A “Lil Positivity”: Best Job In The World “A Mother” Olympic Commercial [Video] More On Bossip! Coupled Up In NYC: Kim Kardashian And Kanye West Spotted Cheesin’ & Swirlin’ In The Big Apple [Photos] Celebrity Cribs: Which Legendary Actor is Selling This La Quinta Cali Mansion For $4.5M?? [Photos] Some Instagram Preciousness Courtesy Of C-Milli, Swizzy And Slim Thug For The Ladies: 10 Men That Have Admitted To Enjoying Taking Their Oral Talents Down South
Finally! Demi Lovato FINALLY Admits To Coke Usage… Eating Disorder Our Arse! [Video] More On Bossip! Coupled Up In NYC: Kim Kardashian And Kanye West Spotted Cheesin’ & Swirlin’ In The Big Apple [Photos] Celebrity Cribs: Which Legendary Actor is Selling This La Quinta Cali Mansion For $4.5M?? [Photos] Some Instagram Preciousness Courtesy Of C-Milli, Swizzy And Slim Thug For The Ladies: 10 Men That Have Admitted To Enjoying Taking Their Oral Talents Down South
ABC More On Bossip! Coupled Up In NYC: Kim Kardashian And Kanye West Spotted Cheesin’ & Swirlin’ In The Big Apple [Photos] Celebrity Cribs: Which Legendary Actor is Selling This La Quinta Cali Mansion For $4.5M?? [Photos] Some Instagram Preciousness Courtesy Of C-Milli, Swizzy And Slim Thug For The Ladies: 10 Men That Have Admitted To Enjoying Taking Their Oral Talents Down South
Kim Kardashian And Kanye West On A Date In NYC Looks like things are getting pretty serious with Kimmy Cakes and Yeezy . They were “spotted” on a date in NYC this weekend cheesin’ and eating ice cream. Via TMZ: Kanye West met Kim Kardashian’s family yesterday in New York and according to our sources … the Kardashian clan absolutely loved him. According to our sources, Kanye and Kim were excited for the family gathering and the opportunity to show them just how great they are together. We’re told the meeting went great and the family thinks they make the perfect couple. Kim even instagramed a photo of them in matching Jordans…(SMH) Thoughts?? Flip the script for more images of the two together in New York City…
On the last day of her twenties, Nellie McKay paused to contemplate the milestone before her — or not. Taking a deep breath that soon escaped as a halting laugh, the singer/songwriter/actress and all-around pop polymath brought to mind another benchmark that loomed in her decade past. “In P.S. I Love You ,” McKay began, citing the 2007 film in which she co-starred, “we go over to my sister, played by Hilary Swank, and we surprise her. And she’s really down and out. So I hold up a ‘Happy Birthday’ sign, and I say, ‘You’re 30!’ It’s a big laugh line — or it’s supposed to be a big laugh line. I don’t know if it landed. So that’s kind of surreal to have done that. But I don’t know if…” She trailed off. “Who knows?” McKay finally asked. ” I don’t know.” McKay’s feelings about 30 are reflected in her art, a trademark blend of genuine wonder and calculated mystique enveloping myriad styles and influences — musical, historical, cultural and otherwise. Eisenhower-era gloss? Check. Nixon-era rage? Check? Jazzy, postmodern feminist fusillades against the crises of capital punishment and environmental wreckage? Er, check ? The sweet irrepressibility of following your dreams, even if the path detours into fetching your next meal from a dumpster in Brooklyn? Check — at least for Ramona, the spunky songstress played by McKay in this week’s microindie Downtown Express . “It’s the land of plenty!”, Ramona coos with ironic relish to her new bandmate and beau Sasha (Philippe Quint), himself a Russian immigrant and subway busker whose forthcoming classical violin recital conflicts with his more rockin’ aspirations for the good life in America. The almost obsessive balance of passions and principles that has characterized McKay’s work since her 2004 breakthrough album Get Away From Me undergirds much of director David Grubin’s Express , but it’s the consequences — the privation, the insecurity, the searing frustration of it all — that stand out in McKay’s haunted screen persona. For all the creative and romantic capital that Ramona and Sasha may accrue, her eyes reflect the bitter awareness that utopia is out of reach. McKay is reticent about Ramona’s ghosts. “I have my own theory,” she said, “but I don’t want to interfere with what anyone might think while watching it. I guess I think there is something like that, but I think people should just invent it for themselves.” And McKay knows a few things about invention. The daughter of a British director and an American actress, her mythology commenced with a very public battle to release her debut as a double album (“Should have signed with Verve instead of Sony,” she sang in one typically melodic lament; Verve has since rescued her from the Sony deal’s scorched wreckage) and meandered through confused reports about her age, her upbringing, her activism and even the true meaning of her songs. What ratio of caustic social criticism to earnest romanticism was to be found in a ballad like “I Wanna Get Married,” and how were listeners to reconcile such schisms with album-length