The President will go to great lengths for every pothead vote. In the run-up to the Democratic National Convention this week, Barack Obama is making sure every member of his coalition does his or her part. He’s even making personal calls, hoping to appeal to some of his more ardent supporters. Such as Kal Penn of Harold & Kumar fame:
Despite a new promo implying otherwise, The X Factor Season 2 won’t be ALL about Britney Spears . There are three other judges, of course, Demi Lovato, Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid; along with Justin Bieber as a recently-announced mentor. And now TMZ confirms that Marc Anthony has signed on in the same capacity. Look for J. Lo’s ex to assist the hopefuls assigned to Cowell on the upcoming season of this Fox competition, which kicks off September 12. Sources also say Nick Jonas will come on board as the mentor for Lovato’s group, meaning we are one mentor and two hosts short of filling out the Season 2 roster. With just over a week until The X Factor returns, some key decisions will need to be made in the very near future.
Sources say judges ‘didn’t want to waste their time’ with lousy contestant in Kansas City. By Jocelyn Vena Britney Spears at “The X-Factor” auditions in Kansas City Photo: WireImage One “X Factor” contestant learned what happens when you attempt to pull a fast one on the judges. Over the weekend, while , Demi Lovato , L.A. Reid and seat-filling judge Louis Walsh (who was assisting an ill Simon Cowell) were in Kansas City, they walked out on one contestant who attempted to audition with his back to the judges. According to People.com sources, not only did the contestant audition with his back to the panel, but he also wasn’t all that talented of a singer, adding insult to injury. “It was really awkward,” an eyewitness told the site of the kooky audition. “You could tell the judges were done. I don’t think they had a choice. They didn’t want to waste their time.” Another onlooker added that the male contestant didn’t leave the judges much of an option given his lack of talent. “He was one of the worst singers and had a bad attitude … [The judges] all hated it and walked off,” the source said. Additionally, he had no idea they had walked out since his back was to them for his entire performance. Everyone except Britney eventually made their way back to the judges’ table to hear the last contestant. Spears’ absence was met with the audience chanting, “Where’s Britney?” However, she was only gone for a short time, as she returned later on for another batch of contestants. Spears and Lovato made their debut as “X Factor” judges in late May , weeks after Cowell and Reid appeared at the Fox upfront alongside the singers to announce them as additions to the show. “Just really being able to be there and inspire the other contestants … they’re so young and they’re trying to fulfill their dreams,” Spears said at the event. “It’s just a whole beautiful concept. It’s just really cool.” Related Artists Britney Spears Demi Lovato
Lulu Dances On Stripper Pole On America’s Got Talent Damn, Lulu… this is a whole lot to take in. When Lulu Jenkins showed up to America’s Got Talent, fully clothed, no one knew they were in for this: The judges continue their quest of finding America’s most talented performers by making a stop in Austin, Texas, to hold auditions; Nick meets with several hopeful entertainers, but the judges may only take a select few groups on. Turn the page and peep.
Duets debuted on ABC last night and one thing is for certain: Chris Brown fans will NOT be tuning in. Not when the quartet of judges includes John Legend, whose girlfriend was recently the target of ridiculous death threats from Team Breezy members. The panel also includes Robin Thicke, Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Nettles, all of whom won’t merely judge aspiring singers, but actually perform with them on stage as well. First, however, this impressive foursome opened the premiere on its own, leading off last night’s episode with a rendition of “Let Me Entertain You.” Watch it here: Duets Judges Sing “Let Me Entertain You” Will you tune in for Duets? Robin Thicke also performed on Good Morning America Friday a.m. in all his sexy glory. Follow the jump to feast your eyes that effort: Robin Thicke on Good Morning America
Season nine gets off to a unique start during the first round of auditions in New York and Texas. By Natasha Chandel Hampton Williams on “So You Think You Can Dance” Photo: Fox “So You Think You Can Dance” is back and kicking — literally. Limbs flew left, right, center and even behind the head, as season nine of the dance competition premiered Thursday night (May 24) with the first round of auditions in New York and Texas. Dancers from all over the world auditioned for a golden ticket to Sin City, showcasing a dynamic range of artists, styles and emotional stories. Both cities delivered a plethora of highly skilled, highly entertaining and highly ridiculous talent. The highlight of the first auditions was not the usual crowd-pleasing contemporary and hip-hop styles, but rather, unique and inventive forms of dance, including animation, lyrical freestyle and … exorcism? Standouts Chehon Wespi-Tschopp