Slow News Day?

What do you get when we add together someone coming clean, someone saying goodbye, and someone saying “Um no…guess again.”?  The correct answer, this week’s pop culture news stories, of course!

Former home run king Mark McGwire on Tuesday came clean to America that he in fact did use steroids during his career, including the 1998 season when he broke the single season Major League Baseball home run record.  McGwire was forced to come clean as he assumes his new position as hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals.  But lets move on because “I’m not here to talk about the past.” 

Simon Cowell, American Idol’s favorite judge to hate, is officially calling it quits after this season.  Cowell is wasting no time though, as he is making plans with FOX to bring his other mega-Bristish hit The X Factor to the States.  In asked why he is leaving Cowell stated, “I want to leave ‘Idol’ this year bigger and better than it was in the past”.  While his answer does not provide much substance, we all know the real reason; he just really misses Paula.  Even if things don’t pan out with X and he needs a new gig, I hear there might be an opening at NBC…

…And speaking of NBC, the late night three-ring circus continues!!  After NBC proposed a plan of moving The Jay Leno Show to 11:35PM, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien to 12:05 AM (wait…does’t that make it The Tomorrow Show???) and then Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to 1:05 AM, someone now is a little cranky. 

Tuesday afternoon Conan O’Brien shocked the world (so much it caused CNN to call it ‘breaking news’) and released a statement saying he would not follow the proposed plan.  “My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of ‘The Tonight Show.’ But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction,” O’Brien said in his statement. 

Of course the one I feel the most for, is poor ole Carson Daily. But hey, maybe he can host an N*SYNC reunion when Total Request Live becomes popular again.  Although, I do like NBC’s new idea for its next show…

 

NBCee you later? Late-night shuffle looms

If NBC could blush, it would be blushing right now.

As it should. After only four months on the air, The Jay Leno Show will be canceled, NBC executives say. The reason most cited is that local affiliates are losing money, as the show’s low ratings have a domino effect on local newscasts.

The debacle began in 2004, when Leno announced he’d be leaving The Tonight Show in 2009. The decision came five years early to prevent another late-night showdown similar to that in 1992 between Leno and David Letterman, who were both vying to take Johnny Carson’s seat at the desk.

So, NBC thought it’d take the easy road by announcing — five years early — that Conan O’Brien would be Leno’s replacement.

But when the time came, NBC realized Leno wasn’t ready to retire, and other networks (like FOX) began offering a potential late-night talk show deal. NBC’s resolution was to move him to primetime five nights a week.

Now, Leno is garnering late-night ratings during primetime, which isn’t enough to pay the bills. And the fix? Tentatively, the plan is to move Leno to 11:35 p.m., O’Brien to 12:05 a.m. and Late Night host Jimmy Fallon moving to 1:05… or letting him go altogether.

Yes, Leno’s show is cheaper to produce than another Law & Order franchise or even some second-rate reality show. But the quality and interest is not matched (disclaimer: this comes from a diehard Letterman fan).

Now, NBC is blushing, realizing Leno is still relevant (I suppose). They’re facing a predicament now, possibly altering the legendary The Tonight Show to a half hour and giving back to Leno. O’Brien would inherit his old stomping grounds (which puts two NBC late-night shows in Los Angeles), but Fallon’s future would be up in the air.

The debacle would have been avoided if NBC didn’t channel Nostradamus to see the fate — five years in advance — of late-night TV. Leno should jump ship ASAP — and his crowd would follow. O’Brien and Fallon will have trouble trusting NBC from here on, and the net will be hanging its head low for the next few months.

And that’s why I choose to watch Letterman, the drama-free choice.

 

Enter Flight Innuendo Here

Yes boys and girls it is that time again, another season of America’s favorite relationship reality show (with a horrible success rate) The Bachelor.

This year’s lucky son-of-a-gun is Jake Pavelka, everyone’s favorite Dallas pilot who was sent home by Jillian Harris during last season on The Bachelorette. For those of you who need a refresher, Jake was the knight in shining armor (who was already eliminated) who tracked down Jillian to inform her of something everyone in America, except Jillian, already knew; that Wes was an idiot.  Speaking of which, when is he getting his spin-off series??

Though there is something special about this season.  It’s not just The Bachelor, but The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love. I will pause as you roll your eyes now.  If they wanted to add a subtitle they should have called it The Bachelor: Hey!  Look at my Rock-Hard Abs! During the first half-hour of the show, the ratio of shots with Jake’s shirt off to on was about 3:1.  If you would have turned off the show by that point, you would swear you were watching a Bo-Flex infomercial.