tributes to the likes of Doris Day ? That’s just for starters. More recently, McKay has explored the vicissitudes of notoriety with acclaimed tributes to Barbara Graham (the murderess put to death in California in 1955; her story inspired both the Oscar-winning film I Want to Live! and McKay’s 2011 song cycle of the same name) and the conservationist and writer Rachel Carson. The latter show, Silent Spring—It’s Not Nice to Fool Mother Nature , is touring presently, its own heroine reflecting Ramona’s brassy vulnerability in Downtown Express — and, in turn, reflecting much of McKay’s own complex, confrontational character. But ultimately, while McKay may have mellowed out slightly since her politically aware broadsides of eight or nine years ago, she seems to acknowledge that her sprawling worldview has only gathered more focus and strength when distilled through real-life subjects. “We’re just starting the Rachel Carson [show], so I’m still finding it,” McKay said. “But to be able to tell their stories and channel them some way is a relief and a pleasure. I think those shows are far superior to solo shows.” Asked what relief and pleasure she could take from such turbulent, troubled stories, McKay didn’t flinch. “Well, Rachel’s was troubled because we live on a devastated planet,” she replied. “But I think she found a lot of joy. And actually, Barbara did, too. Barbara knew how to have a good time.” Fundamentally, McKay said she cherishes the “relief from yourself” that her acting efforts have afforded her. “I don’t want to be myself,” she told me. “I have to live with her.” Yet she does hesitate when asked about the real Nellie McKay — the one Grubin cast after seeing her perform on Broadway in The Threepenny Opera in 2006, or the one who generously tips NYC subway musicians for making her commute “a beautiful thing” (as well as “to make up for the people who don’t give anything”), or the one who self-effacingly credits vodka for the chemistry shared with her Russian co-star Quint, or the one who even wants to put “the real Nellie McKay” in any kind of perspective at all. “I think you try to find what works, and that can be very elusive,” she said. “I mean, gee…” McKay paused again. “I have…” And then followed a longer, struggling pause, relieved only by invoking yet another pseudorealist icon: “I feel like Woody Allen tearing up the driver’s license in Annie Hall .” (Did I mention McKay also used to be a stand-up comic?) Which brings us back to 30 — or “57,” as McKay cheekily replies about her milestone before going a little darker about its meaning (or lack thereof). “I don’t know that any thing means much,” she said. “I don’t see that anything leads to much. I mean, I don’t really feel that things change . They just mutate. For instance, if you look through the century, certain things have gotten better and certain things have gotten worse. I wouldn’t say overall that things have gotten better. I think you could say things have gotten worse, but I don’t think you could say that things have gotten better. Overall. You can’t say that.” Does McKay — this ivory-tickling, ukulele-slinging avatar of ’50s class, millennial angst and every fraught neurosis in between — even think she was born at the right time? Another pause. “Well,” she said, “I think maybe you do choose your parents. I know I chose the right mother. But born at the right or wrong time? Gee, I don’t know. Do you think you were born at the right time?” Maybe? Would I like to have experienced the Jazz Era? The Renaissance? Sure. Slavery? The plague? Not so much. “I guess you deal with what you get,” McKay said. Indeed. And as tough and mercurial a nut as she is to crack, Nellie McKay’s art makes her mystery worth it. On screen, on stage, on record, you deal with what you get. The payoff is worth it. Downtown Express opens Friday in New York . PREVIOUSLY: Nellie McKay Plays My Favorite Scene [Top photo of Nellie McKay: Danny Bright; bottom photo of McKay and Philippe Quint: Susan Meiselas] Follow S.T. VanAirsdale on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Dr. Dre, Lady Gaga and others have also used their music careers as launch pads to much more. By Fallon Prinzivalli Justin Timberlake Photo: Elle Decor Can we still call Justin Timberlake a triple threat? We’re not questioning the fact that he can sing, dance and act — although, he hasn’t done the first two in quite some time, so he may need to remind us — as much as we’re thinking that “triple” doesn’t begin to describe his threat. Aside from the incredible success ‘NSYNC and his solo career brought him, Timberlake launched a clothing line (William Rast), has his own brand of tequila (901), has co-owned or endorsed multiple restaurants including Chi, Destino and Southern Hospitality, and we hear he’s a great golfer. Now, the news came Monday (April 16) via Elle D
