Pink Sydney concert proves to be a balancing act

Pink Sydney concert proves to be a balancing act

Pink needs a parachute. Surely that's the only way she could top her energetic opening sequence to her song Raise Your Glass which included a trapdoor, bungy cords and the singer hanging off an apparatus with some half-naked men. (For her next concert she's going to have to parachute in, I thought, a little too smugly). But by the time Pink's show was finishing with a thrilling high wire act, which appeared to involve her flying across much of the breadth and width of the Sydney Entertainment Centre while singing So What (one of the most extraordinary closing sequences you're ever likely to see at a pop show) to be honest, even a parachute seemed a little lame by comparison. Alecia Moore, aka Pink, is no longer just a singer or a brattish pop punk but also an all-spinning, all-flying, all-dancing entertainment machine. She has clearly come to believe the fans expect nothing less, but she might be surprised. Because despite the genuine thrills, it's starting to feel a little like her choreography - and the use of stage characters, such as an odd, sleazy clown named Rubix von Fukenhurtz to anchor her show - is over-compensating. Pink performs at Sydney Entertainment Centre to a full house. Click for more photos Pink in concert Pink performs at Sydney Entertainment Centre to a full house. Photo: Lisa McMahon Pink performs at Sydney Entertainment Centre to a full house.Pink's show was a hit with the Sydney crowd.The stage set-up boasted nine video screen, including a large loveheart screen.Pink performs at Sydney Entertainment Centre to a full house.Pink's Sydney show on Tuesday night was one of 45 on here Australian tour.Pink performs at Sydney Entertainment Centre to a full house.Pink performs at Sydney Entertainment Centre to a full house.Pink performs at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.The opening sequence for Pink's song Raise Your Glass.Pink, aka Alecia Moore, is known for her energetic show.Pink performing in Sydney on Tuesday night.Pink performs at Sydney Entertainment Centre to a full house.Pink performs at Sydney Entertainment Centre to a full house.View all 14 photos Despite her incredible popularity (this show was one of 45 on the tour) is Pink trying too hard? For when she is singing with just her backing band, without her bag of tricks constantly on show, in anthems such as Trouble, she is truly at her best. Advertisement Just when she seems to connect, there's another whiz bang, whirly, twirly, up-in-the-air, upside down sequence. Her stage set-up alone boasted nine video screens (including a large loveheart screen) plus two giant ones belonging to the venue, so at times it was a dizzying visual overload. And yes, Pink can spin and sing - well, it's hard to tell just how well, because her back-up singers were sometimes clearly holding the floor (with their mics up louder than hers) in songs such as Try and Sober. But none of Pink's fans seemed to mind too much. And isn't that indeed the the truth about love, well the ardent love of pop fans anyway? They didn't balk when Pink occasionally had a hoarse edge to her voice (very unusual for such a highly polished singer) and when she charmingly joked about forgetting some lyrics - she restarted her piano song The Great Escape. Because it's easy to love Pink when she's real, when she laughs off her occasional faults. But in a large-scale concert such as this, the balancing act between art and artifice is a fine line to tread. Especially when people go home talking about high wires, not high notes.




