Entertaining Posts

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

U.S. groups attack Rihanna's "Man Down" murder video

LOS ANGELES | Wed Jun 1, 2011 7:47pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A new Rihanna music video, in which the singer guns down a man in retaliation for an apparent sexual assault, was condemned on Wednesday for encouraging young women to turn to violence.

"Man Down", which debuted on the Black Entertainment TV (BET) network on Tuesday, shows Rihanna firing in cold blood on an unarmed man at a rail station, and killing him.

The reggae style song by the 23 year-old R&B singer features the lyrics "Momma, I just shot a man dead...I never been so proud."

Rihanna, herself the victim of a violent 2009 physical attack by her then boyfriend, singer Chris Brown, said in Twitter messages to her fans that the theme of the video was female empowerment.

"Young girls/women all over the world...we are a lot of things! We're strong innocent fun flirtatious vulnerable, and sometimes our innocence can cause us to be naive! We always think it could NEVER be us, but in reality, it can happen to ANY of us! So ladies be careful,' she wrote.

The Parents Television Council, the Enough is Enough campaign, and entertainment think tank Industry Ears called on BET and its parent company Viacom to stop airing the video.

"If Chris Brown shot a woman in his new video and BET premiered it, the world would stop. Rihanna should not get a pass," said Paul Porter, co-founder of Industry Ears, which campaigns against negative images in the media.

Porter said that in 30 years he had never witnessed "such a cold, calculated execution of murder in prime time."

Melissa Henson of the Parents Television Council said that "instead of telling victims they should seek help, Rihanna released a music video that gives retaliation in the form of premeditated murder the imprimatur of acceptability."

BET and Viacom did not immediately return calls for comment on Wednesday.

"Man Down", the latest single from Rihanna's "Loud" album , was released last week.

Brown, 21, pleaded guilty to assaulting Rihanna in February 2009, setting off a national debate about young, abusive relationships. He publicly apologized, underwent court-ordered domestic violence counseling and spent six months performing community service.

Rihanna has referenced domestic violence in several other hits, including her 2010 duet with Eminem "Love the Way You Lie".

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant, editing by Christine Kearney)

Cheryl Cole not the only sour note for Cowell's "X Factor"

By Jill Serjeant

LOS ANGELES | Wed Jun 1, 2011 7:52pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "American Idol" made Simon Cowell a household name in the United States, but the prickly British music Svengali is hitting some flat notes as he tries to launch his own TV singing competition.

Cowell, 51, has been working on a U.S. version of his hit UK talent show "The X Factor" for more than 18 months. But as the clock winds down to its much-hyped debut in the fall, he is facing some last-minute challenges.

His personal pick for the judging panel -- British singer Cheryl Cole -- was reportedly dumped from the lineup, possibly because of her thick accent. She was also dropped this week from the panel of the UK version of "The X Factor".

Perhaps more ominously yet another singing show, "The Voice," has become a surprise hit by borrowing some key "X Factor" components.

TV pundits also wonder whether viewers have the appetite for another months-long singing competition. "X Factor" will join a list that includes "The Sing-Off," "Platinum Hit," "The Glee Project", "American Idol", and Cowell's own "America's Got Talent."

Last month, Fox television touted Cowell and "The X Factor" as the highlight of its new fall schedule. Fox Networks Group chairman Peter Rice described Cowell as "the absolute star of the genre at the pinnacle of his game."

Two weeks later, something had clearly gone wrong after two rounds of auditions before Cowell, Cole and fellow judges Paula Abdul, record producer Antonio "L.A." Reid.

Cole was seen as an odd choice: A style icon and a household name at home but unknown in the United States.

Depending on whom you believe, Cole was apparently dropped because of concerns that her Northern English accent might prove tough for U.S. viewers, or because she lacked chemistry with "Idol" alumna Abdul, or because she was uncharacteristically nervous when "X Factor" shooting started.

"To get so far and discover it is not working -- that is a little bit of a shock," said Michael Slezak, senior editor with TVLine.com.

"But expectations are so high that if some key element isn't working, it doesn't shock me that they are not worried about personal feelings and are making whatever changes they feel necessary," Slezak said.

TOO MANY TV TALENT SHOWS?

Fox and Cowell's Syco production company have declined to confirm reports that ex-Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger -- initially hired as "X Factor" co-host -- will take over from Cole.

They also declined to comment on whether any re-shoots will be necessary, or how production has been affected.

