Archive for Usher

February 13, 2009

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 13, 2009 by sizzlemaker
Plastic surgery can lead to very bad things!

Plastic surgery can lead to very bad things!

Chris Brown: One of the cover lines on the new issue of PEOPLE reads: Chris Brown Charged in Assault on Rihanna.  We’re a little disappointed with the choice of words because, if you ask us, it’s not been made clear yet that he’s been charged with assault.  We’ve been hearing different things about what making criminal threats actually means, and I imagine the mag’s lawyer approved the wording, but we still think it was a poor ethical choice.

Chris Brown Pt. 2: Even Sesame Street is pulling the episode that he guest-stars in!  Ridiculous!

Usher: Details are slowly coming out about what went wrong with his wife’s plastic surgery.  Apparently not long after being sedated she went into cardiac arrest.  As horrible as that sounds, she’s reportedly doing much better now.

American Idol: Every season there’s drama surrounding some contestant and here it comes this time around: one of the previously-announced 36 finalists has been disqualified for unknown reasons.  Rumors suggest she had an inappropriate relationship–whatever that means–with some of the folks behind the show.

American Idol Pt. 2: MTV has a great run-down of the 36 finalists, Twitter-style.  Don’t know what that means? Join and follow us!

The Bachelor: The show will get a 14th season now that it has improved considerably in the ratings.  We say that’s only because of the single dad angle.

SNL: David Paterson, governor of New York, is upset again at the show’s depiction of him.  But isn’t anything–especially public figures–fair game on SNL?

The View: Classic quote from co-host Joy Behar: “I cook and I collect pots. I don’t smoke pot – I collect them. I’m not Michael Phelps.”

SIZZLED OUT: Mandy Moore (Ryan Adams)

STILL SIZZLING: This overseas band–quite popular here in the States–will appear on a late-night TV show for 5 nights in a row.  Let’s hope they make each performance like a beautiful day!

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February 9, 2009

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 9, 2009 by sizzlemaker
Can you believe this was 14 years ago?!

Can you believe this was 14 years ago?!

Grammys: Great show.  Full recap here.

Chris Brown: WTF is going on?!  Please tell us Rihanna is not the woman he got in a fight with!  Will this kill his previously-stellar rep?  Or is he innocent until proven guilty?

Usher: Canceled his pre-Grammy performance after someone in his family was injured.  PEOPLE claims it was his wife, Tameka Foster, and from a plastic surgery operation.

Blink-182: In addition to announcing their reunion at the Grammys, the group also updated their official site with the news.  “Friendships reformed,” new album, world tour.  So exciting!

Jennifer Aniston: Making a movie about artificial insemination.  Foreshadowing?

Jennifer Aniston, Pt. 2: Says she wouldn’t be opposed to a Friends reunion special.  Hurrah!

DWTS: Announced contestants include: Denise Richards, Steve-O, Lil’ Kim, Jewel (and her husband!) and Nancy O’Dell.  Full list here.  No one interests us.  Sad.

Obama: Inspiring election campaigns in Israel…even though they didn’t want him to be president.  Gotta love that bandwagon!

BAFTAS: Slumdog Millionaire won SEVEN awards!  Jeez.  Spread the wealth, guys!

Will Ferrell: People may be walking out of his Broadway show but we have a feeling Will Ferrell gets the last laugh.  Anyone who can show former President Bush’s penis in a show is obviously quite funny.

McDonalds: Sponsoring Fashion Week and giving away free coffee.  Do fashionistas drink coffee?  Or is it that they take anything that’s free?

The Daily Beast: Suggests Jessica Simpson’s weight issues could lead to a financial gain.  ‘Cause, you know, that’s what’s most important.

SIZZLED OUT: Ricki Lake

STILL SIZZLING: If it’s not one thing, it’s always another for this sports star.  His recent headlines about his lovelife are being overshadowed by a new report: testing positive for steroids!

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December 16, 2008 Pt. 2

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 16, 2008 by sizzlemaker
Jennifer Lopez and the only good movie she starred in!

Jennifer Lopez and the only good movie she starred in!

Britney Spears: Comeback kid of the year, says MTV.  Wait, we thought that was Robert Downey, Jr.?

Kate Hudson: Says she wants to be single as long as possible.  Like that’ll ever happen.

Pete Wentz: Wowwwwww.  He revealed way TMI about his (sex) life with Ashlee on (where else?) The Howard Stern Show.

Jennifer Lopez: Blessing us once more with her acting skills.  To be fair, Selena was pretty amazing.

The CW: Screwed over by a change in the Nielsen ratings counting procedures.  They always pick on the little ones, don’t they?

Jessica Alba: Joining Jack Black on the Superbowl ep of The Office.

Usher: Holding a contest to let an under-18 fan shoot his next video.