news sours   www.smh.com.au

Envelope mix-up at Daytime Emmy Awards

Envelope mix-up at Daytime Emmy Awards

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — "Days of Our Lives" scored a rare win for best drama series at the Daytime Emmys in a show marked by an envelope mix-up, expletives and the constant din of audience chatter heard during the cable telecast that stretched beyond its time slot. NBC's "Days" won just its second drama series trophy and first since 1978, upending such heavyweights as "General Hospital," ''The Bold and the Beautiful" and "The Young and the Restless" — all of which had dominated the category in recent years. "Days" is one of four remaining soaps still airing on the broadcast networks, while another nominee "One Life to Live" has found new life on the Internet after being canceled. "Days" claimed one other trophy: Chandler Massey as outstanding younger actor. CBS claimed eight trophies during Sunday's show, giving the network a leading 21 wins including those from last week's creative arts ceremony. PBS was second with 14 wins. In a major gaffe, Aisha Tyler of "The Talk" was presenting outstanding talk show informative when she opened the envelope and quickly realized she had been given the wrong one. "Oh, interestingly enough this winner is not in this category," she said. "If I read it out I'm going to give another category away." The audience at the Beverly Hilton hotel gasped and Tyler vamped while waiting to be given the correct envelope from the wings. "There better be a cocktail waiting on my table," Tyler said. She then announced "The Dr. Oz Show" as the winner. "It's like saying, 'Whoops,' in the operating room," Dr. Mehmet Oz said backstage about the goof-up. Corbin Bernsen uttered two expletives on-air when talking about his late mother, Jeanne Cooper of "The Young and the Restless," during the in memoriam tribute. Doug Davidson of "The Young and the Restless" and Heather Tom of "The Bold and the Beautiful" won lead acting honors. Davidson earned his first career trophy as Detective Paul Williams, a character he's played since 1978. Tom, who previously was on "Y&R," repeated her win from last year. "I am overwhelmed," he said, wiping his eye. Tom won for her role as Katie Logan, who struggled with post-partum depression and abandoned her baby in a major story line. Last year, she became the first person to win Daytime Emmys in the younger, supporting and lead categories. She expressed optimism for the future of daytime dramas, which have shrunk from a dozen airing on the broadcast networks in 1991 to just four still on TV. "Last year was kind of like, 'Oh god, things are being canceled.' Now our numbers are up and people realize there's an audience for this type of entertainment," Tom said backstage. "It's an audience that can't be easily swayed to something that doesn't resemble a daytime drama. Our future looks good." Reflecting the current era of dwindling daytime audiences, network budget-cutting and the cancellation of some soaps, the awards were aired by cable news channel HLN for the second straight year, having lost its longtime home on the broadcast networks last year. In an effort to liven up the proceedings, the night's biggest winners were chatted up, sometimes awkwardly, on stage right after they accepted their trophies by celebrities whose favorite question was the clichéd "How do you feel?" "This is so strange," Davidson said as he grabbed a mic and took a seat on a red sofa. "Good Morning America" weather anchor Sam Champion, along with HLN network's A.J. Hammer and Robin Meade, hosted the 40th annual show, which stretched well past its scheduled two hours. Scott Clifton of "The Bold and the Beautiful" and Billy Miller of "The Young and the Restless" tied for supporting actor in a drama series. Julie Marie Berman of "General Hospital" won supporting actress honors. She has since left the ABC soap. Her former co-star, Kristen Alderson, won the younger actress category. In an upset, first-time nominee "CBS Sunday Morning" beat out heavyweights "Good Morning America" and the "Today Show" for outstanding morning program. "We snuck in while nobody was looking," host Charles Osgood said. Ricki Lake, whose daytime comeback has been canceled, won outstanding talk show host. Ben Bailey of "Cash Cab," which is no longer being produced, picked up his third win as outstanding game show host. "The Price is Right" won game show honors. "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" earned its seventh trophy as outstanding talk show entertainment. The show paid tribute to Lifetime Achievement Award winners Monty Hall of "Let's Make a Deal" fame and the late game-show creator Bob Stewart.



news sours   www.greenwichtime.com

James Joyce and me

James Joyce and me

Not long ago, while visiting my son in San Francisco, I noticed that the toilet paper in his bathroom bore the legend: “Do you suffer from bathroom anxiety over not having the right tissue?” I could not help but remember the torn-up newspaper we used instead of tissue long ago. For some reason I thought of the Calypso chapter in Ulysses, in which Leopold Bloom sits on the throne in his outhouse, reading his “toilet tissue ” – an old copy of Tit-Bits. I first tried to read Ulysses in 1958, when I was 15. I could not afford to buy the book, and of course it was still unavailable in the library. So I took myself to Eason, where I was able to read it surreptitiously. The first chapter was grand: three lads hanging out in the Martello tower in Sandycove. The second was also to my liking. I enjoyed Stephen Dedalus’s journey to Dalkey and his dialogue with the teacher Mr Deasy, that dyed-in-the-wool Orangeman, who was trying to have his article on (of all things) foot-and-mouth disease published. I rejoiced when Stephen managed to extract his money from Deasy – money earned from teaching Latin to young boys – and headed off with his coins. The third chapter was more difficult. I could not make head or tail of it, being unfamiliar with the angst and with the stream of consciousness. There were far too many words I hadn’t yet come across. So that was that. I got on with my life. Fast-forward many years to Klear Adult Education Centre, in Kilbarrack, where I joined Anne McGrath’s class “Reading Ulysses”. They were reading the chapter called Hades, about Paddy Dignam’s funeral. It was pure entertainment. I was hooked. I subsequently attended St Patrick’s College in Drumcondra as a mature student and found Tom Halpin’s lectures on Ulysses to be memorable. I took over McGrath’s class when she retired, and I have now read Ulysses many times, encouraging those of my generation who had been nervous of taking it on. I believe we Dubliners have a special affinity with Ulysses. Many people come from abroad to gain a flavour of the book – indeed, Joyce is responsible for a huge amount of literary tourism, particularly around Bloomsday, which this year falls tomorrow. But people from Japan, Germany, France and elsewhere don’t necessarily understand all the nuances of our language. It is said they sometimes interpret “chizzlers”, which we understand as a pet word for children, as “people who work with wood” – and there are many attempts to translate “chainies”, which we remember as the pieces of delph dug up in gardens and used as toys in our childhood. These are just two examples of the language that we Dubliners have a special handle on.