"It could be a very big setback because the Fox marketing machine been pushing 'X Factor' since January," said Craig Tomashoff, a TV writer for Xfinity and TV Guide. "Cole was Simon's pet project and now she has gone. I am certain that's not how everyone at Fox envisioned it would work."

But Tomashoff said the bigger issue might be a surfeit of talent shows, "and in the fall there are also a lot of other new TV shows that people are beginning to check out."

While Cowell was working on "X Factor," rival network NBC jumped in with "The Voice." Making its debut in April, it boasts a stellar coach/mentor lineup of Christina Aguilera, country singer Blake Shelton, R&B star Cee Lo Green and Maroon 5 front man Adam Levine -- who also perform together on the show.

The audience for "The Voice" has grown, reaching a high of 14 million viewers on Tuesday. Perhaps more significantly, it adopts two of "X Factor"s distinguishing features -- celebrity coaches compete against each other to mentor contestants, and auditions are held in front of a live audience.

"The success of that show has got to make Fox and Simon a little bit nervous. You don't want someone getting into the market before you," said Slezak.

But he noted that the Cheryl Cole debacle has kept the show in the headlines. "How many shows premiering in the fall would kill to have people and the media talking about them every single day?", he said.

Indeed don't count out Cowell just yet, Tomashoff warned. "I don't think he takes losing very well. If anything, this will fire him up even more,"

Fox is a unit of News Corp; NBC is controlled by Comcast Corp; the UK version of "X Factor" is broadcast on ITV

(Editing by Dean Goodman)

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Blake Lively "nude" pictures fake, publicist says

LOS ANGELES | Tue May 31, 2011 10:54pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A series of widely circulated photographs purporting to show "Gossip Girl" actress Blake Lively posing naked are "100 percent fake," her spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

The Internet was abuzz late in the day as the five photos of a naked busty blond taking snapshots of herself with an iPhone in front of a bathroom mirror spread among major gossip websites.

"Blake Lively won't be happy about this," said celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, noting that the 23-year-old starlet has just reportedly started dating Leonardo DiCaprio.

Rival site Zap2It, noting the early-generation iPhone and different shaped nose, suggested the pictures were several years old.

In four of the pictures, the woman's face was partially concealed by her phone. The fifth was too blurry to make a definitive call. But a spokeswoman for the squeaky-clean actress was in doubt.

"The photos of Blake Lively which have just surfaced on various websites ... are 100 percent FAKE," the spokeswoman said. "Blake has never taken nude photos of herself."

Moreover, Lively will take legal action against any outlets that publish the photos, the spokeswoman added.

Lively rose to fame in the teen television soap "Gossip Girl," and had a sex scene in the 2010 crime thriller "The Town." Earlier this year she signed on as the new face of French fashion house Chanel's Mademoiselle handbag ad campaign.

(Reporting by Dean Goodman; editing by Mohammad Zargham)

Lady Gaga album sells 1.1 million copies in first week

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Cheryl Cole out of UK "X Factor" after U.S. hitch

LONDON | Tue May 31, 2011 12:53pm EDT

LONDON (Reuters) - British singer Cheryl Cole will not be appearing on the British version of "The X Factor", after reportedly being dropped from the upcoming U.S. launch of the popular TV talent show.

Reports surfaced last week that Cole, who rose to fame as a member of British girl band Girls Aloud, had been ditched from the new Fox television venture despite having had public backing from the show's creator and star judge Simon Cowell.

The reversal, which some news sites attributed to Cole's northern English accent which producers feared U.S. viewers may struggle to understand, dominated British and U.S. celebrity headlines, although it has yet to be officially confirmed.

British newspapers said that Cole, who they reported was furious at the U.S. snub, had been offered an "olive branch" of returning to the British edition of the show, which commands large audiences for broadcaster ITV.

But when the channel announced its judging lineup for the 2011 series on Monday, Cole's name did not feature.

Instead it will comprise music producer Louis Walsh, the only survivor from the 2010 panel, Take That lead singer Gary Barlow, hip-hop star Tulisa Contostavlos and U.S. singer and Destiny's Child founding member Kelly Rowland.

The ITV announcement made no mention of Cole's possible involvement, and the news feed on her official website has not been updated since May 6, when she announced she would join Cowell and Antonio "L.A." Reid in judging the U.S. series.

Producers of the upcoming U.S. version of "The X Factor" again declined to comment on Tuesday on Cole's reported ouster.

In the United States, former Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger is expected to replace Cole on the panel. Former "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul completes the judges' line-up.

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White; Editing by Jill Serjeant)