According to TMZ reports : Joe Francis — the mastermind behind “Girls Gone Wild” — is sending Madonna a cease and desist letter, threatening that he’ll take legal action if she sings the song from her new album — titled “Girls Gone Wild” — at the Super Bowl. TMZ has obtained the letter that Francis has sent to Madonna and her “co-conspirators.” Francis’ lawyer threatens to sue all of them for attempting to get a “free ride on the valuable consumer goodwill and brand recognition” of Joe’s famous trademark. Francis’ lawyer makes it clear: “Your misappropriation of my clients’ trademark will not be tolerated.” But Francis is willing to cut a deal with Madonna, provided she agrees to the following terms: – Negotiate an immediate licensing agreement for the use of Joe’s trademark – Account for the number of times Madonna has already used the trademark – NOT PERFORM THE SONG AT THE SUPER BOWL Joe thinks NBC and the NFL are conspiring with Madonna, so the letter went to them as well. Joe’s lawyer is demanding a response by 5 PM PT today … or else.
Days before her big halftime show, MTV News counts down the Queen of Pop’s most-iconic moments on our stage. By John Mitchell Madonna at the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards Photo: Getty Images America will be the first audience for the Queen of Pop in over two years when Madonna takes the stage at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis as the halftime act for Super Bowl XLVI . If her history with MTV is any indicator, she’s likely to blow the roof off the joint. Madonna is known for her over-the-top live performances and will most assuredly have her game face on with the world watching this Sunday. Not that she ever slacks in the live performance department: Her most recent tour, Sticky & Sweet, was the highest-grossing tour ever by a solo artist and the fourth-biggest tour of all time. From Live Aid in 1985 to Live 8, 20 years later, she’s headlined some of the biggest musical events of the past quarter century. Check out photos of Madonna’s iconic MTV performances! Some of her best and most-iconic performances, though, have taken place on MTV. Her relationship with the channel has been a symbiotic one: We gave her a nice big platform early in her career and she ran with it, writhing onstage to “Like a Virgin” at the 1984 Video Music Awards, earning heaps of press for herself and our first big show while helping to establish the VMAs as the performance event they are today. She’s since thanked us by returning again and again to tear up the stage with some of her biggest hits. As we gear up for Madonna’s big gig at the Super Bowl, we take a look back with a countdown of her biggest and best MTV performances. 5. “Hung Up,” 2005 MTV EMAs Less than three months after a fall from a horse broke her collarbone, hand and three ribs, Madonna opened the 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards with a performance of the lead single from her Grammy-winning Confessions on a Dance Floor . Wearing a purple leotard and matching leather boots, Madonna emerged from a massive disco ball looking and sounding as strong as ever to perform the Stuart Price co-produced track, which went on to become her 36th top 10 hit in America and topped the charts in 41 countries. Madonna’s dancing and energy here proved what we’ve long suspected — that she is a real-life “X-Men” character with superhuman regeneration powers. How else do you explain the then-47-year-old’s ability to put on a show-stopping performance after a fall that would have sidelined far-younger performers for much longer? 4. “Like a Virgin/Hollywood,” 2003 VMAs Yeah, you knew it was coming. It was the kiss heard ’round the world. The performance opened as a tribute to Madonna’s iconic 1984 VMA take on “Like a Virgin” (more on that below) with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera trading vocals before segueing into a performance of “Hollywood” from American Life . The audience rose to its feet as Her Madgesty descended from atop a wedding cake, dressed in a feminized tuxedo, to dance, sing and, yes, smooch, Spears and Aguilera. The kiss caused a firestorm of controversy and remains one of the biggest pop-culture moments of the past decade. 3. “Like a Virgin,” 1984 VMAs There she was: Then an up-and-coming singer with a few hits (“Holiday,” “Lucky Star”) under her trademark “Boy Toy” belt, wearing a wedding gown and shimmying her way down a wedding cake at the first-ever MTV Video Music Awards. It remains arguably one of the most landmark live musical performances in history and was a fitting national introduction to Madonna. Oh, and her famous roll-on-the-floor dance move, you know the one — M rolling around onstage with her dress up over her head — well, Madonna didn’t mean for that to happen. As she told Jay Leno earlier this week, she lost her shoe as she was descending the wedding cake set piece and, in an effort to dive for it without being obvious, she rolled across the stage. After she came offstage, her then-manager Freddy DeMann told her that she’d gone too far and her career was over. What do you think about that now, Freddy? 