The Real Housewives of Atlanta spent 10 days in South Africa , but did anything really change besides Cynthia’s hairdos? We recap the homecoming in THG’s +/- review. First we have to leave South Africa which may take longer than you’d think given the amount of shoes that Marlo has to pack. Oh, but she has help. Some poor resort worker comes in so that Marlo can lounge on her bed and explain how each shoe must be packed in it’s own separate little bag so that they don’t rub together in flight. Seriously? Minus 10 . Then “Blue Eyes” as NeNe calls their personal helper must run across to help NeNe close up her suitcases. There are several but at least NeNe packed them herself so Plus 5 . I want to believe Blue Eyes got a decent tip for this nonsense but somehow I doubt it. When the ladies finally leave, there is singing and dancing. Yes, it’s supposed to be some sort of ceremonial custom but honestly, can you imagine how relieved the staff must be to see these high maintenance, bossy women finally leave?
Zac Efron lends his voice to the big screen version of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax , which hits theaters this week and for which the actor appeared this morning on The Today Show in order to promote. During the interview, though, the actor was forced to address an incident with Matt Lauer that was decidedly NOT in the movie’s script: his dropping of a condom on the red carpet of the Hollywood premiere. “I never really had a pocket-checking policy prior to going on the red carpet before, but now we fully instated one,” Efron joked, adding of the safe sex he clearly practices: “It’s a great message, to add to the many messages in the film.” Watch the awkward exchange between host and star now: Zac Efron Today Show Interview
‘I would want to have the time, the ability and the love for something,’ she tells MTV News of choosing roles. By Azia Celestino, with reporting by Kara Warner Taylor Swift Photo: MTV News Although pop/country superstar Taylor Swift has her hands full with a very successful music career — be it grabbing Grammys or working on a song for the “Hunger Games” soundtrack , don’t rule her out for a full-fledged crossover into acting. Swift recently went from recording songs to sound effects when she took on the role of Audrey in “The Lorax.” “What people don’t think about with character acting in the voice-over form [is] you’re making a lot of sounds,” Swift told MTV News recently about her experience in the latest Dr. Seuss movie, which also features the voices of Zac Efron, Betty White and Danny DeVito. “It’s very different from when you’re singing songs that you wrote. With this, you’re sitting there in a booth by yourself having conversations with no one.” The cast of the movie recorded their parts in different places, which made acting out dialogue even more of a challenge. But a part in “The Lorax” seems to be a premeditated change of pace for the pop star. “Acting is something I’ve been fascinated by my entire life,” she said. The singer said she has been reading scripts in her free time for the past five years but hasn’t been quick to accept a role. “I would want to have the time, the ability and the love for something, the love for a character to where I could really make that commitment to it.” Taylor is known for writing lyrics that reveal her feelings about love and heartbreak, and you can probably expect the same passion if she makes a move to the big screen. Check out everything we’ve got on “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘The Lorax’ Related Artists Taylor Swift
It’s not hard to imagine Colton Dixon on Broadway, is it? This American Idol veteran – who tried out for both previous seasons and hadn’t even planned on giving it a third go until the judges convinced him during his sister’s opening audition this year – covered “Decode” on last night’s live audition show, leaping atop a piano to close the performance and looking like he belongs in “American Idiot” or “Rock of Ages.” That’s not a diss. Just an observation. Jennifer Lopez told Colton he sings “from the heart,” but she told that to pretty much every contestant last night. Watch Dixon’s performance now and decide how he compares to other season 11hopefuls such as Deandre Brackensick . Colton Dixon – “Decode”
Oh, how we miss Simon Cowell. He would have torn into Eben Franckewitz last night. Not that we want to see a 15-year old cry on stage, but let’s be honest: this Justin Bieber lookalike is not ready for primetime, and certainly not ready to try his voice on an Adele single. But that’s exactly what Eben attempted, covering “Set Fire to Rain” and simply failing to hit any of the proper notes, while looking overwhelmed on such a grand stage. No, Randy Jackson, Franckewitz did not “collect himself like a pro,” which is understandable: he’s not a pro. He’s only 15. And he may have a bright future in the business, but he doesn’t on season 11 of American Idol . Eben Franckewitz – “Set Fire to Rain”
Jeremy Rosado is a really nice guy. That’s what the American Idol judges were telling us over and over last night, with Randy Jackson pointing to the way Rosado comforted many hopefuls during opening auditions. That’s great and all – but it’s never a good sign, show wise, when the panel is talking more about your heart than your voice. Indeed, Jeremy didn’t really impress with his vocals on a cover of “Gravity.” It’s certainly hard to see him advancing over such solid performers as Phillip Phillips and even the theatrical Colton Dixon . But at least Rosado can return to his medical supply job in Florida with his head held high. Jeremy Rosado – “Gravity”
