Is it America’s fault Pia Toscano got the boot, or is it the judges’? By Jim Cantiello Pia Toscano on “American Idol” Photo: FOX Jim Cantiello’s “American Idol” in 60 Seconds recaps have been an institution at MTV News since Sanjaya’s Reign of Terror. But sometimes, the lightning-quick pace moves by so fast, you occasionally miss a joke, comment or sight gag. So, as a courtesy to our loyal watchers, we’re publishing the full script of Jim’s latest recap. This week, the top nine (and Scotty’s groupies) tackled rock and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artists! [ Clip of Steven Tyler singing James Brown. And high kicking. For no reason. ] Wait, is Steven competing now? Can we vote him off? Will.i.am mentored the top nine while speaking in funny voices and refusing to make eye contact with them. [ Will.i.am exclaims, “Sammy!” ] Pia listened to the judges and finally did a fast song, Casey listened to the judges and finally did a bass song, and Jacob listened to his conscience and stopped a Gaye song. (Marvin Gaye, that is.) [ Clip of Jacob: “If I’m in the bottom three, it will be because America won’t be ready to look at themselves in the mirror.” ] [ Jim has a mirror at his desk. ] But Jacob, I am looking in the mirror. And my reflection’s telling me that your performance was terrible. But wait, can we go back to Pia and discuss that outfit? [ Clip of Michael Kors from old-school “Project Runway” saying, “The crotch on those pants is insane!!” ] Thank you, Michael Kors. On the results show it was headache [ shot of Russell Brand ], nightmare [ shot of Gwen Stefani giving fashion advice ], nausea [ shot of Harry Levin and his TMZ crew ], and then a sleazy rocker came back to relive his glory days when really everyone just wanted him to button up his shirt. [ Shots of Iggy Pop performing, but Jim cuts off the editor. ] Oh, no, no, no. I liked Iggy Pop. I was talking about Constantine. [ Clip of Constantine Maroulis: “Am i gonna get judged here?” ] Oh, you’re getting judged. And results!! Goodbye, Stefan-OH WAIT! Pia’s going home?! Stop the clock! [ Clip of a teary J.Lo: “I have no idea what just happened here. ] I’ll tell you what just happened here. You and your pals told Pia that she was perfect every week, when in actuality, she had the personality of wallpaper. But if you had done your job and given her notes to improve her stage presence three weeks ago, chances are Pia would have worked on that. She does, after all, strike me as a perfectionist. Maybe then, America would have fallen in love with her as much as they were in love with her voice. Steven, do you have anything to say for yourself? [ Clip of Steven Tyler: “A mistake is a mistake, but a lack of passion is unforgiveable.” ] This coming from the man who pretended to be asleep Wednesday night? Oh, hold my earrings. Randy Jackson, final thoughts? [ Clip of Randy: “I’m mad, and I don’t get upset!” ] Oh, you never get angry, do you? Well, you also don’t pay attention. Because you, of all people, should know that the cray-crays who vote a zillion times for their favorite contestant are mostly girls. And who have the girls been voting for, especially in the last three seasons? Boys! If only there was a way for you to protect the female talent, and saved that stupid judges’ save for someone with, you know, a vagina! Just sayin’! Hashtag it! And another thing, Randy Jackson. If you’re going to sit there and tell everybody that they’re amazing and beautiful and perfect and awesome, you have no right to act shocked or angry when the bottom three is announced. Don’t think I didn’t notice when you got all huffy once Haley was safe, even though the night before you said the old brilliant Haley was “back-ack-ack-ack-ack.” It is you three who need to look in a mirror. Boom fiyah! OK, you can start the clock again. [ The clock continues. ] Does anybody know when “The Voice” premieres? [ Ding! ] Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos ‘American Idol’ In 60 Seconds Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
Natalie Portman has been accused of contributing to a cover-up involving her participating in Black Swan . Sarah Lane, the classically-trained dancer who served as Portman’s double in this Oscar-winning film, says she appeared in 95 percent of the full body shots throughout the movie, creating an uproar that director Darren Aronofsky is out to quell. In a statement he released to Fox Searchlight, Aronofsky comes to his star’s specific defense, writing: “Here is the reality. I had my editor count shots. There are 139 dance shots in the film. 111 are Natalie Portman untouched. 28 are her dance double Sarah Lane. If you do the math that’s 80% Natalie Portman… Even so, if we were judging by time, over 90% would be Natalie Portman.” In the end, the director is seeking to put an end to any controversy, concluding: “Natalie sweated long and hard to deliver a great physical and emotional performance.”
