Entertaining Posts: 01/20/11

Thursday, January 20, 2011

New "Idol" judge Tyler could easily quit day job

By Shirley Halperin

Thu Jan 20, 2011 9:28pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Season 10 of American Idol premiered Wednesday to much fanfare and for good reason: two new judges, rocker Steven Tyler and pop star Jennifer Lopez, sat at the table ruled by Simon Cowell for so many years.

Looking to spice up the franchise, the producers rolled out a revamped opening theme, a glossed-up logo and new interstitials spotlighting the word "IDOL" in ginormous letters. Fox hopes the numbers will back up the hype, but they can rest easy knowing they have a new star on their hands: Tyler.

From Twitter activity to the blogosphere, the verdict is in and the 62-year-old legend with the scrappy hair and big voice who likes to sing along with the contestants -- good or bad -- is a hit. His greatest accomplishment: making us forget for a minute that the season 9 foursome including Ellen DeGeneres and Kara DioGuardi ever existed, but at the same time, reminding us that "Idol" is at its absolute best when it's unscripted, unpredictable and unscrupulous.

Two out of three ain't bad, and we have Tyler (and Meatloaf) to thank for that, too. As for his compatriots on the other side of the table? Jennifer Lopez proved to be the nurturing, gentle, and forgiving presence that many had expected. You could practically hear a faint collective "awww" spreading in the back of the room (much like the occasional crew member's belly laugh which would break out after a signature Tyler-ism) every time she felt the slightest bit conflicted -- which was almost all the time. That fact will likely be the biggest criticism heard from "Idol" loyalists in the coming days: that Lopez was too easy on would-be contestants who likely wouldn't have recovered from a particularly stinging Cowell assessment.

As for Randy Jackson? He didn't stray too far off the dawg path, but there was an air of authority about him that hadn't truly come out in years past. But what was up with his new nickname for Ryan Seacrest, "Cresty?" Clearly, these guys spend way too much time together.

But back to the unscrupulous part... No, there won't be too many artificial put-downs, jarring reality checks or plain old mean-spirited commentary -- or any at all. We're entering a new era of Idol, transitioning from "sleepy" in season 9 to syrupy in season 10. Have a Coke and a smile and sing your heart out!

That said, the first try-outs did offer some promising talent. Robbie Rosen, for one. The 16-year-old from Merrick, New York could have tried out for O-Town back in 2000, but his voice went way beyond boy band gimmickry.

As it turns out, the 16-year-olds pretty much ruled the first round roost. There was Melinda Ademi, whose family fled war-torn Kosovo, and Travis Orlando, who bookended the first episode with a rousing rendition of Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours," a perennial Idol favorite. Victoria Huggins was another talented teen, belting "Midnight Train to Georgia" with the gusto and enthusiasm of a Rachel Berry disciple. Also impressive: Devyn Rush, the singing waitress from Ellen's Stardust Diner in New York City, otherwise known as the pedestrian nightmare that is the corner of 51st Street and Broadway, the potentially hunky Caleb Hawley, and Briell Von Hugel, who's got music in her blood and a heartwarming backstory (her doo wop-singing dad beat throat cancer): the perfect "Idol" package.

It all made for a promising start until star-breasted Jersey girl Tiffany Rios made an appearance, though to her credit, the girl can sort of sing. Still, the joke contestants have always had a heavy presence in these early rounds and season 10 was no different, saving its silliest star, 25-year-old Yoji "Pop" Asano, for almost last. Talk about lost in translation, here was your quintessential somewhat delusional "Idol" hopeful putting on a circus show: Miley Cyrus' "Party in the U.S.A." sung in the key of tone deaf. Amusing? Sure, but both Lopez and Tyler looked like they want to press fast forward and get to the good stuff.

Britney Spears debuts at No. 1 on singles chart

By Gary Trust

Thu Jan 20, 2011 10:53pm EST

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Britney Spears has become just the second artist in the 52-year history of Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart to debut multiple songs at No. 1, as "Hold It Against Me" took the top spot in its first week.

Spears previously came in at No. 1 with "3" in 2009. The only other act with multiple No. 1 starts is Mariah Carey with "Fantasy" and "One Sweet Day" in 1995 and "Honey" in 1997.

"Hold It Against Me" is Spears' fourth No. 1 on the Hot 100. Prior to "3," she reigned with her debut single "...Baby One More Time" (1999) and "Womanizer" (2008). The new track sold 411,000 downloads, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It marks the highest first-week tally for a lead female artist, besting the 325,000 downloads sold by Taylor Swift's "Today Was a Fairytale" in February 2010.

Two other tracks stormed the upper reaches of the Hot 100. "What the Hell," the first single from Avril Lavigne's fourth album, "Goodbye Lullaby," due March 8, opened at No. 13.

At No. 23, Kanye West and Jay-Z debuted with "H*A*M.," the first single from the superstar pair's upcoming collaborative album, "Watch the Throne."