Which Hollywood heavy-hitter will step in to take helm of ‘Catching Fire’? By Jason Kaufman Jennifer Lawrence in “Hunger Games” Photo: Lionsgate The big “Hunger Games” news this week wasn’t how much cash continued to pour in, but the director who was on his way out. Gary Ross released a statement saying he would not be back for the sequel. “Despite recent speculation in the media, and after difficult but sincere consideration, I have decided not to direct ‘Catching Fire,’ ” Ross said. “As a writer and a director, I simply don’t have the time I need to write and prep the movie I would have wanted to make because of the fixed and tight production schedule. I loved making ‘The Hunger Games’ — it was the happiest experience of my professional life.” “Hunger Games” studio Lionsgate expressed remorse at Ross’ departure. “We’re very sorry that Gary Ross has chosen not to direct ‘Catching Fire.’ We were really looking forward to making the movie with him. He did an incredible job on the first film and we are grateful for his work.” MTV Movies Managing Editor Eric Ditzian thought something was up. “I am frankly surprised he’s not coming back, but in retrospect, I could see the implication when he was speaking to us, he was very reluctant to talk about ‘Catching Fire,’ ” Ditzian told the panel on the latest edition of MTV News’ “Talk Nerdy.” Watch Gary Ross on “Hunger Games” Sequels” “Nerdy” host Josh Wigler expressed the need for urgency on the part of Lionsgate to make their hire soon. “Whoever they get to direct ‘Fire’ needs to have started yesterday. They really need to make this hire pretty fast; production is moving in August.” Who will step in for Ross? On Ditzian’s wish list: Darren Aronofsky. “Great with the hand-held camera, great with these intimate first-person narratives. But it’s not going to happen. He’s busy.” Ditzian’s pick for the auteur to drive Katniss’ next chapter is Oscar-winning Danny Boyle, who’s no stranger to hand-held cameras himself and has proved time and time again, from “Trainspotting” to “127 Hours,” that he’s a master of first-person tales as well. The MTV Movies staff also predicts the short list of directors will include Steven Soderbergh, John Hillcoat and J.J. Abrams. Best Picks for the “Catching Fire” Director Job “The movie can survive,” Ditzian said. Jennifer Lawrence Tells MTV News About Planning Ahead for “Catching Fire.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Catching Fire.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos Talk Nerdy MTV Rough Cut: Gary Ross Related Photos ‘Hunger Games’ Cast Hits NYC
Emma Watson celebrates a birthday today. And although it may seem hard to believe – because she’s been in our lives for so long and because she comes across as more mature than many celebrities twice her age – the young woman behind Hermione Granger is only 22 years old. Send in your birthday wishes to the beautiful star now and then click through the following photo montage in her honor: Watson will next be seen in The Bling Ring , a film based on a real-life clique of fame-obsessed teenagers used tracked the whereabouts of various stars – from Paris Hilton to Orlando Bloom to Ashley Tisdale to Megan Fox and Lindsay Lohan – in order to rob their homes . It will be released some time in 2013.
Scarlett Johansson Speaks About Divorce From Ryan Reynolds Poor thang! One of our favorite Hollyweird bangers, Scarlett Johansson recently admitted she still has bouts of grief and loneliness over losing her hubby Ryan Reynolds. Although the Avengers actress, 27, has dated other men after her late 2010 divorce from Ryan Reynolds — including Sean Penn and, currently, NYC ad exec Nate Naylor — the stunning star tells the May issue of Vogue that she’s still hurting from the end of her two-year marriage. Johansson calls the breakup “comically amicable,” but clarifies that it was still “horrible . . . Of course it’s horrible. It was devastating. It really throws you. You think that your life is going to be one way, and then, for various reasons or whatever, it doesn’t work out.” She muses that divorce is “like the loneliest thing you’ll ever do, in some way.” And while Johansson says she now feels “relative peace,” she confides to Vogue that the split from Safe House star Reynolds, 35, who has rebounded with Blake Lively, still gives her grief. “I don’t feel on the other side of it completely, but it gets better,” she says. “It’s still there. More than anything, it’s just that not having your buddy around all the time is weird. There’s no rule book. I think it’s just time.” Johansson is less descriptive when talking about her rebound romance with Penn, 51, with whom she was involved for five months last year. “We spent time together, yeah,” she admits. “I never put a title on it, really, but we were seeing each other.” Regardless, she and the Oscar winner/humanitarian are on excellent terms. “He’s a remarkable person . . . He really is.” It’s okay ScarJo, we’ll give you some lovin’! Source More On Bossip! Making It Rain On Them Hoes: A List Of Your Favorite Rapper’s Salary For Performances And Shows YOLO: A Gallery Of People That Hit The Beach And Let It All Hang Out Even If They Aren’t Right And Tight For All The Brothers Who Enjoy Latina Cakes: Jessenia Vice For T.I.T.S. Brand [Pictorial-Video] 808s And Chopdowns: A Gallery Of Women Kanye West Has Shouted Out In Song