“Are you taping or writing this down? Because I talk really fast,” director Ava DuVernay politely informs via speakerphone. Ava has been fielding phone interviews since 6 a. m., but six hours later she’s none the worse for wear, eager to chat about her directorial debut with the independent feature I Will Follow . Winner of the Narrative Audience Award at the 2010 Urbanworld Film Festival , I Will Follow is a moving semi-autobiographical drama that stars Salli Richardson-Whitfield as Maye Fisher, a successful make-up artist with a sexy boyfriend (Blair Underwood), whose world is turned upside down by the death of her beloved Amanda (Beverly Todd). WBW: 30 MORE Black Women You Should Know About Audiences are already familiar with Ava’s work as a documentary filmmaker with the critically acclaimed My Mic Sounds Nice which aired on BET, and TV One Night Only: Essence Music Festival 2010. With I Will Follow, Ava has now turned the camera onto herself to explore personal themes of grief, love, forgiveness and renewal. With only her life savings and a rolodex full of professional and personal contacts she’d acquired from running her own P.R. company (The DuVernay Agency), Ava completed her film in just 15 days at the film’s only location, a house in Topanga Canyon, California. Committed to preserving the beauty and legacy of black cinema, Ava has also partnered with various black film organizations to create the African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement (AFFRM). The ultimate goal of AFFRM is to empower and foster new black indie talent and provide more truthful and contemporary images of the African-American community. “We all have a story to share,” Ava says. “Just pick up the camera and tell it.” Ava tells The Urban Daily how she transitioned from documentaries to feature film, why we shouldn’t look to the major studios to green light quality black film projects, and her views on Idris Elba’s and Anthony Mackie’s recent comments about Black Hollywood. TUD: Tell us about I Will Follow and the inspiration for the movie. Ava DuVernay: It’s about a woman who’s successful, has a hot boyfriend, career, and then things kind of fall apart. Something happens in her family and she has to pick up the pieces and maintain her balance and kind of save herself. I think that’s something we all experience. This film is based on personal experience—I brought my personal story dealing with loss and loyalty. The actors involved tapped into their own personal experiences. It deals with trying to keep your self in control when things get out of control. It’s something a lot of people will be able to associate with, to identify with. People on the festival circuit around the country come up to me and said “I saw myself in this character.” I Will Follow is based on your relationship with your aunt, Denise. Can you tell us a little bit about her? She was an amazing woman. She was one of the people in my life that meant the most to me. She was an incredible person. Hopefully this movie will be a tribute to her memory. How did you assemble the cast for this film? It was a combination of professional and personal contacts. I first contacted Aisha Coley. She was the casting director of Secret Life of Bees . Omari Hardwick I had seen on Dark Blue and I thought to myself ‘Wow, he’s good.’ So I asked Aisha to reach out to him. Salli Richardson-Whitfield was on a list of actresses I really wanted to work with. I always thought she was underrated–great actress, drop dead gorgeous. Blair Underwood is someone that I knew from working in P.R. and we became friends. I always had him in mind when writing his character. What was the transition from doing documentaries ( This is The Life , My Mic Sounds Nice ) to doing a scripted feature? With a documentary you walk in with your camera and a set of questions. You’re inquisitive and you’re curious. You get in there and just have a conversation with people. With my documentaries I have an idea of where I want to lead them, I’m trying to converse with them and get to the essence of what I’m trying to learn from them and form that into the documentary. You work closely with your editor and try to come out with something interesting. With film, you’ve got wardrobe, actors, production design, and the whole world opens up. Instead of investigating someone else’s world, you’re creating a world from scratch. With documentaries and film you’re using two different muscles, and I’ve been fortunate enough to use both. And I hope to go back and forth between the two. When you decided to do I Will Follow , you looked at your bank account and said “This is my budget” and basically green lit yourself to make this movie. Was it always your intention to have your film as an independent project or did you consider going with a major studio? I always believed in self-distribution and not waiting for people’s permission, particularly with big corporations, to share my story. I’m very much a control freak (laughs). I would like to collaborate with like-minded companies who want to work on distribution ideas. Major studios are looking for different types of stories, and that’s fine. If they want to do Transformers 13 , cool. I want to do something else. So I’m not going to beg or force my vision