Also in this morning’s Hollywood Ink: Jonathan Rhys-Meyers finds his next period piece… Robert Schwentke (Schwentke! Schwentke!) circles another project… and your long awaited Alyssa Milano update. (Apparently Hollywood took Labor Day weekend very seriously this year.)
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Hollywood Ink: Olivia Thirlby Will Lay Down the Law in Judge Dredd
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Filling in for Bob Schieffer as host of Face the Nation , Early Show co-host Harry Smith brought his liberal sensibilities to the Sunday show, pressing his economic panel to agree the Bush tax cuts should not be extended, the stimulus was too small and so another would be wise – even suggesting a return to an FDR-era government make-work jobs program: “What about, say, something like a new WPA?” Presuming the pre-2003 levels are the real rates, Smith questioned Gretchen Morganson of the New York Times: “Is now the time to continue cutting taxes if there is this overwhelming deficit out there?” He soon cued up White House economic adviser Laura Tyson to agree with his premise: “Should the Bush tax cuts stay in place for the middle class but be rescinded for the top wage earners?” Turning back to Morganson, Smith showed exasperation with public opposition to government spending programs as he wondered if the stimulus wasn’t big enough: I want to go back to the stimulus because as so many of these Congress folks are going back out of their districts and people complain about the size of government, they’re complaining about the deficit, they’re complaining about TARP and who knows what all else. As we’re standing here looking at it right now, just if you can step away, was the stimulus big enough? Morganson afirmed “the stimulus was not big enough” and Smith next pushed Mark Zandi, of Moody’s Analytics: “There are plenty of economists out there, Mark Zandi, who say what’s needed is is a second stimulus. Could those words cross your lips?” After Zandi’s reply, Smith arrived at his Works Progress Administration idea: All right. Laura Tyson, what about a more significant stimulus, beyond the things, these, you know, a block here, a block here, a block here, but another say couple hundred billion dollars, what about say something like a new WPA? Tyson used that as a cue to advocate more “infrastructure” spending. The CBSNews.com posting summarizing the program reflected Smith’s agenda, “ Economists: Second Economic Stimulus Needed .” From the Sunday, September 5 Face the Nation on CBS, picking up a few minutes into the segment: HARRY SMITH: Gretchen, let me ask you this. This whole idea of the President talking about moving in the right direction, wanting to pick up the pace. Is there a pre-dominant idea of what it is that is hindering the economy from catching fire? GRETCHEN MORGANSON, NEW YORK TIMES: Definitely. It is debt. We had a debt binge the likes that we have hardly ever seen before. Frankly, Harry, it just takes a long, long time to get that out of the system. We’re still really working down the debt that homeowners took on. And it’s a difficult and really excruciating process. You can’t do it overnight. SMITH: Which brings up the whole idea, Gretchen, of this debate: Is now the time to continue cutting taxes if there is this overwhelming deficit out there? MORGANSON: Well, I think what you have to worry about immediately is job creation and let’s just forget about the deficit for the moment because when you have the unemployment rate where it is now and you have incomes really being stretched, I think that that is the key to any kind of activity and economic activity by consumers is an enormous part of our economy. That is really why we are in such dire straits. SMITH: Which is maybe one of the ideas that has to be in play is do we have the wrong model to begin with? I want to get back to that in a second. First, though, I want to talk about the Bush tax cuts which are due to expire in January. Laura Tyson, should the Bush tax cuts stay in place for the middle class but be rescinded for the top wage earners? LAURA TYSON: I think that is the right thing to do… …. SMITH, TO MARK ZANDI: Because you hear small business owners say if those tax cuts come back, I’m not going to hire a single person. I mean, that’s anecdotal, but is that really the predominant feeling among small businessmen? …. SMITH: Gretchen Morganson, I want to go back to the stimulus because as so many of these Congress folks are going back out of their districts and people complain about the size of government, they’re complaining about the deficit, they’re complaining about TARP and who knows what all else. As we’re standing here looking at it right now, just if you can step away, was the stimulus big enough? MORGANSON: The stimulus was not big enough… SMITH: One of the things you write so much about for the Times is the housing market. One of the other ideas that’s out this this week is this notion of giving people whose homes are underwater, mortgage holders whose homes are underwater, the