from Switzerland dazzled the judges with a stoic contemporary routine showing off his immense strength and a chiseled body that judge Mary Murphy made sure to squeeze extra hard as Wespi-Tschopp came over to graciously hug the panel for his Vegas pass. But the real standout of the night, by far, was Texan Hampton Williams, creator of his own style of dance titled “exorcist style.” The grimly angelic performance saw Williams pop and lock every single muscle in his body, like never before seen on the show. He brought not only Murphy to tears, but many members of the audience as well, and received a unanimous standing ovation through the theater. “I think you could be a genius,” judge Nigel Lythgoe told the young man before offering to pay for Williams’ Vegas ticket himself if the other judges did not put him through. Gut Wrenchers Being the soulful art form that dance is, “SYTYCD” is notorious for exposing its contestants’ gut-wrenching tales of adversity, and tonight’s premiere was full of such stories. Whether it was Jarell Rochelle’s need to succeed before his mother went blind to Sam Shefler’s battle with autism, the uniting factor was simple: a love for dance. Although Shefler did not move forward with his lyrical freestyle, he received a standing ovation for his courage and was advised never to stop dancing. Feel-Good Moments Mother of two Bree Hafen, from Texas, won the judges’ hearts and had her golden ticket delivered by her young son. The real kicker came when her daughter, also an aspiring dancer, chimed “my turn” after her mom performed a remarkably fluid contemporary routine. She immediately went into a relev
Kid Cudi tells MTV News watching himself on seven screens simultaneously during 30-minute film ‘was weird! But it was dope.’ By Alicia Malone Kanye West and Kim Kardashian attend the “Cruel Summer” premiere during the Cannes Film Festival Photo: Getty Images CANNES, France — Kanye West is nothing if not ambitious. The rapper/designer/mogul has added a few more slashes to his name, as producer, writer and director of the experimental short film “Cruel Summer,” which had its premiere during a splashy party Wednesday night during the Cannes Film Festival. The 30-minute short, inspired by West’s upcoming G.O.O.D. Music compilation of the same name, was projected onto seven screens inside a tented pyramid, designed to give viewers a fully immersive experience. “Cruel Summer” stars G.O.O.D. artist Kid Cudi as a car thief who falls for a blind Arabian princess. The seven screens alternately come on and off, sometimes showing different angles of one shot, other times acting as an extended wide screen, complete with a ceiling and floor. This means the audience looks around them at the images, instead of staring straight ahead, which, as Kanye explained in a speech, was to reflect real life. “It related to a post-Steve Jobs, post-Windows era, where we’re always on our BlackBerry in a ball game or at the movies,” West said. “I was very particular about having the screens separate, where your mind puts the screens back together, the way you put memories together. I’m not the best director in the world, but I had an idea that I thought would be amazing to inspire people, like a dream of one day this being the way people watch movies. You know, [Quentin] Tarantino doing a movie like this or a horror movie like this, animation, 3-D … in this form that surrounds you. People want to go back and see it more and more because they missed something to their left or to their right, and it feels more like the experience of life.” “Cruel Summer” plays like an extended music video, in a similar way to ‘Ye’s 2010 online film for “Runaway,” with sparse dialogue and striking slow-motion images set to a rocking soundtrack. The music is provided by various G.O.O.D. artists, many of whom make cameos in the film, and there’s a super quick appearance by comedian Aziz Ansari. Among the celebrity names attending the premiere party at the Palm Beach Club were Jay-Z, Kim Kardashian and Kid Cudi, who told MTV News the experience of watching himself on seven screens was surreal. “It was weird! But it was dope,” Cudi said. “I’m nervous, just like with anything I do, with people watching, but I’m really proud of it. I’m happy that Kanye had me as part of it. It’s so humbling. He’s a genius, he’s the best, the illest … you can quote me on that!” “Cruel Summer” was co-directed by Alexandre Moors, who previously worked with ‘Ye on the videos for “Runaway” and “N—as in Paris.” The script was based on a screenplay by Elon Rutberg, and it was shot entirely in Qatar in the Middle East. “We were literally shooting in Qatar less than a month ago,” West said. “It was the most impossible feat, all odds were against us having this moment, showing this at Cannes. The reason why I went so hard is that this is my goal. What I want to do post-Grammys is I want to change entertainment experiences. Like if [late fashion designer Alexander] McQueen or [director] Tarsem [Singh] was to meet the entertainment value of Cirque du Soleil or Walt Disney. We’re going to bring it to New York to Qatar and re-edit it … so you guys are seeing the rough draft of this concept.” Although the world premiere of “Cruel Summer” coincided with the Cannes Film Festival, it is not in competition or part of the official screenings. The film is now open to the public in Cannes until May 25. Related Artists Kanye West Kid Cudi