2. “Express Yourself,” 1989 VMAs It might not be as iconic as her VMA debut or as controversial as “The Kiss,” but Madonna’s simple, full-voiced performance of “Express Yourself” at the 1989 VMAs is one of her best and serves as a roundup of everything we loved about ’80s Madonna (that hair, those baggy pants!) and a preview of what was to come in the ’90s. Unlike many of her performances, this take on “Express Yourself” feels very stripped down — just Madonna, two backup singers (longtime touring collaborators Niki Haris and Donna DeLory) and a light-up staircase. The choreography and staging largely foreshadowed how Madge tackled her tune as the opening number for her legendary 1990 Blonde Ambition World Tour, but late in the performance, she gives the audience their first taste of voguing months before “Vogue” actually hit radio in 1990. We also get a pre-cone-bra look at Madonna in a Jean Paul Gaultier bustier, a look she would rock well into the new decade. Perhaps best of all, as she walks offstage knowing she just nailed it, we get a glimpse of that signature Madonna confidence when the pop superstar high-fives Haris and DeLory and simply proclaims “Yeah!” as she disappears offstage. 1. “Vogue,” 1990 VMAs A year later, Madonna returned to the Video Music Awards to present what could be the most-influential pop performance in the awards’ history. With the stage ornately decorated to resemble an 18th century French parlor and her dancers in period grab, Madonna took the stage dressed, massive powdered wig and all, like Marie Antoinette to launch a full-on performance-art spectacle set to her #1 hit “Vogue.” Backed by her Blonde Ambition dancers as well as Haris and DeLory, Madonna lip-synched and fan-danced her way through the elaborate, sexy and innovative act with so much superstar swagger that it practically radiated from the TV. And 21 years later, you can see the impact of this performance — and more broadly, this period of Madonna’s career — everywhere, from Lady Gaga’s VMA performance of “Paparazzi” in 2009 to just about every tour any female pop star has launched since. Madonna didn’t just give her peers license to put on theatrical concerts and over-the-top TV performances, she made it a pop necessity. Share your predictions about Madonna’s Super Bowl halftime show in the comments below! Related Videos Madonna’s Top MTV Performances MTV Rough Cut: Madonna
John Legend is back. We haven’t heard him on the radio since 2008′s “Green Light” but we have a feeling his latest track will get tons of airplay. On “Tonight” from the “Think Like A Man” soundtrack, his trademark raspy vocals lilt over a slowed-down electro jam with just enough knock-and-hiss that we can see it being played as the final song in a club before the lights turn on. John gets cocky on the chorus – “Baby, tonight’s the night I let you know / Baby, tonight’s the night we lose control / Baby, tonight you need that, tonight believe that / Tonight, I’ll be the best you ever had / I don’t wanna brag, but I’ll be / The best you ever had” – while Ludacris, less subtle with his words, turns the sexy up. It will be available on 1/31 on iTunes. RELATED LINKS: John Legend & Model Girlfriend Are Engaged! Mariah Carey & John Legend Duet On “When Christmas Comes” [NEW MUSIC]
Now here’s a trend I can get behind: “[U]p to December, there hadn’t been a single Russian film in the top 20. The film expected to create a bombastic box-office crater -– war epic Burnt By the Sun 2 , at $40m the country’s most expensive production ever –- fizzled out embarrassingly when part two was released in May. A few years ago, Russians learned to stop worrying and love the blockbuster as they began producing SFX-laden spectaculars like Night Watch ; now they’re learning about the flipside -– the car-crash pleasures of rubbernecking a box-office flop.” [ The Guardian ]
Over the last week or so, film-culture observers witnessed an odd phenomenon sweep the country: A palpable, recognizable feel of anticipation — for an awards show. Even rarer was the reason behind it. When the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced that Ricky Gervais would return for a third stint emceeing the Golden Globe Awards, we expected a return to last year’s delirious exercise in blunt-force celebrity accountability. After all, it was only a year ago that a parade of offended A-listers and scandalized organizers protest the infamous ruthlessness delivered from the podium. The Elite let it be known they did not appreciate digs at Robert Downey Jr.’s drug history, or as Ricky commented about the Sex and the City cast, “Great