Taylor Swift's RED goes Triple-Platinum in less than a month

December 11, 2012, 7:11 pm

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The RIAA has handed out its Gold and Platinum album certifications for November, and Taylor Swift's RED earned a 3x Multi-Platinum award in only one month. With the October release of Red, Swift has earned her fastest rise yet to Triple Platinum success. Her career album certifications now surpass 15 million sold across five separate records in the US. Meanwhile, new holiday albums from Scotty McCreery and Blake Shelton, Christmas with Scott McCreery and Cheers It's Christmas, respectively, turned RIAA Gold in November. Merry Christmas, Baby from Rod Stewart also went Platinum in just one month.

November's top RIAA song certification was awarded to Carly Rae Jepsen for going 6x Multi-Platinum with her ubiquitous track, "Call Me Maybe." Another omni-present song, "Gangnam Style" by PSY, made its debut on RIAA's G&P chart in November, certifying Gold, Platinum and Double Platinum. Four other artists earned their first Platinum song download awards in November: Florida Georgia Line for "Cruise," Imagine Dragons for "It's Time," Skrillex for "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites," and The Lumineers for "Ho Hey."
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Admit it how many of you bought the album? What's your favorite song from RED?

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Welcome to the Punch - First Trailer

December 11, 2012, 7:26 pm

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Summary: When a notorious criminal is forced to return to London, it gives a detective one last chance to take down the man he's always been after.

Starring: James McAvoy, Mark Strong, David Morrissey, Andrea Riseborough

I AM SO PUMPED I've been waiting for this trailer since Mark and James got attached. I'm not going to be able to handle them both on the big screen. Also, where the heck is Mark Strong's tag?

Source: trailer | summary

K Stew on Craigy Ferg 12/10

December 11, 2012, 7:32 pm

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Last night, Kristen Stewart hit The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson in support of On The Road, and the interview certainly goes down as one of the silliest to-date.

Source + Youtube

Don't Assume You Know How Retta Rolls

December 11, 2012, 8:00 pm

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A clip from her appearance on Conan



Most flawless person on television, breaks stereotypes in 90 seconds. I lol'd so hard @ the end



Source: http://youtu.be/56OzqxGMr_U

Lambert and PSY on Madonna

December 11, 2012, 8:23 pm

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Adam Lambert excited to sing Madonna track at VH1 DIVAS
VH1 Divas host Adam Lambert spilled some major beans in the office today when pumped for info about the event! Wearing remnants of a Movember ’stache and some serious wrist candy, Adam let slip that he was 'allegedly' chosen by Madonna‘s camp to cover one of her songs for the show. Yup, just like a prayer, Adam’s voice will be taking us there next Sunday.
The 'proud Madonna fan' stopped short of revealing which Madge hit he’ll perform, but Adam did give us the low-down on what tackling a track by that iconic diva means to him. Which Madonna song do you think he’ll glam rock the best?
See video









Psy talks about Madonna
…when asked who the most memorable partner he’s worked with was thus far during his past few months of promotions, Psy responded the legendary Madonna remained the most memorable.

He explained, “Madonna was very fascinating. I went to the performance rehearsal and found Madonna laying on the stage floor. After seeing me, Madonna told me, ‘On stage you can touch me wherever you want.’”

He went on to the laughter of the set, “Since she’s a senior way above me, I did as she wanted!”

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Hart of Dixie 2x11 promo "Old Alabama"

December 11, 2012, 8:23 pm

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Oscarwatch: Campaigning & Predictions

December 11, 2012, 8:24 pm

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We’re a month away from the announcement of the Oscar nominations, and many things happened in the past week or so that affected the current landscape of the race: Zero Dark Thirty came in strong, taking several of the early critics awards for the movie and its director Kathryn Bigelow, Les Miserables proved to be a more divisive movie than the first fawning reactions led us to believe, Argo and Silver Linings Playbook both failed to live up to its early expectations (though the latter remains a strong presence in acting categories), and the much, much hyped as an early frontrunner Lincoln seems on track to repeat the performance of past “important” movies that fail to generate genuine excitement in audiences and just end up feeling like homework: a respectable awards run filled with nominations that just don’t amount to much in the end.

That said, before we get into this week’s predictions, it might be interesting to address something that comes up a lot in the comment section: Campaigning. What is it? Who does it? Is it a product of modern times (spoiler alert: no.)? In short, campaigns are about getting your film to be seen and remembered among the 8 billion screeners that pile up at the end of the year – often, achieving that means holding as many screenings and Q&As as you possibly can, selling a memorable narrative to go along with the film, and getting the most recognizable faces attached to that project (actors and some directors) out there, reinforcing the message for you. So without further ado, let’s start with what the film executives have to say on the matter, move on to some campaigning history, and then hear from an “awards consultant”:

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For Film Executives, Oscars still hold a more personal value than just its monetary possibilities

In a lengthy discussion published a while ago by The Hollywood Reporter, several executives went into further detail on their feelings where Oscar Campaigns are concerned, talking about the effects a nomination can have on the profits of smaller films, what a win personally means to them, and how sometimes Vanity campaigns are run to appease stars who feel deserving of attention, even if their actual chances are non-existent :

THR: How much do awards mean to you?

Katzenberg: When I came to Hollywood, I was 23 years old and from New York. The dream, as a young kid starting out in this business, is to own a house in Malibu Beach and win an Academy Award. (Laughter.) One was the fantasy of, you know, Beach Blanket Bingo or whatever, the good life. That was the representation of what [the late former Paramount owner] Charlie Bluhdorn used to call the "Bank of America award." And the other side of it was the achievement of something great in the eyes of your peers. And the Academy Awards were then and are today -- irrespective of anything else in terms of what they are to the outside world -- for our community, they are the pinnacles of success. That's always the yin-yang that you get so caught up in, which is, "Is this about the way our customers see our business, or is it about the way we see ourselves?"
(…)
THR: Jeffrey, how did you feel in 1999 when Saving Private Ryan lost best picture to Shakespeare in Love? You were running DreamWorks with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen.

