By Stefan Doyno and John Mitchell
The ‘90s are back, and so are your favorite shows. Last night, TeenNick premiered "The ‘90s Are All That," a statement anyone in their twenties or early thirties will most certainly agree with. Twitter has been burning up with love for the classic shows that made Nickelodeon the channel it is today. Shows like "iCarly," "Drake and Josh" and "Victorious" are wildly popular with the younger generation, but it was shows like "All That," "The Amanda Show," "Rugrats," “Clarissa Explains It All” and "Doug" that paved the way and still have a special place in our hearts.
The two-hour run of shows, which air weeknights from midnight to 2Am, is not just a block of programming, it’s a movement. Viewers can "Watch. Discuss. Obsess." on Facebook and Twitter. You can also join the ongoing conversation, keep up with the evolving schedule and catch...
The ‘90s are back, and so are your favorite shows. Last night, TeenNick premiered "The ‘90s Are All That," a statement anyone in their twenties or early thirties will most certainly agree with. Twitter has been burning up with love for the classic shows that made Nickelodeon the channel it is today. Shows like "iCarly," "Drake and Josh" and "Victorious" are wildly popular with the younger generation, but it was shows like "All That," "The Amanda Show," "Rugrats," “Clarissa Explains It All” and "Doug" that paved the way and still have a special place in our hearts.
The two-hour run of shows, which air weeknights from midnight to 2Am, is not just a block of programming, it’s a movement. Viewers can "Watch. Discuss. Obsess." on Facebook and Twitter. You can also join the ongoing conversation, keep up with the evolving schedule and catch...
- 7/26/2011
- by MTV News
- MTV Newsroom
Singer is also set to appear as guest judge on show later in season.
By Jocelyn Vena, with additional reporting by Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Lady Gaga
Photo: Getty Images
Lady Gaga is ready to take fans to the "Edge of Glory." The singer confirmed that she will debut the music video for the clip on Thursday on "So You Think You Can Dance." Little is known about the Joseph Kahn-directed clip, but all will be revealed in good time, it seems.
The news comes just as executive producer and judge Nigel Lythgoe announced he was getting Gaga to join celebrity judges like will.i.am on the show this season.
"Yes, I asked her when she performed on the 'American Idol' finale if she would come on, and she said yes," Lythgoe . "She is on tour so they said it would probably be later in the season.
By Jocelyn Vena, with additional reporting by Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Lady Gaga
Photo: Getty Images
Lady Gaga is ready to take fans to the "Edge of Glory." The singer confirmed that she will debut the music video for the clip on Thursday on "So You Think You Can Dance." Little is known about the Joseph Kahn-directed clip, but all will be revealed in good time, it seems.
The news comes just as executive producer and judge Nigel Lythgoe announced he was getting Gaga to join celebrity judges like will.i.am on the show this season.
"Yes, I asked her when she performed on the 'American Idol' finale if she would come on, and she said yes," Lythgoe . "She is on tour so they said it would probably be later in the season.
- 6/15/2011
- MTV Music News
Judge Nigel Lythgoe says season eight features 'more interesting' auditions and an emphasis on street dancers.
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Mary Murphy
Photo: Fox
As has become custom for several years, the echoes of the "American Idol" finale are still ringing our ears as Fox rolls out the first episode of "So You Think You Can Dance" on Thursday night (May 26) at 8 p.m. Et. But before we feast our eyes upon season eight's auditions, MTV News managed to get executive producer/judge Nigel Lythgoe and judge Mary Murphy to give us a little hint about what to expect this year.
"It truly is a much more interesting auditioning process this year because the kids are bringing something so new," said Lythgoe, who's been juggling his "American Idol" exec-producing duties with "Sytycd" and its U.K. version. "Lots of different styles: turfing, this contortionism that looks like they're going to...
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Mary Murphy
Photo: Fox
As has become custom for several years, the echoes of the "American Idol" finale are still ringing our ears as Fox rolls out the first episode of "So You Think You Can Dance" on Thursday night (May 26) at 8 p.m. Et. But before we feast our eyes upon season eight's auditions, MTV News managed to get executive producer/judge Nigel Lythgoe and judge Mary Murphy to give us a little hint about what to expect this year.
"It truly is a much more interesting auditioning process this year because the kids are bringing something so new," said Lythgoe, who's been juggling his "American Idol" exec-producing duties with "Sytycd" and its U.K. version. "Lots of different styles: turfing, this contortionism that looks like they're going to...
- 5/26/2011
- MTV Music News
The MTV Newsroom is not traditionally a place for religious fanaticism. But with Harold Camping and his followers making everyone (on the Internets, at least) think the world is ending on Saturday, we thought we'd hedge our bets. Here's how some MTV Newsers are spending their last hours on Earth:
Sabrina Rojas Weiss, editor: "I'm an escapist to the core — true story: I held a dance party at someone's death bed — so I'm not about to change my tune now. I'll actually be on a plane to an undisclosed tropical island on May 21, so if the world comes crumbling down, I will be listening to the new Fleet Foxes album (while picturing myself frolicking through a forest, of course. Oh, forests and old-fashioned harmonizing, I'll miss you), catching up on 'Friday Night Lights,' reading the latest Charlaine Harris novel (crap, will the world end before Sookie and Eric live happily ever after?...
Sabrina Rojas Weiss, editor: "I'm an escapist to the core — true story: I held a dance party at someone's death bed — so I'm not about to change my tune now. I'll actually be on a plane to an undisclosed tropical island on May 21, so if the world comes crumbling down, I will be listening to the new Fleet Foxes album (while picturing myself frolicking through a forest, of course. Oh, forests and old-fashioned harmonizing, I'll miss you), catching up on 'Friday Night Lights,' reading the latest Charlaine Harris novel (crap, will the world end before Sookie and Eric live happily ever after?...
- 5/20/2011
- by MTV News
- MTV Newsroom
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
New York — Your typical posh charity benefit in Manhattan usually includes a celebrity or two, maybe a performance by an artist who was popular in the '90s and a room full of insanely rich (and generous!) people. And while all of the above were at the Museum of Modern Art last night, the benefit for "Law & Order: Svu" star Mariska Hargitay's Joyful Heart organization had a whole lot more: Alec Baldwin and Brian Williams ribbing each other onstage, the Manhattan District Attorney's office rubbing shoulders with the likes of Maria Bello, Wynonna Judd, Chris Meloni and Isaac Mizrahi, a live auction in which people bid the equivalent of my salary for two years for to have Bobby Flay cook for them in the Hamptons, high heels that probably belonged out in the museum's sculpture garden ...
After several real-life victims of child abuse, rape and...
New York — Your typical posh charity benefit in Manhattan usually includes a celebrity or two, maybe a performance by an artist who was popular in the '90s and a room full of insanely rich (and generous!) people. And while all of the above were at the Museum of Modern Art last night, the benefit for "Law & Order: Svu" star Mariska Hargitay's Joyful Heart organization had a whole lot more: Alec Baldwin and Brian Williams ribbing each other onstage, the Manhattan District Attorney's office rubbing shoulders with the likes of Maria Bello, Wynonna Judd, Chris Meloni and Isaac Mizrahi, a live auction in which people bid the equivalent of my salary for two years for to have Bobby Flay cook for them in the Hamptons, high heels that probably belonged out in the museum's sculpture garden ...
After several real-life victims of child abuse, rape and...
- 5/18/2011
- by MTV News
- MTV Newsroom
'The ones that believe we manipulate everything, it drives me crazy sometimes,' he says of vocal fans.
