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AP – The Rev. Jesse Jackson is entering the fray over The Recording Academy’s cuts to its Grammy categories: He’s asking to meet with the president of the organization and has raised the possibility of protests with the awards a little less than two weeks away.
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AP – Mamma Mia, here they go again.
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AP – Chris Isaak is returning to the roots of rock ‘n’ roll and doing it old-school: All in one take. -
AP – Tim McGraw’s long-delayed album “Emotional Traffic” has the attention of Music Row this week as it finally hits the streets. -
AP – Anyone who ever doubted the transformative power of Bob Dylan’s music need only look to Ke$ha. -
Cortez Shaw, Kristine Osorio and Skylar Laine also make an impression on the judges during Texas auditions.
By Adam Graham
Ramiro Garcia auditions on “American Idol” Thursday
Photo: Michael Becker / FOXThe “American Idol” judges have mostly seen eye-to-eye (to eye) so far this season, with the majority of contestants being passed through to Hollywood or sent back home by unanimous vote. But on Thursday’s (January 26) episode, we saw several disagreements between the judges, with Jennifer Lopez giving singers a passing grade while Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson flunked them. It was implied but not explicitly spelled out that the boys were voting on looks more than voices, angering Lopez to the point where she mock-stabbed Tyler in the head with a pen.
The dissension continued with contestant Linda Williams, whose version of Alicia Keys’ “Fallin’ ” seemed shaky, though it was good enough — or her looks were — to earn “yes” votes from Tyler and Jackson.
“Wake up! Honestly, I feel like somebody slipped you something,” Lopez told Jackson, as she could sense which way he was leaning. It wasn’t enough to dissuade the Dawg, and after Williams was passed through to Hollywood, Lopez moaned to her fellow judges, “That was awful. That was awful!” Let the drama begin!
The latest episode did its best to ramp up the drama factor, taking a detour from the happy-go-lucky vibe that has purveyed over the first four episodes of the season. Even though the Galveston, Texas, auditions gave out 54 Golden Tickets — more than any other audition city so far this season — the show highlighted fewer of those winners than any other episode, instead introducing viewers to oddballs and wannabes, in keeping with years past. Is this the producers’ way of reacting to the show’s slipping ratings?
The night’s warmest story belonged to 28-year-old Ramiro Garcia, a worship leader in Houston who was born without ears and was told he would grow up mute. After several surgeries, doctors discovered his ear canal ,and he taught himself to not only speak but to sing. His husky, smoky version of “Amazing Grace” was a standout. Tyler told him, “I like your insides” — a weird compliment, to be sure, but it was enough to give Garcia a pass through to Hollywood.
Another standout was 20-year-old Cortez Shaw of Garland, Texas, who put a warm R&B twist on Adele’s “Someone Like You” and instantly won the favor of the judges, who implied they’d heard far too many botched versions of 2011’s #1 sob song. Shaw said he grew up bouncing between his friends’ homes while his single mother struggled with homelessness, but he put a positive spin on everything and came out ahead. And he’s not lacking for confidence: “I’m gonna win ‘American Idol,’ ” he said after earning his Golden Ticket to Hollywood. “OH MY GOD!”
Kristine Osorio also sang an Adele song — “One and Only” — and equally wowed the judges. The 28-year-old mother of three from Amarillo, Texas, was praised by Tyler for her upper register, and her slick hairdo and tattooed upper body give her a strong, unique look.
Also graduating through to Hollywood were 17-year-old Skylar Laine from Brandon, Mississippi, a deer-killin’, ATV-ridin’ country gal who was more than convincing singing Pistol Annies’ “Hell on Heels,” and Baylie Brown, a 21-year-old who made it through to Hollywood back in season six and return this year on the strength of her country-fried rendition of Bon Jovi’s “Bed of Roses.”
“American Idol” is back Wednesday to put a bird on it with a trip to Portland, Oregon.
What did you think of Thursday’s “American Idol”? Let us know in the comments!
Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page, where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
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‘He still cares about her and wants the best for her,’ a source tells People following Moore’s hospitalization.