“Did I Do That?” may gain entirely new context with “Family Matters” actor Jaleel White , who portrayed Urkel on the show, joining the upcoming season. The new cast of “Dancing With The Stars” Was announced on Good Morning America Tuesday. Among the facts learned during the post-announcement Q&A, Gladys Knight confessed she joined the show because of “the Pips,” her famous backup singers. “They never let me dance,” Knight explained. Jaleel White said he was persuaded to join by his mother, who considers this her favorite show. “View” co-host Barbara Walters got a shout-out, with Sherri Shepherd proclaims she’s “petrified,” and “I need Barbara Walters!” Here’s a list of the full cast: * “Melrose Place” and “ General Hospital” star Jack Wagner, 52, who’s best known nowadays as Heather Locklear’s ex-fiance. He’ll be partnered with pro Anna Trebunskaya. * Melissa Gilbert, 57, is best known as Laura Ingalls on “Little House on the Prairie,” a staple in American living rooms from 1974 to 1983. Gilbert’s pro partner is Maksim Chmerkovskiy. * Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver, 37, who’s looking to add a mirror ball trophy to his Super Bowl ring. * Telenovela star William Levy, known as “The Brad Pitt of Mexico” and a former J.Lo video boytoy. He is paired up with Cheryl Burke. * Sherri Shepherd, 44, is an actress-turned-co-host on “The View.” Her partner is Maksim’s younger brother, Val Chmerkovskiy. * Katherine Jenkins, an opera star who returns to “Dancing With the Stars” twelve seasons after performing there on stage. Jenkins is matched with pro Mark Ballas. * Pop singer Gavin Degraw, 35, the voice behind the hits, “I Don’t Want to Be” and “In Love With a Girl.” He gets to fall in love with the teachings of Karina Smirnoff. * Tennis legend Martina Navratilova, 55, winner of 18 Grand Slam titles. Her new doubles partner is Tony Dovolani. * Disney Channel “Shake It Up” star Roshon Fegan is the youngest contestant at 20. He gets to learn from Chelsie Hightower, who returns to the show after a season off. * “Extra” host Maria Menounos, 33, who has shown she looks good in a Giants-themed bathing suit, is paired with the almost-as-pretty Derek Hough. * Jaleel White, 36, is better known to a certain generation as Steve Urkel from “Family Matters.” His partner is Kym Johnson. * Motown staple and eight-time Grammy winner Gladys Knight, 67. She landed Nancy Grace’s former partner, Tristan MacManus. Who is your money on??? WENN Source 1 Source 2 More On Bossip! Stand By Your Man: Rihanna Is In Full Support Of Chris “Gimme Dat” Brown While He Awaits Word On Cell-Phone-Stealing Charges, Sends Lyrical Sub-Tweets About Getting Him Back! Exhibitionists Pt. 1: The Most Revealing Celebrity Twitpics Of All Time Matrimony-dom: Evelyn Lozada Spills The Beans About Her Wedding Plans With Chad Ochocinco! Jesus Take The Men’s Wearhouse Card: The Funniest Photoshop Pictures Of Jaheim’s Blue Suit [Photos]
Millions of Americans were bewildered to hear that President Obama took the time to draft a letter of apology and send it to Afghan President Hamid Karzai after several korans were found charred in a trash heap. It is a … Continue reading → Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Gateway Pundit Discovery Date : 24/02/2012 01:22 Number of articles : 2
We’ve seen what seems like a fair amount of footage from John Carter already, between its various teasers, trailers and TV spots, but today we’ve got a somewhat longer two-and-a-half minute clip to show you — plus another two minutes from a new sizzle reel. The scene sees the titular hero (Taylor Kitsch) and Tars Tarkas Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : /Film Discovery Date : 24/02/2012 06:16 Number of articles : 2
After 11 season, this faithful viewer might be trading ‘Idol’ in for new models ‘The X Factor’ and ‘The Voice.’ By Gil Kaufman Ryan Seacrest with the top 24 of “American Idol” Photo: Fox I’m a loyalist at heart. Back in the day, I watched “The X Files,” the original “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “The O.C.” until the bitter end, convincing myself that my patience would be rewarded well after the shark had jumped. But after slogging through another interminable pair of “American Idol” cut-down episodes Wednesday and Thursday , I think I’m finally throwing in the towel. I’ve been there since episode one with “Idol,” reveling in the joy of Kelly Clarkson’s win, cheering Ruben Studdard to his well-deserved crown and scratching my head when clearly inferior champs like Taylor Hicks, Lee DeWyze and Kris Allen took the top prize. Just a week before the season 11 live shows start, though, “Idol” has lost me, perhaps for good. The bottom line is that the show just feels like it’s on auto-pilot, from the bored looks on the faces of celebrity judges Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez to the predictable plotlines and not-so-clever editing tricks intended to keep our interest up through the early rounds. It was bad enough a few weeks ago when an entire episode of the group rounds went by without any discernible footage of, you know, singing. The biggest plot point that week was the exploitation of a sick teenage girl passing out and falling off the stage, which was used as a cruel cliffhanger. On Wednesday night, we got yet another rehash of the previous audition rounds along with mostly truncated looks at the singer’s final Las Vegas performances (most of which