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Nigel Lythgoe
Photo: MTV News
As executive producer of "American Idol" and "So You Think You Can Dance," as well as a judge on the latter — and maybe even back in the day as the choreographer of "The Apple" — Nigel Lythgoe is well versed at taking jabs from angry fans. But that doesn't mean he's not tempted to strike back now and again at the viewers who are convinced the producers of the shows arrange things so that their favorites will win.
"Thanks for all the personal abuse from the usual morons out there in Twitterland," he tweeted after last Wednesday night's "Idol." "I personally feel Haley is the most improved contestant."
MTV News "Idol" expert Jim Cantiello was sure Nigel was partly responding to his joking tweet,...
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Nigel Lythgoe
Photo: MTV News
As executive producer of "American Idol" and "So You Think You Can Dance," as well as a judge on the latter — and maybe even back in the day as the choreographer of "The Apple" — Nigel Lythgoe is well versed at taking jabs from angry fans. But that doesn't mean he's not tempted to strike back now and again at the viewers who are convinced the producers of the shows arrange things so that their favorites will win.
"Thanks for all the personal abuse from the usual morons out there in Twitterland," he tweeted after last Wednesday night's "Idol." "I personally feel Haley is the most improved contestant."
MTV News "Idol" expert Jim Cantiello was sure Nigel was partly responding to his joking tweet,...
- 5/17/2011
- MTV Music News
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
For two decades, Cake have churned out catchy, laid-back tunes that you can't help but sing along with, from breakout hit "The Distance" to "Sick of You," the first single off their just-released album Showroom of Compassion. In concert, fans take that sing-along instinct to the next level, and frontman John McCrea often leads the crowd as a choir with two competing sections. What could have been a mass of self-conscious hipsters becomes a group of grinning faces, yelling, "Sheep go to heaven!" as the other side of the venue calls back, "Goats go to hell!"
When McCrea and trumpet/keyboard player Vince DeFiore stopped by the MTV Newsroom earlier this week, they said audiences were already singing along to all the new songs, even though the album just came out on Tuesday. Surprisingly, McCrea wasn't really the driving force behind his concert choirs.
"People initially...
For two decades, Cake have churned out catchy, laid-back tunes that you can't help but sing along with, from breakout hit "The Distance" to "Sick of You," the first single off their just-released album Showroom of Compassion. In concert, fans take that sing-along instinct to the next level, and frontman John McCrea often leads the crowd as a choir with two competing sections. What could have been a mass of self-conscious hipsters becomes a group of grinning faces, yelling, "Sheep go to heaven!" as the other side of the venue calls back, "Goats go to hell!"
When McCrea and trumpet/keyboard player Vince DeFiore stopped by the MTV Newsroom earlier this week, they said audiences were already singing along to all the new songs, even though the album just came out on Tuesday. Surprisingly, McCrea wasn't really the driving force behind his concert choirs.
"People initially...
- 1/12/2011
- by MTV News
- MTV Newsroom
After a six-plus-year wait between albums, indie rockers didn't feel obligated to 'reinvent' their sound.
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Cake's John McCrea
Photo: MTV News
"It's been a long time," John McCrea sings on the second track of Cake's new album, Showroom of Compassion, which dropped on Tuesday (January 11). For fans who have been waiting more than six years for a new release from the understated indie rockers, it sure has been.
And what they'll get after this long time is signature Cake, albeit with a few adjustments.
"We're not trying to change; we never have," McCrea told MTV News. "I always thought that was so wasteful for musicians to feel so obligated to reinvent themselves every album. ... That said, we do have reverb for the first time on my vocals. I think I had a moratorium against reverb all this time because I didn't want to sound grandiose.
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Cake's John McCrea
Photo: MTV News
"It's been a long time," John McCrea sings on the second track of Cake's new album, Showroom of Compassion, which dropped on Tuesday (January 11). For fans who have been waiting more than six years for a new release from the understated indie rockers, it sure has been.
And what they'll get after this long time is signature Cake, albeit with a few adjustments.
"We're not trying to change; we never have," McCrea told MTV News. "I always thought that was so wasteful for musicians to feel so obligated to reinvent themselves every album. ... That said, we do have reverb for the first time on my vocals. I think I had a moratorium against reverb all this time because I didn't want to sound grandiose.
- 1/11/2011
- MTV Music News
Sacramento rockers build anticipation for new album, Showroom of Compassion, at Irving Plaza.
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Cake's John McCrea and Xan McCurdy perform in New York on Tuesday
Photo: Joey Foley/ Getty Images
New York — Cake are the kind of band it's easy to think you know well — songs like "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" and their "I Will Survive" cover still pop up regularly in ads and soundtracks — and easy to love for their blend of regular-guy sound with clever lyrics and off-beat instrumentation. But in concert, anyone who, say, owns only four of their albums, will never be mistaken for a diehard. No, the superfans know every single word of every early album deep cut. Still, when the cult faves hit Irving Plaza on Tuesday night, frontman John McCrea made sure everyone felt like they belonged.
Dressed in a fedora, T-shirt, hoodie and rugged jacket, the bearded McCrea...
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Cake's John McCrea and Xan McCurdy perform in New York on Tuesday
Photo: Joey Foley/ Getty Images
New York — Cake are the kind of band it's easy to think you know well — songs like "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" and their "I Will Survive" cover still pop up regularly in ads and soundtracks — and easy to love for their blend of regular-guy sound with clever lyrics and off-beat instrumentation. But in concert, anyone who, say, owns only four of their albums, will never be mistaken for a diehard. No, the superfans know every single word of every early album deep cut. Still, when the cult faves hit Irving Plaza on Tuesday night, frontman John McCrea made sure everyone felt like they belonged.
Dressed in a fedora, T-shirt, hoodie and rugged jacket, the bearded McCrea...
- 12/8/2010
- MTV Music News
'I'm thinking Usher,' Snooks says of potential boyfriends on 'Ellen.'
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
The cast of "Jersey Shore" on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show"
Photo: Warner Bros.
Snooki's recent trouble with love and the law were a hot topic when she and her fellow "Jersey Shore" castmates JWoww, Pauly D, the Situation, Sammi, Vinny and Ronnie stopped by "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" on Tuesday (September 14). The rest of the cast was very protective of their diminutive roommate, and they vowed to make sure she doesn't get her heart broken again.
"Because of her celebrity she drew a crowd," JWoww said of what led to Snooki's arrest for being a public nuisance. And Pauly D, who pointed out that he has other friends who do much worse on the Shore, added, "It just so happens the spotlight was on her."
Snooki, for her part, says that she...
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
The cast of "Jersey Shore" on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show"
Photo: Warner Bros.
Snooki's recent trouble with love and the law were a hot topic when she and her fellow "Jersey Shore" castmates JWoww, Pauly D, the Situation, Sammi, Vinny and Ronnie stopped by "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" on Tuesday (September 14). The rest of the cast was very protective of their diminutive roommate, and they vowed to make sure she doesn't get her heart broken again.
"Because of her celebrity she drew a crowd," JWoww said of what led to Snooki's arrest for being a public nuisance. And Pauly D, who pointed out that he has other friends who do much worse on the Shore, added, "It just so happens the spotlight was on her."
Snooki, for her part, says that she...
- 9/14/2010
- MTV Music News
We pick five books that could live up to the hype to be your next book addiction.
