Transgender Jenna Talackova Participates In Miss Universe Canada Pageant So what do y’all think of Jenna and those lil transgender cakes??? Pageant history was made at the Miss Universe Canada competition in Toronto Thursday night, as Jenna Talackova became the first transgender female to compete for the title. The 24-year-old took part in the evening gowns and swimsuits competitions Thursday, wearing a white clingy gown with an open back during the gown event, then switching into a tiny white bikini that showed off her endlessly long legs for the swimsuit event. It was hard to miss Talackova, if for no other reason than the fact that the 6’1 blonde beauty towered at least half a head higher over the other 61 competitors. Still, Talackova didn’t nab any of the smaller prizes handed out Thursday night that would have automatically bumped her to Saturday night’s final round. Those awards included “Best Body,” “Best Runway Model,” and the “People’s Choice” award. While many see Talackova’s hard-fought place on the stage as a victory for transgender men and women, friends and relatives of some of the other contestants say it’s unfair that Talackova is stealing the spotlight. Donavon Powell, who was there to cheer for his 24-year-old girlfriend, Vaughan Marr of Cremona, Alta., says Talackova may have overshadowed other worthy challengers. “It’s a little bit one-sided and there’s a lot of focus on maybe Jenna and maybe the issues surrounding it,” he told The Canadian Press. “I think it’s good there’s attention brought to it but I think it might be outweighing and overshadowing the rest of the competition in general.” Talackova has been the subject of international media fascination ever since she was disqualified for not being a “naturally born female” because she had undergone gender reassignment surgery when she was 19. Source
In this HOT new ad campaign, supermodel Kate Upton dances with “Cave Dwellers” Ricky and Ricardo inside the Major League Baseball Fan Cave. Sadly, it’s not what you think. At all. The Kate Upton “Cat Daddy” dance , it’s not. In fact, it might be the farthest thing in the universe from it … although Kate is still in it. And hot. Watch below and see what we mean. Kate Upton MLB Fan Cave Dance Video
Also in Friday morning’s Biz Break, the Weinsteins go for a sneak of their latest French release paired with Oscar-winner The Artist, the Time Warner chief’s recipe for how to combat movie piracy, and more. Robert De Niro and Michael Douglas Team for CBS Films’ Vegas Last Vegas is a comedy about four old friends who decide to throw a Las Vegas bachelor party for the only one of them who has remained single. De Niro will play the party-averse Paddy Connelly, who reluctantly agrees to fly to Vegas at the request of his friends. Douglas will play Billy Gerson, a lifelong bachelor, who has finally decided to take the plunge. Good Universe, which launches its global sales operation in Cannes this month led by principal Joe Drake, is handling international sales. Around the ‘net… Rachel McAdams to Star in About Time McAdams is in negotiations to star in the latest romantic comedy from British filmmaker Richard Curtis. McAdams would play the dream girl, a role Zooey Deschanel had once been attached to play, THR reports . Zooey Deschanel to Play Loretta Lynn on Broadway Lynn introduced Deschanel on the stage of the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville Thursday night. Back in 1979, Lynn introduced Sissy Spacek on stage at the Grando Ole Opry in the movie Coal Miner’s Daughter , which would eventually win Spacek an Academy Award. THR reports . Weinsteins Sneak Intouchables with The Artist Six theaters in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles will host a sneak of French-language hit The Intouchables tied to The Weinstein Company’s re-release of The Artist on Saturday. Intouchables opens May 25th in the U.S., Variety reports . Movie Windows Must Collapse to Combat Piracy Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes told Charlie Rose on PBS that the days of having releases appear in theaters a few months before they’re available on home video are numbered, Deadline reports .