By Kara Warner
Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore
Photo: Getty ImagesIn the days following Demi Moore’s surprising hospitalization Monday night, the details that have emerged are even more perplexing, particularly the latest reports that Moore was inhaling nitrous oxide from aerosol cans, also known as whip-its, the night the 911 call was placed from her home in Los Angeles.
And although Moore has been released from the hospital, People magazine reports that the actress’ health scare has her soon-to-be ex-husband Ashton Kutcher very worried about his wife of six years.
“Ashton is deeply concerned for Demi,” a source told the magazine. “He still cares about her and wants the best for her. But their marriage is ending and they are both moving on with their lives.”
Check out photos of Demi and Ashton in happier times.
Kutcher has yet to make any official statement about Moore, nor has he expressed anything about the matter via his frequently updated Twitter account. The “Two and a Half Men” star was out of the country working on an ad campaign when news of Moore’s hospitalization broke. He is reportedly back in L.A. to return to work on “Men.”
The theories about why Moore turned to nitrous oxide in the first place all relate back to her very public and emotional split from Kutcher back in November, when Moore announced the breakup with “sadness and a heavy heart” after months of not-so-quiet rumblings that her husband had been unfaithful.
Demi Moore’s hospitalization caps a rough patch for the actress.
Friends have said that shortly after her split with Kutcher, the 49-year-old began to have trouble sleeping and developed a severe problem with prescription drugs.
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Celebrity mom Kimora Lee Simmons and other experts discuss balancing motherhood and business.
By Jocelyn Vena
Beyoncé and Jay-Z
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImageNow that Beyoncé has added a new job to her résumé — mom — there’s a slew of potential new projects the pop-star mogul might add to her ever-growing empire. Gwen Stefani, Madonna and Victoria Beckham are just a sampling of pop stars who have managed to write a whole new chapter into their careers thanks to motherhood.
These celebs have expanded their personal brands to include children’s clothing lines, books, songs and movies and have even revitalized themselves in their image as super-glam supermoms. As Beyoncé looks to the future and her role as Blue Ivy’s mama, mommy mogul Kimora Lee Simmons and Christopher Gavigan, who works with Jessica Alba on her Honest brand, talked to MTV News about the balance between parenthood and the business world.
“I always tell people I’m not the glamorous Hollywood mom,” said Simmons, who continues to expand her own fashion brand to include the Shinto Clinical skin-care line. “I’m not the kind of celebrity that lives in the spotlight. I’m famous from work that I do. I’ve always been in the business and raised my family in the business so it’s like a second nature for me. I think that’s the key is striking a balance. For me it’s always about prioritizing.”
What’s Simmons’ advice for new celeb moms looking to follow her lead? “I think it’s about choosing what you want and going after that. Do the best you can, but you don’t have to be Superwoman.”
And Simmons isn’t the only Hollywood A-lister trying to do it all. Alba launched Honest with Gavigan to give moms a place to find eco-friendly products for their babies. “Jessica is like every other mom. Every other mom is a major multi-tasker,” Gavigan said of working with the star. “Jessica was very in line with everyone, the average mom and dad out there.”
“Find what you’re passionate about and go do that,” he advised to any future mom moguls. “You articulate that in a brand or in a way you feel from a business perspective that you feel you get your focus articulated in some meaningful or special way. A lot of it is partnerships and leveraging the greatest assets of each other.”
With all that advice in mind, some celebrity experts weighed in on what B just might do now that she is a mom. “I think it’s going to come very naturally for Beyoncé to emerge as this celebrity mom, just given all the current existing brand extensions she has,” said David Caplan, who has worked at Star and People magazines. “Having a child will give her legitimacy, obviously, to the moms, and clearly there’s lots and lots of money to be had there. So, I think you will see her lend her hand in the baby arena, whether it’s her brand extensions intentionally or just emerging as some sort of Hollywood celebrity mom icon, which happens sometimes with these celebrity mothers.
“Whether it’s intentional or not, I think she’s definitely going to emerge as a celebrity mother icon,” he continued. “And I’m sure she’ll take advantage of that and invest in her brand.”
