Tag Archives: pop-culture

EXCLUSIVE: Jason Alexander on the Death of George Steinbrenner

For many people (namely, non-sports fans who loved Seinfeld ), George Steinbrenner will always be inextricably tied to George Costanza , a zeitgeist-y association that kept him inside the relevant gates of pop culture long after he stopped firing Billy Martin. Sports dignitaries may have plenty to say about the man fondly known as Mr. Steinbrenner, but to us, it seems fitting to get a final word on his death from none other than the man who played Costanza himself, Jason Alexander:

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EXCLUSIVE: Jason Alexander on the Death of George Steinbrenner

Lebron James fathead 17.41

The sports memorabilia business Fathead Inc., a company owned by Gilbert, offered LeBron James wall graphics online Friday at price reduced from $99.99 to $17.41. (Famous traitor Benedict Arnold was born in 1741. Coincidence?) Most experts say James should have seen the vitriol coming from miles away. “Surely he#39;s seen enough of those old TV sitcom episodes where somebody tells three people they#39;re going to go to the prom,” says Robert Thompson, a pop culture expert at Syracuse Universit

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Lebron James fathead 17.41

Eclipse Review: The Best Twilight Film Yet!

While The Twilight Saga may boast an impressive, deep cast, let’s face it: this franchise is all about its three main stars. For that reason, New Moon fell a bit flat, as Robert Pattinson scarcely appeared as Edward and we were left with too much of Bella sitting around and simply pondering her life. Granted, Taylor Lautner took his shirt off a lot, but here’s the great news about Eclipse : Jacob is once again topless most of the time – but he isn’t the only one heating up the screen. Having been treated to a screening of Eclipse , we can confirm: it’s by far the most action-packed of all three Twilight films, and it’s also the best. Here’s why: Bella’s internal conflict has external consequences . Jacob or Edward? Edward or Jacob? This love triangle is at the forefront of the film, but it’s placed against the backdrop of a centuries-old feud between werewolves and vampires. This is far more than typical teenage angst; this is Bella needing to make a decision, the ramifications of which will impact all the lives around her. When Jacob and Edward agree to an alliance in order to protect the girl they love, even men in the audience might stand up and cheer. It’s exciting, selfless stuff. The movie has a sense of humor . Early on, Edward says of Jacob: “Doesn’t he own a shirt?” It’s a cute, light-hearted wink at the audience and the pop culture phenomenon the franchise has become. Jacob vs. Edward . Choosing a Team in this rivalry is a necessity for all fans, and Eclipse sets up more of a dichotomy than ever before. At one point, Bella complains that Edward won’t “unzip before marriage.” Meanwhile, Jacob simply oozes sweat and sex appeal. The former is old school, the latter… well, he’s ready to pounce. These differences make Bella’s dilemma all the more stark, which makes it that much more interesting to watch. The tent scene . Trust us. The flashbacks . Through a series of character flashbacks, we learn how multiple Cullens earned their fangs. Jasper’s tale of being a Confederate Major is especially gripping. Great special effects . The movie climaxes with a showdown between wolves and vampires (and one human, of course) that may not be at the level of Avatar , but it makes tremendous use of CGI. Overall, the action is on par with many summer popcorn flicks. In the end, it’s easy to understand why the Twilight Saga appeals to teenage girls everywhere: two gorgeous guys aren’t just in love with Bella, they are willing to do absolutely anything for her. It’s the stuff we all dream about. But Eclipse adds action, adventure and history to that simple storyline. It combines the best elements of the first two films and we strongly recommend it to all readers.

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Eclipse Review: The Best Twilight Film Yet!

Debbie Gibson, Tiffany To Star In ‘Mega Python Vs. Gatoroid’