Directly below "Hold It Against Me," three titles dipped one notch each: Bruno Mars' "Grenade" (No. 2), Katy Perry's "Firework" (No. 3) and Rihanna's "What's My Name?" (No. 4).

Wiz Khalifa's "Black and Yellow" rose two to No. 5; Enrique Iglesias' "Tonight (I'm Lovin' You)" held at No. 6; and Ke$ha's "We R Who We R" fell three to No. 7.

Pink fell three to No. 8 with "Raise Your Glass," the Black Eyed Peas' "The Time (Dirty Bit)" and Mars' "Just the Way You Are" each slipped one place, to Nos. 9 and 10, respectively.

Comic Sacha Baron Cohen to star in "Dictator"

LOS ANGELES | Thu Jan 20, 2011 8:41pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Sacha Baron Cohen, the British comedian who shone an ugly light on middle America in "Borat" and satirized the fashion industry in "Bruno," will next turn his attention to the lighter side of dictatorships.

Baron Cohen will star in "The Dictator," which opens worldwide on May 11, 2012, distributor Paramount Pictures said in a statement on Thursday.

"The film tells the heroic story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed," the Viacom Inc unit added.

The $58 million project will be directed by "Seinfeld" veteran Larry Charles, who also shot "Borat" and "Bruno." Baron Cohen wrote the script along with Alec Berg, Jeff Schaffer and David Mandel, who are also "Seinfeld" alumni.

Shooting will start in the spring, a studio spokeswoman said.

Baron Cohen, now 39, whipped up some controversy with his 2006 faux-documentary "Borat," in which he played an anti-Semitic reporter from Kazakhstan who interacts with real Americans unaware they were being set up.

It grossed about $260 million worldwide. The 2009 follow-up "Bruno," in which he played a gay Austrian fashionista, earned about $140 million.

(Reporting by Dean Goodman; Editing by Vicki Allen)

"American Idol" loses viewers despite make-over

By Jill Serjeant

LOS ANGELES | Thu Jan 20, 2011 1:00pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A revamped "American Idol" dominated U.S. television on its first outing but lost millions of viewers despite the addition of celebrity judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler.

Some 26.1 million Americans tuned in for the 10th season premiere of the singing contest, down 13 percent on last year's opening show when nearly 30 million watched, according to Nielsen ratings data on Thursday.

The numbers still crushed all other programing on Wednesday night. But after weeks of hype and curiosity over what producers called "a new era," the numbers boded ill for hopes of restoring sparkle to the aging show and reversing a four years ratings slide.

Television critics were mostly unimpressed with their first glimpse of Lopez and Aerosmith front man Tyler as they weeded out good singers from the thousands of early auditions -- without the caustic presence of British judge Simon Cowell.

Cowell, the contest's biggest star, quit in May to launch his own talent show on Fox later in 2011.

In a column headlined "The end of 'American Idol' (for real this time)," Newsweek blogger Ramin Setoodeh wrote; "The entire franchise has gone to the land of Stepford, where everybody is so nice and sweet and happy and zippy, you feel a cavity coming on."

Washington Post columnist Lisa De Moraes quipped "Good news! Nothing's changed."

Stalwart "Idol" fans however were kinder, and appreciated the show's change of emphasis to encourage wannabe singers, rather than putting them down.

"Congratulations! Last night's premier was WONDERFUL," a fan called 104333761 wrote in a posting on the official americanidol.com forums. "I am so excited that you took emphasis off of being snarky and cruel and put more interest in uplifting the contestants and allowing us to get to know a bit of their 'stories'.

"American Idol" has been a major generator of advertising revenue to Fox television, and driven record sales and digital downloads with early discoveries like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Daughtry.

But the show has lost about six million viewers over the past four years and recent winners have seen dismal sales for their debut albums.

"American Idol" is produced by 19 Entertainment, a unit of CKX Inc., and by London-based FremantleMedia, a unit of Bertelsmann AG. Fox is a unit of News Corp. Universal Music Group is a unit of Vivendi.

(Editing by Patricia Reaney)

Feted for drama, Natalie Portman now goes for laughs

By Zorianna Kit

LOS ANGELES | Thu Jan 20, 2011 12:58pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hot off a Golden Globe win for her performance as an unhinged ballerina in the psychological thriller "Black Swan," Natalie Portman is making a sharp about face by taking on her first romantic comedy.

Portman, also seen as an Oscar front-runner for "Black Swan," stars opposite Ashton Kutcher in "No Strings Attached", which opens in U.S. theaters on Friday. The duo play friends who decide to have a strictly physical relationship but before long, their emotions creep in and mess up their groove.

It's a surprising departure for an actress who is better known for roles in science-fiction (the "Star Wars" prequels), action ("V for Vendetta"), period ("The Other Boleyn Girl") and dramas ("Closer").