As the E.L. James novel bumps the dystopian drama from the top of the bestseller list, we ask a few of Panem’s faithful if fans should give it a read. By Amy Wilkinson Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth in “Hunger Games” Photo: Lions Gate Katniss Everdeen and her trusty bow and arrow can no longer fend off Christian Grey and his punishing whips — “Fifty Shades of Grey” has bumped “The Hunger Games” from its #1 perch on USA Today ‘s bestseller list . And it’s a contentious battle, to be sure. Seven of the top 10 are dominated by the various series installments by “Grey” author E.L. James and “Hunger Games” author Suzanne Collins. It probably goes without saying that the content of these two sagas couldn’t be more different: “The Hunger Games” is a teen novel chronicling a young heroine’s fight for survival in a televised death match against 23 other kids, while “Fifty Shades of Grey” is an erotically charged page-turner detailing the sexcapades of a billionaire and his young paramour. Yet, both have managed to capture the attention of publishers, producers and pop-culture pundits. While “The Hunger Games” was busy dominating the box office to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, Universal Pictures and Focus Features (perhaps inspired by Lionsgate’s success with the book-to-film adaptation) snatched up the film rights to James’ buzzy novel for an undisclosed sum. A few weeks later, the English author was named to Time ‘s 100 Most Influential People in the World list. Full disclosure: I’ve been hesitant to pick up “Fifty Shades of Grey” owning to its “Twilight” fanfic roots and “mommy porn” reputation, but as someone who writes about both books and films, I’ll eventually need to become familiar with the life and times of Christian Grey — for purely professional reasons, of course. But is there anything in it for “Hunger Games” fans looking for another high-profile novel to devour? I asked a few of Panem’s faithful. “I haven’t actually read ‘Fifty Shades of Grey,’ but I confess that way back in the day, when it was called ‘Master of the Universe’ and was posted for free online as ‘Twilight’ fan fiction, I did read it,” said Hunger Games Examiner ‘s Sara Gundell. “It is a dirty, dirty story — but hey, sometimes filthy fan fiction is fun to read. And while there is plenty of ‘Hunger Games’ fan fiction online (and plenty of it is also dirty), I’m not sure ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ will appeal to most fans of ‘The Hunger Games’ based on what attracted them to that series. There isn’t really any way to compare the two. They don’t have similar themes, and the characters don’t share any similar traits. They really are nothing alike. That doesn’t mean some ‘Hunger Games’ fans won’t enjoy it, but I can’t see it having any sort of universal, crossover appeal. They just don’t have anything in common, really.” For MTV News staffer Christina Garibaldi, the saucy series served as a palate cleanser after the death and destruction of the dystopian drama. “As a reader of both ‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘Fifty Shades of Grey,’ I have to admit I’m a huge fan of both,” she said. “Both stories have taken their audiences by storm, but keep in mind that ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ does skew a little older and to women, while ‘Hunger Games’ seems to please both male and female readers. Yet, if you are anything like me and enjoy mixing up your reading between love stories and action novels, then pick up both books! You will not be disappointed.” Then there’s The Hob ‘s Megan Scott, who says she sees at least one (tongue firmly in cheek) similarity: hunger. “I have been sucked into the ‘Fifty Shades’ vortex and am enjoying it immensely,” she said. “Anything that is getting a lot of hype and is considered controversial I’ll pick up. There really is nothing that really comes to mind that would intrigue an “HG” fan other than the common theme of hunger, but let’s face it, Christian Grey’s hunger is the different sort.” Consensus: While the two best-selling series share very little in common thematically, odds are in your favor that “Grey” may be as hard to put down as “The Hunger Games.” Have you read or do you plan to read “Fifty Shades of Grey”? Sound off in the comments below and tweet me @amymwilk with your thoughts and suggestions for future columns! Earlier ‘Hunger Games’ columns + ‘Catching Fire’: Five Reasons To Be Stoked + ‘Catching Fire’ Director: Who Could Carry The Torch? + ‘Hunger Games’ Postmortem: Five Lessons For ‘Catching Fire’ 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 .