Katzenberg: It's very hard. Shakespeare in Love was a wonderful movie, but for me, someone who grew up on movies and remembers seeing Spartacus as a kid on Broadway, Saving Private Ryan is one of the great movies of all time and will stand the test of time. How that happened will always be a mystery to me.

Barker: That's one I'd like to see the vote on. It could have been one vote; we don't know.

THR: Harvey Weinstein changed the game with his campaign for Shakespeare in Love. Did you realize it at the time?

Katzenberg: Most of these executives here have been in business with Steven Spielberg over the years, and one of the things I've always respected enormously about Steven is that there is no such thing as campaigning, even during our DreamWorks phase. It was like: "Forget it. I don't do this. This is not what the Academy is about. I don't believe in it." He forbade us from campaigning. Terry Press, who is as good at this as anybody, was shackled with duct tape over her mouth.

Barker: I personally think it is totally overdone. I'm a little bit on Mr. Spielberg's side. I think you have to spend on an Academy campaign to get the Academy members to see the film, but I don't think they're influenced beyond that.

Katzenberg: Unfortunately, that's not true. I mean, honestly, that's no longer the case.

Gianopulos: It's sort of like campaign reform legislation in the political arena. Unless everybody plays by the rules and agrees to them, it's not going to stop. Rob and I are both members of the board of the Academy, and the Academy has tried to put some lids on what people can do and some of the practices that have gotten out of hand.

Friedman: If it was left unbridled, it would get really bad.

Moore: Some of the spend is political. The pressure comes from the filmmakers and the talent when they start to ratchet things up because they see what someone else is doing and they're saying, "Why aren't you doing the same thing for my movie?"

Langley: To Rob's point, when you do vanity campaigns, you look at it like that.

You can watch the full roundtable here.

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Great Moments in Oscar Campaigning (and Not-So-Great)

From Joan Crawford accepting in a nightgown to John Wayne's call to patriotism and the truth about how Sally Kirkland became an Oscars fixture.

1946

Returning to prominence with the title role in "Mildred Pierce" after nearly a decade of lackluster, largely unsuccessful movies, Joan Crawford hires press agent Henry Rogers to mastermind what might have been the first true Oscar campaign.

Planting items in gossip columns, calling friends at the studios and making sure Crawford was available and cooperative with any reporters who wanted to talk to her, he turned his client into the odds-on favorite by Oscar night -- at which point a terrified Crawford refused to attend the show because, she said, she knew she was going to lose.

Undaunted, Rogers notified the press that his client was in bed with a 104-degree fever, while dispatching a makeup artist and a hairstylist to her house just in case. Crawford won, and Rogers brought the press when he delivered her Oscar after the ceremony.

Said the admiring publicist later, “the photo of her in bed clutching the Oscar pushed all the other winners off the front page.”

1956

The low-key drama "Marty" becomes the first film whose production cost ($340,000) is less than the price of its Oscar campaign ($400,000).

With extensive pre-release screenings to foster word-of-mouth, ads bearing endorsements from the likes of Charlton Heston, Dean Martin and Jane Russell, nonstop personal appearances by the film’s likeable star, Ernest Borgnine, and an unprecedented offer to send a 16-millimeter print of the movie to the home of any Academy member, the film’s promotional blitz nets it four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor.

1961

To support his expensive, flag-waving epic "The Alamo," John Wayne mounts one of the most excessive Oscar campaigns in history, with ad after ad essentially suggesting that it would be unpatriotic not to vote for his film, “the most expensive picture ever made on American soil.”

His campaign results in six nominations -- including one for supporting actor Chill Wills, who proceeds to outstrip his costar with a campaign of unparalleled tastelessness – at fifty-eight, after half a century in film, Wills realized this was his only chance to win the award. Thus, he didn't hesitate to print ads like:“We of The Alamo cast are praying harder than the real Texans prayed for their lives at the Alamo for Chill Wills to win the Oscar.” “Cousin Chill's acting was great,” he wrote, signing, Your Alamo cousin.” Another ad read: “Win, lose, or draw. You're still my cousins and I love you all.”

Comedian Groucho Marx, appalled by Wills's methods, wrote back: “Dear Mr. Wills. I am delighted to be your cousin. But I'm voting for Sal Mineo (nominated for Exodus). Wayne himself didn't approve of Wills's campaign tactics and reproached him in print, which prompted Groucho Marx's comment, “For John Wayne to impugn Chill Wills's taste is tantamount to Jayne Mansfield criticizing Sabrina for too much exposure.”

Wayne blasts Wills, press agent W.S. “Bow-Wow” Wojciechowicz takes the rap, and "The Alamo" wins but a single Oscar, for sound.

1979

A press agent with a penchant for flash, Allan Carr, mounts a campaign designed to turn a three-hour Vietnam film from little-known director Michael Cimino into an Academy favorite, and then use the awards buzz to hype the film’s release.

Carr’s tactics, which include exclusive year-end runs in L.A. and New York, lots of private screenings and a push targeted at critics’ groups, help land "The Deer Hunter" five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director.

Cimino subsequently torpedoes his career with his next film, the expensive disaster "Heaven’s Gate," while Carr goes on to produce the 1989 Oscars, widely derided as the worst ever.

1988

Feverish for Academy recognition after her well-received role in the indie movie Anna, veteran actress Sally Kirkland pulls out all the stops in the most feverish one-woman blitzkrieg campaign the Academy has ever seen.

She hires two press agents, writes personal letters to every single Academy member and gets Shelley Winters to make 150 phone calls to voters. Kirkland lands a nomination but loses to Cher … and 25 years later, she’s still a fixture at Oscar shows.

Sally Kirkland, the moment it was all over:

More, including Melissa Leo, Gangs of New York and Braveheart at The Wrap

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Campaign Managers: The Secrets of an Awards-Season Influencer

Lisa Taback is on a roll.