news sours   www.irishtimes.com

Steven Spielberg & George Lucas Predict 'Implosion' of Film Industry

Steven Spielberg & George Lucas Predict 'Implosion' of Film Industry

With more low budget films finding their audience on VOD or streaming on Netflix rather than movie theaters, and big budget films taking over multiplexes and occasionally bombing spectacularly, the film industry is on the verge of a dramatic shift in how audiences get their big screen entertainment. Speaking at the University of Southern California yesterday, iconic filmmakers Steven Spielberg and George Lucas lamented the difficult path to get a film into movie theaters nowadays, and they both predict an implosion of the motion picture industry as we know it, mostly in how we pay for films and where we see them. Read on! As evidenced by film studios' obsession with established intellectual property over original ideas, Spielberg says that many of the ideas coming from film students at schools like USC "are too fringe-y for the movies," and that's where the real problem begins. With studios putting all their money into these big blockbusters that have the potential to lose a lot of money, something has to give. THR has Spielberg's comment: "That's the big danger, and there's eventually going to be an implosion — or a big meltdown. There's going to be an implosion where three or four or maybe even a half-dozen megabudget movies are going to go crashing into the ground, and that's going to change the paradigm." It's going to take some big time failures from movie studios to realize this business model isn't working as well as it used to. Spielberg thinks the pricing model for movies in theaters will change to reflect a film's higher or lower profile. The director thinks, "you're gonna have to pay $25 for the next Iron Man, you're probably only going to have to pay $7 to see Lincoln." In fact, Spielberg points out that his Best Picture nominated drama was extremely close to becoming an HBO film instead of a theatrical release. And it sounds like TV might be the next "big" thing for the movies. Lucas praises television, saying the medium is "much more adventurous" and he predicts, "I think eventually the Lincolns will go away and they're going to be on television." That kind of dramatic shift would mean there would have to be some kind of reworking of the Academy Awards, especially when a film like Behind the Candelabra, Steven Soderbergh's HBO film about Liberace, is getting so much critical praise and could easily be an awards contender when the Oscars come around if it had been a theatrical release. But if movies like Lincoln that aren't huge blockbusters head to TV, what happens with the big screen? The Star Wars director believes the movie theater model could revert back the Broadway play format (which is kind of how movies used to be release in theaters decades ago). Rather than movies sticking around for only a couple months, they would be in theaters longer, and the ticket prices would be higher in order to make sure a film's budget is recouped. Spielberg pointed out that E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial stayed in theaters for a year and four months. That simply doesn't happen anymore with the most recent wide release, extended theatrical run belonging to Titanic, which stayed in US theaters for about nine months. My Big Fat Greek Wedding was in theaters for nearly a year though, beginning with a limited release. It would make the most sense that the bigger movies, which costs hundreds of millions, would be the films people want to see in theaters, and might be willing to fork over some extra money. Plus, if the film is in theaters longer, with the home video release gap no longer being a mere two or three months, more people will be likely to pay to see it sooner than later. And considering how many indie releases head to VOD or Netflix for a release, Spielberg and Lucas seem to have the right idea about an extreme paradigm shift. When it comes down to it, getting a movie made and into theaters by way of a studio is extremely difficult nowadays. As Lucas points out, "We're talking Lincoln and Red Tails -- we barely got them into theaters. You're talking about Steven Spielberg and George Lucas can't get their movie into a theater." Though Red Tails may not be the greatest example, the idea is that these iconic filmmakers are having trouble getting their own movies made. Spielberg points out that he had to own half of a studio in order to get Lincoln made. The times they are a-changing, and let's just hope that Hollywood has the foresight to take action and not let the industry crumble before shaking things up. Thoughts?