1980s rival pop stars will appear together in Syfy Saturday night movie. By Adam Rosenberg Debbie Gibson Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images If you thought watching a supersized shark take on an equally supersized octopus was entertaining, wait’ll you get a load of what the Asylum is cooking up for Syfy. Prepare yourself for … “Mega Python vs. Gatoroid”! The Hollywood Reporter reveals that 1980s pop stars Deborah “Debbie” Gibson and Tiffany will star together in the Syfy original Saturday night movie, to be produced by “Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus” studio the Asylum. Both Gibson and Tiffany have previously appeared in Asylum films — Gibson in “Mega Shark …” and Tiffany in “Mega Piranha” — but this is the first time the duo will appear in a film together. Gibson will play an animal rights activist who specializes in freeing — what else? — exotic snakes from pet stores and setting them loose in the Everglades, where they, of course, grow to enormous sizes. Tiffany is set for the role of a park ranger who “uses dangerous methods to save endangered alligators.” The script reportedly includes a scene in which the two stars brawl, moving from a bar interior out to the muddy swamp. The project apparently came about after Tiffany approached Syfy with the request that she and Gibson appear together in a movie, playing on their old pop culture rivalry. Gibson and Tiffany were never actually at odds with one another, but they were frequently portrayed that way by the media. “Mega Python vs. Gatoroid” is set to start shooting this month. “Pet Sematary” and classic-Madonna-video helmer Mary Lambert will direct, with a script from Naomi Selfman, who wrote the 2004 horror flick “Evil Eyes,” starring Adam Baldwin, Jennifer Gates and Udo Kier. For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Artists Debbie Gibson

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Debbie Gibson, Tiffany To Star In ‘Mega Python Vs. Gatoroid’

Daniel Radcliffe Thought Justin Bieber Was A Woman

‘I’m so out of the loop when it comes to pop culture that I kind of don’t even try anymore,’ ‘Harry Potter’ star admits. By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Daniel Radcliffe Photo: MTV News Radiohead, Hope of the States — these are the kinds of bands Daniel Radcliffe listened to for years to get into character for his scenes in the various “Harry Potter” films. Sometimes at 6 in the morning, he’d pop into the makeup chair and start blasting old-school ska and punk tunes for all to hear. That’s the sort of stuff that gets Radcliffe pumped up to do his job, so it should come as no surprise that he’s rather less familiar with the musical stylings of Justin Bieber. But it is a surprise — and a pretty funny one, at that — to hear who the “Potter” star thought was actually behind hits like “Baby” and “One Time.” “I only heard Justin Bieber for the first time two weeks ago,” Radcliffe told MTV News. “I genuinely thought it was a woman singing. I’d never heard it before. Is it big in England yet?” Well, Bieber’s My World dropped in the U.K. in January and went gold by April, and while the pop star’s upcoming tour will keep him within the confines of North America through 2010, there’s always the possibility that he’ll cross the pond again next year. Just don’t count on Radcliffe to be in attendance when that happens. “I’m so out of the loop when it comes to pop culture that I kind of don’t even try anymore,” he admitted. That’s not to say he’s completely disconnected from everything mainstream. Radcliffe has much respect for the artist who’s produced tunes like “Alejandro” and “Telephone.” “I know who Lady Gaga is,” he said. “I think she’s kind of amazing. She’s really got a voice. My god. Not my kind of music, particularly, but she can really sing.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: Daniel Radcliffe Related Artists Justin Bieber

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Daniel Radcliffe Thought Justin Bieber Was A Woman

HuffPo Gives Catholic-Insulting Lady Gaga Music Video a ‘Thumbs Up’

Pop music sensation Lady Gaga recently released a music video for her popular song, “Alejandro,” but the music video was so controversial that it was denounced as being blasphemy. Despite the video’s clear inappropriate sexual content and profane misuse of Catholic religious symbols, the liberal blogspot Huffington Post joined with the rest of the media in praising the video. Author Michele Somerville wrote in her June 14 article, “ Holy Gaga! A Catholic’s Defense of ‘Alejandro ’” that she, “gives ‘Alejandro’ a thumbs ups. It’s pop culture tour de force.” According to Somerville, “the only sin” she found with the video is that it is a, “possible transgressions against Madonna.” In the music video Lady Gaga swallows a rosary while dressed as a nun, stimulates intercourse, and features half-naked men dancing in high heels. Catholic League president Bill Donohue denounced the video . “Lady Gaga is playing Madonna copy cat, squirming around half-naked with half-naked guys, abusing Catholic symbols — they’re always Catholic symbols — while bleating out ‘Alejandro’ enough times to induce vomit,” Donohue explained. “That she is confused is an understatement. In any event, we hope she finds her way back home.” Somerville, however, gushed about the video. She explained that she’s a fan of Lady Gaga and she even showed the video to her three children because she “knew they would soon see it.” Somerville compared Lady Gaga to Madonna and explained that Madonna’s once controversial music video for “Like a Virgin” created a “religious outcry” as well. But then she took it a step further and wrote that Michelangelo’s The Last Judgement was once labeled “obscene.” She explained, “Many of the same Catholics who would see putting pants on Michelangelo’s angels as anathema were quick to chastise Madonna for performing on a giant cross.” Somerville continued attempting to compare Michelangelo with Lady Gaga.  She wrote, “It’s safe to assume that a naked penis in church was as offensive to many Catholics 500 years ago as Lady Gaga deep-throating all five decades of the rosary is today. We have no idea what Jesus would think of ‘Alejandro’…” He probably wouldn’t think too much of someone using a God-given talent to mock some of His most devout followers and their beliefs. Somerville, however, mused, “Is it not possible that God likes a laugh?”