After years toiling in the trenches of Oscar campaigns, the sought-after awards consultant has in the past two years helped The Weinstein Company secure 29 Oscar nominations and win back-to-back Best Picture Oscars -- the first for "The King’s Speech" and the second for that unlikely winner earlier this year, the black-and-white non-talkie "The Artist."

That track record, plus a reputation for quiet, unrelenting pursuit and savvy strategic moves, has cemented her status as the person to hire if you want to win an Oscar.

“I know no tricks, I know no black magic,” she told TheWrap. “There are no tricks. It’s all about the movies. But if you’re not committed and competitive and thinking in a clever way, you’re not going to succeed.”

Taback is accomplished but not unique; she is one of a near-army of Oscar consultants who have established themselves as key conduits to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, schmoozing, gleaning info, passing intelligence and offering insider advice to movie studios and producers.

“A great consultant is equal parts awards season strategist, media planner, social butterfly, publicist, partisan pit bull, film promoter and hand holder for those who believe their films are truly worthy of the distance,” observed Sony’s Steve Elzer, who has hired many in his time.

“At the end of the day, these people can only do so much in terms of formulating a blueprint to get your film in front of the right eyeballs. Ultimately, the film itself has to shine through and do the heavy lifting,” Elzer told TheWrap.
(…)
Taback has been up close with Harvey Weinstein as he has pioneered Oscar campaigning techniques, from establishing phone banks in the ‘90s (which were subsequently banned) to winning endorsements for his movies from prestigious Academy members like Robert Wise, or from historic figures like Dolores and Carmen Chaplin, Charlie Chaplin’s granddaughters, who spoke out last year on behalf of "The Artist."

A key to that campaign, Taback said, was its focus on the fact that the movie was shot in Los Angeles. “People fell in love with that,” she said.

“I helped for that message to get out there. I look for the story that people need to be know that can be buried in the back of the film.” Another key tactic involved holding back the DVD screener until the last moment -- it arrived in mailboxes the day the ballots were due -- so that AMPAS voters were almost “forced” to see the movie on the big screen, with an audience.
(…)
This year, Taback is thinking hard about David O. Russell’s "Silver Linings Playbook," Paul Thomas Anderson’s "The Master" and Quentin Tarantino’s "Django Unchained," new works from three of this generation’s leading film auteurs. “I’m listening a lot to what they’re saying and how they came to make their films,” she said.

“It’s really different with someone like David Russell or PTA or Quentin. We don’t give them a formula and say, ‘This is what you need to do.’ I’m really involved with them in the process. We do it with them.”

On the whole, Taback has moved away from “the fancy lunches and dinners.” Instead, she said: “Screen, screen, screen. Don’t make your movie feel precious. Make it feel accessible.” And so she is. In recent weeks, she was out late running between a screening of "Silver Linings Playbook" at the Egyptian Theatre and a last-minute LACMA presentation of Anderson’s favorite war movies.

As for Oscar whispering?

Taback says she talks to members of the Motion Picture Academy “a lot less than you would think. Everyone thinks we have a secret stash of Academy members we can convince,” she joked. “We can ask members to watch the film. When they get 80 films, we can say, ‘If you haven’t watched this film, would you watch it? I think you’d appreciate it.’ And that’s the most I’ll say.”

This is an excerpt of the article The Secrets of an Awards-Season Influencer, which can be read in full here

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Predictions
BEST PICTURE Les Misérables Lincoln Zero Dark Thirty Argo Silver Linings Life of Pi The Master Long list: Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Amour, Moonrise Kingdom		BEST DIRECTOR Ben Affleck Argo Kathryn Bigelow Zero Dark Thirty Tom Hooper Les Misérables Steven Spielberg Lincoln David O. Russell Silver Linings Playbook
BEST ACTOR Daniel Day Lewis Lincoln Hugh Jackman Les Miserables Denzel Washington Flight Joaquin Phoenix The Master Bradley Cooper Silver Linings Playbook Long list: John Hawkes (The Sessions), Jean Louis Trintignant (Amour)	BEST ACTRESS Jessica Chastain Zero Dark Thirty Jennifer Lawrence Silver Linings Playbook Marion Cotillard Rust and Bone Quvenzhane Wallis Beasts of the S.W. Emmanuelle Riva Amour Long list: Naomi Watts (The Impossible), Rachel Weisz (The Deep Blue Sea)	BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Philip S Hoffman The Master Tommy Lee Jones Lincoln Robert De Niro Silver Linings Playbook Leonardo DiCaprio Django Unchained Alan Arkin Argo Long list: Matthew McCounaghey (Magic Mike), Eddie Redmayne (Les Mis)	BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Anne Hathaway Les Misérables Sally Field Lincoln Helen Hunt The Sessions Amy Adams The Master Ann Dowd Compliance Long list: Maggie Smith (Best Exotic Hotel Marigold), Samantha Barks (Les Miserables)

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Carly Rae Jepsen and Michael Buble Home For The Holidays

December 11, 2012, 8:48 pm

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Michael Buble's Home For The Holidays aired last night on NBC 


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she's so precious, and i love her voice. 

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RZA Reviews Django Unchained Via Twitter

December 11, 2012, 8:57 pm

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A sign of approval from the RZA is no small feat, and Django Unchained earned his stamp of approval. While general audiences won't be able to officially view Quentin Tarantino's newest film until it opens on Christmas Day, the Wu-god gave an early review, via Twitter.

As a student of Tarantino's cinematic game, RZA loved the flick which stars Jamie Foxx as the title character. He started things off by responding to criticism from his directorial debut, The Man With The Iron Fist, of which he wrote, “We are entitled to our own opinions on whatever subject we choose. Yet without proper understanding of a subject an opinion can be frivolous.”

From there the New York native announced that each of the film's stars—Foxx, Kerry Washington, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo Di Caprio, and Sam Jackson— were all on “their A game.”

Overall, Django has received mostly positive critiques and is said to be a sure-fire choice in the Oscar race.