news sours   www.firstshowing.net

‘Fast’ Sequel Tops Weekend Movies Again, Speeds by Smith Duo

‘Fast’ Sequel Tops Weekend Movies Again, Speeds by Smith Duo

“Fast & Furious 6” was the top film at U.S. and Canadian theaters for a second weekend with $34.5 million in sales, topping “After Earth,” the new Will Smith- and-son vehicle from Sony Corp. (6758), which took in $27 million. The Smith movie finished third, behind “Now You See Me,” which debuted in second place with $28.1 million, according to a statement yesterday from Hollywood.com Box-Office. Universal Pictures’ “Fast & Furious 6,” the latest in a franchise inspired by illegal street-racing gangs, has thrived on the tried-and-tested formula of a multiethnic cast and intense action scenes. The first five movies have posted $2 billion in sales, garnering a global audience of teens and young adults. “The diversity of the cast is a huge advantage,” said Phil Contrino, an analyst with Boxoffice.com. “These films have become global products in a way that doesn’t feel forced or tacked on.” “Fast & Furious 6” receipts add to the $117 million the movie took in during last weekend’s U.S. Memorial holiday, which was a record debut for Comcast Corp. (CMCSA)’s Universal and the second-biggest opening of the year. Alongside recent big Hollywood releases, such as “Star Trek Into Darkness” and “Iron Man 3,” it has built momentum for Hollywood, which has begun the prime summer-movie season. 7th Installment Starring Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel, “Fast & Furious 6” has taken in $170.4 million since it opened on May 24. It was forecast to generate $38.2 million this past weekend, according to Boxoffice.com. “Going into the weekend, we thought it would be a horse race with ‘After Earth,’” said Nikki Rocco, Universal Pictures president of distribution, in an interview. The studio will release a seventh installment in July 2014, she said. The first movie in the series was released in 2001 without plans for so many sequels, Rocco said. “We didn’t see it -- the crystal ball just doesn’t tell you,” she said. The picture’s fortunes contrast with Sony’s bet on Will Smith and his son Jaden in “After Earth,” a grim, futuristic tale of survival after catastrophic events. Made for about $130 million, its debut falls short of previous Smith openings which carry a similar, serious tone, including “I Am Legend,” which opened with $77.2 million and “I, Robot,” with $52.2 million. Bad Reviews “After Earth,” forecast to take in about $36.4 million, was poorly reviewed ahead of its opening with 95 negative critiques out of the 109 compiled on Rottentomatoes.com. “In regards to the U.S. performance, we’d hoped for more,” Rory Bruer, president of worldwide distribution at Sony Pictures Entertainment, said in an interview yesterday. The company is confident the picture can recoup its cost, he said. “I think that we’ll see as we look ahead, the tracking for us internationally is very strong,” Bruer said. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, it’s the second pairing of Smith and his son. The two co-starred in “The Pursuit of Happyness,” a drama that cost $55 million and took in $307.1 million worldwide. Jaden Smith also played the lead in “The Karate Kid” in 2010. The film, also from Sony, cost $40 million and had sales of $359.1 million worldwide. Raise Cash The results for “After Earth” may intensify the spotlight on Sony. It’s under pressure from billionaire investor Daniel Loeb to sell a portion of the entertainment unit in an initial public offering to improve the division’s performance and raise cash for Sony’s unprofitable electronics businesses. “After Earth” may still make up some ground for Sony on its international release, Contrino said. “You can’t compare ‘After Earth’ to ‘Men in Black’ or his established franchise movies,” Contrino said. “And I don’t want to write it off until after we see how it does worldwide.” Second place’s “Now You See Me,” from Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (LGF), edged out “After Earth” by $1.1 million while playing in about 500 fewer theaters. The story of how illusionists pull off a heist by outsmarting corrupt businessmen and the FBI stars Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo and Morgan Freeman. It cost about $75 million to make, and was forecast by Boxoffice.com to take in $23 million. Contrino called it one of the summer's biggest upsets. ``A-list stars are not nearly as reliable at the box office as they once were,'' he said. Weekend revenue for the top 12 films rose 16 percent to $156.5 million from the year-earlier period, Hollywood.com said. Attendance is down 6 percent year to date, as is revenue.



news sours    www.businessweek.com

‘Arrested Development’ Season 4 review: A chore to watch and a delight to decrypt

‘Arrested Development’ Season 4 review: A chore to watch and a delight to decrypt