opportunity to get out. People who are paying their mortgages, but to get out from underwater and basically handing the federal government the bill. In the short term, or even in the long term, Gretchen, does that seem like a viable option? And oh, by the way, we should say the government’s efforts on some of these levels have not been particularly good in the last two years. MORGANSON: That’s right. I mean, I think that the devil is in the details. The HAMP program has been a big disappointment. That was the helping homeowners, the initial program that treasury put out there. It’s been very disappointing. I think these matters are so complicated with so many different people and debt, second loans, first loans, it’s really very complex. And I just don’t see how it’s going to provide immediate help, the kind that we really need. SMITH: So is it time — it’s crazy to even talk about — but there are plenty of economists out there, Mark Zandi, who say what’s needed is is a second stimulus. Could those words cross your lips? MARK ZANDI: Well, we are talking about other stimulus, right? I mean, An r&d tax credit, payroll tax holiday. Job tax credit. All these things are different forms of stimulus. In fact, the federal government has provided a couple hundred billions dollars in additional stimulus beyond the recovery act stimulus that we put in place a year-and-a-half ago. We are doing that. In my view the recovery needs more help. It would be prudent, I think, to provide some additional help through some of the things that we’re talking about. SMITH: All right. Laura Tyson, what about a more significant stimulus, beyond the things, these, you know, a block here, a block here, a block here, but another say couple hundred billion dollars, what about, say, something like a new WPA? LAURA TYSON: Well I believe that we should look at infrastructure because we know before the recession, before the great recession, we know that we were vastly underspending on the nation’s infrastructure. You can sort of, therefore, start with the notion that infrastructure spending is terrific in two ways. It creates demand right away when you go out and get the project start and get the worker started. It also creates the ability to grow and be productive in the future. SMITH: Although Japan tried that and they don’t have a lot to show for it.
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CBS’s Harry Smith on Face the Nation: No Time to ‘Continue Cutting Taxes,’ So ‘What About, Say, Something Like a New WPA?’
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Jack Black in “Gulliver’s Travels” Photo: 20th Century Fox If there is one role Jack Black seems perfectly suited for, it is that of Jonathan Swift’s beloved Lemuel Gulliver from “Gulliver’s Travels.” The classic tale has been retold by plenty of television shows and films. But this version, which arrives in theaters December 22, stars Black, Amanda Peet, Emily Blunt and Jason Segel — and, according to Peet, it showcases . When MTV News caught up with Black recently, we had a hard time keeping him on topic (chocolate-covered Gulliver candy bars, anyone?). But what we did learn is that the flick is going to be “good times” and that the 3-D is 90% awesome. MTV: What can I expect from ‘Gulliver’s travels’? Jack Black: It’s a powerful gem. It’s the old classic tale faithfully retold! We’ve taken some liberties. We’ve updated it; we’ve modernized with a pinch of spice as well. MTV: I feel that you are the “King Kong” in this scenario. Black: Exactly! Now I get to be the beast. But I’m a sweet beast; I don’t rip the heads off innocent bystanders. We might actually add that to the title … “Gulliver’s Travels: The Sweet Beast.” Would you see that? MTV: That sounds like a date night movie to me! Black: That could also work in with a merchandise tie-in, like a candy bar that’s called Beasts. And shaped like me — you can eat me! MTV: Would you want to eat yourself? Black: Well, I eat myself. I chew my fingernails. MTV: Right. So why not eat yourself covered in chocolate. Black: Man, if I could eat myself I would! MTV: So did you read the original Jonathan Swift book, or no? Black: Of course! Are you kidding me? And let me tell you something, if I hadn’t, I would have never have sent it to you. No, I hadn’t, actually, when I was first offered the project. But I quickly read it and was blown away by it. One of the great masterworks of fantasy and fiction. MTV: Like myself, you’re not the tallest guy on the planet. Is it refreshing for you to be the big guy? Black: Totally. This is gonna really appeal to all of those guys out there who have a bit of a Napoleonic complex. MTV: Right. Black: How tall are you? MTV: I’m about 5’8″. Black: You’re 5’8″? Ok come on, you’re with me, baby. This movie is for you and me! MTV: That’s what I’m saying. I’m excited! So how is the effect stuff? Are you by yourself, or are you doing scenes with Jason and Emily and everybody? Black: Sometimes, yeah, sometimes I was. Sometimes you’re just remembering what we did on the other side of it. I