Frontrunner Phillips beats out 16-year-old Jessica Sanchez for the season 11 crown after a ‘world record’ of 132 million votes. By Adam Graham Phillip Phillips performs on the “American Idol” season 11 finale Photo: Getty Images The lights were dimmed, the votes were counted, and Phillip Phillips became the new “American Idol.” As expected, Phillips beat out Jessica Sanchez on Wednesday’s (May 23) Season 11 “Idol” finale, live at Los Angeles’ Nokia Theatre. Phillips topped Sanchez after a reported 132 million votes were cast — “a new world record,” according to host Ryan Seacrest. Phillips teared up while performing his winning song “Home,” while confetti rained down on the stage around him. The Leesburg, Georgia, native has been a cool cucumber all season long, but he broke down in the moment, just as he did during his hometown visit last week. Phillips didn’t finish the song, but strolled off stage and into the arms of his family, who were waiting in the first few rows. As streamers fell and the band played on the stage behind him, Phillips hugged his family members, and later judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler. Phillips came out of Tuesday’s performance episode the heavy favorite to win it all and was celebrated by the judges for his “Home,” which was tailor made for his laid-back style. On the other hand, Sanchez’s would-be winning song, “Change Nothing,” was sloughed off by the judges and even Sanchez herself, who acknowledged the song wasn’t really in her wheelhouse, and said she’d aim to put more of herself in her future recordings. Heading into this season, the buzz was that a woman would win “Idol,” becoming the first female winner since Jordin Sparks in 2007. Four of this year’s top six contestants were female, but Phillips proved unbeatable in the stretch. Sanchez was an early favorite in the season, stepping out in front with her show-stopping rendition of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” on the March 7 episode. But she hit her stumbling blocks along the way, and was voted out on the April 12 episode, and had to be saved by the judges to stay in the competition. Phillips was steady throughout the season. His name — that name! — made him an instant standout, and he played it cool all season long, never letting much of anything — including the season-long illness he battled — ruffle his fathers. (On Thursday’s show, he joked — he was joking, right? — that he got nine and a half to 10 hours of sleep the night before.) He was often criticized, and fairly so, for his similarities to Dave Matthews, but he came alive in the final two weeks, knocking out Bob Seger’s “We’ve Got Tonight” and his winning “Idol” song, “Home.” Wednesday’s finale packed the usual array of medleys, group performances and guest appearances. Stars on the roster included Rihanna (who hit the stage to perform “Where Have You Been”), Chaka Kahn (who joined the female finalists on “I’m Every Woman”), Neil Diamond (who did “Sweet Caroline” with the male contestants) and Reba McEntire (who sang “Turn on the Radio” with Skylar Laine). Josha Ledet sang Elton John’s “Take Me to the Pilot” alongside Fantasia Barrino, whom he introduced as “the biggest inspiration in my life” and who hit the stage in a wild, form-fitting catsuit and long hair, while another former “Idol” winner, Jordin Sparks, took the stage with Hollie Cavanagh on “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” John Fogerty teamed up with Phillips on the Creedence Clearwater Revival classics “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” and “Bad Moon Rising,” and Jennifer Holliday teamed up with Sanchez on the “Dreamgirls” signature song “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.” (Earlier, Sanchez hit the stage on her own to reprise her performance of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.”) The “Idol” finalists — minus Phillips and Sanchez, who teamed up on Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes’ “Up Where We Belong” late in the show — opened the show with Bruno Mars’ “Runaway Baby,” and the male finalists paid tribute to the late Robin Gibb by running through a handful of Bee Gees classics, including “How Deep is Your Love,” “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” and “To Love Somebody.” The “Idol” judges got in on the action as well. Jennifer Lopez performed “Goin’ In” with Flo Rida and Lil Jon and “Follow the Leader” with Puerto Rican duo Wisin & Yandel, while Steven Tyler hit the stage with his Aerosmith cohorts to do their new single “Legendary Child” along with “Walk This Way.” The show also featured “Idol’s” first live wedding proposal, when fifth season finalist Ace Young proposed to third season runner-up Diana DeGarmo while the dramatic “Idol” suspense-building music played in the background. (DeGarmo accepted despite Young’s tacky jewelry store plug mid-proposal.) Phillips and Sanchez were also given new Ford automobiles for their efforts. Next up? After the finalists make the media rounds, the “American Idol” summer tour — featuring the season’s top 10 finalists — kicks off July 6 in Detroit. What did you think of the “Idol” finale? Let us know in the comments! Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Finale Red Carpet