on corporations, if that’s not their bottom line. As indie filmmakers, the ‘Woe is me, the studios don’t want my stuff’—your job is to do your own projects and to take care of yourself. These people have their agenda and we have our own agenda too. I’m really into self-empowerment and to create and distribute our own stories. I want to be in a position where I’m not asking permission to share my vision. I want to get filmmakers into that cycle. People tend to forget that most A-list directors started off as indie. Right. Martin Scorcese did Boxcar Bertha through Roger Corman that only cost a couple of thousand dollars. You didn’t go to film school like most directors. You actually started in publicity doing campaigns for directors like Steven Spielberg and Clint Eastwood, and when you’d meet them for lunch you’d pick their brains about filmmaking. What did you learn from them that you were able to apply to your own directing process? I learned that it could be done. The main thing I learned from them, aside from the technical process and dealing with actors is that these directors were just people, like me. They’re just human beings that want to tell a story and they found a way to do it. Why could I not do the same? That’s the best lesson I got from my ‘bootleg’ film school. As a little black girl, who loved movies, I never thought I could make one. Everybody’s got a story; go make that film. There’s someone out there thinking ‘I want to make movies, but I can’t afford film school.’ What would you tell them? Do you think it’s necessary to go to film school to be a good director? Film school is wonderful. It’s creative and allows you to play, to learn theory. I wish I had four years to chill and just learn about film. Film school is a great place to hone your skills. Is it necessary? No. If you’re a 16-year-old girl and want to make films, if you have an iPhone, do it. I just saw an incredible 12 minute short shot on an iPhone. Two of the biggest stories to hit the media are statements from Idris Elba and Anthony Mackie. During a lecture for the Project Lens/Artist Spotlight series at Rutgers University , Elba stated that the Oscars aren’t designed for us and that we should focus on making more films. In an interview with Grio.com , Mackie also said we should make more films and find our own distribution deals. Do you agree or disagree with them? I agree. I think both brothers made a call to action to filmmakers. It’s getting a lot of attention from the press and I think that’s positive. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to not have major studios involved in our projects. I don’t think it’s a doomsday thing. The only movie featuring a black woman so far this year is Big Momma 3. There’s more to come with Madea’s Big Happy Family and Skank Robbers . What are your feelings on that? The studios are looking at big budget pictures, they’re looking at gags, and comedy, and that’s ok. For folks that enjoy that, fine. I don’t hold anyone outside of our community responsible. There are certain (white) filmmakers who think that’s funny. They have a star that thinks that’s funny, who went on record saying, “If you saw the check, you wouldn’t blame me.” Ok. Do you. I don’t blame anyone for what they’re doing. I can only take care of me and the filmmakers and the black moviegoers that think like me. People who tell me Love Jones and Love and Basketball are their favorite films. What that says is ‘I want to see adult dramas, contemporary images of myself.’ The studios are not interested. I Will Follow opens this Friday March 11 th . TO FIND THE AMC THEATER NEAR YOU EXCLUSIVELY SHOWING “I WILL FOLLOW” AND TO BUY TICKETS CLICK HERE You can find Ava ( @AVADVA ) , I Will Follow ( @iwillfollowfilm ) and AFFRM ( @AFFRM ) on Twitter. RELATED POSTS: Salli Richardson-Whitfield Sought New Challenge With “I Will Follow” DuVernay’s “I Will Follow” Called Best Film Of 2010 Yo-Yo Says Album “Can’t Compete With Swallowing Coke Bottles”
[1] /Film reader Derek Stettler has compiled a video titled “Reel Wisdom: Lessons from 40 Films in 7 Minutes,” which does just what it claims. Here is more from the editor: I made this video because I love films and I think there is great wisdom inherent in the film medium. This video represents some of the best wisdom from films, edited together as a single coherent piece of advice on everything from… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : /Film Discovery Date : 08/02/2011 15:00 Number of articles : 3