But there are those who take issue with the slavery plot, but according to the actors attached, its Tarantino's vision that puts Django in its own category. “We knew there was going to be controversy. The question is: What is not a realistic depiction?” DiCaprio said told Vibe magazine. “I would argue that it is. It is Quentin's re-creation; this character doesn't exist. There's nobody that is documented to do what Jamie's character has done at the time. But the documentaries I saw went even further.”














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'The Haunting in Connecticut 2: The Ghosts of Georgia' Official Trailer & Poster

December 11, 2012, 9:12 pm

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The producers of 2009’s The Haunting in Connecticut are set to release a companion film to the chiller entitled: The Haunting in Connecticut 2: The Ghosts of Georgia.

IGN has the exclusive first poster and plot synopsis for the film, which follows the story of a new family facing a whole new house of horrors. The connective tissue between the two projects is the original inspiration for the tales.

Both stories aired as a part of the Discovery series The Haunting, which featured “real life” ghost encounters. The pilot episode became the foundation for The Haunting in Connecticut, while the second ghostly tale has been adapted to become The Haunting in Connecticut 2: The Ghosts of Georgia.

The film is set to open in a limited theatrical release and VOD on February 1st.

A young family is tormented by the horrors of the past in The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia, a chilling new film based on a true story from the producers of The Haunting in Connecticut.

Building on the terror of A Haunting in Connecticut, this horrifying tale traces a young family’s nightmarish descent into a centuries-old Southern hell. When Andy Wyrick (Chad Michael Murray, House of Wax) moves his wife Lisa (Abigail Spencer, TV’s Mad Men) and daughter Heidi to an historic home in Georgia, they quickly discover they are not the house’s only inhabitants. Joined by Lisa’s free-spirited sister, Joyce (Katee Sackhoff, TV’s Battlestar Galactica), the family soon comes face-to-face with a bone-chilling mystery born of a deranged desire…a haunting secret rising from underground and threatening to bring down anyone in its path.

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Gotta love how they changed the title of this from 'The Haunting in Georgia' (which actually made sense) to include Connecticut even though the movies really have no connection and this doesn't take place anywhere near Connecticut...

India sitar maestro Ravi Shankar dies

December 11, 2012, 9:24 pm

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Indian sitar maestro Ravi Shankar has died in a hospital in the US, aged 92.

Shankar was admitted to the Scripps Memorial Hospital in San Diego last week after complaining of breathing difficulties, reports say.

Shankar, who helped bring Indian music to the world, played at Woodstock and the 1967 Monterey Pop festival.

His daughters, sitar player Anoushka Shankar and Grammy award winning singer Norah Jones, are also acclaimed musicians.

Shankar - a three time Grammy winner - and Anoushka had been nominated for the 2013 Grammy awards in the world music category.

Ravi Shankar popularised the sitar - a long-necked Indian lute - and gained widespread international recognition because of his association with George Harrison of The Beatles.

Harrison once called him "the godfather of world music".

Shankar also composed a number of film scores - notably Satyajit Ray's celebrated Apu trilogy (1951-55) and Richard Attenborough's Gandhi (1982) - and collaborated with US composer Philip Glass in Passages in 1990.

In 1999 he was awarded the highest civilian citation in India - the Bharat Ratna, or Jewel of India.

Born into a Bengali family in the ancient Indian city of Varanasi, Ravi Shankar was originally a dancer with his brother's troupe.

He gave up dancing to study the sitar at the age of 18.

For the last years of his life, Ravi Shankar lived in Encinitas, California, with his wife Sukanya.

Source:BBC



Rest well, Ravi. :( I'm so thankful I got to see him and Anoushka perform in Toronto in 2005. One of the most incredible performances I've ever seen. RIP.

Florence Welch Isn't Here For Your Tomfoolery

December 11, 2012, 11:22 pm

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Just call her Florence Welch, friendship healer. The quirky singer drew cheers from her fans during a show in Aberdeen, Scotland, Sunday night after she put her set on pause to break up a brawl in the audience.

Welch, 26, was about halfway through a rousing performance of her hit, "Shake It Out," when she noticed two female fans in the crowd having an argument. She called for her band to stop, and then directly addressed the offending hotheads.

"I can't have a fight in front of me while I'm singing this song! No fighting allowed," she scolded the duo. "I don't know what's happening but I would quite like it to stop. It doesn't matter whose fault it is."

"Excuse me, all of you – stop it," she called out to her fans, who had begun to chuckle nervously. "I'm sorry all of you if you're upset."

One of the quarreling girls appeared to be crying at this point, so the "Cosmic Love" singer then turned concerned.

"Is she OK? Is she going to be alright?" she asked.

Welch then hopped off the stage – barefoot – and gave the girl a hug, insisting that "everyone who's friends, kiss and make up and be good to each other."



The fire-haired singer then climbed back up onto the stage and picked up where she left off.

Longer video:

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ONTD members, if you were in the crowd, then would you tell the people arguing to stop/chill the fuck out?

Brenda ♫ to guest star on 'New Girl'

December 11, 2012, 11:22 pm

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The 24-year-old Suite Life of Zack and Cody star will play a love interest for Winston (Lamorne Morris) on the Fox series, Entertainment Weekly reports.

Daisy (Song) will fall for Winston when he gets knocked back by the attractive Holly - played by previously-announced guest star Brooklyn Decker.

Song's previous credits include a role on ABC drama Scandal and in 2010 film The Social Network.

Nate Corddry (Harry's Law, Studio 60) has also been cast on New Girl as a man who unsettles Jess (Deschanel) with his creepy behavior.

The series continues on Tuesdays on Fox and will return to E4 in early 2013.

YAY ME!

This is my first post, pls be nice to me!!!
Queen Brenda thanks you for ur time. Muah! xoxoxo

KTBS-TV Meteorologist Rhonda Lee Fired For Responding To Racist Viewer Comments On Facebook

December 11, 2012, 11:28 pm

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This is seriously ridiculous and pretty damn racist. Rhonda A. Lee, a meteorologist at KTBS-TV, an ABC affiliate in Shreveport, LA, was fired for (very politely) responding to (inane) Facebook comments about her hair. Let's just hop in because it's infuriating and ugh.