Ryan Murphy: A show about high school glee clubs doesn’t sound promising but with Murphy (Nip/Tuck) at the helm, we have a little faith.

Jossip: Woah!  Major site redesign with practically no explanation!  So not okay!

SIZZLED OUT: Sean Avery

STILL SIZZLING: Michael Copon, rumored to be taking over the role of Jacob in Twilight, got a big break when he starred on this show–one of our favorites!

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December 11, 2008 Pt. 2

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 11, 2008 by sizzlemaker
How great is this?!

How great is this?!

Usher: Just last month he confirmed he’s having another kid, and now the son is here!

Macaulay Culkin: The Home Alone actor is just the latest to face a family tragedy: his sister died this week after being hit by a car!

Obama: Stuck answering Blagojevich questions.  So not fair.

Newsweek: Times change and so does Newsweek apparently.  In store: circulation and staff cuts, as well as a new writing style.  Guess they also plan on losing respect, too.

Gawker: This post is hilar.  A picture of the new PEOPLE cover that features Tom Cruise, Ricky Martin and Oprah with the headline ‘The PEOPLE Closet Issue.’

Indianapolis Colts: Taking stadium sponsorship to a new high (or is that low?) with in-house washing machines, airplane seats and gas pumps.  What ever happened to just enjoying the game?

Top 10: Tired of hearing all about 2008?  Well, how about the top movies of 2009?!

EW: There are scripts just sitting around Hollywood, waiting to be produced, and it’s, like, a really big deal–or so says the mag about this “black list.” Why do we need to care (or want to be teased?!) if there’s no guarantee they’ll be made?  We’re much more interested in the Kate-Leo (Titanic reunion, duh!) cover story!

Google: Not sure yet whether this is a blow or an aid to the magazine industry, but through Google Book Search, you’ll now be able to read certain titles on-line.

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November 22, 2008

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 22, 2008 by sizzlemaker
A Top Model winner that doesn't actually want to be a model?

A Top Model winner that doesn't actually want to be a model?

Travis Barker: Suing for damages suffered due to the plane crash.  Can’t say we blame him.

Usher: Baby number two is on the way.  Will he name this one Usher, too?

24: Some have speculated that the show helped Obama get elected by featuring its own black president.  Kiefer says it’s all just a bunch of hooey.

PEOPLE: This is pretty, um, sexy.  A video of 100 “sexy men” in one minute.

PEOPLE Pt. 2: Released an (internal) response to the NYT’s scathing article about their journalistic practices.  As someone with pretty good knowledge of the mag’s inner-workings, we can honestly say they’re not being given enough credit.  The suggestion that they have anything but the highest ethical standards of all the entertainment/celebrity mags is just ridiculous. And until someone is actually on the inside, they should just be quiet and stop making assumptions.  End rant. (Though, one has to wonder if they didn’t shell out obscene amounts of money for exclusive photos, maybe the layoffs wouldn’t have been necessary!)

The Sopranos: Ending leave you unsatisfied?  A Duke University professor is taking it up in a new study.

The Tyra Banks Show: Moving to the CW to help solidfy their network as a “brand destination” for women.  Or something like that.

McKey: She may have won ANTM but she still plans on going to med school.  So she went through the competition with no intention of making a lasting modeling career?  Didn’t she just take the prize away, then, from someone else who would make better use of it?

Reese Witherspoon: Thinks her kids have “been treated terribly” by the paparazzi, not having any privacy, etc.  Reese, isn’t that your own fault for choosing a Hollywood life?

SIZZLED OUT: Prince William

STILL SIZZLING: This notoriously hard-assed magazine editor brushed off questions of her rumored retirement with these lovely responses: “I think that’s an extremely rude question. Leave me alone.” and “Just go away.”  Charming, as always.

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11/16 BONUS POST

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 16, 2008 by sizzlemaker

trl1

AFTER 10 YEARS AND A 3-HOUR FINALE, TOTAL REQUEST LIVE IS OFFICIALLY OFF THE AIR.

The last TRL, renamed Total Finale Live for this special event, was a jam-packed celebration of the show that defined our childhood afternoons.

SOME THOUGHTS

Carson Daly returned to emcee the event with current host Damien Fahey.

The show actually started with a performance by Beyonce.

Weird that it was held on a Sunday night, and not a weekday, like the normal TRL.

Appearances from celebs ran the gamut from Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Jonathan Davis, Snoop Dogg and…Samuel L. Jackson?!

First on-air (and live!) interview with Travis Barker post-plane crash.  Very subdued, not that we blame him.

Diddy pretended to (or perhaps really??) choke up when he was honored for making the most appearances on TRL.

Awkward moment: Carson referring to ex Jennifer Love Hewitt.