‘He’s the best celebrity dance partner anyone could ask for,’ his pro dance partner Peta Murgatroyd said. By Kelley L. Carter Peta Murgatroyd and Donald Driver on “Dancing With the Stars” Photo: ABC Upon hearing his name called as the season 14 winner of ABC’s hit show “Dancing With the Stars,” Donald Driver stopped, dropped and rolled. “Amazing! This is awesome!” he said, his fist punching the sky in excitement. It was a sweet moment, considering that Driver, an NFL star, revealed that he’s been a longtime fan of the show and had watched it since its inaugural season. Driver ran around the ballroom dance floor and screamed his excitement, while rolling around on the floor after he found out he outscored classical singer Katherine Jenkins (Monday night’s top scorer) and her partner Mark Ballas. On Monday night, Driver and his partner, Peta Murgatroyd, danced the Argentine tango for their first dance, and head judge Len Goodman said he loved Driver’s intensity. The other judges thought his storytelling through dance was moving. The three judges gave him one point shy of a perfect score for that round. For the freestyle round, the Green Bay Packers wide receiver two-stepped to country music, which could have been a risk on the ballroom floor. The judges loved it, and Carrie Ann Inaba actually jumped up on the table and proclaimed, “This is my favorite dance of the season!” For that, Driver earned a perfect score. As for Tuesday night’s finale, he danced one last shirtless dance, for which the judges gave him another perfect trio of 10s. Len Goodman named him the best dancing footballer they’ve ever had on the show. “He’s the best celebrity dance partner anyone could ask for,” Murgatroyd said before her partner was crowned the winner. “I was lucky.”
Joshua Ledet just misses out on the big showdown. By Adam Graham Jessica Sanchez and Phillip Phillips on “American Idol” Photo: Michael Becker/ Fox The “American Idol” finale is set, and Joshua Ledet didn’t get an invite. Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez will compete in next week’s season finale after Ledet was voted off the show Thursday (May 17). Ledet, the 20-year-old from Westlake, Louisiana, who was continually praised as one of the best contestants to ever grace the “Idol” stage , received the lowest number of votes from the 90 million votes cast, according to “Idol” host Ryan Seacrest. Ledet set a record for standing ovations from the judges this season on “Idol”; barely a week went by when he didn’t get the judges on their feet after one of his stellar performances. Ledet performed James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” at the close of the show Thursday, repeating a song that became one of his signature moments. Show mentor Jimmy Iovine took partial blame for Ledet’s performance Wednesday, saying by choosing Mary J. Blige’s “No More Drama,” he didn’t give him a song with enough of a melody to captivate the audience and generate votes. “There was something missing, and I know it was the material. In fairness, I gave him a song that didn’t have enough melody. Joshua needs melody, [and] I take 100 percent responsibility for that,” Iovine said. Still, he thought Ledet deserved to compete for the “Idol” crown next week. “Does Joshua belong in this finale? 100 percent, he should be in anyone’s finale,” he said. Ledet’s elimination gives Sanchez a shot at being the first female “Idol” winner since Jordin Sparks back in season six. At the onset of the season, it was said to be the women’s year on “Idol,” and four of the top six contestants were female. But three women were picked off in a row — Elise Testone, then Skylar Laine, then Hollie Cavanagh — threatening the show’s girl-power contingent. Now Sanchez is carrying the torch for the ladies. Iovine, in summing up Wednesday’s performances, also blamed himself for picking a bad song for Sanchez, but said Phillips won the night with his version of Bob Seger’s “We’ve Got Tonight.” “Hands down, it was the best performance he’s done in the entire contest,” he said, calling it “flawless.” (In fairness, Iovine also said Phillips’ version of Matchbox Twenty’s “Disease” was “a total snooze-fest.” Regarding Sanchez, Iovine said, “She has to have the most magical moment she’s had so far” in order to win it all. “If she gets in the finale,” he said, “It’s about the songs.” Before Ledet’s elimination, Jackson said the final contestants were “three of the best we’ve ever had” and said all three have “big careers” ahead of them. Also on Thursday’s show, Adam Lambert dropped by to perform “Never Close Our Eyes,” and Lisa Marie Presley (huh?) performed her new single “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet.” What did you think of “Idol” on Thursday? Did the right contestants make the finale? Let us know in the comments! Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Performances Most Shocking ‘American Idol’ Exits
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