A suggestion from another expert fits right in line with the first move her hubby, Jay-Z, made when he dropped his track “Glory” just says after Blue’s birth, which features his baby girl.
“I think that this is a woman that has tried terribly hard to keep her private life private,” HuffPost celebrity columnist Rob Shuter said. “I think it’ll be the same with her baby. I can’t imagine her doing a Bethenny Frankel move.”How do you think motherhood will affect Beyoncé’s career? Share your thoughts below!
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MTV News speculates on which Marvel Comics baddie will be joining forces with Loki when ‘Marvel’s The Avengers’ assembles this summer.
By Josh Wigler
Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Hemsworth in “The Avengers”
Photo: Paramount“Marvel’s The Avengers” promises to pit Earth’s Mightiest Heroes — Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, in case you’ve somehow forgotten — against the trickster god Loki, as well as another nemesis that remains unidentified. Popular theories have long pegged the Skrulls, Marvel’s shape-shifting alien menace, as the likeliest group to join forces with the disenfranchised Asgardian prince. Many fans are also expecting to see another possible foe, “Captain America” villain Red Skull, based on his inclusion in an upcoming “Avengers” action figure line.
But leave it to Kevin Feige, head of Marvel Studios, to bust both rumors. Speaking with Empire magazine last week, he revealed that the still-unknown secondary baddies are “not Skrulls.” Additionally, while it would be nice to see Hugo Weaving’s villainous visage at some point down the line, “he’s not in this one.”
So, no Skrulls. No Red Skull. It’s Loki, and it’s … someone or something else. But who or what?
Feige promised that while Marvel wants to hide the identity of “the alien race” that’s confronting our favorite superheroes, their identity is “not impactful,” even though they exist in the comic books. One imagines, then, that the Kree are out along with the Skrulls. Perhaps it’s as simple as a return of the Jotunheim, last seen in 2011’s “Thor.” Maybe it’s just arbitrary and the identity of these aliens truly does not matter.
That doesn’t mean the mystery isn’t important. And that doesn’t mean the aliens are the mystery villain, either.
The Latino Review once put forth a report — one that’s unverified by all accounts — stating that Thanos, the hulking purple-skinned alien that’s frequently dusted up with the Avengers and other Marvel heroes, is the secret villain we’ve all been wondering about. It’s a rumor to be sure, but it’s one I’m inclined to believe for a couple of reasons … and it all goes back to Comic-Con.
In July 2010, the Marvel booth at Comic-Con featured a display case filled with items from the studio’s upcoming comic book movies. Among them: Thor’s hammer Mjolnir, Captain America’s mighty shield and the bejeweled Infinity Gauntlet. The Gauntlet is one of the more prominent items in the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe, one that’s virtually synonymous with Thanos. Indeed, its inclusion in the Marvel display case felt like an unspoken promise that Thanos would someday have a part to play in the company’s cinematic future.
Cut to “Thor” almost a year later, and the Gauntlet appeared as a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Easter egg that came and went when Jotunheim thieves infiltrated Asgard to reclaim their long-lost prize, the Casket of Ancient Winters. Could it be that the Gauntlet only existed as a wink and nod to the fans back home? Entirely possible. But what if Loki, who clearly knows the history and value of the Casket, has information on the other items contained in Asgard — including what the Gauntlet is, and who would do anything to have it? For someone mightily pissed off at his brother and the Earth-dwellers he’s become so fond of, that’s very powerful information indeed.
Consider also that Feige, the same man who kiboshed the Skrulls and Skull, has long said that the cosmic side of Marvel is a big priority for him. In fact, just a few months ago, he revealed that movies based on the “Inhumans” and “Guardians of the Galaxy” were on the docket at Marvel Studios. Fantastic reads both of them, no question, but obscure beyond belief to the non-comic book reader. If Feige is looking ahead at “phase two” of the Marvel plan, as he’s called it in the past, are “Inhumans” and “Guardians” really the best places to start?
Perhaps they are … if someone huge, someone massive, someone like Thanos, makes his first appearance in “Avengers,” and lives on to stalk the stars (and the screen) another day.