Co-hosted by all the former VJs, including three of our faves: Hilarie Burton (yay One Tree Hill!), Dave Holmes and Jesse Camp, from the very first I Wanna Be a VJ contest.

Fall Out Boy performed…minus Pete Wentz.  He later called into the show and said he was in California prepping for imminent fatherhood.  Will it really be that soon?!

Soundbyte: “I bought Twilight on bootleg and watched it like 72 times”–Pete Wentz.  Setting a great example, as always.

Did Hilary Duff run into ex Joel Madden?

Kid Rock insisted on smoking a cigar on stage.  And here we thought it was illegal to smoke in New York venues…

Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez represented NSYNC but it would’ve been cool if the whole band returned AND performed.

X-Tina, Chris Brown, Ben Stiller and others spoke via satellite.

Disappointing moment: Eminem, on the phone, refuses to give any details about his upcoming album, Relapse.

Quintessential window references and segments with the Times Square crowd.

KoRn was hailed as the first rock band of TRL; brought back memories of the KoRn (number 3) spot.

A short segment looked back at the top MTV News moments, giving due respect to 9/11.  Wish they also mentioned Aaliyah.

Many shameless plugs: Bolt, Diddy’s new cologne (who was made fun of for hyping the most stuff over the years), Last Call, FNMTV and more.

East Coast and West Coast rap/hip-hop came together in medley featuring Nelly, Snoop and Ludacris.

Unnecessary moment: knocking LFO.

Soundbyte: “One of the finer moments of my life”–JT recalling when Halle Berry surprised him on a TRL ep.

Backstreet Boys given lots of praise, though we wish former member Kevin returned for the performance.

Soundbyte: “They outlived all the other boy bands and they outlived TRL“–Carson on BSB.

Noticeably absent: 98 Degrees, Jessica Simpson, Destiny’s Child, Mandy Moore, Jay-Z, Avril, Sum-41, Linkin Park and others.

Are all the TRL employees without jobs now?  After all, MTV (and parent Viacom) are doing lay-offs…

Soundbyte: Britney is “the queen of TRL“–Carson on Brit Brit who “couldn’t be here.”

Loved that some of our favorite moments were re-aired: the debut party for BSB’s Millenium album, Mariah and her ice cream truck, countless others.

Speaking of counting, the TRL finale wouldn’t be complete without a final countdown. The Top 10 videos from TRL history, as decided by the producers: Hey-Ya (Outkast), What’s My Age Again (Blink-182), Yeah (Ludacris, Usher, et. al.), Crazy in Love (Beyonce), Bawitdaba (Kid Rock), Dirrty (Christina Aguilera), Bye Bye Bye (NSYNC), I Want It That Way (BSB), The Real Slim Shady (Eminem), and, at number one, Baby One More Time (Britney).

Soundbyte: “Goodnight from New York and goodnight TRL“–Carson.

TEAR!

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October 23, 2008

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 23, 2008 by sizzlemaker
It's back...on Broadway?

It's back...on Broadway?

Dirty Dancing: The play–yes, there’s a play–may come to Broadway after having success elsewhere in the U.S. and abroad.  We still think no one compares to the original baby (pun fully intended).

HSM: We’re seeing High School Musical tonight!  We’re seeing High School Musical tonight!  WE’RE SEEING HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL TONIGHT!  Can you tell we’re excited?

NYT: The New York Times had quite a scare yesterday after a “suspicious substance” came in the mail.  Though the lobby was temporarily closed and some people “decontaminated,” an investigation concluded the powder was not actually hazardous.  But if it’s the media that keeps on being targeted, we’re kind of scared for our future.

Magazines: The no-brainer cover this week was the Madonna-Guy Richie divorce.  Too bad that means none of them have any originality.  But which one will sell the most?

Usher: Will be the only one to perform on this year’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.  Lucky for him?  Bad for ratings?

TV Fashion: Some critics are questioning if TV shows–particularly teen dramas–are doing us any favors by promoting expensive lifestyles that are, in reality, largely out of reach given the state of the economy.  But isn’t that part of the point of escapism? Why focus on what we don’t have when we can spend 60 minutes losing ourselves in what others do?  It can be quite fun.

Angelina: Told Vanity Fair now that she has 6 kids, she might stop making movies.  No big loss there.  Another gem from the interview: the kiddies are starting to ask why mom and dad aren’t married.  Yep, such a great example they’re setting.

Nelly: How about this for a new type of boy band: Nelly, T-Pain, Akon and Pharrell.  Nelly says it’s in the works.  We say we could do without.

Ed Norton: With rumors of a Fight Club musical, Norton brings up one important point: “Brad can’t sing.”  Ouch.

SIZZLED OUT: Ciara

STILL SIZZLING: Which actor will have two-and-a-half boys of his own soon?  His wife is having twins!

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