But regardless, this season will be jammed packed (like an over-sized carry-on) with references to Jake’s occupation of flying.  Just in this episode alone, about half of the 25 bachelorettes confessed they wanted to be Jake’s co-pilot.  Hell, even Ashley, the 29-year-old teacher form Pittsburgh, Pa.,  went to the extent of dressing up as his flight attendant.  I thought this type of stuff didn’t come until the fantasy suites…

Though this week’s winner comes to us from Channy, the 29-year-old mortgage loan officer, when she said this…

Needless to say she did not get a rose.

After doing much research, I have no been able to lock down the Las Vegas odds on who is the heavy favorite this season, but in closely watching the season promo, put your money on Ali, Tenley, and Ella.  As for Michelle and Christina, ehh, not so much. 

So raise your champagne glass, and get ready to enjoy another wonderful season!!   

 

2010, Twenty Ten, 0 10, Ahh Who Cares?

Happy New Year loyal Chreg readers!

Yes, both Chris and I know that we have not paid much attention to “The Chreg” since the beginning of November, but with a new year, comes a new drive to bring you the best that pop culture has to offer. 

Where does this ambition stem from you ask?  Well as Chris and I were toasting to a New Year and wondering how much hair gel was in Ryan Seacrest’s fo-hawk during Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year Eve with Ryan Seacrest, we learned of the disappointment of one devoted fan who misses our insight on who is going to win The Bachelor.  So Jeff Wilson, Temple University Director of Basketball Operations (or DOBO for short), ”this Bud is for you!”

May this year be full of B-List celebrities tripping the light fantastic, a mass man-hunt for Tiger Woods (maybe Carmen San Diego is available), and maybe a little less of Jon and Kate Gosselin (or whatever her maiden name is). 

Happy 2010 Everyone!!!

 

iClectic iPod: Part 2

Unless you are really interested in Levi Johnston thinking about posing nude, or Kate Hudson winning the New York Yankees 27th World Series ring, there has not been much going on in the world of pop culture.  So to pass the time until the next big thing, I present to you iClectic iPod: Part 2 brought to you by Apple.

“Don’t Stop Believin’” by the Cast of Glee

I promise you all I did not pick this to start, but I will admit, I cannot get enough of Glee. After watching the pilot episode in the beginning of the summer, I had my doubts about a show that focuses on a school organization that ranks at the bottom of the food chain, but as soon as the cast sang Journey’s most famous track, I knew all was right in the world.

“Gone” by Daughtry

For being someone who co-writes a blog about pop culture, I am not a huge fan of American Idol.  I am not sure why I am not glued to my TV set every Tuesday and Wednesday from January to May; OK, maybe it’s because I am still a little bitter about Clay Aiken losing in the finals of season 2.  Anyway…there have been a select few who I do enjoy listening to, and that does include Chris Daughtry.

“Walkin’” by Miles Davis

And here is where things get eclectic.  Being the marching band nerd that I am, I cannot get enough of that cool jazz sound.  Jazz is one of the very few genres of music that was born right here in the good ole U.S.A., and I feel gets sadly classified in the “noise” category.  Well Mr. Davis surely has done his job in keeping Americans tapping their toes to jump, jive, and wail.

“Me and Mrs. Jones” by Michael Buble

I am going to admit something that I have held inside for a very very long time: I have a huge “man-crush” on Michael Buble.  I don’t need to have his looks, I just want his vocal chords!  No matter what he sings, it’s so good, and soooo cool.  Actually, he is “Mr. Cool”.  With all of the “noise” that you hear on the radio today, I am so glad the 21st Century has its’ own version of Sinatra.  Sure this is a cover, but he sings the pants off of it!!!

“Walking in Memphis” by Marc Cohn

The reason why I love this song?  Two words: Stu Shames.  If you live in the Philadelphia metropolitan-area, you need to get yourself to 2nd Street Annies to see this man.  Formerly the the headline act on Saturday nights at the Piano Bar at 20th and Arch, Mr. Shames keeps you entertained all night long with all the musical greats including “Walking in Memphis”.  Not to mention how do you get “10 feet of the Biel?”