Much-hyped band, opening for Jack White, releases debut, Boys & Girls . By James Montgomery Alabama Shakes Photo: MTV News It’s not exactly a stretch to say the Alabama Shakes have come out of nowhere — it would, however, be incorrect. After all, they hail from the town of Athens, Alabama (pop. 21,897), and, since forming in 2009, they’ve logged thousands of hours playing sweaty, soulful gigs throughout the Southeast — though Egan’s Bar in nearby Tuscaloosa remains their spiritual home. Since January 2011, they’ve been working on their debut album, paying for recording sessions themselves using money from their various day jobs (painting houses, delivering mail), and slowly but surely building a bit of buzz, namely on blogs like Aquarium Drunkard , which posted an MP3 of the band last summer and inadvertently got them a deal with ATO Records. In November 2011, they finished that debut disc, and in March 2012, the Shakes tore through the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas. On Tuesday, their journey finally came to a head with the release of Boys & Girls, a crackling, creaky collection of ringing, downright retro guitars, pealing organs and, of course, frontwoman Brittany Howard’s voluminous, velvety voice. Not surprisingly — given the Shakes’ Southern roots and the laundry list of adjectives their music inspires — long-suffering rock critics have already embraced both the band and their sound, dubbing them everything from the genre’s next great saviors to the new kings and queens of retro soul. But, as Howard explains, she prefers to call it one thing, and one thing only: “It’s rock and roll. Think about Chuck Berry … rock and roll. AC/DC, rock and roll. Little Richard. James Brown was doing some rock and roll. That’s what it is,” she told MTV News. “R&B and rock and roll go more hand in hand than I think a lot of people want to admit.” MTV News caught up with the Shakes, MTV PUSH Artist of the Week , on Tuesday at New York’s Studio at Webster Hall before they took the stage for Live in NYC, MTV Hive’s concert series . Their performance will be available on-demand next week. Howard and bandmates Steve Johnson and Heath Fogg told us they are proud of everything that’s lead them to this point and that they did everything their way. “We’d go up to Nashville once a month, at most, to make the album,” Fogg shared. “We’d get up there Friday night, work all day Saturday, head back home Saturday night … It was a long process. “We’ve been wanting this record to come out for a long time,” he continued. “To get the opportunities we’ve gotten, we were all pretty shocked. We’d get taken out to dinner by all these big labels, and the whole time I kept thinking I’d have to pay for these meals, like, I’d stand up and kinda grab for my wallet, and they’d be like, ‘No no no.’ ” Johnson added: “When we were making [ Boys & Girls ], there were certain recordings where it felt like you were almost in the room with the band while they were being recorded. Just background voices, the stir of the room; it felt like there were other people in there, and we were all fans of that kind of stuff, so we decided to leave little things in. “The songs have a feel to ’em: There’s kind of a sway of the rhythm, it picks up and slows down. We weren’t sitting there on a metronome, playing to a click track or something like that, and I think that was the overall goal: to make a good-sounding, good-feeling album. And if there was a mistake, but it didn’t mess with the groove of the song: leave it in.” Of course, the Shakes are trying very hard to come to terms with their newfound fame, which includes a sold-out North American tour, dates in Europe and the U.K. and an opening slot for avowed-admirer Jack White on his solo trek. Mixed in with all of this is the very real struggle to remain attached to their roots, which are as far-reaching as they are humble. After all, they’re not a “retro soul” band, they’re a rock and roll band. One whose time has finally come. “A lot of people listened to James Brown and Elvis Presley when I was growing up,” Howard explained. “We had a station called Solid Golden Oldies, and I would spend a lot of time with my grandmother, and that’s what we would listen to. We’d be in the kitchen cooking or cleaning, listening to Solid Golden Oldies, and she’d tell me about Dion and Elvis Presley, how her and her friends would go dance to Elvis records. “I just grew up loving it and understanding it and just the sound and the honesty of the music was something I’ll never forget,” she explained. “And I ran into these guys, and they all get it too. But, we also listen to a lot of other stuff — it doesn’t stop there. That’s why we don’t say we’re retro soul, because I also love MMJ [My Morning Jacket], the White Stripes, Kings of Leon … I’m not stuck under a rock or anything. I don’t think any of us are.” Related Videos PUSH: Alabama Shakes Related Artists Alabama Shakes