job girls, we know how old you are – I saw one of you in an episode of Bonanza .” Thus it was with no small amount of surprise — and not just a little apprehension within Hollywood — that we received word of Gervais agreeing to host again this year. However, after the British comic appeared to have wilted over much of Sunday night, we have to ask: Was this an orchestrated hit-job by the studios, the HFPA and Hollywood as a whole? It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Despite all the vitriol directed back at Gervais following last year’s caustic turn, NBC’s ads for the 2012 iteration featured the host snipping a silken mouth gag away with scissors, as if to promise an ensuing controversy and a reason to watch. Prior to the telecast, Entertainment Weekly published a lengthy column from Gervais proclaiming his duties as a comedian to eviscerate the pompous, and then detailing specific jokes he had uttered at the last telecast. (Because nothing helps a failed joke better than explaining why it is funny.) Indicating how he would not let up this year Gervais quoted Horatio Nelson, regarding men doing their duty. “I did,” wrote the comedian about his previous stint, “And I will again.” However, last night we saw not only Gervais’s (arguably) inevitable failure to reach last year’s superstar-tweaking heights, but what felt like a coordinated effort to both muzzle and get even with the acerbic host. As it turned out, all of the most amusing lines came not from the host but the presenters, and those that cut deepest were aimed at Gervais himself. In and of itself, this is not a bad thing — Gervais can take it. However, where was the give-and-take? As the night evolved we saw stars wielding knives and a host reduced to using safety scissors. At least things began well for both Gervais and viewers. “Tonight you get Britain’s biggest comedian, hosting the world’s second biggest awards show on America’s third biggest network,” he said before catching himself. “Sorry, is it? Fourth. It’s fourth.” Gervais also looked like he wouldn’t pull any punches when he remarked, “The Golden Globes are just like the Oscars, except without all that ‘esteem’.” From that point, however, his trademark edge dulled its way through a bloodless monologue. (Digs on Kim Kardashian and Justin Bieber!) The very first presenter was Johnny Depp, one of the megafamous who notoriously had their noses out of joint following the 2011 show. Gervais asked Depp if he had actually seen The Tourist (a wry jab at Depp and Angelina Jolie’s critically reviled yet Golden Globe-nominated film from a year ago); the actor admitted risibly that he had not, then made a curious turn and stalked Gervais as he walked offstage. For those watching at home and at the Beverly Hilton alike, the exchange tipped the mood for the night. At best, Gervais and Depp shared a laugh, as if to say, “We’re in this together.” At worst, Depp reclaimed the Globes for the stars, offering a dour aside about the host — “Oh, he’s fun” – and thus opening the gates for his fragile peers to have their way. Amid the other celebrities having fun at the podium, Gervais waded and ultimately faded into the low-hanging fruit. We endured stars repeating cock jokes and references to how brilliant “Bridesmaids” had been (though, to hear numerous presenters tell it, the only funny part was a crapping-in-the-sink scene), all glued together with Gervais’s tepid commentary. He bum-kissed George Clooney by way of intro. (Did he actually call him the “Cloon-meister”?) Then he introduced Madonna with a joke well beyond its expiration date — about her being “like a virgin” — that paved the way for Madge to get triply acidic in return. “If I’m still just ‘like a virgin,’ Ricky, then why don’t you come over here and do something about it,” she sniped. “I haven’t kissed a girl in a few years.” The exchange came as a welcome jolt, a return to the Globes’ contentious recent form. But then… nothing. Gervais did not return volley. The fix was in. Gervais welcomed Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayak, getting bleeped as he commented about not being able to understand what they say; Banderas replied with a lengthy Spanish-language diatribe towards the host (translation forthcoming eventually? Maybe?). Meanwhile, Robert Downey Jr., one of the most outspoken Gervais critics from the 2011 awardscast, simply ignored the comic he’d once excoriated as “mean-spirited and sinister.” Huh? Now we knew the Globes had been neutered. Gervais returned, pint in hand, and makes a comment about being paid to drink and say whatever he wants, but it had long become obvious he was completely muzzled. Next up was Colin Firth, whom Gervais described as an “evil” racist who punches blind kittens. The host was clearly having fun, and one got the sense that they’re actually friends. But then Firth took over, describing