Following the tragic death of Cory Monteith , it may not be important in the grand scheme of things – but it’s something Fox will need to consider: How will Glee Season 5 handle the passing of a central cast member? It’s not unprecedented for programs to deal with the loss of an actor or actress. The West Wing gave John Spencer’s Leo a heart attack. Just last year, Dallas wrote in a funeral for J.R. Ewing after Larry Hagman died. So… in which direction will Glee go? Will it make a mere, quick mention of Finn going far away for some reason? Will it actually kill the character off? What SHOULD it do? Weigh in now with your take on how Glee should deal with Monteith’s death: Kill off Finn Write Finn out Recast the role I don’t know View Poll »
A Swedish sociology professor has nominated NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden for the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize, according to reports. In his letter addressed to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Stefan Svallfors praised Snowden for his “heroic effort at great personal cost.” He stated that by revealing U.S. surveillance programs, Snowden showed “individuals can stand up for fundamental rights and freedoms.” Citing the Nuremberg trials of 1945, Svallfors notes that “‘I was just following orders’ is never an excuse for acts contrary to human rights and freedoms.” He also says Snowden “save the prize from the disrepute incurred by the hasty, ill-conceived decision” to give the 2009 award to Barack Obama. The head of the International Committee of the Russian State, Duma Aleksey Pushkov, says the U.S. won’t let Nobel Peace Prize go to Snowden. Nevertheless, his mere nomination speaks volumes, he says: “Not in a million years will the U.S. allow Snowden to get the Peace Prize. But his nomination is significant. Many in the West see him as a champion of democracy.” The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded since 1901 to individuals who “shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations.” The list of criteria also includes working toward “abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” Edward Snowden isn’t be the first Nobel nominee of his kind. Just last year, Bradley Manning , the U.S. soldier accused of passing secret materials to WikiLeaks, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2011, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was nominated. Snowden’s nomination is expected to be reviewed by the committee for next year’s prize. The 30-year-old nominee is wanted in the U.S. on espionage charges. He fled American soil for Hong Kong in May and then flew to Moscow, Russia, where he has been stuck in an airport transit zone for three weeks. On Friday, he said he is seeking political asylum in Russia because he cannot fly to Latin America, where he previously sought protection. Edward Snowden : Hero Traitor View Poll »
Jim Carrey is speaking out about his upcoming film Kick-Ass 2, and not in a good way. Rather, the star is condemning it for its use of what he feels is excessive violence following the tragic events in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, last year. Jim Carrey Kick-Ass 2 Trailer – Theatrical “I did Kickass a month b4 Sandy Hook and now in all good conscience I cannot support that level of violence,” the 51-year-old actor tweeted. “I meant to say my apologies to others involve[d] with the film. I am not ashamed of it but recent events have caused a change in my heart.” Comic book author Mark Millar, who also executive produced Kick-Ass 2 , wrote a blog post following the tweets to express his opinion on the matter: “As you may know, Jim is a passionate advocate of gun-control,” he wrote. “I respect both his politics and his opinion, but I’m baffled by this sudden announcement as nothing seen in this picture wasn’t in the screenplay 18 months ago.” “Yes, the body-count is very high, but a movie called Kick-Ass 2 really has to do what it says on the tin.” “A sequel to the picture that gave us HIT-GIRL was always going to have some blood on the floor and this should have been no shock to a guy who enjoyed the first movie so much.” “Ultimately, it’s his decision, but I’ve never bought the notion that violence in fiction leads to violence in real-life any more than Harry Potter casting a spell creates more Boy Wizards in real-life.” “Our job as storytellers is to entertain and our toolbox can’t be sabotaged by curtailing the use of guns in an action-movie,” he concluded. What do you think? Is Jim off-base? Or is his point about violence in movies something that warrants a broader discussion beyond just Kick-Ass 2?
Foxes aren’t usually known to hang around humans too often, but if a little one gets his head stuck in a glass jar, that aversion can change in a hurry. Fox With Head Stuck in Jar As you probably guessed by the headline and intro above, two men walking along a dirt road in Russia came upon a red fox with its head stuck in a jar. The fox walked toward the duo, at which point one of the men bent down, grabbing the jar, pulling the scruff of the animal’s neck back and freeing it. As the kit scampered away, the man joked in Russian, “Where’s my thank you?” Watch the clip above, and remember, folks … please don’t litter, okay?
Michael Hastings, an acclaimed young journalist, has died in a car accident. The Vermont native was just 33 years old when he passed away Tuesday. He was widely known for a profile in Rolling Stone magazine, which reported his death, of a general who commanded U.S. forces in Afghanistan. “We are shocked and devastated by the news that Michael Hastings is gone ,” said Ben Smith, editor in chief of BuzzFeed, for whom he also wrote. “Michael was a great, fearless journalist with an incredible instinct for the story, and a gift for finding ways to make his readers care about anything he covered.” “From wars to politics, he wrote stories that would otherwise have gone unwritten, and without him there are many great stories that will go untold.” “Michael was also a wonderful, generous colleague, a joy to work with and a lover of corgis … especially his Bobby Sneakers,” Smith continued. “Our thoughts are with Elise and the rest of his family.” Rolling Stone managing editor Will Dana echoed those sentiments in comments in an obituary posted Tuesday evening on the magazine’s website: “Great reporters exude a certain kind of electricity, the sense that there are stories burning inside them,” Dana said of Hastings. “There’s no higher calling or greater way to live life than to be always relentlessly trying to find and tell those stories.” “I’m sad that I’ll never get to publish all the great stories that he was going to write.” “I’m sad that he won’t be stopping by my office for any more short visits which would stretch for two or three completely engrossing hours. He will be missed.” His reporting on Gen. Stanley McChrystal in 2010 led to his resignation after he was quoted mocking President Obama, Vice President Biden and other officials. The story was titled “The Runaway General” and resulted from the considerable access to McChrystal and others that Michael Hastings was granted. “You never know how a story will be received,” he told the Burlington Free Press . “I knew the reporting was new and different, but I’m kind of surprised at the impact.”