According to Clutch:

On Oct. 1, a viewer identified as Emmitt Vascocu wrote, "the black lady that does the news is a very nice lady.the only thing is she needs to wear a wig or grow some more hair. im not sure if she is a cancer patient. but still its not something myself that i think looks good on tv. what about letting someone a male have waist long hair do the news.what about that (cq)."

Lee replied the same day, "Hello Emmitt–I am the ‘black lady' to which you are referring. I'm sorry you don't like my ethnic hair. And no I don't have cancer. I'm a non-smoking, 5'3, 121 lbs, 25 mile a week running, 37.5 year old woman, and I'm in perfectly healthy physical condition.

"I am very proud of my African-American ancestry which includes my hair. For your edification: traditionally our hair doesn't grow downward. It grows upward. Many Black women use strong straightening agents in order to achieve a more European grade of hair and that is their choice. However in my case I don't find it necessary. I'm very proud of who I am and the standard of beauty I display. Women come in all shapes, sizes, nationalities, and levels of beauty. Showing little girls that being comfortable in the skin and HAIR God gave me is my contribution to society. Little girls (and boys for that matter) need to see that what you look like isn't a reason to not achieve their goals.

Conforming to one standard isn't what being American is about and I hope you can embrace that.

"Thank you for your comment and have a great weekend and thank for watching."

Vascocu replied that Lee was right to be proud of who she is and that he is not a racist, but ". . . this world has . . . certain standerd (cq). if youve come from a world of being poor are you going to dress in rags?. . ."

Subsequent to this interaction — which Lee handled so well that I'm thinking of hiring her for my future PR business, Dealing with Dumbasses, Inc. — she was reprimanded and then fired by station managers. For real. That happened. No, this is not backwards day in crazy town, it's reality in the United States of America, Pop. WE FUCKED.

Of course, KTBS-TV couldn't even demonstrate any rules that Lee was in violation of: "I had a meeting with my ND [news director] and GM [general manager] Friday trying to get my job back," Lee said. "They told me the policy I violated isn't written down, but was mentioned in a newsroom meeting about a month-and-a-half prior. A meeting I didn't attend. So when I asked what rule did I break there isn't anything to point to."


On November 14, a KTBS viewer named Kenny Moreland, whose Facebook profile picture is of The Little Rascals‘ Buckwheat character captioned “Buckwheat Say: O-Tay,” posted the following comment (shown above), on the station’s Facebook page, about KTBS’ annual “Three Minute Smile” contest, which gives winners a 3-minute shopping spree through a local WalMart.

Moreland left a similar comment on the station’s website earlier that same day:

Not measured enough, apparently, because Ms. Lee is gone, while Kenny Moreland’s comment is still there. Rhonda Lee told Journal-isms‘ Richard Price that she was the one who alerted the station to the offensive comment, but rather than take it down, the station took her down:

“I was the one who brought it to their attention after they let it fester on the page for 6 days, but was then chastised for responding at all. I sent a screen grab to my boss via e-mail telling them that I’m ok with the anti-Rhonda commentary sometimes, but what has been posted at the time was . . . racist, and I asked them to please support me in removing the ones that didn’t encourage thoughtful, respectful and civil discourse on our FB page. I never got a reply, only punished. To this day the posts are still there.”

It’s hard to believe that a station would fire someone for such a relatively innocuous response, and the station won’t comment, but Price points out that Rhonda Lee sued one former employer for discrimination. From Journal-isms:

Lee told Journal-isms, “. . . Race has been the issue with me since I started. That much is VERY true. Weather is an older white boy business and arms have been less than open for a young black girl — a polar opposite. As reported I’ve had more problems here in the south than I have anywhere else in my 25+ years in the business. Perhaps there is a pattern, but I am a glutton for punishment (ha, ha), and I want what I deserve as any professional would so if I have to fight for it I will.”

It appears the station is more comfortable with racism than they are with a meteorologist who is (politely) not comfortable with it, just as some Americans see more of a problem with people talking about racism than with the racism itself.
Edit: The station just put up an official response on their Facebook.




Source 1 and 2
Yeah okay. Fire her without warning over a non-existent policy that isn't written down anywhere and leave those shitty comments up on Facebook. I can't. Furthermore, the station even "liked" the racist comments on Facebook.

Demetria sounds off on the X Factor semi-finalists

December 12, 2012, 12:15 am

≫ Next: Harry Styles started dating Taylor Swift before Conor Kennedy, so was he a brief distraction?

≪ Previous: KTBS-TV Meteorologist Rhonda Lee Fired For Responding To Racist Viewer Comments On Facebook

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The second season of The X Factor is down to the final four acts, all vying for the top prize, a $5 million recording contract.

Judge Simon Cowell, who has been the mentor of the Group category, has two of the four: Emblem3, a trio of guys from Huntington Beach, Calif.; and Fifth Harmony, a girl group Cowell created at the start of the show.

Judge Britney Spears has one Teen act left: pint-sized powerhouse Carly Rose Sonenclar.

And judge L.A. Reid has one Over 25 act left: country crooner Tate Stevens.

Demi Lovato, who was the judge/mentor of the Young Adult group and who hasn't been afraid to take on Cowell whenever she felt like it, has seen all of her acts exit the show. So we turned to her for an impartial assessment of the singers who are still standing.




Tate Stevens:

His story: He's 37, from Raymore, Mo., and his real name is Stephen Eatinger. Fans love that he's married to his high school sweetheart.

Biggest strength?"Not only is he really talented as a country artist, a lot of the people watching the show and voting are people that are older. It's America," says Lovato. "Everybody loves a good country artist who really embraces what we're all about."

Biggest weakness?"Sometimes he can get a little dull, a little boring. I've seen him perform really well. It's a matter of turning it on and off."

Chances of being signed to a recording contract anyway?"It's a done deal. He definitely will get signed."