The top six tackled Queen songs and their own picks; here’s how they did. By Gil Kaufman Joshua Ledet performs on “American Idol” Photo: FOX It was clear from the opening medley on Wednesday night that Queen night was going to be a struggle for some “American Idol” top six. Ironically, it was the three leading contenders , Joshua Ledet, Skylar Laine and Jessica Sanchez who seemed most uncomfortable, which did note bode well for the evening. With the only real sort of-rocker, Colton Dixon , booted last week, that meant it was do-or-die time for anyone hoping to make it to next months’ finale. And despite a shaky start, Ledet may have punched his card to the finale, where he is likely to face slow-and-steady Phillip Phillips, while Sanchez and Laine just kind of coasted. Despite what Steven and Jennifer said time-and-again, none of these performances are likely to go into the “Idol” all-time vault, but a decent night all around. So, who deserves a coronation? Who fell down and broke their crown? Read on for our “American Idol” report card! Joshua Ledet : Once again, Ledet nailed it, taking a song that could have seriously tripped him up and wrestling it to the ground with some old-school soul. The bass-slapping Sam Cooke run through “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” was crazy good and the vintage mic was a real nice touch. This dude’s got it so in the bag that he sang an obscure India.Arie song, “Ready For Love” that features the lyric “respects the spirit world,” and he still killed it (softly). The only way this guy doesn’t make it to the finale is if his voicebox has a run-in with Metta World Peace’s elbow. A Jessica Sanchez : “Bohemian Rhapsody?” Wow, really Bebe? The Polly Pocket diva picked the dragon slayer and, well, brought a dagger to a sword fight. The first part sounded like a Beyonc
‘[It] is by far the most emotional of the movies,’ director Barry Sonnenfeld tells MTV News about the third film in the ‘Men in Black’ series. By Josh Wigler Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith in “Men in Black 3” Photo: Columbia Pictures The Men in Black are back — but these aren’t the galaxy defenders you remember, not exactly. Yes, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones have both returned to their iconic roles of Agents J and K, two of the finest alien investigators the universe has to offer. But J is not the same bright-eyed rookie introduced oh so many years ago; he’s a seasoned veteran now. And don’t even get us started on Agent K, who has changed so much that a whole new actor is stepping in to play him in the upcoming summer action flick! Nearly a full decade has passed since the last “Men in Black” movie was in theaters. But the threequel itself has been a fixture in headlines throughout its production: Between time-traveling tales, a one-two punch from Jones and Josh Brolin, and reported problems with the film’s script, “Men in Black 3” has certainly been on every film geek’s radar. But don’t let all of that confuse you. Director Barry Sonnenfeld tells MTV News that not only is “Men in Black 3” the most “emotional” of the series, it’s also the most “surprising.” In other words, if you think you know what the film is all about, take it from the man himself: You don’t know anything yet. MTV News’ Summer Movie Preview week continues today with an interview with Sonnenfeld, who spoke openly with us about the film’s story, reports and rumors surrounding the production, and how “Men in Black 3” paves the way for a brand-new take on the sci-fi franchise. MTV : A long time has passed since we’ve seen the Men in Black on the big screen. What does it mean to you, bringing them back after so many years? Barry Sonnenfeld : It feels really great. I’ve been on the movie for a little over two years though, so I’m looking forward to some vacation, too. [ Laughs ] It was really rewarding. I’m really excited for people to see the movie. So I guess I’m tired, and happy. MTV : Why return to this universe now after all this time? What made sense to you about exploring the world of “Men in Black” again? Sonnenfeld : I think the important thing is to have a new, different story to tell. We didn’t want another regular caper where some alien just comes down to threaten Earth, and the Men in Black have to solve it. The big idea — and it was actually Will’s idea, while we were shooting “Men in Black 2” one night for an exterior shot. He said to me, “Barry, for ‘Men in Black 3,’ Agent J needs to go back in time to save Tommy Lee Jones’ [character] from some event that’s happened decades earlier. He needs to learn something about Tommy’s character that he didn’t know before.” That was the genesis. Ten years later, we’re about to come out and show the world what that meant. MTV : Time travel is clearly a big element to the story, but there’s more: we’ve seen photos of the typical weird aliens, we’ve seen Josh Brolin as a young Agent K, and we’ve seen Jemaine Clement as this crazy, motorcycle-riding villain. From a distance, we see all these parts, but perhaps we still don’t have the full scope of what your movie’s about. So, tell us: What’s happening this time around? Sonnenfeld : In the first act, Agent J is a bit fed up with how closed K is as a person, how he feels he needs to open up and communicate more, but it’s not happening. K says to J, “You know how I live such a happy life? I don’t ask questions I don’t want to know the answers to.” At the end of the first act, Jemaine’s character, Boris the Animal, breaks out of prison and finds a guy who has a time device. He says he’s going back to 1969 to do something to the man who shot off his arm — because Boris only has half an arm — and of course, that man is Agent K. At the end of that first act, Tommy’s character disappears, and no one remembers