were bland, if not downright boring) before they had to make the long walk to the judgment chairs. Thursday night was more of the same. Sole original judge Randy Jackson seemed to run out of creative ways to torture the painfully eager singers with purposely vague platitudes about how hard it is to cut them at this point, purposely mangling his words to keep them on the edge of confusion. Watching this spectacle, I just asked myself, “Do I even care if Heejun Han or Reed Grimm make it?” “Do I need to see Jermaine Jones cry again?” “Who is Chase Likens and why haven’t I even seen him up until now?” In my long experience with “Idol” and writing about music, none of them seem like winner material, in the same way that such paint-by-numbers soul mamas like Jen Hirsch, Elise Testone, Erika Van Pelt, Shannon Magrane and stage mom’d Brielle Von Hugel fail to excite. And making Adam Brock — a weepy white dad who brags about singing like a black woman while using his dead grandfather’s handkerchief as a pity prop at every turn — a cliffhanger for Thursday night’s episode just seems pointless. This guy has no chance to win, and if he does, well, “Idol” has way bigger problems. In fact, the only contestant in the mix at this point who seems even halfway relevant in today’s music biz is skunk-mohawked former castoff Colton Dixon, but he hasn’t gotten nearly as much love as Phil Phillips, whose twitchy Dave Matthews impersonation has already grown unbearably irritating. Even 15-year-old Eben Franckewitz seems promising, but I can already tell his “story line” will be that despite lots of experience on the musical-theater stage, the judges are going to hammer him for his nerves. Before Wednesday night’s episode aired, I was already firmly in line with Entertainment Weekly columnist Mark Harris, who wrote an opinion piece in the February 24 issue about how he was switching sides. “The opening weeks of ‘Idol’ traffic in humiliation and tears — the neediness of the young, desperate to be extracted from the mob; the familiar weariness of the judges; the talentless clowns pimped as sneerworthy sideshows,” he wrote. “But the opening weeks of ‘The Voice’ are about hope and discovery.” In essence, he said, we’re at a tipping point where NBC’s upstart show is winning the race not by copying the template of “Idol,” but by purposely running in the other direction. The “Voice” judges are relevant musicians of today from varying genres with a sharp, entertaining rapport that crackles and brings a fresh energy to the show. That show starts from day one with good to great singers from varying backgrounds, singing mostly contemporary chart hits, who are eager to get help from those who are still charting today. Meanwhile, the “Idol” judges are riding the fumes of their fading careers as they continue to struggle to apply their hard-earned lessons in the music biz to mostly teenage strivers who can’t relate to their mother or father’s favorite singers. The leading contestants so far this year on “Idol” fall into two or three predictable camps: overreaching, throwback R&B belters, quirky imitators of no-longer-relatable stars or ultra-twangy country gals. Where are the edgy R&B divas like Rihanna? The cute boy singers like Justin Bieber? The hip-hop-influenced Drake wannabes? Hell, where are the Carrie Underwoods who can deftly mix pop and country? “The X Factor” and “The Voice” eagerly embrace singers of every color, style and persuasion. So are you telling me that there was not one woman of color out of the tens of thousands who auditioned worthy of the semifinal round? Have we become a nation of (almost exclusively) blond, female Mariah/Christina copycats? Just look at the talent that has already been signed in the wake of the first “Factor” season : a legitimately powerful soul diva in winner Melanie Amaro , a fascinating redemption story in rapper/crooner Chris Rene, contemporary R&B singer Marcus Canty, white blues man Josh Krajcik, high school cutie Rachel Crow and buzzed-about teen rapper Astro , any one of whom could legitimately blow up. Meanwhile, the first 24 semifinalists put through by “Idol” this week are almost without exception as blandly interchangeable (and old-fashioned) as Lopez’s spangly tops. And the “surprise” extra boy to be named later is one of the most tired tropes in the “Idol” dream factory bag of tricks. Sure, it’s very early in the process and nobody knows what could happen. But if you recall, even in the audition stage it was already clear that eventual season-eight runner-up Adam Lambert was destined to be one of the most exciting, unusual performers in the show’s history. It’s not like season-one “Voice” winner Javier Colon has set the world on fire, but at least that show focuses on mentoring and nurturing talent of any age, shape and style, rather than serving up cookie-cutter slot fillers. The sense of hope, discovery and optimism that Harris said permeates “The Voice” is wholly lacking on “Idol,” which feels more and more like a dated reality competition and less like a singing showcase. Tear-jerking backstories aside, it’s hard to see how any of these singers is going to win America over, not to mention make a case for idolatry or even above-average chart success. It’s been a fun ride, “Idol,” but unless you can prove to me that you can read the writing on the wall, I’m afraid my TiVo is going to be reprogrammed to NBC from now on. Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Top 24 And Wildcard Contestants
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