was there for all their little stuff, but when they turned the cameras on me six months later, most of the people were gone and I was just acting to a tennis ball. MTV: Is Emily a love interest for you? Because that would present a physical problem. Black: No. She and Jason Segel have a bit of heat. Horatio is like my best buddy in Lilliputia, in the land of tiny people. Horatio, that’s Jason Segel. And he’s too nervous to ask her out, so I teach him the ways of the Casanova, and I help him to woo her. MTV: Are they an advanced people, or a backward society? Black: No, it’s an alternate universe, where it’s kind of like 18th-century architecture, but with super-skillful builders so they have a lot of technology but not. It’s like steampunk. It’s like if computer technology had been invented in Egyptian times! It’s both! It’s future and past at the same time. MTV: How do you feel about looking at yourself in 3-D? Black: The only people who have seen themselves in 3-D are people who have been in 3-D movies, because all you can do is look at [yourself] in a mirror reflection. Your hand’s in 3-D. You can see the corners of your nose in 3-D, kind of. You can see your lips and your tongue if you stick it out really far. But besides that, you don’t see your face in 3-D. MTV: What’s it like? Black: It’s a trip! Didn’t know how handsome I was until I saw myself in 3-D! MTV: Right. How would you characterize this guy? Black: Let me just say, though, before we go any further, I noticed a little something in your voice when you talked about the conversion into 3-D, how do I feel about that? I just wanna say, most of this movie is CGI-generated images, you know what I mean? Like every shot has computer generated animation? To make the giant and tiny mix together you need to have tons of that stuff in there. And those things can be true 3-D, there’s not really a conversion there. It’s really just … like an animated film isn’t shot in 3-D, but it’s converted, because they do it in post, and it’s real true 3-D, so most of the movie will be real and true 3-D. It’s terrifying! MTV: Are you a 3-D snob? Do you like 3-D? Black: Yes I am a 3-D snob, and I just want to clarify: Only 10% of this movie will be lame 3-D. The other 90% will be the best 3-D that money can buy! MTV: Which will overcompensate for the 10%? Black: That’s right. MTV: What do I need to know about your character in this movie? Black: Gulliver works at a newspaper in New York City, in the mailing room. He’s a small potato, he’s a small fry and he’s very insecure. And he’s a small man in a big man’s world. He’s got big dreams of becoming a big travel writer someday but he’s too insecure to make the move. And he’s also in love with the travel editor, the gorgeous Amanda Peet. He’s too terrified of rejection to make the move. And an opportunity comes up to do a story on the Bermuda Triangle, to prove that it’s bogus? That there are no, you know, supernatural forces in the Bermuda Triangle, that take people away to a different dimension. You know the legend to the Bermuda Triangle, right? MTV: Of course. Everyone knows you don’t mess with the Bermuda Triangle. Black: Well, yeah. Gulliver goes headlong into it just to impress everybody back at the newspaper and hopefully get a date with that hot, hot gorgeous love of his life. Only problem is? The Bermuda Triangle is real, man! And it sucks him in and spits him out in Lilliputia, a land of tiny, tiny little creatures and people. And it’s a bummer at first when he gets there, because they enslave him. And it turns out that he rescues the whole country from their enemies. He’s a giant so he can save them. And all of a sudden he’s the big shot that he always wanted to be. It’s a wish fulfillment movie. You pickin’ up what I’m layin’ down? MTV: I got it, man. Black: I guess what I’m saying is, it’s good times. From the saucy Jessica Alba in “Little Fockers” to James Franco’s grueling journey in “127 Hours,” the MTV Movies team is delving into the hottest flicks of fall 2010. Check back daily for exclusive clips, photos and interviews with the films’ biggest stars. Check out everything we’ve got on “Gulliver’s Travels.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: 2010 Fall Movie Preview Related Photos Fall Movie 2010 Preview Week: Exclusive Photos
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Jack Black Calls ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ A ‘Powerful Gem’
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The ‘OMG’ singer overcame personal drama and proved his staying power on the charts over the past year. By Mawuse Ziegbe Usher Photo: Brad Barket/ Getty Images Usher has reigned as Pop & B royalty since he hit the scene as a teen crooner in the ’90s. Back when his 16-year-old prot
Watch Project Runway S8E6: You Can Totally Wear That Again The new installment of our favorite designer search show, Project Runway which is entitled “You Can Totally Wear That Again” is the hit TV series’ 6th episode of the 8th season that aired last 09/02/2010 Thursday at 10:00 PM on Lifetime. Watch Project Runway 8×6(0806) Free Online Streaming Full Episodes Replay of the Latest Season and Video Clip Download Link:
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Project Runway Season 8 Episode 6 – You Can Totally Wear That Again
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‘They the gods and I’m the young god,’ Boy Jones says in Mixtape Daily By Shaheem Reid Ol’ Dirty Bastard Photo: Chi Modu/ diverseimages/ Getty Images Fire Starter: Boy Jones Just looking at 21-year-old Boy Jones, it’s clear he’s his father’s son. Jones wears a T-shirt with an image of his pop, the late great Ol’ Dirty Bastard , taking up most of the real estate on the front. It’s late August, the day before the Rock the Bells tour kicked off its four-city run. Jones is in San Bernardino, California, at the NOS Events Center. Snoop Dogg is at one side of the park rehearsing and members of the Wu-Tang Clan are inside at another part. GZA is playing chess, and RZA is onstage, guiding his cousin the Young Dirty Bastard through a Wu classic, “Shame on a Ni–a.” It’s a signature song from the Shaolin Swordsmen’s 1993 debut LP, on which Dirt McGirt stole the show. The next night, while the real performance was going, Young Dirty brought high energy for “Shame,” and during a tribute to Dirty senior, for which Boy Jones performed “Shimmy Shimmy Ya,” the youngster ran out with no shirt and jumped into the audience. ” ‘Shimmy Shimmy’ with no shirt on? I couldn’t help it,” Jones said a week later, this time at New York’s Governors Island. “It’s like a baby running around naked. Once you start, you have to let go of everything. Be a free spirit. Uprise yourself. The fans give you the energy. I’mma get naked regardless.” Sound familiar? Jones — even at a young age — has that unorthodox wisdom his dad was famous for. He also shares the same unpredictable energy and even the same hairstyle. YDB sports the braids sticking straight up in the air like ODB had. “He looks just like him. Scrappy Doo to the fullest,” Raekwon the Chef laughed. “Dirty was Scooby and his son is Scrappy all the way. He looks just like his father. When I tell you he’s got his father’s style down pat, am I lying? Nope. He’s his father to the maximum. When I see him, I see his father.” “I love Boy Jones,” Method Man said after the Wu performed at Governors Island. “His grandmother is here, Dirty’s mother. I know she’s lookin’ up and she’s proud of him. I’m proud of him, too.” “It feels great,” Jones said about performing with his dad’s squadron. “It’s me. It’s his son. A son is like a father, he always gotta do what his father does. He’s born in that type of way. It ain’t nothing else to it. I got the call from RZA [to go on tour] when I was feeding my babies baby food. ‘You going on the tour.’ I’m running. I need that bread. Young Dirty Bastard raps hard, too. I ain’t doing it for free. I need money and I rap hard. “They the gods and I’m the young god,” Dirty added about what he’s learned from traveling and performing with Wu-Tang. “It’s like when you go to school for the first time and you’re really scared, but you have teachers who really teach you. You can’t know anything without somebody giving it to you. They give it to me real. They don’t tell it to me fake. I might break a few rules and they put me in check. They teach me. I’m the young god.” Young Dirty is working on his first big mixtape. Besides Meth, Rae and Ghostface, he wants to work with 9th Wonder. Boy is talking to DJ Absolut about hosting the project. “My music is coming with an Ol’ natural style,” Jones explained. “Ol’ Dirty Bastard had the sh–. I’m just the new sperm of the generation. And you know I’m gonna have it. I’m born with it.” The Streets Is Talking A few days ago, Raekwon leaked the trailer for the “Ason Jones” video. The Chef said paying tribute to his friend was always in the plans. “As far as the video is concerned, it’s something I wanted to add to the collection of videos I got out there. Dirty is my heart. Same way how everybody got fallen soldiers around them or in their circle that they lost, he is one I really appreciate. At the end of the day, I’m always keeping him right here.” For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines. Related Artists Ol’ Dirty Bastard
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Oscar-winner says he’s made story of a man who can’t move into an action movie. By Josh Horowitz Danny Boyle Photo: Jordan Strauss/WireImage At the 81st Academy Awards in early 2008, Danny Boyle’s “Slumdog Millionaire” took home eight awards, including Best Director, while Darren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler” lost both categories in which it was nominated. But that didn’t stop Boyle from wanting to emulate Aronofsky’s cinematic approach for his next project. Thus, “127 Hours.” follows one central character, in much the same way that “The Wrestler” focused on Mickey Rourke’s damaged grappler. Boyle’s new film is based on the true story of an avid outdoorsman who becomes trapped under a boulder in the