that he ever existed… except Agent J, who realizes that someone went back in time and did something to Agent K. So he has to track down who gave Boris the device, and travel back to 1969 with one warning: He has to stay away from his old partner. MTV : Which, of course, he does not listen to. Sonnenfeld : What happens, actually, is he gets arrested by Agent K — now Josh Brolin — in 1969. The second and third act is all about tracking down Boris and Will renewing his friendship with a different K than the K he knows from 40 years in the future. What’s really cool is that J is constantly wondering why this guy who seems sort of open and happy became the sort of curmudgeon that has been his partner for the last 14 years. He makes a discovery about that. So, “Men in Black 3” is by far the most emotional of the movies. It has a really surprising ending. MTV : Everyone is very excited to see Brolin as K. Can you tell us more about his take on Tommy’s character? Sonnenfeld : Yeah, what’s great about the movie is you’ve got two great actors, both Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin, playing the same character and being the same character, but being 40 years different in time. So Josh’s challenge was how to not impersonate Tommy, but to be Agent K, you know what I mean? What’s really interesting is that Josh can’t veer away from Tommy so much that you go, “That’s no fun, I miss Tommy.” And he can’t be so much like Tommy that you wonder why he’s so angry in 1969. Will Smith said to me one day, “What’s so interesting about this movie is that Josh Brolin is so good playing Agent K, and Tommy is so good at playing Agent K, that you almost don’t realize there’s two different actors in the role.” MTV : You mentioned that this is the most emotional of the “Men in Black” movies. What’s interesting to me is that the villain this time around is played by someone who is traditionally viewed as a comedian. How does Jemaine’s villain factor into the emotional aspect of this film? Is he more on the comedy side, or can we expect a more dramatic performance? Sonnenfeld : Jemaine delivers a totally villainous performance. If there’s any comedy at all, it’s just through frustration. [ Laughs ] The great thing about Earth is that it can be a frustrating place for aliens. We don’t think clearly, we’re not logical all the time. But Jemaine is not on board this movie for comic relief. His performance is really strong and really villainous. Think about it: If you had not seen the first “Men in Black,” and people had told you that Tommy lee Jones was funny, you wouldn’t have believed it. This is the same thing — no one is trying to be funny. I want my actors to be real. If it’s a funny situation, I want it to be funny. But I don’t want anyone to play to the comedy. Let the audience find the comedy; I don’t want to tell any [of the cast or crew] where it is. So, Jemaine does not deliver a comedic performance. While there are moments of humor that the audience will find funny, Jemaine himself is not being funny, if you get that. MTV : There have been lots of reports about issues with the script and issues with the shoot. Set things straight: Can you give us a sense of your experience making this film? Sonnenfeld : First of all, I don’t know that I’ve ever been on a shoot that wasn’t stressful for the director. I think all movies are stressful in different ways. What was reported on this one was that we took a several-months hiatus to work on the script. As it relates to that, that concept was built into the shooting schedule. We wanted the next movie Will Smith was in after a long time where he wasn’t in movies to be “Men in Black 3.” We also wanted to shoot in New York, which had a tax incentive that was about to expire. It didn’t expire, but we didn’t know it wasn’t going to expire, because New York state legislature had to vote it in again, and we weren’t sure that was going to happen. So we started the movie with a full script and with a really great first act — but the second and third needed work. We built in a two-month hiatus so we could continue working on the script and not need an eight-week reshoot. So that’s what we did. The truth is, the great thing about the movie, is that there was no stress between myself and any of the actors. We all got along very well. You don’t ever want a director and a movie star who see two different movies. But we all were working with the same ideas in mind. We knew the characters, we knew the history, and we were very much in sync. People don’t know this, but the end and plot of the first “Men in Black” was changed after we shot the picture, months and months and months after shooting. We had cut the movie and were ready to mix it and everything. But I took one scene and got a phonetics expert to change what the two aliens were saying — they were speaking English, and we changed it to an alien language, and subtitled what they were saying. That totally changed the plot of the movie. So, we did not have to do that on this movie. We got [the story] right the first time; it just took a long time to get there. The movie is really good, and it looks great. I think it’s going to be fantastic in 3-D, too. MTV : Wrapping up, you talked about how the ending of this film is “surprising.” As much as you can tease, do you view this film as an ending to the “Men in Black” trilogy? Or are there ways to continue the story? Sonnenfeld : The fantastic thing about “Men in Black 3” is that it totally closes out the trilogy, it answers questions that you didn’t even know you should be asking, it leaves you emotionally warm and sad and happy, and it could also reboot the franchise. But I can’t even begin to tell you how to interpret all of that. [ Laughs ] But I would say this: If your interpretation is that “Men in Black 4” will only star the worm guys and Frank the pug, you are wrong. MTV : Hey, I’d pay money to see that movie! Sonnenfeld : Yeah? Well, maybe I’m wrong! [ Laughs ] Just wait. It’s going to be great. Are you excited for the next “Men in Black” movie? Tell us in the comments section below! It’s Summer Movie Preview Week, and MTV News will be bringing you exclusive interviews, clips and photos for the most anticipated summer movies . Get ready to gorge on inside looks at “The Avengers,” Robert Pattinson’s “Bel Ami,” Kristen Stewart’s “Snow White,” “The Amazing Spider-Man” and more! Related Videos Summer Movie Preview 2012