By Brian Jacks and Sabrina Rojas Weiss
"Vampire Academy: Shadow Kiss"
Photo: Penguin Books
Mega-successful books series like "Twilight" and "Harry Potter" don't come around every day. The flowery tales of Edward and Bella and the fantastical adventures of Harry and his schoolmates have entrenched themselves in the hearts of loyal followers, leaving room for little else. But the June 5 release of Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" spin-off novella "The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner" marks the end of an era. That's why the publishers, authors and booksellers at BookExpo America this week were eager to tout their upcoming releases as the next big thing.
MTV News scoured the trade show and soaked in the hype. Check back at our Hollywood Crush blog for reviews of many of these titles when they're available.
By Brian Jacks and Sabrina Rojas Weiss
"Vampire Academy: Shadow Kiss"
Photo: Penguin Books
Mega-successful books series like "Twilight" and "Harry Potter" don't come around every day. The flowery tales of Edward and Bella and the fantastical adventures of Harry and his schoolmates have entrenched themselves in the hearts of loyal followers, leaving room for little else. But the June 5 release of Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" spin-off novella "The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner" marks the end of an era. That's why the publishers, authors and booksellers at BookExpo America this week were eager to tout their upcoming releases as the next big thing.
MTV News scoured the trade show and soaked in the hype. Check back at our Hollywood Crush blog for reviews of many of these titles when they're available.
- 5/27/2010
- MTV Movie News
We pick five books that could live up to the hype to be your next book addiction.
By Brian Jacks and Sabrina Rojas Weiss
"Vampire Academy: Shadow Kiss"
Photo: Penguin Books
Mega-successful books series like "Twilight" and "Harry Potter" don't come around every day. The flowery tales of Edward and Bella and the fantastical adventures of Harry and his schoolmates have entrenched themselves in the hearts of loyal followers, leaving room for little else. But the June 5 release of Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" spin-off novella "The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner" marks the end of an era. That's why the publishers, authors and booksellers at BookExpo America this week were eager to tout their upcoming releases as the next big thing.
MTV News scoured the trade show and soaked in the hype. Check back at our Hollywood Crush blog for reviews of many of these titles when they're available.
By Brian Jacks and Sabrina Rojas Weiss
"Vampire Academy: Shadow Kiss"
Photo: Penguin Books
Mega-successful books series like "Twilight" and "Harry Potter" don't come around every day. The flowery tales of Edward and Bella and the fantastical adventures of Harry and his schoolmates have entrenched themselves in the hearts of loyal followers, leaving room for little else. But the June 5 release of Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" spin-off novella "The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner" marks the end of an era. That's why the publishers, authors and booksellers at BookExpo America this week were eager to tout their upcoming releases as the next big thing.
MTV News scoured the trade show and soaked in the hype. Check back at our Hollywood Crush blog for reviews of many of these titles when they're available.
- 5/27/2010
- MTV Music News
by Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Beware, readers: There be spoilers here.
Is there any show that leaves you screaming at your TV more than "Lost"? This week's "Across the Sea" episode had many of us at MTV News yelling helplessly at inanimate objects. The entire show revolves around a cave filled with golden light? Wha? And of course, it had us feeling nostalgic for those times when the craziest mystery on the show was just a harmless polar bear on a tropical island. So here, in chronological order, is our list of the top 10 "Wtf" moments in "Lost" history. Some of these moments were complete game-changers; others were just shocking. Tell us what we're missing in the comments below.
1. John Locke, the guy with all the hunting and survival skills, was paraplegic before the crash. (Season one, episode four, "Walkabout.")
2. After condescendingly explaining that old dynamite is unstable and dangerous, Leslie Arzt explodes.
Beware, readers: There be spoilers here.
Is there any show that leaves you screaming at your TV more than "Lost"? This week's "Across the Sea" episode had many of us at MTV News yelling helplessly at inanimate objects. The entire show revolves around a cave filled with golden light? Wha? And of course, it had us feeling nostalgic for those times when the craziest mystery on the show was just a harmless polar bear on a tropical island. So here, in chronological order, is our list of the top 10 "Wtf" moments in "Lost" history. Some of these moments were complete game-changers; others were just shocking. Tell us what we're missing in the comments below.
1. John Locke, the guy with all the hunting and survival skills, was paraplegic before the crash. (Season one, episode four, "Walkabout.")
2. After condescendingly explaining that old dynamite is unstable and dangerous, Leslie Arzt explodes.
- 5/12/2010
- by MTV Movies Team
- MTV Movies Blog
Candace Bushnell explains what's different, and essentially the same, in 'The Carrie Diaries.'
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Candace Bushnell
Photo: MTV News
"Sex and the City" author Candace Bushnell has made a pretty good career out of writing books about grown women with strong identities and complex lives. So why, for her sixth novel, would she decide to go back and tackle that confusing, angsty age of 17? And why do it with Carrie Bradshaw, a character many readers feel like they know better than their best friends?
" 'The Carrie Diaries' is the book I wish I had written when I was 17," Bushnell told MTV News earlier this week, when the young adult novel hit shelves. "I've always wanted to tell the story of a young woman who comes to New York. It's my story. I grew up in a pretty small town and I knew I wanted to be...
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Candace Bushnell
Photo: MTV News
"Sex and the City" author Candace Bushnell has made a pretty good career out of writing books about grown women with strong identities and complex lives. So why, for her sixth novel, would she decide to go back and tackle that confusing, angsty age of 17? And why do it with Carrie Bradshaw, a character many readers feel like they know better than their best friends?
" 'The Carrie Diaries' is the book I wish I had written when I was 17," Bushnell told MTV News earlier this week, when the young adult novel hit shelves. "I've always wanted to tell the story of a young woman who comes to New York. It's my story. I grew up in a pretty small town and I knew I wanted to be...
- 4/29/2010
- MTV Music News
by Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Hercules got his own TV show. Perseus had two "Clash of the Titans" movies. "The Odyssey" has a bunch of literal adaptations and "O Brother Where Art Thou," and don't get us started on all of the Pygmalion and Orpheus stories out there. But there are a few well-known Greek heroes that, while prevalent in art and music, haven't had as much time to shine as special effects-laden, star-studded blockbusters. Here are a few suggestions:
Theseus:
This guy's life was complicated from the start: His mother fooled around with Poseidon on the same night she consummated her marriage to King Aegeus, so he has two dads. This is great backstory for a brooding actor to delve into. He had a bunch of adventures as a young man, but his big heroic feat was romancing Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos of Crete, so that she'd tell...
Hercules got his own TV show. Perseus had two "Clash of the Titans" movies. "The Odyssey" has a bunch of literal adaptations and "O Brother Where Art Thou," and don't get us started on all of the Pygmalion and Orpheus stories out there. But there are a few well-known Greek heroes that, while prevalent in art and music, haven't had as much time to shine as special effects-laden, star-studded blockbusters. Here are a few suggestions:
Theseus:
This guy's life was complicated from the start: His mother fooled around with Poseidon on the same night she consummated her marriage to King Aegeus, so he has two dads. This is great backstory for a brooding actor to delve into. He had a bunch of adventures as a young man, but his big heroic feat was romancing Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos of Crete, so that she'd tell...
- 4/5/2010
- by MTV Movies Team
- MTV Movies Blog
Katie Stevens gains confidence with help from Miley Cyrus.
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Crystal Bowersox performs on "American Idol" on Tuesday
Photo: Fox
With Tuesday night's (March 23) broad theme of #1 Billboard hits to choose from, "American Idol" contestants had the opportunity to choose the perfect vehicles to establish themselves as artists worthy of making the top 10 — and the lucrative Idols Live! summer tour. But several stumbled anyway, leaving the judges baffled by their wrong or too-easy song choices. Only Crystal Bowersox, Aaron Kelly and Katie Stevens earned praise across the board.