One thing he needs to do to win it all?"Just to not get comfortable with his performances. He is one of the best things on the show, but at the same time everything counts. One bad performance can send you home."



Carly Rose Sonenclar Sonenblurgh

Her story: The 13-year-old singing powerhouse was born in New York City and lives in Mamaroneck, NY. Person she seems closest to in the world is her older brother, Russell.

Biggest strength?"Her biggest strength is her voice," says Lovato. "She's like this freak of nature."

Biggest weakness? "A part of me feels like she's really serious all the time and she always sings these slow songs. I love watching someone that's going to get my energy up. And she's incredible, yes, but it's definitely hard watching her sometimes. I think she's pretty emotional for 13 and I don't know how much she wants to be here. I don't see the drive I see in some of the other contestants' eyes." Lovato says she would "like to see her act like she's having fun."

Chances of being signed to a recording contract anyway?"I think that probably the Disney/Nickelodeon world will try to snatch her up. I think that's obviously a given. Same with Diamond (White, who was sent packing last week). They have careers ahead of them, so they shouldn't worry."

One thing she needs to do to win it all?"With Carly, she's going to have to decide if she's taking the serious route or maybe go the more fun route. Sometimes it's hard to be singing about love at a very young age. Maybe she'll just have to wait until she's older to give it a shot."




Emblem3

Their story: Drew Chadwick, 20; Keaton Stromberg, 16, and his brother, Wesley Stromberg, 18, grew up in Sequim, Wash. They've been singing since they were in diapers.

Biggest strength?"Their biggest strength is their charm," says Lovato. "They're very, very charming boys. They're very cute. They've got the whole surfer boy thing going on. There's a lot of boy bands, yes, but there aren't any that I feel have really, really strong vocals and a unique quality to them."

Biggest weakness?"The thing is, they're not doing what we saw in this very first audition. It was an original song of theirs that I got stuck in my head. Now it's a little uncomfortable because they've become so manufactured. It looked like they were having so much fun. If Simon takes away their originality, it won't work."

Chances of being signed to a recording contract anyway?"They'll be fine after this, whether they win or not. It's guaranteed, the top four will go on."

One thing this act needs to do to win it all?"Staying true to yourself is the biggest advice I can offer to those guys. It's really easy to get taken down a path that you think is best for yourself when you have a lot of people telling you what it is."




Fifth Harmony

Their story: Dinah Jane Hansen (15, Santa Ana, Calif.), Lauren Jauregui (16, Miami), Ally Brooke (19, San Antonio), Normani Hamilton (16, Houston) and Camila Cabello (15, Miami) came together at the end of the X Factor boot camp to form the group that was initially called Lylas and then renamed to 1432 before settling on Fifth Harmony.

Biggest strength?"I am still very skeptical about them," says Lovato. "There's something about them that doesn't always click when you look at them on stage. They're probably really close and great friends. But professionally they should have been smaller or some of the girls should have gone solo. I don't look at them and say they're going to be the next Spice Girls or they have what Destiny's Child child had."

Biggest weakness?"Sometimes visually it gets thrown off because the stylists don't always have it look right. Being a performer, you have to get everything right. If you're doing a girl group you don't have to have them matching, but when you have one tall one wearing jeans and the rest of them wearing dresses, it looks awkward. They have to be able to nail that and figure out their chemistry. Some of them are lacking in the vocal department."

Chances of being signed to a recording contract anyway?"They're really cute girls. I think the tween market will love them. They'll have a good career. It will be interesting to see how far they can take the girl group thing before going solo."

One thing this act needs to do to win it all?"If they did, I'd be really surprised."

Who will win? Without hesitation, Lovato says, "Tate Stevens!"

oh @ her wrong opinions on 5h & e3..........also, carly will win.

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Harry Styles started dating Taylor Swift before Conor Kennedy, so was he a brief distraction?

December 12, 2012, 6:24 pm

≫ Next: Britney Spears Number One On Top-Earning Women In Music 2012 List

≪ Previous: Demetria sounds off on the X Factor semi-finalists

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When the news that Harry Styles and Taylor Swift are dating shagging faking a relationship doing something together first broke, there was speculation that Tay couldn't possibly be over her ex Conor Kennedy.

In fact, it was suggested that she was simply using the hairy boyband singer (told you we loved that nickname) to make him jealous.

Well, that theory may need a bit of a rethink - because new evidence has come to light that suggests Conor may have been but a brief speedbump - a minor distraction, if you will - on the Haylor road.


Because apparently, Harreh and Tay Swizzle first started dating back in March of this year, before she fell for Conor.

"They had a couple of dates back when they met, but the timing wasn't right," an insider told Look magazine. "They were busy with work, then Taylor met Conor Kennedy and fell hard for him. But she and Harry stayed in touch throughout the summer."

As we all know, Taylor dated C-Kendz for just three months before their romance fizzled out - and according to sourcey-pants, it wasn't long before Harry was back in touch with the 'Trouble' singer.

"As soon as Harry found out Taylor was single again, he went after her," said the source. "Dating has always been a bit of a cat and mouse game for him, and he's never really had a girl say no to him before."

Sorry, we'd just like to interrupt here to pose a very important question. Who is the cat and who is the mouse in this scenario? Hmm? Mull that one over while we continue.

"When Taylor started dating Conor so soon after their dates, it made Harry realize how much he likes her. Both he and Taylor are very easy-going people and they have incredible chemistry," added the insider.

"They have loads in common and talk about music endlessly - Harry thinks Taylor's music is brilliant and has been asking for songwriting tips. Plus they both love Scrabble."

SAY WHAAA? Scrabble? Ah yes we imagine that's why Harreh was looking so pleased with himself when he left Tay's hotel room in New York last week - he'd managed to nab two triple word scores.

"Harry's a combination of the best part of her exes," the source continued. "He has the charm of John Mayer, the sensitivity of Jake Gyllenhaal and the boyish good looks of Conor."