The 83rd annual Academy Awards nominations are in and of course there were a lot of snubs, heartbreak and questionable nods but there was also what some critics believed to be a fundamental “breakdown when it comes to honoring black actors.” The Hollywood Reporter’s Film Editor Gregg Kilday, who wrote the article “Whitest Oscar in Ten Years” back in September agrees, that “this year there wasn’t a real small, serious-themed movie about African American subjects that the Academy could turn to for nominations.” Movieline’s S.T. VanAirsdale, however, lays some of the blame directly on the Academy. In an interview with Popeater’s Jo Piazza he says the voting members were “a historically lazy group of viewers who aren’t going to discover or nominate anything independently.” Just last year, many black actors and producers represented in films like The Blind Side, Precious and Invictus. The Best Actress nominees included Gabourey Sidibe and winner Mo’Nique. It was also the same year that Geoffrey Fletcher became the first black winner of a Best Screenplay Oscar. The years before that usually had at least one black actor or actress nominated from Taraji P. Henson and Viola Davis in 2008, Ruby Dee in 2007, Will Smith and Forest Whitaker in 2006, Terence Howard in 2005, and so on. So what exactly happened this year? Some claim it was a lack of “films that take a serious look at African American themes,” while others blame it on the fact that “Hollywood is making fewer serious, a.k.a. Oscar-worthy films,” in general. But why does the film have to necessarily address so called African American themes? Why not just hire the best actor/actress for the role. Then again, this is Hollywood. While many of these things leave me scratching my head. One thing I can say for sure is that in 2011, there still seems to be an underlying problem of casting any minority as a lead actor or actress in a film. Do we even need to address the whitewashing of “The Last Airbender” or the whole “Prince of Persia” fiasco. Now whether this all stems from a fear of the film becoming stereotyped, a box-office flop or the fear of not being able to attract the cross marketing/multimillion-dollar campaigns necessary to garner Oscar attention is still up for debate. All I can say for sure is that Hollywood needs to get it together asap. Or should I start to address the other issue of why 90% of GLBT actors do not play GLBT roles in TV or film? Or is that asking too much? Discuss…. Source
‘It’s funny because the end has kind of a setup for a sequel,’ Paul Weitz says. By Kara Warner, with reporting by Eric Ditzian Ben Stiller in “Little Fockers” Photo: Universal Studios/DW Studios As the “Fockers” franchise has been wont to do throughout its 10-year run, the third installment in the highly successful franchise, “Little Fockers,” brought in major box-office dollars once again during its opening weekend. This more than proves that it doesn’t matter that audiences had to wait six years between “Meet the Fockers” and the latest film: They like to see Robert DeNiro get silly with Ben Stiller. And Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand, for that matter. Given the success of “Little Fockers,” the next question on inquiring minds is, “When are they shooting a sequel?” When we caught up with director Paul Weitz recently during the press tour for “Fockers,” we asked him what talk he’d heard about a potential fourth film. “There’s been none with me,” Weitz said, indicating that this directorial romp with the “Fockers” will be his one and only. “I would be the first in line to buy a ticket [to the fourth film],” he said. But even though it sounds like Weitz won’t be involved in moving the Fockers forward, he had a pretty good idea of why people think there might be one planned. “It’s funny because the end has kind of a setup for a sequel [minor spoiler alert ahead!], where they say ‘We’re buying the house two doors down’ ” Weitz said. “Which was really a last-second thought by [screenwriter] John Hamburg. It wasn’t sort of a calculated ‘Alright, what’s the sequel going to be,’ ” he explained. “But it does seem like a good setup for a sequel!” Would you like to see another “Fockers” film? Tell us in the comments. Check out everything we’ve got on “Little Fockers.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
‘It’s funny because the end has kind of a setup for a sequel,’ Paul Weitz says. By Kara Warner, with reporting by Eric Ditzian Ben Stiller in “Little Fockers” Photo: Universal Studios/DW Studios As the “Fockers” franchise has been wont to do throughout its 10-year run, the third installment in the highly successful franchise, “Little Fockers,” brought in major box-office dollars once again during its opening weekend. This more than proves that it doesn’t matter that audiences had to wait six years between “Meet the Fockers” and the latest film: They like to see Robert DeNiro get silly with Ben Stiller. And Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand, for that matter. Given the success of “Little Fockers,” the next question on inquiring minds is, “When are they shooting a sequel?” When we caught up with director Paul Weitz recently during the press tour for “Fockers,” we asked him what talk he’d heard about a potential fourth film. “There’s been none with me,” Weitz said, indicating that this directorial romp with the “Fockers” will be his one and only. “I would be the first in line to buy a ticket [to the fourth film],” he said. But even though it sounds like Weitz won’t be involved in moving the Fockers forward, he had a pretty good idea of why people think there might be one planned. “It’s funny because the end has kind of a setup for a sequel [minor spoiler alert ahead!], where they say ‘We’re buying the house two doors down’ ” Weitz said. “Which was really a last-second thought by [screenwriter] John Hamburg. It wasn’t sort of a calculated ‘Alright, what’s the sequel going to be,’ ” he explained. “But it does seem like a good setup for a sequel!” Would you like to see another “Fockers” film? Tell us in the comments. Check out everything we’ve got on “Little Fockers.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