As this week's mentor, Miley Cyrus offered some generic praise and suggestions for the contestants to push themselves a little more. But she did offer some valuable support and advice to a handful of hopefuls.
First up was Lee Dewyze, with "The Letter" by the Box Tops (the group with which the late Alex Chilton, who died last week,...
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Crystal Bowersox performs on "American Idol" on Tuesday
Photo: Fox
With Tuesday night's (March 23) broad theme of #1 Billboard hits to choose from, "American Idol" contestants had the opportunity to choose the perfect vehicles to establish themselves as artists worthy of making the top 10 — and the lucrative Idols Live! summer tour. But several stumbled anyway, leaving the judges baffled by their wrong or too-easy song choices. Only Crystal Bowersox, Aaron Kelly and Katie Stevens earned praise across the board.
As this week's mentor, Miley Cyrus offered some generic praise and suggestions for the contestants to push themselves a little more. But she did offer some valuable support and advice to a handful of hopefuls.
First up was Lee Dewyze, with "The Letter" by the Box Tops (the group with which the late Alex Chilton, who died last week,...
- 3/23/2010
- MTV Music News
Putting aside his personal drama, the former senator is in Port-au-Prince, where he's planning long-term relief efforts.
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss, with reporting by SuChin Pak
John Edwards in Haiti on Friday
Photo: MTV News
On Thursday, the same day former Senator John Edwards publicly admitted that he'd fathered a child in an extramarital affair, the former presidential candidate got to work with the earthquake relief efforts in Haiti. Steadfastly avoiding talk of his personal drama, Edwards spoke to MTV News about what he was doing on the ground in Port-au-Prince.
"I've been to Haiti before, and there's sort of a foundation of chaos to begin with," Edwards said of the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. "They're wonderful people, but they struggle here day to day. Once the earthquake hit, it was like the last punch."
Edwards said he spent much of Friday (January 22) in a pediatric hospital in Port-au-Prince,...
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss, with reporting by SuChin Pak
John Edwards in Haiti on Friday
Photo: MTV News
On Thursday, the same day former Senator John Edwards publicly admitted that he'd fathered a child in an extramarital affair, the former presidential candidate got to work with the earthquake relief efforts in Haiti. Steadfastly avoiding talk of his personal drama, Edwards spoke to MTV News about what he was doing on the ground in Port-au-Prince.
"I've been to Haiti before, and there's sort of a foundation of chaos to begin with," Edwards said of the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. "They're wonderful people, but they struggle here day to day. Once the earthquake hit, it was like the last punch."
Edwards said he spent much of Friday (January 22) in a pediatric hospital in Port-au-Prince,...
- 1/22/2010
- MTV Music News
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
A stunning upset by the underdog! A come-from-behind victory that changes everything we ever thought about dance, art and reality television! And a totally believable attempt by Jennifer Lopez to convince us that she wasn't lip-synching! Absolutely none of these things happened on "So You Think You Can Dance" last night. And I don't think anyone's exactly complaining.
Just about everyone with eyes could have predicted that Jakob and Russell would be the top two dancers since, oh, the first top 20 competition. Ok, I predicted that Jakob would take the title in the end, but Russell's smile always held a magical power — and when he also pulled off some amazing pirouettes, a decent paso doble and showed off a bit of krumping on Tuesday night, he clinched the votes he needed. And I don't think anyone's sorry he did.
Highlights
» Jakob got a hint of what his future may be,...
A stunning upset by the underdog! A come-from-behind victory that changes everything we ever thought about dance, art and reality television! And a totally believable attempt by Jennifer Lopez to convince us that she wasn't lip-synching! Absolutely none of these things happened on "So You Think You Can Dance" last night. And I don't think anyone's exactly complaining.
Just about everyone with eyes could have predicted that Jakob and Russell would be the top two dancers since, oh, the first top 20 competition. Ok, I predicted that Jakob would take the title in the end, but Russell's smile always held a magical power — and when he also pulled off some amazing pirouettes, a decent paso doble and showed off a bit of krumping on Tuesday night, he clinched the votes he needed. And I don't think anyone's sorry he did.
Highlights
» Jakob got a hint of what his future may be,...
- 12/17/2009
- by MTV News
- MTV Newsroom
2009 is coming to a close, which means it's time to look back on some of the best songs, albums, artists and moments that passed through our collective consciousness in the past 365 days. Stay tuned for more insights from the folks here at MTV News (including James Montgomery's list of the 25 best songs of the year), but we begin our 2009 retrospective with the answer to this week's MTV Newsroom poll question: What was the best concert you saw in 2009? Check out what the staff thought below, and let us know what your best live show was in the comments.
Sabrina Rojas Weiss
After missing many chances to see the Beastie Boys in the past two decades, I was super excited to finally see them at All Points West this year. Then McA had to go and get cancer. But as consolation prizes go, Jay-z wasn't too shabby, especially after we'd...
Sabrina Rojas Weiss
After missing many chances to see the Beastie Boys in the past two decades, I was super excited to finally see them at All Points West this year. Then McA had to go and get cancer. But as consolation prizes go, Jay-z wasn't too shabby, especially after we'd...
- 12/9/2009
- by Kyle Anderson
- MTV Newsroom
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Fox, I'm not very happy about the fact that next week is the show's season finale, when there will still be six contestants remaining. That said, I've already chosen my favorite dancer, so maybe America's had enough time to make up its mind too (and a December 23 finale wouldn't be ideal, either). Actually, it's harder to decide who should be in the top six than who should win the title next week. Let's go through my predicted fates for them individually, shall we?
Ashleigh: Going home. Ok, I'm sorry she injured herself this week, but before she tragically dislocated her shoulder, I was ready for her to go home. I am also heartless.
Russell: Top six. Everyone is in love with him. Even Nigel called him "Sunshine" (slightly making up for that atrocity that was his leather-jacket-plus-off-white-shirt-and-tie ensemble). His Santa routine was hilarious, his Shane Sparks...
Fox, I'm not very happy about the fact that next week is the show's season finale, when there will still be six contestants remaining. That said, I've already chosen my favorite dancer, so maybe America's had enough time to make up its mind too (and a December 23 finale wouldn't be ideal, either). Actually, it's harder to decide who should be in the top six than who should win the title next week. Let's go through my predicted fates for them individually, shall we?
Ashleigh: Going home. Ok, I'm sorry she injured herself this week, but before she tragically dislocated her shoulder, I was ready for her to go home. I am also heartless.
Russell: Top six. Everyone is in love with him. Even Nigel called him "Sunshine" (slightly making up for that atrocity that was his leather-jacket-plus-off-white-shirt-and-tie ensemble). His Santa routine was hilarious, his Shane Sparks...
- 12/9/2009
- by MTV News
- MTV Newsroom
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Last night, the sheer amount of dancing that was packed into more than two hours is making my head swim at the prospect of recapping it all. Out of the 20 partner numbers and 10 solos, I'm sure there are plenty of dances that were great, but I'm arbitrarily narrowing it down to the ones that stuck in my head (for better or worse). If your memory differs, share your own recap in the comments below!
For Better
Ellenore and Jakob: I wonder how the others reacted when they saw that these two were paired up this week? Not even the evil quickstep could take them down. Nigel was forced to make up something about Jakob's elbow in order to pretend they weren't perfect. And when they did Sonja's routine, their movement was so musical and expressive and effortless, I kind of feel like "dancing" isn't an adequate word for it.