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HuffPo Gives Catholic-Insulting Lady Gaga Music Video a ‘Thumbs Up’

Katy Perry Explains Her Lady Gaga ‘Blasphemy’ Tweet

‘Spirituality and sexuality are two separate things, and then when you decide to put them into the same subject, it gets interesting for some people,’ she says. By Jocelyn Vena Katy Perry Photo: Robyn Beck/ AFP/ Getty Images Last week, the same day Lady Gaga premiered her clip for “Alejandro,” fellow pop star Katy Perry posted a tweet that many fans thought was in response to the video’s religious imagery. “Using blasphemy as entertainment is as cheap as a comedian telling a fart joke,” Perry posted. In a new radio interview, the “California Gurls” singer clarified her comment, noting that it wasn’t solely about Gaga. “What’s funny is that everybody was assuming I was directing it completely towards her, and if I was directing something I would write their ‘@,’ ” she told a French radio station Sunday in a clip posted on PerezHilton.com . “Lately, I’ve just been seeing some things that are kind of like, I don’t know, in my own personal feelings, a little bit like not something I would do, I guess.” She went on to specify that it wasn’t just Gaga’s “Alejandro” that left her underwhelmed by pop culture’s use of religious imagery. “You know, when Madonna was on a cross, and sometimes my boyfriend will say things that are a little bit ‘eh’ for me, from where I come from,” she said of her upbringing with her parents, who are both pastors. “It’s hard for me to say that, because sometimes I’m a very hypocritical person. Everybody’s like, ‘How do you say that and you kissed a girl?’ And I think sometimes, most of the time, you can disagree or agree, spirituality and sexuality are two separate things, and then when you decide to put them into the same subject, it gets interesting for some people.” Perry said that regardless of her opinions on using religion in pop culture, she still loves Gaga. “Everybody knows, I’ve said it maybe 100 times on my Twitter, I’m one of the biggest Lady Gaga fans and Madonna fans and Russell Brand fans,” she explained. “It’s just that, like, of course, some people have different viewpoints.” Are you surprised that Katy wasn’t a fan of Gaga’s video? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Katy Perry Lady Gaga

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Katy Perry Explains Her Lady Gaga ‘Blasphemy’ Tweet

Katy Perry, Russell Brand Fight With Fart Jokes

Before her tweet about Lady Gaga, Perry and Brand had been publicly battling over flatulence. By James Montgomery Russell Brand and Katy Perry Photo: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images Last Friday morning (June 4), Russell Brand called in to Nick Cannon’s radio program to promote “Get Him to the Greek.” But the conversation quickly devolved into far more, uh, odorous topics: farts. Or, more specifically, the farting prowess of Brand’s fianc