Rapper rose from ashes of disappointing album to top of the charts and 10 Grammy nominations. By Gil Kaufman Eminem Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage It’s fitting that Eminem is planning to return to the big screen next year in the “8 Mile”-inspired boxing film “Southpaw.” Because like Rocky after he was counted down and out so many times in that famous pugilist movie serial, Marshall Mathers seemed like he’d run out of gas in 2009 only to come storming all the way back, and then some, in 2010 to post one of his biggest and baddest years to date. At a time when younger artists like Justin Bieber, Kanye West and Lady Gaga are relying on social media, a dizzying blitz of promotional appearances and concerts, and a nonstop hype machine to keep their careers stoked, Eminem’s path back to the top of the musical heap was decidedly old-school: He released a great album in Recovery that emotionally connected with fans thanks to some of the most hook-heavy songs of his career while maintaining an elusive persona that kept them guessing. “On Recovery, he was really able to tap into the emotive 2002 stuff that people loved in ‘8 Mile,’ ” said Complex Editor in Chief Noah Callahan-Bever. “And I think that the fact that he’s not tech-savvy or any of that stuff really doesn’t hurt him because he’s able to cultivate a little bit of a mystery about himself and his comings and goings. That exclusivity creates more value to his limited presence.” While songs like mega first single “Not Afraid” and the inescapable Rihanna hookup “Love the Way You Lie” were getting wall-to-wall spins at radio, Em made only a few promotional appearances, played just a handful of dates — including the lauded Home and Home shows with Jay-Z — and managed to keep that air of inscrutability about himself while putting up the best sales figures for any album released in 2010. The less you saw of him, the more you wanted to see him. “I think it kind of benefited because [of] the whole backstory behind the album,” Julianne Escobedo Shepherd, former executive editor of The Fader, said about the drama surrounding Slim Shady’s second comeback attempt after five years in drug-induced exile and 2009’s so-so reception for Relapse. “And his comeback from a bad album … the whole thing with the pills, and I think it kind of lent to his mystery. There’s something to be said for rappers who have a trillion Twitter followers but at the same time you kind of don’t want to be able to say whatever you want to your favorite rapper. I think that he kind of kept his integrity in the way that he needed to as an older rapper.” Putting out a barrage of cameo verses has been the go-to move for up-and-comers like Drake and Nicki Minaj as a way to establish their brand. But Marshall borrowed that same new-school page and made it feel classic by being very selective about which songs he lent his voice to. And, almost without exception, every choice he made was an instant classic, from his killer verse on Drake’s “Forever” to a solid duet with Lil Wayne on “Drop the World,” some tasty bars on B.o.B’s “Airplanes” and a nod to the new kids on the block on Nicki’s “Roman’s Revenge.” Most of his peers seem to believe that more is more — more endorsements, more products, more interviews, more guests on their tracks — even as Em came off as the wily veteran who picks his high-percentage shots while the rest of the squad is firing off endless jumpers. “When Eminem went away, the feeling of like, ‘Well, that whole market’s going away. All those people, they’re just dispersing off into the ether and no one’s gonna be ready for him when he’s ready to come back,’ ” said New York Times music critic Jon Caramanica of the excitement that greeted the rapper’s return to form. “And what I think you realize this year is that all those people are like sleeper cells and all got activated. All of a sudden, ‘Oh, Eminem’s back. It’s OK to buy his CD again. I didn’t have anyone I feel like I wanted to buy for the last two or three years; now I feel like I can commit to Eminem.’ ” What also became clear this year, Caramanica said, is that unlike flash-in-the-pan pop rappers or mainstream acts whose audiences don’t grow with them as they mature, Eminem’s fans have been loyal, even as he’s picked up a whole new generation of followers thanks to his more accessible new songs. The evidence of that trend can be seen in the fact that, months after its release, Recovery was still routinely hanging around the top 20, if not top 10, on the Billboard albums chart, an indication that new fans were being brought onboard every week. That slow and steady, measured approach clearly paid off, as Em won two VMAs (off of eight nominations) in September and ended the year by loading up with a leading 10 Grammy nominations and a #2 spot on MTV News’ Man of the Year countdown. You can be sure when the Grammys are handed out in February, Marshall’s name will be mentioned a few times, because if there’s anything the Recording Academy (and, let’s face it, all of America) loves, it’s a comeback. What did you think of Em’s 2010? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos Stories Of 2010 Related Photos Eminem’s Amazing Year