a group of protestors in front of the ballroom. “Some very angry religious people are outside with big placards threatening us all with brimstone and pestilence and perdition for our sins,” he said. “What they don’t realize is, we have Ricky.” Firth and Gervais may in fact have worked this out, but the Oscar-winner sounded as full of contempt as Downey and others had been last year. It underscored the feeling that Gervais had been targeted — or at least, in the instance that we’d witnessed a pair of compatriots breaking each other’s balls, it suggested that he was in on the joke, toothlessly playing along with Hollywood’s public revenge without once returning fire. It reminded me of a scene from Animal House , of all things: Throughout that film, Tim Matheson’s character Otter mocked the establishment and thumbed his nose at the fraternity brethren, while taking liberties with their women. In the third act he is called to a rendezvous with one debutante, but instead enters a room of angry frat guys who have their way with him. Gervais persevered as the HFPA’s Otter: invited back to the party, yet placed on a short leash, while the stars were encouraged to let fly. And however justified the industry elite felt in their retribution, much like that decades-old revenge scene, Sunday night’s ambush came off as neither funny nor particularly entertaining. In any case, it certainly was not what we had been sold. Take those scissors away from Gervais, and the gagged likeness on the 69th Golden Globes poster was a truer representation. The biggest problem? It wasn’t why people tuned in. [Photo: Getty Images]
In the latest Hobnobbing, we ask experts about Lionsgate’s style-centric marketing efforts. By Amy Wilkinson Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket on Capitol Couture Photo: Capitol Couture “The Hunger Games is the most public, prestigious event of the year in Panem. Cleanliness, dress and comportment offer an opportunity to affirm District pride and Capitol loyalty.” This according to teal-tressed Panem talk-show host Caesar Flickerman, whose sound bite appears on the new “Hunger Games” Tumblr Capitol Couture , which saw its soft launch Wednesday. (Use the password “#lookyourbest” to login.) The site is touted as the “one place to turn for all the tips, tricks and trends you need to look your best” and features a fresh image of Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) flaunting her trademark, flamboyant style — purple lips, pink hair and all. And though the page is a bit barren at the moment, we expect it to brim with fanciful headlines like “Cinna’s 10 Tips for Fiery Eyes” and “Effie’s Favorite Capitol Colour” very soon. Of course, District 12’s tight-lipped mentor isn’t just the face of the new Web property; she’s also the “spokeswoman” for the aforementioned Capitol Colours, a new line of District-themed nail polishes launched by China Glaze , and yet another entry in Lionsgate’s style-centric marketing campaign, which has raised a few eyebrows (perfectly plucked and otherwise) among ardent fans. At first blush, it seems a bit of an odd pairing, considering we are talking about a book series focusing on teens fighting to the death in front of a live television audience. Who cares about your manicure when you may die tomorrow from a tracker jacker sting? Not to mention, the story’s protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, is more than a little cynical of the Capitol’s lust for beauty and perfection. As such, we decided to check in with a few “Hunger Games” fans/experts to see what they think of Lionsgate’s sleek campaign. “I’ll admit to being a little confused at first,” said The Hob admin Michelle Andreani. “It did seem to feed into the book’s criticism of superficiality and elitism, and after reading about Katniss struggling in District 12, it’s hard to find the Capitol’s luxury, well, luxurious. But that doesn’t make the Capitol’s citizens, and especially their fashion, any less intriguing. And taking a deeper look into that world is sure to be very cool. So, as the marketing campaign starts unfolding, I’m totally onboard. After all, you can look great and still have heart. Cinna and Effie prove that much, right?” “Hunger Games” Examiner ‘s Sara Gundell agreed, noting that other campaigns have used seemingly incongruous advertising efforts to positive effect. “I know some fans have complained that it doesn’t fit with the book’s message or Katniss’ feelings on the lavish style of the Capitol. However, a marketing campaign for the movies isn’t about conveying the film’s message (we wouldn’t have bounties of toys and merchandise available for ‘WALL-E’ if that were the case). It’s about promoting the movie and selling tickets. The folks at Lionsgate are doing their job, and they’re being very clever and creative about it.” And even though he doesn’t wear brightly hued lacquers himself, Hunger Games Fireside Chat host Adam Spunberg said he can see the logic in appealing to the pretty side of things. “As Frances Burney said in the novel ‘Evelina’: ‘It has been long and justly remarked, that folly has ever sought alliance with beauty.’ I can really relate to Katniss here, since she and I have about the same interest in nail polish, Capitol Couture and all the rest (my kind of girl),” he said. “Still, we have to realize that the people seeing this movie are not fashion-deprived District 12 citizens or cosmetically inept people like me. In actuality, it’s a bunch of nice fans from the Capitol dressing up, wearing makeup and eating popcorn, which makes this marketing strategy anything but folly!” What do you think about the style-centric marketing for “The Hunger Games”? Sound off in the comments below and tweet me @amymwilk with your thoughts and suggestions for future columns! Check out everything we’ve got on “The Hunger Games.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos The ‘Hunger Games’ Cast Answer Your Burning Twitter Questions Related Photos The Hunger Games ‘Hunger Games’ District Seals ‘Hunger Games’ Character Posters
Olympic snowboarding god Shaun White may be in some serious hot water if photos taken of him laying (half) pipe at a hotel party in 2009 have made their way online. Dude is not clothed and not not having sex in them. Several party goers managed to snap photos of White ‘s naked romp with some girl, but his people managed to erase all the pics … or so they had thought. At least two of the pics have surfaced, though, one in which Shaun is making out with a hot blonde gal in front of other people, clothed, and another in which Shaun appears to be getting it in missionary style, grinning at the camera, totally nude. Oh, and the ginger carpet matches the drapes, apparently. The seller is looking for a serious payday, but so far has not found a buyer … which doesn’t really shock us to be honest. The Olympics were almost two years ago now, and when was the last time you thought about Shaun White? He’s awesome at snowboarding, but we’re just saying.
Rachel Uchitel who?! For the first time in more than two years, Sunday marked the return of the Tiger Woods we used to talk about, with the golfer draining a birdie putt on the final hole to win and fist-pumping in his trademark red and black ensemble. Tiger rallied to win the Chevron World Challenge with this dramatic effort: Tiger Woods Wins Chevron World Challenge He went 749 days and 26 tournaments without winning as he tried to repair a golf game that used to be the best in the world, as well as his formerly impeccable image following one of the most (if not the most) celebrity scandals in history. The drought is over now. How does it feel for the 35-year-old? “It feels great,” he said. “Kind of hard for me to elaborate beyond that. I know that it’s been awhile, but for some reason, it feels like it hasn’t. I think I was screaming something. But it was just that I won the golf tournament. I pulled it off with one down, two to go.” The rest of the golf world had better look out in 2012.
Gym, tan, lawsuit? It’s another ugly legal situation for Mike Sorrentino. This time, the Jersey Shore star wants to make sure his GTL trademark is intact, which means suing a random ass guido-themed lifestyle company for ripping off The Situation’s brand. The lawsuit has been filed … but does it have merit? Don’t cry, Mike … it’s gonna be alright dawg . Sitch’s cease and desist letter to a website called MyGTLFuel (dot) com claims they’d better quit exploiting his trademark or legal action will be a-comin’. The site, which sells everything from energy shots to tanning lotion, hasn’t gone anywhere yet, as its owner, Dana Valentino, says there’s no trademark. According to Valentino, Sitch applied for the “GTL” trademark, but doesn’t legally own it … yet. He wants to settle this amicably but NOT close up shop. Mike is also involved in a legal dispute with Abercrombie .
Gym, tan, lawsuit? It’s another ugly legal situation for Mike Sorrentino. This time, the Jersey Shore star wants to make sure his GTL trademark is intact, which means suing a random ass guido-themed lifestyle company for ripping off The Situation’s brand. The lawsuit has been filed … but does it have merit? Don’t cry, Mike … it’s gonna be alright dawg . Sitch’s cease and desist letter to a website called MyGTLFuel (dot) com claims they’d better quit exploiting his trademark or legal action will be a-comin’. The site, which sells everything from energy shots to tanning lotion, hasn’t gone anywhere yet, as its owner, Dana Valentino, says there’s no trademark. According to Valentino, Sitch applied for the “GTL” trademark, but doesn’t legally own it … yet. He wants to settle this amicably but NOT close up shop. Mike is also involved in a legal dispute with Abercrombie .