wildness and is forced to saw off his own arm to escape. James Franco plays the unfortunate hiker. The film is one that Boyle has wanted to make for years. Only after virtually sweeping the Oscars, and being inspired by Aronofsky’s style, though, did he move forward with the project. As part of MTV News’ Fall Movie Preview, Boyle called us to chat about how his career has changed since “Slumdog,” the challenges of making a film about a man who can’t move, and why “127 Hours” may not be the ideal date movie. MTV: How are you? Danny Boyle: Good. We’re mixing “127 Hours” at Pinewood, and we’ve been kicked out of the big theater by “Harry Potter.” We’re next door in the little theater. MTV: I guess if you’re going to be kicked out by anybody, they have a big thing going on. Boyle: They’re not even here! Do you know what they do? It’s a big bank holiday this weekend here in Britain, and we’re working right through the weekend to get it ready, and what they do is they book the theater for months and nothing happens! It’s like, “Really?” MTV: Well, it is great to talk to you. So, you had, you know, a little bit of success with “Slumdog Millionaire.” Coming off of that, why this one? Boyle: I’d always wanted to do it. The story has an instant tension that draws everyone’s attention to it. So many people remember it vaguely. But it wasn’t that. I wanted to make the film and I tried to get it going. Of course, it’s a tough subject, but I had a way of doing it that wasn’t what you think. It would be compelling and would occupy you completely as a viewer so that the whole barrier — it’s just one guy stuck in one place — that wouldn’t become an issue because you’d be with him. You would be him, in effect. That was always my take on it. Anyway, once “Slumdog” kicked off, [producer] Christian [Colson] and I thought, “This is our chance to make this.” There’s no other moment in our careers when we’ll get a chance to make something like this, which is really a tricky prospect for any studio or financier. So we worked on it, we prepared a script, and then we had to find an actor. That’s the key to this. Beyond our vision of it, you have to have someone who’s not only going to share the vision but actually going to carry it much more than any film like “Slumdog” or a thriller or a big love story or anything that has a plot or the dynamics changing between two people. It’s just one guy. We got Franco. He’s amazing in it. MTV: There are a couple ways to go off something like “Slumdog.” Either you go with the project you’ve been wanting to make, or I’m sure you were offered every project under the sun. Boyle: I don’t think like that. It’s such an amazing thing that happened that you have to take advantage in the right way. It’s why we wanted to get [“127 Hours”] ready for Toronto, because that’s where we started with “Slumdog.” We wanted to take back there a film that had been made in its shadow. It’s wonderful to do that, because suddenly it’s not an intimidating shadow, it’s liberating because it’s a success that’s allowed you to make something you’ve always wanted to make and you believe but wouldn’t get made otherwise. Even though people, before they see the film, might think it a peculiar choice, but the film is really accessible. Whether they can get people into [the theater], I don’t know. If you want to take a girl on a Friday and say, “What should we go and see?” it’s tough to say, “It’s a film about a guy who cuts his arm off. What do you think?” But once you’re in there, it’s a big story for everyone. It’s a very universal thing. MTV: What are the challenges for you as a filmmaker, keeping things dynamic, and the challenges for an audience? Do you imagine them feeling what Franco is feeling for the length of the movie? Boyle: I always thought of it as the opposite of inert. Superficially, it looks inert, because he’s stationary. But I’d always thought of it as an action movie. He can’t move, but it’s an action movie. That’s what we’ve tried to do. I’m not going to brag now. You guys will have to decide whether we’ve succeeded or not, but that was the intention. I remember when we were doing “Slumdog,” and Darren Aronofsky showed up with “The Wrestler.” It’s one of those films that you look at as a director and think, “That’s it. You just follow this one actor around.” It’s different from his other movies, and it’s different from my other movies, but I wanted to make one like that, where it’s just you and an actor. MTV: I heard you talk about the videos that the hiker, Aron Ralston, took when he was stuck, and how he changed over those few days as he became dehydrated. Was the physical transformation difficult for Mr. Franco? How do you accomplish that in the film? Boyle: You can’t, because you can’t do it safely. It’s not like carbohydrate loss. You hear about an actor losing weight or putting on weight for parts. You can’t do that, because it happens over six days. He starts as an incredibly healthy young man and then this footage I saw by the end, when he’d been without water, the difference is shocking. It’s