Rapper rose from ashes of disappointing album to top of the charts and 10 Grammy nominations. By Gil Kaufman Eminem Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage It’s fitting that Eminem is planning to return to the big screen next year in the “8 Mile”-inspired boxing film “Southpaw.” Because like Rocky after he was counted down and out so many times in that famous pugilist movie serial, Marshall Mathers seemed like he’d run out of gas in 2009 only to come storming all the way back, and then some, in 2010 to post one of his biggest and baddest years to date. At a time when younger artists like Justin Bieber, Kanye West and Lady Gaga are relying on social media, a dizzying blitz of promotional appearances and concerts, and a nonstop hype machine to keep their careers stoked, Eminem’s path back to the top of the musical heap was decidedly old-school: He released a great album in Recovery that emotionally connected with fans thanks to some of the most hook-heavy songs of his career while maintaining an elusive persona that kept them guessing. “On Recovery, he was really able to tap into the emotive 2002 stuff that people loved in ‘8 Mile,’ ” said Complex Editor in Chief Noah Callahan-Bever. “And I think that the fact that he’s not tech-savvy or any of that stuff really doesn’t hurt him because he’s able to cultivate a little bit of a mystery about himself and his comings and goings. That exclusivity creates more value to his limited presence.” While songs like mega first single “Not Afraid” and the inescapable Rihanna hookup “Love the Way You Lie” were getting wall-to-wall spins at radio, Em made only a few promotional appearances, played just a handful of dates — including the lauded Home and Home shows with Jay-Z — and managed to keep that air of inscrutability about himself while putting up the best sales figures for any album released in 2010. The less you saw of him, the more you wanted to see him. “I think it kind of benefited because [of] the whole backstory behind the album,” Julianne Escobedo Shepherd, former executive editor of The Fader, said about the drama surrounding Slim Shady’s second comeback attempt after five years in drug-induced exile and 2009’s so-so reception for Relapse. “And his comeback from a bad album … the whole thing with the pills, and I think it kind of lent to his mystery. There’s something to be said for rappers who have a trillion Twitter followers but at the same time you kind of don’t want to be able to say whatever you want to your favorite rapper. I think that he kind of kept his integrity in the way that he needed to as an older rapper.” Putting out a barrage of cameo verses has been the go-to move for up-and-comers like Drake and Nicki Minaj as a way to establish their brand. But Marshall borrowed that same new-school page and made it feel classic by being very selective about which songs he lent his voice to. And, almost without exception, every choice he made was an instant classic, from his killer verse on Drake’s “Forever” to a solid duet with Lil Wayne on “Drop the World,” some tasty bars on B.o.B’s “Airplanes” and a nod to the new kids on the block on Nicki’s “Roman’s Revenge.” Most of his peers seem to believe that more is more — more endorsements, more products, more interviews, more guests on their tracks — even as Em came off as the wily veteran who picks his high-percentage shots while the rest of the squad is firing off endless jumpers. “When Eminem went away, the feeling of like, ‘Well, that whole market’s going away. All those people, they’re just dispersing off into the ether and no one’s gonna be ready for him when he’s ready to come back,’ ” said New York Times music critic Jon Caramanica of the excitement that greeted the rapper’s return to form. “And what I think you realize this year is that all those people are like sleeper cells and all got activated. All of a sudden, ‘Oh, Eminem’s back. It’s OK to buy his CD again. I didn’t have anyone I feel like I wanted to buy for the last two or three years; now I feel like I can commit to Eminem.’ ” What also became clear this year, Caramanica said, is that unlike flash-in-the-pan pop rappers or mainstream acts whose audiences don’t grow with them as they mature, Eminem’s fans have been loyal, even as he’s picked up a whole new generation of followers thanks to his more accessible new songs. The evidence of that trend can be seen in the fact that, months after its release, Recovery was still routinely hanging around the top 20, if not top 10, on the Billboard albums chart, an indication that new fans were being brought onboard every week. That slow and steady, measured approach clearly paid off, as Em won two VMAs (off of eight nominations) in September and ended the year by loading up with a leading 10 Grammy nominations and a #2 spot on MTV News’ Man of the Year countdown. You can be sure when the Grammys are handed out in February, Marshall’s name will be mentioned a few times, because if there’s anything the Recording Academy (and, let’s face it, all of America) loves, it’s a comeback. What did you think of Em’s 2010? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos Stories Of 2010 Related Photos Eminem’s Amazing Year