Tatum and his stripper pals, played by Matthew McConaughey and Alex Pettyfer, get into some shirtless antics in a teaser for the June release. By Jocelyn Vena Channing Tatum in “Magic Mike” Photo: Warner Bros Sixteen seconds. That’s all fans are getting teased with in the just-released teaser for the “Magic Mike” trailer; the complete version hits the streets late Wednesday on “Entertainment Tonight.” But it’s a beefy 16 seconds, that’s for sure. It features everything fans of the highly anticipated flick could want: Channing Tatum as a shirtless police officer and quick looks at the also-shirtless acrobatics of the other strippers in the flick, including Matthew McConaughey and Alex Pettyfer. The tease is definitely quick and dirty but certainly highlights the humor in the film. At one point, Tatum jokes, “You don’t want to know what I have to do for 20’s.” Judging by the footage, it involves a lot of topless antics. Another point of interest comes at the end when Channing — once again without a top — asks, “So are you going to come to the show tonight?” For most fans, the answer will probably be a big, loud “YES!” The Steven Soderbergh-directed film opens June 29. In addition to Tatum, Pettyfer and McConaughey, the movie features a bevy of other Hollywood studs, including Matt Bomer and Joe Manganiello. When MTV News caught up with McConaughey recently, he dropped a hint about his own stripper character in the film. “Well, I run the hottest male revue in America, if not the globe,” McCanaughey said of Dallas . “And we are going to simulcast around not only the globe, but the universe, and become the hottest male revue in the universe.” The story follows strip-club owner Dallas, as well as veteran male dancer Magic Mike (played by Tatum), who teaches the game to a newbie who goes by the moniker “The Kid” (played by Pettyfer). The movie is based on Tatum’s own experiences as a male dancer. Soderbergh told MTV News, “It’s a fictionalized version of what Channing went through. Channing’s sort of playing a version of himself, and Alex is kind of playing a version of Channing. They’re sort of amalgamations of other people. No one has ever said, ‘But that didn’t happen,’ because it’s not really that. It’s just the world that I think is really fascinating.” Still not convinced that this film has it all and then some? Well, Bomer recently shared that Tatum even gets his groove on to Ginuwine’s “Pony.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Magic Mike.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos South by Southwest 2012
The eight remaining contestants on NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice were assigned to build two original puppet characters for Jim Henson’s Creature Shop last night. The celebs had to perform with their creations at Henson’s “Stuffed and Unstrung” live improv puppet show for adults … but it was anything but kid-friendly. At least behind the scenes. Paul Teutul, Sr. volunteered as project manager for Team Unanimous and Lisa Lampanelli stepped forward for Team Forte. Meanwhile, the latest episode of drama between Lisa Lampanelli and Dayana Mendoza came when Lisa banned Miss Universe 2008 from the spotlight. Dayana has developed a thicker skin and started to call out Lisa’s mean, whiny behavior, but last night, she just couldn’t take it after Lisa lashed out. Clay Aiken suggested that Lisa is constantly intimidated by Dayana’s beauty. Probably more or less true … but in any case, they somehow won the task! Paul decided to take Aubrey O’Day and Teresa Giuidice to the boardroom, but the girls put up a fight and ultimately, he was no match and got tossed. Good decision? Bad call? Do you even know who Paul is? Discuss.
With all this business about the transgendered Miss Universe Canada contestant in the news lately , I thought I’d check the woman person out. Here’s Jenna Talackova and her ambulance chasing lawyer in New York the other day. I don’t know, she still looks like a dude to me. I bet she’s got a really big clit. Ha!
What is a thought? Where does it come from? Once you have a thought where does it disappear? What comes first a feeling or a thought? Thought comes from pure consciousness, but it has to go through conditioned consciousness, before it surfaces. If your thought comes from the field of pure conciseness, it is the evolutionary impulse of the universe. It is pure creativity. If your thought is coming from conditioned consciousness, it is based on previous experience and pretty much a repetition and it is in constricted awareness. Expanded awareness, though it is a higher level, is still a conditioned awareness; you just connected through the web of relationships. In pure awareness you are connected to the whole universe. At the level of pure awareness, where you are truly free and your thoughts follow the evolutionary impulse you can reach the realm of pure creativity, beyond any problems and beyond the need for any solutions. Read more on Deepak Chopra’s official website: www.deepakchopra.com Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com http://www.youtube.com/v/7dwCsO3c0OQ?version=3&f=videos&app=youtube_gdata More here: What Is a Thought?