a vanishing. The only way you could do it is through CG, and we didn’t want to take that approach. We didn’t want to use makeup, but so much of the film is so close. It’s an intimate film. We tried to shoot in sequence to let James internally track it. We’ve not been able to move stuff. He was there for six days, and we’d go, “Can you move that line from day two to day four?” You can’t move it, because the journey is no nuanced. He becomes completely different. He’s a different person on each day. We’ve done it through James, rather than CG or weight loss. MTV: What about the moment when he slowly cuts off his own arm? How long a sequence is that in the film? How much do we see and experience? Boyle: It takes him 45 minutes in reality. It is in the film, obviously. The time it takes is respected by the filmmakers. We don’t cut away, pardon the expression, and come back and it’s gone. But it is cathartic, and that’s the key thing. The whole idea of the film is you enter the journey with him and you don’t cut away to a lot of people looking for him. It’s an immersive experience, and it’s cathartic when he does it because it’s a relief for everyone and a triumph in some way as well. MTV: In terms of the music, it’s A.R. Rahman doing the score again after “Slumdog.” Can you speak a little about what he’s done? Boyle: We’ve got a couple of songs, and the rest of the work is more guitar-based. Some of it is solo guitar, which felt appropriate given the nature of the story. Got a couple of wonderful songs. Free Blood (“Never Hear Surf Music Again”) at the beginning, which we used for the trailer. Music has always been a big part of a movie for me, and I hope we’ve done another one justice we’ve what we’ve used. From the saucy Jessica Alba in “Little Fockers” to James Franco’s grueling journey in “127 Hours,” the MTV Movies team is delving into the hottest flicks of fall 2010. Check back daily for exclusive clips, photos and interviews with the films’ biggest stars. Check out everything we’ve got on “127 Hours.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: 2010 Fall Movie Preview Fall Movie Sneak Peeks Exclusive Clips From The Fall’s Most Anticipated Films Related Photos Fall Movie 2010 Preview Week: Exclusive Photos
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‘127 Hours’ Director Danny Boyle On James Franco, Amputation And Darren Aronofsky
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The B.o.B, Travie McCoy collaborator won’t reveal his Doo-Wops & Hooligans guest stars. By Jayson Rodriguez Bruno Mars Photo: MTV News Bruno Mars is a busy man these days. The upstart singer/producer has been promoting his EP, It’s Better If You Don’t Understand, writing and producing hits for others ( Cee-Lo’s “F— You” ) and hitting the stage left and right with collaborators like B.o.B and Travie McCoy . The Hawaii-born Mars also found time to finish his forthcoming debut album, tentatively titled Doo-Wops & Hooligans. The project is “100 percent” done, the “Nothin’ on You” singer told MTV News, adding that the set is influenced by his live performances. “Every time we go into the studio we got to think about, ‘OK, we’re gonna perform this song.’ We think, ‘How are we gonna keep these people’s attention?’ ” he explained. “So throughout the whole song, it never stops. It keeps moving. And we always flip up our show. Whenever we do our shows, you might not hear the album version. You’ll get the live version.” The singer’s freshman album has no release day as of press time, and he’s not revealing much in terms of details. He gave only a small hint regarding one of the guests on the project: “They have dreads.” “I got Whoopi Goldberg on my album, y’all,” he said, joking. Although the singer is enjoying his recent success, earlier this year he remarked how long his rise to the top has actually been. “The journey wasn’t short at all — it was trial and error and trial and error,” he said. “It was just back and forth, man. But once ‘Nothin’ on You’ blew up, I had these songs in my back pocket, and the label thought it’d be a good time to give people a little taste of what they’re gonna get with the album. The EP came together real nice; you’re gonna get a nice effect of what’s in store.” Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Bruno Mars Related Artists Bruno Mars
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Bruno Mars Is ‘100 Percent’ Done With Debut LP