"That was exactly why I was excited about doing something like this, because I hate repeating myself," said the 29-year-old. "I really love comedies -- it's my favorite genre."

And after a physically and emotionally demanding role like "Black Swan", which was followed by upcoming special effects laden comic book adaptation "Thor," the Ivan Reitman-directed "No Strings Attached" came at just the right time.

"When I got this, it was exactly the kind of thing I wanted to do because it's the kind of movie I'd want to see," Portman said.

Doing a romantic comedy is not the only first for Portman this year. The actress is center stage at Hollywood awards season, while pregnant, after capturing several wins for her turn as jealous dancer Nina Sayers in "Black Swan".

Portman is expecting her first child with fiance Benjamin Millepied, a principal dancer at the New York City Ballet who she met when he served as choreographer for "Black Swan."

PICKLES AND OSCARS

So, in an era when red carpet fashion is almost as important as who wins, Portman's gowns must accommodate her growing belly -- all while the actress battles a craving for pickles.

"I want sour stuff and I want pickles," she said. "Anything with lemon or vinegar or ketchup on it makes me very happy."

Oscar nominations are announced next week, but Portman says that being pregnant has kept her from getting too caught up in the awards race.

"It's nice to have real life, good stuff going on at the same time," she admitted.

Real life also includes promoting several other upcoming movies, including period comedy "Your Highness" in April, and "Thor" in May.

"Then you won't hear from me for a while," Portman joked. "So everyone will be able to take a deep sigh of relief!"

Macy Gray asks fans if she should boycott Israel

JERUSALEM | Thu Jan 20, 2011 8:41am EST

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Soul singer Macy Gray has asked her fans on Facebook whether she should cancel planned concerts in Tel Aviv because of the "disgusting" way the Israeli government treats Palestinians.

International artists, entertainers and academics are under increasing pressure to boycott Israel because of Israeli actions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

But Gray took the unusual step of asking Facebook followers what to do, in a posting that went up Monday.

"I'm getting alot of letters from activists urging/begging me to boycott by NOT performing in protest of Apartheid against the Palestinians," she wrote.

"What the Israeli government is doing to the Palestinians is disgusting, but I wana go. I gotta lotta fans there I dont want to cancel on and I dont know how my NOT going changes anything. What do you think? Stay or go?"

After receiving almost 4,000 often impassioned messages in just four days, Gray has announced via Twitter that she would indeed sing in Tel Aviv next month.

"Dear Israel fans. Me and the band will be there in 20 days. Can't wait. See you then. Peace," she wrote in a Tweet.

Israelis and Palestinians have been locked in conflict for six decades, with U.S.-led initiatives to bring about a negotiated settlement making little head way over the years.

Palestinians accuse Israel of operating a de-facto apartheid system in the occupied West Bank, where they want to establish an independent state. Israel says Palestinian militants are intent on destroying the Jewish State.

Singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, for example, canceled his planned concerts in Israel last summer because of what he called the "grave and complex" sensitivities.

Earlier this month, French singer Vanessa Paradis, who is married to actor Johnny Depp, canceled a February 10 concert in Israel. She said it clashed with an important meeting, but the Israeli media have speculated that is was a political decision.

(Reporting by Crispian Balmer)

"Glee" and "Project Runway" among GLAAD award nominees

LOS ANGELES | Thu Jan 20, 2011 12:36am EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Golden Globe winning movie "The Kids are All Right" and TV shows "Glee," "Modern Family" and "Project Runway" were among nominees on Thursday for the annual GLAAD awards honoring the portrayal of gays and lesbians in the media.

Singer Ricky Martin's coming-out TV interview with Oprah Winfrey, the movie musical "Burlesque," and Anderson Cooper's CNN reports on gay teen suicides were also among the nominees, which cover magazines and digital journalism along with film, television, music and theater.

Independent blogs were also among the nominations for the first time in the 22-year history of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) media awards.

GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios said the 147 nominees "represent some of the images and stories at the root of the growing acceptance of our community and support for our equality."

"We challenge the industry to share more stories that reflect the diversity of our community and the challenges that gay and transgender people face."

Winners will be announced during fund-raising gala dinners in New York on March 19, Los Angeles on April 16, and San Francisco on May 14.

"The Kids are All Right," about a lesbian couple raising two children who search for their sperm donor father, won a Golden Globe for best comedy and a best actress award for Annette Bening on Sunday.

ABC comedy "Modern Family" features a gay couple raising an adopted daughter, and fashion design contest "Project Runway" last year showcased a competitor who revealed on the show that he was HIV-positive.

Country singer Chely Wright, who came out as a lesbian in May, was among those nominated in music categories along with the U.S. band Scissor Sisters, and openly gay Mexican singers Christian Chavez and Fedro.

A full list of nominees can be found at www.glaad.org

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; editing by Dean Goodman)