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Britney Spears Number One On Top-Earning Women In Music 2012 List

December 12, 2012, 6:25 pm

≫ Next: Selena Gomez and friends dance to "I Knew You Were Trouble"

≪ Previous: Harry Styles started dating Taylor Swift before Conor Kennedy, so was he a brief distraction?

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Britney Spears earned over $50 million in 2010—$64 million, to be exact. This year, she might describe her financial gains with the words to one of her best-known songs: "Oops! I did it again."

The 31-year-old pop star pulled in $58 million over the past year, more than any other woman in the music industry. Her latest album, Femme Fatale, was certified platinum in the U.S. and the ensuing tour accounted for the bulk of her bucks. Endorsements and a fragrance line with Elizabeth Arden added millions more to her coffers. Not too bad, considering Spears' troubles just a few years ago.


"I think people love the comeback story—Britney never really finished her run as a superstar," says marketing guru Steve Stoute, author of The Tanning of America. Adds music attorney Lori Landew, who helped sign Spears to her first record deal as a teenager: "Britney has an electricity that connects with audiences on screen and off, and it is that intangible quality that always seems to leave her fans, old and new, breathless."



Spears barely edged No. 2 Taylor Swift, who earned $57 million. Like this year's cash queen, the country-crossover star boosted her take heavily on the road, grossing over $1 million per night. She also earns big from endorsements with the likes of CoverGirl and Sony, and there's more cash on the way: her latest album, Red, moved 1.2 million units its opening week this fall, the best debut by any artist since 2002.

Rihanna ranks third with $53 million. In addition to a heavy touring schedule and an impressive string of hits including "Diamonds" and "We Found Love," she cashes in on endorsements with Vita Coco and Nivea, as well as fragrance Reb'l Fleur. No. 4 Lady Gaga follows closely with $52 million, also boosted by touring, record sales and her new perfume, Fame.

Katy Perry rounds out the top five with $45 million. The California Gurl continues to garner considerable airplay—she's the only musician besides Michael Jackson to have five No. 1 singles from the same album—and her California Dreams Tour grossed nearly $60 million.

"What all these girls have in common is that they have smashes under their belts," says Stoute. "Gaga … she's a pop culture icon because of her sensibilities … I think Rihanna has found the very thin space of being the alter ego of the good girl … [along with Katy Perry], they've completely dominated the charts in the past three years."

To form our list, we looked at income from record sales, touring, endorsements, merchandise sales and other ventures. The figures represent earnings from May 2011 to May 2012, before subtracting management fees, legal costs and taxes (which together can eat up the bulk of a big payday). The totals were compiled with the help of data from Pollstar, RIAA and others, in addition to interviews with managers, lawyers and concert promoters.


Of the industry's top female earners, only eight rank among the world's 25 highest-paid musicians. Part of the reason: women often take time off from showbiz careers when starting a family. And, says Landew, they're judged more harshly than their male peers as they grow older.

"It becomes increasingly challenging when artists get beyond a certain age to keep appealing to new audiences even if they hold on to their loyal fans," she says. "This is especially true for women who often find that opportunities for cross-marketing shrink as they age."

Still, older stars such as Madonna made the list; she earned $30 million despite the fact that none of the dates from her new tour fell into our scoring period. New mom Beyoncé also claimed a spot with $40 million; she'll earn even more next year when her $50 million deal with Pepsi kicks in.

Who's next? Nicki Minaj, the only lady on our Hip-Hop Cash Kings list, narrowly missed the top ten. She could join the ranks next year, as could fellow American Idol judge Mariah Carey. So could someone even younger. Says Stoute: "Don't be surprised if you see Willow Smith."

Indeed, starting young has its financial benefits, and one need look no further than this year's cash queen.

Source

Selena Gomez and friends dance to "I Knew You Were Trouble"

December 12, 2012, 6:25 pm

≫ Next: Lindsay Lohan Unfollows The Wanted's Max George After He Called Her a Groupie

≪ Previous: Britney Spears Number One On Top-Earning Women In Music 2012 List

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Lindsay Lohan Unfollows The Wanted's Max George After He Called Her a Groupie

December 12, 2012, 6:32 pm

≫ Next: The Hobbit’s Martin Freeman on dwarves, Gollum and Leonard Nimoy

≪ Previous: Selena Gomez and friends dance to "I Knew You Were Trouble"

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After following The Wanted for several days, Lindsay Lohan now seems to distance herself from the boyband as she's no longer following Max George on Twitter. Her move comes hot on heels of a new interview done by her crush, during which he called her a "groupie." 
 
 


Max made such comment about LiLo when asked by ITN reporter backstage at Capital FM's Jingle Bell Ball if he's dating LiLo. "No, what's the right word for her? A yeah, a groupie!" he answered, to which his fellow bandmate jokingly added, "She is probably hiding in our suitcase right now!" 

Lindsay Lohan has been labeled as The Wanted's groupie by the media since she hopped on their tour bus. She didn't seem to object it though and continued to follow them in their tour. It was apparently a different story when the labeling came straight from Max himself. 

Regardless of the rumor that she's mad at Max over his "groupie" comment, the troubled actress still follows three other members of the British boyband, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness and Nathan Sykes. She also tweets, "I heart the UK." 

Before she unfollowed 24-year-old Max, the 26-year-old redhead re-tweeted his message that read, "Back in England!!!!:)... Can I make it to the ball tonight... #lawson." She also posted a picture of his hoodie, "Missing something? @MaxTheWanted." 

The Wanted are back to their home country after touring the U.S., while LiLo stays Stateside. She's facing numerous legal woes including misdemeanor charges stemming from a car accident last summer after she's suspected of giving false information to cops.




SOURCE

The Hobbit’s Martin Freeman on dwarves, Gollum and Leonard Nimoy

December 12, 2012, 6:54 pm

≫ Next: Benedict Cumberbatch: I’m Not Playing Khan In Star Trek Into Darkness

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Martin Freeman had some hairy prosthetic feet to fill as Bilbo in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit, but the acclaimed actor was up to the challenge. We sat down in an exclusive interview and quizzed Freeman about filming the much-anticipated trilogy, his life in Middle-Earth, and, most importantly, his thoughts on Leonard's Nimoy's classic song "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins." Read our full interview with the Shire's best burglar now.

