpar because they were told to, making me assume they are a people that are pretty easy to get to convince to lick you’re asshole while you shit down their throat, you just have to tell them something convincing….like that if they don’t do it, they’re bad Germans…. Sure I don’t know much about the culture, but I’m working off logic here, and now their biggest crossover star from their world to ours since Heidi Klum, but then again I’m just saying that cuz I don’t know any other German’s off the top of my head, and this one is rockin’ GQ naked and amazing…and that’s good enough for me… I don’t really know who Diane Kruger is, but here she is in some movie called Inhale – Naked…. To See The Rest of the GQ Pictures Follow this Link GO

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Diane Kruger Does GQ Naked of the Day

Gucci And Jay-Z Grammy Brunch Draws Rihanna, The-Dream, Ne-Yo

Hov’s Roc Nation partners with luxury brand for exclusive pre-show event. By Kelly Marino Jay-Z at the Gucci and Roc Nation pre-Grammy brunch on Saturday Photo: Charley Gallay/Getty Images LOS ANGELES — With the 53rd annual Grammy Awards less than a day away, glossy industry parties have been underway as some of music’s biggest names take over Los Angeles. And there’s no better way to kick off the weekend than to sip on some mimosas and enjoy an early brunch with entertainment’s biggest entrepreneur alongside fashion’s leading luxury brand. Held at the Soho House in West Hollywood, Roc Nation founder Jay-Z along with Gucci’s creative director, Frida Giannini, joined forces Saturday afternoon (February 12) to host this year’s pre-Grammy brunch, celebrating the art of music and the special-edition collection of Gucci Grammy watches and jewelry items. “I was looking for a partner, a very strong one, the day before the Grammys,” Giannini explained of her decision to pair up with this year’s six-time Grammy nominee. “I think Jay-Z is the boss of this industry. He is a very iconic person, and I think he is the best. So as a designer, I always say I find an incredible inspiration coming from musicians who are in the music industry. Fashion and music, they have always been together because I think we are looking to musicians and musicians are looking to fashion.” Last November, Gucci Timepieces and Jewelry announced a three-year partnership with The Recording Academy inspired by the Grammy Awards. This new partnership is part of a celebration of Gucci’s 90 -year history of the brand’s commitment to the arts as well as to their most loyal clients — some of whom include artists and producers in the Roc Nation family. “You can’t put a real value on [fashion],” said hitmaker The-Dream, who is already a two-time Grammy winner. “It’s so infused in our culture…you know, big ups to Gucci for supporting Roc Nation and Roc-A-Fella and the whole movement, because we used to have to fight for these things. We used to [not be able to] get sponsors, and now it’s like almost automatic, you know, [that] it’s gonna appear. So I’m pretty impressed.” As were all the other A-list celebrities invited, which included Grammy nominees, performers and presenters such as Rihanna, Kings of Leon and Sean Garrett, as well as actors Ryan Phillippe, Adrien Brody and Ellen Pompeo. As the stars casually arrived to the three-hour event, they were treated to food, beverages and tunes provided by DJs Mark Ronson, Samantha Ronson, Solange and D-Nice. While some dodged the red carpet before entering the venue, others were happy to take a moment to have their pictures taken in their finest attire and speak out about the legacy of fashion and art. “As a celebrity, as an artist, fashion plays a very, very important part in your imaging and who you are as a person,” Ne-Yo explained. “Everyone wants to dress like the hottest celebrity, so for them to line up with Gucci, which is one of those brands which is very versatile, they can be street and they can be dinner-party. They have all of that in their brand. So I think it’s very important.” Don’t miss “Snooki & Sway: Live From the Grammys,” a red-carpet live stream kicking off Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on MTV.com. And stick with us all Grammy night for coverage of the red carpet, the show, the afterparties and beyond! Related Artists Jay-Z

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Gucci And Jay-Z Grammy Brunch Draws Rihanna, The-Dream, Ne-Yo

Signs of the Apocalypse, Super Bowl Edition

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(John) These two news items have nothing in common, except that both relate to the Super Bowl, and both say something about the current state of our culture. First, the latest Super Bowl ad to be rejected by Fox is this one, for Doritos. It is an extremely low-key Christian ad; how anyone could find it offensive is beyond me. Fox rejected it because it “advanc[es] particular beliefs or practices.”… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Power Line Discovery Date : 04/02/2011 02:47 Number of articles : 3

Signs of the Apocalypse, Super Bowl Edition

KATE HUDSON Gets a Little Dirty & Funny w/ Carrie Keagan! uncensored

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www.NGTV.com http Hey Boys and Girls, it’s time to get down with Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey in another exclusive and uncensored episode of UP CLOSE with CARRIE KEAGAN!!! She’s one of the hottest, sexiest, funniest and mega-talented actresses on the planet and he’s the coolest cat every guy wishes he could hang with….Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey go toe-to-toe with Carrie Keagan and discuss a lot of funny shit. NOGOOD TV (NGTV) stars Carrie Keagan and Shark Firestone and showcases over a dozen original shows featuring raw, real and uncensored interviews with the biggest stars in the world from music, movies and TV. It also has uncensored, uncut, explicit and director’s cut versions of music videos. NO GOOD TV can be found at www.NGTV.com. It’s the most fun you’ll ever have with your pants on!!

KATE HUDSON Gets a Little Dirty & Funny w/ Carrie Keagan! uncensored