Last night, the sheer amount of dancing that was packed into more than two hours is making my head swim at the prospect of recapping it all. Out of the 20 partner numbers and 10 solos, I'm sure there are plenty of dances that were great, but I'm arbitrarily narrowing it down to the ones that stuck in my head (for better or worse). If your memory differs, share your own recap in the comments below!
For Better
Ellenore and Jakob: I wonder how the others reacted when they saw that these two were paired up this week? Not even the evil quickstep could take them down. Nigel was forced to make up something about Jakob's elbow in order to pretend they weren't perfect. And when they did Sonja's routine, their movement was so musical and expressive and effortless, I kind of feel like "dancing" isn't an adequate word for it.
- 12/2/2009
- by MTV News
- MTV Newsroom
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
It's got to be a sign of the quality of dancers "So You Think You Can Dance" has amassed in recent seasons that they're no longer judged on how well they execute their steps. Instead, the judges struggle to explain these very intangible criteria: growth, humor, commitment, maturity. It's all so vague, I'm itching to see someone really screw up, fall on their face and drop their partner, just so we have some concrete reason to send them home. Sorry, I'm going to dance-fan hell for that, aren't I? Anyway, here are my own arbitrary categories for last night's episode.
Completely Agreeing With the Judges' Praise For:
Kathryn and Legacy: Once I was able to tear my eyes away from Legacy's bare torso, I noticed that Kathryn was indeed killing it (as Adam Shankman put it). She had fire in her eyes and drama in every movement.
It's got to be a sign of the quality of dancers "So You Think You Can Dance" has amassed in recent seasons that they're no longer judged on how well they execute their steps. Instead, the judges struggle to explain these very intangible criteria: growth, humor, commitment, maturity. It's all so vague, I'm itching to see someone really screw up, fall on their face and drop their partner, just so we have some concrete reason to send them home. Sorry, I'm going to dance-fan hell for that, aren't I? Anyway, here are my own arbitrary categories for last night's episode.
Completely Agreeing With the Judges' Praise For:
Kathryn and Legacy: Once I was able to tear my eyes away from Legacy's bare torso, I noticed that Kathryn was indeed killing it (as Adam Shankman put it). She had fire in her eyes and drama in every movement.
- 11/18/2009
- by MTV News
- MTV Newsroom
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Maybe it was unintentional, but this season of "So You Think You Can Dance" is suddenly more Debbie Downer than "Extreme Makeover." What doesn't America know about you, Karen? "I'm getting a divorce because my husband didn't make it to the top 20." What has been the highlight of being on the show, Phillip? "When my father passed away last week ..." What was the best part about racing lawnmowers, Channing? Oh, never mind. Between the awkward sob stories and two couples' unbelievably bad luck, let's just say Cat Deeley has her work cut out for her as she tries to end every segment on a high note.
Despite getting four dancers out of the way before we were finally able to vote this week, there are still a lot left — too many to recap all of them. So here's my brief assessment of the hot tamales and the ... stale tortilla chips?...
Maybe it was unintentional, but this season of "So You Think You Can Dance" is suddenly more Debbie Downer than "Extreme Makeover." What doesn't America know about you, Karen? "I'm getting a divorce because my husband didn't make it to the top 20." What has been the highlight of being on the show, Phillip? "When my father passed away last week ..." What was the best part about racing lawnmowers, Channing? Oh, never mind. Between the awkward sob stories and two couples' unbelievably bad luck, let's just say Cat Deeley has her work cut out for her as she tries to end every segment on a high note.
Despite getting four dancers out of the way before we were finally able to vote this week, there are still a lot left — too many to recap all of them. So here's my brief assessment of the hot tamales and the ... stale tortilla chips?...
- 11/11/2009
- by MTV News
- MTV Newsroom
The three singers team up for a bilingual funeral in the rain.
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Wisin y Yandel's Juan Luis Morera Luna
Photo: MTV News
Reggaeton duo Wisin y Yandel weren't just content to team up with 50 Cent for "Mujeres in the Club" and Spanish crooner Enrique Iglesias for "Gracias a Tí." For "Imagínate," the first single from their La Revolución re-release, La Evolución, they felt it was only logical to recruit one of the most popular collaborators in the biz, T-Pain.
"After doing the song with 50 Cent, I thought this [collaboration] needed to happen," Wisin explained to MTV News on the set of their video for "Imagínate," which premieres on Monday (November 2). "T-Pain is an artist who's been going at it hard for a while now, and when he does something, he leaves his mark."
"T-Pain is one of our favorite artists, and we support him in everything he does,...
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Wisin y Yandel's Juan Luis Morera Luna
Photo: MTV News
Reggaeton duo Wisin y Yandel weren't just content to team up with 50 Cent for "Mujeres in the Club" and Spanish crooner Enrique Iglesias for "Gracias a Tí." For "Imagínate," the first single from their La Revolución re-release, La Evolución, they felt it was only logical to recruit one of the most popular collaborators in the biz, T-Pain.
"After doing the song with 50 Cent, I thought this [collaboration] needed to happen," Wisin explained to MTV News on the set of their video for "Imagínate," which premieres on Monday (November 2). "T-Pain is an artist who's been going at it hard for a while now, and when he does something, he leaves his mark."
"T-Pain is one of our favorite artists, and we support him in everything he does,...
- 11/2/2009
- MTV Music News
The three singers team up for a bilingual funeral in the rain.
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Wisin y Yandel's Juan Luis Morera Luna
Photo: MTV News
Reggaeton duo Wisin y Yandel weren't just content to team up with 50 Cent for "Mujeres in the Club" and Spanish crooner Enrique Iglesias for "Gracias a Tí." For "Imagínate," the first single from their La Revolución re-release, La Evolución, they felt it was only logical to recruit one of the most popular collaborators in the biz, T-Pain.
"After doing the song with 50 Cent, I thought this [collaboration] needed to happen," Wisin explained to MTV News on the set of their video for "Imagínate," which premieres on Monday (November 2). "T-Pain is an artist who's been going at it hard for a while now, and when he does something, he leaves his mark."
"T-Pain is one of our favorite artists, and we support him in everything he does,...
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Wisin y Yandel's Juan Luis Morera Luna
Photo: MTV News
Reggaeton duo Wisin y Yandel weren't just content to team up with 50 Cent for "Mujeres in the Club" and Spanish crooner Enrique Iglesias for "Gracias a Tí." For "Imagínate," the first single from their La Revolución re-release, La Evolución, they felt it was only logical to recruit one of the most popular collaborators in the biz, T-Pain.
"After doing the song with 50 Cent, I thought this [collaboration] needed to happen," Wisin explained to MTV News on the set of their video for "Imagínate," which premieres on Monday (November 2). "T-Pain is an artist who's been going at it hard for a while now, and when he does something, he leaves his mark."
"T-Pain is one of our favorite artists, and we support him in everything he does,...
- 11/2/2009
- MTV Music News
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Lady Gaga certainly did impress many a fashionista and performance art fan with her multiple outlandish costume changes on the stage of Radio City Music Hall at the MTV Video Music Awards. But less than two weeks later, another singer known for her alien get-ups and dramatic flair took that same stage, and I believe the sold-out crowd for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs show on Wednesday night would agree with me when I say Karen O might have Gaga beat. Something about Karen's wailing vocals — combined with the driving, rock-and-roll thrust produced by drummer Brian Chase and guitarist Nick Zinner — match those bizarre headdresses, vinyl bodices, polka-dotted tentacles and giant spangled necklaces better than a catchy pop tune ever could.