It’s not the meatiest theory out there. It’s based on a rumor, on a taste of what Marvel has given us both on and off the screen, and on a desire to see someone important occupy this oh-so-secretive role. For Feige to come out and say the movie’s second villainous force is not the Skrulls and not Red Skull, and that Loki’s alien army is “not impactful” in identity … either he’s not telling the full story on who or what this unseen enemy represents, or the big reveal is going to be a massive letdown. Given how Marvel has operated in recent years, and given the importance of “Avengers” to their brand and plans, I just don’t see it being the latter option.
Here’s what I do see. Loki aside, “The Avengers” will have another deeply meaningful foe to fight come May 4, 2012. And my considerably sized gut tells me it’s going to be Thanos.
Who do you think the secret “Avengers” villain will be? Tell us in the comments section.
Check out everything we’ve got on “Marvel’s The Avengers.”
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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‘Idol’ has kept the predictably awful singers to a minimum so far, and we’re not sure that’s right.
By Gil Kaufman
Magic Cyclops auditions for “American Idol” in Aspen
Photo: Michael Becker / FOXLike casual sports fans who can’t wait for the Winter Olympics to revel in the schadenfreude of watching world-class ice-skaters bite it, “American Idol” watchers have been conditioned to expect early audition episodes packed with a healthy mix of decent, great and truly awful singers.
In fact, some eagle-eyed “Idol” observers will tell you that there is a whole legion of viewers out there who only tune in to the first few weeks to see the next William Hung, General Larry “Pants on the Ground” Platt or Keith “Like a Virgin” Beukelaer.
But in keeping with the shiny-happy-people vibe “Idol” initiated last year in its first post-Simon Cowell season, through the four audition episodes so far, season 11 “Idol” has noticeably eased up on the so-bad-it’s-good factor. Instead, it has focused on mediocre or not laughably terrible singers, with a handful of decent ringers thrown in for good measure.
Yes, we saw a man with a fake accent named Magic Cyclops crash and burn on Wednesday night not long after seemingly joke-worthy Angie Zeiderman performed “When You’ve Got It, Flaunt It” from “The Producers.” But she quickly turned it around and won over the judges with a good-enough take on Roy Orbison’s “Blue Bayou.”
The bait-and-switch appears to be the new look for “Idol,” as evidenced by Ali Shields’ cringe-inducing rap/ghetto dance on Chris Brown’s “Look at Me Now,” followed by a more passable cover of Corinne Bailey Rae’s “Like a Star.”
That kind of rope-a-dope may actually be worse than the plain-old “montage of mediocrity” of the past, because, at best, it’s dishonest, and at worst, it makes you wonder how low the talent bar is this season.
The season so far seems to have traded chuckle-inducing singing for outright meanness, as evidenced by the mockery of African immigrant Mawuena Kodjo in the first episode, the sexist baiting of Bikini Girl 2.0 Jennifer Diley, the overly long, indulgent segment on not-that-interesting Ryan Seacrest look-alike Shaun Kraisman and the sniggering at twin Tealana Hedgespeth on Wednesday’s show.
The latter seemed the most cruel. For a singer whose segment focused on her ego-denting struggle to emerge from the shadow of her multitalented sister, the snide asides from the judges at Hedgespeth’s expense just seemed heartless. At least in the past when Cowell called someone a “bush baby” or the judges fell off their chairs laughing, they mostly did their worst out in the open instead of stringing the singers along just to crush them after the audition.
I know we’re barely two weeks into the cycle, but I won’t lie: I love the crash-and-burners. Watching a mind-blowingly horrendous singer (or three) in an audition episode with an equal amount of ear-catching talent is one of the thrills of “Idol.” It puts the variety in an audition cycle that is often a dull parade of same-y R&B takes on Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey and Aretha Franklin.
For the past couple of years, “Idol” producers have crowed about focusing on the talent rather than the freaks in the auditions episodes. But isn’t that what the rest of the season is for?
What do you think about the lack of outrageously bad singers this year? Let us know in the comments!
Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page, where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
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