“In the Heights” by the Original Broadway Cast of “In the Heights”

I’m very shocked to see that I am half way through my list of ten, and this is the first Broadway song that has come across my iTunes.  Regardless things continue to get more eclectic.  ”In the Heights”, winner of the 2008 Tony Award for Best Musical, tells the story of the Washington Heights section of New York City.  The show really took Broadway by storm as the music incorporated a unique yet tasteful mix of Broadway classics and rap music.   Here is just a small taste of what you can experience as the show starts its tour in the very near future:

“If Today Was Your Last Day” by Nickelback

I will now pause as you make a sarcastic comment about me liking Nickelback.  Ok, done?  Well I am glad we got that out of the way.  If today was my last day though, instead of listening to this song, I’m pretty sure I’d listen to “Photograph” instead.  Ok, feel free to judge me more.

“All that Jazz” by the Revival Cast of “Chicago”

Well so much for only one Broadway song to be featured in this list.  But this song does hold a special place in my heart as this was the first song I ever played in competitive marching band.  Though, you also got to love it because it features the lyric “I gotta pee!”  Ok, maybe I went to far there…

“Can’t Buy Me Love” by Michael Buble

I told you I had a man crush.  I think is it true, you can’t buy me love, but you could surely buy me tickets to see Michael Buble.

“Louder than Words” by the Original Off-Broadway Cast of “Tick, Tick…Boom!”

“Tick, Tick…Boom!” is the lesser known work of musical theater great and “Rent’ creator Jonathan Larson.  Dubbed as an autobiographical work of Larson’s life, it’s a great rock opera that highlights a pure genius’s life.  For all musical theater lovers out there, I do wonder how the state of theater would be different if Jonathan was still around today.

Wow, I did not really intend to to end things on such a somber note.  I guess that is just the magic of iTunes!

 

iClectic iPod: Part 1

Greg and I both say we have the most eclectic — er, iClectic — iPods known to man. Therefore, I am now going to put my iPod on shuffle and discuss the first 10 songs that have been randomly chosen by Apple and predestined by Eros.

“MLB on Fox”

I’m a sucker for TV themes. I wouldn’t be surprised if another came up in the remaining nine songs. Fox’s theme for Major League Baseball is more adrenaline-rushing than its NFL counterpart, in my opinion. I even have the “MLB on Fox — Extended Rock Version” somewhere on the iPod, as well. The only downside — the song always makes me think of Joe Buck and Tim McCarver.

“$25,000 Pyramid”

See? Told you another TV theme would come up. Did you know TV themes have subgenres? Well, game shows would be my favorite subgenre. And no game show has a more classic sound than Dick Clark’s $25,000 Pyramid, which has the same song as its $100,000 counterpart. However, were you aware the $10,000 Pyramid had its own theme, as well? There are similarities, but the $25,000 song prevails. Have you picked up my nerdom yet?

“Everything & Anything” — Peppers Ghost

From Peppers Ghost’s debut album, Shake the Hand that Shook the World, this song captures the essence of the entire CD. Peppers Ghost is a local band trying to make it to the big time. They played at the infamous Garnet Valley High School in 2005, which is where I became somewhat of a junkie. For more information, visit this Wikipedia page on what Pepper’s ghost actually is.

“Because You Loved Me” — Celine Dion

It’s the only Celine song I have on my iPod, I swear. The only reason I have this on here is because in third grade, the principal of St. Joseph Elementary School in Aston, Pa., announced she was leaving. Sr. Rosemary was a beloved figure at the school, and we had a celebratory mass at the end of her tenure. And we all sang this song in church. I’m not sure that’s technically permitted, but we made Celine proud. Apparently she never responded to the invite, so instead we had some eighth grader stand at the pulpit.

“3rd Rock from the Sun”

OK, now the TV themes are getting obnoxious, even for me. But you have to admit, 3rd Rock has a pretty good one, even though it’s only 27 seconds long. And it’s a funny show. John Lithgow and Jane Curtin are fantastic people.

“Viva la Vida” — PS22 Chorus

I’ll let the video do the speaking for this.

“A Better Man” — Clint Black

I actually don’t like this song, but I don’t like a lot of songs I have on my iPod. Why do I have these songs, then? Because whenever someone says, “Hey, remember that song by [long-lost band/artist]?” I can say, “Well, actually, yeah!” So this represents the country genre for those situations.

“To Be with You” — Mr. Big

Hey, remember that song by that long-lost band? Yeah, that one that says something like “I’m the one who wants to be with you / Deep inside I hope you feel it, too. / Waiting on a line of greens and blues.” Well, actually, yeah!

“Barbie Girl” — Aqua

For the record, I have every Now That’s What I Call Music CD from the original up to 20. The latter 12 or so I bought because I felt I needed to continue the tradition. So I stopped at a nice, even number. Therefore, most of the original Now happens to be on my iPod. But that is no excuse for not removing this song. Although it’s kind of fun to dance to when you’re alone in your apartment. Or so I’m told.