You have watched every episode of the first three seasons of “Arrested Development.” (Sam Urdank/Netflix) - Jessica Walter and Jeffrey Tambor in “Arrested Development.” GoingOut Guide Looking for things to do? Select one or more criteria to search Kid-friendly Free admission Get ideas You have swallowed Netflix’s bonus fourth season without chewing. You have tried to wash it down with honey from the hive mind. You have begun to gag. The new season started streaming early Sunday morning. The professional recappers picked it apart almost instantly, littering the Internet with twitticisms. Superfans got exactly what we wanted but still felt bereft — a psychological symptom of 21st-century existence, as well as a fitting response to the sitcom that best satirizes this now-teenaged era. The first two seasons of “Arrested Development,” which aired on Fox from 2003 to 2005, ennoble the medium of television. The 22-minute episodes are tart, fizzy escapades following a family of entitled Californians whose real estate wealth evaporates after the patriarch (genius Jeffrey Tambor) is jailed for defrauding investors. The show, with its tic-laden characters and top-shelf storytelling, was a bonfire of inanities. It exulted in its inside jokes. It embraced verbal artistry and narrative footnoting. It drew energy from the awful gravity that binds even the most combative families. Above all, it trusted the intelligence and vigilance of its handful of viewers; we, in turn, took possession of this overlooked masterpiece in order to feel superior to the rest of America, which was making “Two and a Half Men” a No. 1 show. “Arrested Development” was five years ahead of its time. Its meme-ability predated the rise of the meme. Its parodies of 1 percenters and malfeasant corporations were 1,000 news cycles ahead of the subprime mortgage crisis and the Olympic debut of Rafalca. The metastatic third and final network season, which wrapped in early 2006, thumbed its nose at the mundane forces that brought about its demise: modest viewership, fleeing advertisers and fickle TV executives. Each would soon be immaterial to a series’ distribution and survival. Thus we have arrived, seven years later, at the Internet resurrection of a beloved television series whose cult has since expanded into a major religion. And we are faced with two questions — one as old as consciousness, the other as new as Netflix Instant. Do great expectations sabotage greatness? No, but they can distort it. Can a binge on fudge-rich, instant-order entertainment truly nourish us? Yes, but only with a proper digestif. Here’s one, on the rocks: The new 15-episode season of “Arrested Development” is staggering in its ambition, surgical in its execution and diabolical in its conclusion. It’s a chore to watch and a delight to decrypt. Its overwhelmingness contributes to its initial underwhelmingness. But in time, with a moment to reflect, it begins to feel like the fullest and fraughtest expression of its form. It is, in a perverse way, the “Ulysses” of sitcoms. First, its ambition. Even as it undermines its own pretension with pratfalls and vulgarities, Season 4 is a brazen attempt to map the thorny overlap between human isolation and human interdependence. The prideful ego of family good guy Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman at his wits’ end), the slothful id of his older brother Gob (Will Arnett at his oiliest), the bizarre compulsions of family members around them — every character flaw is exaggerated into malfunction for the sake of conflict.



news sours   www.washingtonpost.com

Kanye West New Slaves Video shut down by Houston police (video)

Kanye West New Slaves Video shut down by Houston police (video)

Kanye West New Slaves Video shut down by Houston police (video) Added by Douglas Cobb on May 25, 2013. Saved under Douglas Cobb, Entertainment, Music Kanye.jpg Kanye West’s latest video, “New Slaves,” was shut down by the Houston police on Friday. The video had been scheduled to be projected on the side of the Rothko Chapel. It was supposed to be another chance for hip hop fans to see West’s video that he had wanted to be broadcast on buildings across the nation. The screening had been delayed due to technical problems, but it was finally ready to be shown when the police arrived. Apparently, the Houston police thought that the screening, or its delay, might incite viewers to commit acts of violence. The other two Houston locations where the “New Slaves” video was scheduled to be projected had issues, also, but ones that didn’t involve intervention by the police. reported. Technical difficulties were the cause of the screening being delayed at one of the locations.At the other location, the problem was that it was a wash-out altogether. One Kanye West fan, Janet Quiroa, who was there, expecting a fun night of entertainment at the event, got something that was instead very different. She said that the only entertainment was when the sprinklers come on and listening to “obnoxious people screaming Kanye threats.” For whatever reason, the Rothko Chapel screening came to an early end as police shut down the event. The police shut down The “New Slaves” video, according to the Houston Chronicle, which had been scheduled to show on the Rothko Chapel, Central Library downtown. The police shut the planned screening down before it have even begun. Though the crowd there seemed to be attentive and respectful, the police responded in a manner that suggested they were worried that trouble was brewing. Pulling up onto the grass, the Houston police flashed their lights and blasted their sirens. They then ordered everyone in attendance for the Kanye West video to leave or they would be arrested. The stunned people there did what the police asked, and left the area. The library screening was canceled at its scheduled time due to technical difficulties. It was rescheduled at a later time that night until police showed up. Kanye had announced that his latest video would be projected on buildings at twenty-four locations on Friday. In the United States, the other cities where the event was to occur included Philadelphia, Atlanta, San Diego, and Austin, among others. “New Slaves” made its debut a week ago with the video being projected around the world, including in New York City. The Houston showings were a part of the second wave of screenings for the video. The screenings were a large-scale media event to help promote the sales of Kanye West’s new album. It is titled ”Yeezus,” and it is set to be released June 18. Want to see the controversial “New Slaves” video for yourselves? Here it is, for your viewing pleasure.