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The director of the popular Arab-language TV station Al Arabiya says that the Muslim world is not angry over increasing American opposition to a proposed mosque at Ground Zero, and that any claims to the contrary are attempts to “fabricate a conflict.” “The lack of a unified stance throughout the Islamic world should be seen as response to the current attempt by some to ‘fabricate’ a conflict, claiming that Muslims are angry with the refusal to build a mosque in such a controversial setting,” wrote director Abd Al-Rahman Al-Rashid in an Aug. 29 column in a London daily. The column was translated and posted on the website for the Middle East Media Research Institute. Some news outlets have claimed that opposition to the Ground Zero mosque may “fuel Islamic extremism” in the Muslim world. “Opposition to the center by prominent politicians and other public figures in the United States has been covered extensively by the news media in Muslim countries,” reported a New York Times article on Aug. 20. “At a time of concern about radicalization of young Muslims in the West, it risks adding new fuel to Al Qaeda ‘s claim that Islam is under attack by the West and must be defended with violence, some specialists on Islamic militancy say.” And the NPR reported on Aug. 24 that “Experts worry the controversy surrounding an Islamic center near ground zero in Lower Manhattan is playing right into the hands of radical extremists.” But the director of Al-Arabiya TV – a competitor of Al Jazeera – said that the idea that the mosque controversy is inflaming anger across Muslim countries is nonsense. Director Al-Rashid argued that opposition to the Ground Zero mosque has not caused “a public reaction similar to what has been witnessed in dozens of previous cases that have provoked Muslims” – such as the 2006 publication of a cartoon mocking the Islamic prophet in a Danish newspaper, which set off violent protests across the Muslim world. The TV director noted that there have not been demonstrations related to the mosque in Arab countries, that imams have not addressed the controversy during their sermons and that the issue has not been taken up by Islamic religious and intellectual institutions. He also said that many Muslims don’t want the mosque to be built, and understand why the project may be insensitive. “[F]or many Muslims, building a mosque near the same land upon which three thousand people were killed by Muslims is not a necessity. Most comments from readers rejected the idea of building the mosque for fear of it turning into a symbol of hatred against Muslims,” wrote Al-Rashid. And while the TV director said that the organizers of the mosque have “good intentions,” he also added that they have acted “without taking into account the serious nature of [constructing] a mosque at such a particularly sensitive time and place.” This is not the first time Al-Rashid has spoken out over the Ground Zero mosque controversy. On Aug. 16 he wrote in another column that “Muslims never asked for” the proposed mosque at Ground Zero, and “do not care about its construction.” “I can’t imagine that Muslims [actually] want a mosque at this particular location, because it will become an arena for the promoters of hatred, and a monument to those who committed the crime,” he wrote. “Moreover, there are no practicing Muslims in the area who need a place to worship, because it is a commercial district. Is there anyone who is [really] eager [to build] this mosque?”
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Arab TV Director: ‘Muslim Anger’ Over Ground Zero Mosque Protests is ‘Fabricated’
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Band announced live disc at show last week in Denver. By Gil Kaufman Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong Photo: Shirlaine Forrest/ WireImage It’s been less than five years since their first official live album, but Green Day are already working on a second one. Singer Billie Joe Armstrong announced at a show in Denver, Colorado, on Friday that the group is recording performances for a follow-up to 2005’s Bullet in a Bible. The veteran punk trio has only released one new studio album since Bible came out, last year’s song cycle 21st Century Breakdown , but Armstrong hinted at the show that the new live disc might contain some rarities when he set up the unreleased gem “Cigarettes and Valentines.” “Hey, I just want to tell you something right now. We’re recording a live f—ing album right now,” Armstrong told the crowd at the Comfort Dental Amphitheater in Denver on Saturday, video of which was posted on YouTube . “So check it out, we’re gonna play a brand-new song. … It ain’t that brand-new. This song is called ‘Cigarettes and Valentines.’ ” The band then broke into the classic three-chord blitzkrieg, which, as Armstrong noted, is not exactly new, but hasn’t officially been released. The tune was recorded in 2003 while Green Day were working on the follow-up to the 2002 B-sides compilation Shenanigans for an album that was supposed to bear the same title. But after the master tapes for the project were stolen from the studio, Green Day scrapped the whole thing and got to work on the disc that would revive their career and make them international superstars, American Idiot. A spokesperson for the band’s label could not be reached at press time to confirm the recording of the live album or provide details on when the disc might be released. Related Photos The Evolution Of: Green Day Related Artists Green Day
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Green Day Recording Live Album
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