The Brooklyn band's set was much the same (though slightly longer) as their performances earlier this summer at the All Points West festival in New Jersey and at Lollapalooza in August.
Lady Gaga certainly did impress many a fashionista and performance art fan with her multiple outlandish costume changes on the stage of Radio City Music Hall at the MTV Video Music Awards. But less than two weeks later, another singer known for her alien get-ups and dramatic flair took that same stage, and I believe the sold-out crowd for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs show on Wednesday night would agree with me when I say Karen O might have Gaga beat. Something about Karen's wailing vocals — combined with the driving, rock-and-roll thrust produced by drummer Brian Chase and guitarist Nick Zinner — match those bizarre headdresses, vinyl bodices, polka-dotted tentacles and giant spangled necklaces better than a catchy pop tune ever could.
The Brooklyn band's set was much the same (though slightly longer) as their performances earlier this summer at the All Points West festival in New Jersey and at Lollapalooza in August.
- 9/24/2009
- by MTV News
- MTV Newsroom
The writer of the 1990s teen series is happy that vampires are in again.
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
"Vampire Diaries"
Photo: Hodder Children's Books
"The Vampire Diaries" author L.J. Smith is very happy that "another vampire craze" has come along, 18 years after she wrote the story of a human girl caught in a love triangle between two bloodsucking brothers that is now one of the CW's new breakout series.
"I was busy nursing my mom, and I didn't know that they had republished my books until they were telling me that the second one had debuted at #5 on the New York Times Best Seller List," Smith told MTV News from her home in the Bay Area of California. It was then that she became aware of the "Twilight" phenomenon, which she good-naturedly credits with the renewed interest in orphaned high school student Elena, "good" vampire Stefan Salvatore (who abstains from...
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
"Vampire Diaries"
Photo: Hodder Children's Books
"The Vampire Diaries" author L.J. Smith is very happy that "another vampire craze" has come along, 18 years after she wrote the story of a human girl caught in a love triangle between two bloodsucking brothers that is now one of the CW's new breakout series.
"I was busy nursing my mom, and I didn't know that they had republished my books until they were telling me that the second one had debuted at #5 on the New York Times Best Seller List," Smith told MTV News from her home in the Bay Area of California. It was then that she became aware of the "Twilight" phenomenon, which she good-naturedly credits with the renewed interest in orphaned high school student Elena, "good" vampire Stefan Salvatore (who abstains from...
- 9/24/2009
- MTV Music News
CW show's star explains that the series isn't 'married' to the details of L.J. Smith's novels.
By Jocelyn Vena and Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Ian Somerhalder
Photo: MTV News
"The Vampire Diaries" may be based on L.J. Smith's young adult novels from the '90s, but star Ian Somerhalder warns that the show doesn't stay completely faithful to the books. So, it's probably a good thing he hasn't read much of them yet.
"I was actually told not to," he told MTV News. "I think by virtue of the fact that they may be deviating very often from the books and not to be married to whatever was in those books. But now I'm checking it out."
What little he has read, however, has helped the TV vampire find his inner teenage girl. "It's on my bedside table. I feel like a young girl when I wake up," he joked.
By Jocelyn Vena and Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Ian Somerhalder
Photo: MTV News
"The Vampire Diaries" may be based on L.J. Smith's young adult novels from the '90s, but star Ian Somerhalder warns that the show doesn't stay completely faithful to the books. So, it's probably a good thing he hasn't read much of them yet.
"I was actually told not to," he told MTV News. "I think by virtue of the fact that they may be deviating very often from the books and not to be married to whatever was in those books. But now I'm checking it out."
What little he has read, however, has helped the TV vampire find his inner teenage girl. "It's on my bedside table. I feel like a young girl when I wake up," he joked.
- 9/17/2009
- MTV Movie News
Invited to Fox News' 'Hannity' to talk about sex education, the singer wound up defending the Cuban leader.
By Jocelyn Vena and Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Aubrey O'day appears on Fox News' "Hannity" on Monday
Photo: Fox
Aubrey O'Day made an appearance on Monday night on the Fox News show "Hannity," where the former Danity Kane singer eventually found herself in a theoretical conversation about Fidel Castro and Adolf Hitler.
The singer appeared on the show as a guest on Hannity's "Great American Panel," where she was invited to share her opinion on a recent U.N. report on international sex-education guidelines, which recommends that children be taught about masturbation. The Playboy model said she agreed with the recommendation, citing the lack of information on HIV and AIDS she witnessed when visiting places in Africa. O'Day also talked about her experiences through her charity, Fan (Fight AIDS Now...
By Jocelyn Vena and Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Aubrey O'day appears on Fox News' "Hannity" on Monday
Photo: Fox
Aubrey O'Day made an appearance on Monday night on the Fox News show "Hannity," where the former Danity Kane singer eventually found herself in a theoretical conversation about Fidel Castro and Adolf Hitler.
The singer appeared on the show as a guest on Hannity's "Great American Panel," where she was invited to share her opinion on a recent U.N. report on international sex-education guidelines, which recommends that children be taught about masturbation. The Playboy model said she agreed with the recommendation, citing the lack of information on HIV and AIDS she witnessed when visiting places in Africa. O'Day also talked about her experiences through her charity, Fan (Fight AIDS Now...
- 9/1/2009
- MTV Music News
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Did anyone see this one coming? Not until this week, I'm almost certain. For the first half of season five of "So You Think You Can Dance," Jeanine Mason, an 18-year-old contemporary dancer from Florida, was mostly known as the partner of pop-and-locking phenom Phillip Chbeeb. Sure, she's been a lively, funny and strong dancer the whole time — and managed to wow the judges with her hip-hop, tango and jive skills, long before picking her own style more than a month after the season began. That's when, finally, she and partner Jason Glover made jaws drop with a beautiful, sexy performance (complete with lip-lock), choreographed by season-two vet Travis Wall. She showed that she could turn off that quirky, 1,000-watt smile and embody whatever other emotion the dance called for.
Still, it looked like powerful Brandon Bryant or Kayla "White Lightning" "Beautiful Lines" Radomski could do no wrong.
Did anyone see this one coming? Not until this week, I'm almost certain. For the first half of season five of "So You Think You Can Dance," Jeanine Mason, an 18-year-old contemporary dancer from Florida, was mostly known as the partner of pop-and-locking phenom Phillip Chbeeb. Sure, she's been a lively, funny and strong dancer the whole time — and managed to wow the judges with her hip-hop, tango and jive skills, long before picking her own style more than a month after the season began. That's when, finally, she and partner Jason Glover made jaws drop with a beautiful, sexy performance (complete with lip-lock), choreographed by season-two vet Travis Wall. She showed that she could turn off that quirky, 1,000-watt smile and embody whatever other emotion the dance called for.
Still, it looked like powerful Brandon Bryant or Kayla "White Lightning" "Beautiful Lines" Radomski could do no wrong.
- 8/7/2009
- by MTV News
- MTV Newsroom
Jay opens his set with Beasties' classic 'No Sleep Till Brooklyn.'
By Jem Aswad, with additional reporting by Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Jay-z performs at All Points West on Friday
Photo: Rob Loud/FilmMagic
Jay-z, who replaced the Beastie Boys in the All Points West festival lineup after the group's Adam "McA" Yauch was diagnosed with cancer last month, paid tribute to the Beasties and the Mc during his performance at the fest on Friday night.