Lindsay Lohan Singles Out ‘The Hangover’ For Best Movie

‘It was actually on the other day at my apartment,’ the actress says at the MTV Movie Awards. By Todd Gilchrist, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Lindsay Lohan at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images UNIVERSAL CITY, California — We’re not sure if she was making a good-natured joke about her legal situation , but when asked on the red carpet of the 2010 MTV Movie Awards which of the Best Movie nominees was her favorite, Lindsay Lohan singled out Todd Phillips’ blockbuster comedy “The Hangover.” “I thought ‘The Hangover’ was hysterical,” Lohan said, offering an example of her devotion to Phillips film. “It was actually on the other day at my apartment. It was really funny.” At the same time, Lohan admitted that “The Hangover” was just one of her favorites among the nominees, which include “Avatar,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” and, of course, “The Twilight Saga: New Moon.” Lohan explained, “I’m a fan of all of them, and they’re all different. I mean, ‘New Moon’ has this sci-fi element and I know ‘Avatar’ does too.” Lohan has appeared at several past MTV Awards ceremonies, including in 2004, ’05, ’07 and ’08, where she was a presenter and attendee at both the Movie and Video Music Awards. Meanwhile, Lohan shared the red carpet with the castmembers of “Jersey Shore,” a show which she says she’s familiar with, even though it hasn’t prepared her for conversations with its resident lothario, Mike “The Situation.” When asked what a conversation would be like between the two, she said, “I haven’t watched it that much, so I don’t know. We’ll have to see when I meet him.” Relive the wildest, funniest and most-jaw-dropping moments of the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, watch revealing red-carpet interviews and get exclusive movie clips after the show at MovieAwards.MTV.com. Related Videos Stars Sizzle On The 2010 MTV Movie Awards Red Carpet Related Photos 2010 Movie Awards: Show Highlights ‘New Moon,’ ‘Avatar,’ ‘Hangover,’ More Duke It Out As 2010 Movie Awards Nominees 2010 Movie Awards: Full Fashion Recap Related Artists Lindsay Lohan

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Lindsay Lohan Singles Out ‘The Hangover’ For Best Movie

Aziz Ansari Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know

2010 MTV Movie Awards host’s movie roles include comedic performances in ‘I Love You, Man’ and ‘Funny People.’ By Larry Carroll Aziz Ansari Photo: Jeff Kravitz/ FilmMagic He’s been a Human Giant, stolen scenes from folks like Seth Rogen and Adam Sandler, and waged a big battle with IMAX. Now, he’s ready for prime time as host of the MTV Movie Awards . And if you don’t already know the 411 on Aziz Ansari, well, you’d better keep reading. When the 27-year-old funnyman landed the gig as host of the 2010 Movie Awards, his name started trending faster than a recently deceased Golden Girl. Everyone had questions about his background, and celeb buddies like Sarah Silverman , Kristen Bell and Diddy were happy to provide answers — even if we’re pretty sure most of them were made up. “One time, young Aziz got stuck under a TV,” Diddy said of one of the formative moments in Aziz’s youth. “He was trapped under there for six years. Six years.” The real story began in the comedy gold mine of Columbia, South Carolina, where Ansari was born and raised, eventually matriculating at New York University and honing his craft in the evenings at the Upright Citizen Brigade Theatre. Ansari first made a name for himself in 2005 when Rolling Stone magazine put him on their “Hot List” for his comedy skills, and constant touring alongside folks like Flight of the Conchords and the Comedians of Comedy made his spotlight shine brighter. Littering his material with up-to-the-minute references to pop culture and his love of Facebook and Twitter, Ansari began collaborating with funny friends Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer to make short films, which eventually became the 2006 breakout series “Human Giant.” Meanwhile, he proved himself as one of Hollywood’s MVPs with tiny-but-memorable roles in everything from “The Rocker” to “Observe and Report” to “I Love You, Man” — breaking through most memorably as scene-stealing, Dane Cook-like comedian Randy in Judd Apatow’s “Funny People.” In 2009, he was cast opposite Amy Poehler in “Parks and Recreation,” and although the reviews and ratings weren’t great at first, the show would soon turn a creative corner. Like any great comedian, Aziz also has a tendency to sometimes tell it like it is too much, resulting in a dust-up in 2009 with IMAX. “IMAX is whoring out their brand name and trying to trick people,” Ansari wrote on his blog after paying extra to see a movie that was played on a smaller screen than the large-format company normally uses. The company shot back , but the message was clear, and Ansari’s sizable following seemed to appreciate him stepping out of his funnyman box for a cause close to his heart. So, who exactly is Aziz Ansari? A handicapper ? A wild card ? An aficionado on naked celebrities ? The truth might be a little bit of everything all tied together — including one hell of a funny host. Relive the wildest, funniest and most jaw-dropping moments of the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, watch revealing red-carpet interviews and get exclusive movie clips after the show at MovieAwards.MTV.com. Related Videos 2010 Movie Awards: Most Talked-About Moments Related Artists Aziz Ansari

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Aziz Ansari Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know