news sours   guardianlv.com

A Mild Final Showdown as ‘Idol’ Loses Its Spark

A Mild Final Showdown as ‘Idol’ Loses Its Spark

If this was the year that “American Idol,” the powerful, deeply influential but troubled singing competition, hoped to prove its worth as a minter of future music stars, it came up short. If it was the year it hoped to bring stasis to its lately-evolving judges’ panel, it also missed the mark. And if this was the year it hoped to prove continued dominance over the other vocal contest shows that have arrived in the wake of its juggernaut success, then consider that strike three. Enlarge This Image Phil Mccarten/Reuters The stoic soul singer Candice Glover beat out a roots-country singer, Kree Harrison, but the showdown lacked tension or charm. Arts Twitter Logo. Connect With Us on Twitter Follow @nytimesarts for arts and entertainment news. Arts Twitter List: Critics, Reporters and Editors Arts & Entertainment Guide A sortable calendar of noteworthy cultural events in the New York region, selected by Times critics. Go to Event Listings » The 12th season of “Idol,” which concluded with a two-night finale Wednesday and Thursday, won’t be remembered as the show’s nadir. That would be the ninth season, in which the winner was the characterless, gruff rock crooner Lee DeWyze. But it did mark the definitive end of the era in which “Idol” was as certain as death and taxes. The stoic soul singer Candice Glover was named the winner over the roots-country singer Kree Harrison after a showdown that lacked tension or charm. Ms. Glover, who sang with the force and nuance of a cement truck, clearly had the better night during Wednesday’s performance finale, but Ms. Harrison had verve and flexibility that Ms. Glover lacked. Neither was dominant, though Ms. Glover did deliver this season’s definitive performance several weeks ago: a startling version of the Cure’s “Lovesong” (following the stark, woozy version first delivered by Adele) that prompted Mariah Carey, a judge, to march onstage and shower her with glitter. In the first all-female finale since the show’s third season, the battle between Kreedom and Candy Girl, as the judge Nicki Minaj dubbed them, was hardly the conflict that drove this season, and it fell far short of other memorable “Idol” finale twosomes. Instead the “Idol” dramas were offstage: a ratings freefall, even coming up short to “Duck Dynasty” by some measurements; the public spats between Ms. Minaj and Ms. Carey; the hastily announced exit of judge Randy Jackson, the show’s last connection to the its first season, not counting the host Ryan Seacrest. Firstly, while “Idol” remains a ratings force, it is no longer the standard-bearer for televised singing competitions: “The X Factor” is more modern, “The Voice” is more narratively compelling. “Idol” is a legacy show now, a reminder of simpler times. And never has a season of “Idol” felt more like a pure karaoke competition than this one. It is not helped by the band, Ray Chew Live, which is well suited to a variety show but not one ostensibly in search of a modern pop star. But of this year’s contestants, only a couple might have fit that bill anyhow: Angie Miller, the Christian pop melodramatist who came in third; Janelle Arthur, a country sparkplug who placed fifth. The best male singers, the undervalued but too prim Devin Velez and the technically proficient but shy Burnell Taylor, weren’t broadly appealing. This year, the five male finalists — including Lazaro Arbos, who suffers from a severe stutter, and was this season’s emotional story-arc chum — were summarily eliminated before any woman got cut. It was a reflection of the lopsidedness of the talent pool, as well as what appeared to be careful engineering on the part of the show to avoid a continuation of its dispiriting pattern of white, male, guitar-playing winners, a streak that lasted five years before Thursday night. But even though Ms. Glover broke that pattern on Thursday night, she came off humbled when tasked to sing alongside Jennifer Hudson, former “Idol” also-ran turned film star, who, politely speaking, ate Ms. Glover for dinner on their duet of Natalie Cole’s “Inseparable.” Ms. Hudson sang with pain and finesse, and Ms. Glover had perhaps heard of those things, but never touched them. The more impressive pairing of this-season contestant with a prior-season non-winner on Thursday night was Ms. Miller singing “Titanium” with Adam Lambert, two shamelessly emoting powerhouses going for broke. On of the signature innovations of “Idol” in its early years was to have a judging panel with its own intrigue, but no matter how boorish Simon Cowell ever got, the judges’ dynamic never outshadowed the events on stage. This season, though, the tension between Ms. Carey and Ms. Minaj was at such a high volume that it often overshadowed the tepid contestants, and also what each of them did well as judges: Ms. Carey had a finely tuned ear and precise critiques, Ms. Minaj was an unexpected nurturer and the class clown. Ms. Carey also seemed grateful for the opportunity to peacock on camera for a few hours each week, even if it came at the price of some of her dignity. She was redeemed a bit Thursday night, when she performed a long medley of hits, nailing some of her signature high notes and singing with real warmth. Ms. Minaj did not perform. Despite some early indications this season that Mr. Jackson might turn into the judging panel’s musical authority, finally out of the shadow of Simon Cowell and, one supposes, Steven Tyler, he quickly reverted to being the same old boulder in the road he’s always been, a fountain of empty cliché with a taste for pastel paisley. (It’s unclear whether any of the other judges will return next season, or, if Keith Urban returns, if anyone will notice.) What passed for musical controversy this season came a few weeks ago, when Harry Connick Jr., who’s been floated as a possible “Idol” judge in the past, mentored the top four finalists, and was troubled by their tendencies to oversing without isolating or emphasizing the meaning of a lyric. It’s an old debate, older then “Idol” itself, and it came off like blaming salmon for not reading up on commercial fishing practices before spawning. Mr. Connick might like “Idol” to be even more old fashioned than it’s become, but that’s no longer a viable option, and nowhere near an attractive one. Maybe the person this season with the most insight into the current state of “Idol” was Jennifer Lopez, a judge the last two seasons who, in the final 15 minutes of Thursday night’s show, returned to deliver a dynamic performance of a hamhanded new song, and also appeared in an ad for Kohl’s. She’s moved on, back to her old careers, knowing full well that “Idol” was a rest stop, not the final destination. Save E-mail Share