“Keep Your Hands off My Baby” — Little Eva

I had this class in my last semester in college called “American Music.” We had three tests the entire course, and these were the only grades we had in the class. Each test consisted of about 25 fill-in-the-blank questions (with no word bank!) and at least 15 “Name that Tune”-esque segments. The prof would play a song, and we would have to name the song and artist. The final exam was cumulative, so we essentially had to memorize nearly 300 songs for 15 “Name that Tune”s. This was one of them. I also have Little Eva’s “Locomotion” on my iPod, but that was not a song from this course. I just enjoy line dances.

—

So that’s that. The shuffle let me down. We didn’t get to showcase the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, “Weird Al” Yankovic or Pianomusings. So, perhaps we’ll see what the shuffle brings in the future. For now, happy shuffling.

 

Saving “Grace”

This is a first for The Chreg; back to back posts about the same topic.  And believe me, we are just as fed up with the whole “Jon and Kate” mess as you are, but this was not worth passing up.

When your life is broadcasted every minute of everyday, your family is torn in two, and you get dumped by The Learning Channel, most people would, ya know, lay low for a little.  Not Jon Gosselin!  What does he do, he goes on The Insider.  Something tells me, he regrets that decision…

After watching that clip, one of two things will happen: Either Nancy Grace is going to guest host Monday Night Raw, or Jon is going to cry in a corner.  I’d guess the latter.   

 

Jon – Kate = Enough Already!!

Many moons ago, I had commented on the original rumors of the Jon and Kate Gosselin fiasco, entitling it: Jon Minus 9.  Well it looks like I should get into the fortune telling business; cause everyone’s dreams (ok, well maybe Kate’s dreams) came true today.

TLC executives announced today that when they relaunch the series next month, they are moving in a new direction, without father of the year Jon Gosselin.  “Given the recent changes in the family dynamics, it only makes sense for us to refresh and recalibrate the program to keep pace with the family,” stated TLC President Eileen O’Neil. 

O’Neil continued by stating, “The family has evolved, and we are attempting to evolve with it…we feel that Kate’s journey really resonates with our viewers. “  Really?  You mean the viewers don’t like Jon anymore, or are they just getting headaches from all the blurring the editors have to do on Jon’s graphic tees. 

With the show heading in a new direction, you know what this means?  Spin-off series!!  I can see it now, a show that follows the kids, and the real people who are raising them, the nannies.  Come on, they got to film something while Kate is co-hosting The View. 

Even though this is sad news , especially losing a job in this rough economic climate, I do have a lead on a new job for Jon.  Since he is residing in the Big Apple, I heard of a Broadway theater that needs it’s cell phone security beefed up….

Send your resume now!

 

Real “Swift” Kanye

Yes we know, we know…we are a little late on the Kanye West news, our deepest apologies.  But in all honesty, wasn’t this already old news 20 minutes after it happened?

more about “Kanye West interrupts Taylor Swift’s …“, posted with vodpod

But anyway, I digress…

It is truly amazing how big this story has become in the past few days.  After having to have three people explain to me what exactly happened on Sunday night, a few thoughts crossed my mind:

• What the heck was Taylor Swift doing at the VMA’s?
• The Video Music Awards still exist?
• People still make music videos?
• More importantly; MTV actually shows videos now?
• And finally, who wins the “Kanye West made me feel super uncomfortable award”, Swift or this guy…

Whether or not the outburst happened, shouldn’t this have been the top story of the evening…

I guess it’s not easy being green at the VMAs.

 

Why Ellen is the right choice for ‘Idol’

Yeah, I said it.

Ellen DeGeneres is the perfect choice for the next American Idol judge.

After Paula Abdul announced in August — via tweet — that she wasn’t returning to Idol for selfi– er, monetary reasons, I assumed it’s exactly what the execs wanted. They had just brought in Kara DioGuardi as the middle, female judge needed in the event Abdul left.

When I learned last night — via tweet — that DeGeneres was taking over, my initial reaction was the ubiquitous WTF? that was sighed around the country. But after reading some reports and doing some important processing, I’ve determined it’s the perfect decision.

Outrage ensued. Tweeters let their frustration be known, most notably the hardcore Abdul fans. Entertainment Weekly‘s Michael Slezak thinks it’s a downright awful decision.

Am I in the minority? Here’s my case for why DeGeneres is perfect for Idol (apparently over the next five years)… after the jump.