Jay opened his set with a roaring version of the Beasties' 1986 classic "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" — changing the song's "Beastie Boys at the Garden, cold kickin' it live" line to "Jay-z, All Points West, kickin' it live" — as images of Brooklyn street signs flashed on the video screen above him. Jay, a Brooklyn native like Yauch, then tore into his own "Brooklyn Go Hard."
He later dedicated his entire 80-minute set — which featured tracks from his forthcoming Blueprint 3 LP,...
By Jem Aswad, with additional reporting by Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Jay-z performs at All Points West on Friday
Photo: Rob Loud/FilmMagic
Jay-z, who replaced the Beastie Boys in the All Points West festival lineup after the group's Adam "McA" Yauch was diagnosed with cancer last month, paid tribute to the Beasties and the Mc during his performance at the fest on Friday night.
Jay opened his set with a roaring version of the Beasties' 1986 classic "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" — changing the song's "Beastie Boys at the Garden, cold kickin' it live" line to "Jay-z, All Points West, kickin' it live" — as images of Brooklyn street signs flashed on the video screen above him. Jay, a Brooklyn native like Yauch, then tore into his own "Brooklyn Go Hard."
He later dedicated his entire 80-minute set — which featured tracks from his forthcoming Blueprint 3 LP,...
- 8/1/2009
- MTV Music News
Adam Shankman and 'Sytycd' alum Kherington Payne talk about the actress' guest appearance.
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss, with reporting by Jim Cantiello and Larry Carroll
Katie Holmes
Photo: Soul Brother/ Getty Images
Among the many reasons "So You Think You Can Dance" can count both dancers and couch potatoes among its fans is the way the competition clearly shows its contestants grow from unknown, struggling artists into full-blown stars. But what will happen when the show takes a page from that other network dance competition and puts an A-list actress on the stage? We'll find out Thursday night (July 23), when Katie Holmes performs a song-and-dance tribute to Judy Garland.
Holmes is performing the number, choreographed by her friend and frequent "Sytycd" guest Tyce Diorio, to promote the Dizzy Feet Foundation, a charity co-founded by the show's executive producer Nigel Lythgoe, director/choreographer Adam Shankman and "Dancing With the Stars" judge Carrie Ann Inaba.
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss, with reporting by Jim Cantiello and Larry Carroll
Katie Holmes
Photo: Soul Brother/ Getty Images
Among the many reasons "So You Think You Can Dance" can count both dancers and couch potatoes among its fans is the way the competition clearly shows its contestants grow from unknown, struggling artists into full-blown stars. But what will happen when the show takes a page from that other network dance competition and puts an A-list actress on the stage? We'll find out Thursday night (July 23), when Katie Holmes performs a song-and-dance tribute to Judy Garland.
Holmes is performing the number, choreographed by her friend and frequent "Sytycd" guest Tyce Diorio, to promote the Dizzy Feet Foundation, a charity co-founded by the show's executive producer Nigel Lythgoe, director/choreographer Adam Shankman and "Dancing With the Stars" judge Carrie Ann Inaba.
- 7/23/2009
- MTV Music News
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Usually, by this point in the season of "So You Think You Can Dance," there are at least two very clear favorites and then a few dark-horse dancers waiting in the wings. As far as I can remember, past winners Nick Lazzarini, Joshua Allen, Benji Schwimmer and Sabra Johnson won our hearts immediately with their surprisingly wide range of talent and adorable personalities. But when the top 10 performed this week, I was still absolutely stumped about who will win the title of "America's Favorite Dancer."
On the other hand, I can't be the only one who knew Hawaiian heartthrob Kupono Aweau and perky cutie Randi Evans were not long for this competition. Kupono's looks aside, he just doesn't match up in physical strength (witness the way he struggled through his lifts in this week's paso doble), and as Nigel Lythgoe said a few weeks ago, he...
Usually, by this point in the season of "So You Think You Can Dance," there are at least two very clear favorites and then a few dark-horse dancers waiting in the wings. As far as I can remember, past winners Nick Lazzarini, Joshua Allen, Benji Schwimmer and Sabra Johnson won our hearts immediately with their surprisingly wide range of talent and adorable personalities. But when the top 10 performed this week, I was still absolutely stumped about who will win the title of "America's Favorite Dancer."
On the other hand, I can't be the only one who knew Hawaiian heartthrob Kupono Aweau and perky cutie Randi Evans were not long for this competition. Kupono's looks aside, he just doesn't match up in physical strength (witness the way he struggled through his lifts in this week's paso doble), and as Nigel Lythgoe said a few weeks ago, he...
- 7/17/2009
- by MTV News
- MTV Newsroom
Welcome to the weekly Newsroom Poll, where we will give you a sneak peek into the lives and minds of some of the correspondents, writers, editors and producers here at MTVNews.com. Every week, they’ll answer a poll question that will reveal some of what we talk about behind the scenes here in the newsroom. Enjoy!
The death of Michael Jackson has hit the MTV News staff pretty hard, and will continue to as we sort through the aftermath of last week’s shocking news. It’s been a crazy week for celebrity death, as Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, pitchman Billy Mays and actor Karl Malden have all passed away in the past week.
Dealing with death is always difficult, but the passing of a public person is surreal. How do you deal with the loss of somebody you only knew through a body of work? So we passed...
The death of Michael Jackson has hit the MTV News staff pretty hard, and will continue to as we sort through the aftermath of last week’s shocking news. It’s been a crazy week for celebrity death, as Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, pitchman Billy Mays and actor Karl Malden have all passed away in the past week.
Dealing with death is always difficult, but the passing of a public person is surreal. How do you deal with the loss of somebody you only knew through a body of work? So we passed...
- 7/2/2009
- by MTV News
- MTV Newsroom
The actress will perform on the show on July 23 to celebrate new dance scholarship foundation.
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Katie Holmes
Photo: Soul Brother/ FilmMagic
On Wednesday night's "So You Think You Can Dance" — in between the competition's first-ever ballet performance and its first actually entertaining quickstep — executive producer and judge Nigel Lythgoe came clean about a rumor that's been circulating for weeks: Katie Holmes is, in fact, going to be on the show. More important, he explained why: She is one of the founding members of the brand-new Dizzy Feet Foundation.
Holmes, Lythgoe, director/choreographer Adam Shankman and "Dancing With the Stars" judge Carrie Ann Inaba teamed up to create the foundation, which seeks to provide dance scholarships to underserved and at-risk youth, as well as to create an accreditation program for dance schools nationwide.
To celebrate the new foundation, Holmes will take the "Sytycd" stage on July 23 (the...
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Katie Holmes
Photo: Soul Brother/ FilmMagic
On Wednesday night's "So You Think You Can Dance" — in between the competition's first-ever ballet performance and its first actually entertaining quickstep — executive producer and judge Nigel Lythgoe came clean about a rumor that's been circulating for weeks: Katie Holmes is, in fact, going to be on the show. More important, he explained why: She is one of the founding members of the brand-new Dizzy Feet Foundation.
Holmes, Lythgoe, director/choreographer Adam Shankman and "Dancing With the Stars" judge Carrie Ann Inaba teamed up to create the foundation, which seeks to provide dance scholarships to underserved and at-risk youth, as well as to create an accreditation program for dance schools nationwide.
To celebrate the new foundation, Holmes will take the "Sytycd" stage on July 23 (the...
- 7/2/2009
- MTV Music News
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
While many “American Idol” fans are still reeling from last night’s results, some of us aren’t so concerned with how America voted. Because for us, the more important aspect of the finale show was its spectacle. Rather, its many spectacles.