news sours      www.nytimes.com

Would you pay for YouTube?

Would you pay for YouTube?

Your daily mid-afternoon procrastination may need to find a new outlet. Google-owned YouTube.com, a.k.a. the Internet video free-for-all, may be turning into a pay service for certain popular channels. In response to a report that the change to a partial paywall could come as soon as next week, a YouTube spokesperson tells EW, “We have nothing to announce at this time, but we’re looking into creating a subscription platform that could bring even more great content to YouTube for our users to enjoy and provide our partners with another vehicle to generate revenue from their content, beyond the rental and ad-supported models we offer.” A report from The Financial Times says the new pay model “will apply to as many as 50 YouTube channels, [and] viewers will be able to subscribe to each channel for as little as $1.99 a month.” In this way, it sounds like YouTube will become similar to Hulu: a lot of the content is free, but to get all of it viewers must pay a small monthly fee. It seems unlikely YouTube will eventually charge for all its content (cat videos are probably safe for now), but channels that are creating content specifically for YouTube, like original web series, seem destined to eventually cost fans some cash. The Financial Times reports that a few of the channels targeted for premium status include The Onion and World Wrestling Entertainment. Would you pay to watch YouTube?



news sours      popwatch.ew.com

Yahoo! Partners with WWE, Announces Original Programming

Add caYahoo! Partners with WWE, Announces Original Programminption

Yahoo! will debut six original shows later this year and has partnered with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) to be the main online distribution service for the entertainment group, the company announced. The WWE announcement comes just days after Yahoo! announced it would be the exclusive online home to “Saturday Night Live’s” archives. “In the last year, we have more than doubled the original video programming on Yahoo! to become one of the Web’s largest content publishers,” said Erin McPherson, Yahoo! VP and head of video. “The new shows and partnerships we’re announcing … demonstrate how we are building scale, reaching more targeted audiences, and innovating with content.” Starting this summer, Yahoo! will launch a dedicated online hub for WWE content, offering exclusive programming, access to WWE archives, live events and clips from current TV programming. Yahoo! also announced it’s expanding its partnership with ABC News to include extended, online programming for “Nightline,” “World News With Diane Sawyer” and “Good Morning America.” For original programming, Yahoo! will debut three new comedy shows this fall: “Tiny Commando” starring Ed Helms (The Hangover); “We Need Help” starring Cheryl Hines (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”) and Rachael Harris (Diary of a Wimpy Kid); and “Losing Your Virginity with John Stamos.” In 2013 Yahoo! will also debut three new lifestyle shows, including “Fashion Recipe,” “Cinema & Spice” and “Grill Girls.”