Either Beyonce is not pregnant… or she’s going out of her way to show herself as an irresponsible mother. With rumors continuing to churn that Bey and Jay-Z are expecting another baby , the singer took to her official website today and didn’t write a word. But she did post a very sweet photo of herself drinking wine while hanging with her man, an indication that she’s NOT knocked up – and/or is not a believer in that whole medical science thing. We choose to believe the former. In other Beyonce news from the week, this is what happens when you slap her butt . Consider yourselves warned, future concert attendees.
Megyn Kelly has joined her Fox News colleague in calling out two other Fox News colleagues. Earlier this week, Lou Dobbs and Erick Erickson reacted in horror to a Pew survey that reported how prominent a role female breadwinners are playing in the country these days. Erickson argued that the results are “anti-science” and that the male ought to play the “dominant role” in a family… while “having moms as the primary breadwinner is bad for kids and bad for marriage.” Following Greta Van Susteren’s Tweeting shock and outrage over such comments, Megyn Kelly invited Dobbs and Erickson on her show today – and let them have it! Safe to say the following exchange is a TKO, don’t you think? Megyn Kelly Slams Erick Erickson and Lou Dobbs Where do you stand? Are an abundance of female breadwinners bad for the country? Yes, we’re doomed! WTH are these guys talking about?!? View Poll »
Kendra Spears is engaged to a prince and will soon become royalty. But Beyonce already is royalty and – according to a report in The Daily Star – she therefore has a few demands while performing the Mrs. Carter Show abroad. A source tells that publication that Beyonce is “extremely regimented and is taking everything extremely seriously, so she expects her list of demands to be adhered to.” Among those alleged demands: No junk food. Her crew can only wear clothes made 100% from cotton. The use of titanium straws to drink a special alkaline water served at exactly 21 degrees. Red toilet paper. Freshly painted white walls in her dressing room. Also, a new toilet seat. The salad bar must only be comprised of green items. Beyonce is performing this week in London at the famous O2 Arena. Hence, London residents, why there is a lack of red toilet paper at your local convenience store.
Considered by many to be a rising conservative star after just a few months in the Senate, Ted Cruz (R-TX) is reportedly mulling a presidential bid. Friends of the senator say that he’s been listening to enthusiastic supporters and discussing the 2016 election and a possible campaign with associates. “We all see a path, and he does, too,” one former colleague said. While he’s new to the U.S. Senate, by 2015 he will have spent as much time there as the current President did before launching his White House campaign. Also, in a wide open field against Chris Christie, Marco Rubio and Rand Paul (potentially, among other), there’s no clear favorite standing in his way. In a statement, Cruz said his focus was on electing conservatives in 2014 and defending liberty, calling the 2016 buzz ”a continued source of amazement.” “The simple fact that I am working hard with like-minded Senators to keep my promise [should not be] seen as newsworthy or cause for wild speculation.” Fun fact: Ted Cruz, 42, was born in Canada! Scholars generally agree that he can run because his mother was a natural-born U.S. citizen. His father, a Cuban immigrant, is a naturalized citizen.
Second term, baby. Embracing his annual role as Standup Comedian-in-Chief, President Barack Obama certainly delivered the laughs at the 2013 White House Correspondents Dinner. Obama White House Correspondents’ Dinner Speech 2013 Walking out to DJ Khaled’s “All I Do Is Win,” Obama started off his speech joking “second term, baby” and noting, “I’ve got 99 problems and now Jay-Z is one.” The President also didn’t hold back when it came to wife Michelle Obama’s bangs in Photoshopped pics, or to his own notorious college pot smoking. Weighing in on the success of the site BuzzFeed, he said “I remember Buzz Feed was just something I did in college around 2 a.m. [pause] It’s true.” Perhaps Obama’s best digs came at the media’s expense, with NBC, Fox News, CNN, Dick Morris , Gallup and even the History Channel being skewered. He took plenty of shots at himself, as well. On his aging rapidly in the White House, he said: “I’m not the strapping young Muslim socialist I used to be.” Referencing his trip to the George W. Bush Library last week, Obama said that some want him to build his in his birthplace … but he’d prefer the U.S. He chided Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) for his 2016 election ambitions while not even finishing one Senate term – a frequent criticism of Obama in 2008. Obama and the event’s host, Conan O’Brien, made for a formidable 1-2 punch. Check out Conan’s remarks below and tell us who was funnier … Conan White House Correspondents Dinner Speech 2013