In the following list of our 10 favorite insane outfits to grace the Nokia Theatre stage, you’ll notice Kris Allen is missing. It takes more than a sweet smile and a black leather jacket to rank #1 here:
1. Adam Lambert attempts to out-glam Kiss. I can’t be the only one to let out a squeal when I saw those metal shoulder pad/wings, accompanied by jeweled eye-liner and jacket that may or may not have been skinned from a crocodile. I wonder how the Middle America vote would’ve gone if he’d worn this on Tuesday night?
2. Kara DioGuardi attempts to out-expose Bikini Girl.
While many “American Idol” fans are still reeling from last night’s results, some of us aren’t so concerned with how America voted. Because for us, the more important aspect of the finale show was its spectacle. Rather, its many spectacles.
In the following list of our 10 favorite insane outfits to grace the Nokia Theatre stage, you’ll notice Kris Allen is missing. It takes more than a sweet smile and a black leather jacket to rank #1 here:
1. Adam Lambert attempts to out-glam Kiss. I can’t be the only one to let out a squeal when I saw those metal shoulder pad/wings, accompanied by jeweled eye-liner and jacket that may or may not have been skinned from a crocodile. I wonder how the Middle America vote would’ve gone if he’d worn this on Tuesday night?
2. Kara DioGuardi attempts to out-expose Bikini Girl.
- 5/21/2009
- by MTV News
- MTV Newsroom
By Sabrina Rojas Weiss
No, the “Kidney Now!” benefit on last night’s “30 Rock” finale wasn’t the first time celebrities have come together to raise awareness or money for a cause. Nor was it the first time “We Are the World” has been parodied. But I’d rank it among my favorite charity-song spoofs, right up there with Jimmy Kimmel’s “I’m F—ing Ben Affleck.”
In case you missed it, the episode featured Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) pulling in as many favors and blackmail victims as he could to create a benefit show aimed at getting someone to give a kidney to the man who may or may not be his father (Alan Alda). This led to the revelations that Clay Aiken is Kenneth’s cousin, Liz Lemon went to school with Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello is really an international art thief, Adam Levine can do a really hilarious Russian accent,...
No, the “Kidney Now!” benefit on last night’s “30 Rock” finale wasn’t the first time celebrities have come together to raise awareness or money for a cause. Nor was it the first time “We Are the World” has been parodied. But I’d rank it among my favorite charity-song spoofs, right up there with Jimmy Kimmel’s “I’m F—ing Ben Affleck.”
In case you missed it, the episode featured Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) pulling in as many favors and blackmail victims as he could to create a benefit show aimed at getting someone to give a kidney to the man who may or may not be his father (Alan Alda). This led to the revelations that Clay Aiken is Kenneth’s cousin, Liz Lemon went to school with Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello is really an international art thief, Adam Levine can do a really hilarious Russian accent,...
- 5/15/2009
- by MTV News
- MTV Newsroom
Singers had a blast participating in season finale's 'Kidney Now!' benefit show.
By Jocelyn Vena and Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Clay Aiken on "30 Rock"
Photo: NBC
Learning that Clay Aiken is the cousin of NBC's most cheerful employee, Kenneth Parcell (Jack McBrayer), was almost as shocking as seeing the rest of the star-studded crowd Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) could coerce into participating in his "Kidney Now!" benefit concert on the season finale of "30 Rock."
In the episode, Aiken and a slew of famous faces, like Mary J. Blige, Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello and Cyndi Lauper, joined in Jack's effort to find a kidney donor for Milton Greene (Alan Alda), the man who may or may not be his father. Aiken says it was an honor to be involved.
" '30 Rock' is not only the funniest show on TV now; it's also the smartest," Aiken told MTV News in a statement.
By Jocelyn Vena and Sabrina Rojas Weiss
Clay Aiken on "30 Rock"
Photo: NBC
Learning that Clay Aiken is the cousin of NBC's most cheerful employee, Kenneth Parcell (Jack McBrayer), was almost as shocking as seeing the rest of the star-studded crowd Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) could coerce into participating in his "Kidney Now!" benefit concert on the season finale of "30 Rock."
In the episode, Aiken and a slew of famous faces, like Mary J. Blige, Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello and Cyndi Lauper, joined in Jack's effort to find a kidney donor for Milton Greene (Alan Alda), the man who may or may not be his father. Aiken says it was an honor to be involved.
" '30 Rock' is not only the funniest show on TV now; it's also the smartest," Aiken told MTV News in a statement.
- 5/15/2009
- MTV Music News
By Eric Ditzian
Haven’t watched the “Lost” season finale? Turn back now because everything that comes next is chock-full of spoilers …
Yesterday, I claimed that I don’t have much to complain about when it comes to “Lost.” But after last night’s two-hour season finale, I’ve got more than a few quibbles. For the first hour and 55 minutes, I was hooked. We learned who Jacob is and the various, nefarious ways in which he’s been manipulating the Losties for decades. We got a satisfying glimpse into the chillaxing oceanside retirement of long-mia lovebirds Rose and Bernard. And there were countless obscure tidbits — the reappearance of Charlie’s Drive Shaft ring, the reenactment of Jack’s terrifying first solo surgery that he told Kate about in the pilot episode — to reward hardcore viewers.
And then those final five minutes. Newly whiney Ben gets to go off on a monologue about being underappreciated?...
Haven’t watched the “Lost” season finale? Turn back now because everything that comes next is chock-full of spoilers …
Yesterday, I claimed that I don’t have much to complain about when it comes to “Lost.” But after last night’s two-hour season finale, I’ve got more than a few quibbles. For the first hour and 55 minutes, I was hooked. We learned who Jacob is and the various, nefarious ways in which he’s been manipulating the Losties for decades. We got a satisfying glimpse into the chillaxing oceanside retirement of long-mia lovebirds Rose and Bernard. And there were countless obscure tidbits — the reappearance of Charlie’s Drive Shaft ring, the reenactment of Jack’s terrifying first solo surgery that he told Kate about in the pilot episode — to reward hardcore viewers.
And then those final five minutes. Newly whiney Ben gets to go off on a monologue about being underappreciated?...
- 5/14/2009
- by MTV News
- MTV Newsroom
By Eric Ditzian
When it comes to “Lost” these days, I don’t complain much. I love the time-travel jazz, I dig on the layered relationships between the characters, I bite my nails during tense plotlines — but I wasn’t always such a grateful viewer. Back in the days of Nikki and Paulo, I was throwing Coke cans at the TV and swearing I’d never watch another episode again. But I kept coming back each week and, since “Lost” introduced the flash-forward plot device at the end of season three, I’ve been almost 100 percent on board with everything happening on and off the island, trusting that the writers won’t let me down.
Still, I have questions heading into tonight’s season-five finale — lots and lots of questions to which I demand answers. Who’s Jacob? What’s going on with those freaky-deaky whispers? Can you alter the past?...
When it comes to “Lost” these days, I don’t complain much. I love the time-travel jazz, I dig on the layered relationships between the characters, I bite my nails during tense plotlines — but I wasn’t always such a grateful viewer. Back in the days of Nikki and Paulo, I was throwing Coke cans at the TV and swearing I’d never watch another episode again. But I kept coming back each week and, since “Lost” introduced the flash-forward plot device at the end of season three, I’ve been almost 100 percent on board with everything happening on and off the island, trusting that the writers won’t let me down.
Still, I have questions heading into tonight’s season-five finale — lots and lots of questions to which I demand answers. Who’s Jacob? What’s going on with those freaky-deaky whispers? Can you alter the past?...
- 5/13/2009
- by MTV News
- MTV Newsroom
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