news sours   www.homemediamagazine.com

Jennifer Lopez rushed to safety after gunshots fired near set

Jennifer Lopez rushed to safety after gunshots fired near set

Singer and actress Jennifer Lopez had quite a scare on Sunday when gunshots interrupted her interview with Entertainment Tonight. Lopez was rushed to safety and there were no reports of injuries. Lopez had just wrapped up filming for a music video for her new single “Live It Up” on the beach in Fort Lauderdale, Florida when the interview with Entertainment Tonight’s Rob Marciano was cut short by gunfire. Witnesses reported hearing three gunshots near the Entertainment Tonight set. Marciano tweeted about the incident almost immediately: ”BREAKING: Gunshots fired on Fort Lauderdale Beach DURING my JLo interview. No kidding. Security scrambled her away.” Marciano later added that the shots were fired approximately 400 yards away from the set and that ambulances arrived, which was merely a precaution since no one was hit. After police arrived to the scene, they detained several individuals, but no arrests were made. According to Fort Lauderdale Police spokeswoman DeAnna Greenlaw, “there are no known witnesses, no reported injuries and no further information” about the incident. Fort Lauderdale has experienced an increase in gang activity in recent years, although police don’t know if the shots were gang-related or an isolated event. In any event, Lopez did have her security team on hand during the music video shoot and the interview, and they quickly acted and got her to safety after hearing the gunshots. Lopez hasn’t made any statements to the media or by Twitter regarding the gunshots, but one can imagine that the 43-year-old mom to two had to be shaken up. Lopez’s boyfriend Casper Smart and rapper Pitbull were at the music video shoot and Pitbull later thanked Lopez for letting him work with her on the new single on Twitter, but he didn’t mention the shooting. In addition to filming the video for the new single “Live It Up,” Lopez has been a busy woman lately. She is working on her eighth studio album. The album doesn’t have a release date yet, but “Live It Up” will be on the album and will be released on May 8. Lopez has also gotten in touch with her film side by producing a new TV show that will air on CBS on June 3, called The Fosters. The show is about a same-sex couple raising a family. J. Lo fans will get to see her perform live on the season finale of American Idol this month. Lopez served as a judge for Idol for two seasons before leaving. In her first appearance on Idol in a year, Lopez will likely perform “Live It Up” during the finale show.


news sours      natmonitor.com

'Two and a Half Men' renewed, without Angus T. Jones as regular

'Two and a Half Men' renewed, without Angus T. Jones as regula

As expected, CBS’ Two and a Half Men will return next season. Ashton Kutcher and Jon Cryer have both signed on for another round, with Kutcher getting a reported $700,000-per-episode payout. But don’t expect Angus T. Jones to be back full time. Studio Warner Bros. is talking to the actor about a possible recurring role on the show instead of coming back as a series regular. Cue the usual quips about whether the show’s title should be changed. Jones infamously bashed his show earlier this season on a YouTube video, prompting speculation that he might be headed for the door. But CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler told reporters in January that the network and the actor had mended fences. “The kid’s 19 years old,” Tassler said at the time.”I’ve got a 24 year old. Between the ages of 19 and 24 there’s been plenty of things my kid has come out and said that I wish he hadn’t but the bottom line is cooler heads prevailed. [Jones has] been a beloved member of that cast for years and years and he issued a public apology. At the end of the day, they want him back and he wants to come back and that’s it.”


news sours    insidetv.ew.com

Jay Leno rips NBC bosses; Seth Myers to replace Jimmy Fallon?

NBC bosses; Seth Myers to replace Jimmy Fallon?

According to various media reports, “Late Night” host Jimmy Fallon will take over “The Tonight Show” from host Jay Leno in 2014. To make light of a difficult situations or perhaps to vent his frustrations, Leno is taking aim at his NBC bosses with a few well-timed jokes. “They are sending my wife and I on an all expenses paid Carnival cruise…So it looks like it’s going to be OK,” Leno joked. ”Imagine that, the guy had a knife in his back for three years. He must’ve worked at NBC too,” he said. The Hollywood Reporter reports that Fallon attempted to diffuse the situation by contacting Leno. The last thing he or anybody at NBC wants is a repeat of the Leno-Conan O’Brien debacle. A source told THR that Fallon would like “all this noise” about his move to “The Tonight Show” to go away. “He didn’t expect this,” the source added. In addition to his legendary work ethic, Leno is also regard as one of the nicer guys in show business. In August 2012, Leno took a pay cut so that NBC wouldn’t have to fire more staffers. The comedian, who was reportedly making somewhere in the ballpark of $25-$30 million annually before the pay cut, is now pulling in $20 million per year. According to an unnamed source cited by the New York Post, Seth Meyers is going to replace Fallon when the “Saturday Night Live” alum moves over to “The Tonight Show,” a gig that has been occupied by Leno since 1992 when the comedian replaced the legendary Johnny Carson. Meyers is SNL’s head writer and Weekend Update host. According to the source, Lorne Michaels would like Seth to replace Fallon. “30 Rock” star Tina Fey was briefly considered for the gig but she turned it down because a number of other projects need her focus and attention. In the meantime, NBC is constructing an impressive studio for Fallon at 30 Rock. Entertainment Weekly reports that New York City is doing everything in its power to bring “The Tonight Show” back to the Big Apple. According to EW.com, the Cuomo administration said Thursday that the city wants to draw TV shows away from California with a proposed tax credit program. “The Tonight Show” moved to Burbank, California, when Carson was host. Who’s your favorite late night comedian? Would ,make a good “Late Night” host? Will Leno bow out gracefully? Sound off in the comments section.


news sours www natmonitor.com