How did Peter Jackson direct you to handle the ring?

Martin Freeman: With curiosity, I think. That was what we kind of went for. When I first see it, when it drops out of Gollum's pouch in the goblin tunnels, to just literally notice it and go "oh." It's just a flash of color in this dark place. A flash of gold. And as I get closer just to have curiosity and not to imbue it with a great kind of force or a sense of epic-ness. Like a trinket. Then there's something magpie-ish about Bilbo and he thinks, oh I'll have that that might come in handy. But there's no sense of a semi religious import.

Which is interesting because LOTR was first and they spent most of the film building up the ring's reputation. Are there just a bunch of rings tossed about on set?

They have a few, yeah they have a few. I'm afraid I don't have a very pragmatic or unromantic view of props. I don't imbue them with any great sense of mystery or anything. It's a lovely ring, they're all lovely rings. I don't really think it's the ring of power.

In the press conference you mentioned while you were reading [the script] you couldn't help but read it from Bilbo's point of view. What sort of things did you notice that maybe the casual reader wouldn't have picked up on that you added to your character?

I don't know what other people noticed or not, but the things I liked about him and it, and the things that struck me were… well, very obviously was [Bilbo] having a last second realization that if he doesn't go on this trip this ship will never dock again. And this is the last opportunity. This is the only opportunity for a trip like this. Having a departure from his life. I love that bit in the film actually, and that was a second unit shot. That was a circus shot where Bilbo comes downstairs and he's checking to see if all the dwarves have gone, and they've gone and he's fucking delighted. He's so glad he's got them out of the house. And then there's the realization that "fuck, they're gone." He's got what he wanted, and it's not what he wanted. Because then the house feels very empty and very quiet. And all that possibility, all that excitement has left. I like the fact that he bolts out the door. That was one of the things that struck me while reading and with watching it. We shot that a long time ago, as you can imagine. So watching it, I think, is a very strong image.

And that's the first turning point for the character. But you shot a major turning point for Bilbo first. What was that like shooting the scene with Andy Serkis as Gollum the first week on set? Dealing with someone who has been doing Gollum for a long time and trying to understand and develop your character in this massive moment?

Yeah I suppose that is always one of the potential pitfalls of shooting out of sequence, which most things are. Then it's about your own preparation, which is making sure you're as prepared as you can be intellectually for where you are in the play. Even though you can't be viscerally prepared for it, because you haven't done anything else. You can only know in your head, you can't have the knowledge of a memory "well when I did that it was like that." You can only think when Bilbo is here, he must have been through X,Y and Zed. And he's about to go through this… so he'll be about here. And that's just about, we'll I'll have a punt at this then. That's where choice comes into it, I'll try this way, I'll try that way. That's as much for me, and for Pete. I'm quite self-critical, where that comes from of trying things out is not just because I like showing off. It's because I haven't got there yet. I'm very rarely satisfied with where I've got to anyway, so I'm constantly thinking, "well, if that's not it then why don't I try this."

What did you discover after shooting the Gollum meets Bilbo scene [straight through with minimal cuts] for a whole week?

I just think there was just was a character. I think that's how it changed, I went from not having one… The difference was at the end of that, I had something now. And it was a great scene to do because it required reaction. So it was very helpful, actually. It was a good scene. On one hand it was jumping into the deep end. But that's the only place you can go in.

It doesn't feel cheated. It's weird. All that cave, there was a lot that was real. We were shooting in a place that was physically there. And a big lake! Beyond from where we were standing it was a a panorama of green. But from our stage it was a lot of rock. It felt real. Andy feels real. Obviously he doesn't look like Gollum, strictly speaking, but he's being Gollum. And I'm an animal of the theater and you're used to using your imagination. You don't have to use your imagination that much when you hear that voice and see the physicality you think oh, "there's Gollum, there's a man or a creature that wants to eat me." It didn't feel very cheated at all. Gollum is such a beloved character. There's a special place in people's hearts for Gollum I think. People who love the books and the films are delighted he's in this, I think.

Is there a particular dwarf you had chemistry with that changed your relationship in the movie?

Well I suppose the dwarf I spend the most time with is Thorin. Over the course of the whole thing there are some really nice scenes between Bilbo and Thorin. And of course because Bilbo sees him go through all of these emotions that has a bit of an effect with Bilbo. I really enjoyed the scene where I'm about to go back to Rivendell and James Nesbitt stops me as Bofur. And they have a little thing just before they fall into the goblin tunnels. Where he sees in Bilbo, "yeah, fair enough, you should go, we love you, but if you feel you have to go, you should go." I love those tender moments. Because Bilbo sees Dwarves as uncouth, dirty inbreds probably at the beginning of the movie. So any moment where they show some humanity for Bilbo is a really nice thing.

It's easy to root for the anti-hero or a great heroic character, but he's not really that. He struggles. He's awkward, good for a laugh but how do you make people cheer for him?

I guess that's a combination of me and Pete and everybody, and Tolkien. I think you just have to show humanity. A lot of it is the way you look at people and the way you listen to people (character) and the way you talk to them. You know that he's actually receiving by the way Bilbo responds. I think when see you a character on the screen who is actually being touched by the world, and the stuff is actually landing on him, it makes you empathize. I was never interested, nor was Pete, with building a caricature or cartoon English gentleman. Everything being awkward I'm not interested in the in the least. I fine that deeply, deeply tedious. It has to be human.

There is a lot of fun Hobbit memorabilia and things in the fandom, did you perchance listen to Leonard Nimoy's "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins?"

Yeah a long time ago, I'm still baffled by it.

Did it help you prepare for the character at all?

No it didn't. [Laughs] It helped me enjoy that three minutes of listening to it.

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